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.
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
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
I wake super early in the morning, go back to sleep. I’m then up at 8 – that’s probably as late as my body’s gonna let me sleep, and besides, I have stuff to do today. Like take another shower. Continue reading
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
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
It’s 2017, folks! Another trip around the sun, another hiking season just a few measly months away. I’ve been working on a lot of things, including, as promised, New Year’s postcards for everyone who both donated to my fundraiser and said they wanted a postcard. Said postcards are 5’x 7′ glossy prints of photos from my PCT hike this summer – including some not yet seen on the blog!
If you donated to the fundraiser, and, for whatever reason, you did not opt in to the postcard, but this news makes you want to opt in to the postcard, go ahead and throw me a line via the Contact link. I made sure to order a couple of extra, so I should be able to cover you this run.
If you did not donate to the fundraiser, and you’re interested in a postcard, please consider donating here or slipping me a couple bucks here to help with the next run. I’m doing this out of pocket to give a big “Thank You!” to my donors, but if there’s enough interest I’ll do another run and/or an exclusive run, if an individual donates enough.
Thanks for hanging with me last year, and I hope you hang around to see what this year has in store! A proper update later today, for your patience.
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
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
I almost enjoy cowboy camping – I definitely enjoy it more than I would’ve enjoyed tenting. As the night wears on, I wake up sweating, have to wriggle my way out of layers and out from under zippers and such. The moon also wakes me, hanging pendulously amongst the stars, seeming to bear a message that I don’t quite get before I fall back asleep. In the morning, I’m tired, but not altogether cranky, though my mood sours a bit when I remember I have to say goodbye to Pineapple. Continue reading
Brown Girl on the NST 