Day 46 - Kennedy Meadows Time!!

Mile 698. 3 to 702.2 - 3.9 miles

On the PCT, a lot of talk is about getting to Kennedy Meadows - the gateway to the Sierras and the exit from the dry Southern Californian desert section. Well I'm here!!! After passing 700 miles and seeing the actual meadows, it was hugely satisfying to reach the first goal

Assembly point for everyone is the Kennedy Meadows General Store which is like a PCT hiker campground with showers, camping, package acceptance (over 3000 packages sent so far) & general hiker camaraderie

I walked up the road towards the store about 9 am & was conscious of cheering and applause - to which I finally clicked was for me!! The tradition is to cheer the hikers when you finish the section & it's the best feeling. A number had wondered what happened to Weta at the fire outbreak as I hadn't initially backed down & large numbers skipped the section - so no, I wasn't charcoal from the fire & was still on track for the continuous walk from Mexico to Canada.
The day was spent preparing for the 7 days ahead in the Sierras including an ascent of Mount Whitney &  Forester Pass - the highest point on the actual PCT itself. I had sent a package to me that includes my new Salomons (the old shoes havng put in a blister-less 700 miles) & my bear cannister

I also had my micro spikes for the snow & ice.
It was great catching up with hikers including Banjo and Necktie who are hitting the trail with me in the morning. So with food sorted and excess fear shipped north to Sierra City it was time for the Sierras...Weta