Day 87
July 14
1289.2-1303.8
14.8 miles

I didn’t sleep much during the night. At 5am, I heard people shuffling around, and at 5:30, a car pulled up close to where I was lying on the ground. Hikers loaded their packs in and headed out for the trail, one carload at a time. I got up at 6:30 and found out that the Braatens were leaving for the day, and that they would be making the last trip to the trail in a half an hour! I went to the bathroom, gathered my wet clothes off the line, and wrote a note, asking to have the package that Tanya had sent, but which had not yet arrived, forwarded. I left some money in the donation jar and gathered up my things.

By 7:15, I was back at the store, waiting until the restaurant opened at 8 to have some breakfast before heading off again.

In the meantime, I spread my wet clothes out on the picnic table and got to the task of sorting through my food. I ended up having a lot to donate to the hiker box. I didn’t know what to do about my shoes because they still had so much life left in them, but there was no post office that I could sent them home from. It felt like a waste of money to just leave them behind and I felt very sad about it.
The restaurant opened and the two girls who had slept on the porch and I went in and sat at the bar. Although they were friendly with each other, they were not interested in conversing with me, which made me feel lonely. I ordered a California Goldrush omelet with my coffee and sat waiting over an hour for it to appear! In the meantime, I fretted about my inability to contact my resupply people. I had learned from the notes that Fun Size let me have that the store at Burney Falls State Park only accepts UPS! This was my next stop and a huge problem because I was sure that Ham had already sent out my package by USPS! She had texted me that she had sent out the fuel canister that I had asked her to send there. If my box was not going to arrive, I needed to ask them to express mail the box that they did not send to Belden as a replacement. I also needed to explain to them why it was important that I got each of the boxes that I had specifically packed for the upcoming section at those locations- with the correct number of days of food, maps, guidebooks pages, and particular supplies that I needed to replace, such as contact lens solution. I wondered if I would get reception during the next climb… By the time, my omelet arrived, it was cold! Multi-tasking seems like a difficult thing to do for cooks in these small places along the trail. The three of us were the only patrons in the place!
Our guidebook had said that Belden was a very creepy place, due in large part to raves that were held along the river during the summer. Luckily, no such thing was going on while I was there! I did learn that our server was the one who put on the raves! My intestines were in a lot of distress during the time I sat at the bar and I had to take multiple trips to the bathroom. Although I wished I could have had the french toast, I decided against it due to the pain in my stomach. Town food definitely hurt it more than backpacking food! When I figured out that our server had given the other girls the wifi passcode, I asked if I could also have it to write a quick e-mail. He hesitated, asked that I not download anything, and then gave it to me. I was able to send out an e-mail and then went back outside to resume sorting and packing. Viking was standing in front of the hiker box, taking out many of the things I had just put in there. Red and Andy Dufresne walked in off the trail, and later SunDog and Giggles appeared, as well. They were being picked up by a friend who was taking them into Quincy. A motorcyclist commented on the ice cream bar that Giggles was eating. “Isn’t it too early to be having ice cream?”.
“Not when you have been walking 25 miles a day!” she responded.
He apologized. It was sad to me that the ice cream bar didn’t even seem appealing. I packed everything up, laced up my new shoes, and sadly left my other ones under the bench. It was after 11:00 by now, and part of me still wanted the french toast, so I returned to the bar for more coffee and placed another order. They looked beautiful, but my stomach was too hurt to eat more than a few bites.
Outside the store, a woman was talking to one of the two guys, telling them that they shouldn’t attempt the climb in the middle of the day and should take a rest day instead. There had been a very bad recent fire that scorched the next section of trail, leaving no shade for much of the 5,000 foot climb. She had been watching the Tour de France and said that we need rest days just like they do! I did my best not to listen to what the lady was saying. I had no choice but to start the climb now.

I headed across the river and then the road, and re-found the other side of the trail. It was 95 degrees out and I sweated more during this climb than I had in a long time. I saw a hiker ahead of me with a pack that looked too big to be a thru-hiker. However, it turned out to be the guy that had slept by the same side of the house as me. He was starting his hike here. Because of my frequent breaks, I didn’t catch him as early as I expected, but once I overtook him, I never saw him again.

I made it through the burn area and took a break by the sign that told me I was now entering Lassen National Forest.

I still had well over 3,000 feet to climb. I didn’t see anyone else for the remainder of my day, and just took the climb slowly.

