The tradition at the Susan Komen 3 day walk is to take a picture at the start of each day indicating which day you are on. So here you go. This is day 1 of the continuation of the PCT journey.
I am not sure how I am going to represent days above 10.
As I mentioned above I expected this first week to be a pretty easy stroll. Some of it was and some of it was not. Below is a picture of the start of the trail here near Quincy and pretty much all of the 50 miles I did this week look about the same. Large Douglas Firs and a soft trail to walk on.
I thought I was doing a pretty good pace and had been drinking a bit of water and when I got to a sign indicating a spring just off the trail I took it and wandered down to a nice cold spring.
On the way I crossed a logging road and a couple trucks went by. There is a lot of logging going on around these parts. Could hear the trucks during the first day and but only heard any logging activity at the end of the second day. Walked through a few parts that had been recently logged, guessing within the last 5 years anyway as there were lots of small trees. I should have taken pictures because I was surprised at how close the new trees were placed next to each other. Perhaps they just plan on the strongest taking over OR perhaps there is certain amount that generally just don’t make it OR perhaps someone is going to come in a thin at some later time.
Below is a picture that gives you a grander view of the area. Just beautiful forested area.
Got passed by about 7 other hikers. 1 young couple. Most of them did not care to talk but only said “I’m behind you” and then “thank you” when I moved out of the way. I was slow last year and I am really slow right now at the start especially compared to those that have been walking 1200 miles already and are in the best shape of their young lives. One guy named “Rant” did talk for awhile. He got his name because the question of gun control came up one night and he went on about the subject for the next 3 days. I did not ask him what his opinion was.
I stopped at about 4 pm because I generally stop about that time anyway but I was exhausted after 15 miles. I stopped by the Middle Fork of the Feather River which was a good sized river. It was nice listening to the water during the night. I was so tired I did not think of getting a picture. There are 3 forks of the Feather River and they are all tributaries to the Sacramento RIver
I did learn something during the day or rather learned something again. I had not separated the food that I wanted for the day into a bag that was easy to get to. All my food was buried inside my pack and it was just too much trouble to dig in to get it. I never felt THAT hungry. I am sure that contributed to my exhaustion at the end of the day and the problems I would have the next day.
It was a good day. I thanked God for the many blessings that allow me to do this.
Lenora’s Note:
I remember this part. It is easy. It is hard. We get to a trailhead and say farewell with a prayer. Once the pack is on I watch my husband turn and walk away up the trail. This morning the weather is great and it looks like a good day for a hike. I have learned to not worry every minute or even every hour and I have goals for each week. I look over the town and rest up from the last few days. The cats and I settle in. On the way back to the hotel I see the first of the area’s local color, a huge painted quilt block on the side of a barn. I want to make a collection of these works of art so I stop to take a quick picture from my drivers seat out of the passenger window. Not long later I see a turkey hen and about 8 youngsters crossing the road in front of the car. I try to stop and track them down to get a picture but I never see them again.
