Mike Hikes North
Tracking progress on PCT hike starting April 24th 2022
Itinerary http://pctplanner.com/v.php?g=paD97DC8cNRv
Pack https://lighterpack.com/r/wm7xre
Strava https://www.strava.com/athletes/12960744
Map https://share.garmin.com/mikehikesnorth
03/09/2022
Created a photo book...
https://www.shutterfly.com/share-product/?shareid=1daedf98-3f88-4301-ae2e-15010f179c2c&cid=SHARPRDWEBMPRLNK
Raw photos: https://link.shutterfly.com/ixgBqYKR1sb
PCT Shared via Shutterfly
25/08/2022
Well, the journey is complete and this will be my last post here, thanks for following along! Some data...
Days
- Total = 122
- Zeros = 13
- Hiked = 109
- Nearos = 9 (days under 10 miles hiking into town for resupply)
- Hiked full day = 100
Totals
- Miles = 2,777 (includes side trips for resupply, water, peaks, waterfalls, etc)
- Elevation gain = 467,935 feet
Daily Average
- Miles = 27.2
- Elevation gain = 4,734 feet
Daily Max
- Miles = 43
- Elevation gain = 8,133 feet
Resupply
- Total = 28
- Boxes sent = 10
This journey was so rewarding and so difficult, and I was sustained in the journey at key points by so many people! In order of appearance…
- Jeff Verner and I spent countless hours planning for this hike and he hiked the first section with me from the border to Idlewild. Having a friend to plan with and begin the hike with was such a blessing and we crammed a lot of adventures (and hard work) into those early days. By the time I was hiking on my own we had already learned a lot.
- Chris and Kirstin Patterson met me and Jeff in Idlewild when we were really hurting and put us up at the White family cabin there. Had dinner and breakfast for us and drove me around to take care of trail business.
- Nate Rogers drove to Deep Creek near lake Arrowhead when I was injured and feeling really down. Brought food and beer and cheered me up so I was able to resume hiking the next day.
- My folks met me on the trail at Silverwood Lake with some food and encouragement. Then they met me again the very next day at Cajon Pass for McDonalds and some time to visit.
- Bob Patterson also visited me at Cajon Pass, driving me to a diner for a big breakfast.
- At Five Points (closest spot to home) Ann picked me up for a zero/beach day with family and Cate drove me back to trail the next morning.
- Mark and Tamera Montoya met me after descending the Los Angeles Crest and Mark hiked with me from there to Agua Dulce where we met Tamera again for dinner. They met me again a few days later battling through dirt roads and eventually having to hike in to meet me with food and refreshments.
- My folks met me again in Tehachapi and booked a hotel there, fed me and drove me all over town for resupply (super helpful since Tehachapi is really spread out making it a difficult resupply). My dad hiked a bit of the PCT with me heading out of Tehachapi.
- Next Bob Patterson drove all the way to Kennedy Meadows and brought Sawyer, the only time I got to see Sawyer during the 4 months (so grateful).
- Greg Lawler drove to help me with a really tricky Sierra resupply, meeting me at Onion Valley and driving me (and another hiker - “Limon”) all the way to Bishop and back for resupply, shower and laundry. We then backpacked up to some lakes and got to spend the night in the Sierra (rather chilly night and tentless Greg might have been cold even if he won’t admit it).
- Had lots of help in Mammoth! Jason Rogers met me at trail with a beer and food, then let me have his car for the day to run errands, so generous and so good to get to meet his family.
- Kristin Denmark Rogers let me stay two nights in the Denmark family cabin which really felt like home and allowed me to unwind and get organized.
- Shane Borowski took me out for drinks and then to his house for dinner/dessert. Lovely meeting his adventurous family and swapping outdoor adventure stories.
- Nate Rogers and Anthony Lawler met me the 2nd day in Mammoth to join me for a section, we went out to dinner at the Tavern and Anthony treated us to the world’s best bourbon (Pappy’s). Nate and Anthony then joined me for the next leg, Nate to Sonora Pass and Anthony all the way to South Lake Tahoe. It was a challenging section of snow traverses and river crossings and so good to have company. We’ll have stories to reminisce about for years to come.
- In South Lake Tahoe, Dan Ip and his dog Ralphie met me and Anthony on trail and hiked out with us. Dan had arranged lodging for the 3 of us for the next 2 nights and drove around to help me resupply. Fun touring the lake together and catching up.
- Nate Rogers met me again in south Oregon at Shelter Cove where he arranged a motel room and helped me resupply.
- At Bend, my cousin-in-law (or as his daughter says, “fake cousin”) Eric McCray met me and took me to his folks house where I was fed and able to shower and do laundry. He brought some SUPs and we got to explore a beautiful lake nearby. He also drove me all over town for resupply. In the morning Eric’s mom made “Dutch Babies” which have to be one of my favorite breakfast foods now. I got the recipe for and will try to replicate.
- Ann met me the next day for a 4 day Bend vacation!!! This was something I was looking forward to soooooo much ever since we first talked about it. Almost didn’t happen due to Covid exposure (Sawyer didn’t get to come as originally planned unfortunately) but it was really necessary for me mentally. We spent our days floating the river and SUP-ing lakes and the evenings enjoying Bend food and brews. So good!
- At Cascade Locks (Washington border) my dad’s cousin Margie and her husband Dean met me, bought me some ice cream and then drove me to their home in Vancouver, Washington for the night. Enjoyed home cooked food, shower, laundry and Dean drove me around for resupply. Ann and Steve came over for dinner and brought a home baked blackberry pie.
