Day 135 & 136: "Yes. Thank you."

(Mile 2334 to 2360 = 26 miles; 2360 to 2386 = 26 miles)

Sunrise over Adams.

Those are three words I have learned to say on this trip.  Three difficult words.  But, when you are homeless, hungry, and/or in need (as we are nearly 24 hours a day), you learn to say, "Yes.  Thank you." Would you like a sandwich?  "Yes.  Thank you."  Would you like to stay in our spare room?  "Yes.  Thank you."  Would you like me to pick up two braces and bring them to you on trail?  "Yes.  Thank you."

Rainier, a solid presence on the trail.

I am nestled in my sleeping bag on an abandoned road with Gumby and Maddog and have a brace on each foot and a tape job underneath.  Chris (of Chris, Charles, and Gauge--the couple and dog who trail angeled us on Mt. Hood) drove all the way into middle-of-nowhere Washington to bring me a variety of plantar fasciitis supplies.  She *made* me Strassburg socks, bought a brace for each foot (finding them for $30 LESS at Freddies), bought two rolls of athletic tape and brought instructions on how to tape for daily hiking, and Tylenol.  If that were not enough, she made all three of us hot lunch and stocked us up on snacks.  Did I mention new water bottles and our respective favorite pops?  Unbelievable.  And this is from a woman I have met once before.  When she trail angeled us on Hood.  Thank you, Chris and co.  You have me keepin' on.  Brian and Mom, Guy and Jimmy, thanks for helping Chris help me.

Me with my new homemade Strassburg socks. Thank you, Chris, Charles, and Gauge!

But many of you can believe this, can't you.  Because I have had an outpouring of support from all corners.  Not everyone can zip up to Washington, but a number of you have offered and even more have given advice and moral support.  You cannot know how much all of this helps.  Finishing is now about both physical and mental strength and endurance.  I will quit if the physical pain becomes too much and I know the costs are no longer worth the reward of finishing. I am not afraid to stop.  But I do not want to if I do not have to.  I have not reached stop yet.  And, with my new tape and brace/sock therapy, I am hoping I might not have to.

We didn't find these, but we heard about them! Thanks, Chris and the Cascadia Women's hiking group!

Thank you, everyone, for cheering me on.  I can feel it all the way up here in mid-Washington.  Just two more weeks to go.  I am going to give it all I have...  So I had better rest up!  Night!

Day 87 & 88: Belden, Braatens, and Blogs, Oh Yay!

(Mile 1265 to Belden, 1289.5 = 24.5 miles, 1289.5 to 1303.5 = 14 miles)

Dan and me at Belden Town. Dan's a southbound section hiker who'd read this blog! I was thrilled to meet him.

Well, we hit Belden a day early, rolling in right around 5:30 pm.  We tackled the long downhill with Siddhartha and U-Haul -- both if whom we had met at the Red Moose Inn.  We all but ran down the big hill.  And rewarded ourselves with drinks and dinner at the Belden Town Resort.  Kindergarten Cop was taking off with Problem Bear just as we left.  Enough time for a quick catch-up.  And then we called the Braatens, local trail angels, and they took us all in for the night.  Knees, Threshold, Washout (?), Siddhartha, U-Haul, Gumby, and me. 

Gumby and U-Haul on a fancy-shmancy bridge. Silver Falls?

The Braatens run "Little Haven" and have an entire house for hikers.  A house!  Their daughter said that's part of why they got the place.  Close to the Trail and a space for hikers.  Yes, really.  It was wonderful.  A shower, a bed, cold cereal snack before bed, and pancakes and coffee in the morning.  Oh, and a lift to the PO and back to Belden Town.  Huge thanks to Laurie and Brenda Braaten for such a low-key, relaxing stay!  We could not have asked for a more perfect stop.

Botanist friends, what IS this gorgeous bloom?!

We spent the first half of the day doing errands -- PO, sorting resupply items, doing laundry, eating lunch.  While I was sitting at the resort, struggling a bit with a hard morning emotionally, a hiker arrived and stopped in front of me.  I looked up, and he greeted me.  He asked my name.  I replied, and he grinned.  He thought so; he'd been following the blog!  We talked a few minutes, and then he went in to the restaurant, saying that if I was still around, perhaps we could get a photo. Of course!  What Dan didn't know was that I was secretly on the verge of tears when he arrived.  (Nothing big; I think I am just emotional this week!)  And he was actually a bit of trail magic for me at that moment.  A smiling face full of warmth and good energy.  As soon as my food was ready, I found Dan and joined him for lunch.  He is a southbound section hiker from Washington, so he had all sorts of good information and advice.  It was quite a treat.  And brought me to another realization this afternoon.  Which I think I'll try to write about tomorrow.  But it is LATE!  And so I'm off to bed.

Holy buckets! Check out this huge cone!

Today's thanks go to Dan and the Braatens of Belden.  You angels always pop up at just the right moment.

1300 miles. Almost halfway!