I kept checking to see if I had reception, always finding that I did not. I was very glad that I was able to get that wifi code down at the store! I reached the sign pointing to Andesite spring and headed down the path to collect water for the night and morning. What I found was a very shallow stream from which I was unable to collect more than a couple of drops of water from. I headed downstream, and checked out numerous places that looked like the water was flowing better. All of them were inaccessible. It was now growing dark and I was losing too much time. My intestines were also acting up. I decided I would have to abandon any chance of collecting water here and hope there was another source not too far ahead. I came out onto a ridge and again checked for reception. This time, I found that I had a little. I had received a long and defensive text from Brian, telling me that they were not at fault for my missing packages and seemed to blame me instead! This was not what I needed to hear in my sick and vulnerable state. I also learned that Ham had shipped out a fuel canister to Burney, but not my resupply package! Several weeks earlier, I had explained that they would simply have to place the canister in my pre-packed box and ship it ground. I know had to ask them to please send my box by express mail in order for it to be there when I arrived. Everything seemed to be falling apart!
I walked on for another half an hour or so and came upon a tiny stream! There was even a sign that read, “Little Frog Spring!”. How amazing! None of my apps or guidebook pages had mentioned this source! I wondered if I should collect water or find a spot to set up camp. My mind was in a confused state. I followed the stream back and found a little cascade coming off the rocks. Perfect! It was nearly dark, so I grabbed my pack and found a camp spot that turned out to have been heavily used. A lot of trash had been left behind, which did not make me feel comfortable. I also couldn’t find a very flat spot. I returned to collect some water and decided to wait until morning to filter it because it was too late and I was too tired. I boiled some pasta, ate some chocolate, and watched the sun disappear before climbing into my sleeping bag. I was happy that I had found this spring, but still stressed about my resupply packages and now the tension that they had created.

Day 86
July 13
mile 1262.8-1289
26.2 miles

I heard the bonfire people drive by last night, but luckily, no one saw me. I ate my breakfast, packed up, and got going, surprised that I hadn’t yet seen SunDog and Giggles.

A couple of miles later, I saw a male hiker brushing his teeth in the woods. It was Feather! It was strange to see him all by himself. The sight made me feel a little sad. I asked him where his friends were and he said that he hadn’t caught up to them yet. As I walked on, I wondered if people thought it was sad that I was almost always alone. I didn’t feel that way, myself, but my reaction to Feather made me think about that.
He soon caught up to me and we hiked together for a few minutes before he went on ahead. We both hoped to get to Belden today, which was now a mere 23 miles away. I read that there were outhouses at Buck Summit road and really looked forward to that. When I arrived, however, I saw that they were a good distance from the trail and decided they weren’t worth the effort to walk to them.

As I headed up the other side of the trail, the man who had offered me marshmellows last night called out to me, asking if I had remembered and then asking if I had a few minutes… There was something else he wanted to discuss. “Do you know that Jesus is always with you?”. So there was an ulterior motive behind the snacks… After I answered, he probed me some more and then went into a lengthy monologue. I listened patiently and thought that would be the end. It wasn’t. He wanted to know if he could pray for me. Yes, I told him. I thought that was a kind thing to do. Then, he asked me to recite a prayer after him, which I hadn’t ever been asked to do. It kind of felt like taking a vow. I had to remember the words and repeat them back. I was extremely patient, did a nice job, and finally was allowed to head into the hills again. He thought that would give me plenty of things to think about for the next 20 miles!
A few feet in, I found a trail register and spent many minutes thumbing through it, seeing who was ahead of me and how far, and if anyone had anything interesting to say. Lint had written down a quote by Charles Bukowski, which I really liked: “If you’re going to try, go all the way. Otherwise, don’t even start. This could mean losing girlfriends, wives, relatives and maybe even your mind. It could mean not eating for three or four days. It could mean freezing on a park bench. It could mean jail. It could mean derision. It could mean mockery–isolation. Isolation is the gift. All the others are a test of your endurance, of how much you really want to do it. And, you’ll do it, despite rejection and the worst odds. And it will be better than anything else you can imagine. If you’re going to try, go all the way. There is no other feeling like that. You will be alone with the gods, and the nights will flame with fire. You will ride life straight to perfect laughter. It’s the only good fight there is.”
It reminded me a lot of many conversations that I had with my Swiss friend. His heart is caged with so much fear that he won’t fully embark in a relationship. He keeps the person a good distance away, leaving them hanging in some uncertain middle ground, waiting. He is also frightened by the word “love”. I told him so many times that the trying is what is important, that no one knows what the future holds, but you have to give things all you have in order for them to have any meaning. You will never know unless you really try.
I had kept my pack on while I was reading, but now, I had to give my shoulders a break before I could continue! As I put my pack back on, a runner approached. She was very friendly and even stopped to walk with me for a few minutes. She said that she was planning on running to Belden and I told her that is where I was headed, too! Obviously, she would get there much earlier than I was going to. She told me that what I was doing was incredible and as she ran off, she called back, “You’re awesome!”. I told her she was awesome, too! I think running is even harder than backpacking! And she was running almost 20 miles in these mountains!

