Internet in the Middle of Nowhere

6:22 AM

Yesterday it was already cold waking up, but today it was another degree colder. Sandy ground cools down quickly and causes so much condensation that it was horribly cold this morning. To my surprise, I actually have internet here, right in the middle of nowhere. I’d already read about that on the PCT communication forum, which is exactly why I chose this spot. At 6 a.m. I was already video-calling home. Pretty funny to be standing in the wilderness, slowly freezing to death in the morning dew 😛

7:29 AM

It took about an hour to warm up. My feet, hands, and face were cold. Luckily I had to go uphill, and when you’re cold, you climb extra fast to warm up.

You’re just sitting there peacefully eating some M&M’s when a ranger walks up with a big radio strapped to his chest. “You’re fine right there!” he says. “Ah, a thru-hiker. May I see your permit?” Oh boy, here we go again. “Ah, from the Netherlands.” “Yep.” “Have you happened to see a cooler?” “Nope, I wish 🤣.” “No, those aren’t allowed in the wilderness; that’s illegal.” Well then, you’ve come to the right person, so I immediately start asking questions back. “Why is providing support illegal in nature?” His answer: “It is allowed, but it has to be removed within 48 hours.” “Who checks those 48 hours?” He didn’t have an answer to that. He thinks it’s forbidden and that it doesn’t belong in nature. Suddenly his radio goes off very loudly. “Doesn’t a radio disturb nature too?” I ask. He gets annoyed and walks away.

12:52 PM

Once again it’s a day full of trees and lakes, and after 15 km I decide it’s time for lunch. Normally I always skip it, but today I go a bit wild: I eat a rolled-up tuna wrap 😋. Maybe I’ve had that a few too many times 🥴.

2:07 PM

Blue lakes, brown lakes, lakes full of trees, tea-colored lakes, coffee-colored lakes… but not again 😮‍💨—mosquitoes!! 🥺

6:06 PM

I’m tired and collapse onto a campspot. It’s close to the lake, and within no time I’m being attacked by mosquitoes. It’s actually still too early to crawl into bed 😮‍💨. That would mean walking another 10 km 🤬. Come on—mix a bottle of electrolytes and drink it. Wait a bit… wait a little more… boom! As soon as that stuff kicks in, I run up the mountain. I make sure I’m completely exhausted, otherwise I won’t be able to sleep because of the energy. It doesn’t really seem healthy, but it works. 🤔 Maybe I shouldn’t drink too much of it.

At this lake I can camp a bit higher up. Quickly filter water and pitch the soaking-wet tent, which I forgot to hang out to dry along the way 😛.

Total: 40.54 km in 11:28 hours · 732 m up · 754 m down