- Last but by no means least, Greg Lawyer missed work and flew to Seattle and then drove a rental car to the remotest part of Washington where we met and did a red eye road trip all the way home. 19 hours of driving straight through the night in shifts, only stopping for gas/food/bio! Bryce met us at a diner in Valencia to drive me the last bit and then Greg still had a few hours to go to get to Santa Barbara… this guy is a crazy good friend!
Every one of you has earned the title “trail angel”, helped more than you know and made the whole experience more fun and memorable. Thank you!
24/08/2022
https://strava.app.link/dJDiv4EjLsb
Day 122 - exit to Harts Pass, road closed by mudslides, rendezvous w Greg to road trip home! Check out my activity on Strava.
24/08/2022
https://strava.app.link/jDMDUqyjLsb
Day 121 - 🍁 🇨🇦 CANADA! Check out my activity on Strava.
24/08/2022
https://strava.app.link/LTtldKhjLsb
Day 120 - wet day hiking in the clouds Check out my activity on Strava.
21/08/2022
Day 119 - long, rainy climb to cutthroat pass, saw another beae
Day 119 - long, rainy climb to cutthroat pass, saw another beae - Mike C.'s 29.3 mi hike
Last resupply and last zero in the peaceful and beautiful Stehekin. Staying in a rustic log cabin with a 4 foot door (banged my head a few times already) at the stehekin valley ranch. Rented a bike to explore the 10 miles between the ranch and the landing. Raining today but if it clears up in the afternoon I’ll swim in lake chelan or the stehekin river. Tomorrow the last leg of the journey begins. Just 78 miles to the border and then a 30 mile return (108 total miles to go)
18/08/2022
Day 114 - entering the notoriously difficult/remote/unmaintained “section k” of the PCT - 🔥 in the east
18/08/2022
Day 117 - last resupply in Stehekin
18/08/2022
Day 115 - loads of marmots, wild turkeys and bushwhacking
Day 115 - loads of marmots, wild turkeys and bushwhacking - Mike C.'s 31.4 mi hike
18/08/2022
Day 116 - log hopping Olympics - took some falls, broke a pole, ripped my pants but only flesh wounds
15/08/2022
I’m resupplying today in Skykomish, the last trail town accessible by road. Last resupply will be in a place called Stehekin accessible only by trail or water ferry across lake Chelan. I’ve been told by southbound hikers that I’ll have no cell service for the rest of my hike. I’ve also been told that the wifi in Stehekin is insufficient for a phone call. So… might not be any updates here for a while. Glad I have my Garmin so I can send updates nightly to family (Ann). Heading deep into the wild now to finish this. Greg is planning to meet me at Hart Pass on August 23rd and we will road trip home together, a perfect ending to this adventure!
https://youtu.be/13Fs0VGRa0A
A Short Trip on (perhaps the worst part of) the Hart Pass Road near Mazama, Washington. I decided to explore what looked like a fun side trip leading off Highway 20 into the mountains near Mazama, Washington. Not for the feint-of-'Hart'.
14/08/2022
Day 113 - Steven’s pass then resupply in Skykomish
Day 113 - Steven’s pass then resupply in Skykomish - Mike C.'s 8.6 mi hike
14/08/2022
Day 111 - alpine lakes wilderness - big climbs, big views
14/08/2022
After 5 days of 30+ miles I’m taking a zero at the beautiful and tiny ski resort of Snoqualmie. Only 260 trail miles left to Canada!! (plus a return of 30 more mile to a dirt road pick up point). The trail from here on out doesn’t come close to any towns and is really remote. 15 mile hitches to the last two resupply points (Skykomish and Stehekin). I’m in generally good health though my feet are throbbing 24/7 (but this is not unusual, just the life of a thru hiker). My gear on the other hand is in worse shape. My sleeping mat is disintegrating and getting smaller. My shirt sleeves are pulling off and the material in various places tearing. May replace my shirt because it doesn’t look repairable and won’t make it. One tent pole broke in Bend and I’ve repaired it with a dowel and duct tape. My tent fly ripped badly near Shelter Cove and I’ve used tenacious tape to repair it. So far it held up through one Washington storm. My water filter dirty bag sprung a pinhole leak a few days ago that makes filtering water a lossy/messy/tedious chore… I will fix that with superglue today. Of most concern are my shoes. Common trail wisdom is to replace shoes every 500 miles to prevent thinning soles from causing foot damage. I’m on my last pair of shoes and these will need to do 712 miles to make it to the finish line. Only 290 more miles dear shoes, you can do it!!!
11/08/2022
Day 109 - bear encounter, eating all the huckleberries, salmon berries are nasty
10/08/2022
10/08/2022
Day 107 - resupply at White Pass, then into Mount Rainier NP
Day 107 - resupply at White Pass, then into Mount Rainier NP - Mike C.'s 31.1 mi hike
08/08/2022
Day 106 - Goat Rocks Wilderness is a wonderland!!
Day 107 - Goat Rocks Wilderness is a wonderland!! - Mike C.'s 34.9 mi hike
08/08/2022
Day 105 - mount Adams (saw an avalanche happen!) and first views of mount Rainier
05/08/2022
Day 102 - hello Washington! (climbing out of the Columbia Gorge)
Day 102 - hello Washington! (Combing out of the Columbia Gorge) - Mike C.'s 33.5 mi hike
05/08/2022
Day 103 - almost 14k feet of climb in 2 days - we aren’t in Oregon any more!
05/08/2022
Day 104 - pit stop in the town of Trout Lake
Day 105 - pit stop in the town of Trout Lake - Mike C.'s 15.5 mi hike
Videos (show all)
