Which Way Is North?

PCT Mile 1,459.1 to PCT Mile 1,485.0  Day Total: 25.9 miles I saw a bear cub this morning although it was too far away and much too quick to able to take a photo. The cub was 50 yards away and ran into the trees and out of sight immediately after I shouted to Stephen, hiking behind me, to look down the hill. It's interesting that there's more bear activity in this part of Northern California than anywhere else we've been. That's interesting, especially considering the night we spilled Spanish rice everywhere around the tent. Happy Eclipse Day to all! We picked up a flyer about the eclipse at Burney State Park a couple days ago, and found out that where we were in the range of 88-percent totality. We were in a highly tree covered section of the trail, but we wound a sunny spot to stop and watch (safely) the eclipse. We used a hole in a piece of paper to show a circle of sun on the ground. As the eclipse happened, most of that circle went dark. We ate lun...

PCT Mile 1,434.4 to PCT Mile 1,459.1 Day Total: 24.7 miles We get asked from time to time if we've ever done anything like this before, or maybe someone will ask if we've done any other long trails. Well, yes, I (Stephen) did the Appalachian Trail in 2011. Invariably, the next question is how does the PCT compare to the AT. I usually say that it doesn't and sprinkle in some things I think the person wants to hear: the mountains out here are way more impressive, the trees are huge, every inch is more scenic, the desert was surprisingly beautiful, etc. All of that is true, but the two experiences are difficult to compare for a number of reasons. There are the basics like the terrain and weather, then there are some personal differences that make this entirely new. First, let me speak on behalf of the AT. I loved the AT. No, the vistas are not as striking and the mountains are smaller but it's a different kind of beautiful. I grew up with the Blue Ridge Moun...