Soon, I had to stop for a snack to fuel up. I felt so pokey today! It was another hot day and I felt dirty, sweaty, and tired.

I made it to the top of the 1,400 foot climb and ridgewalked for the next several miles where I had views off to my left.

Then, I started the six mile descent. I hadn’t seen anyone since the morning and really needed an energy boost. I did have intermittent reception and checked facebook for a little feeling of connection and amusement. UB said that he was starting his hike from Washington the next day, so I sent him a message wishing him well. He wanted to try hiking the trail in 90 days going southbound. I thought the idea was rather ridiculous, myself, but sometimes, you just have to step aside and lovingly let people learn what they need to learn.
The trail was supposed to be littered with poison oak, but I had forgotten how to identify it and was never sure if what I was seeing was it or not! It definitely didn’t appear to be as bad as it was made out to be!
Slowly, I descended the switchbacks, grateful that the long descent was not as steep as I had been dreading. I finally crossed some train tracks and headed down further. My stomach was in pain again, which was very frustrating. I’m always hopeful that my body will win the war, but then, the sickness rears up again.
I finally reached the store around 7:00 and had to borrow one of the employee’s phones to call the Braatens for a ride to their house as I had no service here. She said there was a full house there tonight and that I would have to camp. If I wanted food, I would have to eat here and then she could come pick me up afterward. I used the bathroom and went out on the deck and ordered a hamburger.

It was nice to sit for a few minutes, but I still felt like I had to hurry, and I wished that I had some company. When I finished, I called again to let her know I was ready and by the time I stepped outside, a car pulled up! Feather and Lullabi were inside. They wanted to buy some cases of beer at the store. As we waited for them, I told Brenda about my stomach pain and she thought I had C. Dif. This was the second time I had heard this after Andrea Jane had mentioned it at Tuolemne Meadows and I felt that she was right. She said it is not uncommon to get it after being treated with antibiotics for giardia. She also said I would need different antibiotics to treat this.
She dropped us off at the bottom of the house and we walked over to find Laptop, Sailor Moon, Travis, and Leftover sitting outside. There were a couple of girls lying in their sleeping bags on the porch who I never saw before, and who didn’t say hi. Inside, I found FunSize, Siesta, and Weebee. There was one bathroom for everyone and since it was just about bedtime, it was heavily in use. My main goal was to take a shower. I also had to find a place to sleep before it got too dark to see. I walked around and found a place by the side of the house and then asked Lullabi if he thought that was okay. By the time I brought my pack over, someone else had started setting up there! Luckily, there was enough space for the two of us. Lullabi started to give me some advice, but stopped after realizing that I had set up camp alone many nights by now. “I think you’ve got this, Wendy!” he said as he walked away.
I went inside, waited for the bathroom to be free, and then took my opportunity to shower. Hikers grew impatient while I was in there and asked me to hurry up. When I finished, FunSize asked if I would join them at the table. There were a couple of muffins sitting out on a pan, and although my brain thought it would be nice to have one, my stomach was not interested at all. How strange to be a thru-hiker with no desire to eat! I had hiked three marathons in a row these past few days! I found my resupply boxes and FunSize had a lot of fun guessing what was inside the oddly shaped package that held my sleeping pad and shoes, that I had asked to be sent to Drakesbad. I cut open my regular resupply box, picked up the notes, and was horrified to discover that this was not the box I had packed for the next section! It was the box meant for Sonora Pass that was mistakenly shipped to the Southern Kennedy Meadows at mile 700! They had had it forwarded here without telling me. I looked through the pile of boxes on the floor and saw no other ones for me. I could not believe it! Once again, everything that I had planned out for what I specifically needed in the next section was not shipped for me! I couldn’t even communicate with them as I had no reception here. FunSize told me that I could stop in the town of Burney to resupply, but I didn’t feel like I could afford the time it would take to go off trail to do that with my tight schedule! He was kind enough to take photos of his town guide pages and let me carry the hard copies. And at least I had some food to take with me.
This had been a long, hard, and draining day. It was now past 10:00 and the hikers were all going to bed. FunSize and the others planned on getting an early start, but I really wanted to wash my clothes. I asked how difficult it was to get to the laundromat. FunSize said he just washed his clothes in the tub. Although he wished I could be ready to head out in the morning with them, he told me that I should do what I needed to do. I nodded. He then said that it was a comfort to him knowing that I would be close behind. SO nice!
I washed a few of my dirtiest pieces of clothing in the sink and hung them up on the clothesline, knowing they wouldn’t dry in the night air. Then, I walked over to my sleeping bag, next to the garden tools, with the other guy’s head near my feet. It was 11pm! No rest for the weary…

