Seiad Valley to Carter Meadows

Transcribed:  September 14, 2013

From the Journal:  August 19, 2013

This morning we watched the sunrise before descending to Seiad Valley.  We got an early start, but the day got hotter and hotter.  The final mile on the road into town was boiling.  I was chugging all of the very hot water I carried. Luckily the town has an awesome diner with AC and burgers and Dr. Pepper and root beer floats for dessert.  This made everything pretty immediately better.  It was 102 in the shade so we got our packages and went to the store and rested in the shade for a few hours before it was bearable to move again.  We got back on the road about 6 pm and walked 6.4 miles back to the trail before setting up camp for the evening.

August 20, 2013

Ben and I went our separate ways this morning.  He left camp before me and the world became very sad and quiet.  I hiked up this beautiful valley that Grider Creek runs through.  It is a stark contrast from yesterday’s dry heat to be in this cool shade.  It was a very gradual climb and I have too much food coming out of town, per usual.  I notice it is much less fun to take breaks so I am making good time.  This afternoon I came around a corner and saw my friend Ben writing me a note about a Mama bear and cub he had just seen.  We were glad to see each other; it was quite strange to be alone after spending nearly all of the last months together.   We ended up walking the last ten miles to camp together.   Marble Mountain Wilderness and the peaks around us are stunning.  This has also been the worse day as far as smoke in the air.  The moon is full and bright orange. 

August 21, 2013

Ben and I walked out of camp together.  The walking was beautiful, up high on ridgelines.  I passed this gorgeous teal lake below sheer cliff sides called Maneater Lake.  It was an inviting swim but pretty far off trail.  I made the mistake of mentioning that a little rain would be refreshing, and the next thing you know we are in a hail and thunder storm.  It was thankfully short lived.  Ben helped me set up camp a few miles North of Etna Summit before continuing on.

August 22, 2013

I slept alone in the woods for the first time ever last night and I did not die.  I woke up sad but also a bit proud of myself.  I started walking and am meeting Mom and Mike this evening.  It is warm today, and the sky to the south is full of foreboding, gunmetal grey clouds.  It looked like weather again and it wasn’t long before hail and lightening and pouring rain fell from the sky.  In between storm intervals, I was loving walking on this traverse up a very vast and quiet valley.  It made me feel very small and alone, in a way that might feel good when I get used to it.  The storm raged on and water was pouring down the trail in rivers.  Walking on seemed to be the only thing to do, I would freeze if I stopped.  I was getting progressively more miserable when I turned a corner to see Ben setting up his tent.  He had been worried and wanted to wait for me.  It was so nice to have a dry place to take shelter, to put more layers on and actually eat lunch.  The storm blew itself out pretty quickly and we walked the last six miles down to Carter Summit.

It was so awesome to see Great Blue Heron and Road Warrior (Mom and Mike).  I hadn’t seen my mama in a month, which I think may be the longest ever.  We all set up camp and had cold beer, pulled pork sandwiches and fresh fruit.  It is amazing to have family around.  I feel so lucky! 

We made it to California!!

Transcribed: September 14, 2013

August 13, 2013 (continued)

The last few days I have been running into lots of solo female hikers.  They seem to be very happy and doing well on their own.  It is encouraging and empowering to see, as Ben and I have decided to continue on in our individual journeys when we reach Seiad Valley, the first town in California.  I am excited and I am afraid.  I’ve never spent a night out by myself.  I’m quiet and reflective today, trying to wrap my mind around it.  Today I walked 24 miles, we are camped near Fish Lake.  Ben walked down to the resort for burgers and soda and brought it back to the trail.  I do have the company of a wonderful hiking partner for a few more days.

August 14, 2013
I am feeling content.  A good day’s walk and lots of yummy food.  There is smoke in the air limiting visibility but it doesn’t seem to be affecting the air quality.  We are seeing a ton of north bounders, I think we have hit the herd.  The forest is beautiful, lots of old growth trees and huge pine cones along the trail.  This morning we had several miles of lava, which thankfully was easier on the feet than northern Oregon.  The feet seem to be toughening up, they felt well enough to have a walking dance party before hitting camp this evening.  And we found awesome trail magic in the form of ice cold root beer and microbrews alongside a gravel road.  Now, time for a good night’s rest before I do it all again.

