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 →

I wake up to my alarm at 5, poke my head out of my bag – it is both coldcoldcold and darkdarkdark. Neeeeeeeeeeewp. I wake naturally at 5:45, lay around for a minute – it’s still cold and dark, but at least consciousness isn’t physically painful anymore. I get up, Spesh gets up; he makes coffee, and I remember why people like chilling out in the morning. It’s not until 7:20 that we’re actually ready to go,but we only have to make 25 miles today. Not bad. Not bad at all. Continue reading →

I wake sore, but contented with what the day’s got in store for me. First, I get to see Crater Lake from the Rim Trail, and then, 10 miles later, I meet up with Spesh, who’s joining me for a week. Awww yisss. The knowledge motivates me, and while Pineapple’s looking to sleep in, I’m up and out and off quick as I can be. I’m sure she’ll catch me soon enough. Continue reading →

I sleep poorly again, all slanted the wrong way on the slope. I should have listened to myself when I was setting up, put my head on the uphill instead of my entire body on a slant, but now I’m just awake. Or, at least, in and out. A couple of times in the night, I shift and my left kneecap does this weird shifting/clicking thing that doesn’t exactly hurt, more just worries the hell out of me. The moon wakes me a few times too, just for good measure. 5am rolls around, and while I’m awake, I am not exactly pleased to be so. Only 25.5 miles to Mazama, though.  Continue reading →

In the morning, I am 100% not feeling it – the exhaustion I thought would hit me yesterday was apparently on some sort of delayed timer, and I feel I’m doing some impossible thing by trying to resist gravity. But there are miles to make, so what’s a thruhiker to do? Continue reading →

I manage to be awake by 7, if under protest – there’s bed to be enjoyed, for goodness’s sake. Pineapple calls a bit of a reprieve, first for coffee, then for breakfast, then for… sitting around? Okay, I guess – it gives me more time to catch up on stuff – but then it comes out that she was waiting around on me. Girl, you’re running this show, I was only planning on doing 18-odd miles today. Ambition leads. Of course, she says let’s go and I still have to go grab water and, apparently, use the toilet one last time, but then it’s in the car and off with Gary to the trailhead. Continue reading →

I wake late, although “late” for me these days means around 8:30. I also wake well-rested, even though I know that there’s a long day ahead of us, doing all sorts of town maintenance-type things. I enjoy the luxury of bed for a while, then it’s off and up and into the day. Continue reading →

The field is cold when I awake, but it’s not going to stay that way for long – there’s supposed to be a heatwave coming through the Ashland area, and I’ve had about enough of sweating through my clothes these days. So we’re up late and out quick, Ashland thoughts ringing in our brains. Continue reading →

My alarm goes off. Pineapple’s alarm goes off. And still, not a creature is stirring in camp. It’s like a thruhiker’s game of chicken: who’s going to get up and face the day first? Turns out, it’s Bucha, not even entirely vertical and already running from the heat of the day, and she shames the two of us such we reluctantly call it a draw. Continue reading →

All night, the lights outside the store stay on and cars continue to pass by and the “domesticated” cats go a-hunting; there’s little annoyance and less anxiety about all of it, though – something about civilization lulls me into a false sense of security, and I sleep well enough despite the distractions. I’m up early anyway, for a last bit of charging, three liters of water gathering, and to toss my talenti jar “stove” once and for all – Spesh has sent my Pocket Rocket to Ashland, and I’m going to make do with the snacks I have until I reach Ashland. One of the joys of packing too much food for this section. At 6am, Pineapple and I are walking out of Seiad on the last bit of road – towards the climb that’s likely to take up most of our day. Continue reading →