?Donde estoy?

"Hold on. What? Who? You're going to have to stop soon...I'm falling asleep."

This is how most days end for me on the PCT. Cocooned in my sleeping bag, paralysed with exhaustion and Neil reading me The Magician and me vaguing out just before I nod off (yes, we are still reading it; I usually fall asleep within 15 minutes of Milambar, Thomas and Arutha's Midkemian adventures. Stoked to know that Pug and Katala have a son!). 

We wake at 5.44am every morning from the alarm. In the earlier months Neil would already be awake with the sun and reading one of his books; now the stars are still out at this time and the daylight hours are shrinking. Some mornings are super chilly and others more mild. The warmer morning usually start with more enthusiasm. But the colder mornings are sometimes quicker in the end as some ritualistic preening is foregone. (N.B there is little preening in any case!)

After we pack up the tent, have our porridge, filter more water, get dressed, clean our teeth and pack our packs we head off for the first 5 miles; rewarded afterwards with a nut bar and other nuts/dry fruit (surprisingly enjoyable - something I would not have said prior to this adventure - I hate scrogan - I love everything individually but serioisly hate pre-mixed concoctions/scrogan). There is an unwritten rule of "no podcasts" before 5 miles. So... we discuss and dissect The Magician. This can take as much as half an hour, 1.25 miles. It amazing how involved I feel with this book! For the next 4 miles we discuss life, love, the future... and literally the universe, Neil likes to talk about space travel and when we will head over to Mars. 

We have morning tea at 5 miles, give or take, depending on water sources. We then walk another 6 or so to lunch. The days immediately following a town are usually pretty good lunches- avocado, tomato, cheese, salami and mustard. Other days are less exciting - just tuna and cheese or PB & J wraps. Rotation helps keep boredom at bay. Though, to be honest, I look forward to every meal no matter how crap or beige it is. Its filling (usually) and a reason to stop and take the pack off for a while and reduce some of the weight in our packs. And I just like eating. Neil has also discovered "hiker hunger". Back in Australia Neil would stop eating when he was satisfied and not overeat (unlike me, which he finds repulsive) but now he will just eat and eat and eat even if hes not hungry. He's probably now worse than me and I find him repulsive. Good to hold a mirror up to ourselves sometimes! I only hope I remember this when I get home. 

We hike the rest of the day with breaks till about 7pm, usually walking a marathon each day. With a 20kg backpack. This continues to blow my mind. My watch tells me I have done just under 63,000 steps today. Feel like I deserve a wine... but I have no wine. 

A wonderful friend of mine asked me if I get bored. I honestly thought I would but I don't. I do have bad days, tired days, sore days and grumpy days where I have a short fuse and everything is Neil's fault. Obviously. But I really enjoy the scenery and the freedom and the isolation and the slow meander to the untouchable end. One of my favourite sensations on the trip, small but imprinted, is the warm air brushing through the hairs on my legs. I usually shave my legs but they are now over 1.5 cm long and I love the feeling of goosebumps in the morning and the afternoon warmth moving through them. Soft like feathers. A little brush of warmth.

One of the many "half way" points!

And I just get so excited for camp each night. Still. More so. We have a stock cube with angel hair pasta and hot water for soup. So lame but I seriously love it. We tried store bought soup sachets but the stock cube wins over and over again. This is followed by a dehydrated mountain meal usually bulked up with ramen/2 minute noodles (I don't want to know how bad these are for me!) and then we finish off with hot chocolate. Its a routine that I have come very familiar and fond of. Also Kettle Original Chips. I have become fond of these little babies. Heaps of calories and no sugar! Neil dropped half a bag somewhere on the trail... I've never seen some retrace their steps with such enthusiasm and nonchalance for unnecessary energy expenditure.

I just asked Neil when Game of Thrones comes out. He says "2019, that's why we're hiking now." 

Whenever I see the elevation map and it shows a good steady downhill I get excited. Downhill. Easy...Not the case. My knees hurt, my feet roll over the rocks. Uphill, while using more energy, is more consistent and less painful on the 33 year old knees. Having said that, we did about 50 switchbacks yesterday up a mountain and I was puffing and panting with numb jelly legs. We've also thought about lying about our age. Neil is now 45 and I'm 35; it's great to see people say how youthful we are for our respective ages. Neil likes to be 27. 

Due to the fires there have been a lot of people skipping around sections (understandably) which means the southbounders are all spread out now. We hadn't seen people in about 4 days until descending on the lovely town of Quincy.

We are now over half way which is awesome! We will certainly be able to do the second half faster than the first. We've got this! I. so excited for the high Sierras!

Stay Safe

Jx

A few other books I've started / finished listening to:

1. The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen - this was recommended to me years ago by my beautiful friend Julia. It's taken me a while to get through it; I've started it several times and struggled. But I absolutely loved it in the end. It is so beautifully and poetically written yet so depressing, bitter, sad and raw. I didn't know that it was about dementia (oddly) and it definitely left tears in my eyes.

2. Catch 22 by Joseph Heller - they're all mad. Hilarious and irritatingly mad.

After a million switchbacks

3. Guns, Germs and Steel by Jared Diamond - only a few chapters in but really enjoying the historical and science narrative to understanding why nations turned out how they have. I enjoy hearing that 'western civilization' isn't seen as the goal or zenith of human development and happiness.