Time flies when it's 10º cooler
Trail 2: Lake Morena -> Cibbets Flat
What a difference a day makes! Your pack feels more comfortable, your legs are stronger, and your feet a little less sore. The double digit temperature drop doesn't hurt either...
Once again we had mama joining us, and had the extra benefit of Ally Lopez on the trail too! One of the marks of a true and lasting friendship is being able to seamlessly pick up right where you left off, no matter how much time and space had interrupted. For us, once we picked it up we did NOT put it back down. Our conversation was off to the races about jobs, relationships, travels, smart stuff, dumb stuff, and everything in between.
The first 6 miles that she joined us for flew by, and it was with some disappointment but heaps of gratitude that we sent her on her way after that, back to that working world that will seem so alien to me after this trek is over. In a small way I was surprised that those 6 miles felt so fast, but I really shouldn't be. Our conversation flowed incredibly smoothly and gave fuel to our stride, and I've found more and more that this is the rule, rather than the exception once you get out on the trail.
Your heart is beating away at a healthy rhythm, your lungs are being filled with fresh air, and your brain and psyche reap the benefits - operating at an amazingly high and positive level that only perspective from the wilderness can offer.
This is all part of the mental journey I was looking forward to before we started, and continue to look forward to as we march onward. Nobody can predict how, or even if, a thru-hike will change them, but I feel confident that if we can reach Manning Park (the northern terminus in Canada), my mind and body will be changed for the better in a pretty profound way.
Until then it's Dodge, Dad, and everything else.
