Not much two – The Trek

While the previous stretch from Sonora Pass to Tahoe was not without wonder and beauty, not much really happened. I met up with some old friends, made some new ones, and enjoyed the sunset. Just some normal days. So I thought I’d follow up my previous post about my normal day of walking with a normal day in the city.

City days are the days I do tasks I can’t do on the road. Tasks ranging from necessities to subtleties. From getting food for the next leg (resupply) to clean clothes, from charging my battery to identifying flowers. A day in the city is as much a part of the hike as days on the trail. Like days on the trail, I’ve developed a rhythm in the city, even though there isn’t much to do.

Day before the city

A proper city day begins the day before, or days before in some cases. I don’t want to arrive in the city unprepared. The night before, I camped an hour or two off the road into town. Sure, I could push through and get into town that day. But then, compared to the alternative of waiting until morning, I would pay more than anything for a bed.

Before nero, I will create a to-do list for the city. The usual entrance; replenishment, charging, shower, laundry. But also strange tasks, like sewing pants, permethrin, exchanging very difficult things. I often remember or make up city tasks while walking.

Jessica’s stick seed

Night preparation

In the camp I will prepare for the city. I will charge all my electronic devices with my battery bank, so when I get into town I only need to charge my battery bank while I do housework and make phone calls at night. This saves time in the city having to change electronics or carry multiple ports and cables.

While I drain my battery, I will also plan my next leg. My plan rarely comes true, but that’s not the point. It’s more about seeing what I’ll need for food and what my next stop in the city will be. It’s important because you never know when you might suddenly be buying resupply.

I feel like I’m in the wild west

Finally, I will draft the next blog and often work on it throughout the section. I work on my phone’s notes app for first drafts, but to finish I really need a good signal and power source, as I’ve found it may require a full phone charge per blog. But writing accounts for approximately half of the time dedicated to the blog. Which is a 4+ hour task, so it’s best to get ahead of yourself.

get to the city

The next morning I usually arrive at the road junction before 10, although the city rarely follows the path of course. There may be a bus to catch, a tracking angel to call, or a thumb to stick out. But it’s never long before a ride arrives and I’m off to Neverland.

bed example

My first priority upon landing in the city is to secure my bed for the night. So we go to the trail angel’s lodge, motel or house. The reason is simple: I prefer not to lug my backpack around town, which makes it harder to get in and out of stores. The city is also where I worry about robberies.

Plus, I can start charging my battery while I shower and do laundry. I will continue creating the blog while I do the laundry. I guess I smell, in order not to damage the reputation of hikers in this small town, I will clean myself before doing housework in the town. Not everyone in the city knows that I’m going from Mexico to Canada. Leave No Trace applies to both the city and the trails.

Groceries

Another reason to show up first where I’m resting my head is the possibility of a hiker box. A hiker box is an assortment of items that other hikers leave for hikers, mostly gear items that are half broken. I’ll check the hiker’s box to see if I might need things, like ziplocks. This will save me from having to buy it myself.

Once clean, it’s time to head to the grocery store, gas station, or resupply cargo container. I will have a plan for the next leg, I know the exact amount of meals I will need. Then, once in the store, it’s what I see first. I have a variety for every meal except breakfast.

For breakfast, I’ll reach for poptarts or fig Newtons. For lunch, honestly, I have nothing to do. I’ve eaten everything from omelettes to skittles, from Clif bars to fried foods, from trail mix to cheese. For dinner, it’s usually instant mashed potatoes, ramen, or Knorr sides. For dessert, peanut butter or Snickers.

Connecting to the Matrix

After shopping, I go back to my bed, unpack the groceries, and repackage them into smaller containers. The amount of plastic I throw away is ridiculous. I don’t consider my resupply finished until all the food is packed for the next leg.

INaturalist identifies this as Sicklekeel Lupine

But afterward, I relax and connect to the hostel/motel’s WiFi. I’ll update my FarOut, upload photos to see what species I saw on the last stretch, and finish my blog for the city.

It’s surprising how little happens despite the number of pings and emails I will receive. After cooling, I will clean the filter, pot and other sundries and small tasks. I will look for some snacks, prioritizing vegetables, to eat throughout the day. But I usually don’t have much time to relax in the city.

Side dishes and garnishes

After the usual tasks, I’ll head out for a side quest. My goal is to do a side quest in each city. So far I have only failed twice. These range from touring a gold mine to visiting the local farmers market, class IV rafting, and getting a massage. Honestly, a side quest to me is anything I’ve never done or that’s just available.

Fruits from my trip to the farmers market

After the side quest, I will have dinner at a local place and eat two main dishes, one of them a salad or a vegetarian dish. Garnished with fish & chips or hamburger. I will return to my hostel/motel and buy a liter of ice cream to enjoy before the night. The last task of the night is to put my phone in the outlet before going to bed. Then it’s a wake up, finish the pending tasks and then leave the city.

Well, it’s time for dinner and after a side mission to the casinos, I’m going to play some cards until I lose $100 or so.