Legs and Borders

"Wherever you go. There you are." [graffiti on the shelter wall on top of Mt Whitney] People were telling me when I said I enjoy the desert section of PCT "just wait until Sierras" and I was just nodding my head. Sure mountains are beautiful but the desert surprised me with its many faces. Then after leaving Kennedy Meadows, Sierras were quite beautiful but nothing outstanding, until today. I wish i could split this day into two separate days, as there was so much to take in. All the way through it I felt simultaneously as I was in Disney movie, on a different planet or that it all just wasn't real. Sadly no amount of pictures or words will be able to describe it fully, but I'll do my best. I woke up forty five minutes past midnight and begun the night ascent of Mount Whitney the highest point on the entire Pacific Crest Trail. It has been timed do reach the summit by the sunrise, many other hikers decided to do the same thing and I could see their torches g...

"You guys in Europe do listen to American music, you just six months behind" Nugget. The usual routine today, wake up at 6am, put all the warm clothes on, bag up the sleeping bag and the mattress, get out of the tent. Coookie time! Start disassembling the tent, once everything is folded put it in order inside the backpack. Start hiking, first two hours hands in the pockets because it's cold and I have no gloves.. Around 11am I arrived at the road crossing leading to Green Valley, I didn't really have to buy anything substantial, but I was out of cookies (!) and it seemed like a good idea to stop here for lunch. On the way down the road (catching a hitchhike was unsuccessful this time) I met Nugget, a hiker from Los Angeles and I ended up walking with her all day. She got her trail name from the McDonalds challenge, which was eating only McDonalds (there's one on trail in Cajon Pass at mile 341) for 24 hours, she bought 106 chicken MC nuggets, of which she ate 90. ...

"I'm in so much pain, I want to literally destroy something" Long Story. "When I started hiking I promised myself I'm going to write something everyday. Seven days later, it's done. I ain't writing no more" Beastmode. We woke up at 5am as agreed last evening with the plan to hike 25 miles to KOA (Kampgrounds of America) resort. The problem I had was that my right shin didn't fully recover during the night and it was still hurting, so I decided to hike slowly in a 'recovery mode' all day. Tank Top initially stuck with me in hopes that I might walk it off, but it wasn't getting any better, so he finally gave up and went faster. It was a cruisy path today without difficult stretches, the day was windy and quite cloudy, a welcome change to the stagnant heat of previous ones. There was only one water cache along the way at the North Fork Ranger Station maintained by ranger Todd, but luckily it was enough. I came down from the trail at 5:30...