August 15, 2013
I have been on the trail for two months today.  I can feel myself adjusting to it, the routines are getting easier, and it is feeling more like a way of life.  I still find myself worrying a lot, about being late for Mexico I guess.  My feet are falling apart again; I think my shoes may be too narrow.  I will try to remedy that problem when we get to Callahan’s Lodge near Ashland tomorrow.

Today was the first day it was significantly hotter.  More of the terrain was exposed today as well.  I will have to try to get up earlier to utilize the cooler morning hours.  Probably the best thing about today was going off trail to Green Springs Inn for lunch where we enjoyed a free beer for hikers, amazing burgers and salad, with marionberry pie a la mode for dessert.  In my delirious state in the midday heat, I was dreaming of ice cream.  We packed out three kinds of pie for the trail, which I am about to dig into.  Finally, the smoke in the air makes for some brilliant red sunsets.  Pie time!

August 17, 2013
I am back on the trail after a relaxing nearo at Callahan’s Lodge near Ashland yesterday.  We walked 12 miles in and spent the rest of the day eating great food and relaxing.  It was a beautiful wooden lodge with this huge flower covered patio that had humming birds flitting all around.  The lodge is awesome to hikers – they offer a free beer, bottom-less spaghetti dinner and awesome breakfasts.  They even gave us a ride back to the trail!  We started hiking around 11:30 this morning and put in 18 to 19 miles.  The feet are holding up so far, cutting a hole for my little toes to have more room seems to have been a genius move.  I have new shoes coming to Etna (thank God).  The walking today started off really hot, but it cooled down nicely as evening wore on.  There were beautiful alpine meadows around Mount Ashland, with wildflowers on their last legs.  The corn lilies that I’ve been seeing the whole trip are finally in bloom, they have lots of light green flowers coming out of the stalk in vines.  I will be in California in the morning; the border is nine miles away!

August 18, 2013
It has been a pretty epic day.  I have officially walked over 1,000 miles.  I walked into California.  And, we did our longest day so far (somewhere around 31 miles).  For once we actually got a really early start.  We were walking by 5:30 and got to watch the sunrise as I was walking.  Also, I finally did a 10 by 10 (10 miles by 10 am), which is always Ben’s goal and perpetually seems to be thwarted by a love of the snooze button.

It was hot today but not awful.  It does seem like I will need to be vigilant of water sources from here on out, which was a non-issue earlier in the trip.  The Oregon/California border was pretty awesome, this day feels like it had a lot of milestones especially having a chance to reflect after finishing the walking portion of the day.

Today is also very sad.  It is the last full day Benny and I will walk together.  We will go our own ways when we get back on trail after Seiad Valley.  All I can say is that today is a wonderful day.

(I don't have any pictures from Rachel for this section so will include some of the flowers we have seen when I've been able to hike with her)



 Bunchberry Dogwood

Lupine and Paintbrush

Pinedrops

Jeffrey's Shooting Star

Avalanche Lily

 

Thielsen to Devil's Peak

Transcribed September 8, 2013

From the Journal:  August 9, 2013
I'm sitting on the dock at Diamond Lake, feeling the wind in my hair and the waves rocking underneath me.  It is a peaceful afternoon, I know the mental and physical rest is much needed.  Thielsen this morning was awesome!  We left camp at seven and followed a scrambler's trail up the ridgeline.  Higher on the ridge the trail turned to talus slopes, which were a bit slippery but manageable.  The last 50 feet was exposed low 5th class climbing, which was fine going up but I had some lurking fears about down climbing some reachy moves.  We could see south to Mount Shasta and to the mountains surrounding Crater Lake.  You could just barely see the lake itself down in the caldera.  The Sisters could barely be made out in the coulds.  The skies have been full of the most amazing energy. We have had scattered thunder storms the last several afternoons.  It was good to climb Thielsen in the morning, since it is known as the "lightening rod of the Cascades".  The summit blocks have what looks like ribbons of fulgurite in the rock, which occurs when a lightening strike melts the silica in the rock.  It was a beautiful clilmb and a worthwhile side trip for Oregon.