Day 85
July 12
mile 1235-1262.8
27.8 miles!

I got up at 6:34 and saw the couple walk by as I was eating my breakfast. They kind of looked like SunDog and Giggles, who I hadn’t seen since the desert and who I thought were far ahead, but I couldn’t be sure. I got on the trail at 8:00, looking forward to reaching the Middle Fork River in 16.5 miles. It had been extremely hot out in the past week or so and I had been hoping to find a place to go skinny dipping, which is something I’ve never done before. I felt like I was finally starting to shed my puritanical roots in California.
I saw no other hikers in the morning hours and surprisingly, I didn’t even see anything that I wanted to take a picture of, either! I crossed several roads and heard a lot of logging activity nearby, which didn’t make me feel comfortable.
I began to grow tired by the afternoon, but was happy to finally see the bridge over the river!

It was only 2pm and I had already walked 16.5 miles! I really hoped no one would come by while I was at the river, but as I walked across the bridge, deciding I would get down to the water from the other side, I saw a local girl in a bikini laying on some rocks. The area was easily accessible from off the PCT. I felt disappointed, but also thought she probably wouldn’t care what I did.

It was tough to bushwack down to the river with my pack on, ducking under branches and hoisting myself up giant rocks. I wondered how other people got through these parts! Finally, I made it onto a rock close to the water. And then I saw two hikers sitting on a rock directly across from me! It was SunDog and Giggles. My heart sank. I didn’t feel like I could go in the water naked now. It took them awhile to notice me, but they waved when they did. I took off my outer layers and slowly dipped myself into the refreshingly cold, clear water. I didn’t go in all of the way because it was a bit too cold for me, but it was nice to sit in it, then get out and quickly have the sun dry me off and warm me up. I watched SunDog and Giggles jump in and fully submerge themselves as I ate a snack and then went back in for a second round myself. Slowly, they began the process of packing up and waved to me again as they headed over the bridge. I wished I could have stayed longer, but my schedule was too tight. I also had to pack up and get going in order to have any chance of making it to Belden by tomorrow evening. I hoped another chance to swim would come later.
The way back to the trail turned out to be even more difficult and treacherous than the way down and I managed to incur several huge bruises on my thigh! Ah well, at least I was back on my way…

I had a big climb ahead of me and my energy was fading. I took a moment to eat some trail mix before starting up. Fortunately, it wasn’t as steep as I expected. About half way up, I decided to listen to some music for a little boost, even though only one earbud was functioning. Everything was fine until one moment in which my headphones felt like they were being ripped out of my ears. My iphone managed to fall out of my hipbelt pocket (because my paper maps were taking up too much space) and then proceeded to tumble off the hill! Nooo!! Fortunately, it stopped and I was able to retrieve it. However, the screen now had a huge crack in it, radiating out in all directions! Everything of mine was broken!
I made it to the top of the climb and walked out onto a ridge.

