Day 93 - Chico

July 16

I had a lot of time to think and soul search the last few days and have decided that Belden is going to be my jumping off point. 

Missing Greg and Bodie is a given, but my body was telling me it was tired, sore and needs a rest. Plus I was getting very lonely. Don't get me wrong, I did enjoy the solitude. I was just getting a little too much of it. 

It's funny, in the mornings, even with a sore back, I would think maybe I could make it to the halfway point or maybe even the Oregon border. By noon I would realize that those thoughts were not realistic. 

I would have really liked to have talked to Greg to let him know my plans. With no cell service that just wasn't going to happen. I could have sent him a text message on the tracker, but knowing Greg the text messages would have been coming fast and furious and I needed to conserve battery just in case I needed the SOS. So Diane and Jennifer were the first to find out my plans.  Couldn't help but to tear up when I told them. I still plan on getting to Canada, it's just going to be in sections now. In fact, while hiking I kept trying to figure out what section(s) I could do before summer ends. 

Along with the back problems my right foot had been hurting a bit the last few days. I just thought my boots were too tight and would loosen them up. I noticed last night though while I was talking to Greg that my foot is pretty swollen. Even if I would continue on I think I would need another week off the get the body back in shape. 

 

Tonight I pulled everything out of my pack so Diane and Jennifer could see what I was carrying (and to finally get my dirty clothes out to wash). While putting it back together I realized stopping is going to be very hard. As much as I look forward to going home and being with my family I really just want to throw the pack back on and start hiking down the trail again. It's been my life for the last three months. A very important and rewarding part of my life. 

This has been an amazing journey. I've learned a lot about myself. What I am capable of, and not capable of. I've seen parts of this state that not many people have seen. Beauty beyond words. The barren mountains and deserts of Southern California. The drastic contours of the High Sierras. The silence. Mostly though I have seen a side of people (thru hikers, trail angels, complete strangers) that is even more beautiful than the landscapes. That has had the biggest impact on me. 

Thank you to all my family and friends, and Liz's family and friends, for the support you have given us along the way. And thank you Liz for getting me to go on this crazy adventure.  

Keep an eye on this blog. Who knows when there might be notes from the trail again. 

I don't think of the PCT as a obsession, but as a calling to experience and enjoy the simple pleasure of just being.