PCT 2015 Day 79: A long, green road but what a view at the end

• Start: 1,252.0
• End: 1,277.0
• Miles: 25.0
• Camp: Clear Creek ish

Today was samey for about 24 miles of the 25 I covered. I hiked, I ate, I sweated in hellish humidity. In the morning I did the mosquito dance because of all the bugs in the forest as I climbed 10 miles of hill. The mosquito dance really just involved waving trekking poles around so that your hands can flap around your face to deter bugs. It doesn’t work very well but it’s better than nothing, and no one can see how ridiculous you look in the woods. I wondered if the humidity, presumably in part caused by yesterday’s thunderstorm, made the trail anything like the Appalachian Trail. Hot and humid and a green tunnel through forests. Maybe not my cup of tea. I had one view throughout the whole morning, at the top of the 10 mile climb when I got to Lookout Rock where a couple of women and a child and a dog were having a rest stop. Guess what we were looking out over? Forests. I love forests, why are they making me so annoyed?

In the afternoon I had another 5 miles  of hill to climb. Not humid this time, but exposed to full sunlight. I hiked some more, I sweated some more. I might also have eaten some more. Seems a reasonable assumption.

The last mile was the best by a long way. Stunning, in fact. At the top of the hill I had views over the lakes and forests of Bucks Lake recreation area. The trail turned gritty surrounded by rocks. I had intended to yomp on to a campsite which would leave me around 10 miles to do into Belden tomorrow but the view from the ridge was so beautiful I set up camp there despite the efforts it took to get my tent stakes in. So it’s 12 miles to Belden, but a home in the woods and a view from my porch that anyone would be envious of.