I sleep in. And by “sleep in”, I mean “purposely roll back over when my alarm goes off”. Twice. We’ve already crossed Evolution, all matte in the morning’s shadows, so there’s no rush to get out. I’m aiming for a 7a leave time, and I hit the nail firmly on the head. Continue reading →

It’s hard to get up this morning – I’m usually racing Sprinkles and Homegrown, but they didn’t make it in last night. I hope they’re okay, and I hope Sprinkles is feeling better. Maybe we’ll see them today. Continue reading →

I’m feeling well rested, but still rolling over to go back to sleep when I catch a glimpse of the time: 5:06. Damn. I meant to be up well before now, since apparently I can’t get my shit together of a morning unless it takes a million years. But I go at it doubletime, and it all comes together by 6:11. Not bad after two hours yesterday. Continue reading →

I drink almost a liter of water in my sleep, think I’m going to have to pee a million times in the night, but my bladder is apparently a champion. Plus, it’s hot in here – I wake sweaty, sticking awkwardly to my sleeping bag – so no need for my body to fight to keep me and my urine warm¹. I wake at 5:30, feeling barely rested, am pulling clothes in at 5:40, am finally out of my tent at 6, and finally moving at 7:30. What the hell is wrong with me, that it takes me this long to move²? Continue reading →

I greet the morning with a combination of excitement and a quiet sense of dread – we’re getting back to the PCT again, but to do so, we have to go back up Kearsarge Pass. Down was such a drag that I’m not looking forward to the opposite, but it must be done. So it’s off and back up towards Kearsarge. Continue reading →

I’m up at 8 and think I’ve slept in; the rest of the room isn’t up until 9. You think we’d be well-rested after yesterday, but not so much. We’re apparently not taking the morning bus, which leaves soon, back to Independence, so I guess we’re getting out at 1. Continue reading →

Waking up on zero days is the best – you’re kind of leery about sleeping in, but then you realize where you are and that you’ve got time and it’s like 8am before you shoo yourself onto the internet to start working. And even later when you actually get up, since everyone’s decided to take a zero and we’re staying in the hotel again, if they’ll have us. Yoda goes down to negotiate for another night, comes back successful. This is the life. Continue reading →

I wake late-ish, but most everyone’s still asleep, hungover on the excellence of yesterday evening. I pack up, head over to the fire, where there’s coffee and conversation to be had. We throw our extra food Pineapple’s way – she’s not going to Bishop, but heading straight through to Vermillion Valley Resort six days ahead – and give her so much love before Outro, Yoda, Homegrown, Sprinkles, and I all head off towards the Kearsarge Pass junction. Continue reading →

It’s so easy to get up this morning after yesterday – cold, but easy, the anticipation that comes with new challenges thrumming through me. Today, we head for Forester Pass – the tallest point on trail – to suss it out, see if we can’t get over it. I’m hoping to do more than the nine miles we’ve got to the approach today, but I’m not assuming anything. We’ll see. Continue reading →

My alarm goes off at 11:30pm, Yoda’s nearby at 11:45 – thank goodness, because I’d fallen back asleep. I hate everything a lot less than I think I will, particularly since I was smart and did most of my packing last night, but after clothing myself and grabbing my food out of my bear can and stuffing everything I need into what turns out to be my now absurdly light pack, it’s still 12:30am before I leave camp. 7.5 miles to the summit, sunrise at 5:15-ish – it’s gonna be tight, I think, but I’m trying to stay positive. Continue reading →