418 to 436
Mantra: Rock out then clock out
Climate: Hot sweaty buggy allergies gah
"It's hot but I've got company so I'm always happy." -Jan
If this day was forgotten completely, we'd all be better for it. I'm going to take this opportunity to say that I am absolutely not sick of Nature's Gate Poptarts. Not even a little bit. Thank you, PCT, for giving me a reason to eat Poptarts every day for six months with Adam's blessing. I knew there was a reason I came out here.
Actually, I'm going to describe this day. This blog is full of endearing character portrayals, silly stories, and descriptions of breathtaking views, but the reality is that thru-hiking can be monotonous, is chock-full of physical discomfort, and it pushes one to her physical/emotional (what's the difference?) edge.
[Packing up on the dirt road; umbrella times!; just a snake; more siesta; Snag hazard? would you consider a falling tree a "snag"?; great views (I can't look at myself with those sunglasses on)]
So this day. Here are some factors for your consideration. The order is irrelevant.
1. HEAT. This week was all desert: exposed, sunny, heat radiating from the sand, stagnant air.
2. SWEAT. We have been sweating in the same clothes for six days straight. Every morning we wake up after sweating in the night in our 10-degree down sleeping bags and put on the same outfit that we've sweat through day after day.
3. BUGS. Every once in a while we find ourselves in an area that is full of gnats and flies that love to swarm in front of hikers' faces. We constantly wave our hands in front of our faces and exhale aggressively. Each time I slowed or rested, flies would congregate in the scrapes on my shins. One fly in particular kept dive-bombing into my left ear.
4. POODLE DOG BUSH. It's not as cute as it sounds. This plant is worse than poison ivy, and it's all around (and sometimes on) the trail. Not to mention the trail was veiled by a green thicket of cacti, weeds, and who knows what, providing lots of sneaky places for poodle dog to a sprout up and snakes to hide. This made for slow, tedious hiking.
5. ELEVATION. We hiked for 18 miles up and down, up and down, up and down. The climbing sometimes feels more psychologically draining than anything.
6. NO WATER. For 18 miles. This means carrying 14 pounds of water each.
7. ALLERGY ATTACK. Beginning in the morning, my nose was a faucet, and by the afternoon my sun gloves and sleeves were crusty from constantly wiping at my nose (in between waving away gnats). By the afternoon, I was sneezing constantly. I was so tired and my sneezes were so forceful that I could no longer control my pelvic floor, and every second sneeze resulted in peeing a little.
[cool trees; happy face!; Fey not feeling very photogenic; we made it!; collapsing in the tent; another great sunset]
In summary, I was not pleasant. I was irritable. Someone asked me if I've had any great thoughts on the trail, and I said nope, but I'm sure aware of my shortcomings! Luckily, Adam is on cloud 9 regardless of the conditions we hike in, making him a patient saint in response to my toddler-esque emotional capacity. He even started making up songs to get my mind off my discomfort.
When we reached our campsite, he helped me sponge bath to remove pollens and made me a snack before I crashed in our tent. Shout out to Boom for being a loving, patient hiking partner!
Our favorite panoramic view from the trail so far
