Walking on . . . and on and on

I have just returned from two weeks in southern Washington State, most of the time hiking on the Pacific Crest Trail. My partner in this, another John, started hiking at White Pass, then south across the Goat Rocks. I did the Goat Rocks section of the trail back in the 1970s so I skipped that part and hiked up to the PCT from Walupt Lake.

In all I did 122 miles on the PCT and met several northbound “thru hikers” who started walking from Mexico in April or May. A fascinating group. Many of them keep trail journals and I started asking for the URLs of their online journals. Then I met one hiker who said, yes, he had a journal and it was in his pack because he didn’t think the world needed to know about his “boredom and bowel movements.”

Someone with that droll wit would probably be worth hearing from.

However, it is fortunate for you, the reader, I was not aware that boredom and BMs were appropriate material for trail blogs, and I did not keep track.

I hope boredom isn’t a part of my observations here either.

The trip started on Aug. 25, 2014. My first entry in my trail notebook is dated  . . .

Aug. 26, 2014 DAY 1

Relaxing at Walupt Lake

Dropped John at White Pass yesterday after parking his car where Road 23 crosses the PCT in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. Camped overnight at Walupt Lake ($9 with my senior pass). Repacked everything and made bacon and eggs this morning. Didn’t start hiking until 10 a.m. Four and a half miles to the PCT and I made it there just under 2.5 hours – on pace with my usual 2 miles an hour gait.

Had a BLT for lunch (left over bacon from breakfast, tomato from garden at home) and then hiked another two hours. Short break and resumed just before 4 p.m. Thought I would have hit junction of Trail 121 and a campsite by then but didn’t reach it until 1.5 hours later.

A walk in the woods.

Good views of the Goat Rocks, but trail is mostly in the forest.

A parade of hikers at end of day, mostly young, mostly thru hikers and all looking for a place to camp with water, as was I. Finally came to a decent-sized pond just before 6 p.m. Never so glad to see a body of water. Had it to myself. Filtered water, made supper, read a Jack London short story and bed at 8:30 p.m.

Water, a welcome sight.

Six and a half hours of hiking: 4.5. miles to get to the PCT and then 7 or 8 more miles on the PCT. Mostly flat with gradual uphill. Hope I didn’t do too much the first day. Balance is awful (thank you, Meniere’s disease) and very tired tonight.