Day 23,  miles 30+    22 found,  8-10 lost     Hiked 13 hours

I always say I’m never lost, I’m just exploring.  I love going off trail and bushwhacking.  It’s always an adventure.  Today was a different story.

Happy, The Boss, and I headed out early and together for once.  We had to take a 19 mile detour around a 9 mile endangered species closure.  After 4 miles I stopped to make a cup of coffee.  Happy and The Boss carried on without me.  That’s when things went south for me. lol. I can joke now!

After coffee and oatmeal I set off on my own.  Somehow I missed a sharp turn and ended up on another detour.  Problem was it was going south.  My gps said I was still on the PCT, I went a few miles before I realized.  I angrily turned back.  I came to a sign that said PCT, so I headed up and into a high deep canyon.  Again I went for miles.  I stopped seeing the tell tale signs of pole marks in the ground.  I checked my gps.  I was miles away from the PCT.   I screamed into the canyon and up to the mountains.  I lifted my poles into the air and slammed them down on the earth.  I swore and sobbed as I ran back along the trail.  I hiked/ran back to a mile within where I left Happy and The Boss to find a sharp turn to the left that I had missed.  It was now 12:05.  I had been running around on the wrong trails for 3 1/2 hours.

I got to our intended camp spot around 8:15pm.  It was so beautiful.  It was on top of a mountain.  I sat and ate my dinner, dehydrated shepherds pie and some peanut M & Ms.  I could see city lights far below.  Happy and the Boss were already tucked in.

I passed the 400 mile mark today.