Back along the way, the adventure has begun
After staying in Bles with my friends of 2019, making the last preparations, it was time to finally get to the road again. They left me in Shelter Cove and asked myself how I would feel returning. There was no great emotion on the road from BLU to resort and this made me worry. However, as soon as I was there, things changed.
I could immediately see other hikers, some in their rain team, which means that clothes were in the clothes, others just spinning. It is fascinating how the eye can detect long distance/through hikers after spending time on a long distance path. We all use some type of uniform that we distinguish from others.
At first, a little shy because everything was fresh and I have not walked all this year, I approached the other hikers in the Shelter Cove PCT tent. We immediately had good conversations about our experiences of paths. He felt good to speak and after ice cream it was time to leave. By saying goodbye to hikers in Shelter Cove, the words «see you» and «Happy Trails» surprised me.
These were the words that we said all the time in 2019 and triggered a feeling that I have lost for so long. They meant being back on the road and being part of a community of hikers who are out there not only to walk to Canada but to have the best possible moment every day.
The first night on the path
It seemed that Maiden Peak Shelter would be a good first stop on the path and I was the first there. Making sure that the door was properly closed to prevent mosquitoes from flying, it was time to dinner. Dinner frozen refused beans from home mixed with a little ramen. I hoped to find some more of those beans, but things have not changed in the 6 years that I was out of the way. Dry and frozen beans are still as rare as a gem.
After a while, other hikers entered and we talked about how terrible are mosquitoes and how they are trying to run to Canada as quickly as possible. This is because they are afraid to have to omit sections of the path due to forest fires. We all went to sleep and the next morning everyone got up around 5 in the morning to make great miles. They were chatting that I was still asleep and was not yet. In doing so, they gave me an uncomfortable feeling.
Why should I get up so early? I still have no paths of paths to cover large miles, therefore, there is no need to get up so soon. After they left, I was sitting at the shelter, realizing that I am not in the spheres like it used to be. It was a strange mixture of despair for having the legs of the paths and also wondering why these guys were apparently judging. Anyway, it was time to leave and walk.
First days back on the road
The first days of hiking were a mixture of escaping from mosquitoes and taking long breaks on the shore of the lakes. Surprisingly, few mosquitoes found their way to the banks of the lakes that made them really comfortable places to rest. As it was not possible to walk so many miles, I perceived the landscape around me in a very different way compared to 2019. For example, every lake that I passed, jumped to swim. While I have only been swimming in 2 lakes in 2019, it was already 6 in the first days of this year. That was amazing!
Hiking felt easy and getting used to living in a tent was not a problem at all. The conversations with other hikers were mostly talking about my story and I almost apologized that I did not start on the Mexican border. Although hikers did not care that he had not started at the border, he still felt that he did not belong to them.
Wille Wilderness
After being persecuted by innumerable mosquitoes in a green tunnel, only interrupted by burned areas, some views were suddenly opened. The desert of the three sisters was the first of many small milestones that I could reach and was impressive. Since I left the path in 2019, I dreamed of this part of the path and walking on the lava fields. I was finally there. The joy and emotion mixed and provided energy for some hottest days. It was also necessary for mosquitoes because they have changed. Less in numbers but much more aggressive than in the forest they tried my patience a lot. Many meadows in the area invite breaks and there were some good conversations with the hikers of a day. Long distance hikers were in much less numbers and wondered where they were.
But more about this in the following publication.
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