It’s kind of a funny topic, and one that’s taboo in normal life, but not among hikers, so welcome to the club.
Going potty is easy, just walk off trail, take a look around and if the coast is clear go potty. It’s not foolproof, one time I walked off trail and went potty behind a large bolder only to find that the trail took a 90 degree turn and two hikers walked near me. When I saw the hikes later I said “sorry for the show” and they both said “I didn’t see anything”, perfect response.
Kings Canyon. The challenges are real, going poo with all the rock and very little cover.
Going poo is a bit of a chore and one of the things I miss about civilization. First, look for a good location which is far from trail/camp and has cover (trees, boulders, etc). Soft dirt is a plus, but it’s rare to find. And most importantly, don’t dig where somebody else has gone poo.
Once you identify a good location, you dig a hole 6-8” deep. This can be quite challenging as you often run into big roots, rocks, etc. If the ground is too hard, you may have to abandon your dig and start afresh. This is a race against time if you really have to go.
Once you have a hole, pants down and add your nourishing compost to the earth. If there are mosquitoes, swat your ass as you go and hasten the pace.
Pack out your TP; it’s poor manners to bury or leave TP because animals dig it up and then everybody gets to see it, ick! And last, to let everyone know what happened, put a stick to mark the spot so that nobody else digs there. Some hikers use rocks, but rocks naturally lay on the ground so it’s a less obvious marker. Still, I never lift a rock, just in case! Now you know my friends.
There is a stick half buried here, so don’t dig! This was somebody else’s commode, keep walking…
Getting back on trail after visiting our lovely husbands, we hiked north from Kings Canyon Wilderness, through Yosemite. We were rained on nearly every day for two weeks, then an all day downpour caught us. Despite having my rain coat on, I was drenched from head to toe, but as luck would have it Mom was visiting. She picked up her two sopping wet daughters and we stayed the night in a very dirty but dry, hostel. We had a great visit with Mom, albeit too short.
This brings us to end of July I’ve fallen a bit behind, but will post August and September in the next couple weeks.
Burn bans above 10,000 feet are typical. Trees grow slowly at high elevations so fire bans are in place to protect the biomass. Basically, deadwood would be burned faster than it would be replaced. Burn bans keep the high elevation habitat intact.Roads End trailhead – headed back to the PCT after taking a few days off trail to see the hubby.Kings Canyon. I got a new pack! f-stop made a custom 50 liter hiking bag with nice side pockets and good weather proofing. I’m going to put it through its paces. So far it’s awesome!Kings Canyon. The landscape is expansive and at times barren. But even here life thrives in niches. High alpine plants and animals are highly adapted and so darn amazing.Johanna photographing a marmot in a high alpine meadow.Kings Canyon.Grouse are plentiful from here all the way to Washington, and make the cutest noises. Often I hear them before seeing them. I imagine a grouse soundscape would make for good sleep music, soothing and cute!Pika in Kings Canyon. They sound like squeak toys. They like to get my attention by squeaking, once I make eye contact they run away. Or sometimes stay and have a staring contest. No matter what, they bring joy.Having a break by a glacial lake before we finish ascending the pass. We got rained on shortly after this.Pink snow is common at high elevations and is caused by algae that grows on the snow when it begins to melt. The pigment causes the snow to melt faster, so this has implications for glacier melt, water sheds and climate change.Taking flower pictures for my Mom. Indian Paintbrush is her favorite.Camped at Evolution Lake, and we had a beautiful sunset later this day. Another glorious river crossing. Jojo has her mosquito suite on, it kept us from getting exsanguinated by the horde of mosquitoes.Johanna was kind and picked up some trail litter, a pair of wet stranger boxers. We also found a shirt that day. It was an eventful day of discovery.Taking a water taxi to a Vermilion Valley to camp and pick up a resupply. We still have rain gear on because, surprise, it’s still raining!A trail angel gave us a watermelon AND a knife, amazing. Jojo cut the watermelon and we shared with the other hikers. Jojo is handing the snacks out here while wearing some borrowed clothes as we laundered our own. I picked the penguin pants out special for her. John Muir Wilderness. The PCT follows the John Muir Trail for about 170 miles. Most JMT hikers take 2-3 weeks to complete their hike, so we had more friends for a while. It was super busy, and the heavily trafficked by rangers and volunteer crews too. It felt like a circus compared to the rest of the PCT.At Red Meadows Campground. We were getting consistent rain and I didn’t bring my pack cover so I got a Hefty and made a cover. It ended up being on of the BEST PIECES OF GEAR. It worked as a pack cover, I napped on it and used it as a ground cover under my tent. What a gem.Reds Meadow also had the best pie of my life. I had a piece fresh out of the oven, and love it so much! Johanna saw my excitement and suggested I take some to go. What a genius! I didn’t last long…it was dinner that night.Sisterly love in Ansel Adams Wilderness.Ansel Adams Wilderness, and guess what? It’s still raining. There was a big thunderstorm so we sheltered for a while before hiking on.More flowers for Mom, Ansel Adams Wilderness.We ran a little short on food, so we picked up some supplemental food at Reds Meadow. Jojo had tuna that was in a small container that looked suspiciously like Fancy Feast cat food. Also 1 lb if refried beans, and pickles. What a meal.We made it to Yosemite in late July, it rained on us every day, and the mosquitoes were horrendous. This was taken in a valley near Tuolumne Meadows.Mom picked us up in Tuolumne Meadows and we had a great down day in Groveland. It was fabulous!Jojo and I comparing muscles. My legs are so much more muscular, but her little legs carry her just as far and her pack is heavier than mine. What a rockstar! ⭐️World’s smallest post office in Tuolumne Meadows. It’s a seasonal postal tent and one of the oldest posts in the USA. Their “mail room” is the container in the background.Inside the post offices mail room, a.k.a shipping container.Playing around with Mom in Yosemite.Mom dropped us off back on trail in Yosemite National Park. So sad to see her go.This is the first campfire we had on trail, first in about 3 months. We were on crushed granite sand and near a river so pretty fire safe, but still kept it small and watched closely. We really don’t want to burn down the forest!Johanna enjoying the moss. It was great!
This website contains affiliate links, which means The Trek may receive a percentage of any product or service you purchase using the links in the articles or advertisements. The buyer pays the same price as they would otherwise, and your purchase helps to support The Trek's ongoing goal to serve you quality backpacking advice and information. Thanks for your support!
Hi, I'm Audrey. I'm hiking the PCT with my mom and sister. I'm usually a day hiker, and have always felt at peace in the outdoors so I am happy to be embarking on this journey. Looking forward to the high highs, and even welcome the lows, it's all part of the journey.
">
Comments are closed here.