July 11, 2022 Mile 1268.7 to Williams Cabin Site at mile 1292.7 24 miles From the groaning and general tossing around when it starts to get light, it seems like none of us slept particularly well or wants to get up. Tribute is first. Seeing him moving around, I frown and shake my head, as …
July 10, 2022 Quincy via Bucks Lake Road at mile 1267.9 to mile 1268.7 0.8 PCT miles (now THAT’s a nero) I wake up and am so conscious of being comfortable and clean. I’m lying on a pillow. I have a blanket. There are no mosquitoes around my head. There’s a glass of water right …
July 9, 2022 Middle Fork of the Feather River at mile 1249.7 to Quincy via Bucks Lake Road at mile 1267.9 18.2 miles Oh, dear God. Everything hurts. I didn’t sleep well. It was really warm and I was too hot in my quilt. I tossed and turned all night. Now I feel yesterday in …
July 8, 2022 Campsite near Little Jamison Creek at mile 1216 to Middle Fork of the Feather River at mile 1249.7 33.7 miles My alarm goes off at 4:30. I groan. No, no, no. I’m cold and my sleeping bag is damp with condensation. I wish I’d gotten to camp earlier last night. I don’t …
July 7, 2022 Sierra City at mile ~1195.4 to campsite near Little Jamison Creek at mile 1216 20.6 miles As I write, I’m hiding in my quilt from the cloud of mosquitoes that I was hoping really badly would go away by the time it got dark. Reader, they did not go away. They are …
July 6, 2022 Campsite at mile 1174.9 to Sierra City at mile ~1195.4 20.5 miles I wake up before my alarm. I think what I’m hearing is a mountain lion doing that wheezing thing. Either that or a bird is making a great mountain lion impression. I was going to get up to pee, but …
July 5, 2022 Campsite at mile 1153.8 to campsite at mile 1174.9 21.1 miles We’d all agreed last night that we would sleep in today because we stayed up late for the fireworks. So when I wake naturally just before 6, no one is moving and it’s beautiful. Jumbo is still curled up in his …
July 4, 2022 Campsite at Five Lakes Creek, mile 1136 to campsite at mile 1153.8 17.8 miles I’m not as tired as I thought I would be after a 28 mile day, but I’m still so sluggish waking up. Tribute and Jumbo leave before me again, around 6:30, and I’m packed up and walking by …
July 3, 2022 Campsite at mile ~1107.9 to campsite at Five Lakes Creek, mile 1136 28 miles I’m cold. I’m tired. And I do not want to get up. I ignore my alarm and the rustling of my friends’ quilts and the deflating of their sleeping pads until I’m guilted into moving. Platypus comes over …
July 2, 2022 US 50 crossing at mile 1090.8 to campsite at mile ~1107.9 17.1 miles I wake up before everyone else and creep into the common area, where we’ve stored Tribute’s massive balloon. Finding it, I return to our room and clip it to Tribute’s bunk. “Happy birthday!” I whisper, trying not to wake …
Sarahmarie Specht-Bird 