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Unpopular opinion: I used to skip the side trails on the PCT near Belden, now I take every one
I got caught in a freak hailstorm near Belden, CA last July with 6 miles left to camp, and my only shelter option was a side trail I'd skipped twice before because it added 2 miles. That detour led me to an old fire lookout with a roof and a dry floor, and I sat there eating cold ramen while the storm dumped on the main route below. Now I build in buffer miles for side trails instead of treating them as wasted time. Anyone else got a route where the "slow" option ended up saving your trip?
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angela_grant1mo ago
Wait, you had SIX miles left and chose a two mile detour? That is wild to me. I would've just booked it and hoped for the best, which is probably why I always end up soggy and miserable. But a fire lookout with an actual roof while hail is hammering down? That sounds like the trail gods were looking out for you that day. I've never even thought about building in buffer miles for side trails, I just get tunnel vision on the mileage. You might've just changed how I hike, honestly.
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