Day 12 and 13. Into Ashland

Day 12 and 13. Into Ashland

1703.8 to Ashland (1717.7)

14 miles

7/21 and 7/22 (Zero)

During the night I wake up to a car screeching down the road. My watch shows it is after midnight. Who drives at this time? Who is even awake at such an hour? I fall back asleep immediately and wake feeling totally refreshed. I really appreciate how the body can be so transformed each night. Aches and soreness all gone.

I start with a climb through meadows of wildflowers and feel so strong! It is good to be back to my old, solid stride. The pure joy of hiking like everything is going right! It has been a while since I have felt this strong- it feels awesome.

There are more locals out hiking the closer I get to the road. I strike up a conversation with a woman holding a pack of blueberries. She ends up telling me stories of her work helping refuges, stories I can tell she needs to talk through, so I stay and really listen. For almost an hour! (Thankfully, she shares her blueberries with me since my stomach starts growling in anticipation of town food.)  Real trail magic are these unexpected connections, the sweetness of passion for one’s work, and sharing of experiences.

White bog-orchid (Platanthera dilatata)

I’d been anticipating a relaxing stay at Callahans, but I hear through the trail grapevine that there is a wedding there. Way too crowded for me. But just as I am trying to figure out what to do, I see B. waiting outside, almost as if he is expecting me. He asks if I want to split a room in Ashland! Perfect, of course! I love how things just work out.

Ashland is awesome. Everything is in walking distance- laundry, stores, and we even get pizza delivered. 

I hadn’t planned to take a zero in Ashland. But I changed my mind as I was sitting down and my feet started throbbing. They were definitely telling me I need more rest. It turns out to be a great zero day. Get to hang out with Jazzy, B., K., and N. Rest isn’t easy but it sure will help me in the long run.

Phantom orchid

A great thing about extra time in town is I get to read all about the butterflies, plants, and trees I’ve identified with the iNaturalist app. One of my favorites is the phantom orchid (Cephalanthera austiniae). It is completely white, without an photosynthetic leaves, and gets all its energy through associations with a single family of mycorrhizal fungus which in turn get the energy from trees. So neat!