One of the great advantages of riding on the PCT is that I am able to see a lot more wildlife than I think the average hiker gets a glimpse of. That's simply because I can look at the scenery more. Whenever I'm walking--which is quite a bit of the time, usually 5-10 miles a day--I realize that I have to concentrate on where I'm putting my feet, and so I don't have the luxury of just gazing around me. And many of the hikers that I encounter are also wearing earbuds, listening to music or other audio tracks, and sometimes I'm almost on top of them before they look up and see me. Occasionally a hiker will ask me if I've seen any bears or other animals during the day, and if I say that I did, they tell me that they hope they will also get to see it as they haven't encountered any yet. So I feel fortunate that I get to enjoy an aspect of the trail that too many people miss out on. Unfortunately, often I'm not quick enough to get a picture, especially of bears because they are usually shy and running away as soon as they are aware of me. But this time I got lucky and he stuck around long enough to get his picture taken!

We rode through the Drakesbad area today, continuing north toward the Hat Creek trailhead where Pam Williams is once again going to meet me. Looking back south, Drakesbad appeared lush and green in the afternoon sunlight.

#wildlifeonthetrail #2016PCT