Took a wrong turn on the PCT and ended up in someone's backyard BBQ

I was hiking the Pacific Crest Trail near Donner Pass last August and missed a switchback. Thirty minutes later I walked straight into a family reunion happening in a backyard. The dad was flipping burgers and just handed me one without even asking. I stood there eating a burger with my backpack on while a kid asked if I was a cryptid. Turned out the trail was rerouted due to a washout and I missed the sign. Has anyone else ever accidentally stumbled into a non-trail situation on a route?

2 comments

2 Comments

juliam4019d ago

Just saw a post on Facebook from a guy who accidentally walked into a wedding reception on the Appalachian Trail in Virginia. He said the bride's mom offered him cake and he ended up staying for the toasts. Trail reroutes can be confusing, especially after washouts. I think the family was cool about it, that says a lot about trail culture.

the_henry20d ago

lol that's wild, but I gotta say the trail reroute thing doesn't quite add up. The PCT around Donner Pass is pretty well marked and they usually post bright colored signs for reroutes like that. I hiked that section in July and saw a few reroute signs that were hard to miss. Maybe you just took a wrong turn off the main path and the BBQ was pure luck? Either way, free burger on the trail is a win in my book.