Day 7, July 20

Day 7, Wednesday, July 20, from Warner Valley Canpground,  pct mile 1347.78, elevation 5683, to pct mile 1367.17, elev. 4908.  Walked 19.39 mi -  total up/down: +1732/-2507ft.

Dear Trail Friends,

I am sitting in my sleeping bag, cowboy camping again despite the mosquitos. I guess I don't want to set up my tent and have the partially broken zipper fail completely. I may send it back to the company for repair from the town (Old Station) that I pass through tomorrow. 

TRAIL JOURNAL.  I woke up early - 2:30 actually wishing I could fall back to sleep but knowing I couldn't - so waiting impatiently for 4am so I could get up. I packed my gear (much quicker when camped cowboy style and no tent to take down and pack up). 

After my breakfast protein drink I began to hike. Unfortunately it is still totally dark at 5am. I decided in the future my earliest starting time will be 5:30.  I live the predawn partial light, but prefer not to hike on the dark. Still, walking up switchbacks with the full moon moving toward the west horizon and the sun approaching and turning everything pink and gold on the east horizon was a great treat. Photo 1 shows the moon. 

 

The hike started beautifully. I scrambled across two fairly challenging creek crossings (challenging enough to take photos of both: photos 2 and 3).  

 

 

Then, down the trail a bit I discovered I'd taken a wrong turn. After retracing my steps for a little more than half a mile, I discovered the real pct had s'more formidable crossing. On this one a fall could have been pretty serious. I decided not to practice my new sideways log walking skills and go back to playing horsey. I sat on the log like a horse and slowly scooted myself across. Photo 4 shows the log. 

 

 A major highlight of the walk was stopping to gather water at Twin Lake. First I was delighted with the kindness of some unknown trail angel who built a little raft that made it possible to collect water without getting your feet wet. Then I took off all my clothes and got not just my feet but every inch of me wet. What a delight to dip however briefly in the beautiful lake (photo 5). 

 

 

At a later rest stop a hiker named Pounder ( he and I were the original two to share the campsite before others joined he is also the organizer of the volunteer crew that maintains the trail in this section. ). He ended up telling me a lot about his disability, how it changed his life, and his dreams for the future. I'm omitting details to honor his privacy but was very moved he confided in me. Please join me in praying that his dreams will come true. That or, as they say, something better. 

 At my fourth and last rest stop of the day I looked up and discovered a glimpse of Mt Lassen through trees. First sighting all day. Down trail a little was the closest and most breathtaking view I've had of this great mountain (photo 6). From now on it will be getting further away. 

When I reached my hoped for campsite along the Hat River, I had the pleasure of a conversation with another thru hiker, Six Tacos. (Photo 7) When I learned she was in an interlude away from university but had been studying English at UNC, I mentioned Chris' son Eric who teaches German and Comp Lit at UNC. We had a wonderful and (for me) inspiring and thought provoking conversation, volleying ideas across the generational divide. I had been reflecting as I walked on my career as a therapist, the many disappointments and feelings of failure (that I didn't help clients enough, or tried too hard to fix and didn't accept them enough, didn't engage with a national organization and contribute to profession and next professional generation, didn't make enough income to truly pull my weight in relationship with Chris, didn't ever find a theory or practice I could believe in and feel passionate about, always suffered from doubts about my ability to help etc etc etc) and my difficulty foregrounding the precious experiences of transformation and connection (like the two clients who allowed me to be present when they were dying, the handful who seemed to radically transform their lives in ways I truly contributed too, the many I loved deeply and witnessed their beauty and struggle to be all they could be) and letting them be enough. As Six Tacos and I talked about the possibility she might have to leave the trail ( she has had steeped throat that has recurred) and I talked about the idea from the Camino that your Camino is your Camino -- whether you walk it start to finish or spend it in a little village nursing a sore foot. If only I could come to see my therapy career sant career-Camino. Today I thought that this whole pct hike is about learning to love myself - as I am, not as I want myself to be. Perhaps part of the work of retirement is to look at my career from the outside and learn to embrace and love it/me. 

 

It was a very special day. The creek crossings, the lake, the mountain, two soul encounters with other hikers. And now it is dark and here I am beside the lovely flowing music of Hat Creek. About to turn off my iPhone and go to sleep. 

Merry Trails to all and to all a good night. 

ps - POOP JOURNAL. Two seemingly normal poops. Each time an "urge" that gave me time to get to the toilet the first time, and get off trail and dig a hole the second time. So different from the seepage that just happens, no "notifications." In fact, I changed pads only once and that was for a pee accident! (So now I can celebrate urinary incontinence because bless it's heart it is not fecal incontinence. ) I am convinced that your prayers and my relaxed attitude have made a difference. However, I know how often I have hoped for a cure in what turned out to be the tides and rhythms of this problem.  But what a wonder to go all day with no worries about poop.  A beautiful day.