Today I was able to hike alone for most of the day. I'm starting to split away from a lot of people and having solitude is nice. I thought a lot about the people I have met on the PCT. The people have been the best part of the trail. We are constantly helping each other or sharing. Conversations start easily and friendships and created quickly. Reflecting back to pre-PCT world, people wouldn't share, were too guarded to stay a conversation and almost allergic to new friendships most of the time. I pass through some burnt forest that is still recovering from a fire a couple years prior and end up at a stream where I find Banjo. After snacking and collecting water we run into a group of kids who were eager to try on our heavy, fully loaded, packs. We take off and hit some popular hot springs full of day hikers. We start seeing trash and graffiti. I pack out as much as I can carry but the amount of litter was overwhelming. That in combination with the graffiti made it the the worst 4 mile stretch of the PCT. If you ever decide to go hike, please leave the area better than you found it(don't leave any trash, fruit peels, toilet paper ect. Only your footprints). Afterwards I was so livid I ended up yelling at a small crowd who I caught littering. It leaves such an impact and it is so easy to pack it out! ANGER!
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