I ended up sleeping in until 9:30am!! It was the best sleep, once I finally fell asleep. I think sometimes heartache does that for you, lets you drift into that deep sleep to try and heal your broken heart. I was only awake seconds before I remembered that Max was gone, and my melancholy kicked in.
I showered, brushed my teeth, ate my left over pizza from last night, then dressed and packed up my stuff. I decided I would go to the new motel, see if they’d let me check or hold my pack for me while I went to do my chores for the day.
I rode the free bus to the Quality Inn, a 30 minute situation by bus instead of only 6 minutes by car. They didn’t have a room ready yet, so the lady held my pack in her office and let me go ahead and buy quarters from her for laundry when I got back. Then, I walked to the Mexican restaurant about a mile and a half away. Instead of updating my blog, I looked through pictures of Max and Molly while waiting on my enchiladas to come out. Man that goofy boy was the best.
I really enjoyed my meal, eating every bite, including all of the free chips I could manage, too. After paying, I walked over to the gear shop in town, and made Butch earn his keep in the shoe department. We went through every pair and every brand just like I did over in Grand Lake. This place had more brands to choose from.. the problem being they didn’t have my size in the Topos I’ve worn earlier-that are comfortable just not very durable.. they didn’t have my size in the men’s either. After 30+ minutes of trying on everything under the sun, I ended up getting a pair made by a French company that were very comfortable. The only problem: I wouldn’t be able to get a second pair.
I got the one pair and fingers crossed they last a long time! I wore them as I did the rest of my chores: resupplying at the Safeway grocery store, going to the post office to send ahead a box to a place in Wyoming, going to Walmart to pick up more bug lotion. The shoes seem great so far.
I got back to the Quality Inn around 4pm. The lady checking me in had an issue with my reservation, claiming booking.com didn’t pay them-which I showed her the payment on my credit card app. There was back and forth and she said it would be refunded, but she had to charge my card for now regardless. Knowing this isn’t right, I let her anyway just so I can get into my room. I’ll have to dispute the extra charge with booking or with my credit card tomorrow. Hopefully it’ll work itself out by then.
I sprawled out in the bed and watched SVU while snacking on cheese and crackers and drinking some wine. At dinner time, I hung out with Pika, Wolf, Firefly, and Redline outside under some trees on the property while they ate dinner. I had already demolished the crackers and cheese by then and wasn’t hungry anymore. Later, we swam in the pool and hung out in the hot tub, talking, swapping stories, and laughing. Being around them really helped shove my sadness aside. I’m forever grateful to them for their friendship and welcomed distraction. They’ve just accepted me into their friend group, being around them all feels so natural. Hopefully I can hike with them more this next stretch before I catch Pebbles, if I ever do.
A little about them.. I know Pika and Wolf from the PCT. Pika is as cool and outdoorsy as they come: worked trail maintenance positions all over for the government, has an endless knowledge of plants, animals, and insects. They most recently lived in Arizona but have ties to Northern California and Chicago. They are also very artistic (I know this from IG stalking them over the last 2 years lol).
Wolf has her own Physical Therapy practice in one of the Carolina’s.. in Asheville maybe? And she just gives off this outgoing and big energy-her laugh (and her giddy howls) are the most contagious sound I’ve ever heard-if you don’t laugh when she’s laughing-I’m pretty sure you’re a sociopath.
Firefly is a paramedic/firefighter from Massachusetts. Funny enough, his mom lives in Georgia, so he’s been to Atlanta a lot. He’s funny and I bet we’d have a lot in common with the healthcare stuff.
And then there’s Redline-also very funny and tells good stories. He lives in Idaho and does something in construction I think. He got his trail name because he stuck to the redline on Farout and missed the Gila in New Mexico.. and had zero water for a long stretch-very sketchy situation and it was only because this is his first long trail so he was unfamiliar with the different routing options. Poor dude! Him telling the story will have you crying laughing though!
Now, I’m back sprawled in bed and debating on if I want to be up super early and pay $5 for the once a day bus back out to Muddy Pass tomorrow, or if I want to sleep in and hitch it. Hmmmm.. I think we all know which way this will go! Goodnight yall.
