800 Miles

We’ve started on the high mountains in new shoes – we’ll probably use around four pairs along the way. After the San Jacinto mountains, we had no use for our microspikes and cold weather gear for a long time, so we had sent it ahead to Kennedy Meadows. We have also augmented our equipment with a few odds and ends and shipped some stuff back to an American friend.

In places where many hikers pass through, there are ‘hiker boxes.’ In these, you can drop off usable gear you don’t need anymore – or food you have gotten tired of 😉 Others hikers can then freely avail themselves if they find something they need. This was was how Lotte got the sun umbrella she used through some of the desert – now it rests in a hiker box here in Lone Pine, waiting for its next owner.

Water purification has improved a lot since we hiked in earnest 30 years ago. Back then, we used silver or iodine to clean the water chemically, and that removed only certain pathogens. But today we have nanotechnology filters that can weed out all microorganisms and even bacteria. So we just fill a bag with water from a creek and hang it, and clean water runs through the filter and into our bottles.

The first rivers were peaceful enough, and there were even bridges. But after a short time, the serious water crossings started. There are of course only pictures of the easy ones, where we can wade across individually. When the current is strong, Sten walks upstream supporting himself on his poles. Lotte walks behind him, protected from the worst current, holding on to him. And camera and phones are safely stored in waterproof bags.

The route is above 10,000 feet much of the time, and up here there are only Sequoia trees growing between the rocks. They have very thick trunks, and the dead stems and roots assume fantastic shapes.

We have just passed Forester Pass at 14,000 feet, which is the highest point on the PCT. Our timing has turned out fine, and the snow has melted from most of the route. But we still regularly have to cross small and large snow fields. Here we benefit from the microspikes we can strap under our shoes.

We just filled our bear-proof canisters with food for a week more, and tomorrow we continue through more rivers and over more 12,000-foot passes. In the high Sierra, there is absolutely no network connection – probably not at the next resupply points either. So it may be some weeks before you hear from us again.