I was surprised to see SunDog and Giggles not far ahead! They are fast hikers, so I felt proud of being able to keep so close to them. After another half hour, Giggles came walking towards me. She said she was going to go back and find a place to camp while SunDog collected water. I wanted to make it to Lookout Rock. I ended up chatting with SunDog for awhile about my stomach problems and then checked my GPS to discover that I was even farther back than I expected! Darkness was approaching and I had to get moving quickly!
I heard a noise that I thought was a bear, but it turned out to be three humans making a bonfire on a rock. When I walked by, one of them invited me for marshmellows, beef jerky, or gatorade. If they had said chocolate, I might have stopped, but I said I was fine and thanked them. I waked past a camping spot on the ridge, but my GPS told me that I still had not made it to Lookout Rock. In fact, my GPS had lied again! This thing was unfaithful! I soon entered back into the woods, where brush covered the entire landscape. I didn’t see anywhere that was possible to camp. The light continued to grow more dim. I wasted many precious minutes checking out every possible spot and still, returned to the trail, without no options. I was now beside another jeep road, where I didn’t feel comfortable.

I walked on, checked out a little area between two dirt roads, and finally decided to set up camp there, even though I didn’t feel entirely safe. I cooked my dinner in the dark and tucked myself in, listening to the sounds around me, my nerves on alert.

Day 84
July 11
mile 1208.8-1235
26.2 miles

I didn’t get up until 6:54, which was very late for a thru-hiker, but I really needed the sleep- especially after my bad night in Sierra City. I had poptarts with my coffee for breakfast, and as I was sitting up in my sleeping bag, the two guys I had seen the evening before walked by and waved.
When I caught up to them later, they said that I was only one of two people that they had seen in the last two days! They were wondering if everyone else had quit! I told them that there were a lot of people in Sierra City, which they had bypassed.
The views were beautiful in the morning. Blue lakes shimmered in the distance and the trail was lined with evergreens. I had a nice view for my first break of the day!

For lunch, I sat on a rock in the woods and ate some salami, Tanya’s pistachios, and a Skickers bar for dessert. I later emerged at a dirt road to find one of the two guys doing push-ups! (Whatever floats your boat…)
The trail climbed again and I walked by some beautiful white lilies, which I love the smell of and watched some butterflies flittering on the ground together as if they were gossiping.

At the top, I noticed that I had reception and received an incredible comment from one of my readers that really brightened my day and lifted my spirits. After reading it, I felt like my life had not been meaningless.

I came to a nice stream and sat down to collect water as two women and a dog came along. One of them asked the other to pull out her water bottle for her. Even with the help, it took an incredibly long time and one of the thru-hikers got held up waiting! As I filtered my water, the dog named Angel, rubbed up against my back.
Although I had several intestinal emergencies, my stomach was not in pain today and I was thankful for that. My body and spirit felt good.
I continued along and ran into a man who was out here for a week to hike and fish, and who had brought his dog with him. He said that he felt guilty that he lived so close to the mountains, but rarely made it out here. He encouraged me to move out there so I could play in the mountains all of the time!
I had a lot of fallen trees to step over today. And although I was pleased with where I had chosen to collect water, I had to carry 2.5 liters for the remaining 8 miles of the day, which was a heavy load! I walked by Red and Andy Dufresne, who were camping along a dirt road and told them that I was going to walk for another hour, as I am not a morning person! When I found the next possible place to camp, I saw a tent set up close-by. It was definitely a thru-hiker tent and when I walked by, I could see a couple inside. I wondered who it was. I kept going as the light faded, hoping there would be something up ahead. Several minutes later, I veered off the trail and found a little secluded place to set up. When I checked my mileage, I realized that I had hiked a full marathon today!

I added some of Tanya’s seaweed, as well as a packet of tuna to my pasta dinner (two things that made the taste more tolerable) and had some peanut butter cups for dessert.
Today I felt good out here and didn’t want to return to Boston- even for a homecoming party with my friends. I wanted to stay on the trail. However, I was still strongly feeling the stress of the number of miles I had to hike for my remaining days out here, and the quickness of my remaining resupply stops.

