July 17th, 2016
Miles Hiked: 19
Start Location: Mile 1310
End Location: Mile 1329
End Location GPS: 40.26150, -121.33887
We passed the PCT midpoint today. At the halfway mark sat an unassuming stone pillar with “PCT Midpoint” etched on the front side, and the equidistant mileage to Canada on the south facing side and Mexico on the north. We snapped a few pictures and signed the register. Our friend Snackman wrote, “Reached the midpoint on my 34th birthday. Irony would be dying at 68.” This made us chuckle a little.
We got into the town of Chester around 4:30. We called earlier and made a reservation at the Antlers Motel. We’ve been doing this lately if we get cell service on the trail. We’ve been burned too many times getting into a town only to be caught with our pants down either out of a place to stay or paying a ridiculous price for a hotel room if we don’t already have a reservation.
The Antlers was really lovely with a spacious room and king sized bed. It was positioned nicely right across the street from the grocery store and close to restaurants and the laundromat.
We did laundry and then stuffed our faces with pizza. The rest of the night was spent watching a show called Naked and Afraid on the Discovery channel. It is a silly show about people who get dropped off in the woods somewhere completely naked and need to survive for 21 days using primitive skills like fire making, fishing and hunting and shelter building. Typically two strangers undertake the challenge together so they are constantly in view of the others sweaty and disgusting and flopping nether parts. The show made me wonder if anyone has hiked a long trail completely barefoot and naked. Maybe that’s what my next hike will be. Perhaps the Discovery channel will film it and I’ll be the next TV star. Maybe they will call it Naked and Hungry, or Naked and Homeless, or Naked and Stinky. Who knows?
