It's been emotional

Home sweet home!

I have walked from Mexico back to the Portland area. Talk about a feeling of accomplishment, sore tired legs aside I am starting to get antsy to get back on trail. I love using my own computer and love being among loving friends and family. However my journey is not done, in fact I am on the final approach with three-four weeks to go. There is no way I would feel OK if I stayed too long. Tomorrow I will get myself ready to move north, say hi/goodbye to friends and on the 20th keep trekking.

In my last post I mentioned attempting to pull my first 40 mile day on trail. Well I can finally and happily say I knocked 40 miles out of the park with my 45 mile day. I walked from Timberline Lodge all the way to Cascade Locks. Yes most of this leg was down hill, but I did have to climb up around 3,000 feet as well as descend close to 6,000. The day took me 18 hours with only an hour or two of breaks. I am not the fastest hiker (consistently about three miles an hour) but at this stage of the game I can just keep going.

This is not the first time I have attempted to walk a 40. Each time I have done an attempt I stop around 33-36 saying, "I hurt....why am I doing this?" and then quit. I just didn't have the motivation to walk the extra 1-3 hours. I think yesterday was different because of my time hiking with Poulo. Taking it slow for those five days built up almost an anxiety to move further distances. It's that classic hiker instinct I have. So between that and my natural competitiveness to hike a much greater distance than Poulo (for he did hike a 30 with me) I knocked out my old record of a 35 mile day for a 45.

I feel this was a great leg to do it on for I have hiked all this terrain before and by hiking these long hours I was able to see parts of Mt. Hood and the Columbia River George in ways I have never seen them before. Well now it is the fourth quarter and Canada is just around the bend. I see success and I am excited to reach my goal, however not journeys end. Being in town today made me realize how much I will miss the through hiker lifestyle. But if nothing else, the camp world has taught me that all things have an end. Canada is my end. I am at least lucky enough to have ODS to turn to right after I get off of trail and I feel that will help me adjust back to "normal" life.

Well onwards and northwards away from home and towards monolith 78.