PCT Day 28: Bombing to Belden

Day 28 6-15-2015    Sleep 100-230
Miles 1252 – 1302

            I felt good and motivated upon waking.  I finished off the climb and rolled the ridge.  It was getting hot and I was exposed in the sun.  I was getting fried.  I reached the last water for a ways and took my break.  I camelled up in the shade.  I also soaked my shirt and head band.  I knew I would be okay, I had done my dehydration training…What? Yes, I said it.  At times I will go for long runs without water.  I ran 50 miles once with no water or food.  It seems the more you do it, the more comfortable it gets.  If I am trying to feel good and perform the next day, it is not wise for me to get that dehydrated.  But knowing you are not going to die is nice.  So I made it to the next water without worrying or carrying too much.  Now, just a long descent to my resupply point in Belden.  I have a lot of ski buddies, who can’t understand why I like running so much.  But the descent, to me, is the same as skiing.  When you have a smooth six mile 4,000 foot descent as I did in front of me; Well, it is like skiing a foot of pow on a 30 degree slope.  Effortless.  Floating.  Awesome.  Pure heaven.  4,000 feet, that is a long ski run let alone a “shoe” run.  It took me about an hour and I hit the road.  Saddened that is was over, but relieved to reach my resupply well before closing.
Bomber Descent, all the way down there
            I was excited for my new shoes and to send a few things home.  First things first though, pounding orange juice time.  While I took care of four 12 ouncers, the lady kindly searched for my package.  She came back empty handed.  I figured she was looking for Kampanelli and just over sighted it.  But when she came back empty handed a second time, I started to worry.  I told her I would go with her to look.  There were only maybe ten packages and it was obvious, mine was not one of them.  Oh shit.  There was plenty of food/groceries to resupply, but what about shoes? This can’t be happening to me.  I pulled out my phone, no cell service.  I was able to get onto the Wifi after miss typing the password for five minutes.  Looking up where I sent the package, I found the problem.  I sent it to Little Haven (trail angels) instead of the resort.  I called them up, she was more than happy to drive the package over.  When she arrived, I asked her another big favor.  Would she send a package out for me? (as the resort would not).  She said for sure, no problem.  So I handed her my sleeping pad, along with my thermals and hat.  It was way to warm for any clothes let along thermals.  And surely I don’t need a pad to sleep on, this isn’t a leisure trip.
And now back uphill

            I packed up and was on my way.  I wanted to keep the miles flowing, despite the slight delay mix-up resupply.  It was still hot, but the sun was down, so it was tolerable.  I made my way up the climb in the dark.  I came around a bend and smack in the middle of the trail 50 feet in front of me was the largest mountain lion I had ever seen.  It was staring at me, not moving.  HEY YO, I yelled.  Nothing but a blink of the eyes.  Damn, this cat aint scared of me.  I looked around on the ground for something.  I picked up a ten foot long fallen branch of a tree.  I continued with my ridiculousness, waving the tree around and hollering.  Finally, the cat leapt ten feet in the air and disappeared down the hill.  Well, that was kind of scary.  I could go to bed right now.  You are going to sleep here, with that monstrous cat in the area?  Good call! I walked about a mile and said “eff it” Set up camp and passed out without thinking of the cat again.  Somehow, when you are really tired, you just don’t care.

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