Highlights:
- Managed to hike 10 km before breakfast and 20 before lunch.
- Meeting Gabe and Phil.
- Talking with Lanski, Angelita, and my parents.
Daily Summary:
- Distance hiked: 40 km
- Starting point: km 516
- Ending point: Anaconda Junction
- Weather conditions: Hot and dry
Daily Reflections (challenges, insights, musings):
Today began with an ambitious start, covering 10 km before breakfast and 20km before lunch. This left me feeling somewhat accomplished, despite the grueling heat and my persistent fatigue.
At one point, while getting water from a log, I had the distinct premonition that I was going to fall—and fall I did. This seems to be a recurring theme on this journey: knowing what’s coming but being unable to avoid it.
Large expanses of water but no sign of animals; it’s a strange and quiet desolation. Along the way, I met Phil from Philly and Gabe from Maryland. Phil has recently quit his job at EY, while Gabe, a recent geology graduate, previously worked for an arms manufacturer but now wants to focus on climate work. Interesting stories, everyone seems to be on some sort of quest for change.
Despite the interesting conversations, today was marked by a constant feeling of exhaustion. The real kicker came 10 km before camp when I discovered there would be no water for the next 30 km. This realization hit me hard. I was also bringing all my anxieties about soon leaving the trail for a week with family: the loss of trail legs, the difficulty of high altitude acclimatization, falling behind the SOBOs ,…I need to focus on the positives to keep moving forward.
