These are difficult decisions. You have to know yourself and how deep you can dig. I’m following several faster and much younger hikers ahead of Karma. The snow is challenging both physically and mentally. The cold weather has been brutal at altitude. Then, if you are unfamiliar with high altitude hiking, the shock to your system can be stunning. Altitude sickness is common. It features headaches, lack of appetite, lethargy and inability to sleep. I’ve been there and done that. As Karma says, this isn’t her first rodeo. She’s bagged a major thru hike. Maybe it’s time to savor the journey, and not the death march.
The day of badassery having been acknowledged and celebrated, a human’s got to know her limits. Forester was mine. Not all trails work for all people — and hey, 800 miles is nothing to sneeze at.
At least the desert had hummingbirds! 🙂
Yesterday morning my shoes were frozen solid, and my socks and pants were still wet and icy cold. This morning my tent was frozen. And in addition, someone seems to have flicked the mosquito button to the ‘on’ position. They’re suddenly swarming, and they’re relentless. Also large.
The altitude is affecting me much more than I thought it would. Can’t hike fast, can’t sleep, can’t breathe well. I’m really tired–and it’s making things very hard.
My PCT adventure is likely at its close. I could skip the Sierra, but that’s not ideal. And there’s still too much snow in Washington to go that far north. Best to…
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A fork in the road 