|
Day 5 September 2nd Start - Silver Pass Creek After yesterday’s 19.4 mile day, it finally hit me. It hit me hard. I’m not enjoying the hike anymore! Everything seems to be just a blur as I click off the miles. I realized that I have never really stopped along the way to take in the beauty that surrounded me. What a waste! I could describe to you exactly what every trail intersection looked like because that’s when I typically stopped to look around to make sure I did not wander from the JMT. But even till now, I could not honestly say I can’t remember what some of the passes I crossed looked like or be able to describe some of the beautiful meadows I crossed. You see, I have this schedule to stick to. Like the robot in old show, Lost in Space, robot sounding “MUST NOT DEVIATE FROM THE SCHEDULE!” Did I tell you that I even color coded the elevation changes so I could easily tell if I was going up or down? Now that I think about it. It’s good I was hiking solo. If I had a hiking partner, there is no doubt there would have been many serious discussions why we can’t stop and rest or why can’t we eat lunch here or there. I’m sure my madness would have broken up even the strongest of friendships. At my campsite at Rosemarie Meadows, I call a emergency planning meeting. Me, Myself and I attended. I laid out all the remaining maps in front of me on the ground and called the meeting to order. Everybody agreed that Me is crazy for making unreasonable mileage expectations and that Myself was not being flexible on the schedule and the I was completely at fault! We all agreed that from this point on, we, ok, I, (I’m not really crazy) will now slow down the pace. But how? I already have somebody picking me up at the end at the portal on certain day. My wife, Sylvia knows my schedule and it would worry her if I didn’t show for the ride on time. I calculated that if I add 2 extra days from this point on I could really, really enjoy the remaining JMT. What to do, what to do? I get this idea in my head. I start writing the same things on several pages of pocket note book paper. “Please call my wife Sylvia at home at Bla Bla Bla or cell at Bla Bla Bla and tell her that I need 2 extra days to complete the JMT. Rod is in good spirits but is rushing too much.” I was planning to selectively hand these notes to backpackers on trial I would meet who planned to be around a phone in the next day or two. Hopefully through their kindness my wife would get at least 1 of the many notes I would selectively give out. Now with a new plan, I feel that a millions pounds have been lifted off my shoulders. I fall into a deep sleep for the first time in 5 nights. I write 9 time entries in my log today. |
