Last night was our first night below freezing in a few months. This morning called for some hot coffee and lingering under the quilt to work up the courage to get outside. Of course once we got hiking we warmed up fast and started shedding layers. We noticed smoke from a fire and shortly after a ranger hiked past us and let us know all the side trails to the East are closed for the Jolly Mountain fire, but the PCT remains open. As we climbed in elevation the air got hazier, making for some interesting views.
We’ve had some huge ups and downs today. After climbing to 5,500 feet yesterday, this morning we immediately dropped down to 3,000. From there it was back up over 5,000, back down to 3,000, then back up again, ending the day halfway up the next climb at around 4,500 feet. Tomorrow we do more of the same. It’s definitely slowing us down, but we still did 25.5 miles today.
