Today I covered 12.7 miles, 20.4 km from the Chimney Creek campground to Manter Creek. I’m taking it super easy into Kennedy Meadows because I know this is the end of a major section of the PCT. The trail today was more gradual than yesterday, climbing steadily up a ridge and then descending down the other side. The trail reaches a peak elevation of 8022 ft, 2445 m, and from here I get my first glimpse of the High Sierra.

Most of the morning was spent under tree cover, with shady patches covering the trail and plenty of opportunity to hide from the sun. The trail is mostly smooth and wide, and the climb is nice and gentle.

Towards the end of the climb, we enter a burn zone which leaves me fully exposed to the sun. The scrubby land and heat serves as a reminder that we are still in the desert after all.

After a couple of hours in the burn zone, the trail reaches its peak for the day. On the other side of the ridge, the vegetation is much more lush. Off in the distance, I see some of the mountains in the High Sierra. In just a week or so, I’ll be amongst those mountains, and I’ll be there for several weeks after that.

The trail descends through a layer of greenery, back into the familiar desert environment. After several hours of descent, I’m in the sweltering heat once more. I arrive at a sandy, ant infested campsite, right next to a stream which is known to dry up every afternoon. What a perfect spot to send off the desert for one last night.

I make camp, moving extremely slowly in the heat. There is some tiny flow just upstream, so I collect water and avoid drinking the hot water I’ve carried all day. Eventually I have camp set, water filtered, and a spot where I can cook dinner away from ants.

After dinner, I watch the clouds change from white, to yellow, red, then grey. The last desert sunset. It’s so good to be finishing this tough section, but at the same time I feel a little nostalgia. The past 53 days have been incredibly formative and I wouldn’t trade them for the world. I’m leaving the desert with a stronger body and a stronger mind, hopefully as ready as I can be for the mountains and challenges that lie ahead.