A 1000km. That was the milestone we achieved this morning. It only meant something to Half ‘n Half (Canada), Spice (Australia) and me, but that didn’t make it any less significant. Almost 1/4th of the trail. Who in their right mind walks that much? Although I am proud that I did this, every kilometer also means the end draws ever more near. I love the people around me and the trail itself so much, it will be heartbreaking to leave it all behind. Luckily most is still ahead of us (and the world is filled with long trails).
The wind gained strength last night, throwing dust in our faces with every gust, and battered us all throughout thr day. Luckily there was something to look forward to: Stinger’s friend Jonathan was going to meet us on the trail with water, snacks aaand.. burgers! When I arrived, beaten senseless by the wind on this stretch of trail with no cover and having had to sprint to the nearest rocks to contend with some urgent digestive issues, Jonathan had already taken the grill out and was handing out beers and cupcakes.
It was delicious. Spice and Mouse laughed when they saw how I had smeared half the cupcake frosting on my face. Then it was time for the burgers. Probably the best thing at the right time I’d had in many days and just what I needed to keep going.
The afternoon turned into a frantic race to escape the wind and find a sheltered campsite. By then, many hikers had arrived at the burger spot so it was busy. Trying to battle the elements, the sense of adventure flowed freely through me. Mash, ever the strategist, reasoned that we should use the last hours of daylight to get out of the high mountains and descend into the valley, where there would likely be less wind. None of the others seemed to have the courage to join him, but me. We flew down the mountain and quickly found the campsite, tucked in the valley, overgrown with trees. Perfect for tonight. Christopher, Raymond and Sheets also made it here.
The counter is on 26.4 miles today, meaning I did 2 back to back marathons. Hiker legs are awesome