26 miles a day still seems like a lot.

It is a lot. But these types of mileages are pretty common among thru-hikers.

At 2650 miles, with a weather window that starts closing in mid-September for northbound hikers, thru-hiking the PCT cannot be done without averaging something like 20 miles a day for about 150 days. (Yes, I know this adds up to 3000 miles, but there are inevitably many "zero" days on a thru hike, when you make no progress on the trail because you are resupplying).

I also know that PCT thru-hikers who get to Oregon often start logging 35 or even 40 mile days! By then they are in great shape and the Oregon PCT seems like a piece of cake.

BTW, this is one of the reasons I am not considering a thru-hike. I'm just not cut out for that kind of months-long daily marathon.