Monday, September 24th

Monday, September 24th: Todays miles = 20.2. Total PCT miles = 2,303. Miles remaining = 360.5.

Goat Rocks was spectacular!! I did not expect it to be as wonderful as it was nor did I expect the sky to be clear enough to see any of it. The smoke from the wildfires hindered the view a little but the view I had was sufficient enough. Goat Rocks is a mountain range that was formed when Mt. St. Helen's errupt in 1980. What is now Goat Rocks used to be part of the mountain but due to the explosion of Mt. St. Helen, Goat Rocks are now their own mountains. Because of the explosion the mountains are jagged and sharp. Every part of the mountains are steep and dangerous to hike. I actually hiked across what is called 'knifes edge'. The trail is about a foot wide in this part with about a foot or two of ground on either side of the trail. Past this extra space on either side of the trail are cliffs that go straight down to the valley. All I kept thinking while hiking this section was 'keep you hands and feet on the trail at all times...' and then I slipped. I managed to catch myself without any real danger but it scared me into being more careful with each step. Even with my increased level of awareness and precision I still managed to slip and fall a few more times. The trail was not the most sturdy and each step I took I felt unsure about. Especially the section where the trail was washed out leaving just a sand slide on the side of a cliff that we had to pass through. The ground in this section gave away under your feet. After studying the trail for a moment trying to decide how I was going to pass without falling thousands of feet to my death I decided that I would have to hold on to the mountain rocks with my hands as I dragged my feet across the washed out section. The moment I grabbed onto a part of the mountain rock it pulled right off the mountain as well, leaving me with nothing to hang onto. Baboon passed through first. Terrified, I was screaming as he attempted to make his way to the other side "I swear to God if you fall and I have to watch you bouncing off that cliff for a thousand feet...." and so on...
He made it though but not without a few slips resulting in panicked gasps from me. Next it was my turn. I took my first step and the ground felt like it was melting under my feet. My strategy was to test the ground before I put my foot on it. I was mostly trying to step on rocks but even the rocks were not held tightly in the ground and would give way. My heart was racing. It was the first time I actually felt in danger on the trail (except on Katahdin in a blizzard). After it was all said and done and we both were safely on the other side it seemed pretty bad ass...but I wouldn't want to do it again.

I made it to the road by 6:40pm! It wasn't until 8:15pm that I got a hitch into town. It was dark by the time I got the hitch and I wasn't sure at that point if I would get one at all. By this time it had gotten so cold outside I was bundled up in almost everything I have. I was so relieved when the car stopped to let us in. The man drove us right to the center of town where I got a pizza and walked over to 'Motel Packwood'. I had one of the better hot showers of my life then curled up under the covers not believing that just that afternoon I was hanging off the side of a disintegrating cliff.

Sunday, September 23rd.

Sunday, September 23rd: Todays miles = 20.7. Total PCT miles = 2,282.8. Miles remaining = 380.7.

It was a decent day today. The first part of the day was really cold and damp. It warmed up for a little while in the afternoon but then began getting cold again around 4pm. My only complaint about today was my knee. I thought it would get better if I ignored it and just continued walking but apparently 'walking it off' is not the solution for this particular problem. Or, maybe it is and I just need to suck it up and walk some more. Either way, by the time I got to camp tonight my knee was so swollen that I could not even straighten it out all the way. I was hobbling around like my leg was broken again! It made for a rough night. The pain of it kept me up most of the night and I could only lay in one position because there was only one position in which my knee would bend. I'm a little concerned about tomorrows hike because I am climbing Goat Rocks. The downhill on Goat Rocks is the steepest downhill on the PCT and downhills are notorious for damaging ones knees; that and the fact that I will be pushing to hike 20 miles in time to get to the road tomorrow to hitch into Packwood before dark.

Saturday, September 22nd.

Saturday, September 22: Todays miles = 42.8. Miles hiked = 20. Total PCT miles = 2,262.1. Miles remaining = 401.4.

