Day: 200

Direction: Southbound

Trail location: 1340

Cumulative miles hiked: 2047

Miles hiked today: 11.1

Elevation: 6319

High/low temp: 87/57/15

Spinning on the turntable: Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats

This is so much harder than I remembered it being. I’m fat and out of shape and this isn’t quite the joy ride I was expecting.

It may sound odd, but I think I’m in a bit of a mourning process for my lost hiking time of 2019. I now fully recognize how finely tuned and in shape I was when I quit the trail to care for my parents. Today I’m just a fat blob trying to haul his sorry ass up what seems to be a very long, and never ending hill.

Quite unexpectedly, I bumped into this little bump in the trail this morning.

Now I’m a long way past 1325 for my cumulative miles hiked (2047), but this was still really cool! It gave me an opportunity to reflect on just how many miles I have hiked on the Pacific Crest Trail. It was a much needed moment of reflection. This is hard, it’s really, really hard. Yet, how many folks would give their left, uh…how many folks would rather be here, right now, than doing what they’re doing in this moment? I’m reminded how fortunate I am. (But it still hurts!)

I saw the ammo box and was excited to crack it open. I’ve forgotten all about this kind of stuff! What’s in it? Weed? Candy?

I scanned through the book and didn’t recognize any names. It’s all hikers from 2021. My tribe of 2019 is long gone! I was kind of sad to realize I don’t know any of the hikers this year. No back stories and no relationships. Mind you, it often happens that as soon as someone starts to give me their backstory, I realize I’m not interested in hearing it. (Yes, I am an asshole. It’s not a new trait that I’ve discovered on the PCT.)

I added my and Noelle’s names, as I usually do. I also added our friends Vfat and Snickers. Wish you were here Buddy. It’s a long ass hill to get here, and it’s hotter than hell, but I wish you were here nonetheless.