Day 18

August 14, 2024: One last zero day! Despite everybody’s supportive comments, I still have to convince my head each time that it’s okay to take a zero! I have thoughts of feeling lazy but in the end, my legs and feet are still tired and I love supporting these great motel owners who do so much for the hikers. So one last zero it is … #3 of the journey and a chance to rest before climbing 9000ft from here to Horseshoe Basin (overall, not in elevation)! These shoes will make it 👍🏻

Funny how this kind of uphill also has 3000ft of descent!! See picture … The “town” listing in the flats is Loomis where you can get ice cream from the service station … not much more there.

Since a stretch of the PNT (after my turnoff to the Methow) is still closed due to the Calcite fire in BC, the thru hikers still have to do a big detour. Either into Winthrop and up the highway, or out to Billy Goat, down the FS road and over to Mazama and back up from there. Not fun 😳

Here some local history; the sign is really hard to read but the Wikipedia page has more info!!

As usual, some more gear musings during my zero!

Here is a picture of my ingenious solution to keep my pillow in place but also not “waste” pad length by putting the pillow on top of the pad (the pad is already cut down to save weight … my feet don’t need to be on the pad when fully stretched out). I just thread the cord through the buff and back through the hole in the pad, and it stays where it’s supposed to be!

I put a few dabs of silicone on the bottom of the pad so it doesn’t slide around in the tent.

I wear long pants and long sleeves, and my clothing including shoes, gaiters, sun gloves and hat have been treated with Permethrin. This provides bug protection for a few washes or weeks of use. It has worked really well for me; never had a tick for example. If the bugs are swarming around my face during tent setup or at a water source, I use the ultralight headnet. The wipe is just extra; never used it.

My small knife is one of my favourite items! I believe it weighs 1.5oz (42g) and cuts everything I need cut! It’s a Gerber STL 2.5 (might be discontinued). Love it!

Ah the question about bathroom breaks! We follow the LNT (Leave No Trace) principles and for “pooping in the woods”, that means you dig a hole of 6-8 inches (length of the trowel; weighs 17g or so) at least 200ft away from water, camp or trails. Toilet paper should be avoided (this is an “in case” supply) and instead, use smooth rocks or leaves for initial cleaning. Snow is actually best!

The bottle (used for water otherwise) gets the cap switched to the one with a hole, and you have a bidet! There are fancier attachments available but I found the cap works well (holes are adjustable).

I’ll link to the video of the technique here, as it shows how you clean up (including hands) with a bottle of water and a drop of soap. It actually doesn’t take very much water at all. Means you’re clean and also avoid chafing!

These tiny containers (banana for reference) last me weeks since I only need lotion for my face. Orange is my regular creme I use every day, SPF 30. On a cloudy day that’s enough. The black one is SPF 50 sunscreen (natural, zinc based) and used for sunny days, reapplication or when sweating a lot (it’s waterproof).

I don’t like hip belt pockets and prefer a fanny pack. Not only do I find that hip belt pockets get in the way of swinging arms and poles, this is also more flexible in towns. It has my important stuff such as my passport in it and allows me to always take those things with me, and never leave them anywhere (not that dirty backpacks attract many thieves but just in case). It’s a DCF fanny pack by LiteAF. Looks perfect after many miles on the PCT and now. Garbage goes in the outer pocket during the day, and snacks, sunscreen, lip balm and more are easily accessible during the day.

Got some minor food items today and am all set for the last 4 days.

Most likely I won’t have reception to post anything until I’m in Winthrop. I’ve hiked this stretch before and it’s remote. So don’t worry! I will still send Garmin checkins though … see “Daily Tracking” tab.

If you are reading this, please consider leaving a comment below! When I (or others) go back in the future to read these posts again to relive the adventure, it would be great to know that you’ve enjoyed them … the comments stay with the blog while text messages/emails eventually disappear (or at least are not connected to the post). Your support means a lot to me 😊