Friday, August 7, 2015

Riv's 2015 PCT, Day 43, Friday, August 7

Day 43, Friday, August 7. Day of rest in Bend, OR with my wonderful hosts Cy and Pam Wilson. 

Dear Trail Friends

It is almost 9:30pm and I am about to tuck myself into my very comfortable bed in the guest room of my hosts here in Bend. I am both surprised and disappointed that I did not take photos to share this very restful day in this wonderful city. 

Cy and Pam hosted a gathering tonight with three couples they are connected with through their UU church here and/or working as flight attendants with the airlines. I wonder if a photo could have shown the life in all the faces and the easy, relaxed, and beautiful smiles. These are people who really like life and like people and it was wonderful to be in their presence and share stories. I discovered that I shared a history of radical politics in the 60s with Cy and Tony, and I could have spent the whole evening following that story-trail. Joe had grown up in Oklahoma. It was delightful to glimpse the adventurous and warm-hearted community of flight attendants (a community I have glimpses before through my friend Joanie), with Allison and Jerry and Joe and Pam all having shared memories of people and flying experiences, and fascinating to learn stories of complex lives: Joe who had been an encyclopedia salesman, a flight attendant and a chiropractor, Karen who has been a social worker and a professional photographer, Cy who has navigated both academia and the business world, Tony who went on to become a financial expert, Greg who loves the world of business and managing his savings as a way to stay in touch with that world. I wish I had photos of their smiles and their stories. More evidence that Oregon is a very special place inhabited by very special people. 

It always seems strange to head back to the trail after a full day of rest. It is like transitioning from one realm into another, and also from one self into another. 

I will have six pretty strenuous days in order to arrive as planned August 13 at Timberline and Mt Hood for a little 2 days of rest and mini-honeymoon with Chrissy. Then she will drop me at Chinook to hike Washington. There's a lot of uncertainty in Northern Washington with a huge 26,000 acre 0% controlled fire causing a closure of the trail. The re-routes are pretty complicated and involve hitching and/or buses. And what to do about mailing my final resupply box is utterly unclear. I realize these kinds of challenges adapting the plan to changes in weather and trail are all part of hiking the PCT -- nevertheless, I find this challenging and I find my brain a little daunted and reluctant to wrap itself around the new situation and deal with it. 

It will be good to be back on the trail, putting one foot in front of the other. I am sorry I have no photos of the beautiful smiling people or of the birds that came to the feeders on the back patio and filled the air with their chirps and chatter. I hope the word pictures will do for now. 

Thank you for walking with me. Bye for now. 

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