Day 87 - Another Bear - July 1
I woke up this morning thinking about negative things other people have said. People that worry too much. I don't need any negativity right now. What I'm trying to do is hard enough. I have enough negative thoughts of my own without adding more. When I wake up thinking about those negative things, it's very demotivating. I just want to stay in my tent and sleep more. Perhaps this is why I like camping alone lately. It gives me some time and space to think.
I laid in bed for a while and as I was getting ready, Bootsie came down the trail. He stopped to talk and wait for Rambles, who was along shortly. I packed up as we talked. They left after a few minutes, and I was ready soon after.
The trail went downhill from camp, into thick underbrush. It felt like being back east. There was even a vine that reminded me of kudzu. Rambles and Boots were taking a smoke break at a lovely stream. I wanted to join them, but my bowels had other plans. I had to continue and find some terrain where I could dig a hole, which didn't take long. I stopped for breakfast soon after, then saw Rambles and Boots pass by. Later, I thought I smelled a faint whiff of weed at another stream and figured they had stopped again.
As I arrived at the river, Coco was there talking to a guy next to a car. His name is Gabriel and he gave us both some sweet peppers. AJ and Ana, a German couple arrived and got some peppers, too. We all stopped at the river for lunch, facing it and watching. A dog that looked like a wolf came down, got water and went back up. Maybe it was a wolf. I wanted to get in the water and wash off. I stripped down to my underwear and sports bra, stepped in and felthow cold it was. I decided just to get my legs in. The cold water would do them good. AJ got all the way in, one part at a time while we watched. He said now he didn't need a shower in town. Ana washed her legs. Another, smaller dog came down and got water. A young boy chased him down, admonishing him. Leaving that river felt like leaving paradise but somehow, after 2 hours we managed to leave.
From there, the trail was uphill and hot. I stopped at the next campsite, an old road that is overgrown. The mosquitos were on me as soon as I paused, so I set up my tent in a hurry and threw all my pack in. I ate dinner while reading inside my tent while the mosquitos buzzed just outside my mesh. I'm glad not to have a tarp right now.
At dusk, a bear wandered past my campsite. Again, I didn't see it, only heard it. It didn't seem to take an interest in me or my food. I heard it tearing apart a log, probably having a nice snack of grubs. Then it wandered up the ridge above me. I felt concerned that maybe it was going to circle me like the other, but the sound of it grew further away. I might have thought maybe it was a deer, except for the log tearing. I'm glad I don't have to move again.
I've been thinking more about how hard it is to consistently do the kind of miles I need to do to finish. Maybe if I alternate easy and hard days, it will resemble something like training for a run. Let my muscles build up faster. It's been two days since my long day, so maybe tomorrow is time for another.
I laid in bed for a while and as I was getting ready, Bootsie came down the trail. He stopped to talk and wait for Rambles, who was along shortly. I packed up as we talked. They left after a few minutes, and I was ready soon after.
The trail went downhill from camp, into thick underbrush. It felt like being back east. There was even a vine that reminded me of kudzu. Rambles and Boots were taking a smoke break at a lovely stream. I wanted to join them, but my bowels had other plans. I had to continue and find some terrain where I could dig a hole, which didn't take long. I stopped for breakfast soon after, then saw Rambles and Boots pass by. Later, I thought I smelled a faint whiff of weed at another stream and figured they had stopped again.
As I arrived at the river, Coco was there talking to a guy next to a car. His name is Gabriel and he gave us both some sweet peppers. AJ and Ana, a German couple arrived and got some peppers, too. We all stopped at the river for lunch, facing it and watching. A dog that looked like a wolf came down, got water and went back up. Maybe it was a wolf. I wanted to get in the water and wash off. I stripped down to my underwear and sports bra, stepped in and felthow cold it was. I decided just to get my legs in. The cold water would do them good. AJ got all the way in, one part at a time while we watched. He said now he didn't need a shower in town. Ana washed her legs. Another, smaller dog came down and got water. A young boy chased him down, admonishing him. Leaving that river felt like leaving paradise but somehow, after 2 hours we managed to leave.
From there, the trail was uphill and hot. I stopped at the next campsite, an old road that is overgrown. The mosquitos were on me as soon as I paused, so I set up my tent in a hurry and threw all my pack in. I ate dinner while reading inside my tent while the mosquitos buzzed just outside my mesh. I'm glad not to have a tarp right now.
At dusk, a bear wandered past my campsite. Again, I didn't see it, only heard it. It didn't seem to take an interest in me or my food. I heard it tearing apart a log, probably having a nice snack of grubs. Then it wandered up the ridge above me. I felt concerned that maybe it was going to circle me like the other, but the sound of it grew further away. I might have thought maybe it was a deer, except for the log tearing. I'm glad I don't have to move again.
I've been thinking more about how hard it is to consistently do the kind of miles I need to do to finish. Maybe if I alternate easy and hard days, it will resemble something like training for a run. Let my muscles build up faster. It's been two days since my long day, so maybe tomorrow is time for another.
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