 

Diamond Lake





Mount Shasta

 



August 10, 2013
Today has been an amazing day!  We were road walking out of Diamond Lake when a Jeep pulled up and out jumped Ryan (Gigantor/Beef)!  We have been waiting to cross paths for weeks.  We walked about five miles with him back to the PCT.  He is so genuinely happy, it is inspiring.  He just glows.  He was talking about the silence of hiking, how much he enjoys being lost in his thoughts - thinking about loved ones, moments of glory and dreams.  It's a good mindspace for me to think about, as one who is struggling to embrace silence.  But, we traded good trail stories, we headed south and he continued north, straw hat and fishing pole and all.  It rained on and off today, luckily the weather cleared as we approached Crater Lake.  The lake is vast and majestic and so beautiful it made me cry.  We took a side trail up to the Watchman, a fire lookout above 8,000 feet.  Now we are camped on the rim of the caldera, overlooking Wizard Island and the lake far below. 

August 12, 2013
I got too distracted to journal yesterday so I will play catch up today.  I woke up on the edge of Crater Lake for the sunrise, which was beautiful beyond words.  It was like a new day beginning with the freshest of breaths.  Eventually we moved on, walked a bit further along the rim before descending back to the forest.  It has been one of the most majestic places I've seen on the trail so far, and it was sad to walk past.  One of my favorite parts of the lake was called Phantom Ship, a small craggy island tucked right against the cliffs.  I think it is the oldest part of the volcano.  We stopped in Mazama Village for important town chores like ice cream sandwiches and a hot shower.  It took awhile to amble out of town.  There is a meteor shower going on, and we cowboy camped to try to catch it.  I woke and saw one meteor, I think Ben saw three or four.  It continues tonight so hopefully we can find a campsite with a view of the open sky.

Today the walking was pleasant and forested.  We were working on improving my navigation and having a sing-a-long with the iPod speaker.  Tonight we are camped near 7,000 feet just past Devil's Peak.  After sunset smoke blankets the landscape like gauze.  It has tinted the moon a brilliant orange color.

August 13, 2013
First of all, the meteor shower last night was out of this world!  There were some that looked like shooting stars and then five or six really bright meteors that glowed orange and left comet tails across the sky like a jet stream.  They crossed vast portions of the sky and lasted much longer than a shooting star, maybe up to three seconds.  Everytime I saw one my heart would start racing.  It was like a silent firework show.

The Elevation Profile of the Trail and the Mind

Transcribed September 7, 2103

 

 

Pictures from Washington....high and low



From the Journal: August 1, 2013
Last night our attempt at coyboy camping was thrarted by rain showers.  I was hoping it would pass and resisted leaving my warm bed, but we all had to retreat to the lower level of the fortress.  We woke up in a cloud.  The mountains to the north were intermittently visible but The Sisters were completely obscured.  We walked on lava to start, and the feet seemed to be holding up.  We did catch a few views of North and Middle Sister and it seemed like the clouds might lift, but as the day wore on, we got a bit of rain.  It is disappointing to not have good visibility in this section, but it's not something we can control.  On the bright side, the mist covered fields of lupine were beautiful, and it was amazing to walk through the obsidian area.  Sharp and shiny black rocks lined the trail, encouraging one to stop and find the perfect piece.  This afternoon we ran into Vogue, a fellow Southie!  We hiked together for the rest of the evening and are camped near Sisters Mirror Lake.  Dad was awesome, we rocked out 24 miles today!

