Oregon Pacific Crest Trail Section G
2125 (Eagle Creek Alternate) to 2106 (Muddy Creek)
18 miles
An unbelievably gorgeous day. Warm and sunny. Soft gradual trail. This feels like cheating. Isn't hiking the PCT suppose to be hard?
 |
| Views of Mt. Rainier |
We climb towards Mt Hood.
 |
| Mt. Hood |
This close to Portland, there are many dayhikers and weekenders out asking, "Where are you coming from? How far are you going?"
I can't decide if I should tell them I'm coming from Mexico, Rainy Pass, or Cascade Locks. And I don't know how far I'm going. So I tell everyone that asks "I'm just wandering around in woods for a couple months."
Some people don't ask. They just make assumptions. Two people in particular.
One dayhiker looks at me up and down and says "Oh you must not be one of those PCT hikers."
"What makes you think that?"
"Well you don't have a very big... um... pack" he says.
I think he means to say "dick." Like only big burly guys should be out here.
***
Later, another dayhiker says to me "You sure are getting a late start. But at least you got to do Washington."
This is before she asked me anything! What is this being late business!? I'm exactly on time. Why does she assume I'm a southbound thru hiker?! I'm doing the PCT on my schedule- which is 1500 miles in 2014, then two AmeriCorps terms of service in Montana State Parks, and then 300 miles in Washington, and now however much I want in Oregon this year, and then I'll finish the rest sometime depending on how it fits in with my life. I'm not late I'm exactly where and when I want to be.
***
Today I was testing out a new pair of shoes I picked up in Portland. I wore an older version of the Altra Superiors this summer and liked them but have been wearing Keens this trip because I got the stress fracture in altras. But I'm getting tired of the blisters the keens give me. The altras feel like wearing slippers with such soft padding and thick soles that float over rocks- no blisters even though didn't even tape my feet. I'm so excited until the first evening when I realize I can feel the stress fracture site talking again. Its not pain, just creaky. I felt this same thing a few weeks ago in the keens, so I don't know what to do. Is it just adjusting to the change in shoes? I decide to carry both shoes and keep changing back and forth. That's what all the doctors wanted me to do when I was healing from the stress fracture, and it seems to make sense. Hopefully, it will keep the feet happy!
 |
| Trying out the new shoes, trying to keep the feet happy |
No comments:
Post a Comment