Day 71 Pit…pat…pit-pat…pit…pat-pat-splat. Light hit the side of my tent and my eyes sprang open. My heart pounded out of my chest. Was I on a road? I never pitch my tent on a road. How did I forget my rule? Was a car coming down the road? Did they see me? Please don’t hit me. Please don’t run me over while I’m trapped in my tent. My hands flew to the zipper of my Read more…
Day 70 Miles Hiked 0 The morning campfire crackled and popped, sending up little curly-queues of smoke as the flames licked the sides of the cowboy coffee pots. I sat with Carla and Richard and Cindy, telling stories in tones hushed by the morning light. Most of the camp was still sleeping. Those not with us were already fishing. I knew that no matter what was wrong with my foot, I’d have to be off Read more…
Day 69 PCT Mile Marker 1869.60 – 1875.70 + 10.63 OST Miles Covered 16.73 Stabbing pains shot through my foot whenever I moved it in my sleeping bag. I gingerly sat up and unwrapped a breakfast bar and brought it to my mouth. My hands still smelled like horses. I breathed it in. I loved horses. I took a bite of the breakfast bar and the permanent retainer in my mouth broke off of one Read more…
Day 68 PCT Mile Marker 1848.70 – 1869.60 + 2 Miles Hiked 22.9 I didn’t come out of my tent until I’d eaten breakfast, packed my sleeping bag, and put everything away. I didn’t want any skeeters to ruin my morning. It Was My Birthday! Turtle handed me a gigantic chocolate bar. “Happy Birthday,” he said. It was still really early when we hit the trail, and I watched as the sun changed the sky Read more…
Day 67 PCT Mile Marker 1820 – 1836.74+3.36 – 1848.70 Miles Hiked 15.32 “Your pack really stinks. Baaaad.” My nephew pointed out in the back seat as we headed back to Crater Lake to drop me off at the trail. I laughed. “Yeah. It does.” We drove past fields of crops of some sort. Clouds of bugs rose high into the sky. Swirling and swirling their way up into oblivion. Green Bug Dust Devils. We Read more…
Day 66 PCT Mile Marker 1820 – 1820 Miles Hiked 0 Smoke billowed into the sky. Huge bubbly grey balloons of it. I thought maybe on our way back to the motel tonight, I should stop and get a dust mask and a handkerchief. I could wet the handkerchief and hold it against my face with the dust mask while I hiked tomorrow. How many miles would I have to walk in this nasty smoky Read more…
Day 65 PCT Mile Marker 1820 – 1820 Miles Hiked 0 I couldn’t sleep. I was too hot and I thrashed around and kept waking up completely sideways in the bed. At some point I realized I haven’t used a pillow much in the last few months, so maybe that’s what the problem was. I stuck my arm in the pillowy pile and shoved it back and forth until there was a blank space where Read more…
Day 64 PCT Mile Marker 1820 – 1820 Miles Hiked 0 I got up in the middle of the night and ate a bunch of peanut butter and ibuprofen. It was cold and I was awake, so I got up and put my rain fly on my tent too. Then I was really super wide awake and irritated about it. Today was a Zero. No miles to hike. I could’ve slept in. But I was Read more…
Day 63 PCT Mile Marker 1813.08 – 1820.00 Miles Hiked 6.92 Turtle gave me his extra hot chocolate and coffee for breakfast. I drank it out of my pot. Cougar tracks on the trail again. He must be following me around. I got my favorite. Finding that cadence that eats up the miles without wearing me out. It’s a magical pace that is so beautiful to fall in to. I was so, so happy. And Read more…
Day 62 PCT Mile Marker 1793.50 – 1813.08 Miles Hiked 19.58 My brother came out of the ocean, wearing surfer clothes and pushing his hair out of his eyes. You’re not a surfer. I told him. Well you’re not a quitter. He said. He said: You told me ninety percent of this is mental. And you’re breaking down. And it’s just mental. Pull it together. I woke up with a start. I folded my arms Read more…