8/6/20; mile: 1,581; elevation: 6,804 ft.
Happy birthday, Dad!
No critter problems last night, thank Dog. The grass around my tent is moist with dew, so my day starts with wet shoes and socks. The trail starts off uphill of course, ’cause that’s the way it always is at trailheads. Shortly after starting, I startled some cows that were near the trail. I haven’t seen them on trail since way back in the desert (like mile 100 or so). And not too soon after that, I come upon Tapeworm and SOCO, still at their campsite. With them is a new guy (to me) named Tony.
After this, the trail gets really scenic. We get out of trees and see more rocky terrain. And burn zones. And speaking of fires, there’s smoke to the west of us, but thankfully it’s not impacting our lungs so far. Along this section, I leapfrog with the other guys, usually taking breaks together either at water sources or places with views. And then I come upon Tommy-So-Happy! After so many days of hiking alone since getting back on trail at I-5, this is almost shocking.
I’ve arranged for yet another friend to meet me at the next trailhead to save me a town stop in Etna tomorrow. Since he’s coming quite a long ways, we arrange to meet mid-afternoon, so I don’t need to make big miles today, making it “only” 21 miles for today leaving me 18-miles tomorrow. So you see, pre-determined trailhead support can limit your freedom a bit. Without it, I could push further today, making a short sprint tomorrow morning to the trailhead, and then hitch into town to take care of business. But that’s the big unknown. This particular road crossing is not known for it’s volume of traffic, though the locals that do pass through are well aware of the needs of hikers trying to get to pizza and beer in Etna (and the Post Office and grocery store). And town stops always have a vortex factor….and you should know by now that pizza and beer are certainly my kryptonite. Would I have the fortitude to leave town the same day, or at best the next morning? I guess we’ll never know.
I pick a site on a saddle of a ridge with quite a view on both sides. The one decent flat spot is kind of exposed to the wind, but oh well. While I’m setting up a new guy named Todd shows up. He’s hiking fast and light, with is family following along in a car giving him support. And not too long after he shows up, Vader arrives! Man, what a reunion day for me. Vader and I spend some time reconnecting as he sets up, then we do our nightly chores.
I watch the day end and the temperature drop (thanks to the wind here) and just kind of mellow out. I’m not sure if it’s my becoming comfortable with this whole thru-hiking thing, or maybe it’s reconnecting with people. Or both. My body is getting better every day (or at least not hurting as much), which may also be playing a part. Who’s to say for sure?
Savior out.