There is a reason my miles for today and my miles hiked are different numbers. It's because the PCT was on fire....again. The section of trail around Mt. Adams closed officially on the 20th because the PCT itself caught on fire. I didn't know of this until I got to the road to Trout Lake. My initial plan was to skip going into Trout Lake altogether and continue on to Packwood Pass. I had no choice but to go into Trout Lake after I got to the road and found the trail ahead to be closed. I got a hitch almost immediately from a couple going in the opposite direction who turned around and drove me 25 miles out of their way to town. 'Town' was a very small general store and a diner, nothing else. No joke. It was enough, though, to find out enough information about the fire to make a decision. I decided to take the detour around the fire which was shorter than the PCT. There wasn't another option really, besides walking into a burning fire zone.

I had a hard time getting up this morning. It rained last night; not too hard and not for very long but it was enough to wet my tent fly and make the air humid. It has rained twice on the PCT for me. Both times were at night. I'm not going to say anything more about this because I don't want to go jinxing anything. Anyway, I didn't get hiking until after 8am. This morning felt like an AT morning. My tent was wet. The air was frigid. The ground saturated and almost frozen. The wind was blowing just enough to chill you to the bone and shake the access rain off of the trees. Fog blew in and covered any view you might have had. Even the trail itself seemed more AT like. The ground was dirt, a mud (which I had yet to see on the PCT). There was actually moisture on the ground and in the air. I walked through an old growth forest away from the ridge of the mountains. Even with the miserable conditions of this morning I actually really enjoyed the hike. It was nostalgic in a way; reminding me of all the uncomfortable moments of the AT that you look back on thinking..."eh, that wasn't so bad". Yes, yes, it was. It's miserable. Time allows you to forget just how physically uncomfortable you can actually get. All it takes is a little rain when it's 35 degrees out and you have nowhere to go to seek shelter.

My low food situation was taken care of when arriving at the small store. I now have too much food for the 41 miles to Packwood pass. I would rather have too much food than count out my M&Ms.
I'm looking forward to Goat rocks. I'm not sure what it is but I have been told to look forward to it so I am doing just that. So far Washington has not impressed me. It's a hard act to follow Oregon but I guess I expected a little more from Washington. There's still almost 400 miles left of the state. Maybe it's too soon to place judgement. The only thing I have gotten out of Washington has been difficult climbs with no rewards. The fog can be pretty sometimes but not when there's a giant epic mountain I want to see just beyond it.

I'm camped with Baboon tonight on the side of the trail not far from water. The time has begun to set my tent up properly each night. I am often lazy but after the rain last night I want a bit more protection tonight.

Friday, September 21st.

Friday, September 21st: Todays miles = 24.7. Total PCT miles = 2,219.3. Miles remaining = 444.2.

It was COLD today. I actually had to bust out my gloves during the afternoon. The fear has been put back into me. I had lost the concern that the weather might not hold out but today I found it once more. Even though the day turned out to be ok in the end, for a few hours today I was scared that it was going to stay cold. Not to say that it got particually warm at all today but it was comfortable enough to hike.

Washington is maintaining it's reputation of being difficult. I was up and hiking by 6:11 this morning. I woke up a few minutes before my 5 o'clock alarm, made my oatmeal, and packed up in time to start hiking before the sun woke up. It was the first time on the PCT that I had to use my head lamp in the morning because it was still dark out. Even with my early start I still didn't get to my camp spot until after 7pm! Washington hiking is slow. All you do is go up one giant mountain (12-15 miles of uphill) then down, and up another.  It's going to be difficult to maintain a 25 mile a day average here, but I'm going to try nonetheless. One thing that I did not anticipate for Washington was how much food I would want to eat. When resupplying in Cascade Locks I bought enough food for 6 1/2 days of hiking. I've been eating around the same amount of food now for about 1,500 miles. I was very confident in how much food to pack out but I always take a little extra just in case. I have already eaten ALL my extra food and now am down to my bare minimum. I had to dump out my food bag and sort it all into separate zipelocks; one for each day. I have just been eating and eating non stop all day. I knew if I didn't ration myself all my food would be gone by the end of tomorrow. I've never had to do this before. I always just eat what I want, within reason (for hiking) and I usually roll into town with a little food to spare. I'm not overly confident at this point that the food I have is going to be enough for another 3 1/2 days, although, it has to be. I did come across a bucket of trail magic today by a road. It had Starbursts and M&Ms in it. That helped me out a lot today. I've gone as far as to ration out my bag of M&Ms as well.

