PCT Day 18

Little Bear Springs Camp to Bushcamp

24.6 miles

Mile 310.2

Accidentally slept in later than usual. The sun woke me up a bit after 6, so I missed my favorite predawn hour of reflection. I did however enjoy a symphony of morning farts with KP.

The sunrise in the gorge we camped in painted the clouds dramatically as we began our trek.

We spent the entire day following the gorge down from the mountains into the desert valley below alongside a creek.

Water was plentiful, which made for a lighter pack as I only needed to carry half a liter. This made up for my stupid heavy food bag, stuffed with an assortment of chocolate bars, peanut butter, dried fruit, summer sausage and other such calorically dense junk food.

Throughout the day the trail snaked across the creek time and time again, unsure which side it preferred.

We took a brief break around 10 to grab some fluid from a pool, before pushing another 7 miles to Deep Creek Bridge.

Upon our arrival I exploded my pack, laying out my tent, sleeping quilt and pad to dry from the previous nights condensation.

Next, I helped myself to a brisk bath in the waist deep creek.

Feeling refreshed after an hours respite from the sun and trail, we repacked our gear and got moving again.

It was around 130, and we still needed to knock out another 10 miles to reach the highly anticipated Deep Creek Hot Springs.

We crossed the 300 mile marker.

We were in a rush, but the chillability these benches and shade offered compelled us to enjoy them.

Around 530 we turned a corner to find an oasis in the desert. The creek pooled up in a bouldered area where natural springs pumped hot water from an aquifer deep below.

It was a Saturday afternoon, so we had expected the hot springs to be busy, but I wasn’t prepared for what welcomed us.

Let me begin with apologizing for the lack of photos. At the hot springs clothing is optional…so I didn’t feel comfortable snapping pics, and trust me when I say you wouldn’t be comfortable seeing them.

Anyways, our experience at the springs was certainly memorable.

Entertainment during our soak was provided by two elderly gentlemen, both down to nature’s garments, who seemed to have a disagreement of sorts. I’m unsure if it was the copious amounts of LSD they had undoubtedly consumed or the heat from the springs, but shit hit the fan!

It began with a yelling battle, followed by a more intimate face to face encounter in the same tub. From what I could gather one of the gentlemen believed the other fine fellow to be a creep of sorts, and demanded he evacuate his spring. The fine fellow wasn’t a fan of this, so a strange sort of screaming fit ensued.

The boys and I decided we best leave them to their own devices, so migrated to a less abrasive pool. This one was actually filled with topless chicks. So that was nice.

A bit past six we decided we best be on our way. We still needed to find a place to camp for the night, and none of us wanted to be near the springs at night.

The long soak did wonders for our weary leg muscles. We felt incredible despite having already walked 22 miles.

As we plodded down the trail we spied a potential spot down a steep ridge on the other side of the creek. We debated how level the ground there was, and ultimately decided to give it a shot. We were disappointed to find that it was indeed no where near flat enough, so we cut our losses and climbed back up the stupidly steep ridge.

Pushing on, we were eager to find camping as the sun was quickly falling. After crossing a neat rainbow bridge we stumbled upon an awesome little beach right on the creek.

Satisfied, we pitched our tents, enjoyed an excellent dinner and hit the hay.

It was a good day.

P.s. I’ve received a couple requests to provide additional details on the two dudes I’ve hiked the last 200 miles with…having granted their permission, here it goes:

KP – Scott is 27 and is originally from Harpers Fairy, WV, but currently resides near Boulder, CO. He hiked the AT in 2016 and works as a cook for Moe’s BBQ, as well as a driver for Uber when not on the trail to fund his hiking addiction. He’s a hilarious dude who’s great company and an all around good time.

Stretch – Shane is 24 and lives near Hershey, PA. He hiked the AT in 2015 and worked as a supervisor for UPS before putting in his notice to hit the trail. His positive attitude and constant state of good vibes makes him an awesome hiking partner and fun to be around.

Instagram accounts:

KP – Scottyjohikes__

Stretch – 0ffthebeatenpath

P.p.s. Big things happening today! I’ll tell you all about it in tomorrow’s journal.

Cheers!