Start: 1751.4
Stop: 1768.2
Today’s miles: 16.8
Total PCT miles: 181.6
I’m pretty sure I woke up before the girls.. and I was immediately worried about how much noise I made overnight. The one nice thing about being alone is it doesn’t matter how much racket you make when you roll around, if anything it’s helpful to keep critters away.
Even still, I had snoozed through my early alarms and popped awake at 7:20. Knowing I wanted to get a minimum of 12-13 miles away, but preferably even more, so I’d be that much closer to Fish Lake for the following day, I started packing. I could hear them both moving around some, and then I heard Tashina out of her tent, so either I really woke her up or she was waiting to hear us move before she did.
I was completely packed by 7:49. Tashina was sitting at the picnic table trying to sew her nice hiking pants where they ripped, and Romy was just starting to stir. We all said our good mornings and goodbyes, as I put on my pack and walked to the bath house. The building was on the way out, so I didn’t want to backtrack. I brushed my teeth, used a real toilet, and scrubbed my hands one last time for good measure. The girls had come down to the bathroom, too, so we said our byes again and I was on my way.
The trail was once again gentle, except when I’d hit a blowdown or 19. I’d be sailing along, listening to my audiobook, not a care in the world, then get smacked with a jungle gym of trees the size of minivans piled over the trail. I’d venture around, up and over or under, take a breather, and then keep moving. These trees are so massive, and so absolutely beautiful. There’s moss dangling from their very high limbs, and such greenery all around. It’s truly beautiful when you’re not in the chaos of the blowdowns.
Once I got to the top of the morning’s climb, which never really felt all that much like climbing, I sat and ate lunch.. it was almost exactly noon and my stomach for the first time in a while actually growled. I ate while sitting on a log, listening to my book (One Second After, really good, fyi) and felt completely at ease. I couldn’t care less if I walked 15 more miles or only two. I was just going to see where the day took me.
I did hit some patches of snow today. But all said and done, if you put every patch I walked over together, it all combined took less than a minute to get over. So I won’t complain about snow today. I will say i was pretty chilly though. I hiked in my rain jacket most of the day to keep warm!
Sometime around 3pm, I came to a shelter.. which is really more like a little cabin with plastic strips for a door with a huge wood burning stove in the middle.. there was two sides that had platforms im assuming to sleep on, but the smell of the stove made me a little queasy.. sometimes charred wood sets me off a bit, so I immediately went back outside. I definitely didn’t want my stuff to get that wood smoke smell on it, so I went across the way to the picnic table to sit a while.
I took my socks and shoes off, letting my toes air out. My right foot is doing like my left foot did, and it was tender as hell. I could see flat tent sites off in the near distance, so I had somewhere to set up camp. I was almost done listening to my book, so I decided I’d just sit and listen, then decide what to do. Around 10-15 minutes of sitting there, two women appeared. They were out day hiking. We chatted a while, and then a man and his 2 German Shepards appeared. He was doing trail maintenance and just wanted to inform us incase the chainsaw scared us. Nice guy. Gorgeous pups.
Eventually the two ladies left and I could hear the man and his chainsaw in the distance. I was determined to finish this dang book! Just before 4, I finished it, and then was left feeling a bit energized. I decided to continue hiking another 4 miles, so it would be closer to 6pm when I got to camp and then I would have less time to kill this evening and even less walking to do tomorrow to get to Fish Lake. Wins all the way around!
That 4 miles started off great, thanks to trail maintenance guy. Plus the trail was lush and gorgeous and I was just happy. Then I hit more blowdowns, slowing me down. And then, the trail went through this odd rocky area that looked like the people brought in a fake red rock to supplement the trail with, but these little nuggets made my feet scream.
When I finally came across a campsite, I was quick to set up. Just as planned, it was right at 6pm when my tent was up, my bed was made, and I was sitting on a log making dinner. The mosquitoes here suck, but nothing like when Andrea and I were attacked. I had my first ramen bomb tonight.. ramen noodles mixed with instant potatoes. Not too shabby. The wind isn’t blowing, but it is cold. I’m shivering some and the sun isn’t even down yet. I wonder what the temp is… gotta be in the 50s at best, maybe high 40s?
I’m excited to get to sleep.. because I can sleep in tomorrow and still make it to Fish Lake by lunchtime! I’m 6 miles away from the road crossing, and then it’s 2 miles from there. I’ll get to eat from a restaurant but still set up camp there tomorrow night. I’m not sure if I’m going to zero or see about getting into Medford to rent a car.. I got updates today that the snow north of here is horrible, so I may take some time and slowly road-trip up to Washington to start southbound from the Canadian border the end of next week or the start of the following week. Once I get some WiFi I’ll be able to come up with a better plan. I hate the not knowing.
I’ve been chatting with Zebra, who I met on the AT, and she thinks I could make the SOBO trip before November first, even if I start in July from the border.. and that way we can all but guarantee no snow. At the very least, there will be minimal snow. Lindsay and her husband, Erik, that I met in Ashland left Fish Lake today to head north, too. So, maybe we’ll all be SOBO hikers this year. Alright, my fingers are numb. Time for bed! Love y’all! Goodnight 🙂