Day 105: Bright Ideas

 (1662, Seiad Valley to 1677 = 15 miles) 

As we walked into a tunnel of darkness at 9:30 tonight along a single lane dirt road planning to hike until 11 pm, I realized that PCT hikers are crazy.  What the hell were we doing?!   What were we doing, indeed.

Fire route.  It was hot and smoky and wildland firefighters were everywhere.

The bright ideas began with breakfast at the Seiad Valley Cafe.  This was a pretty good idea.  Lunch a mere three hours later was not.  Snacking between the two was not, either.  Nor was the Oreo shake that topped it all off.  Our stomachs pulled on our skin and pushed on our lungs.  I wanted to vomit or nap.  Not hike.  What did we do?!

We headed out for the trail at 4:30 pm.  It was 99 degrees in the shade at the RV park.  It was 110 degrees on the sidewalk in front of the store.  We headed out for a road walk.  Bellies too full to drink, sweat pouring off our bodies.  What were we doing?!

110 degrees in town.

We were not ready for dinner until 8 pm.  We sat on the edge of the one-lane forest service road.  After awhile a huge truck thundered up the hill.  It stopped.  Fire crew.  Had we seen three more trucks go by?  They soon came to a dusty halt behind the first.  There are a series of fires in the area.  That's why we were road walking.  Why were we eating on the road, one asked.  I looked at the wall of the rock to our right and the sheer drop to our left.  Where else were we supposed to eat? 

Gumby with a headlight and taillight.  It was like a slumber party night hiking until we grew exhausted.

It was as we walked away from dinner towards the fires in the dark that I realized how absurd it all was.  Normal people do not eat that much and set out for a hike in 110 degree weather plus humidity.  They do not walk towards wildfires.  They don't eat on the side of the road.  They don't walk in the dark, especially when afraid of the dark.  And they don't plan to get six hours of sleep and then hike 22 miles just to do it all again.  It's madness.  And it is the mindset and everyday life of the thru-hiker.