 

Beautiful landscapes in Oregon.....tough on the feet

August 2, 2013
Today we got to sleep in, since we were meeting Karen (my lovely Step-Mom) around midday.  We were still in a cloud this morning, and the mist on the lake was really beautiful.  The weather seemed like it was improving, and we hiked 7 or 8 miles into Elk Lake.  We somehow ended up on an alternate trail leaving camp and barely intersected Karen before she headed north on the PCT.  Elk Lake had great burgers and beer, and we got there just in time to sit out pouring rain and thunder storms.  With the deteriorating weather, it was tempting to go into Bend, but we sucked it up and headed back out.  Between Karen and our friends from Zydeco (Jamie, Caitlin and Steph) we left with packs full of awesome food.  Dad, Karen and Travis walked us out a few miles before we had to part ways.  It is so special to hike sections with our loved ones, and so hard to say goodbye.  Now that we are south of Bend, our hike will be less supported.  I think I have gotten very spoiled.  Benny and I hiked a few more miles before setting up camp at Dumbell Lake.  I jumped in for a swim before the sun dipped below the trees, which was very refreshing and much less hypothermic than my last polar plunge.  We sat by the lake and had awesome pretzel sandwiches, smoked cheddar, fresh blueberries and a classy box of wine.  It doesn't get much better.

August 5, 2013
I have been slacking on the journaling.  On the 3rd of August we walked about 14 miles before stopping for lunch and a swim at Brahma Lake.  We had every intention to keep walking, but it was a pretty lake and the feet still suck so we ended up calling it a nearo.  We spent the afternoon reading and relaxing.  Yesterday we were cruising in the morning and planned to make it to Shelter Cove, but at lunch I had a new blister.  When I started walking I was in sudden and excruciating pain.  With a lot of bandaging and a half Vicodin, I was able to make nine more miles to Rosary Lakes.  Ben ran ahead another 3+ miles to try to grab food at the Willamette Ski Area, but they had closed early.  He did return with soda, licorice and beef jerky that another hiker generously gave him.  Thank you Doug Fir!  This morning we walked about five miles to Shelter Cove.  We sat for several hours on the porch with other hikers, chatting and eating.  Ice cream and soy lattes can do wonders.  We packed out a pretty ridiculous amount of food and soda and set up camp five miles out at Diamond View Lake.  Tomorrow we are taking a zero on the trail.  I am feeling discouraged about taking time off, but the truth is, our feet need the rest.  They simply won't heal.  So I am going to try to enjoy tomorrow - to relax and try and quiet my ever present worries about making forward progress.  I hope I can find the simplicity and peace I so desperately sought when embarking on this journey.



August 7, 2013
I am sitting by a lake getting ready to start walking again.  I did almost nothing yesterday besides read, write, swim and rest.  Hopefully it was good for the body and mind.  I feel more settled, more present and will make it a daily intention to not worry.  I'm going to try walking without my watch in hopes it will make me less frenetic.  Today was an uneventful walk in the woods.  The feet are maybe better, though I'm not sure we walked far enough to tell.  It started raining so we pulled up camp two miles early.  My mood goes up and down like the hills I walk on.  It feels right to be walking through this, whatever "it" is. 

August 8, 2013
I am sitting at the base of Mount Thielsen watching one of the very best sunsets of the trail and doing sun salutations and giving out the very best intentions to the universe.  It is with pure and absolute joy that I emerge from the trees this evening, just in time to watch the red orb of the sun dip below the horizon.  We walked over 25 miles today, the feet are sore but not awful, and we plan to try and climb Thielsen in the morning.



Getting it all down....whatever "it" is today

Finishing up July

Transcribed September 4, 2013

From the Journal:  July 25, 2013
Back to the trail, after a relaxing morning at Timberlilne.  We explored the nooks and crannies of the lodge, picked up our resupply package, and gorged at the breakfast buffet again before meeting Dad and Uncle Jerry.  Between both sets of my parents, we were spoiled with all kinds of treats - Almond Roca, cookie bars, banana bread, tortellini, corn fritters.  We walked out with enough food to feed an army.  Dad and Uncle Jerry walked about 10 miles with us to the junction at Highway 26.  It was very special to have the time with family.  I haven't seen Uncle Jerry in over a year, so going for a hike was a great way to catch up.  Dad is so happy to share in the journey, it was wonderful to see him.  In a few days he will join us from McKenzie Pass to Elk Lake, which I am really looking forward to.  We parted ways and walked another 4-ish miles.  We have said goodbye to Hood and dropped into the forest.  I'm always sad to leave another mountain behind, I almost trip looking back to catch glimpses.  There is also a lot that lies ahead.  The next four days will have to be about 26 miles each to arrive at McKenzie Pass on time.  I sincerely hope my feet can hang in there.

