Up at 7:35am, Tabasco and I packed, then went to the dining room at Callahans for another amazing breakfast (included in the price of the room, best breakfast on the trail!) I had home made smoked salmon hash and poached eggs, wow! After breakfast I called my sweetheart, then we finished packing and checked out around 9:30am. It was a mile crossing I-5, and road walking on the familiar parallel two lane road back to the trail where we had jumped off five or six weeks ago to flip-flop up to Canada.
At 10am we were back on the PCT heading north. All day I struggled. The trail itself was easy; the weather was perfect. Yet I struggled because I’m physically tired, worn from long miles and long mile days and the pressure to keep it going to beat a major snowstorm, which could happen any time. I struggled because there’s no one else left of our amazing friends out here. My ankles, knees, heels, legs, shoulders…all hurt. My legs were sluggish from four days off with no hiking. My heart’s core calling isn’t to finish the trail now because that’s not a possibility. I thought all day about jobs, career, vocational passion, sitting 3000 miles from Charlotte, a new life out west, new girlfriend, the hope, opportunity, promise of a bright future, my struggle to heal my dear friend and ex-wife, etc.
So many thoughts, feelings, emotions….typical of this time in a long distance hike where the end is getting near and the transition back to society and civilization becomes a reality. We never really go back into society 100%. We’ve become tainted in a way to another life of such beauty, such simplicity, such routine, that the adjustment period is not short. I, for one, haven’t been able to remain indoors very long since the AT hike without feeling like a caged wild animal. So today was a mental struggle, more than a physical struggle, wanting this journey to be over, wanting to not hike sunup to sundown, wanting to just stop the perpetual motion of moving forward for 10 to 12 hours all day long.
It helped when we encountered a couple of intelligent, inquisitive day hikers this afternoon and we all visited for awhile. After resuming the hike I was able to feel grounded and balanced and joyous, yet again at the beauty of the trail, the serenity of the forest, the magnificence and grandeur of views to Mt. Shasta and Mt. McLoughlin, covered with fresh snow. Late afternoon we reached Hyatt Lake and we sidetracked a half mile to the camping resort to get water. Some guy in a pickup truck drove by at the trail junction, put the truck in reverse, pulled up, handed us a beer each, then went on his way. More trail magic, took only 10 seconds , and he was out of our lives. Funny thing this trail magic.
Tabasco and I returned to the PCT from the lake after getting some water and found a flat spot under some trees to camp. I’m cowboy camping for the first time in weeks and am enjoying the stars and an almost full moon as well as the bottle of Pinot Noir I brought with me. Tabasco is sleeping now, after enjoying his Shiraz that friend Venessa gave him back in Portland. It’s a cool, almost cold night, but I’m bundled up in the sleeping bag, enjoying being caught up on journaling.
I talked to Debi tonight and loved hearing about her Saturday evening learning and dancing Argentinian Tango. When I return to Portland I’ll be taking Tango lessons so we can go out dancing. Life is good. Trail is almost over, only 360 miles left to do this year and I will celebrate my beautiful failure of a thru-hike, but major accomplishment hiking 2250 miles, despite an ugly injury. OK, time for sweet sleep and tomorrow we plan to hike 30 miles to Fish Lake resort. Today’s weather: sun, glorious sun. Low 37, high 63. Today’s miles: 24.1; cumulative miles 1894.2.
