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?

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1 Comment

the_henry1h 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.