Joey Camps

Day 27 6-14-2015  Sleep 2000 – 500 Miles 1198 – 1252             Well I snoozed, thinking it was the right thing to do.  But here at 530 it was already warm and I was thinking I made a mistake.  After a good size climb, the trail traversed along the mountain.  The views were spectacular and had me in a good mood.  I was moving a long the ridge with no hustle to my day.  I was hoping to put in a big day, especially after yesterday and it was my brother’s birthday.  Neither things seemed to motivate me out of cruise control and I moseyed on.  Finally, I ran into a hiker named “Firecracker” We hiked a long for a ways.  He knew all about FKTs and ultra running.  He asked me a lot of questions about diet, training, music.  He was excited to hear that Phish and Grateful Dead took up the majority of space on my ipod.  I told him I was in a bit of a funk and just not having the best day.  He understood why I might be tired and understood speed hiking on a long trail.  He said that I kne

Day 26 6-13-2015   Sleep 2200 – 400 Miles 1155 – 1198             39 miles to go to Sierra City .  They close at 1900.  I have 15 hours to go 41 miles.  Piece of cake I thought.  But shouldn’t I wake up first?  Sometimes, it feels like you don’t even sleep.  You blink and it is six hours later.  Those were my thoughts going to bed and therefore first thought in my mind upon waking.  I crossed the highways and was feeling good.  Big piece of cake I thought.  So the first decision I made was to get lost for probably about a mile and a half.  So you see; Donner Lake has a rim trail.  They use a crest pretty much identical to the PCT and very similar color scheme.  I was running and reached an intersection.  I saw the double crest on a sign that said to the right.  So of course I didn’t stop and just booked it right.  Well cruising along feeling awesome, I reached another intersection.  This time, I did stop.  I only saw the one crest.  It was the Donner Lake crest.  Hmm.  Whic

Day 25 6-12-2015  Sleep 2100-430 Miles 1106 – 1155             I made my way up the pass, it was already twilight.  Geez, these days are getting long.  But that is why I like the northbound late spring hike.  You get the most day light.  Otherwise, the way to speed hike these long trails is really southbound starting late July or early August.  But this year there wasn’t any snow, so might as well use the sun.  The reflections on the still lakes set the mood for the day.  Calm and smooth.  There were a lot of downed trees in this section, but it wasn’t taking me out of my rhythm.  No instead, I was jumping over them like the steeple chase.  Maybe I was feeling better, maybe my pack lighter; didn’t matter.  It was putting me in a mood.  That kind of mood where you feel invincible, like you can tackle any problem.  I climbed up hill a bit and saw an oasis.  “I see blue” “he looks glorious” Lake Tahoe .  The Tahoe rim trail is on my list to tackle.  And here I am hiking at least a

Day 24 6-11-2015  Sleep 2300-330 Miles 1065 – 1106             Deep sleep, wide awake.  30 miles to my resupply.  Have to get there before 1400.  I have a goal, I have broken it down; 400 to 1400 is ten hours, 30 miles; is three miles an hour.  All I got to do is beat 3mph.  Easy enough.  I was moving well and with the sun in the sky, I couldn’t help but have a feeling of surviving.  The sierras behind me, the storms behind me, the tough stuff tackled.  A little phlegm in the back of my throat, but no worse for wear.  I would get to Echo Lakes , shed some weight, get some new gear, feel refreshed and be flying.  I reached a parking lot with tons of tourists; get me out of here!  It was highway 50 Carson pass.  Suddenly, I knew where I was.  I remember only a few years ago skiing at Kirkwood .  It was actually one of my favorite places to ski.  Wow, how skiing has changed for me.  The “Wall” my favorite spot.  Where I tore my meniscus one superbowl Sunday.  When everyone else a

Day 23   6-10-2015    Sleep 030-800 Miles 1019 – 1065                         It was still raining so I slept longer.  I wanted to quit so bad.  Well there is a road in thirty miles.  I guess I will start hiking(I know there is a road a mile behind, but what did I say, no hiking backwards).  It was absolutely pouring at the top of Wolf Creek pass.  There was a lot of snow and so I thought I would give the glissade a go.  But no. The rain had soaked the snow pack and turned it too mush.  I was post holing up to my crotch.  I was freezing cold.  This sucks.  I yelled, I cursed.  Didn’t matter, there was no one around.  I had seen maybe five people since Glen Aulin.  I freaked out.  Went ape shit.  I was trouncing through bushes and trees, not feeling a thing.  Adrenaline will do that to you.  I just want to get out of here.  I was sprinting, well more like sloshing around until I got low enough and was on dirt trail again.  But I am moving as fast as I can to get out of here. 

