Mile 2067 to 2094.
Ohhhh God, my legs. - Spear.
Poink poink thud! Rustle. Poink thud! Rustle. These are the odd noises that caused me to stop walking and stare into some thick undergrowth, my eyes coming up with nothing.
Bonk bonk bonk thud! Is a bear climbing a tree and knocking branches down. Is a deer playing some fantastic game? After many minutes of listening and watching, I determined these were the sounds of squirrels! They were running from pine cone to pine cone and knocking them off the tree and to the ground. These pine cones are still green and remarkably dense and heavy, thus the thudding. I like to now refer to this as squirrel plinko.
The day was groggy, but we all perked up as we climbed Mt. Hood, knowing that trail angel Sue would be there with our boxes. The mountain was mysteriously beautiful and also incredibly cold! After a quick conference, we decided to pack in to the car, 4 people in the back, Jet up front with Lanny in her lap (70lb golden doodle), and spend the night with Sue in her cabin. Aside from Lanny tickling Jet and trying to lurch around the car, we reached the cabin safe and sound. Showers! Laundry! Drying tents! It all happened quickly, as we scarfed down some brownies and ice cream and slept in cozy beds.
