May 11, 2013
Palm Springs – 0 Miles

Saturday was a full day of respite from hiking. In hiking parlance, a zero day. Combined with yesterday’s afternoon off and this zero, became rather fat. I spent the day watching the swelling in my feet subside. Most thru hikers have to go up in both shoe length and width. Others tended to their injuries. Also repaired some holes in my tent and bathed repeatedly.

And we ate. Breakfast burritos and Ben and Jerry’s for breakfast and beer for breakfast and so on throughout the day.

Time to get on my soapbox. Thru hikers arrive in a town and proceed to binge eat and ignore basic nutritional guidelines. And that’s OK. Something must not be done. If the furnace is burning hot enough you can throw anything in there and go. Off my soapbox.

As it was Sag’s birthday, cake accompanied the pasta dinner. 124 pound Orbit humiliated 205 pound Doc in an eating contest. Everyone has lost weight on the trail except me who has put on seven pounds. I once gained two pounds in a 100 mile race, so this is normal for me.

Orbit threatened to return to the trail late in the day but the threat proved empty as the eating continued. Throughout the day I found myself missing the simplicity and purpose of the trail and looked forward to returning. Tomorrow I’ll get my chance.

Steve Halteman
On the Pacific Crest Trail
Hiking the PCT for the Kids of Escuela Verde

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