PCT day 149 – The missing miles
I got the bus from Vancouver to Seattle yesterday and stayed with Vince my section hiker friend. He is heading back to the trail to get another section done, the same section as me, so he is helping me get back to the trail. Cool.
We got up super early to beat the traffic and went to pick up Ace and her friend from the city centre, who were also heading back out on the trail, and Vince drove us all to the lovely Dinsmores where he is leaving his car. Chris (who gave me a ride to Chelan) then gave Vince and I a ride to the trailhead.
I don't have a lot to say about today other than it was really cold, I don't think I took my gloves off all day, and it never really got light. But, the trail was beautiful – the colours were amazing, the skies were moody and the mountains were rugged. A lot of people claim this to be the most beautiful section of trail and so far they aren't wrong.
Once we were back on the trail the first thing I noticed was the quiet. Not a single sound. At times not even a bird or an angry Squirrel. Just silence. Heavenly after the overload of the big city!
I saw Captain who I last saw somewhere in Northern California having a casual morning. He's not doing more that 20 miles a day through Washington, trying to delay the finish.
Getting back into it was tough after a week off. My feet were really sore. The soles hurt, like they were a bit swollen. I was tripping over everything. In the afternoon I tripped, over seemingly nothing, in slow motion I landed on my knees then my elbow then the momentum of my pack caused me to headbut the dirt. I was pinned down by my pack with my bum in the air. If anyone had been around to witness it it would have been pretty funny. It was a huge struggle getting up again but no damage done. Just a lot of mud on my clean clothes!
Vince had been in front of me all day. "I'm just a section hiker, I won't be able to keep up with you" he says! But his legs are at least twice as long as mine so he has no problem leaving me behind! We got to a camp spot at about 6pm, he wanted to carry on another 3 miles! But I was done. And it was starting to rain. I managed to get set up and in my tent just before the rain really started to come down. Meh.
22 miles. Not too shabby.