Pilgrim on the PCT

5:53 AM

Restless night. Even with earplugs in, you’re still alert with so many people around you. At 5:00 a.m. I get ready. Everyone is still asleep, so I just pack my gear and leave.

6:57 AM

A few kilometers further on I reach a parking lot. There I make a cup of tea and eat some bread. I’m joined by a squirrel who keeps a close eye on me, waiting for the moment I’m not paying attention so he can run off with my entire food bag. Well, that’s not going to happen, my friend.

A stunning sunrise, slightly smoky; I know there’s a large forest fire in this area, but the PCT is open. You can smell burned wood and the air is a bit dull with smoke. Still, it’s not as bad as at Glacier Peak, where I walked straight into the wildfire.

8:22 AM

Lots of climbing, and after every climb there’s another meadow that leaves you speechless.

8:37 AM

The natural beauty just doesn’t stop, but sitting down for a moment isn’t really an option—unless you put on all your clothes—because there are mosquitoes, horseflies, and wasps everywhere.

9:33 AM

10:11 AM

11:27 AM

1:40 PM

I meet a group coming the other way from something like the Lama Associate Club. They’re hiking uphill with four llamas, fully loaded. The llamas are wearing face masks—do they have COVID or something? 🤔 What a spectacle!

1:52 PM

I turn on the music, and exactly at the song ‘Pilgrim’ by Enya I arrive at a breathtaking meadow, hidden away between the mountains. It is so vast and so beautiful that I break.

Pilgrim, how you journey On the road you chose To find out why the winds die And where the stories go?

All days come from one day That much you must know You cannot change what's over But only where you go

One way leads to diamonds One way leads to gold Another leads you only To everything you're told

In your heart you wonder Which of these is true The road that leads to nowhere The road that leads to you

Will you find the answer In all you say and do? Will you find the answer In you?

Each heart is a pilgrim Each one wants to know The reason why the winds die And where the stories go

Pilgrim, in your journey You may travel far For, pilgrim, it's a long way To find out who you are

Pilgrim, it's a long way To find out who you are Pilgrim, it's a long way To find out who you are

2:21 PM

5:52 PM

I need to pick up the pace; I still have a big pass to cross so I can spend the night at the Inn at White Pass.

6:36 PM

That was a tough climb, and the clock keeps ticking. The mosquitoes and biting flies aren’t exactly friendly either. I have to put on all my clothes, but those creatures don’t care and sting straight through everything. It’s a matter of walking fast and hoping they can’t keep up.

There are so many lakes along the route that entire swarms of mosquitoes chase after me. It turns into an endless battle, a final, exhausting 6 kilometers just to be able to slam the motel door shut behind me.

6:38 PM

7:32 PM

I made it. Don’t ask me how, because I can barely stand upright. I stagger to the reception desk and can just manage to stay on my feet. Fearing the worst, I try to get everything done as quickly as possible. Since everything is already closed, the kind man offers me ingredients so I can make an omelet with mushrooms, onion, garlic, and broccoli. I don’t need to be told twice—my gratitude is immense.

I limp to the room and take off my shoes, dust-caked socks, and the sports tape I had applied because I could no longer walk properly on the ball of my foot. It doesn’t look good 🫨

Total: 51.04 km in 13 hours 40 minutes
1,138 m ascent, 1,488 m descent