My next journey

My trip is over. I am deciding  "what next". I am both a changed woman and the essentially the same woman. I am moving back toward a private life with no more blog postings, however,  I feel compelled to share one final poem that speaks to me.

 

View #2

 

It was just one task to recover the taken-for-granted.
There were others.  Such as: simply recover.

 

And then?  And then consider
there's no time off for good behavior,

 

that the city was a carnival of incandescent streets
but also a dim labyrinth, that the beloved bridge

 

connecting two wonders of solid ground
provided as well a jumping-off point

 

for those who had lost heart.
That some roads, no matter how far

 

they take you, will double back.
And then? And then consult the window

 

for weather.  Put on some clothes
and good intentions.  Begin again.

 

~ Thomas Centolella ~

Stevens Pass and a bit beyond, The end of the trail for me

I am off the trail now. The big giant storm was predicted so I traveled to the trail angeles "The Dinsmores" to wait out the bad weather. It rained like crazy but the storm was not as bad as had been predicted so after the worst of it I headed back into the woods and headed toward Canada. It was cold, wet and snowy. The streams were swollen and I was getting wet feet at every crossing. It was a doable trip but was not really any fun. As we were hiking in a group of my friends were hiking out. They had headed up the trail before the storm hit with the intention of waiting it out. One of them in particular was having some trouble staying warm, even with all his clothes on, and they decided to end their hike and avoid any hypothermia dramas.

My first night of camping was really rough. I injured my back during my rest days at the Dinsmores. I mean really, I injured myself while resting....sheesh! I guess the bunk bed did not agree with me. I felt really good while hiking and had minimal back pain but when I slept I could not turn over without experiencing a sharp pain that woke me up. I also struggled with lifting my backpack and any sudden twists of my back. I got very little sleep that first night. By this time I was traveling with Painter and female hiker named Smooth. We had a pow-wow in the morning and decided to turn around for safety sake. With my limited mobility and sleep deprivation it was unwise to travel over the snowy/icy conditions or to risk the stream crossings. I spent several days at the Dinsmores just resting and yes, you guessed it, eating. It rained hard every day and night. Eventually I had enough energy to get a ride to Everett where my friend Dan from Bellingham picked me up. I spent a couple of days in Bellingham...eating and sleeping and visiting with some other through hikers...then returned to Port Townsend.

I arrived in Port Townsend on the Grand Opening day of the new building at the hospital so I went to it with my friend Gina only 2 hours after arriving in town. I saw so many of my dear friends and was welcomed back warmly. It was both wonderful and overwhelming. I feel a bit de-socialized and it will take me some time to reintegrate to regular life. I am still shockingly fatigued but my back is feeling better.

So this is it. My trip is over. I did not make it to Canada. I stopped 170 miles shy of the boarder. I am pleased as punch about my trip and all that I experienced. It was just what I needed and I got what I was hoping for. I loved the trail and I do not want to leave the simplicity of trail life. If any of you would like to sponsor me, I will happily continue with hiking. I am thinking about the Continental Divide trail (3,000ish miles) and the Appalachian Trail (2,000ish miles). I also hear there is a great trail in New Zealand. Imagine that...summer in January. Just let me know if you want to sponsor me. :D

Love Pogo

I have just a few pictures below. Mostly it was too wet to pull my phone out to take pictures.

Andrea and Jerry Dinsmore and one of their boarders, Bree. Andrea is a natural mom to everyone. She helped us get the information we needed to make wise decisions.

Smooth, me and Painter after deciding to hike out. We decided to be happy with what we experienced. My cup is half full.

This was taken during the hike out, right before it began to snow on us...again.

While in Bellingham, my friends and I carved a pumpkin at the local brew pub. I really like to promote high art!

Only kidding, this is not the end for me. I feel like the world is wide open.

Bend to Skykomish, October 14th, mile 2462

Only 190 miles to go. I am fighting the weather and hoping to make the border before the weather gets too horrendous. Today they are predicting high winds, floods and snow up high. Not quite what I was hoping for. We debated what to do and have decided to wait for a couple of days at a trail angel's home to see what the weather does. If the flooding is not bad and there is not a lot of trees down then I will push onward again on Sunday.

My time in Bend passed way too quickly. I have edited my last page to add some captions to the photographs....I did not have time to do that while I was there. So check it out if you were confused about what all those photos were about.

I left Bend and had good weather most of the way to Cascade Locks. I spent one nasty rainy day hiding out at Timberline Lodge. Everyone had said I must try the all you eat breakfast buffet at the lodge. I did and for the first time in my life experience a food coma. All I could do after eating was lay on the couch by the fire and sleep. I don't mean it was nice to rest....I mean I had no choice but to sleep and digest. I didn't really like it and don't ever want to experience another one of those! I was so excited to finally reach Cascade Locks and Washington state. I had been waiting so long to get back home. I cried as I crossed the bridge into my home state. I did all of my shopping for Washington in Cascade Locks and that is a problem. I thought they would have a good grocery store there...but alas. I packed my food boxes with what was available. I bought food that I never usually eat, including a lot of food that contains gluten and preservatives....I had no choice. I bought pop tarts, flour tortillas, Knorr pasta sides, whey protein bars, goofy boxes of cereal, Fritos, etc. I placed an emergency call to my mom and dad and in the middle of a busy time in their lives, found time to buy some more healthy food and send me some emergency boxes to supplement my marginal food. Thank God for parents!

