Cam Bostock

Camping with the nephew!!

Our last full day… After a very wet night and an arctic cold morning, we arose from our tents to tackle most of the final stretch to Canada. We planned to walk about 26 of the 30 miles today, that way we could walk in tomorrow morning and really take it in. We also knew it was a very hilly day on trail and the weather forecast was not good! Despite the dark clouds, we managed to avoid rain for most of the morning and began seeing friendly faces on trail walking back to Harts Pass after already tagging the terminus. It was a great vibe on trail with so many happy hikers. It was beautiful as well, awesome throughout when the clouds parted. We got some rain in the afternoon but it didn’t dampen our spirits and we pushed on to within 5 miles of the US-Canada border; within reach! Tomorrow will be a good day… Day 138 Distance hiked: 45.2km (28.1mi) Total distance hiked: 4,673.3km (2,903.9mi)

THE END😢 We woke up just before sunrise with the goal of being the first hikers at the northern terminus this morning. It was a blistering cold, wet morning but nothing in this world could dampen our spirits as we walked the final miles of this incredible journey. To be honest, I had mixed emotions during those final steps… Pride for what I had accomplished. Happiness for the people I was with. Sadness that the adventure was over. Relief that I could finally rest. It was a special moment touching that monument, something that had only been a distant goal for so long. Something I had been working towards one step at a time for almost 5 months. I won’t ever forget this morning, completing something few will ever complete. With two of my best mates, @dan and @emma, who I met during my first days on this trail. It’s crazy thinking back to my first steps on the PCT, so many weeks ago. Now the last steps have been taken and I am so grateful for every step in between. Day 139 Distance hiked: 48.1km (29.9mi) Total distance hiked: 4,721.4km (2,933.7mi)

That was a bad idea👎 Day 11 distance hiked: 29.1km / 18.1mi Total distance hiked: 321km / 199.5mi We left our tents early this morning for a side trip up ‘The Pilot’ which is an almost 2,000m off track peak. It was actually a fairly easy ascent although we were clouded out at the top so missed out on any views. Shortly after we crossed the border of New South Wales and Victoria, entering our final state of the AAWT. The border is adjacent to Australia’s longest river, the Murray. We actually crossed the river only a few kilometres from its source - pretty cool. We had a big off track mission planned for the afternoon, an unknown route across the Cobberas Mountains. We allocated about 5 hours for the 15km off track traverse but soon realised it would take a lot longer than that. We battled thick shrub and snow gum forests on the ascent and the heat kicked in as well, draining our water supply. We were forced to filter water from puddles that were filled with brumby poop, not ideal… we decided to cut the side mission short after summited Mt Cobberas No.1 and bashed our way back to the AAWT. Hopefully we can summit the slightly taller Cobberas No.2 another time. A short stroll down to camp capped off an eventful day! We have a few days left of hiking before our next resupply and now that we are in Victoria, the AAWT notoriously gets a lot harder! Bring it on.

Worth it though. The Pacific Crest Trail: complete ✅

123km / 77mi ☠️ 24 HOURS - as many miles as possible… The 24 hour challenge is a popular one on the PCT, with this particular section of trail in Oregon being the stretch most hikers deem to be the best for getting in big miles. Emma, Dan and I decided to give the challenge a go. I had a lofty goal of 70+ miles for the day which I wasn’t sure was possible but I was willing to give a good shot. We started at midnight with a 3,000ft climb up a fairly technical peak, not exactly the ideal start for maxing miles walked. We knew the trail would become a lot easier throughout the day though and once we got up and over the mountain and the sun rose I started to really pick up the pace. I decided to jog some of the easy downhills to get ahead of my mileage goals and felt really strong for the first 12 hours of the challenge. Even into the afternoon I found myself moving faster and faster, the body holding up really well. About 50 miles into the day there were 2 sets of trail magic within a couple miles which was a massive boost and Dan caught up with me during the second. We pushed on together into the night and I finally started to really struggle at about 65 miles in. We had another 3,000ft climb to finish the challenge and with dark setting back in and the temperature dropping, it was a real grind to the finish. We made it to our planned campsite, nearby Timberline lodge, at 11:45pm, almost 24 hours after beginning. We covered almost 77 miles and I couldn’t not be more proud! Sleep time. 😴 Day 113 Distance hiked: 123.4km (76.7mi) Total distance hiked: 3,755km (2,333.3mi)