Camped with Baboon by a lake slightly off trail. It's going to be another cold night.

Thursday, September 20th

Thursday, September 20th: Todays miles = 20.3. Total PCT miles = 2194.5. Miles remaining = 469.

Washington is a lot more difficult than Oregon!! I feel like all I have been doing since I got into this state is going uphill.

I woke up this morning before the sun. I was so proud of myself for getting up earlier than usual. I checked my clock and it was 6:40am! I would have sworn it was 5am by the lack of sunlight. The days have begun to get shorter and there will be no escaping hiking in the dark every day now. It's almost completely dark by 7:30 at night and if the sun isn't rising until almost 7am I'll need new head lamp batteries pretty soon. I really do not like night hiking. Everything about it makes me want to stop, set up my tent, and go to sleep. Every noise of the woods seems 10 times louder in the dark. The wind blows and it's no longer refreshing but eerie. The head lamp light distorts your perception of where the trail is and I often trip. The more I hike at night, though, the more comfortable is becomes.

Today I crossed the 2,181 mile mark! This number may not seem important to most people but for me it is rather significant. The Appalachian Trail is 2,181 miles long, therefore, as of today I have hiked the same distance this year as last. The PCT is 482.5 miles longer than the AT so everyday now on the PCT makes for the longest distance I've ever hiked. There are 469 miles remaining on this hike for me. I have 20 more days to enjoy being out here on the trail. When you leave for the trail you don't really allow yourself to think of the end. It seems so far away and impossible to reach. You wake up, hike, eat, and sleep....day after day. You never really feel like your getting anywhere but on days like today when you realize that all you have left is 20 days you ask yourself 'where have all the miles gone?'. The trail is winding down to an end. I still have 469 miles but compared to what I have already done it feels like the last leg of the trail. Soon I will be standing at that monument in Canada wishing I could start at the beginning again. Don't get me wrong, it's going to be wonderful taking that first shower after the trail knowing I don't have to walk out into the woods again right away. Putting on baggy, cotton clothing (pajama pants and a hoodie) instead of tight spandex-ey material is going to be a feeling I have long missed. All the little things in our lives that we take for granted are going to seem so much sweeter to me; water out of a faucet, toilets, electricity, fresh foods, etc. Although, if I remember correctly, after the AT I tried to wear other clothes and found myself still walking around town in my hiking getup. I couldn't adjust to jeans right away. I couldn't sleep in a bed, use a blanket other than my sleeping bag, even sleep inside. I slept with my head lamp in arms reach in case I needed to get up in the night, forgetting I could turn on the lights. There were so many little things that made readjusting to the world so difficult. The moment you get off the trail there is a sinking feeling that erupts in your stomach; a pain in your whole body. You push yourself so hard to finish the trail, to make it to the end, and once you get there it's so hard to understand why you feel so sad. Your whole life aches for the trail. You submerge yourself back into your old world. There is no easing into it. One moment you are a traveling hiker living in the middle of nowhere with a backpack and then your thrown back into this crazy fast pace world. Everyone is asking you how your 'vacation' was. You try to explain what you have just gone through. You tell them stories and explain with as much detail as you can but there is no way possible to make anyone truly understand what it means to thru-hike. A thru hike is not a vacation, its just life on the trail. The things you experience while on a hike change you forever. The people you meet, the challenges you endure, the physical and occasion emotional pain you suffer while out here, the spectacular moments in nature; I have never had anything in my life compare to the endurance and difficulty of a thru hike. It's an addiction. I have a feeling that I will always be seeking out for my next fix.

Wednesday, September 19th.

