Dear Trail Friends,
Today was a relatively easy day, mostly downhill or level, very little snow, so I could walk more miles. It is now almost 7pm and I am sitting in my tent and it is rapidly getting cold. Although my water did not freeze last night (which suggests to me it did not go into the 20s), it felt very cold. I wore all my layers and in the morning after drinking my breakfast drink I burrowed down into my sleeping bag again to un-numb my fingers before packing up. And for the first time I discovered that I could do almost all my chores with mittens on over my fingerless gloves. Nice to know.
It is amazing to be sweating in mid-day and rolling up my sleeves to cool down, then at night to be shivering and going numb and pulling on all my layers to get warm.
Photo 1 shows tonight's campsite. It also seems amazing that I am still in mountains but so much lower than I was last night.
The morning hike was through Parker Canyon along the side of a creek. I was pleased that there was water in the creek - not a lot but enough - and it made me optimistic that I will get along without carrying too much water.
Photo 2 is of the creek I was walking along. If you look very hard you just may see it.
There is an interesting combination of fear and excitement not knowing for sure if and where I will find water or a tent site. On my PCT hike my app always told me where tentsites were and I could plan the days walk with confidence. Now it is very diffferent. I walk as far as I hoped to walk, then wonder if I will find a place flat enough, with few enough rocks, to pitch my tent. Other people consider nuances like will it receive morning light and is it sheltered from wind and onslaughts of. cold air. For me it's enough just to wonder if I will find a place at all.
Today's walk involves passing through a lot of gates, many of them quite a challenge for me to close. I was wondering why the areas were fenced because I saw no domestic animals then finally I ran into these cattle (photo 3).
They reminded me (fondly) of a night very early in my first PCT section hike in March 2013. A group of curious cows were sniffing around my tent and I was very scared they would step on the tent or the tie lines and break things. My friend Meander waved his arms and used a loud voice and they left. Now I notice on the cows/cattle look at me curiously but are also afraid of me and leave quickly if I approach them.
The trail has a number of trees down (yesterday too). It is fun to figure out how to get around, over, or under and to see the footsteps indicating what others decided to do. I find myself often grateful for others and their footprints simplifying the trail for me. (I probably didn't tell you that I lost the trail yesterday. Three guys followed me, the same ones I followed later in my search for a tent site. They had passed me and gone ahead, and then turned around and came back. Wrong trail, they said. I asked them, how do you know? No footprints in the snow, they responded.
I also feel grateful for the signs that point out the trail and also the many cairns today that guided me through tricky criss-crossing of the stream beds (mostly dry, but still in some places with enough water to replenish one's supply).
Photo 4 shows a cairn along the trail through some tall gold grasses with a few small trees. There were lots of pretty areas today. Not as"mesmerizing" (to use my friend Shelly's word) as yesterday, but good to be in its presence.
I am loving the colors here. The red rock and blue green fungus in photo 5 are typical.
I was a little concerned yesterday that it might be a crowded trail. Today I saw no one until after I put up my tent, when "Let's go" and Reed passed by. We talked about the cold night last night and Let's Go convinced me I should put I all my layers tonight too, even though we are at a lower altitude and so it will be a little warmer.
I notice when I walk along the trail that a great quiet settles inside and around me. It feels as if I sigh and my soul sighs and expands into that quiet. My mind gets quiet, it stops worrying about things. I find myself deciding to trust the trail, to assume that the trail will provide what I need. That is a wild idea and quite out of character for me and yet...why not?
Love (and that great quiet) to all and as always thank you for walking with me.
Later this month I am signed up for a backcountry navigation class to learn how to read a map and compass. After reading your posts about losing the trail and finding tent sites, I am really glad I signed up.
ReplyDeleteWalking with you River even if i am snuggled up against Chuck to keep warm. You are so strong and independent to do this alone. How much weight do you carry? Do you havea night light?
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