Day 35 – To Kelso Valley Rd

Title To Kelso Valley Rd
Excerpt I discovered Swampwater and Scrodo ready there. They waited and made positive I had no matter water and meals I wanted.

24 Miles
From path camp at street to Millers spring (mile 594.1, elev 4987)
To Kelso Valley Rd (Mike 617.1, elev 4959)

Mountaineering within the morning, I discovered place for a brief break about 30 yards off the path. I left my pack leaned towards a rock subsequent to the path, and simply as I used to be sitting down, I hear a pair voices. Considered one of them is Swampwater, who appears excited by what he discovered: my backpack.
“Is that Oatmeal Tea?”
He requested me if I had any water I might spare. He wasn’t determined, however his hike to the spring could be extra comfy with a bit extra water.
I had filtered greater than I wanted the evening earlier than, so I gave him most of a liter.
The opposite hiker commented, “The path offers.”
Swampwater rapidly replied, “No. Oatmeal Tea offers.” He remembered different occasions after I had provides or information that was helpful.

600 mile marker appeared shortly after my break

There was just one good water supply alongside the early components of right now’s hike, at Robin Chook Spring. Provided that it was additionally fairly sizzling, everybody appeared to gravitate there for lunch. I counted about 25 hikers on the spring, sitting, mendacity down, and having fun with one another’s firm. It felt festive, besides nobody had power to do far more than sit, lie down, eat, and speak.

Hikers at Robin Chook Spring

Extra Hikers at Robin Chook Spring

Most hikers deliberate to attend there by way of the recent mid-day hours and depart round 3:00. However that will have made it troublesome to fulfill my buddy right now, so I braved the solar and left round 1:00.

Consuming additional meals the final couple days left me a bit brief on snacks. Iris provided me one among her Rx bars, which I vastly appreciated. I didn’t suppose the couple hundred energy made a bodily distinction, however in the previous few miles, taking a chunk of a blueberry Rx bar offered an emotional increase.

Later, I reached the turnoff to the place most hikers deliberate to camp. I discovered Swampwater and Scrodo ready there. They knew I used to be shut behind with plans to push on, and with water and camp solely a shirt distance away for them, they waited to ensure I had no matter water and meals I wanted. They didn’t want to try this. It was very good of them.

Overlooking Kelso Valley

I believe I see a street… Is that the place my buddy is?

My buddy, Becky, and her Labrador retriever, Grace, offered path magic at Kelsey Valley Rd for a pair hours earlier than I obtained there (a pleasant canine to pet does superb issues to the spirits of drained hikers… and Grace is exuberantly pleasant). Becky wrote about her experiences as a path angel, which I’ll publish in one other submit.

I simply know that the afternoon hike was longer than I anticipated. Because the begin of the PCT, I had been pushing myself to finish the wanted miles to fulfill Becky, whose work schedule didn’t enable a lot final minute flexibility. Attending to Kelso Valley Rd meant that my physique, not as drained as some, nonetheless might lastly relaxation for a bit. 

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