Start: 0715 - Taylor Lake
End: 1710 - Elk Lake Resort
Miles (today): 23.5 (22 PCT, 1 alternate, 0.5 off)
Miles (cumulative): 1987 (1788.5 PCT, 128 alternate, 70.5 off)
"You must cut down the mightiest tree in the forest wiiiiittthhhh.... A herring!"
(Kudos to those of you who know what movie that's from.)
Nick bought a can of smoked herring in Shelter Cove, which he was really excited about. Alas, as he was packing up this morning, he noticed that the can of smoked herring leaked all over the food inside his food bag and also into the tent. It was quite the ordeal cleaning up the oil and, as I expected, there is definitely a fishy smell in the tent tonight. Maybe it will air out while we sleep? Hopefully no wild animals will be attracted by this delightful odor....
Nick holding the leaky can of herring as he cleans off his herring oil covered food ...
Due to the herring incident, I didn't start hiking as early as I wanted to. (It's a resupply day at Elk Lake Resort and I wanted to get there ASAP to enjoy it, but with my various aches and pains I knew I'd need longer than usual to get there). It was a pleasant morning to hike, though - it was cool (but not cold), the sky was overcast, and there was a quiet stillness about the trail that made me smile.
After a mere 15 minutes I broke down and took a double dose of vitamin I. I thought I'd be able to hike without it today but not so much - even though my back is better it's not 100% (and neither is my ankle). Don't worry, these are the sort of challenges that will make reaching Canada that much sweeter.
So all was well - I was enjoying the quiet and I was thinking about what Alejandro (the wonderful guy I met on the bus to Bend) said about how we are responsible for our own happiness (or our suffering) - it all comes from within. No one can make me happy (or make me suffer) - it's all in how I react.
And then I heard music behind me. It's Nick. He had a huge grin on his face and he was practically running. I had left at least 30 minutes before him and here it was only 1000 and he caught up to me already. He danced right past me in such a jovial mood that I couldn't help but smile. At the same time I fought back those familiar feelings of inadequacy (I hate being the slow one!). It's all in how I react, it's all in how I react....
Nick turned around and smiled at me. I smiled in return and flipped him off. Then I ate a snack just because. :)
I tried to keep pace with him but failed miserably - my body flat out refused to move any faster, as if doing so would break her. So I contented myself with enjoying the cooler weather and the flatter terrain.
Elk Lake is 1 mile off the PCT. The trail leading to Elk Lake from the PCT didn't indicate it led to Elk Lake - I just knew it did because of the Halfmile App. Despite being much slower than Nick I still made it to the junction by 1615. Only one mile to go, or so I thought.
I assumed the trail would lead me right to Elk Lake. It didn't. Instead, it led me to another trail junction where none of the signs said "Elk Lake". Well damn. I didn't have a map to consult (Nick carries them, remember) and the Halfmile app didn't provide any useful information.
Two days ago, on the way to Shelter Cove, Nick left a stick arrow and wrote "Beth" on the trail so I wouldn't go the wrong way - and that was clearly marked AND it was on the Halfmile app. But today, when it isn't marked, I'm left with nothing. I knew I shouldn't get mad - I should have looked closer at the maps or even taken a picture of them - but damn! Of all the days to not communicate.
I walked east, which is where my mental map told me to go. East led me to a road and a trailhead but there were still no signs for Elk Lake. I had some service so, in my frustration, I texted Nick for help even though I didn't think he'd get the message. Thinking perhaps my instincts were wrong (it wouldn't be the first time out here), I walked back to the trail junction and went the other way. I knew Elk Lake was only a mile from the PCT and I knew I had walked at least half that, so I told myself if I didn't come upon it in 15 minutes that I should have indeed gone east.
After 10 minutes I came upon another trail junction. The good news was that there was finally a sign for Elk Lake; the bad news was that it was back the way I came. At least my initial instincts were correct!
This is when Nick calls - My text went through after all.
Look, I know it wasn't appropriate... But I answered the phone mad. I harshly asked him why he didn't leave me a sign or arrow and I reminded him that I don't have the maps.
His response of "I thought it was obvious- I didn't even look at the map" was NOT the right thing to say.
There was so much going on in my head at this time that the poor guy didn't have a chance. Yes, I was miffed that he didn't leave some sort of sign telling me where to go, but I was also mad at myself for getting into that situation in the first place - I don't look at the maps at night (mainly because I'm writing) and I expect him to tell me what I need to know, which is silly. I should be more self-reliant. Yes, I was relieved that he got my message and that he was calling to give me directions, but I was also annoyed because now I wouldn't be able to say I figured it out on my own. I also felt stupid because the way to Elk Lake wasn't immediately obvious to me and because I would have consulted a map if I had one (where as Nick said he didn't look at a map to get there). On top of everything else, I was jealous that he was already there, enjoying a beer, while I was basically hobbling my way down the trail. I wasn't upset because my path wasn't clear, I was upset because I was already behind and not having a clear path put me even further behind.
Thanks to Nick's directions, I made it. I was still upset by the whole ordeal, though, and just wanted Nick to admit that perhaps it wasn't obvious (even though he said he didn't need a map, keep in mind he looks at it every night). Nick wasn't going there, though - saying it wasn't obvious would mean he somehow failed me. Or something like that.
I couldn't stay mad for long. Firstly, it was ultimately my own fault. Secondly, another hiker gave me a snickers (I'm sure he could tell I was upset - even though I try to hide such things in public I know I'm too expressive). Thirdly, I took a shower and washed the final events of the day away.
After showering, I ate an amazingly delicious beet salad with fantastic smoked trout, some fresh tomatoes and strawberries (from Clayton, an employee of Elk Lake), hands down the best wings I've ever tasted (Clayton gave me a few to try), and ice cream.
When I finished eating we had a new issue to deal with - our resupply box didn't show up. No, Mary didn't let us down - UPS did (the package is lost somewhere in Portland). Unfortunately for us, even though the restaurant is great, there isn't much of a store here (unless living off of Cliff bars and cookies is your thing).
The hiker box was ok - we pillaged some nuts, tuna, Ramen, and two Knorr sides. I bought some cliff bars for snacks (and I still had some snacks left). But who really helped us out was Clayton. Clayton gave us quinoa, apples, and a huge bag of couscous. What?! How amazing is that?! In return I gave him one of the clay figures.
Of everyone who I've given a clay figure to, Clayton's response was the best. He really loved it! He put the figure in the staff zen garden and told everyone about it. I couldn't stop smiling - it made me feel good to know such a small gesture could have such a big impact.
us with Clayton - he was so awesome!!!
the cacti figure in the zen garden
Along the trail:
