It was a real surprise: when we went to bed that evening, there wasn’t a single cloud in the sky, but the next morning we woke up with wet sleeping bags, surrounded by a mixture of mist and drizzle. Great, and on the second day – really unfavorable. Nevertheless, we packed our wet clothes and made a quick breakfast by the side of the trail.

Map and GPX data of the Pacific Crest Trail

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PCT 2025 – Etappe 2
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The overcast day actually suited us. Yesterday had been a little too warm for our taste, but today’s climbs were much easier to tackle in slightly cooler temperatures. The sun even made an appearance from time to time. Once we reached the top of the mountain, we looked for a sheltered spot at lunchtime to enjoy a snack and dry our sleeping bags.

From this point onwards, the weather steadily improved. We had a crazy encounter with a hummingbird at our water source. I was sitting there filling up my bottle when suddenly it sounded like a helicopter was approaching. I was all the more surprised when the hummingbird flew right in front of me – and while the camera was rolling! If you plan things like this, it definitely won’t work out.

From here it was downhill almost the whole way, at least if you look at the elevation chart. In reality, however, every day on the PCT feels like a constant up and down. We took another break at Bouquet Canyon Road, where some wonderful Trail Angels had left us chairs, a supply of water and some treats. We gratefully accepted, as we had another long climb ahead of us.

After 23 kilometers and 970 meters of climbing that day, I was really exhausted and full to the brim when we had to decide where to spend the night. There were two options: an area that was far too small and uneven for us and our tarp, or on two ant hills that blocked the perfect spot. I have to admit, I’m not an experienced tarp camper – I just wasn’t prepared to lug around one of the heavy two-person tents that circulate in our family. Especially because I wanted to do “cowboy camping” every night. I had watched a few knots on YouTube before setting off and practiced a few times, but just before dark, after a hard day, setting up is no fun at all. However, the fear of another drizzle was too great. I doubt very much whether the fussed-over structure would have kept us dry.

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