Day 34: Slug Water & Road Beers

He felt as if the path had been taking, but today he returned ten times. My day was full and broad and left me inspired, although painful.

We woke up determined to invent the miles we had lost the day before due to thunder storms.

We decided to walk a minimum of 31 miles.

We woke up early enough to see dawn. I had been justifying my late beginnings for weeks, but, looking at a brilliant mountain pass, I could no longer deny the truth that I had always known; Alpine beginnings are the way.

We climb on a tip crest in a pleasantly cold window. There is no sun to hit our backs, yet.

We eventually headed to a dirt road that would lead us to an important spring, the first water in 10 miles. We found a milestone and wandered through a swamp looking for the water source before realizing that the swamp was the source.

I leaked my water, drinking with greed without looking closely as we load the path. I stopped to examine my bottle and noticed something small and brown swimming.

Reader, there was a slug live in my bottle. There were no nearby water sources, so Beaker helped me remove the slug and, unfortunately, I had to keep drinking.

While we walked along the dirt road, a truck stopped offering us cold beers from the window. The older couple stopped, offering us two cold glasses and waited for us to end up to recover the glass.

«It used to be like you,» said the man, pointing to our packages. He told us that he had walked a part of the trail of the Apalaches in the 90s. He marveled at our light team and trail shoes, commenting how far the team has advanced since he got back.

Because we were slightly deprived of calories and very dehydrated, individual beers feel more forceful than expected.

I felt grateful for the mixed terrain when we returned to the road. Some road walk, combined with undulating green pastures and imposing wooded passes made for a beautiful and interesting day.

22 miles of the day, we were looking on a dirt road that seemed to be about ninety degrees.

«Do we go up that …?» I asked Beaker.

«Oh yes.» said.

The climb lasted what seemed an eternity, and was rethinking our resolution to walk so many miles.

At the top of the climb we sit down to eat cold ramen. I could feel that my body/tendons hardened the more I sat me, but the food revived me and I felt ready to follow the truth in our promise of great miles.

The thrust was worth it. We walked green pastures next to the curious cows, the sky became bright orange and threw interesting tones against layers of mountains surrounded us everywhere.

The sun made its languid exit, and we had about 5 miles of night walk in front of us. We took out our headlights and it occurred to me that I had not reviewed the battery in my lamp in months!

We entered a dark forest that still felt in the tranquility of the night.

«I forgot the little terrifying night hiking,» Beaker said. I laughed, since I had been thinking about the same.

We decided to reach the next water source, which would limit our day to 35 miles. We left the forest, finding us under an open and starry sky. We saw the dark contour of the imminent mountains in the dark around the sage field where we met.

We set our store in the only flat place we could find. My legs contracted while laying on my sleeping pad, the tapas closed quickly. I heard the crickets and I felt proud. As if I could trust myself to follow 35 miles, I could trust myself to do anything.

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