PCT Day 32: Hot And Fried, But I Tried

Day 32 6-19-2015       Sleep 000 - 300
Miles 1429 – 1478
           
            I felt good and was moving well in the morning.  I felt like I had survived a storm and things were going to go smooth for awhile.  The trail was easy but exposed out in the sun.  I was getting fried again.  Am I just not able to handle the heat in my current situation? Or is it really that hot?  I passed a few days hikers that looked like they were struggling.  One of them said it’s a scorcher out here.  Sweet, I am not losing my mind.  But that doesn’t help me not get fried.  Ugh, what to do?  So I found ten feet of shade behind a clump of trees and laid down.  Maybe I will get my nap and go later into the night.  It didn’t really feel that much cooler.  When you are up and moving, there is a breeze and your blood is pumping.  Here on the ground, everything is still, the blood pools and you get hazy and weak.  Then the insects come.  First the flies land, then the ants crawl.  FUCK.  Yelling to no one in the woods.

Some creatures you don't mind landing on you

            So I get up and hike again feeling light-headed, weak, and woozy.  Off to my right is Mt. Shasta, how I wish I could be up in the snow.  Skiing and feeling the cool breeze.  What torture!  I just tried to find my rhythm and groove out the day.  It was a struggle for sure.  But not before long the sun was lower on the horizon and I could feel that cooling breeze.  The trail tipped downhill and I could feel the momentum shift.  I was flying!  Yes, that feeling of satisfaction.  I had survived another midday meltdown and things were good again.  A mile later I could feel my legs getting heavy and my brain getting slow.  Damn.  I am just fried.  But I have 10 more miles of downhill to fly!  I did the best I could, but it was a struggle.  I would start walking.  My brain would snap out of its day dream and yell at my body to run.  This would happen almost every 5 minutes for the next two hours. 
Goes on for daysssssss; Fried
  Finally, I reached the river and the dark.  The flats and then the uphill.  Finally I could justifiably walk.  It felt refreshing to walk and not feel as though I should be running.  I set off daydreaming or duskdreaming?  Sleep walking? Who knows.  But I was woken from my glorious marching slumber, by two bright little spots off in the trees to my right.  Dumb deer.  I turned my headlamp up and it was a kitty kat to my surprise.  Well that sure woke me up and right as I was getting some good sleep and miles in.  I strode on until the trail tilted downhill again.  The steps hurt.  I thought it was best to get some rest.  Good day.  Goodnight! 
Shas Daddy, Lets go skiing!

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