 I had a few days of nice weather in Washington and then the snow came in. I have not seen much of Washington really because it has been so foggy and snowy. I did not even get a glimpse of Rainer! I am so close to the end and I want to complete this journey by reaching Canada but even if I do not, I am deeply satisfied. I have gotten what I hoped to get from the trail. She is a fickle beast and will test a hiker to their limits. 3 days ago I slipped on black ice and landed in a cold creek on my back. I was stuck like a turtle in the water until my hiking partner helped me up and then I just raged. I was wet and cold and in the snow and ice and not at all happy. I yelled at the trail, at God, at rocks, at my ex-husband and at life. I yelled and lost my shit until it was all released and then cried and laughed. She pushes me as much as I can take it and then she delivers sublime beauty to heal my soul.

I have no idea what I will be doing after the trail. Just being here has taken all my willpower and mental energy. Once I am completed with this adventure, then I will turn my attention to the next phase of life, whatever that may be.

Love to all of you and thank you so much for your support and encouragement. The thing is, I never could have done this journey without taking all of you will me in my heart.  I have met the best people and discovered how much grit I have deep inside. This journey has restored my faith in humanity. And....it is not over yet.

For a period of time, Painter and I traveled with Fix It, Share Bear, and Mighty Mouse. Mighty Mouse is the woman who got bitten by a rattle snake (second from the right) and was helicoptered out to receive treatment. She was hiking as strong as ever now that she has recovered.

A group of hikers drying out after a big rainstorm.

Fall is here!

Timberline Lodge in Oregon

Leaving Timberline Lodge after the storm.

This sweet Asian woman had her dog on her back. It made me miss my animals so much/

Mount Hood

Seriously...I got to walk behind a waterfall. One of my favorite moments on the trail. This was right before Cascade Locks.

The bridge to Washington!

Me and some hiking buddies crossing over to the last section of the trail. Just one state to go!

My one glimpse of Rainer!

amazing rock formations

Can't miss this cairn...this way to Canada.

more cool rocks

A bit of snow on the trail. Great views eh?

Whew, a break in the weather.

The creek crossings are getting more dangerous. The rivers are flowing high!

We got 3 sun filled days between storms. It has been so wet and cold. I am struggling with staying dry.

Momma bear and her cub. Her cub is out of sight in this picture.

Wrapping my feet in plastic bags before I put my shoes on. I am just trying to prevent frostbite and maybe keep my toes dry for a few hours.

Reno to Bend, September 18th, mile 2000

Hello! I am still alive and I am doing well. I have a great hiking buddy named Painter. He is from Tasmania Australia and we hike well together. It is nice to have a partner in crime and a helper during the hard times.

We spent a week in Reno with his cousin Karen and had a great rest. Karen and her partner Steve were the best hosts ever! They took us to all you can eat sushi and of course...one of the famous casino buffets. To a through-hiker, "all-you-can-eat" are magical words. We spent several days at a local hot springs just floating and resting and also went to Virginia City to see the old west town. It was a fun change of pace but I was ready to get back to the trail. I am most at home on the trail now and I am wondering how my transition back to real life will play out.

Northern California was harder than I had imagined it would be. It was still quite steep and hot. There were long water-less stretches again...just like the desert. Once I hit Oregon, my mileage jumped way up. I am now hiking 21 to 25 miles a day on average and doing the occasional 30 mile day. I am in my forties now so the longer days hit me a bit hard and I am unable to do them back to back. I feel strong and good...in mind and in body.

I arrived in Etna CA only to find out that there was a fire in Seiad Valley and that I would have to skip a portion of the trail. No problem since my parents were traveling in Oregon and came to Etna to meet me for a day. They gave Painter and I a ride to Ashland where we bought groceries for the next month and sent the food boxes forward. Unfortunately, we arrived in Ashland during the Labor day weekend and so we had to scramble to get everything done and shipped so that our food would be on time. I even rented a car during that town stop since everything is kind of spread out. It made it difficult to relax and enjoy the town but at least I got my chores done.

The next leg that I did was to Crater Lake. I worked at that park in my 20's and it was really great to be back. It was just as I remembered it. Gorgeous blue skies and impressive mountains. After Crater Lake we walked right by Mount Theilson and so took a side trip to climb that peak. It was my second time being up there and it is an impressive peak with commanding views.

I arrived in Bend last Friday night and the man who gave me lift to town (Brian), has also put me up at his home, taken me out to dinner, loaned me a bike to run errands and basically made this town stop my best one ever. Bend is awesome! I am hitting the trail again tomorrow so I want to take a minute to post some photos. I am beefing up my camping gear for the colder and wetter weather. I hope to be in Manning Park Canada by October 20th or so.

Quail egg "shooters" at all you can eat sushi

One of Karen's dogs. She has 3 of them and this one, Roxie, was my favorite.

Karen, Painter and I before heading back to the trail-head. It felt great to be well rested.

Trail Art

follow the footprints and you wont get lost

one of the many examples of trail magic. I can't explain just how wonderful it it to stumble upon water and food in the middle of nowhere. Often it is not so much about the food....it is about knowing that others are thinking of me and my struggles. They want me to succeed and get to Canada and want to help in some small way. The thing is, it helps in a big humongous way to feel that unconditional love. These people truly are trail ANGLES.  Bless them all.

I awoke one morning and broke camp and proceeded to hike right over these two hikers who were deeply asleep. Sometimes enough is enough and  we just have to stop and sleep, no matter where we are.

this dead snake had been completely picked over by bees. All the meat was gone and a perfect skeleton remained. So amazingly delicate!

it was shockingly dry in northern California and at water sources there were often large patches of pitcher plants.

Bloody Run Trail sign.....pretty creepy eh?

Hot, Hot, HOT and DRY....yet starkly beautiful.

A very dry trail.

Crater Lake at sunset. I hiked to the rim to watch the sunset and hiked many miles that night by headlight. Fun!

Back-country ski cabin

I passed by many volcanic lava and rock fields. Walking by them is OK, walking over them is hell.