Finally on Track

“This is so beautiful!” Cindy remarked while resting near the top of our climb out of Sonora Pass. At 10,500 feet we had a panoramic view of the open, mountainous country around us. We were 4000 feet higher than where the extensive snowfields north of Santiam Pass turned us around, yet here the snowfields were few and small. As we hiked on amidst such a constant dose of panoramic beauty, with Cindy repeating “This is so beautiful,” we knew we were finally on track.

Not that everything was easy. Starting to hike at 9600 feet without first becoming acclimatized leads to some altitude problems. We were all dragging a bit towards the end of the day. Yet Cindy continued to show improvement in her agility. I realize that wanting to see improvement may bias what I see, but there was one unmistakable difference.

For a long time now Cindy follows behind me when we go for walks. I’ll slow down to a crawl to force her to catch up beside me as we walk around Norfolk, but she soon falls behind again. On our first day out of Sonora Pass there was a time after a stream crossing when Cindy took the lead! Charissa and I were in mild shock. Cindy herself did not seem to think much of what she was doing. We had all paused after the crossing and she simply knew it was time to move on.

Our plan of action for the first two days was for me to hike in and camp with the girls, but then to hike back to the car and drive it around to meet them at the end of the second day. The girls slept in our two person tent while I slept under the stars, as I often did on the PCT in 1977. I recall my three buddies and I sleeping under the stars at 10,500 feet above Sonora Pass, only then it was September and we had to tramp down a shelf in the snow to lay our ground cloths.

Back in 1977 we were the only hikers out there for most of where we hiked. We did a flip flop from Donner Pass that put us ahead of the wave of northbounders that year. Even so, that “wave” in ’77 was about 50. The wave of northbounders this year is about 2400.

We are now in the midst of that wave. As I hiked southbound to return to our car I encountered a steady stream of them. On this stretch I’ve stopped to talk to Off the Rails, Kaiser, Soft Egg, Teddy Rose, Rain Dance, Acorn the Elder, Salsa, Top Shelf, Lady Pants, Tabasco, Leftovers and Masshole. When I stopped to talk with Dewey I started to share Cindy’s story but broke down. I took off thinking “OK, Kirk, you’re hiking alone now. Good time to just cry it out.” … Except I kept encountering northbounders every ten minutes. It’s a different trail experience now, indeed.

I worried that second out how the girls were doing without me. I retrieved Charissa’s car, got to Ebbetts pass around 5:30, then hiked in to meet the girls and help them with carrying their packs. To my relief they were doing quite well when I met them. They already were adjusting to the altitude. Charissa did mention that without me there Cindy occasionally questioned where they were going. When I’m around Cindy simply trusts where we’re going. I’ve not always delivered well on that trust, but I try.