200 Miles?, Friday, April 25

When is 200 miles not 200 miles?

It makes sense. At first it seemed too institutionalized but now that a couple of weeks have gone by it wears better. Especially when trying to communicate to others where you are and where you hope to be. Still, it just seemed too organized, too linear, too codified.

Like freeway mile markers, every mile on the PCT is measured from the Mexico/California Border, so water caches, pipe gates, road crossings, campsites, trail junctions and more are all given a numerical designation. The PCT crosses Hwy 74 at milepost 151.7. Barrel Springs is at milepost 101.2. Scissors Crossing is at 77.5. It detracts from the idea of wilderness, but this hike is anything but wilderness, at least so far. The trail parallels roads, goes through towns, water is obtained from faucets, etc. So having a system of measurement and location makes sense.

Today, I woke up with 12 miles to cover (from mile post 195.4 where I slept to mile post 207.1 where Sally would pick me up). I started before sunrise but the early dawn light was sufficient to light the trail and my way. I endured the same ridiculous trail construction as yesterday, wandering all over the mountain, going back and forth, up and down while my destination was visible and not that far away below me (see photos accompanying this entry for a map of the trail). As I followed this wandering ribbon of dirt I came upon a wooden post near the trail with 200 carved in it. I knew I would pass the 200 mile point today, but I had not expected a mile marker! There was not one at the 100 mile mark, just 100 spelled out in stones in the trail by some other hiker. So I took a selfy and continued on, feeling a little guilty that although I had passed the 200 mile marker and had a photo to prove it, I had not actually walked 200 miles due to the trail closure and intervening car ride. Still, it's a good picture!!

I got to the road crossing at mile post 207.1 almost exactly at 10, but did not see Sally. There was a strong wing blowing and although I was now on the desert floor the temperature was only about 80°. I found a sign post to set my pack against on the shoulder of the road, sat down with my pack as a back rest and began to wait. I knew Sally would have been early unless she had trouble finding the road. I had no service on my iPhone so I could not call her. I pulled out my iPad and determined I would just watch a movie until she showed. If I didn't see her by noon, I would walk the 2.7 miles to Ziggy and the Bear, trail angels that purchased a house very near the trail and opened it to all hikers, providing free meals, showers, rides to town and a place to sleep.

As I started my movie a ding announced a text message had arrived on my iPad. This surprised me, because my iPad uses T-Mobile as a carrier and it rarely has service. But, more importantly, this meant I had a way of communicating. So I tried to text Sally's sister, Sue, but the text failed to connect. So I texted Jeff, teaching at PLU, and asked him to call Sue's phone on the off chance Sally had it while trying to get to me. It was now 10:50. About two minutes later I saw Sue's blue Toyota coming up the desert road through the heat waves with Sally at the wheel. I quickly texted Jeff that he could ignore my last text as mom was here. As I closed the cover on my iPad Sally whisked right by me, phone to her ear never spotting me. Yet, she slammed on the brakes as she passed, so I was sure she had seen me at the last minute. I stood up from my seat in the gravel shoulder, turned around to gather my belongings as she backed up, began to walk the 20' separating me from the car when she threw it in drive and headed down a side road! I texted Jeff that mom had just passed me by never seeing me. Jeff was in front of his class at the time sharing the debacle with them, which they found uproariously funny. Sally was on the phone to Jeff and he relayed to her she had just passed me. It took a few more minutes, but she finally returned from the side road and we connected.

We returned to Sue and Bill's house in Palm Desert, showered and headed for lunch at one of the country clubs with Sally's childhood friend, Christy. Sally and Christy were inseparable friends from ages 3 to 14, riding bikes to Point Defiance, movies in downtown Tacoma and more. Christy has a home here in Palm Desert where she spends her winters. We had a great time.

After dinner we went shopping for new foot ware for Sally and found a lightweight hiker that should work well for her, then returned Far Out's sleeping bag to him at the Marriott where he and Crotalus were sharing a room. We had a good visit, compared notes as to where we might cross on the trail again, then headed back to Sue and Bill's. A little John Wayne on the tube and to bed.