Adventure 067 – Interview a PCTer

Gary, Instigator, Re-Hab, No Dae

Capture California, the Game-2013

Adventure: 067 – Interview a PCTer

Team: YOLT

Date:  June 25, 2013

Location: Yosemite

Description:

We came across three PCTers on a side trip, going down to Yosemite Valley, as we were coming close to Sunrise Creek. The three are Instigator, Re-Hab and No Dae. They started out at the Mexico border in April and are aiming to get to Canada by the end of September. At this point, they had walked a little over 900 miles in two months. Asked if Instigator was a trouble maker—yes, she has a tendency to play tricks on both sides. Trail names are given to people; they do not get to make their own name.

An astute person might say, what are they doing going to Yosemite Valley when that is not on the PCT? True enough. They are not from California and wanted to see it and take a few days off of the Trail. For a PCTer, hiking the 27 miles to Yosemite is not too much more than a day's trip for them.

But these folks are not the only PCTers whom we have met during the past month. There are people like:

• Team Turtle-a couple of trail angels who supply fruit and water in the desert. Fritz also is doing the PCT in sections.
• Father daughter. We met the father around Sunrise meadow. He was taking a rather circular way over to see his daughter who is hiking the PCT. A couple of days later in Lyell Canyon we met both the father and the daughter (Night Crawler) as they were going north.
• Free Range. She hiked the PCT a couple of years ago and now lives in northern California. She decided that she needed to do a short hike and was doing the JMT in about 10-14 days. We came across her at Edison Lake.
  An unnamed PCTer whom we talked with during a thunderstorm close to Silver Pass. He was doing the PCT, but had decided to take it easy and enjoy wherever he was rather than try to make miles.