Saunter

Today is the last day before I walk into Kennedy Meadows and get all geared up to go into the sierras and into the longest stretch between towns that I will have to do on this journey. Reflecting on how far I have come physically, mentally and emotionally so far on this hike I am no longer “scared” of the upcoming change in terrain. I might be unsure or uncertain about what is to come but that is no reason to be scared. Sometimes uncertainty is what makes life interesting. If I knew everything all the time I wouldn’t get the chance of experiencing the joy of being surprised.

This morning I woke up and packed up my tent and was ready to go in a timely fashion. The first part of the day was a easy downhill that ended at a stream where I filled up my water. A few yards past the stream I found a white van with a few hikers sitting around a clean-shaven man that looked oddly like a hiker I had gotten to know on the trail before. As I got closer I realized it really was that same hiker! Saunter was trail magic-ing after he had to get off trail due to an injury. He even had hand-picked cherries and oranges that I made a large dent in. So good. Just what I needed to power me over the long incline that came next.

Towards the end of uphill there was a point where you could see the desert on your left and the snowy mountains of the sierras to the right. Where I was and where I am going. Crazy.