Why does nobody talk about how rocky the PCT gets south of Kennedy Meadows?

Used to fly through that section without checking my footing now after rolling my ankle twice last summer around mile 710 I stop every 20 minutes to actually look where I'm stepping and adjust my pace. Anyone else found themselves slowing down way more than the maps suggest through that stretch?

2 comments

2 Comments

king.jordan1mo ago

my buddy Tyler got so sick of eating his own dust from people passing him there that he just started hiking it at night with his headlamp on low. said it was actually easier cause he couldn't see how sketchy it was and just went for it.

benb211mo ago

Is it really that bad though? I've done that stretch three times now and yeah, its rocky but not like boulder field rocky. More like loose gravel and ankle-twister size rocks you can kinda see coming if you're paying attention. I think people blow it out of proportion because Kennedy Meadows feels like this big milestone and then you hit the real desert terrain and it catches you off guard. I've tripped maybe once or twice but nothing that made me want to night hike it like that guy's buddy (which sounds kind of dangerous honestly, running into snakes or something in the dark). Maybe I'm just lucky or maybe everyone else is just looking for something to complain about out there.