Wednesday, September 19th: Todays miles =19.2. Total PCT miles = 2,174.2

I finally left Cascade Locks today around 11am after coffee and breakfast at the only restaurant in town. The first part of the day was crossing 'The bridge of the Gods'. The PCT went over the bridge yet there was no walking lane on the bridge. I had to walk in the car lane (with construction being done on the bridge) while the cars and semi's were flying past. The bridge was a good 150 feet from the water and the road on the bridge was just a grate. I was hoping not to drop anything while taking the 5 minute walk across. You couldn't help looking down to the water directly below your feet. Just on the other side of the bridge was the sign welcoming me into Washington!! California = check! Oregon = check! Just 490 miles left of the PCT from where I am camped tonight. I have three weeks to hike these miles.

Cascade locks was just above sea level so I spent the entire days hike climbing back up in elevation. All but a few miles of todays 19.2 mile hike was uphill; some of the steeper uphill I've done in a bit. Despite the uphill today I felt pretty well all day. The surplus of food I consumed in town always helps the first few days out.

Camped by water with Baboon, Diesel, and Pitfall

Monday and Tuesday, September 17th and 18th.

Monday, September 17th: Todays miles = 16.2. Total PCT miles = 2,155. Cascade Locks.

Today was beautiful! I hiked the Eagle Creek trail around a few waterfalls including the water fall that you hike behind! This waterfall is pretty damn tall and the trail actually goes through a little cave like pathway behind the waterfall. It was worth seeing. I would actually love to come back out at some point and hike the Eagle Creek trail again. It was one of the most enjoyable sections of trail I have hiked out here. After the Eagle Creek trail I moseyed my way into the town of Cascade Locks. I got a room for the night and ate food and watched shitty TV. It was awesome! I made it to the ice cream joint before they closed and got the biggest soft serve ice cream cone I have ever gotten in my life (I ordered a medium). After seeing the size of the medium I was way to intimidated to order the large the next day. The plan is to hike out in the morning after going to the general store one last time.

Tuesday, September 18th: Zero day.

Baboon and I had are things packed up and ready to leave town when we stopped at the ice cream place for one last cone. It was here where my day got interesting. A professional looking woman came up to us and started up a conversation. She had a man with an official video camera with her. She explained that she was from the Portland News station and was doing a story on the wildfire smoke in the valley. She asked us some questions on film and took a few shots of us hiking away. She then told us that our interview would be on the news tonight if we wanted to watch it. No real convincing necessary. Baboon and I walked straight back to the hotel and got another night. I spent the night watching 'How I met your mother', eating microwave pizza, and eventually catching Baboon and I on the local news!

Sunday, September 16th.

Sunday, September 16: Todays miles miles = 26.6 . Total PCT miles = 2238.8.

My knee was my biggest challenge today until the stress fracture started hurting again. Ibprophine was my friend for the last 10 miles today. I think I over extended my knee at some point and now every step is stiff and painful. I'm hoping it fixes itself with a little time. Walk it off.

Saturday, Septemeber 15th.

Saturday, September 15th: Todays miles = 18.5. Total PCT miles = 2,111.5.

I slept in. I guess I can't really call it sleeping in at this point because you have to normally wake up earlier to consider it sleeping in. After my late wake up I got distracted in talking to a man named 'Twice' who was out for a section. He got his named because he cycled across the country...twice! He was headed Sobo (Southbound) on the trail and had information about water sources and such. I wasn't hiking until almost 10am. I got to Timberline Lodge at the base of Mt. Hood in time to catch the lunch buffet. It was a horrible idea. It was rather pricy and I felt compelled to get my moneys worth. I ate myself sick...very sick. I'm still recovering 7 hours later. I went into a food coma and didn't leave the lodge until after 5pm, hence the low mileage day.

The hike out of the lodge was beautiful, though. I would have enjoyed it more if I didn't have to stop every few minutes because of stomach pain. The trail went right next to Mt. Hood with a view of the peak almost the entire time. I am camped on the side of a cliff tonight...literally. I keep hearing a rock slide. Its either the bear I saw a mile ago trying to climb up the mountain or some other animal. By the sounds of it, its not doing a very good job.

