Marathon
Well, we killed that Timberline Lodge breakfast buffet! We were scratching at the door 07:30 and omg! Coffee in a real mug! What a bliss for a snobby coffeejunkie like me. And scrambled eggs with cheese, waffles and whipped cream, fruit! Smoothies and berries. And more coffee. Bizarre being in a superposh dining room with cloth napkins and looking, smelling and eating like hungry scavengers. Surrounded by clean hotelguests side by side with dirty hikers throwing food into themselves like they have never seen it before. Toilet, then, yey, room for more!
We roll out so full we can barely walk and then the trail has us again. We breathe - enough of civilization. Out and around the gentle giant Mt Hood. Amazing views! Waterfalls and breathtaking drops into deep gorges. We hike on and on and crush 23,5 miles/ 37,6 km that same day.
Next morning we decide to push a big day and reach Cascade Locks that same evening so we would have a full zero today. Such a great morning!! I hike on in the lead doing a morning meditation with Simrit Kaur on my ear. After several nights without sufficient sleep because of foot pain I am in deep need of resting my brain while walking. My body feels strong and I walk on. My legs hike on, I don't have to think, I just move.
We have lunch at a lake, soak our feet and move on. We decide to take an alternate that would save us a few miles into Cascade Locks. The Eagle Creek alternate that we have been looking forward to is unfortunately closed because of fire, so no tunnel falls.. The alternate we chose was not called the most treacherous climb up from Columbia River for nothing... And we were descending it.. What a bitch! Damn hard!! Steep steep steep downhill for 2 hours.. Knees! Au! Sweating out all our bodyfluids like marathonrunners. My feet completely destroyed. But we made it. Like we do everyday. We limp into Cascade Locks, and head grosse, smelly and sweaty straight to the Ale House for free PCT beers and Hikertrash burgers.
Now we're staying at a trailangel's house; Shrek's swamp; showers, laundry and I get to sleep in a treehouse. Sweet! People like this makes me still keep my faith in the human race.
The zero today has been soooo needed. Some hours at the beach, swimming in the river, eat blackberries straight from the bush, ice-cream, resupply and sit with our feet up and drink beer.
I look forward to the holy moment of walking over the Bridge of the Gods tomorrow and into Washington. We have a hell of a climb in the morning, but well, then the trail has us again.
