Skip to main content

A most restful day (D-51 @ 1016.9)


The original idea was to stay one night at Kennedy Meadows North and then head out this morning. However Mother Nature had different plans with the weather forecast calling for rain and high winds on the trail the whole day. So a lot of hikers, incl me, decided to stay back here one more night.  The dorm room bed was comfortable and it was right above the lobby with the small store with snacks and drinks as well as the restaurant right next to it.  The showers were hot and nice. And the whole package incl bed, showers, laundry & WiFi was $50/night. Not a bad deal, with the only issue being the very weak & flaky WiFi.  Managed around it.

So, as you can see, I ate a whole lot of food and essentially stayed in the room the whole day, resting my legs.  There was really nothing else to do which was good.  As I mentioned in one of my previous post, zero days in town get very busy and this was the first zero day that was almost complete rest and relaxation.  Loved it!

And in the evening, lo & behold Guy came in along with Cinnamon (another thru-hiker who I had met earlier and who was hiking at a similar pace as me).  It was great to see them.  But they have had a terrible time y'day and today on the trail with heavy rain, cold and strong winds. Glad they made it in safely! 

(with Cinnamon & Guy at dinner)

(with Owen, Cinnamon, Sofie & Guy)

So, all in all, the most restful day in the last 51 days and ready to hit the trail again tomorrow!

Comments

Unknown said…
Awesome Ravi. It's very exciting to read your bogs and see your pictures.do you get excited to see people especially with whomever you have met on the trail.Its funny how happy I get to see food.:)keep walking my friend.

Popular posts from this blog

Why you shouldn't (or should) thru-hike the PCT? (D-115: 2592.1 - 2613.1 - Nero @ Mazama, D-116: 2613.1 - 2642.6)

Over the last 116 days, I have had plenty of time to think about what's good or bad about this thru-hike and just in case, one of you is thinking about doing a PCT thru-hike, here are my thoughts about why you shouldn't or should do it.   Why you shouldn't do a PCT thru-hike - It is very tough physically and mentally - There is less than 50% chance that anyone starting it will finish - Almost everyone seems to have negative physical effects including weight loss, muscle loss, days & days of tired legs & feet etc - You will definitely get scratches, bruises and cuts, if you are lucky. If you are unlucky, major sprains, muscle tears & other hike-ending injuries. Btw, most people who stop do so 'cos of injuries. - You will trip & fall down multiple times (when the avg number of steps is 50000 - 70000/day over uneven paths, the law of large numbers takes over and some of those steps will lead to falls) - It is an expensive activity, with a bulk o...

Gratitude (D-114: 2577.8 - 2592.1 - Nero @ Mazama)

As the last town day on the trail ends and a few dozen miles left to the end point, I would like to speak of gratitude. Every so often on the trail, there are moments of "why the heck am I doing this?" and that's when I have to compel myself to remember that this is an option and an opportunity given to me. I am fortunate enough to be able to hike on this trail for a long period, which is essentially a vacation (albeit, a physically & mentally demanding one). Not everybody gets the option of taking such a long vacation from work, family and other commitments. It may be a cliche, but I am full of gratitude for this. I am also deeply grateful to a bunch of people who made this hike possible and I would like to use this post to mention those people. Ravin & Deepika opened their home and hearts so that I could do all the preparatory work before the hike. They were generous to a fault and I used (& perhaps, abused) their generosity. Even during the hik...

Wind, constant wind & Trail Provides (D-4)

Finally the hike thru the "real" desert - as I had imagined it - happened today.  No trees at all, only shrubs, cacti, dusty, wide flat vistas and absolutely relentless wind that almost never let up till the late evening.  The wind was so strong in the second half of the day that it even literally pushed me uphill sometimes.  The extra backpack weight seemed like the only thing that kept me from being blown here & there 😄. One good thing about the wind...it made the day seem cooler. And wind/sun way better than wind/rain. I have been drinking water from 1 liter bottles that are kept in the side pocket of my pack.  Unfortunately they are not easy to access and I have to carry a bottle in my hand when I need to sip it frequently.  This is a pain! So, I had decided to buy a thin tube at the next town in a few days and insert it into the bottle cap to make a flexible straw to make my life easier. However, this afternoon, I came upon the water cache ...