Chap. 43 – Patriotism and cake shakes

Waking up at 5:30 this morning felt slower than usual. No one felt the need to get moving. Last night we finally caught up with Marathon and Coyote, but Marathon has been experiencing some pain in his Achilles tendon, calf, and shin. He slept in this morning, but still had to take it easy to get to the road.

During the few hours we spent walking into town, I walked behind Coyote until he wanted to wait for Marathon, then I walked behind Frodo. Since he’s 19, the same age as my younger brother, I’m trying to bet on how long I can keep up with him. The stamina that 19-year-olds have is amazing, so I surprised myself by keeping up with them the entire way. We spent a good part of the morning chatting about the differences between Europe and the US.

Since America’s 250th anniversary is right around the corner, it seemed like an ideal theme for the time being. It is a great opportunity to listen to and understand the outside perspective of our country. We talked about the differences in our militaries, our universities, and the general patriotism of our countries. It fascinates me how much our countries have in common, but also the key factors that make them so different!

Frodo and the Sierras before me.

Once Boostie hit the road, maybe ten minutes after us, I gave him a thumbs up and a smile. A few cars drove by without success, but maybe ten minutes later, a lady nodded her head and stopped to grab Boostie and me. Others had arrived, so Frodo said he would wait for the next obstacle and let us go together.

Once in Ridgecrest, our first stop was Taco Bell. A woman saw our backpacks and struck up a brief conversation. She asked what the big packages were for, we explained briefly and she said:

«Ah. Gluttons for punishment.»

Yes, ma’am, I suppose you could call it that. We spent way too much time at Taco Bell, but I ate 2,200 calories for less than $10. That’s about half of what we burn daily! I felt good about the food, but we’ll see how that food feels about me later…

After a few detours and pit stops, we arrived at our hotel. We hitchhiked from one side of town to the other and the man who picked us up shared the same sentiment as the woman from Taco Bell.

«I’m not going to sugarcoat it, it sounds horrible.»

I couldn’t understand how anyone could enjoy walking twenty miles a day for several months at a time, through desert, mountains, rivers and, eventually, rainforest. Know? Maybe you’re right.

Sometimes I remember that I could be sleeping in a bed every night, always with a bathroom nearby, and I wonder why I do this to myself. I become dehydrated, hungry, mentally and physically exhausted, and yet I persevere. I think that’s why I do it. My whole motto is not to ask why, but to ask why not? My other favorite motto in life is what will be, will be. That’s something I have to remind myself every time something goes wrong here, almost every day.

Wearing your hair down was a choice…

The end of the day was mentally exhausting. I wanted to rest. I needed to rest. Although I had many tasks ahead of me. Instead of resting or spending time with tram, I became stressed and overwhelmed. We didn’t have dinner until 10pm, but at least my apple pie smoothie helped brighten my mood. I’m looking forward to our first double zero at Kennedy Meadows…we’ll be there soon!

This website contains affiliate links, which means The Trek may receive a percentage of any products or services you purchase using links in articles or advertisements. The buyer pays the same price they would otherwise pay, and their purchase helps support The Trek’s ongoing goal of bringing you quality backpacking information and advice. Thank you for your support!

For more information, visit the About page of this site.