Category: Pacific Crest Trail 2016

Day 123 – Hood(ie) Weather

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It’s a cold, wet night – I burrow down into my bag, but it only helps so much, and I’m grateful that my 3° bag is headed to meet me. Not that it’ll be warm if I’m not able to keep it dry, which is not so difficult while it’s in my backpack so much as difficult at load-in/load-out time. I wake a couple of times thinking the bag’s gotten wet somehow, but it’s just the cold – my Mountain Hardwear tent, despite the wet, is holding strong. My leg is pretty annoyed by the bite/sting/whatever though, forcing me awake to try to make it comfortable. At 6, it’s still too cold to leave my cocoon, but at 6:30 I have no more excuses. I start my coffee and the sad business of putting on cold, damp clothing.

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Day 122 – Poisonous and Venomous

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I wake several times in the night to particularly loud droplets splattering on my rain fly and the snores of my compatriots. Once, I even think I hear something moving out there, and when I fall back asleep I continue a murder mystery dream I’ve been having on and off again on trail where my two next door neighbors die and I look culpable. I wake up at 6 and peer out, happy to hear Zippee’s call and Sleepy’s response about the dark and the cold and the wet. We hold out as long as we can before it starts to get ridiculous, and I’m out and moving by 7:45. Continue reading →

Day 121 – Grey

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The wind and the rain lash my tent all night; my earplugs only marginally help, and several times I’m shocked back into consciousness by a particularly loud flap of the rain fly. When my 5:30 alarm goes off, it’s dark and wet, so I sleep until 6, and on waking my stomach sings the song of its people until I placate it with mac and cheese and coffee. It’s a little weirded out by the combination, but accepts the offering, and I manage to get up and out by 7:30.

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Day 120 – Into the Mist

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I wake at 5:45, and while nobody’s rustling yet, it’s time to get out and moving. I’m hoping to do 30 today, but I’ll settle for anything over 25, really. Just a solid day of moving down the trail. It’s 6:45 by the time I’m ready to roll out – a little later than I’d like, but it can’t be helped. I can’t get out in under an hour, apparently. Still, I’m reminded that I’m earlier than I could be as I wave to Butterscotch, doing his first stirring in his bag. He’ll catch me, and then I’ll have company, at least for a minute. Today’s going to be a good day. Continue reading →

Day 119 – The Floor is Lava

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6 comes both earlier than I want it to and precisely when it means to, and for all my pouting when Spesh’s alarm goes off, I actually feel pretty good. It’s quick as a wink, up and out, so Daniel can get to work. We pick up his work buddy on the way, and he drops us off in an abandoned parking lot near the highway so we can walk to where we need to hitch. Continue reading →

Day 117 – Fear Leads to Anger

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The morning is cold, and my hip hasn’t magically healed overnight, so it argues with me when I try to move. It’s not as bad as it once was, though, and for that I’m thankful. I’m also thankful that it’s a town day again – I’ve decided to go into Bend with Spesh, take another zero, do my resupply for Washington. Deal with the consequences of another zero later. Still, the hike to McKenzie Pass is 22 miles – why do I keep doing this to myself? I know how I am on town days, antsy, anxious to be in town already, where there is food and bevvie and bed. Still, it must be done, and so, right around 8, a-hiking we do go. Continue reading →

Day 116 – Improvement

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I wake to a deep-seated feeling of nervousness. It’s not that I’m hurting from yesterday – I’m not, not really, not at the moment. But I wasn’t hurting yesterday morning, either, and knowing you’re in for some pain is kind of off-putting. So when Junaid sets up the stove, makes coffee, reheats the leftover korma, I’m kind of glad for the delay. Continue reading →

Day 115 – Struck a Nerve

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Seven of us in the shelter makes for a loud evening, everyone tossing and turning on their crackling neoair sleeping pads. I don’t think it’s just the noise that makes me restless – my brain is chewing on all the everything I pondered yesterday, concerned but unable to make real progress. People start to move much too early, walk out into their day, let the door slam behind them. Repeatedly. By 6, I can’t take it anymore – alright, alright, I’m awake – and by 6:30, I’m poking Spesh so we can start our day. Continue reading →

Day 114 – Shorty

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We wake and we laze – it’s a town day today, five miles to town, and six from town to where we’re sleeping. One of the few things Spesh didn’t get to do on his two hikes of the PCT was stay in any huts, and since the Maiden Ski Hut is (A) one of the few shelters on the PCT and (B) on our way, I’ve agreed to stay in the hut tonight. It does mean I need to make 25 miles a day from here on out, but to enjoy this day with the gentleman friend, I’m alright with that. Gentle days mean late outs, so we’re not walking until 8. Continue reading →