Day 22 6-8-2015  Sleep 2200-400 Miles 971-1019             A few punchy climbs and long descents had me feeling good.  Also, I was making good time.  I was thinking I was finally back to feeling as close to 100% one can feel when averaging 47 miles per day.  Some dark clouds had me thinking about putting on my rain gear.  But I resisted and made the correct call.  A few sprinkles didn’t make much difference.  The trail was meandering through grassy valleys and everything was flooded.  Once again, my feet were swimming.  I knew it would be tough and I would have to be on my game for any opportunity to dry my feet.  I passed the 1,000 mile mark and it felt good.  I remember thinking damn, that is a lot of miles, only 1,650 more to go! I think that for most people, that might be hard to fathom.  But everyone who has ever done an endurance event knows you just got to piece it together.  My brain works like this… 1,650 miles divided by three miles per hour is 550 hours.  125 hours a

Day 21 6-8-2015   Sleep 2200-400     Miles 928.3 – 971              Cool Valley             Early morning cruising down from the pass, into a gorgeous valley and on my way to resupply.  Yeah, I was feeling good.  It was cold in the valley inversion, which kept me moving fast to stay warm.  Finally, I felt the sun and the road.  Three tenths of a mile and I was grocery shopping.  The store was a mad house, they didn’t have some items I was looking for.  I kind of panicked and got in line behind ten or so people.  I couldn’t help but get upset at the tourists buying a soda.  Seriously, you drove up here and now you are waiting in this line just a buy a soda at nine in the morning.  You don’t have anything in your car?  Do you really need soda to fuel your half mile walk and to take pictures from your car?  I want people to experience nature and beautiful places; but so many people do it wrong.  Driving and pulling off to take pictures.  It irks me so much.  If you are going t

Day 20 6-7-2015   Sleep 2100-430 Miles 887.4 – 928.3             One of the coldest mornings on trail: Lake Virginia             I woke.  It was real!  I got the rest I needed, but I felt like I had miles to make up.  I didn’t get near as far as I liked and now I have more things to do at Red Meadows (figure out a rain jacket, order a new aux battery) not to mention, it will be the first time in seven or eight days having cell service and thus internet.  The trail was easy, at least my body made it seem.  I ran the whole way.  My legs and feet floating over the ground.  I love when I am “running” I don’t have to look at my footing.  I am moving so fast and light, that whatever misstep I take is fixed before I even realize.  I can stare off at the scenery around me.  But then I was flailing forward, couldn’t quite get the legs under and I was face first in the dirt.  I got up and dusted myself off.  Meanwhile, looking back to see what got me.  A 2” diameter stump back 50 feet

Day 19 6-6-2015      Sleep 2300-200 Miles 852.2 – 887.4                I wanted Red Meadows today, but realistically early tomorrow morning.  It was only 55 miles away though.  Surely a magical effort could get the job done.  The motivation had me moving well up a climb away from Muir Trail Ranch.  I came up to some lakes and Selden Pass.   In hindsight, this landscape was the most beautiful of the trip for me.  The sun was rising, the moon setting.  The lakes were quiet and calm.  I had a dejavu feeling, but I knew I had never been there.  It was that dejavu feeling you get when you know you are in the right place, doing the right thing.  A feeling oh so pure.  I think this helped, but I started believing that yes, yes I could do this.  55 miles ain’t that far.  At 4 mph, that is only 14 hours.  I can totally average 4 mph, I have done it before.  14 hours from 200 puts me there at 1600, three hours before they close.  I got this.  Oh really, an “I got this” chant.  Yeah, “Yo

Day 18 6-5-2015   Sleep 2300-330 Miles 809.2 – 852.2 Voted prettiest morning             I shook the snow off the lower half of my bivy.  Seems as those we got a little dusting overnight.  The moonlight reflects off of everything and creates an ethereal glow to the still dark morning.  Working my way up the trail, I am overwhelmed by the beauty.  I forget how beautiful a fresh coat of snow is in the early morning.  Especially, when the landscape still has it’s colors and is not already all white.  As I climb up along the South fork of the Kings river , I run into quite a few creek crossings.  Well it was below freezing and the normal hopping stones for crossing the creeks carried a nice gloss.  So shinny pretty, slippery, shittay.  No worries, I am a physics genius.  If I only step vertically and do not put any horizontal pressure, I won’t slip.  Well here we go. One rock.  Two rock. And ankle deep in icy water. One rock. Two icy water.  Across, I walk fast to keep the blo

  Day 17 6-4-2015   Sleep 2130-330 Miles 763 – 809.2 Big; one word to describe it             I wanted an early start to go over the PCT’s highest point, Forrester Pass 13,200 feet.  I was excited to go up a big mountain pass and see this high point , but more to feel it.  I was cheery because it was overcast keeping things cool, not too breezy which kept it from being cold, but also provided some pretty nice reflections in the ponds/lakes along the way.  It was quite the mellow climb, until about the last 500 feet.  Where the trail was cut onto a ledge along the rock face.  It was so magnificent.  Lord of the Rings style.  From the top, the view was inspiring, but I didn’t stay long.  I made my way down the other side.  There was only patches of snow which made footing awkward at times, but all in all pretty easy passage compared to what it could be.  Finally, down onto the trail it was a long and seemingly never ending descent crossing creeks frequently.  The sky was dark