July 26, 2013
Today we took an on-trail nearo.  It was so hard to wake up, we started walking at 11.  We walked four miles to Little Crater Lake and relaxed and enjoyed a sunny afternoon by the clear teal water.  We walked from 5 to shortly after 11 pm and covered 16 more miles for the day.  It felt like a very relaxing 20 mile day.

July 27, 2013
We got an early start this morning, as we had 20 miles to cover to meet Ben's friend, Travis, at Ollalie Lake by early afternoon.  It was good walking, but my feet are giving me trouble.  Being in the trees offered less distraction to the pain, but we talked and listened to classical music and made our way through the miles.  Travis walked north to meet us and we all walked down to the lake.  We took a much needed long break, had cold pop, washed our socks and I soaked my feet in the lake.  Mount Jefferson sits right behind the lake.  A bald eagle flew right over our lunch spot.  We all continued south 10 more miles and are back in the high country just north of Jefferson Park.  We had a beautiful sunset, had dinner and socialized and are camped out under the stars.  They take your breath away with no ambient light to dim them.  Travis is wonderful company - knowledgable and engaging.  It is so great he was able to join Ben and I for a few days.  I'm going back to my star gazing!  Good night!

July 28, 2013
After I stopped journaling last night, the stars were amazing.  I saw three or four shooting stars.  It was hard to fall asleep when I was staring excitedly at the sky.  Our campsite was slanted a bit downhill, which I think was making blood return from my feet difficult.  I kept waking up with my feet throbbing in pain.  I don't think I slept very much, and when I woke up, walking 25+ miles seemed like an impossible task.  I did get moving, slowly as it was, and we climbed up to a ridgeline to Jefferson Park.  There were beautiful views of Hood nearby, with just shadows of the Washington Cascades behind.  To the west there was fog settling in the Willamette Valley.  We continue to see a lot more people, and it is fun to hear about other adventures as we cross paths.  Today we met a Dad and his two sons who are walking from Tahoe to the Oregon-Washington border.  The boys were 14 and 16 and looked like they were having the time of their lives.

My pain level and mood ebbed and flowed as the day went on.  Sometimes I could block it out and other times it seemed all-consuming.  Still, the hours and miles passed.  In the evening we put on music and played sing-a-long to silly, feel-good music (thank you Flight of the Conchords).  Eventually we made it to Koko Lake, logging 27 miles for the day.

July 29, 2013
It was so hard to get up this morning.  We had originally intended to walk 27 miles to McKenzie Pass, but, we quickly decided that our bodies needed a break.  Santiam Pass was 10 miles away and we could access Sisters and Bend from there.  Time for our first zero (no hiking miles) day.  We walked right beside Three Fingered Jack, a volcanic peak with beautiful layers of red and black rock.  Broken Top and the Three Sisters beckon from the south.  All of the Oregon mountains look so different from the west, and have a lot less snow since the last time I was here.  Travis, rockstar that he is, had left camp early, gone to the pass and come back with snacks and his car.  He walked up trail to meet us with water that was not from a swampy lake AND carried my pack the last bit to the Trailhead, where there was cold soda and chocolate ice cream!  Life got so much better so suddenly.  The three of us drove down to Sisters and met Dad for lunch.  We were able to work out a new plan for him to join us with our amended schedule.  I may be learning to eat like a thru-hiker - I had a burger, pork sliders, hummus, onion rings, fries, deep fried avocado, marionberry pie and a couple of beers.  We rested for the afternoon before meeting Dad for a late dinner.  I am just trying to stay off my feet and hope they heal quickly.

July 31, 2013
Back to the trail this afternoon.  My feet feel so much better.  I had almost forgotten it feels good to walk all day.  We walked 18 miles from Santiam Pass to McKenzie Pass.  We have great company along with Dad and Travis.  The first section continued through the burned area from Monday, and there was good cloud cover so it wasn't too hot.  There were isolated rain and thunder showers, but they dissipated quickly and the weather cleared up.  We walked several miles through lava fields, which was a bit hard on the feet and ankles, but they are so much stronger after a full day off.  There are beautiful views of Mount Washington, which we walked past and the Three Sisters, which lie ahead.  We are cowboy camped on the top of the Dee Wright Observatory, this awesome lava fortress in the mountains.  We had ridden our bikes up here in the spring and it is an awesome place to camp.  It feels good to be back on the trail.

