3 Highlights:
1. Achieving serious miles
2. Hiking and chatting with Sparkle
3. Texting and staying connected with Lanski
Daily Summary:
• Distance hiked: 48 km (51 on trail)
• Starting point: SF Mesa Trailhead, km 3144
• Ending point: Junction at km 3196
• Weather conditions: Sunny with some minor rain.
Daily Reflections (challenges, insights, musings):
Woke up feeling like a wrung-out dishrag—fourth night of terrible sleep. Did some non-sleep deep rest meditation to trick myself into feeling better. It was 5:45 am, so I got up and started packing, leaving camp by 6:30. Early bird style.
Pushed myself as fast as I could, clocking 16 km by 10 am. The goal was 20 miles (32 km) by 2 pm, and I almost made it—hit it by 2:30. Not bad! Took a well-deserved break, had lunch, and did a cold plunge for my feet, which were now demanding some attention. It’s been a while since I pushed this hard, and my feet were letting me know.
Around km 35, I ran into Sparkle, and we hiked the rest of the way together, making it to camp by mile 30. James rolled in an hour later. Dinner was a classy affair—nuts, jerky, cheese, and dates. Gourmet, right? All while stretching out those stiff legs.
Noticed a few blisters, which felt like little trophies for my hard work. It’s been too long since I cranked out a big day like this. Planning another long haul tomorrow, hoping to make the following day a bit shorter and less rushed for town time.
Time to try and sleep. Wish me luck.
