August 31, 2013
35 miles
mile 2574

The river, impotent to sweep us from our perch, was reduced to creating a racket that ruined morning conversation. The immediate future was no mystery and I was eager to tackle it. Left early, snagging huckleberries along the way to distract from the nature of my work and thirst. After an hour, Orbit caught up. She relishes steep uphills. They fill her void. Her thoughts, “It’s a good pain I like to explore.” The mysteries of the youthful. We came across a through hiker camped in the middle of the trail. Under these slope conditions it made sense.

Finally topped out in a massive meadow amphitheater. The trail was eroded deeply and ran narrow. The growth crowded in. The result was a narrow shuffle that involved a lot of tipping and tripping. Each time a surprise as the path is not visible beneath the brush. I guess in the end it is all north. Then the mornings switchback mirror reflection going down. Orbit pulled away as I dragged. Low energy and knee pain. Back-and-forth I went feeling like a penguin in an offbeat video game. My spell broken by a large black bear coming up the path. At 20 feet we kind of stunned each other. My inane and exact comment, “Hello big mister bear.” Maybe it was my odor but he/she yielded and headed uphill with a snort. For sure it was my reek, because the flies that had been harassing the bear, abandoned for the greener pastures of my body.

Wild raspberries began to appear regularly further slowing me. I kept pushing to no avail. I was running out of steam. Came to a shortcut. The old PCT went one way, the new another. The new added 5 miles. Not today. The reality of old trails is that they are not maintained. And so it was. The shortcut was an obstacle course of downed trees and washouts. Nothing to do but play the game. At 1:30 I emerged to a river and a wide sandy hot plane. Thirteen miles in seven hours was not cutting it, but lunch was paradise. Hot and dry, my desert returned. Everything out of the pack to cook. I peeled down and watched the mold curl off my body.

Shortly Orbit took off, obviously concerned about my slow progress. As was I. With calories I was able to think again. My problem was three-fold. 1. low energy 2. pain 3. attitude. Time for adjustments. 1. I was still eating like I was hiking low mileage so I would start eating more like a hog than just a pig. Perhaps, if I had to go into Steheekin I could make up my food losses. 2. I hurt. So I started taking three Aleves instead of two. 3. I was hiking like I was injured, which is slow. The trekking pole had been great, but now it had become a crutch. I gave it back to Orbit. The knee wrap I took off. No longer was I injured. All three done at lunch. Test time. 3 o’clock.

Crossed the glacial river over a log and tried to follow the last of the shortcut to rejoin the regular PCT. The trail evaporated. Pulled out the map and decided a bushwhack straight up the mountain would T the PCT. Inhale, exhale. Started up and immediately walked through a ground hornets nest. Something about those stings galvanized the entire three-step plan. Right, I’m off. And I was. Straight up, slammed into the PCT and turned north. Hiking in the old style with a vengeance. During a long uphill to a pass and then the even longer river valley downhill I never slowed or rested. I felt very alive. Perhaps there were even a few primal screams. To fly, finally.

Night came on. Tripping increased but I didn’t slow. Definitely I was a little high. Fascinating were the yellow leaved plants that seemed to glow in sunlight long departed. But the best sight of the day was the glow of Orbit’s fire high on a ridge with the North Star directly overhead. Six miles out of Steheekin. Plenty of time to catch the 9 AM shuttle into town if need be. A warm home. A thoughtful gift from Orbit of a ziploc full of huckleberries for breakfast oatmeal. What an ending. And that Northstar meant other stars. We cowboy camped. To bed with this dessert. 22 miles in 6.5 hours. Yeah baby.

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

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