 

 

Ben, Travis, Rachel

 

 

 

Walking Through the Burn Area

 



Trekking to Timberline

Transcribed September 4, 2013

From the Journal:  July 23, 2013
We left Cascade Locks yesterday and walked 14 miles up the Eagle Creek alternate route to Indian Springs Campground.  The terrain was beautiful, a lush green valley with water running down the center.  The highlight was definitely Tunnel Falls, a narrow ribbon of water cascading from the cliffs above.  The trail is carved out behind the falls, so you walk through a tunnel of chiseled black rock which is dripping water from the falls above.  The surrounding rock walls are covered with bright green moss and ferns.  The mist from the falls drenched me as I walked past, which just made me laugh with joy.  The whole scene was mystifying, like something out of a fairy tale. The last two miles were steep, and evening wore on to night as we reached camp.  As the days get hotter, evening hiking is very comfortable.  The late afternoon sun is beautiful, as the golden rays hit the greenery below.  I was so tired last night that I fell asleep before even finishing the pizza we packed out from town.

July 24, 2013
I am relaxing in the Timberline Lodge after a day of much more sitting and eating than walking.  We woke up to the sunrise at Paradise Park early this morning.  The nearly full moon was still in the sky and the first rays of sun were rising behind Mount Hood.  All of the surrounding mountains were lit up in soft pastels.  I am rarely motivated to be up for sunrise, so it was very special.  We walked six miles into the Lodge, which was painful as my blisters are flaring up again.  We got to the Lodge shortly past 10 to discover that the breakfast buffet was open until 10:30!  We went from walking to having delicious Bloody Mary's and amazing food in less than five minutes!  I love it!  The rest of the day we swam, napped, caught up with loved ones, and had dinner looking out at Mount Hood.  It has been a peacful and rejuvinating day.

Yesterday ended up being too chaotic to write about before bed so I will try to catch up now.  Most of the morning was uneventful.  We were planning on a 26 mile day because we had a specific campsite in mind near Mount Hood.  We took the alternate to Ramon Falls, which was beautiful.  The water cascaded down the rocks in so many different streams and rivulets.  When we got back to the junction with the PCT, we somehow headed the wrong way.  We dropped about 1,000 feet and then saw cairns to cross the Sandy River, which we did need to cross.  Once we got to the other side and found ourselves on a trail overgrown with Devil's Club, we realized our mistake.  After a very discouraging few moments we picked ourselves up, crossed the river on a precarious twig of a tree and made our way back up the trail.  At this point, our stubborness kicked in and we decided that since it wasn't getting any darker, we might as well hike to the camp we had been looking forward to.  We crossed Sandy a third time (now in the dark) and started climbing ever closer to Hood.  As we got higher, the moon rose above a ridgeline, bringing the silhouette of the mountain into view.  You could hear and hardly see roaring waterfalls below us and the stars starting popping out.  At this point it became difficult to be upset about much of anything.  We turned our anger and frustration into determination.  The evening really reinforced how well Ben and I work as a team.  So we made it to camp at nearly midnight and cooked dinner and ate chocolate and watched the moonrise.  We cowboy camped (slept without a tent) for the first time.  Drifting off under the night sky was a beautiful end to the day.

"Empty yourself and let the universe fill you."
"Wherever you go, go with all your heart." (Confucius)



A River Crossing Earlier on the PCT

 

"Tree Pose" finding peace within

 

The feet that are doing the walking

 



Guest Writer

August 10, 2013

I was fortunate enough to join Rach (Hot Mess) and Ben (Smooth) for the leg between Trout Lake and Cascade Locks!  I absolutely loved it and fell into the rhythm easily.  I need to be clear, I was very tired at the end of each day and happy to end each day with a nice camping spot and great food, but, I cherished the day to day walking.  We had talked of me joining them for a leg and had considered some of the earlier sections but from the sounds of their snow travel I didn't want to slow their pace or worse yet, become a liability!  They worked together so well during those challenging snow covered miles - it was amazing to read Rachel's journal and see Ben's photos/video - even then, the story is hard to really grasp.  They KNOW what they went through, the rest of us can just try to imagine.  The section I walked was comparatively very tame - perfect for me! 