Day 83
July 10
1197.5-1208.8
11.3 miles

Fun Size had advised me to get up early and station myself for breakfast, as it was a very slow process. I ended up waiting for nearly an hour before they were even ready to start taking orders. First, the regular patron had to be attended to. I didn’t know that the orders would be taken from the furthest seat on the left of the bar, so it took quite awhile to get to me. I was having a hard time breathing as I sat next to a thru-hiker that obviously hadn’t showered, but I didn’t have the courage to move to another seat. Margaret proceeded to cook the meals one by one in the order that they were taken. I couldn’t understand how a place that called itself a restaurant was unable to make a batch of pancakes, eggs, or bacon! It was an excruciatingly slow process! Feather had appeared in the morning and said that he had gone into Truckee the day before to retrieve a package and ended up in the hospital after ordering gluten free bread, but receiving bread with gluten! He repeatedly vomited and had to have IVs placed in his veins for several hours. Meanwhile, his friends had gone on ahead. He hoped to catch up to them. Although the breakfast took forever, I was stuck waiting for my package to arrive anyway. The husband said the earliest he could pick it up was 10:00. However, 10:00 came and went and by 12:45, he still had not checked with the post office!
In the meantime, I went out to the backyard to start packing up my things and sort through my food. I was still feeling awful, and with no sleep on top of that, tears came easily. Dan took off with his brother and I said I would probably not see him again, as he planned on finishing by August 24! That meant that he would need to average 35 miles per day!
After realizing that the owner was not helping me retrieve my package, I went to the post office myself. I was told that if I had it sent to the Inn, I would not be able to pick it up and that I would have to wait for the owner to come down. This town was another center of bad energy! The woman finally said she would look and tell me if the package was at least there. The pile was right beside her and she quickly saw my name! I walked out, feeling frustrated by the lack of assistance and the time I was losing. Before I opened the door, she decided she would give me the box if I showed her my ID. She scanned my driver’s license and said that she didn’t see ‘Wendy’ anywhere on it. I explained that Wendy was the name I went by. She hesitated and then finally handed me the box!
I ordered some lunch at the deli with Emma and waited another half an hour for the sandwich to be made. I also tried Skyping with my Swiss friend, but the connection was too weak to be able to converse! Nothing was easy around here!
The post office closed at 2pm (or rather 1:50), so I quickly had to sort through my new box and ship all of the extra food home. Then, I had to re-pack everything. A man asked if that was my water bottle on the table and told me it was leaking. Could he have at least set it upright instead of watching the water drip out?

I trimmed my toenails, collected more water, and walked up the road. Fortunately, a nice man stopped and drove me to the trail head. It was now 3:00! I could no longer afford to wait for anymore care packages if they weren’t there when I arrived. With a heavy pack, I started the climb, happy to at least be back home on the PCT, where I was largely in control, and where I felt the happiest.

Although it was very warm out, I took my time and steadily plodded along. A man descending even told me that I was doing well! I had the trail to myself and some space to think. I was proud of what I had accomplished out here by myself so far.
I finally emerged from the woods and came out to an open ridge. I could see the path of the trail ahead of me. The wind picked up and made stopping unpleasant, so I continued to walk.

I had thought that I was finished with the Sierras when I reached Echo Lake, but the naturalist informed me that I was about to start the Sierra Buttes! Every day, I’m learning….
Two guys had their tents set up in the woods at 6:30. I wondered why they wanted to stop so early! I kept walking and as the light began to disappear, started scouting out a spot to camp. I ended up finding a relatively flat spot in some low growth on the top of a climb. I set up my cowboy camp, cooked some pasta, and watched another amazing sunset, followed by the rising of the sliver of moon. I love camping in high, open places and I love that I had already seen so many more beautiful sunsets on this trail than I ever did on the AT!

I looked at the profile of trail ahead and saw that there was a 5,00 foot descent into Belden and then a 5,000 foot climb back out of it! Oh, boy…

Day 81
July 8
mile 1155.1-approx. 1175.1
20 miles

I didn’t have to get up super early because I had to wait for the post office to open in Soda Springs. I did wish I had a little more privacy from oncoming hikers in both directions….
I made my way down the hill and came to a road, which was not the highway. I didn’t see where the trail continued, but did see a mountain biker on the road to the right and decided to ask him how to get to the highway. I think I took the long way! There were two busy roads and I didn’t know where to stand to hitch, so I moved around a few times and then stopped a driver to ask where I should be. I had to move again. Fortunately, a nice man stopped and brought me into town.

The post office had still not opened, so I went into the store and looked around for some super glue. It was the only thing I needed there. When the post mistress arrived, she let me right in, handed me my two boxes, and asked me to sign the register. I love small, friendly post offices! One of my former lab mates had sent me a package of rice dinners and peanut butter- things he thought would be gentle on my ailing belly. (Thank you, David!). I sorted through my supplies, sent the extra things back home, and then returned to the store to ask the woman at the deli if she would mind filling my water bottles for me. Then, I stood by the road, hoping for a quick hitch back to the trail. A nice woman stopped. She had read “Wild” and was interested in my journey, especially as a solo female. We didn’t have much time to chat, however, as the trail head was less than three miles away and she needed to get to work. We found StoryTime and his friend that had taken us into South Lake Tahoe, with massive amounts of food spread out in the dirt, trying to decide what he wanted to take with him in the next section.
I put my pack on, headed across the road, and started the climb at 10:00.

