PCT Day 37: Hasta Luego Cali

Day 37 6-24-2015       Sleep 2200 - 400
Miles 1650 – 1699

            I woke up feeling great.  I am going to crush it today I thought as I got moving.  It was warm but comfortable as the sun was rising.  I got to the store early and got right to charging my phone, it had been nearly dead as it hadn’t had a charge in three days.  It was so nice being out in the middle of no where.  But now it was time for society.  The very nice lady showed up and opened shop for me.  I did the usually juice pounding and snacking while I shopped.  The routine…one item every hour while I hike plus two extra items at bed.  20 items a day, 50 miles a day, 90 miles to my next resupply.  38 items.  But probably an extra night as I wont make Hyatt Lake Resort early enough in a day so I will have to wait until morning.  1, 2, 3 …40.  Sweet.  Do I need any tape, medical supplies, drugs?  Nope, they aint got anything I need/want.  Besides Hyatt is a drop box and filled with the goodies I want.  Check out.  Poop. Grab my phone/battery.  On my way…
Looking Back to Seiad
Dem Ridges, my oh my!
           Glad I got that dialed.  It was a billiongazzilion degrees as I made my way up the 4,000 foot climb to the insufferable ridge.  Ok I exaggerated a bit.  But the high temperature in Seiad Valley was 107degsF. It was hot.  I was exposed.  There was no wind.  No water.  The perfect storm of hallucinations waiting to happen.  Now I love me a good trip, but when you are trying to make a good pace, it is often better to have your focus and your brain working properly.  Yeah, and dehydration probably doesn’t help.  Eff that. We are beyond the physical out here.  This is ultra running as the legend Yiannis Kouros described himself.  Mr Kouros claims that an ultra marathon is not going beyond 26.2 miles as most people maintain. No, No, it is going beyond the physical limitations and expanding into the realm of the mind and spirit.  Well we have certainly ended up there.  Yiannis Kouros uses everything at his disposal to gain motivation and says it is the most important part.  "Like a tree that grows stronger with more  branches and roots, you need to find more and more ways to be inspired" says Kouros in a tip of the ice berg article by Runners World.  There is a great youtube documentary about him if you are interested. Here are the links
Runners World Article
Youtube Documentary
The Insufferable Ridge
            Well anyway, the sun is getting lower in the sky.  It feels like it is not quite as ridiculously hot.  Coming back to earth.  Time to find some motivation.  Hey, Oregon is coming up soon, as I resupply there tomorrow.  I wonder how far it is to the border?  15 or so miles, damn!  It is 1800, I bet I can get there tonight.  Game on!  With a new sense of purpose to the day, I enjoyed my last sunset in California.  It was quite the nice sunset.  I traveled back to my days in San Francisco.  I remembered my favorite locations to eat, run, bike, chill and my favorite people.  I was flying over the trail riding high on emotions.  Which is a good thing, because it is kind of hard to see with tears in your eyes.  When that wore off it was dark and I was in a forest.  I suddenly got an eerie feeling.  How did I get into this dark and scary forest? Well I better hurry up and out of here.  I was climbing uphill, it seemed so late.  My eyes were trying to close on me.  Man this seems so far, you sure that was only 15 miles?  Dude, I have no fucking clue, I am in the middle of the woods without good maps or anyway of telling milage.  Geez, calm down, sorry.  Its okay, there is a sign.  A sign?  Wooooh  Whooo!  I made it.  Done with my first state! Only 1699 miles after starting.  I snapped a picture and passed out right there.
California Love
California Soul

            I figured it was faster than anyone had done before.  I knew  there was a CA PCT record because when I was planning my trip I read it somewhere on the FKT proboards.  –I was able to check in the next few days and by my notes I was pretty sure I set the new CA record.  Well I did; 36d17h36M for the 1699 miles averaging 46.25 miles per day.
Yeah, I Am Dirty

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