Lists

Right now I am sitting. It is one of those rare mornings where us hikers find ourselves in town to catch up on those "other life"chores. Last night, Oasis and I indulged in a "big girl" bottle of wine, the effects of which I am definitely feeling this morning and that are only being exacerbated by this obnoxiously shaky computer screen.
My hiking partner Spud has picked up a new hobby: making lists of things. Some examples include...lists of reasons I can't complain (being a white male, etc), lists of favorite words and foods, lists of friends, hobbies and job possibilities. Yes, I have spent more time than I would like to admit, craning my neck over Spuds shoulder, enviously wishing that I had thought of the list idea first.
Anyway, today due to the fact that we have come over 2100 miles and that my hangover only allows my brain to reach a certain threshold of intellectualism (is that even a word??), I am dedicating this entry to Spud by making my own list of the PCT.
 So here goes.

Honeybear's PCT 2012 List (created August 29th 2012 in Cascade Locks,OR)

1.) Start date: April 25th
2.) End date: September 21st (hopefully)
3.) Hiking partners: Mostly Oasis and Spud
4.) Average mileage per day including zero days: 18
5.) Mileage per day without zeros: 24
6.) Most beautiful view thus far (in my opinion): Seldon Pass (mile 900) in the High Sierras
7.) Other beautiful views: Crater Lake (mile 1834), Three Finger Jack (mile 1970?), Mount Hood (mile 2107)
8.) Craziest weather on the trail: Hailstorm with cherry tomato sized hail around mile 1931 in Oregon.
9.)most miles hiked in one day: 35 miles (from Sky Lake Wilderness to Crater Lake National Park)
10.) Most interesting food combination consumed on trail: Tortilla, peanut butter, mustard, summer sausage and granola combination
11.) Things I love most about the trail: meeting wonderful people, being inspired by nature and sleeping outside.
12.) Things I am TOTALLY excited about after the trail: being domestic (cooking, cleaning, shopping, sewing, working), taking a shower on a regular basis (more than once every ten days), being enrolled at Portland State University as a graduate student in Public Health, living with the one and only Sophie Sessions (my sister for those of you who don't know me personally)
13.) Most interesting day: July 14th; a day where we hiked in complete silence.
14.) Hardest day physically: Around mile 1000 after Tuolumne meadows. We seriously climbed straight up and then down the ENTIRE DAY and due to the rediculous concentration of mosquitoes, did not really take any significant breaks.
15.) Fun people I have met on the trail: Spud, Cookie, Zen and Wampuscat, Doc and Bluejay, Scarecaw, Preacher, Virgo, Snausage, Nips and Wildflower, Halmark and Yankieson and many many more :)
16.) Favorite piece of gear: NeoAir Thermarest sleeping pad (it seriously feels like an air mattress)
17.) Least favorite piece of gear: My sleeping bag (looks as pathetic as it feels).
18.) Number of days hiked on the trail: 128.
19.) Number of days left to hike on the trail: 23

We are almost there!! Thank-you to all of you who sent packages to Cascade Locks. Anne, thank-you for the mango, chocolate and gummies. Kristina, your care package made our day. I am so excited for a new pair of socks (my old sleep socks have holes). Dad and Chris, we REALLY hope you enjoyed our company and much as we enjoyed yours. Sue, thank-you for driving all the way out highway 26 to interview us and thanks for the rasberries and candy! Much appreciated.
Finally thank-you Claire from SheJumps for sending us your awesome hats. We will be wearing them from here on out to the end of our hike. On that note, Oasis and I have helped raise over 400 dollars to benefit SheJumps. A sincere thank-you to everyone who has donated. We are making a difference. And to everyone who has been hoping to donate. Our hike is almost over, so now is the time! You can easily make a small contribution by clicking on the "Donate to SheJumps" tab on my blog and hitting the "Donate to SheJumps" writing on that page. Your contributions are much appreciated.

Well, I guess we have got another state to hike through, so I have got to go. But, I'll leave you with this poem by By Stanley Kunitz. Cheers.

End of Summer

An agitation of the air,

A perturbation of the light

Admonished me the unloved year

Would turn on its hinge that night.

I stood in the disenchanted field

Amid the stubble and the stones,

Amazed, while a small worm lisped to me

The song of my marrow-bones.

Blue poured into summer blue,

A hawk broke from his cloudless tower,

The roof of the silo blazed, and I knew

That part of my life was over.

Already the iron door of the north

Clangs open: birds, leaves, snows

Order their populations forth,

And a cruel wind blows.