I could see a train tunnel across the way, which was part of the first transcontinental railroad. It was another hot day. I met a couple with a dog who chatted with me for a minute, and then later met two ladies hiking south. When they realized what I was doing, they commented on how brave I was, and asked me if I wanted any snacks, such as craisins. “No, thank you.” I had plenty of processed food.
“What about some strawberry and peach pieces? Would you like that?”.
My eyes opened wide. “Yes!”. I could not turn down fresh fruit. However, I felt badly that I was taking their nice snack away from them! “On, no. We want you to have it! You can keep the container, too!.” I told them I was planning on stopping for a break soon, so I just kept the container in my hand. How sweet of them!
I ended up waiting to take my break until I arrived at the restrooms off Interstate 80. I have to say that this was a little bit of heaven for me! Bathrooms with toilet paper (I was always afraid of running out with my problem), running water to wash my hands, shade, and even an outlet to put some more charge into my phone! I sat on the lobby floor and devoured the delicious fruit pieces.

Then, an older couple approached and asked me if I was hiking the PCT. They said their nephew had hiked it a couple of years ago and had just proposed to his girlfriend, who was hiking the trail this year. “You probably don’t know her,” the woman said. “She’s ahead of you.” They wished me well and went on their way.
I packed up my things and headed out, once again not knowing how to get back on the trail, even after looking at my maps! I walked along the highway and over a bridge and then my app showed me I was getting father away from the PCT instead of closer. I realized that I was supposed to cross the highway underneath the bridge! I had to carefully make my way down a steep, sandy slope, and then found that I was blocked by trees! Great! The only thing I could do was push the branches aside and force my way through. “Are you alright?” someone asked. It was StoryTime. He had thought that I was a bear!
“I’m fine.” Sticky sap was now on my backpack and clothes, but at least I got through the branches.

I walked through the dark tunnel and made my way back into the woods, catching up to StoryTime as he tried to figure out which of three paths to take. A couple out for a day hike helped us out. I stepped over a giant fallen tree and started moving up the next climb. I was proud of the pace I was keeping, and now that I had some extra charge in my phone, decided to treat myself with a little music! It helped keep me going strong. StoryTime never caught up.

I started to get tired as the day wore on. In a marshy area of the trail, I met a group of three who were out for a couple of nights. They seemed to be having a good time and wanted to take pictures of each other when a view appeared. I was just intent on getting in my miles.

I sat down on a rock along the trail and ate a Snickers bar to try to boost my energy for the last few miles of the day. Then, Cuddles and Emma came along! It was nice to see them! We chatted for a few minutes and then followed each other in a line. Emma took the lead. This woman is absolutely amazing! She outdoes us in every department- looks, talent, and hiking ability! Tomorrow, she would end her 400 mile section hike with a violin concert with Cuddles at the Red Moose Inn in Sierra City. I fell behind slightly, and Cuddles took the middle space. Emma said she was willing to stop at anytime, and when they found a nice place to camp, decided to call it a night. I went on a little further in order to let them enjoy their last night on the trail together. I climbed a hill, saw an opening at a turn, and went to investigate. I found a real campsite! Unfortunately, it was an abused one with lots of broken glass. I set up camp, boiled water for my pasta, and then took it over to a log to watch the sunset. It was amazing! A deer even stopped in for a visit!

I also found that I had reception and was able to text a friend for a little while. I was feeling a bit emotional and just wished to be a part of people’s hearts.

Day 80
July 7
mile 1133.6-1155.1
21.5 miles

The wind, once again, made it difficult to sleep. I got up soon after the sun came up, ate my breakfast, and patched up my broken sunglasses with duct tape and then headed back up to the trail. I was glad that the trail continued along an open ridge. The views were beautiful and it helped give me energy.

Once down in lower terrain, I ran into a man who seemed to be leading a couple on a hike and they stopped to let me pass. The man who was being lead noticed that I wasn’t wearing boots and stopped to ask me about my trail runners. They were out for a five mile hike and were amazed that I was hiking the whole PCT. As we parted, one of the men told me that I was an inspiration! At first, I wasn’t willing to take in the complement, but then the woman said, “You really are!”. I let myself think about their words as I moved on.

