Day 95: ⛺@ mile 1'226.6 - ⛺@ mile 1'253.0

Date: 11.07 2018 miles hiked today: 26.4 Miles / 42.48km Total Mileage: 1'253.0 My creation to fix the whole in the sleeping pat with a K-tape didn't work very well last night. So again I slept the night on the ground without any support. But the floor was softer and I did get better sleep than last night. I got up at 5:30am, on trail by 6:10am. The first roughly 5 miles are uphill with a short downhill section in between. I must be the first person today to walk through here as I clean the path of spider webs! And it's full of it between all the bushes and flowers. I'm glad I've got hiking poles with which i try to best possibly clean the webs! The uphill is very steep and long, or at least to me! I didn't expect it to be that hard! On the top i prepare my breakfast cereals when Thomas and other hikers walk through. They all have the same idea and break there. Im just asking around if anyone has some repair patches for the sleeping pat and im lucky. I get some repair patches from another hiker. Looks like I'll sleep wonderfully again on am air mattress tonight :) As it's a little windy I get cold and move on after breakfast was eaten. My name seems to suit me again! I was even told this morning that this is the best trail name they have heard also far:) The next water source is in about 5 miles from here, all other sources are dry already, and I need to fill up my water there. Someone must have hiked on before me because the trail is nicely cleared of all spider webs:) when i get there I was informed that Belden (less than 100 inhabitants!), the next place I hike through and which is located directly on the trail, is famous for its music festivals on summer weekends. As i plan to arrive there on Friday morning, I could possibly just be lucky and join the festival, which is free for PCT hikers! How awesome would that be?? Belden is right next to a river and I heard that if there is a music festival on, the river is crowed with floatables! I really really do hope there is a music festival on this weekend! I actually didn't schedule any 0 days in Belden but if a festival is on I have to break! I'm all excited and full of energy again. It's about 7 miles to the next water source where I plan to stop for lunch too. Other hikers are there too, also Zero which I've last seen in Sierra City. I'm soo hungry I can't even wait for my tuna sandwich to be ready and snack chocolate in between. Also I'm lucky as another hiker has some water left which i can take. The water source is off trail and includes a 500 feet (150 meters) descent/uphill hike. I try to avoid this:) I've already hiked 17.8 miles today! I'm full of food, nearly too full as I've eaten a lot and very fast, and become very tired. It's 5.2 miles to a bigger river where we are supposed to swim in. I haven't crossed a river or lake big and nice enough to swim in for a long time now and miss it a lot. And also it's a very hot day today with more than 30° Celsius. A swim in the river would be fantastic! But I'm so tired and 5.2 miles seem to be far away suddendly. But I better go now before it's too late and relax at the river. So after only about an hour lunch break I hike on again. It's hot but luckily the trail is mostly in the forest with loads of ups and downs. Today downhills dominate. The forest is rather boring but cooler and shady, which is nice. Out of the forest it's incredibly hot, too hot to hike. The 5.2 miles hike feels forever and I'm really happy to reach the river, where i can already see some dirty and stinky hikers swimming :). It looks wonderful! I get out off my dirty and stinky clothes (last time I washed them was on the 2nd of July in South Lake Taho!) And wash them in the river. It may helps a little and then they can dry while I swim. It's beautiful here and the water is not even very cold. It has the perfect temperature to stay in the water for a while and enjoy it! I feel much better again and break for a while to let my clothes dry and to chat with other hikers. My plan is to hike on 3.4 miles and pitch my tent and flick my sleeping pad. I wanna go to bed early today to get a good night sleep after the last three bad nights. Just as I'm getting ready for bed after 8pm a group of other hikers arrive. Well I might not sleep right now then!