Waking up with pillows under my head, a doona wrapped around me, sprawled across a fold out lounge and my friends in various beds close by was a flipping brilliant way to meet the day. I missed these guys. I know we were meant to get an early start and hike, but we had to … Continue reading Day Eighty Seven: 1636.6 – 1650.9km
I’m definitely absolutely not sold on it yet... But I’m maybe kind of a little bit coming around to the idea of a flip flop. It makes sense. I don’t love it, but it does. To be able to reach Canada straight through, I need big miles: like fifty kilometre day miles. Even with that, … Continue reading Day Eighty Six: ZERO
Mentally, and emotionally, this has been my hardest week on trail. I haven’t wanted to whine and moan - no one enjoys that - but it’s been a push. And we haven’t even been pushing too hard. I’m just thoroughly not enjoying it right now. Maybe because HBG is scattered along the trail instead of … Continue reading Day Eighty Five: 1619.8 – 1636.6km
At this point, I think we have to be honest: the Hiker Biker Gang is the vortex. It’s only Nemo and I right here, and yesterday we picked up Jeremy - who officially goes by Ratatouille now. Most of HBG is dispersed ahead of us, and a couple are who knows how far behind, and … Continue reading Day Eighty Four: 1608.7 – 1619.8km
Wondering out loud, I asked the PCT if our relationship was one of unrequited love. I give her my all, every day. Of course I get tired. There are ebbs and flows to my energy, to my attitude, to how I approach her. Such is the cyclic nature of life. But everything that I have, … Continue reading Day Eighty Three: 1576.7 – 1608.7km
I miss Cathleen Cowie. I think it was Carolyn (her beautiful sister) who told me once that grief comes in waves. Originally, they are tidal waves that you feel you’ll drown in. They batter you one after another, relentlessly, as you gasp and try to gulp in air with water raging all around. Eventually, there … Continue reading Day Eighty Two: 1558.7 – 1576.7km
I’m currently having one of those serendipitous days, where I keep meeting the exact people I need to. This morning, it was Northcut. He’s an American fella out here on his first ever backpacking trip with two guys he used to work with (Scott and Paul). Far out, I’ve got to give it all the … Continue reading Day Eighty One: 1538.8 – 1558.7km
I can’t seem to find the right words, but my heart is ... wrong. It’s off balance. Restless. Anxious. Out of sorts. Lonely. Detached. I know something is wrong, but I can’t put my finger on what exactly it is, or why, or where the root of it - whatever ‘it’ is - lies. I … Continue reading Day Eighty: 1516.9 – 1538.8km
Man. Yosemite. And fires. Have I forgotten to mention there are fires? HOW have I forgotten to mention there are fires? WE CAN’T EVEN SEE YOSEMITE. The smoke is crazy - it burns my eyes every morning I climb out of my tent, and my throat is scratchy all day. If I smoked cigarettes, I … Continue reading Day Seventy Seven – Nine: YOSEMITE
I walked to Yosemite National Park. Yosemite. This is the go-to background for Apple computers and phones. It’s not hard to see why. Sunrise felt just a tad too early for summit whisky, so we shared summit coffee instead. Twice. (We had to make a second pot; it just felt right this morning). I had … Continue reading Day Seventy Six: 1485.5 – 1514.1km
I’m craving some human touch today. I want a hug. I’m not feeling down or entirely lonely. Nothing’s really wrong, and I’ve got the best gang by my side - I think I just need a big hug. Have you heard of The Five Love Languages? It’s a concept that we all feel love and … Continue reading Day Seventy Five: 1466.1 – 1485.5km
Yesterday was the first time I’ve fallen down on trail. It was a solid one too: I was as good as a turtle, splayed out in the dirt. Only a few scrapes and bruises that have made themselves known today to show for it, but it happened. So I just wanted to admit that I … Continue reading Day Seventy Four: 1459.1 – 1466.1km
I know I’ve said it before. I’ve probably said it plenty! I just can’t get enough of the Sierras: The crystal clear lakes. The vibrant green grass. The miles we keep chipping away at. The granite mountains that surround us, protect us, mystify us, beckon us. Has it really been 900 miles of trail already? … Continue reading Day Seventy Three: 1431.1 – 1459.1km
My alarm went off at 6AM. I deflated my mattress like a good hiker girl, and replied to a few messages I’d received overnight. No one stirred, but I figured it was only a matter of time before the camp started moving, so I went all out and cooked up a dehydrated egg and bacon … Continue reading Day Seventy Two: 1416.2 – 1431.1km
After spending a full zero day beside this stunner of a lake and having a campfire going for just about all of our waking hours here (with the exception of the intermittent downpours), I knew motivating myself to keep on walking would be an issue. So I gave myself a little dose of discipline: woke … Continue reading Day Seventy One: 1390.3 – 1416.2km