Mike and I drove to Trout Lake the night before and stayed at a lovely B and B - Kelly's Trout Creek Inn.  Trout Lake closes up fairly early but we arrived in town to enjoy taco night at the Cafe which is attached to the service station.  The tacos were so good, and though we hadn't hiked we had traveled a long section on a gravel road before FS 23 becomes paved so ice cold Coronas also hit the spot!  We were up early to drive back to the trail head as Rach and Ben estimated they would be coming out about 8 am.  Even on the trail they are on time!  They emerged a little before 8 and we drove back in to Trout Lake for a mega breakfast at the cafe!  After breakfast they went to the grocery store to add to the resupply box we had driven down and then once more we drove back to the tail head.

It was the highlight of my summer to back pack with them for five days and four nights!  I really enjoy hiking and had done back packing in my college days but it has been over 30 years since I've spent more than one night on the trail!  So, four nights!  Not, only was the terrain very friendly to me, but the weather was perfect!  Most of that section of the PCT is within the forest on fairly cushioned trail, the rest of it brings you out on ridges to view the world unobstructed!  I felt as if I was traveling through an enchanted forest!  It was very interesting and motivating to start walking with Mt. Adams so very close and then, four days later see how far away that same mountain had become!  I am finishing up a Naturalist class with the Mountaineers so was happy to pass on knowledge of some of the plants I've learned, but, it seemed for every flower I knew there was one that I didn't know!  I came home with some homework and have since passed on answers to the queries in resupply boxes. 

Rach and I talk about how the trail "feeds our soul" and that was certainly reinforced with my small time on the trail.  I was very happy to turn my phone completely off and hesitant to turn it back on when we got to Cascade Locks.  I always brought up the rear and perhaps with a finite number of days ahead for me "on the trail" I was more easily able to "be present" without a lot of looking back or thinking forward.  Rach introduced me to yoga over four years ago and it has been instrumental in assisting with the grief over the death of my son, BJ.  The practice emphasizes "being present" and  "finding comfort in the discomfort" among so many other teachings, and I really try to do both.  So, those days really allowed me the best opportunity to "be present" and keep my mind from writing scripts that do not serve me well. 

I was so impressed with Rach and Ben!  They had to be in so much pain with their feet.  I've not ever had blisters like they had, and yet, they just kept walking.  They started out hobbling, treading so very carefully, but, within half an hour had found their pace and seemed to be walking almost effortlessly through the pain.  I admire their deep friendship and care of each other. I respect their sense of adventure and the priorities they have set at this point of their life.  When I was Rachel's age I was pregnant with Rach!  That, was most definitely a beautiful thing.  And, within two years I also was a mother to BJ - being a Mom is without a doubt the most rewarding facet of my life....but, it is just one way to do it.  To work so had to be able to take a break from your working life, plan and execute a 2600+ mile trek seems very hard to really allow one's self to do but is rewarding in every way! 

Thank you Rachel and Ben for letting me share a small section of your journey!  Thank you for taking so much of the gear from me that I felt as if I was just carrying a day pack!  Thank you for the mochas every morning, the delightful "second" breakfast, the amazing dinners (quesadillas and humus wraps - I mean really!), the endless high spirits, the alphabet game ("Q" is always a tough one!), the music at the end of the day when our biorythyms were low, and so much more!  If there was ever a time in my "adult" life when I felt like letting the mortgage payment go and leaving the the youth of America in the hands of a younger teacher - this was it.  I think that speaks to how rich your travel has been and will continue to be.  Happy trails, namaste, and much love - Mom (Great Blue Heron)

Avalanche Lily

Loved her mosquito head cover!

Tiger Lily

 

The Enchanted Forest....can you find Rachel?!

Following Rach through a golden field

Breakfast at Cascade Locks!