Day 52 – Instigatin’

Yesterday, at the end of the day, I forgave Washington for the harsh elevation changes, because Washington presented me with a peace offering – a mosquito-free night. It was incomprehensible that less than three weeks after mosquito hell, the mosquitoes had vanished. I have heard that there may be more on the trail ahead, but for now I shall not complain.

A temporary pact

Still Will said he wants to leave camp at 5:30 am. I should know by now that hikers are lying dogs, and never leave when they say they will. The trick is to guess which side of the lie holds the truth. Still Will arrives at my bed at 5:15. I tell him to go on and I will catch up. Presto has also lied, saying that he wanted to leave by 6 am. He is ready at 5:45, so I leave camp with him. Here is Presto with his still swollen lip.

Presto has an interesting story. He spent years in the Coast Guard on a number of missions, the most interesting of which was serving as the pilot on an ice breaker in Antarctica. His hiking is rather poignant, too, because he left home under difficult circumstances, divorce is a likely outcome when he returns home. The trail can be a haven, but it is rarely a shield. For Presto, the trail is like a summer in Antarctica, for in summer it is possible to plow through the ice. But summer is passing and the ice will soon be too thick to break. A difficult resolution waits for him when summer passes. I wish him the best.

We catch up to Still Will and the three of us hike together for a while.

Presto eventually strikes out on his own. He is going much farther than us and needs to be on his way. Still Will and I walk together for a few hours. I love this next photo because it puts the trail in perspective. See Still Will on the trail? The trees above him are enormous.

We are exceeding our goals for the day. Will is very pleased. We stop to rest. Will tells me that he is a retired emergency room doctor. He has the calm demeanor you would expect from someone like that. However, when he decides to take another break not long after this, I decide to press ahead. I do not see him again today.

On my own again

I put my legs in high gear from 9:30 until noon. Okay, maybe I do stop once or twice. Like Stumbles, I just can’t stop looking around. I have been seeing this delicate purple flower for days but no photo of it looked good until this one. After that, more studies in green.

The X Files

Now what I am about to tell you is true to the best of my recollection. I walk into an “experimental” area on the trail.

I am not sure what the experiment is, but I begin feeling kind of strange. As I exit the area, something is clearly not right.

I try to call for help, but my phone becomes difficult to use.

I must have lost consciousness because I find myself beside the trail with my pack off and a small puncture mark on my arm. I feel better, but I still wonder what happened.

Teasin’

Anyway, I enter a section where the trail looks just like a park. If you had a park like this in you, would you not walk in it?

Like yesterday I find a really good spot to have lunch. I can finally see other mountains. There is Mt. Hood, still amazing me from 60 miles away. And then just around the corner, I see Mount Adams. This is my first really good view of it, and I soak it in as much as possible, because I am going back down in elevation after this and with these trees, who knows when I may see it again.?

I need water badly now, having no gone 12 miles without a refill. I dive into this little campsite near a spring and meet these two young ladies. They are both reading books in chairs when I arrive, so I ask about the water and then try not to disturb them. I can’t resist saying how great the water is and we start talking. Their names are Kate and Nicole and they are from Portland. They are just chillin’ out here for a few days “away from it all.” They have a really cool campsite with water a water source near by. I can’t believe more hikers are not here.

I proceed a couple miles and run into this hiker filling her water bottles at the side of the trail. Her name is Squeegie and she has just abandoned her trail family because they are too slow. She told them she is tired of only doing twenty miles a day. She is going to start going 30! She asks about campsites ahead and I tell her about the one with Kate and Nicole. Then we (ok, I) hatch this plot for her to go into their camp and pretend to know them. Squeegie warms to the idea, and then she thanks me for cheering her up. It’s one of the few times that I feel like I have really helped someone. It seems like lately I have been one the receiving end. I feel good. Squeegie tells me to look out for Moose, Toodles and Toes. If I see them, she wants me to tell them where she is.

I have gone up the trail half a mile when I see a hiker dude heading my way. “Moose!” I cry. He does not respond. “Toodles!” Still no reply. “Toes!” The guy slows down, puzzled. “Who are you?” I ask. “My name is Randy,” he says. “Oh, sorry,” I say slinking by.

Trail magic

I arrive at camp just a few minutes before all my good fortune comes to a climax. This young lady pulls up with a cooler of food for hikers. Trail magic! Her name is Early and she hiked the PCT last year. She lives in Portland and wanted to help this year’s class. She makes me a sandwich with chips and a soda. So wonderful. Over the next 3 hours, six more thru-hikers receive her gifts. We all swap stories of who we know and where we have been. We have a great time, and it is a fitting end for a truly great day on the trail.

• July 23
• Starting mile: 2178
• Ending mile: 2198
• Daily PCT miles: 20
• Total PCT miles: 826