Friday, September 14th

Friday, September 14th: Todays miles = 26. Total PCT miles = 2,093.

My feet were extreamly sore today. Every step hurt. I popped a few of the blisters and tried to wrap them up the best I could with the supplies I had; a pocket knife, toilet paper, and duck tape. My bandage held up for the most part until the toilet paper I was using as a protective gauze got wet. By the end of the day it turned into a disintegrated mess held tightly to my skin with duck tape over open, pussing blisters. It wasn't pleasant to unwrap at the end of the day.

The hiking today was nicer than I could ask for. The trail was graded and mild. I threw myself into a pretty intense daydream and hit the trail! I love daydreaming while hiking; it makes the day go by so quickly, AND you get to be a bad ass super hero fraternizing with Batman! Hiking couldn't get any better!

I arrived at my camp spot for tonight in the dark and accidentally woke a man sleeping in his tent just 5 yards from me (I couldn't see his tent in the dark and I screamed in excitement when I saw a fire pit). I also got excited when I realized my water source for the night was a beautiful spring. I got water, set up my tent, and went to bed. I didn't bother to cook dinner tonight. I was too lazy and the mosquitoes were out. I just curled up in my sleeping bag for the night. I would eat in the morning.

Thursday, September 13th

Thursday, September 13th: Todays miles = 23.4. Total PCT miles = 2,067.

My alarm didn't go off this morning but despite that I got started an hour earlier today than yesterday. It wasn't cold this morning so getting out of my sleeping bag didn't take much effort. The day warmed up quickly and before I knew it I was hiking in just my skirt and long sleeve shirt! It has not been warm enough for me to be able to do this in a while now.

The mornings hike was beautiful. The trail curved through the different glacial mountains, across snow packs, and down jagged loose rock faces. It was a rather tactical hike until lunch. I ate lunch at a picnic table at a lake side campground. Picnic tables are highly underrated.

My new shoes are making my feet look like I have infected poison oak all over again. I have 6 blisters on my feet, one the size of a half dollar! Never before have I had blisters due to shoes. NEVER! I don't know what to do for blisters. It's not an issue I ever had to consider. So, My plan was to do nothing and continue to hike. My plan went well, minus the pain, until I reached camp. The largest of the blisters has puffed up larger than I ever though possible. I'm not sure how I'm going to hike tomorrow with it but I guess thats a tomorrow problem.

Wednesday, September 12th.

Wednesday, September 12th: Todays miles = 21.5. Total PCT miles = 2,043.6.

I could not get up this morning. Maybe it was because I hiked in the dark last night or because I took 5 days off in Bend (to visit my brother) but whatever it was kicked my ass. I didn't get moving until after 9am. Yesterday was this first time hiking in my new shoes. I bought a pair of Keen shoe-boot things in Bend hoping they will make it through the rest of the trail. I have been hiking in Solomons for over 4,000 miles and I was slightly nervous about changing my brand of footwear. I was right! If I thought yesterday sucked... Today was a horrible foot day! I have been lucky all this time because Solomons treat my feet amazingly (except for the fact that the shoes die after 300 miles). I never have blisters or hot spots. My feet never hurt. Two days in these Keens and I don't want to take another step. I'm telling myself that they just have to be worn in a bit but thats a new concept for me. I've never had to wear in my other shoes, they just always fit my feet perfectly. One good thing that these shoes offer is support for my legs. Usually I have sore legs by the end of the day but the Keens seem to support them much better than I'm used to. Hopefully in a few days and another 75 miles or so the shoes will be more comfortable.

The scenery today was amazing! I hiked through a few different glaciers and even above glacial ice patches (with rivers flowing underneath!). It was one of the most beautiful days in Oregon so far, although the ground was frozen this morning when I woke up. Last night got cold enough to freeze the ground and even to create tiny ice crystals on my tent. The afternoon warmed up for about an hour then the cold winds came back and cooled it right back down. Its almost constantly cold now. I left Bend with a fleece that Sarah, my brothers girlfriend, lent me. My fleece is being sent to Timberline lodge (3 days from now). I have worn the fleece almost the entire time since I left Bend. It would have been a miserable stretch without it. I know I'll need both fleeces soon, plus my jacket. I wear my thermals all the time now, along with my fleece hat. I don't want to imagine how cold its going to be in another few weeks.