I stopped to eat lunch at the top of a climb and realized that I was overlooking Squaw Valley, where the 1960 Olympics were held. I tried to take in the significance of this spot, as two of the Israeli hikers approached. One asked if there was reception here and proceeded to stop as well. I had been wanting my own space, but remained there to finish my snack as the one guy made a phone call and then joked with the other one. It was hot in the sun!

I headed down past the skilifts and later came across a group of four hikers, whom I had never met before.

I later saw them sitting on top of a hill, at a time when I was looking for a place to take a break, myself. When they got up, I headed over to their spot. They told me I could keep a watch on the fire. I looked out to see a streak of smoke across the sky.

I finished up the climb, walked along the spine of a mountain, and then descended several switchbacks, feeling very tired. I had to stop to rest my shoulders for a moment, and when I looked up, I saw a huge cloud that looked like a nuclear bomb had just gone off! It was a very eerie sight.

As I walked on, I came to some signs, noting the historical significance of Donner Pass, which I was approaching. Since I had sent a resupply box to the post office in Soda Springs, I had to end my day before I reached Highway 40 so that I could hitch in in the morning. (A lot of the other thru-hikers were walking straight to Sierra City and part of me wished I needed need to take the time to stop here). I walked by four hikers who were finishing up their two day hike. The woman asked me, “Did you have a good time?”. I wanted to tell her to ask me in 2 and a half months! Right now, I was in the middle of my hike! Again, they were impressed with how long I had been out for. I searched the surrounding areas for a place to camp, but nothing suitable was appearing. I secretly hoped this this group of people might offer to let me stay at their home with them and take me to the store in the morning, but they did not offer. I was now less than a mile from the road and descending switchbacks with no flat areas. However, a perfect spot magically appeared with a half mile to go! It was a little too close to the trail for my comfort, but it would do. I set up my cowboy camp, cooked my dinner, and watched the sun disappear behind the mountains. I realized that, although I was still 200 miles away from the halfway point in distance, that I was already halfway finished with the trail by the number of days. After I picked up my resupply box in Soda Springs, it would be time to start putting down the miles!

Day 79
July 6
mile 1111-1133.6
22.6 miles

I didn’t sleep much last night because the wind was too loud and strong. And the bugs also wouldn’t leave me alone!
During the morning hours, I ran into a woman hiking south, who asked me where I was going. “Canada”, I said, as I always do. She stared at me in shock. I told her that I was hiking the entire PCT from the Mexican border and she wanted to know when I had started. Again, she couldn’t seem to comprehend how I could be out here for that long. She said that she was planning to be out for four days, which was the longest backpacking trip she had attempted. I told her I was just taking many four day trips in a row! “Canada is a long way from here,” she said as we walked away from one another. Eh- if you have the time, nearly everything is within walking distance…

Yesterday, the wind had picked up and it continued into today. And although the mosquitoes were still around, biting flies and bees added to the annoyances on the trail. I stopped to collect water at a stream, and was attacked by flies the whole I time I sat filtering my water. Two hikers came along while I was there- Scat Tracker and Unicroc! They told me about their stay in South Lake Tahoe. When they mentioned how expensive the motels were to the woman who drove them, she offered her backyard to them to sleep in, and also cooked some food for them!
I had to get away from the annoying flies and told them I would see them later. A few minutes later, I found a place slightly off the trail to sit for a lunch break. Unicroc and Scat Tracker walked on. When I saw them again at Barker Pass, they were confused as to how they had gotten ahead of me! Some campers had a big spread of food on the picnic table, but no one invited us over. I climbed up the hill and found a little secluded area in the woods with a view of a lake to have a snack. The trail had been in the forest most of the day, but in the last few miles of my day, it opened up along a ridge.

As dusk approached, I looked down into a wooded section off the ridge and wondered if I should camp down there, seeing that the terrain ahead was all exposed. I decided against it and kept walking. Minutes later, I found a more easily accessible place to camp below the trail. I hiked off the trail and walked over to a patch of dirt beside a tree, feeling like I had found the perfect spot! The evening light on the trees was incredibly beautiful. Unfortunately, I noticed that the frame of my sunglasses had cracked above the lens. This trail was destroying everything! My headphones had disintegrated a couple of weeks ago, and although I had mentioned this to a couple of people from home, hoping they could send a replacement, both ignored me. I wondered what the little store in Soda Springs might have.