The Bulge - Saturday, May 10

The popularity of the PCT has exploded. In 2007, 256 people attempted the thru hike. This year 1300 people are on the trail. 1300 people would not be a big deal except they are leaving from the same trail head traveling the same direction and all leaving within the period of a month. This means on average about 30 people a day. Again, if these 30 people were traveling on different trails in different directions or doing different milages each day bunching would not occur. But everyone is heading the same way going the same daily distances. A crowd forms with each launch day. So pulses of people form like a pulse wave form in a spring moving up the trail.

As the days go on people begin to spread out and disperse, slowed by injury or itinerary. About the time a good distribution materializes a trail town appears on the horizon and like a magnet, collects the scattered people. Some stay one night, some two, but every morning another pulse of people are released on the trail.
In the first hundred and fifty miles blisters and sore muscles tended to spread the people quickly as they stopped for 1st aid and extra zero days to heal. Now, at 250 miles, most everyone has toughened feet and conditioned limbs so they are all making the requisite 20 miles per day required to reach Canada by October.

We are more aware of this phenomenon than most because our 10 mile per day pace allows us to watch the pulses pass. We were the 195th and 196th to leave Campo on the border. At Ziggy and the Bear's (mile 210) we were 456 and 457. Now, after our two week recovery period we are in the mid 700s at mile 250.

One other factor affects the distribution of hikers on the trail. Kickoff, the celebration at Lake Morena the last weekend in April. Estimates are 900 people attended. Not all left to hike the trail on the Sunday the party ended. Many we knew on the trail hitch hiked back to attend, then hitch hiked back to where they had left the trail to pick up their journey. Others attended from years past. Yet, a large number began their hike that Sunday creating a tidal wave sized pulse sweeping down the trail. The "Bulge".
We were three weeks ahead of the Bulge when we started. Our two week injury layover and ten mile per day pace has now embedded us firmly in the center of the Bulge.

By the time we settled into bed last night no less than 30 people were camped within 100 yards of us. Our early morning departure saw us leave them behind. Our day ahead was 10 miles and 3000' of gain, so we knew everyone would pass us as the day progressed. We met Pocket, Paul Bunyon, Lumber, Nectar, Number One, Kentucky and countless others as we worked our way up the trail through the wildfire burned valley in the hot sun. It was nice to hear the burble of running water in Mission Creek throughout most of the day; the reassuring sound of drinkable water.

Sally's hurting foot from the previous day's thrashing in the creek bed had somewhat recovered, although still tender and hurting she was able to hike.

We arrived at the last crossing of Mission Creek and it's campsite about 1:30 only to find about 20 people lying in the shade waiting for the midday heat to pass.

What we found most interesting was the cliquish nature of the group and the near disdain in their treatment of us. We were not part of their group. They had been together for a couple weeks now and we had jumped into the middle of their party. It wasn't like we were nerds in the football locker room at halftime, they just were comfortable with each other and knew they probably would not see us again.

We rested, read and slept for an hour at which time they packed up and headed out. One girl, a 27 year old from Alaska, Day Glo stayed behind. We found her enchanting.

Day Glo works for outward bound in Alaska during the summers and in Antarctica during the winters. She described herself as an old soul who was learning about life as she was moving thru it. She wore a light blue sari on top and a multi-colored tutu on the bottom. Her flamboyant outfit seemed incongruous to her solid personality and outlook on life.

When Day Glo headed up the trail we had the campsite to ourselves. We remarked that perhaps we would have a little solitude that night, in contrast to the previous night. Foolish thoughts.

A few hikers passed through our camp right on the trail until finally a man from Pennsylvania pulled in to camp an hour before dark. N hour or so later, as I drifted off to sleep I heard hammers pounding tent stakes into the ground. I sleep heaviest in the first hours of the night so although eight tents were being pitched and our solitude nixed, I blissfully slept through it.