Day 59, I Love You PCT

6/16
Daily mileage: 25
Mile 998-1023

Today really needed to knock yesterday out of the park, and wow did it deliver. Stayed in our sleeping bags late watching the pink clouds of sunrise over the mountains, so good. Then down we went, more mountains and lakes and then we got to have a celebratory breakfast at mile marker 1000. Okay well about there on the map because there was no mile marker, it wasn't even written in rocks. Its a good thing we know how to read maps, how else could we have done our happy dance in the approximately right spot?
Running from the mosquitoes the trail wound around and I found myself seeing new mountains. Looking totally different than what we've been seeing, much more volcanic in origin. Always fun to see new stuff. Started our big climb with lots of pausing on the way to stare open mouthed at the view.


Hanging out about halfway up, the views were to good to resist a break.


Met Kitchen Sink and the guy she is hiking with (looking for a new trail name so nameless right now). They hiked last year and are out to finish this year. Fun hearing about last year.
And then we kept climbing up, and then contouring around. It was unreal.
Caveman said all he wanted to put on his blog today were pictures, because words just aren't cutting it. So here are a few photos in the hopes that they capture even a little bit of today.

A few switchbacks





Up on the first saddle













Looped around to make our way around this huge moon like bowl, more talus scrambling and some steep snow, way bigger than it looks in pictures.








Around another corner to circle another bowl, more snow and more sliding on my butt because I gave up on the trail. Short slide but so enjoyable. Then siesta because who wouldn't want to eat with these views?








A few more ups and downs and a whole lot of circles and we were at Sonora Pass, our first road in a long time.












One big climb left, more glorious views.


Up over and around and then such a sunset! Gave up on sleeping on the trail because it was basically a rocky muddy creek, so settled on some big granite boulders for the night catching the last rays of sunset. Life is so good today, and no mosquitoes!


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