1982: The Pasaytan Loop, page 22

Micki, the true star of the show!

Since I read all my books and there's nobody here to talk to, it's time to dig out the maps and figure up the mileage. Although this hike did not come near the original plan (because I abandon the western loop) it still qualifies as a long hike – which anymore to me is over 50 miles.

Micki, by the way, is having a great time eating her breakfast in bed. She is such a spoiled little beastie! I am going to hold back a little bit of her dog food, however ... just in case we end up staying tonight. I'm not sure when my pickup party is going to arrive, so it is best to error on the side of caution.

Anyhow – back to the mileage. This is how I figure it (in actual hiking days):

• Day 1: Harts Pass to Holman Pass: 13.5 miles
• Day 2: Holman Pass to Hopkins Lake: 12.5 miles
• Day 5: Hopkins Lake to the Pasaytan River: 16 miles
• Day 6: Pasaytan River to Goat Lakes: 10 miles
• Day 8: Goat Lakes to Harts Pass: 16 miles

I'm figuring that's a total of 68-miles, for an average of 15.6 miles mile per day. That's pretty respectable and doesn't even count all the wandering and sidetrips. And it actually came out to be only 20-miles shorter than the original loop I had planned!

Oh, by the way – I usually forget something every single hike. One year it was my toothbrush, another time it was my spoon (you can actually eat pretty well using a tent stake). The worst omission was my lip balm. I got so desperate that I was digging out ear wax to cover my lips with! This hike, I forgot my footpads. This was a pretty crucial error because they would have made a big difference in my comfort level and I probably could have avoided some of the blisters I got. Seriously I could've done 20-miles a day with the footpads!  ('Twenty-five or thirty miles a day!' says the dog in a decidedly mocking manner.)

Actually my feet are in pretty good shape, all things considered. I have blisters on both Achilles tendons, one on each foot below the great toe, and one on my right foot between the second and third toes. But that's it. All in all it's not that bad, and I never once had to lance a blister on this trip.

You know, now that I’m in last-night-out-reminiscing mode, I actually almost hate to leave. With the exception of the first three days, the weather has been tremendous – and that makes all the difference. And if I'm honest about it, the short snowfall added to the adventure and hopefully gave me some great photos.

And I enjoyed the conversations with my three PCT Through-Hikers. (They did all the walking, I got to do the talkin'!)

– End adventure.