PCT Day 32

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PCT Day 32, 13 June 2022 (Monday)

”Toe To Toe”

Start Location:	Wilderness Campsite	Destination:	Wilderness Campsite
PCT Miles Day 32:	28.8	Cum PCT Miles:	664.1
Non-PCT Miles Day 32:	0.3	Cum All Miles:	692.0
PCT Miles Remaining:	1,988.5
Elevation Gain Day 32:	4,406	Cum Elevation Gain:	114,984

 

At the end of today, I am 13 miles ahead of my plan, and, amazingly, 25% done with the trail.  My original plan was to get to Kennedy Meadows on Thursday morning, but since I am far enough ahead, I think I’m going to try to get there Wednesday.

Today’s trail led through Walker Pass Campground, where somebody had left a fair amount of bottled water, which solved part of the water problem for today.  Walker Pass Campground is also another place where a lot of the hikers who got scared off by comments on the springwater between Tehachapi and here are skipping to.  Unless those hikers come back and do this section later, they are not going to have a true thru-hike.

On a hike this long you’re going to have to deal with some issues.  One thing that’s been bothering me for several days now is numb toes (digitalgia paresthetica or, as some people call it, pins and needles).  This is pretty common among long-distance hikers, runners, and other people who abuse their feet.   It’s actually been pretty bad.   On a numbness scale where 1 is my toes can feel it when you breathe to 10 which is you might as well cut it off because I can’t feel it at all, mine have been at least a 7, especially the small right toe.

I remembered a trick I’ve done before, which is wiggling/curling the toes when walking.  You just alternate between curling the toes in and straightening them out.  Between doing this and massageging my feet every morning and night, the numbness has been greatly reduced.   It’s feeling almost, but not quite, normal.

In the far distance the first real view of the Southern Sierra

 

 

And if you turn around 180°, you’ve got desert.  At this point, I’m glad to be heading north.

 

 

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