Date: 5/22/16
Miles: 17.6
Total Miles: 406.7
A pretty uneventful, low-key day today. After a cold night, our little gang of now 6 with Sweet Pea and Beardoh set off hoping to warm up a bit. Just 2 miles into the day, we hit the pavement for a roadwalk detour around a section of trail that has now been closed for years in an effort to protect the habitat of the endangered Mountain Yellow Frog.
Seven miles of pavement didn't sound terribly appealing either to me or my feet, but with no traffic to speak of we spread out three wide and chatted away as the miles quickly flew by and sun slowly brought some welcome relief from the cold. Another two miles after rejoining the PCT beyond the closure, we passed the 400-mile mark—just another chance for a trail family photo.
Having the chance to learn more about the lives of my fellow hikers reminded me of an old saying that "the people are the trail." The trail is many things, but what I remember as much as the scenery, the challenge, and the aches and pains are the opportunities I've had on this trail and every other to interact with people both on and around the trail who've had such incredibly diverse life experiences. The serendipity of having met this particular group is truly remarkable.
