Wriggly Balls of Happiness and Kisses

Day 13

PCT Mile Marker 1256.00 – 1265.40

Miles Hiked 9.4

People were heading the other way.  Southbound.  Toward Sierra City.  They’d already heard about the treacherous snow conditions from whomever they saw before me.  Mitch?  Double Cross?  Could be anybody, really.  We all survived something and had something to say about it.

So my conversations with Southbounders throughout the day devolved into…

Me: “Sierra City?”

SOBO Hiker: “Yeah.”

Me: “Microspikes?”

SOBO Hiker: “Nope.”

Me: “You already know?”

SOBO Hiker: “Yeah.”

Me: “Have a good hike.”

Back to climbing, first thing.  But not for too long.  And I was hiking with the young lady from the turn-around gang.  We talked for hours as we zipped along the trail.  About the Universe.  About The Trail.  About how All-Things-Are-Possible.

Our legs chewed up the miles.

Then the three of them turned off to go the alternate route to Bucks Lake, and I was alone again.

I got 0.18 miles from the road to Quincy by 1pm and settled down on my mat to blog in the sunshine until my husband got there to pick me up and bring me home.

Home to help my Mom with Grandma’s affairs.  Spend time with family.  Be grateful for them.  And maybe wait out a little more snow.

Four Days?  A week?  I don’t know yet.  Whatever my family needs.

My dogs came down the trail.  They didn’t know they were coming to see me.  Mr. Bubba-Man perked up his ears and said ‘Woof’, and then recognized me.  His tail went around like a helicopter and I was overrun with wriggly balls of happiness and kisses.

Happily reunited with my husband, we drove to a friend’s house in Quincy and spent the evening telling stories, sitting in his beautiful back yard, and of course…

Drinking a Delicious Ice-Cold Beer.