PCT 2015 Day 3: More Clouds

• Start: Mile 38.5
• End: Mile 55.9
• Miles: 17.4
• Camp: Oriflamme Canyon

SoCal has been pretty unusual today. Strong winds and rain, and I have been hiking in the cloud for most of the day. Needless to say everything is at least slightly damp, and pulling down and pitching up the tent in the rain has made sure everything is pretty muddy as well. It’s a day when finding a decent campsite out of the worst of the wind means bedtime, even if it is only 4pm.

The morning didn’t start too badly. The short hike into Mount Laguna was fairly painless and the cafe opened just as we arrived so we could caffeine up. A brief meetup with Diogenes and a trip to the outfitters later and I was on the PCT again by around 10am.

The clouds parted every so often allowing a brief glimpse of the vista across the valley.

However after a couple of hours even this stopped and I was hiking in a cloud again. I was surprised to find Teresia ahead of me on the trail with Fran and Joe but she had been dropped off a couple of miles further down the road than where I had rejoined the trail. And we passed the 50 mile mark!

Being a group of four meant that we needed to accommodate different styles by taking more breaks, and I was happy to take shelter from the wind whenever it was available. It means I only did 17.4 miles today, but my knee is probably grateful for the lower mileage. The tendon still isn’t right. 

So now the tent is billowing around, having been pitched in a hurry, and condensation is blowing off the inside on to my face. But it is warm, I have food, and I think I shall listen to some music before sleep. Maybe it will drown out the wind howling as well!