Michael is on his way, and I got my first letter from him this week. While I was merrily posting weather forecasts from my nice warm New York office, he was:
"at a tiny enclave called Mt. Laguna. Last night I slept at very near 6,000 feet (no 14er by any means, but with the wind blowing around 40 mph it was plenty cold."
A 14er is a mountain that is at least 14,000 feet above sea level. You will be impressed to know that I, Megan, have climbed a 14er. It was in Peru, and I had no idea how high we were going because I didn't know how to convert from the metric system. My partner and hiking buddy Rachel got terrible altitude sickness, started crying at the pass, told me to just go on without her, and then swelled up rather like a balloon. We were with a guide. He said, "Esta turista tiene que bajar!!!" which means "This tourist has to descend!!!" So I carried her pack, Rachel cried some more, and eventually we got to a lower elevation. This is perhaps another reason why I am not hiking the PCT with my siblings.
Michael also says:
"Physically I'm feeling good. I've done 40 miles in two days which is pretty good right out of the gate. My feet are a little sore by about hour 8 of walking but so far no blisters."
He adds, however, that all the solitude is a lot to deal with. Luckily, he met a bunch of other solo PCT hikers, and they are going at it together for now. Soon Mike's friend John Henry will join him, and then a few weeks later his buddy Tom.
In the meantime, if you want to send Michael mail, there's an opportunity coming up! You might want to send it right away, as Michael should reach Big Bear by early next week.
Address it to:
Michael Hanley
c/o Adventure Hostel
PO Box 1951
Big Bear Lake, CA 92315-1951
estimated arrival: 5/4/13
Thanks, team! More soon!
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