Day 38Madera County, California

The pair of sticks found in Vermilion does not even last a day: one of the sticks breaks in turn at the top of a collar. Soon after, a storm bursts. Hail, snow, freezing rain and runoff turn into a test in the afternoon. The terrain is already complicated, with the cold and a phone too wet to light up properly, the orientation becomes more difficult.

I’m stopping before the target. The night goes well, but I’m still getting tired and trying to eat more. In the afternoon, I meet Rangers busy clearing trunks from the trail. They check my license and call back the area’s camping rules.

I probably won’t reach the planned miles. After several difficult days, it is better to accept the delay than to continue to exhaust all my reserves.