Memories from July 25
Most of today was spent resupplying and running internet errands. I’d ordered a new pair of my current shoes but because mine don’t have the model name on them anywhere (maybe it rubbed off), I’d tried to match them to a picture online and had guessed wrong so I made my first internet return with a handwritten note since I couldn’t get a printer for the return slip. Fortunately my shoes are holding up very well given that they have about 900 miles on them. The tread is even still good save for some minor delamination on the side.
The overriding theme, though, was the heat. Even sitting in the late morning shade while I used the WiFi at the RV park, I had a thin layer of sweat. The plan was to hike out in the evening but by 6pm it was still felt hotter than most days in the desert which, when I hiked through in April and May, cooled quickly in the late afternoon. As we slowly (on account of Jan’s leg) hiked the long climb out of Seiad Valley, my clothes became as wet with sweat as at any time on the trail except after running.
Hiking out in the evening, beside giving Jan’s let additional recuperation time, meant the sun was low enough that the ridge shielded us from it when we were on the east face. A fire sometime in the last few years had defoliated most of the tree cover. The silver lining was that the trees didn’t block the view.
We camped around 10:30pm on a thin ridge in bivvy sites small enough it would have been difficult to fit a one person tent. I was a little worried about rolling off in the night and so set stones next to my groundsheet so I would wake up if I were getting to close to the edge, even if it wasn’t a precipitous drop. The stars were beautiful.
Isaac Takes A Hike 