The unthinkable has happened. We’re zeroing again. At this point, I don’t even know how it keeps happening. The Sierras are a vortex of their own! Maybe this is why people quit in Northern California... because it’s going to be so hard to start pushing out those 25-30mile days after averaging nine miles a day. … Continue reading Day Seventy: ZERO
Obviously, the Hiker Biker Gang aka. River Bandits had to have a communal breakfast to start the day. It also made sense - seeing as we’re already here - to have one last quick look-see at the hiker boxes at the Muir Trail Ranch. There were fresh (albeit dirty) faces as more people had rocked … Continue reading Day Sixty Nine: 1380.4 – 1390.3km
You can now call us the River Bandits, as well as Hiker Biker Gang. Today we looted, and came up with a lot of treasure. We hadn’t thought it would end up a zero, but it was. And it was a productive day for our gang. I made a pot of communal coffee at 7AM … Continue reading Day Sixty Eight: ZERO
We watched the sun rise. We crossed creeks. We passed by lakes. We met a trail cat. We walked some more. We napped. We walked again. We crossed rivers by bridge. We crossed rivers by foot. We set up camp in a field, soaked right up next to each other in teensy hot springs - … Continue reading Day Sixty Seven: 1356.7 – 1380.4km
If I rated days out of 10, I’d probably be averaging around an 8.5. There’s be a few 3’s in there, definitely a lot more 9’s and a handful to 10’s already - today being a stand out 10/10. I woke up happy. It’s the best way to wake up. Pickleback waved me off with … Continue reading Day Sixty Six: 1329.8 – 1356.7km
I just about got into a fist fight with Jimminy Cricket today. She thought the Golden Stairs were overrated. Okay no fists. We’re still friends. But our words were passionate, and opposing. I had been having a moment of such pure gratitude as I walked down those stairs into the pine forest that I thought, … Continue reading Day Sixty Five: 1307.7 – 1329.8km
“Bear! BEAR! THAT’S A BEAR! THERE’S A BEAR!” I had been having a quiet morning conversation with Nemo as we all slowly woke up, but I jumped up so flipping fast - barely stopping to pull on my shoes as I ran towards the flash of brown I’d just seen. “Wizard WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! … Continue reading Day Sixty Four: 1287.2 – 1306.7km
I don’t think I’m exactly taking this hiking thing seriously anymore... I mean, we didn’t start until 11:30AM this morning. I skipped up some of the trail. A couple of hikers heading the opposite direction remarked with a laugh, “You’re way too happy to really be hiking this!” But honestly, how can I not skip, … Continue reading Day Sixty Three: 1269.9 – 1287.2km
It’s good to be back. After so much time off, I was dreading walking again. I was more than a little worried about Kearsarge Pass - although beautiful, it is a crazy climb. We’d just resupplied as well, so loaded down with a weeks’ worth of food and staring up at a four hour climb … Continue reading Day Sixty Two: 1269.9 (+ 12.2km)
I’m almost embarrassed even to write it... We’re still in town. BUT I PROMISE WE LEAVE TOMORROW MORNING! It’s just - it’s Fourth of July. Which, yes, means we’re on our fourth zero, but it’s the Fourth of July! This basically doesn’t count. We needed the first zero for rest, the second for resupply, then … Continue reading Days Fifty Eight – Sixty One: ZEROES
I know I’ve had a lot of good days out here. The standard has been set high. I’ve gone from desert wastelands to rocky mountains to bubbling creeks. I’ve touched the Mexican-United States ‘wall’, walked just about thirteen hundred kilometres from there, and climbed one of the country’s highest mountains. Even so, I think it’s … Continue reading Day Fifty Seven: 1245.8 – 1269.9km (+12.2km)
I reckon every day has something special to offer. Sometimes it’s like a treasure hunt and you have to search for it (admittedly, I don’t always find it), but sometimes it’s served to you on a silver platter. Today, I had that something special served to me in ziplock bags, by some very special people. … Continue reading Day Fifty Six: 1234.4 – 1245.8km
The Prodigal calls it ‘Type 3 fun’. He explained: Type 1 is fun to do and fun to remember, eg. playing with a puppy Type 2 is fun to do and not fun to remember, eg. a big night out at a bar... Type 3 is not fun to do, but fun to remember, eg. … Continue reading Day Fifty Five: Mt. Whitney
‘The Great Bishop Shakedown’ It’s all I can think about, as we go up and up and up today. My mind has been made, and Jefé and Pickleback are right on board (as is everyone else): we’re going to give me a nice big shakedown. Like, a really nice big shakedown. I can feel all … Continue reading Day Fifty Four: 1212.9 – 1234.4km
IT’S MY BIRTHDAY! 😁 And it’s been an absolutely beautiful day. Maya woke me up with a cup of coffee. Thibaud - who left KM sometime after Jefé and I but hasn’t been seen in two days - caught us up. He walked 45km yesterday in the flipping Sierras to share the day with us. … Continue reading Day Fifty Three: 1195.7 – 1212.9km
