Riv's 2015 PCT, Day 53, August 17

Day 53, Monday, August 17. From campsite near Arch Rock Spring, PCT mile 2339.10, elev. 5684, walked 17.82 miles to campsite at PCT mile 2356.91, elev. 4968. Total up/down: +2806/-3523. 

Dear Trail Friends,

Once again, I intended to do a shorter day and ended up walking further than planned. Not sure why. Part of me is playing with the fantasy that if the trails in Northern Washington remain closed, maybe I could end my hike at Skyhomish and get home in time (and change my flight to Oklahoma from Starting in Seattle to starting in LA) to drive with Chrissy to Santa Barbara. This is probably a silly fantasy. I'm pretty sure her son Peter is already planning to drive with her, there is certainly not room for all three of us in that little car loaded with everything we both need for our fall in Santa Barbara AND our three cats, and there would be a large penalty (and possibly much higher fares) for changing my flight. But I love the idea of making the drive together especially since this will be the last drive to this particular place that has been Chris' Santa Barbara home - a very happy home with lots of wonderful times entertaining her very close colleague-friends- for the last 14 years. I can't call her (no coverage) so there's no one to douse my enthusiasm (maybe Peter is just being kind, maybe he'd be relieved if I could be the one, maybe it's worth it to change the plane tickets, maybe we would have a very special time. ) since I don't even remember when Chris' drive begins, it makes good sense to walk a little faster, so instead of arriving Thursday night I will arrive Thursday morning or Wednesday night. 

Photo 1: loving this whole area and the experience of hiking through it. 

Photo 2: A cabin, available to the public for camping, near my first water stop. I sat on the porch and ate second breakfast gazing at the sunlit meadow. 

Photo 3: a burn area, all silver trees. With huckleberry bushes growing everywhere comprising the total understory below the silver ghost trees. 

Photo 4. Looking back at Rainier through the burn area.

Photo 5:  a sign saying the burn occurred in 1988. That's almost 30 years ago. I'm shocked at how little recovery there is. 

Photo 6:  a sea of mountains. I accidentally did something weird with the color but it does make it look more like a sea, don't you think. So let these be the waves rolling in, and each of us and Bonnie can choose the one we will ride. 

I slept poorly last night, upset about some personal (non trail) stuff. At one point I was listening to the album "Conversations with God" so I said "alright God if you were me what would you do?" And right away a voice (imaginary of course) answers me that he/she/or it would stop trying to hold on to the wave I just fell from, stop trying to figure out who was to blame (me for losing my balance, some other surfer for causing me to), and just focus all my attention on the new waves rolling in and picking one I'm willing to ride and getting back up there before fear of losing my balance again takes me over. No time to waste on blame. I said that is very good advice. God said "they don't call me God for nothing. " A lot of troubling thoughts and feelings get worked out while walking-- I think the motion itself and the rhythm helps smooth out thoughts and emotions, and I think the trees and the mountains and the lakes and the sky and the sunshine and the breezes all help, and the birds, and...i forgot to tell you I saw my first (two) elks on the trail this morning. I said "hello elks" in a very friendly way but they turned tail and kept into the woods. Yesterday when I was in inverted pose I heard a tapping or knocking sound, and noticed small debris falling on me from the tree and finally discovered a woodpecker busy at work in the tree high above, totally ignoring my presence. I do like being in the same world with these wild creatures. 

The weather is perfect but I'm told there was torrential rain here during my two day rest period (very lucky timing). And I can see the dark, packed, recently wet quality of the trail, though there is hardly any mud and no puddles. 

I'm on my tent now. A number of other hikers camped two miles back where there were great vast views, but I'm very glad to have come down a thousand feet, to be less exposed to the wind, sheltered by a circle of trees. I hope to sleep long and deeply tonight. 

Thanks for coming along.