I awoke to a lot of smoke again this morning, and gunshots. That has to be the worst way to wake up. <sigh> Today I decided to eat a dehydrated meal I had packed (Oatmeal with Quinoa and apples). That was definitely NOT a good idea. I’m not sure what was in it, but I’ve never had to dig a hole so quickly in my life.
I got camp packed up relatively early. The sun had risen over the Eastern skyline bright red due to the smoke. It was pretty, but I was ready to get to lower elevations and North out of the smoke fields.
As I stepped onto the trail, a young deer greeted me on the pathway. I’m kind of like Snow White in wilderness. Animals and birds don’t often run away when I come across them. Though I did tell this deer that he needed to lay low and hide from others like me. I hope he listened.
I’m hoping I come across a lake today. I’d really like to bathe or at least clean up. I don’t think I’ve ever been so dirty in my life. It’s not even funny. Well, actually it’s quite funny because I actually don’t care that I’m so dirty. I’m too tired and smelly to care really.
I’ve been getting amazing views the past couple of days. There is a lot of elevation change through this section, up and around mountains, which offers spectacular viewpoints. I got to one crest where I saw all the way back to the sisters and Broken Top with Mt Washington in the middle. I do love to look back. It’s so fascinating to know that I’ve walked that distance.
Today I thought a lot about food. Soup season is coming up, and baking season, and casserole and bread season. I keep loosing weight. I have no idea how much weight I’ve lost, but my waist is very small at the moment. The love handles I’ve been carrying around for some time are completely gone. So, thoughts of heavy, rich, sweet and warming foods are on my mind. I really wish I had my garden vegetables to eat right now too.
My feet are so cranky. I’ve had to bandage my toes because the nails are pushing into the boot tops. I don’t even have any nails really as I’ve trimmed them down completely. Every step is kind of annoying and since my feet are swollen, my boots are getting tighter by the mile.
I found a beautiful camp spot. I always do. I was ready to call it quits around 4:00 today, but I just kept telling myself to hang on until 5:00 pm. I did find one camp spot that I almost stopped at around 4:40, yet, as my intuition does, it nudged me to keep my promise of going until 5:00. Don’t you know, at 4:59 I came around a corner with an amazing view of Mt Jefferson and a camp spot that overlooked it. Yes. Yes Please, and Thank You!
I set up camp, ate my dinner, bandaged my feet, took a pill from my pill bag which I hoped was ibuprofen (it was), and crawled into my tent at 5:40 as tired and smelly as I could be and got ready for bed. No shame, nope, no shame at all.
mm 2011-2028, 17 mile day
Happy Trails,
Denny
I am surprised you still had toenails! Way to go!
My first toenail actually fell off yesterday! I may have one more that decides to leave my body…