DAYS 25-28

DAYS 25-28

DAY 25

5-18-2013

Mile 369.69-386.32

-Rode with Mike and Wildcat out of Wrightwood

-Found encouragement and motivation after eating lunch with Fat-man-do (the Aussie) and Atlas (a friend from Kick Off). Both men are older, experienced thru-hikers. We discussed my back and hip pain when going uphill (even slightly uphill), my lack of appetite, how I should be consuming around 4,000 calories a day at minimum, what meals I can come up with that are easy to prepare and that I will realistically eat, and if I should take an alternate route through the desert instead of the Los Angeles mountains in order to avoid a massive incline and altitude gain. 

-Fat-man-do and Atlas went on. I stayed behind, ate an orange, looked at my maps, weighed my options, and took into consideration everything my hiking buddies told me.

-I decided to challenge myself and climb Mount Baden-Powell. This was another 3,000 foot elevation gain in just 4 miles... aka: STEEP! I regularly average around 2.5 mph on semi-flat terrain. I wasn't sure what my mileage was going uphill, but I decided to try 1mph. So 1mph over 4 miles is a 4 hour hike to the top. I made it to the top in 2.5 hours! Yay! I was still going slow, struggling, taking constant breaks, and fighting pain... BUT I SUCCEEDED!!!! It was a huge accomplishment for me to climb this today. The last 3,000 foot elevation gain in 4 miles turned out to be one of my worst days ever on the PCT. I am thrilled that the same challenge on a different day gave me different results. I feel much more confident about approaching inclines now. I still don't like them, but now I know I can do them if I am in the right state of mind. 

-At the top of the mountain I continued to hike onward. I eventually met up with Atlas and Fat-man-do. I really like these guys... We have a similar pace, we are all encouraging to one another, none of us feel obligated to hike together, and we laugh a lot. We hiked on, set up camp, and are now going to sleep. 

-Big day tomorrow because water sources are scarce. I'll be walking at least 20 miles tomorrow. 

-My back, hips, insides of my knees, shoulders, and feet are achey. I've got to buy more ibuprofen!

-I feel tired, happy, accomplished, thankful, hopeful, blessed, and chilly! Brrrrrrrrrrr! The wind is blowing like crazy!

DAY 26

5-19-2013

Miles 386.32-410.13

-Biggest day yet! Almost 24 miles! Woohoo!

-Mentally feeling great; body adjusting; ate more today; still back, hip, and knee pain but I pushed through it

-Hiked with Atlas, Phat-man-do, and Nurse Betty. I LOVED OUR HIKE TODAY... Great group

-Windy and cold as hell in the morning

-Cowgirl camping

-Nurse Betty gave me some Biofreeze to ease the pain

-I am really missing my dog Sadie

-Over all... a terrific day! :)

DAY 27

5-20-2013

Miles 410.13-433.35

-Same group

-Road walk

-I showed much improvement

-Needing alone time

-Good appetite... craving fast food!

-Fruit Stand... suggested as another trail name for me because I carry so much fruit with me on the trail! 

-Girls camped without boys

-Back and hip pain

-Singing military jodies

-Weird Day... motorcycle crash, fireman ghost town, news about the Oklahoma tornadoes... Sad that these things have happened to innocent people

DAY 28

5-21-2013

Miles 433.35-454

-Needed alone time so I hiked ahead. I was getting frustrated in the group because decisions began to made as a group. For example, instead of saying "I am going to hike 20 miles today so I can camp at this area because I want to," it turned into everyone discussing what WE should do. One person seemed to get upset whenever I wanted to do something different. I would remind this other hiker that others can hike their own hike and do things differently, and that I was okay going off by myself to hike my own hike. I know my point was heard; however the hiker kept using words like "we" and "our"... these words are big no-no's to solo hikers who want to keep their independence. I think men find it difficult to respect these boundaries for solo women in the wilderness; they want to protect, lead, and guide. This is all great and very sweet, but it is aggravating to have to argue my point and stand up for my boundaries over and over and over again. 

-I met up with everyone at the KOA campgrounds where I guzzled down a Dr. Pepper and inhaled a nice, cold Popsicle. It is HOT HOT HOT today! The KOA grounds have a pool, jacuzzi, showers, and laundry mat. I am utilizing all of these amenities before moving along the trail! I don't have a swimsuit, nor do the other 3 girls so we are swimming in our underwear! Lol. It looks like this might become a theme. I'm so happy I've got a black bra and black bottoms!

-Im still here at the KOA. The pool and jacuzzi feel great, my shower was amazing, my clothes are nice and clean, and my belly is REALLY full of pizza and Pringles. I feel great! I'm waiting until it gets cooler to hike 10 miles uphill to The Saufley's (trail angels). I'm hoping to make it there today. 

-I feel nice and refreshed. I'm ready to relax and resupply my food once I get to The Saufleys. There I will also get more supplies for my back pain from my bounce bucket. I also hope to catch up to Commando and Shady Acres. I'm hiking faster and I'm covering more ground, so I might be able to hike with them if I can catch up. I don't think that will happen, but it would be great if it did. 

-Got to the Saufley's property... HEAVEN ON EARTH! I met up with a bunch of friends I made at the kick off and along the trail. So much fun! I'll write more details on this later!

-Wandered around and found an empty cot next to Hummingbird and Whispers

-Saw Shady and Commando in town at The Sweetwater Cafe. I walked in and they were at the bar. They saw me and were exclaiming "Girly Girl! Girly Girl!" That made me feel special. We all hugged, took a shot, had some beers, and passed around carrot cake. Shady and Commando said they were impressed I was already there- that I must be hauling ass down the trail. I guess I've been going fast but I didn't realize I was going fast enough to meet up with Shady and Mando. Feels great to be caught up and in the company of good folks. 

-Saw Boo Boo and TK! I loved seeing them! Boo Boo took me to town AND she came by to pick me up. She drives a Prius, and she was able to get Shady and his bike into the car too! 

-Felt like I was in a dream... loving this experience. It's worth all the sweat and tears to get get here. The property and set up is perfect for hikers. So much work has been done to give me and other hikers this experience. I'm overwhelmed at the kindness and sense of community I have encountered!