Day 8
Miles 9
When in doubt, eat. We say.
But I hadn’t packed any snacks and we were marching along and I was starving to death and getting mega super grumpy and feeling very doubtful. The sign when we left said Tahoe City – 13 miles. We hiked for a long time and then saw a sign that said we’d gone 2 1/2 miles and also said Tahoe City – 12 miles.
The whole day was like that.The gradual downhills were all uphill and everyone kept saying it’s all downhill from here except it never was, those bastards. And the goats refused to drink water in the morning, so when they got thirsty, they got grumpy too. Bosco tried sucking on the end of my spray bottle that he is supposed to be scared of, so I sprayed water in his mouth. I thought it was cute, but Sophie didn’t. Bosco started angry eating. Refusing to walk. Glaring at us while he tore up bushes.
We switched it up and she walked in front so I got some good video of her leading the goateo. Bosco, strutting like a deer. Oatcake, flipping his front legs out to the side when he walks. Sharkey always tripping himself up from running into everything. Jon Snow’s spindly little legs teeter-tottering around.
The fresh pine smell heavy in the air after the goats take a sample.
Bosco only allows everyone to eat for so long before he gets anxious and advises everyone it’s time to go. They all listen to the old workaholic, of course.
Sophie injured herself at camp again. Trying to not wake up any campers by using her headlamp, she took it off and promptly ran into the highline, smack across her eyebrows.
Why the fuck do I keep getting hurt at camp? If I’m going to get hurt, it could at least happen on trail.
We missed our water cache by a little over a mile and had to go back to get it. We were exhausted by the time we got to camp. But the boys were watered, and Jon Snow had pitch all over him and then rolled in dirt and looked like a dalmation.
And we were no longer in doubt, but we ate anyway.
A Lot.