Ramblings about Crater Lake

Greetings from Eugene, OR. Below is a blog post I wrote while sitting on the rim of Crater Lake.

Mile 1834
Life. Isn't. Perfect. Sometimes  it seems as if a smoky haze like that from a forest fire has settled in your brain and makes life seem a bit distorted. Occasionally I will reflect on my life and think to myself, what is this? Perhaps I could describe it as the deepest, most beautiful lake. Crater Lake: so many imperfections surrounded by mystery.  Sometimes my thoughts are as clear as the opalesque water. I know what I want and where I am going. I am calm and radiate beauty. Then, I'll look around to see naked basalt and cliffs still recovering from a volcanic eruption that happened even before the cedar tree took its name. Its overwhelming and chaotic and disorienting. I don't understand it; why this lake and my life seem to be so similar. Crystalline water is resplendent, its beauty only enhanced by the raw earth that surrounds it, defines it, makes it interesting. I guess this is where I see the overlap between my life and Crater Lake. It isn't  perfect; only the perfect combination of imperfections.

I am so happy that I was able to run into people in Eugene. Rebecca, thank-you for picking us up at Shelter Cover and the wonderful dinner. Dan, thanks for the nectarines, cheese and beer. Cin, thank-you for the ride back to the trail.

We will be passing through Cascade Locks on the 28th of September. If you feel inspired to send something in my direction, my address there is written below.
Much love,
Honeybear


Lena Sessions
c/o Port Marine RV Park
PO Box 307
Cascade Locks, OR 97014

It rained in Oregon

I always knew I loved my home state. However, it was not until I stepped over the imaginary line that separates California from Oregon that I understood just how wonderful it feels to be back.

Yesterday, Spud, my friend and hiking partner asked me "So...Honeybear, has it hit you yet, I mean, that we have made it to Oregon?". My answer was a resounding "YES, YES, YES". Let me explain. 

Aside from the daily physical activity of hiking, I consider this experience to be a test of my mental endurance. Thus, in order not to be totally overwhelmed by the prospect of hiking almost 2,700 miles, I usually avoid focusing on the end goal and instead I like to think about each day as a worthy part of the experience. I had never really considered how I would feel upon entering my home state. Tired? Happy? Angry? Defeated? Proud? Confident? Overwhelmed? Well, as it turns out I think I experienced them all and expressed this smorgasbord of feelings via a small emotional breakdown. Due to some distractions along the trail, I found myself a few minutes behind the crew I had been hiking with earlier in the morning and thus, heard their elated shouts as they celebrated the incredible achievement of reaching Oregon. As I came up the last switchback in California and saw the "Welcome to Oregon" sign I felt so relieved to be home that I burst into tears. First came the tears of joy. Joyful to be home. Then came those sad tears. Tears that were the last to touch what was left of the soft California ground. Then the tears of anger. Tears about many important and many more unimportant things. Then the tears of celebration. Celebrating 1,700 miles of hiking.  Then, after I thought I had calmed down I suddenly became overwhelmed by tears of gratitude. It was with these tears that I crossed the border between California and Oregon, and was greeted by hugs from Oasis and Spud and a slew of treats from other hikers who had also been waiting for this moment. As the curls of celebratory tobacco and marijuana smoke cleared, our large group that we sometimes refer to as the love train gathered near the sign for a group photo. Although we were dirty, sitting all bunched up in a big group reminded me of taking a class picture in elementary school. There we were, all 19 of us, so proud to have completed over 1,700 miles of trail. What an incredible feeling.
Less than a miles after we crossed the Oregon border, we were greeted two legendary hikers-a father daughter duo named Balls and Sunshine who had set up a party complete with birthday hats and blankets along a remote Forest Service road. What a spectacular welcome to the home state.
The trail magic has continued with a surprise visit from Ryan Hasty, the manfriend of Oasis who offered to take our packs for the day while we hiked carrying only water and maps. Later, we met up with my friend Spud's parents whose generosity, kindness and passion for gardening and many other things I can only hope to live up to some day. Thank-you Renee and Don treating us like royalty here in Ashland.
It feels good to be home and as we make our way north, we will also be making our way towards Eugene, where my good friend Rebecca will be meeting us at Shelter Cove! Furthermore, I am also very excited for a visit from my dad and younger brother as they join us for three days of hiking.
The evening that we arrived in Oregon it rained. Although the precipitation only lasted two minutes, it reminded me of how much I love Oregon. I leave you with a question that I have been thinking about quite a bit as I hike. What do you love about your home? What makes it special?