Miles traveled: 23
Mile marker: 1050.1
A groan escapes me when the alarm goes off.
I’m tired.
Maybe it will disappear.
But when I put on my backpack and we start pushing uphill, it doesn’t go away.
To my right is a pile of black rocks. It’s a pile of charcoal-colored rock fragments. It looks like something exploded and this is the damage!
«This looks like something your father would climb to the top,» Rafiki says.
We walked uphill for a long time. I hike with Luxy and we spend a lot of time talking about the differences between the Czech Republic and the US for children and educational experiences.
Luxy and I walked for miles and miles. We stopped once with the group for a short time, but we have now traveled almost ten miles and have not seen any of them!
It’s hot today. It’s been hot the last few days. When we were going through the big passes, it was much colder than this. I feel like I have to reacclimate to this strong sun!
«Will they ever stop? We haven’t gone this long without a break in a long time!» Luxy says.
I agree.
Ten miles have passed when we finally find Voyager and the group!
I sit next to Rafiki on a rock. We are at the top of a hill with a beautiful view, rocky and a little desolate. I use Rafiki’s phone to call Dad and talk about the logistics of when we get to the city.
Then I call mom.
«Kids want FaceTime Bumper!» Mom says. She and my niece and nephew watch Bumper’s vlog on the PCT, so the kids were able to watch it on YouTube.
«Oh, he’s here,» I say. My niece is with my mom, so I flag down Bumper.
«I don’t want to get up,» Bumper says.
I don’t want to move either, so I say, «This is your fan club, Bumper. Come talk to your fans.»
“Hi, Bumper,” my niece says in her little girl voice.
«Hello,» Bumper says.
Pause.
Rafiki and I laugh at the conversation that fails.
Finally he intervened. —Do you want to tell Bumpers something? I ask my niece.
“I watch your videos,” he says. “How many miles have you walked?”
«A thousand,» Bumper says.
My niece whispers in amazement: «A thousand!»
I admit, I’m a little jealous that the niece and nephew are more attracted to Bumper than me.
Maybe I’ll make some videos soon.
We decided to walk another seven kilometers to have lunch. It’s uphill and on a peak.
Voyager is here. You need service because you will soon be heading off course for a new job opportunity and you are getting all your documents in order.
The sun is strong, so we rest under a tree. When the wind comes, it cools me down immediately. I’m so tired that after eating I lie down on my mat and take a nap. Rafiki gives me his sleeping bag. Before long, I’m drooling all over my arm.
I don’t want to get up, but I do. However, he could have slept more and Rafiki and Luxy go back to the drawing board to get another hotel room that has a pool. This takes another ten or fifteen minutes.
There is service here and they are taking advantage of it.
Six miles to camp!
I push forward. I still don’t feel well. I’ve been a little nauseous today. It might have been last night’s packaged steak and rice, or maybe all the heavy food I ate yesterday and today. Or my new Hawaiian Punch drink powder that I bought at Trail Magic. I’m not sure what, but I’m dragging today.
Downhill we ran into Legend again. This is the man we met at Trail Magic the other day.
He’s waiting for his wife. She appears and Legend says, «If he asks, tell him I’ve been here a long time!» He walks towards his wife. «Hey, honey!» He gives her a big hug and offers to carry her bag.
He packs loosely, meaning he carries a small backpack and not a large backpack. Her husband visits her and she sleeps in her caravan every night. Legend has it that his wife likes to backpack but not sleep in the tent!
We walked the rest of the way down. When we put up the tent, the stakes are not driven into the ground. The wind whips, but I manage to get my tent up. We are basically camping on bedrock.
But I don’t care. I fall asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow.
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