Independence to Reno, Day...I have no idea, mile 1290...almost halfway!

holy cow, the Sierra's are beautiful! So beautiful that I ran out of adjectives.

I have almost made it halfway and I am amazed by how fast the time has gone. I am also amazed by the ups and downs on the trail. I can have a day that is so bad that I want to quit....followed by a day that is so wonderful I can't imagine being anywhere else in the world. So goes the PCT.

I am happy to report that I have a trail name now! It is Pogo, short for pogo-stick. I was approaching Muir pass when I post holed through the snow and ended up dropping all the way to my groin. When I pulled my foot out...only my foot and sock came out. My shoe and gator remained behind and I had to dig them out. Fun!

Currently I am in Reno resting my knees. I don't have a knee injury, my knees are just worn out from all my extreme playing over my lifetime and they need a little TLC. My toe is doing great, I believe that all the miles that I have walked got my toe joint "unstuck". I am currently walking with no toe pain and I am so grateful. The steroid injections that I got before I left seemed to last for about one month...and then good old mechanical treatment took over. I have more flexibility in my toe then I have ever had.

I am not going to write much, I have many chores to do while in Reno. I do want to post some of my photos for all of you.

Love to you all!
Korinda Ohana Kay

NOTHING'S A GIFT

 

Nothing's a gift, it's all on loan.
I'm drowning in debts up to my ears.
I'll have to pay for myself
with my self,
give up my life for my life.

Here's how it's arranged:
The heart can be repossessed,
the liver, too,
and each single finger and toe.

Too late to tear up the terms,
my debts will be repaid,
and I'll be fleeced,
or, more precisely, flayed.

I move about the planet
in a crush of other debtors.
some are saddled with the burden
of paying off their wings.
Others must, willy-nilly,
account for every leaf.

Every tissue in us lies
on the debit side.
Not a tenacle or tendril
is for keeps.

The inventory, infinitely detailed,
implies we'll be left
not just empty-handed
but handless too.

I can't remember
where, when, and why
I let someone open
this account in my name.

We call the protest against this
the soul.
And it's the only item
not included on the list.

baby marmots

my first brown bear sighting...with 2 cute cubs in tow

I'll take whatever humor I can get out here. I just love this one.

The John Muir hut. This is where I got my trail name...Pogo.

This is Peace and Quiet. They scored giant jars of nut butter in the hiker box and graciously shared them with me just shy of  Vermilion Valley Resort. I was low on food so this was one of my best trail magic experiences to date

This is me after my tent pole broke during high winds. I spent the early morning hours wrapped up in my tent like a loose burrito. It was a long and sleepless night.

My best bear sighting was in  South Lake Tahoe...behind the Motel 6. This bear was making his daily rounds.

I left the trail just so I could stock up on more M&M's. I was seriously low but luckily I averted any major crisis.

Canary and Painter

Animee!

This is an amazing chalet that is open for the public to use during the winter. It snows so much that you have to access the building by entering the top floor.

The upper door is the one you would access in the winter. I have only seen one other 2 seater outhouse in my lifetime.

These folks stopped by to see if I needed a ride to the trailhead. Duh! oh course I want to ride to the trailhead in an old Model T! I got to ride in the jump seat.