The latest.

The elements are turning. Its getting cold, clouds appear more often and become more threatening each time I look up. We wake up each morning and its a struggle climbing out of our cosy sleeping bags. Tentatively I reach out and pull down the zip, groping around for my clothes, I cringe as I slide into cold trousers and a frigid top. I crawl out of my warm little haven, squint into a rising sun and decide whether to fire up the stove or jump around to get my body to spark into some sort of life. My brain incoherently battles to emerge out of idle mode and implement some sort of battle plan for the day.

Come the evening we are stopping a little earlier because of the shortening days and to make the best of the diminishing sunlight. Fire is the first priority, food and erecting tents taking a back seat over warming tired and aching bodies. A cup of hot chocolate brings a smile to my face and the pain begins to melt a little, I know food will only be a short wait, the portions seemingly increasing as the temperatures have been dropping. We sit by the orange glow of the fire and warm our fronts as our backs chill. Twigs crack and snap in the forest around us amidst tales of bears and Sasquatch.

They say the Pacific Crest Trail really starts to take its physical toll after halfway. They're right. Pockets and I are tired, the aches take longer to fade and new ones commence. It hurts just a little more each day, the ibuprofen supply seems to run out just a bit earlier each week.

However, none of it matters. The PCT continues to amaze, surprise and welcome us. New views greet us each day, different panoramas and vistas bringing smiles to our faces. The relentless California stretch that we have been eating away at for the past 138 days is coming to an end. Oregon is in sight, maybe about 5 days away and we will be under 1000 miles in about 3 days. These are both huge confidence boosters. Not that our moral needs lifting but small targets and goals make a lot of difference.

My mileage has gone up from around 15 per day at the start to around 25 now. A recent stretch saw me complete 150 miles in 5 days and I have topped out with a 33 in one day. I need to, a finish of late October means walking twice as far each day as I did during the first half.

I continue to walk with Pockets, a fine companion. Brains left us a few days ago but we spoke on the phone recently and we expect to catch him at Seiad Valley because he had to rest for a couple of days due to illness. Pockets is the crazy wild card. A veteran of the Appalachian in 2006, he continues to make me smile with his larking around and mischievous antics. A true outdoors man, he is at one with his surroundings and regales me with his previous adventures in walking, climbing and mountaineering. He stops often to pull out his Nikon when he sees something worthy of his photographic eye. He is one of perhaps a handful of people that I can see myself walking all the way to the end of the PCT with.

1000 miles is still a long way but I know it is the start of a home stretch. Mexico, all those weeks behind me, seems an age ago. Time has little meaning out here, we get up when it feels right and stop when we are tired. One day melts into another, we have no clue as to even what day it is but a small part of me knows that I am within striking distance of Canada.

The elements may be getting restless, winter maybe drawing its sword and we are at the tail end of the pack but we walk with smiles on our faces and success in our hearts.