Hack Your Pack's video: PCT Ep 12 - Mr Cranky Pants Forester Pass Kearsarge Pass 2017 PCT Thru Hike Hack Your Pack

Fresh off my Mount Whitney side trip the day before, I struggled immensely to cope with the exhaustion and the group dynamics of a 12 person trail family. We had originally agreed we wanted to travel in two groups: A fast and a slow group. But, HYOY and all led to a free-for-all where the groups dissolved and slower hikers felt abandoned while the faster ones felt pressure to get to camp before the snow got slushy and more taxing to walk on. Oh, for all you muggles watching, HYOH is an acronym for Hike Your Own Hike … pretty much don’t let people pressure you into doing things or hiking in a way you dislike. Still, this was the Sierra Nevada Mountains in a high snow year. None of us knew what we were getting into, and the river crossings were much more dangerous than typical years. Before the summer ended, the river fords would claim the lives of at least two hikers. However, as we spent more time on the snow, our worries faded away — possibly just due to the exhaustion. Whatever it was, one constant remained. The Sierras stole every calorie and ounce of fat from our bodies, leaving us determined to pack it all back on with every town stop to resupply. This video is part of a series that follows my 2017 attempt to thru-hike the Pacific Crest Trail. I was posting on Instagram as I hiked right up to about this point, where the delays and exhaustion caught up with me. I fell behind on the posts, and then I felt like I'd lost my window. I spent the past two years feeling depressed, both just getting back to real life but, also in failing to finish telling the story. So I decided to edit if for YouTube and post it in real time just two years late. So far the process has been cathartic and is helping me both relive, get closure, and move on from this adventure. Thanks for watching! I'm grateful for your support. If you enjoyed this video, smash the Like button so I know. If you have questions about the section, leave me a comment! For more adventures in ultralight backpacking: Website: https://www.hackyourpack.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hackyourpack Twitter: https://twitter.com/hackyourpack Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hackyourpack Let's be adults and play nice with copyright (both yours and mine). Video is shot and edited by myself. Music is licensed from Artlist.io