To Mexico!! 🤪 Because we didn’t get approved for a Canada entry permit in time, we had to backtrack about 30 miles to Harts Pass(the most northern road access) to get back to civilisation. It was a relaxed 6 miles this morning, full of emotion, as we returned to the road. A lovely local, Annette, picked us up and took us into a nearby town, Mazama. The rest of the day was spent hitch hiking across Washington to Seattle. I’ll spend the next couple days here before flying home to Australia. Can’t wait! Day 140 Distance hiked: 9.4km (5.8mi) Total distance hiked: 4,730.8km (2,939.6mi)

It was a short but wet walk down to a road where a shuttle comes to pick up hikers and take them into the small, remote town of Stehekin. We caught a ride in, stopped at the bakers for some delicious treats and decided to spend the night here to avoid some rain that is forecasted. We set our tents up and mostly just relaxed with other hikers in town. We did get laundry and resupply done and I managed to edit some videos as well. We will be back onto trail tomorrow for our final stretch of this incredible journey. It’s going to be an emotional end, I can feel it. 🥹 Day 135 Distance hiked: 13.1km (8.1mi) Total distance hiked: 4,543.9km (2,823.5mi)

Just out here hiking.💕

Town, sweet town🏠 Day 8 distance hiked: 6.8km / 4.2mi Total distance hiked: 291.9km / 181.4mi After a huge day on trail yesterday, we were pretty excited to walk into the mountains town of Thredbo this morning. A casual 7km in the pouring rain got us in and we headed straight for food and coffee. Typical town day chores followed; hostel booking, resupply, shower and laundry. This is my first time in Thredbo and it was surprisingly quiet, probably something to do with the torrential rain the battered the town and surrounding mountains all day long. We spent the afternoon eating lots of food and catching up on some editing for these daily vlogs! Back on trail tomorrow morning!

The AAWT begins!🤩 Day 1 distance hiked: 28.9km / 18mi Total distance hiked: 28.9km / 18mi It’s been just over 2 months since I finished my thru hike of The Pacific Crest Trail and I’ve been missing trail life every single day. The Australian Alps Walking Track will no doubt be a whole different experience but I’m so bloody excited to be out in the wild for an extended period of time again. The AAWT is a 700km / 435mi long thru hiking trail that runs from Canberra to just east of Melbourne in Australia’s south-east. It’s one of the most remote and rugged trails in the country, traversing 3 states and some of our spectacular high country. We expect to be on trail for just under a month. Day 1 began with a big climb up to Mt Tennent. It was a very hot first day but there was plenty of water around so it was manageable. There is nothing better than walking in the Aussie bush and this part of the country is absolutely pristine. We saw kangaroos, wallabies and kookaburras today and there should be plenty more wildlife as we head south. We took a small detour up to Booroomba Rocks which was well worth it with some epic views. And then we finished the day among herds of kangaroo at a beautiful little riverside camp. It was an awesome first day on trail and I can’t wait to share this journey with you all!

Washington is beautiful, and so very hilly…☠️ Between yesterday and today, it might be the most mountainous section of trail so far. Huge vertical gain and loss makes for some tough walking that’s for sure! We climbed and descended multiple big ridges today and while it was hard, the views continue to deliver. We planned to walk some big miles today to make tomorrows walk into our next resupply a little easier. It was slower than anticipated with our legs definitely feeling pretty fatigued- 128 days of walking might be catching up to us. We walked into the night again which seems to be becoming the norm and setup camp. To Stevens Pass and the town of Leavenworth tomorrow! Day 128 Distance hiked: 53.4km (33.2mi) Total distance hiked: 4,327.6km (2,689mi)

Today was really hard… Dan, Emma and myself all seemed to struggle today. The mixture of huge elevation change and long days in Washington is definitely catching up to us I think. We decided to push hard again today though to make it out to Stevens Pass and catch a ride into the small town of Leavenworth for resupply. We will actually take a day off tomorrow, the first in over 2 weeks, which we are really looking forward to. It was obviously a spectacular day on trail as well, as has become completely normal in WA. Big climbs brought awesome views and we passed by pristine alpine lakes and walked stunning single track brimming with wildlife. We made it to the road after a marathon walked and Leavenworth reindeer farm graciously offered to host us for our time off trail and picked us up. Thanks again guys!! Day 129 Distance hiked: 44.2km (27.5mi) Total distance hiked: 4,371.8km (2,716.5mi)

