The Decision
When I woke up this morning I looked out the window to see snow all over the ground. This sight and the experience from last night pretty much broke me mentally. After going through the Sierras once in the snow already I was not prepared (gear-wise or otherwise) to go through it again with new snow. Because there is no wifi or cell reception here I used the payphone they have to try calling the outside world. Let me tell you. Pay phones are freaking expensive and if someone doesn't pick up it still charges you a boat ton. Now that you know that. The first two people I called did not pick up. Great. I tried calling A with my anxiety going through the roof but he actually picked up from an unknown number. It was a freaking miracle. I blurted out what was happening and that I didn't think I would be able to make it to Tuolumne Meadows by the time he was going to meet me and that it was snowing and I was freaking out and crying. It was not a good conversation. We decided that I would stay there until he came and got me at which meant that this is where I finish the trail. 74.4 miles from completing all 2659 miles of the PCT. Its the hardest decision I have had to make on trail but I told myself that if I wanted to do something like this again its better I don't die now.
So I stayed at the pack station and talked to other hikers who came in waves from the snow and eventually the packers started talking to us as well.
A showed up in the middle of the night and after getting some rest we drove to Bishop where I showed him the different places I went when I was there. I also showed him Mt. Whitney! After grabbing some fruit we drove through Yosemite. It was kind of bittersweet for me to be there since that was where I was supposed to finish my hike.
The next day we did an impromptu Six Flags stop. After our brains were rattled a little we went into San Francisco and said hi to Sean <3 who was there with his mom visiting his aunt. We hugged goodbye and A and I drove to the train station just in time to make our train that would take us back to Seattle. I have gone up and down the length of California, Oregon and Washington so many time this year its ridiculous.
