Start: 645.1
Stop: 653.3
Today’s miles: 8.2
Total PCT miles: 841
It was a cold night, but I was bundled up nice and warm in my quilt. I love that thing. I did however have a couple nightmares that kept waking me suddenly throughout the night-causing me to kick everything off, wake up, realize I was fine-and cold-and then cover back up. Repeat x2. These charred burn zones mess with my head a little bit. I also realized during one of those startling wake ups that my quilt had condensation on it, and so did my tent. That’s what I get for setting up on the grass, sorry again Mother Nature.
When I got up around 6:30 ish, Margot was packing and so was everyone else. I like when I don’t have to try to be quiet, because I feel like there’s no real quiet way to shove a quilt into a plastic bag without it making racket. Margot left about 5 minutes before me, and we were both on a mission to get to Santiam Pass so we could hitch hike into Bend, Oregon. Her parents paid for us a hotel for the night and it’s MY TURN for a bed to myself! I’m elated!
Anywho-the morning started with a few blowdowns to conquer, then as I climbed the only ascent of the day, which was quite short, a gorgeous view of Three Fingered Jack Mountain appeared, glowing in the morning sunlight. I was awestruck by it.. and definitely wasn’t expecting it. I caught up to Margot on the switchbacks here, only because she stopped and stared awhile, too. It was something special after miles of burn zones and blowdowns and deep forests.
From there, we stuck together, hightailing it to the pass. Before we even realized it, we had hiked the rest of the 8 miles to the pass. I had service on the way, so I called Marquis to see where he was.. he had camped 4 miles closer, got to the pass, and had gotten a hitch halfway to Bend. He was sitting in a cafe in Sisters, Oregon having a coffee. We told him we’d let him know when we got our hitch so we could try to get to Bend around the same time.
We got our hitch in probably 2 minutes or less.. our pink shirts and Margot’s sign saying “PCT Hikers to Town” really work the magic for us. A sweet man named Bob in a nice pick up truck got us and drove us to Sisters, because he lives there and wasn’t going into Bend. I asked him if he’d drop us off at the McDonald’s, which he kindly obliged.
It was only 10:30, but Margot and I got lunch there.. I ordered and then went to the bathroom to wash my hands. Yall. I was a MESS. I had dirt and dust all over me, head to toe, face included. Someone actually backed away from me when they saw me in the bathroom.. haha. It was kind of nice, being given some space, lol-I know I had to smell as rough as I looked! When I came out, Margot had already gotten our food and we sat a table and ate. I actually ate two Big Macs.. TWO. Plus a large fries and drink.. and I was amazingly still somewhat hungry. Like, I wasn’t starving anymore, but if someone offered me anything else, I would have eaten it. Crazy, huh? The hunger is insane.
We finished up and headed outside to the road to start hitching again to get to Bend. We let Marquis know and he was doing the same. It took a bit longer, but it wasn’t bad. A woman actually stopped and we didn’t even realize she was stopped for us for an embarrassingly long time. Her name was Sara and she used to live in Reno! She said I seemed familiar to her and she wondered if I was the travel nurse she stopped and talked to for a long time while on a hike.. maybe it was me? I do tend to do that!
She took us into Bend and got us as close as she could to our hotel, but she was on her way to a doctors appointment and was probably going to be late, thanks to picking us up (she didn’t complain at all, I was the one that pointed the time out to her). She dropped us at an intersection and then turned away from where we were, so I knew she had been going out of her way already. She was so very sweet to us!
We walked to the motel and met Marquis there. From there, we got our dirty laundry out, left our packs with the lobby lady, and got an Uber to the post office. Andrea and Andres (I think that was his handwriting 😉 ) mailed me my shorts that I was praying would fit right and I could give Marquis back his shorts (which I’m now quite fond of). We walked to the laundromat from the post office, attempting to hitch there.. without the packs and the sign it’s not nearly as easy.
Marquis was able to snag us a ride with less than a half mile to go.. but a half mile is a half mile! We were happy! We did our laundry and sat around playing on phones and catching up with the world while our clothes washed. We got an Uber to REI.. where I lost my mind because they didn’t have a new watch for me. They had only WHITE bands in stock of the watch I wanted.. I did not want to pay HUNDREDS of dollars for a white watch. It send me so far over the edge I literally wanted to cry. What a psycho I am.
We got what we needed and Margot and I ate at a sushi restaurant across the street. It improved my mood for the time being, but I was still feeling crushed, which is completely ridiculous. Even still, I was feeling my feelings or whatever. The sushi was good and the wine was, too. Marquis didn’t want to eat because he was full from eating 12 pastries that morning waiting on us, haha. He did his own thing while we ate, then we ubered back to the motel.
We put our stuff up then walked down the street to the Safeway to resupply. I bought way too much food. Like how do I always do this? I wanted to get some travel sized shampoo and conditioner for our motel showers, but they only had big bottles. I wanted to get a new adapter for my headphones.. but they didn’t have that either. Jesus, does Bend have anything I need?!
I walked across the street to Walgreens while they finished shopping. ALSO didn’t have travel toiletries or a headphone adapter. You’re kidding me?! I was on the verge of a meltdown. I paid a stupid amount of money for new headphones with the cord that will work on my dumb iPhone, and a full sized bottle of conditioner. The motel has its cheap shampoo, so that would have to do.
We got back to the room and started our showers and organizing our stuff. I showered last and I scrubbed so long I thought my skin would come off. It didn’t. And neither did all the dirt. It’s kind of crazy actually, because I even used an exfoliating mitt and still couldn’t get all of the dirt off of my legs. I didn’t get most of it though, and then afterwards I was able to get even more with the roughness of the towel. Nasty, huh?
We hung out and watched Modern Family on TV for several hours before bed, munching on snacks and I shared a bottle of wine with Marquis. It was delightful and it completely fixed my rotten mood. Clean and in a bed to myself. Oh, sweet bliss. Marquis and I are also freezing Margot out. She’s cold natured and we have the air on.. she’s bundled up in her fleece and leggings and we have our legs kicked out of the covers. Hahaha, I’m about to sleep so good! Goodnight, y’all!