Last night the moon was huge, lighting up the sky and throwing the landscape around me into deep contrast. I had gotten a call from Pockets, who was set on a night hike by moonlight. It had been an idea I had kicked around and we agreed to give it a shot before the PCT was over. But despite the beautifully illuminated night and the thoughts of Pockets' adventure, I was soon asleep. It was the first good sleep in a few days, and even sunrise couldn't drag me out of bed. I woke at 6, and lay in bed until 7 before sitting up to read and fully enjoy my zero.
Pockets wasn't there, nor did he arrive later in the morning, so I guessed that he gave up on the night hike at some point. I spent the morning in camp (pictured) mostly sitting and reading Muir's accounts of his travels in Alaska. He can be a bit verbose at times, but his descriptions of plants, animals, and landscapes are beautiful. I have often wished, as I sat down to write my blog, that I had his knowledge and skill with words.
My parents picked me up at road N2, which branches south from highway 138 and runs east to the hamlet of Three Points. From that point on my day was strange as I tried to readjust to normal life. I won't bore you with too many details, since much of my day will seem completely mundane to you. But allow me to list a few of the highlights:
1. I have seen more people today than I had seen in the entire previous month. Imagine that the next time you go to the grocery. Look at everyone and tell yourself that this is the sum total of your human contact for a month.
2. Riding in a car is a trip. Driving back to San Luis Obispo took around three hours. That's about what it would take me to hike 9 miles. From where I was picked up it is about 300 miles to Sacramento. Less than five hours by car. Over two weeks on foot. It's hard to reconcile a month of pedestrian lifestyle with the landscape flying by.
3. I have been looking forward to this short break (maybe four days) and yet a part of me is already anxious to be back on the trail.
The truth is that the PCT isn't that hard. Sure it is physically taxing and I do hike 10 to 14 hours per day, but ultimately it's fairly simple. The trick is to keep up the inertia. Individual days are sometimes difficult, but before you know it ten days and hundreds of miles have gone by. It will be a trick to take this rest break in stride.
And just for fun, I leave you with a picture of my shirt after more than 400 miles. Note the holes where it rubbed my pack, as well as the dirt stains where the shoulder straps go.
