Out of the Cloud

Date: 5/24/16
Miles: 14.1
Total Miles: 444.5

With a short day on tap, the order of the morning was sleeping in…until 6:30 anyway. Another cold night in the books, the morning began much as the previous evening had ended, the air thick from a low lying cloud having settled into the high mountain saddle.

Given the cold, damp start to the day, we each set off as soon as we were ready in an effort to stay warm. Walking alone, I began to think about how much I miss Emily and what she might be doing at home that very moment–Making coffee? Morning exercise? Watching Mike & Mike? Little by little, my sadness over being without her has begun to morph into a sort of motivation that drives me harder down the trail. I’ve never been great at any one particular thing in life, but I’ve always been exceptionally determined and focused. Aside from love of wilderness, perhaps that’s why hiking long trails suits me.

I passed the rest of the day strolling along with Beardoh and Sweet Pea, chatting away about all manner of things. Hearing their diverse experiences on trails, owning a small business, and serving in the Peace Corps made the time fly by until we neared a road crossing and spotted a familiar looking camper van. Sure enough, it was Coppertone back for another round of trail magic, as promised. It was an amazing end-of-day treat, devouring a root beer float and hearing more of his stories. It’s the first time I’ve ever had trail magic twice from the same person. Same time next week?