After a late night out on the town with Debi I was dragging this morning as I continued with preparations for returning to the trail. Around midmorning I was working to update the website when the cell phone rang. It was Bloody Knuckles calling from the trail to check on me and to give me an update. She was in Castella, about 300 miles north of where I’ll be getting back on trail at Belden. She has been hiking with Freight Train and Good to Go. She reported that there is another bug going around and that she and Freight Train and Pepper Jack have all been sick. The last couple of days she fell back due to illness and was hiking with Batteries and Pepper Jack. It sounded as if the thruhikers are wearing down from the long miles and heat. The physical demands of hiking the PCT, particularly in a big snow year, are daunting. I am hopeful that the long break will actually work as an advantage going forward as I have had plenty of time to rest and get some weight back on the bones, though I’m still 7 pounds lighter than when I began the journey back in April.
After lunch Ashley and I ran some errands as I continued checking items off my list. When we returned to the homestead there were mid-afternoon naps all around; me, Ashley, and two sleepy dogs. I awoke at 4:30 to the sound of Eric’s voice. He was hobbling around the house, back from the office, but still conducting business while continuing to suffer from a bout of gout. That didn’t stop Eric and Ashley and me from going out to have my last supper in Portland for many weeks. My choice was Dim Sum and we had a veritable feast of tasty Chinese delights. I was absolutely stuffed after the meal and had no room for dessert. That should change abruptly in the next two weeks when my hiker hunger should return.
After dinner we returned home and I ventured out once again to downtown Portland to meet Debi at Powell’s bookstore for one last evening out and about town. We kept the evening low key, spending about 3 hours at a house converted to a tea and coffee establishment with live acoustical guitar music as a backdrop. The hours flew by as we talked about our lives and the trail and how connected we are to Mother Earth and the beauty of God’s work creating the wilderness. Debi is a beautiful soul, who is so in touch with being in the present and claiming her struggle to live a healthy and soulful life and to make the world a better place.
I feel a lot of sadness for the fact that she, Doodlebug and Bono and Nightingale will not be on the trail when I get back. But they certainly are there with me in spirit. We said our goodbyes and I returned to trail angel headquarters for one last night sleeping in a comfortable, mosquito free bed! I can’t believe I actually go back to trail life tomorrow and it feels like a totally brand new journey.