Wednesday, September 5th - Tuesday, September 11th.

Wednesday, September 5th: Todays miles = 24. Total PCT miles = 1,974.

Thursday, September 6th: Todays miles = 15. Total PCT miles = 1,989. I hiked to the road into Bend OR today. It took a while to get a hitch but I finally did. I got dropped off at pizza hut and immediately ordered a pizza. My brother met me at pizza hut shortly after and drove me to his new house. I did a whole lot of nothing besides relax. We also picked up Natty and Navi and brought them to the house for the night.

Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday = Zero days in Bend!

Tuesday, September 11th: PCT mile = 2,022.1. I made it back to the trail by 2pm. It was pathetically hard to leave Bend.

Tuesday, September 4th.

Tuesday, September 4th: Todays miles = 25.6. Total PCT miles = 1,949.9.

I made it through the night last night despite the animal stalking my tent all night. It took me a while to let my mind shut off and fall asleep but once I did I actually got one of the better nights of sleep I've gotten in a while.

I got up around 6:30, packed my things, and started a morning fire to make my tea and oatmeal (I'm out of coffee and really didn't feel like a Poptart this morning). It was close to 8 by the time I started hiking. All day today I passed by beautiful lakes, some more beautiful than others. I stopped at a lake 15 miles in for lunch and got to dip my feet and legs in the water to clean them off. It was a wonderful lunch spot. I watched the ducks with their ducklings swim by while the sun shined just right on the big beautiful lake. I didn't want to get up and start hiking again but I knew I had at least 10 more miles in me for the day. Those ten miles went by more quickly than I could have asked for and before I knew it I was again at another lake but this time at my home for the evening. I set up my tent, started a fire, and began cooking my dinner. Dinner tonight started as a cheddar and broccoli rice side but quickly became a cheesy, broccoli, rice mixture with chili lentils, fresh green beans, fresh hot green pepper, black pepper, red pepper, parmesan cheese, crumbs from various snack bags, and tortilla pieces. It was kind of like a 'whatevers in your fridge soup' the day before grocery shopping but substitute fridge for food bag. I enjoyed my dinner slop and curled in my sleeping bag for what I hope is a large-animal free night!

Monday, September 3rd.

Monday,  September 3rd: PCT mile 1,924.3.

I woke up to Baboon saying my name. I don't know how he felt well enough to get up and start packing by 6:45am but I knew I sure as hell wasn't going to get up. I responded with a simple "I'm not getting up". He let it alone and finished packing up his things and headed to the cafe for breakfast. I took some pain killers and fell back asleep until I heard Navi rustling her gear around; no doubtfully uncovering herself of her tarp. I was packing up by 8am just as Baboon made his way back to the camp spot behind the bar with a belly full of breakfast and coffee. I then headed to the cafe as well. Two breakfast sandwiches later I finally started feeling a tad better. Next was a trip across the street to the little store. We bummed outside there for quite a while before gaining the energy to hitch back to the trail. It took a while to get a ride but once we did we were gifted fresh veggies to take on the trail with us.

I'm camped with Baboon tonight by a pond. It was the first night in a long time that we have made a camp fire. I had forgotten just how wonderful they are out here. I was all ready to go to sleep when I heard Baboon scream at something in the forest around where we are camped. I inquired as to what he was screaming at. He replied 'A coyote ...or a mountain lion...ughhh....I'm not really sure but its pretty big." Thats when I heard a loud crash behind my tent. Whatever it was it didn't seem to be too scared of us, which is unnerving. It ended up circling our camp for a while just letting its beady little eyes reflect from Baboons headlamp lights. We concluded that it was just interested in getting a drink from the pond. These are the things I tell myself so that I can have a chance at getting some sleep. We armed ourselves with our canister stoves in case the animal became aggressive. The idea being that we could light the stoves and turn them up all the way. This would create a small blow torch-like weapon if we held it outward.