Almost there…🇨🇦 It was an arctic morning, very hard to get out of my tent. Temperatures are dropping as summer is in the rear view mirror and it’s supposed to rain during our last few days as well. But regardless we did get moving nice and early and were treated to an incredible sunrise and swirling clouds amongst the mountains we were walking through this morning. We crossed paths with old trail friends today and covered some good miles on mostly lovely trail. Our goal was to reach the iconic Hartz Pass for camp which is the last road access on the PCT. We made it there after over 27 miles walked and settled in for a night of rain. We are 30 miles from Canada, we will get really close tomorrow! Day 137 Distance hiked: 45.4km (28.2mi) Total distance hiked: 4,628.1km (2,875.8mi)

Today was a lovely day off at Timberline Lodge to recover from a massive day yesterday doing the 24 hour challenge. We ate at the buffet twice, explored the iconic lodge and even spilt ourselves with a room for the night. We will get some good sleep before heading back to trail tomorrow. Day 114 Distance hiked: 0km (0mi) Total distance hiked: 3,755km (2,333.3mi)

We had a goal of 30 miles today so we could make it to a highway tomorrow to catch a ride into the town of Bend. The terrain was really gradual and we were crushing miles all morning at great pace. It was beautiful forest walking as we entered Three Sisters Wilderness and began getting glimpses of the incredible alpine mountains in this area(Mt Bachelor, South Sister). Just after mid day we passed by an off trail that led to Elk Lake Resort and because we were well ahead of schedule today we decided to walk the couple miles in. We had some great food and milkshakes and spent about 2 hours chilling here with other hiker friends. Eventually we got back on trail and our lightning pace continued, arriving at camp before dark with 33 miles covered. Day 105 Distance hiked: 53.2km (33.1mi) Total distance hiked: 3,529.3km (2,193mi)

Big day out! 😴 It was another beautiful Washington day on the Pacific Crest Trail. Views of Mt Rainier popped out at the top of every climb and we walked through awesome single track amongst expansive forest. We are hoping to make it to Snowqualmie Pass tomorrow as early as possible so we decided to push into the night once again to get in some extra miles today. I met a bear while alone in the dark so that was fun. We were moving pretty fast all day so managed to get in one of our biggest distance days on the PCT. Tomorrow is resupply and a chance for a little rest before tackling the second half of this state! Day 125 Distance hiked: 56.6km (35.2mi) Total distance hiked: 4,211.7km (2,617mi)

EPIC! This morning we completed our detour around the Williams Mine Wildfire closure and began our ascent into the renowned Goat Rocks Wilderness. This section of the PCT has been raved about from many other hikers ahead of us and today we found out why! As we ascended out of the dense forest into the alpine trail we began to get some of the best views I’ve ever seen. Mt Adams and Mt Rainier in full view on opposite sides of the horizon. The trail itself was super beautiful as well and the high let we climbed the better it got. We found an awesome campsite with full view of the surrounding landscapes and setup for a cold night on the mountain! Day 121 Distance hiked: 47.1km (29.3mi) Total distance hiked: 4,049.8km (2,516.4mi)

Last night sucked… lightning storms and heavy rain from bedtime til wake and the rain continued for the entire morning of walking. Today is our last day in Oregon though so while we were a little miserable, we soldiered on towards the border and the Bridge Of The Gods. We passed by some incredible waterfalls and gorges along the trail today and luckily the rain stopped for the afternoon. We were grateful to arrive at Cascade Locks, a town right on the border, after a solid couple days on trail. We will stay here tonight before beginning our final section of the PCT, Washington, tomorrow! Day 116 Distance hiked: 38.3km (23.8mi) Total distance hiked: 3,834.7km (2,382.8mi)

The calm before the storm… Tomorrow I am planning to attempt the 24 hour challenge - as many miles as possible in a 24 hour period. To optimise my chances, seeing as I’m planning to start at midnight tonight, I’ll only be walking a very relaxed 20 miles today. The gang and I took it nice a slow all day, enjoying views of Three Fingered Jack, Mt Jefferson and lots of wild roof including mountain goats and deer. We also took lots of extended breaks, eating lots and not pushing the legs too hard. We made it to camp early(about 4pm) and headed to bed in preparation for a midnight start to the challenge. Should be fun… Day 112 Distance hiked: 31.7km (19.7mi) Total distance hiked: 3,631.6km (2,256.6mi)