Day 119- The One With The Hangover

Saturday August 11, 2018

Chief Joseph TH(2389.7) to Hell Roaring Creek(2415.2) 25.5 Miles 

Total Miles: 2130.8

I managed to get almost eight hours of sleep last night. I woke up to the sound of Piñata and Enigma making coffee. I grabbed myself a cup and finished writing my blog post from yesterday. We had arranged a ride back to the trailhead at eight o’clock from a local trail angel named, Curtis. He was a very nice retired Army guy. He usually hosts cyclists, but has recently begun helping out hikers as well. Enigma decided to stay in town an extra day to meet up with a friend. They were going to go look for rocks in the area. I had no idea that Enigma was a rock hound. I ate leftover lasagna and dipped my coffee while waiting for Curtis to arrive. He had us back on trail shortly after nine o’clock. After two full days in town we definitely were feeling the effects of a town hangover. We were very unmotivated all day long. I’m glad that the terrain was easy because my pack was HEAVY. The heatwave that plagued the area for the last few days finally broke, but it was still really hot outside. I was burning through my water supply very quickly. We hiked on cross country ski trails for most of the morning. After leaving the nicely graded trails behind we hiked through huge burn areas with zero shade. 

I deserve a gold medal after hiking through the heat 

Morning terrain 

We took several extra long breaks today. Like I said earlier, we weren’t very motivated today. I made a miscalculation at our first water source and didn’t get enough water. The next ten miles were dry, and it wasn’t long before I wished that I had gotten more water. Luckily, during the last few miles before getting to the next water source some clouds moved in. That helped with the heat a little bit. We were all really thirsty when we got to the creek. It takes about thirty minutes for my bleach to work it’s chemical magic cleaning my water. I didn’t think I could wait that long for clean water. Piñata and Sour Straws use bleach as well, but they also carry a Sawyer filter. We took turns using the Sawyer to drink clean water right away while we waited for our bleach to work. 

Hot and exposed hiking 

Growth in the burn zone 

Hiking in 90 degree + heat

I’m really hoping that I get my mojo back soon. Everyday I feel a little less motivated to hike. I’m pretty sure at some point on a long distance trail this happens, but on this trail I just can’t seem to shake it. I vaguely remember feeling the same on the AT before reaching the Whites in New Hampshire. On the PCT I think I felt like this in southern Oregon. I’m sure by the time I hit the Bob Marshall Wilderness and Glacier NP the feeling will have passed, but that seems very far away right now. My focus right now is eating as much food as I possibly can to get my pack weight back down to a more manageable level. This newfound super hiker hunger is definitely making my life more difficult.  

Combination of logging, beetle kill, and fires 

“Good thoughts bear good fruit, bad thoughts bear bad fruit.”

- James Lane Allen