I'm laying in my tent at the moment desperately having to pee but not wanting to get out of my tent to do so. For some reason your tent always feels safer than being outside of it in such a situation.

Sunday, September 2nd.

Sunday, September 2nd: PCT mile 1,914.

This morning I woke up to decent weather. The night didn't get as cold as the past few nights have gotten and the morning was almost bearable. I ate the gifted granola and blueberries that the two men gave me the night before and began hiking around 7:45. First I hiked 6.5 miles to a forest service road for a snack break. A small section of those miles were part of a burn site just a week ago! They had closed this section of trail because parts of it were being directly affected by the wild fire. Many hikers who passed through this area within the past few weeks were forced to skip by this section of trail because of this. I was lucky in that the trail was reopened just days before I got to it. Although, there were parts of the forest that were still smouldering.

Once I got to the forest service road I walked down the road 6/10ths of a mile to meet up with an alternate trail. This trail is an official alternate to the PCT. The reason I opted to take this trail for 20 miles was because the PCT in this section has almost no water sources whereas the alternate passed by many lakes. The alternate trail lead to a road which would take you into Crescent City. Navi got a hitch first followed by Baboon and I in the back of a Jeep. It was my first ever hitch in a Jeep. Jeep drivers almost never pick up hitchhikers it seems...and their suppose to be the outdoors type. It was a two part hitch to the bar. Our second ride was from the bartender at the exact bar we were aiming to go to (the only bar). She took us right to the parking lot as her shift was just about to start.

Baboon, Navi, and I took a seat at one of the tables, plugged in our electronics and promptly ordered a pitcher followed by a slew of fried food and a whole chicken (for Navi and Baboon). We sat at that table from 5pm to 11:30pm drinking and eating. I stopped after two or three decent glasses of beer because I know what alcohol can do to me while thru hiking. Even the smallest amount can send me into a horrible state. My body becomes so sensitive to it when maintaining such activity. So, I ordered myself a pitcher of water instead and sipped on it all night while I watched Navi and Baboon kill their 5th and 6th pitchers of beer. Even despite my attempt to take the responsible action I still woke up the next morning with the worst hangover of the three of us! Neither Baboon or Navi drank any water. Navi, in the morning stated that she was too drunk to set up her tarp after leaving the bar so she simply wrapped herself in it and fell asleep. I guess drinking and thru hiking are just two things that don't go together well for me.

We ended up setting up camp 75 yards from the back of the bar tucked away in some trees....not really hidden but at that particular point none of us cared so much. The weather had dropped drastically while we were at the bar and once we stepped outside we were greeted with and unpleasant situation. We spent a horrible 15-20 minutes fumbling with our gear trying to set it up with frozen fingers. Navi eventually gave up her attempt and as I stated before just wrapped herself in her tarp for added warmth. Baboon and I managed to get our tents up. It wasn't until the morning, though, that we realized we had set up on shards of broken glass.

Saturday, September 1st.

Saturday, September 1st: Todays miles = 23.6. Total PCT miles = 1,877.6.

It was SO cold this morning. A weekend hiker said it was 37 degrees at 7am. It stayed cold the rest of the day also. There was only one hour today that I didn't have to hike in either my pants or jacket. Other than it being cold, today was a wonderful day. The hiking felt easy and by the time I got to camp I felt like I hadn't hiked at all today. The water source for the camp spot was 4/10th a mile straight down a steep mountain, though. Going down wasn't so bad...

The trail today went by Mt. Thielsen just before we hit the PCT high point of Oregon and Washington. It was one of the coolest looking mountains I've seen in a while, probably because it was covered with pumice rocks. Water remains extreamly scarce. You would almost think we were back in the desert.

I met two guys that are camped at the same spot tonight who are out for a three day trip. Baboon and I spent the evening talking with them and swapping stories and telling them about the trail. They ended up giving us a lot of food that they had over packed! Some if it included candy bars, mountain houses, and doughnuts! That food helps out more than they can know.