PCT WA Day 2 – Becoming a hiker again

Cedar Mountain Camp (2156.2) to Trout Creek Camp (2177.6)

21.4 miles

My first night on trail was eerily quiet. The trees were standing around my tent. Black in front of a grayish sky. I couldn’t sleep. For me it’s normal that I would need some time to get into sleeping outside again.

I started hiking around 7:30. It was downhill for a little while before a 1000ft climb over 4 miles started. The trail rose gently higher and higher. I recognized a lot of places I knew from four years ago. Especially a logging area I was crossing. Busy last time it now looked like the destroying of the landscape had come to an end. Still sad to see. I climbed higher and higher and it was before ten when I could already feel my legs and feet. Would I make it all the way up?

Eventually I reached the highest point of the climb and began descending again. The trail went down the mountainside in switchbacks and I was aiming at the next water source which was Rock Creek. A very nice little creek with some kind of a beach. Last time I had stayed the night. This time things were different as it was not even 2 pm. After Rock Creek there was another 1000ft climb and a descend down towards Trout Creek. Overall another 10 miles.

I decided that I wanted to get some more miles in and therefore i hiked on, The climb wasn’t as bad as the first one and my legs somehow got used to it. My thoughts were with my friends down in California and it was thinking about them and being sad and helpless that pushed me up two 1000 ft climbs and a total of more than 20 miles. And this was day 2!

It was 7:30 when I arrived at Trout Creek. It was busy with other hikers and the best spots were taken. I couldn’t go any further and so I picked a halfway level spot on the wrong side of the river and right next to the road. Hopefully there will be no cars tonight.