I’m taking a full rest day in Julian today which will involve eating, buying food and resting. I didn’t have dinner last night because I got to town after most things were closed and I was too tired to do anything other than shower so I didn’t eat anything. I woke up at 4am hungry, and couldn’t really sleep well after that.
I really am struggling with sleep which is really bad. It’s vital for recovery, and having Ehlers Danlos it’s even more vital. Sleep restores many things in the body – muscle tissue, fascia, collagen, the various systems of the body that are faulty. I desperately need sleep.
This hotel has free breakfast which is supposedly epic. There are waffles. That’s the only thing I remember the owner telling me about the hotel during check-in last night. Waffles. Breakfast starts at 8 and right now it’s 7:12. I’m counting the minutes. I haven’t been craving any kind of food in particular, I’m just hungry in general.
Later today I’ll buy more food to get me to Warner Springs, where I will get my first resupply box and one of many of my new shoes. LOL.
I think I’m officially accepting the trail name, “Two Shoes”. I was actually given this name by two separate people after telling them about my shoe saga and I kind of like it. Basically, my right foot has always been a tiny bit bigger than my left – never enough to do anything about it. I’ve always just had one shoe that was either too big or too small. But now that I’ve been walking so much, my feet are swelling and growing. I used to be a size 7 shoe but started wearing size 7.5 shoes while training for the PCT. My left foot felt good in size 7.5 (up until yesterday) but my right foot definitely needs a bigger size. I had already reordered size 7.5 shoes, but then decided to order a size 8 for my right foot but by then, Nike stopped making the first color shoe so I ordered a different size. I had sent myself the size 7.5 shoes in a box, but then asked my brother to send the right size 8 shoe. I’ll have to ditch the right size 7.5 shoe in a hiker box – maybe there will be someone who randomly needs one shoe, a sole or new laces. So anyway, “Two Shoes”.
I like it. I have os trigonum AND os navicularis in both my feet and ankles but worse in my right – extra bones formed by cartilage in the foot breaking and then calcifying into bone from years of ballet, soccer, running – the many sports that cause that condition. I never had the surgery to correct it and am still walking the PCT despite my lack of mobility in my right ankle. Another reminder of my weird body, and coming to terms with my imperfections. Imperfections mixed with athletic achievements. Very fitting of the theme of why I’m here. Two Shoes. I need minor accommodations to achieve what I am trying to do. It’s sad, and funny at the same time. The way I have always tried to find the humor in some of the darkest and most painful things in my life. So, Two Shoes it is.
I had breakfast with Food Truck and Waterboy as well as Michelle (from WA) who I met the first day on trail. We talked about the heat, and our plans for the next few days. I have no idea. I haven’t thought that far ahead. Food Truck carries the food and Waterboy carries all the water. Now the names made sense.
I checked out of the hotel and was sitting on the front porch trying to get my life together, and Pink Panther and Eden rolled up with the Professor, the same trail angel who gave me a ride last night. Eden was HUNGRY, so we went to the brewery for pizza. Shawn’s trail family, showed up, and Kira, drove up from San Diego to hang out!
I decided to hike to Warner Springs with Pink Panther and Eden and get there on Monday rather than try to get there by Saturday. I have 2 boxes waiting for me, including now 3 sets of shoes but the post office closes at 1pm on Saturday so that would be a very rough hike given another 15 mile stretch with no water. It’s supposed to be even hotter than it was yesterday. We decided to leave tomorrow afternoon and hike about 5 miles, only go about 10 miles the next day up a fairly steep incline, then another 10 mile day on Sunday, camp near Warner springs, then hike a 7 more miles to town that morning in time for the 8am post office open time. Much more chill.
Knowing this plan, I was able to provision for food. I had to go to both the grocery store and market to get food because each individually didn’t have what I wanted. I went for my free PCT pie at Mom’s and met up with Klara, and then Pink Panther and Eden. I got some banana bread instead of pie. My appetite is weird. Sometimes I’m hungry, but I am craving real food, not things like pie and ice cream.
I was planning on going to Stagecoach RV for the night, but it’s kind of far and difficult to get rides. I didn’t want to hitch hike by myself. I was just kind of sitting outside the deli trying to decide what to do and Michelle came and invited me to stay at an Airbnb with some other hikers I didn’t know. We ended up hitching a ride over – my very first time hitch hiking!!!
A young guy on a motorcycle came by and offered to come back and pick us up in his truck in about 5 minutes but no worries if we got a ride before then because he was going back into town anyway. We got a ride from a woman in a minivan a few minutes later. She worked at a school nearby and told us that she always wanted to pick up hitch hikers but they were always males and she didn’t want to stop for them. She seemed as excited to give us a ride as we were excited to get one. So cute.
The Airbnb was large and had enough room for 10 people. I met Jamie and Pippin, a couple from Seattle! Ellen and her husband Andrew from Denver, and T-Rex and Ritz from San Diego. We had a family dinner mostly veggies, all gluten and dairy free. So many veggies, so good.
Jamie and Pippin had bought stuff for root beer floats. It was so fun hanging out with everyone – basically complete strangers, but it didn’t feel weird at all. I am definitely settling in to the hiker life afterall. It’s better when you trust people. It’s better not to wander through the desert alone.
My feet are kind of swollen today so I’m glad I still have most of the day tomorrow to hang out and rest, and then only have to hike a few miles. I have a few blisters now on my left foot, I’m not sure if I want to try this floss thing people are talking about where you run a piece of floss through holes in the blister and let it drain and leave it there (WTF), just let them be, or try to pop them (which supposedly is bad). I’m just going to let them be for now. It’s a good thing I am about to receive quite an assortment of new shoes in the mail LOL.
I have some hiking boots in my PVC box, which unfortunately I already know are going straight to the hiker box because they’re likely too small by now. My brother sent my 7.5 size shoes in my Warner Springs bounce box but then also sent me my size 8 shoes, and I just ordered a size 8 wide shoe to account for my swelling feet. I have quite the assortment to choose from. The wide shoes aren’t available unless you get custom shoes (which you’re allowed to return for full refund). You can get a custom inscription so I selected “Two Shoes” on them. Those won’t arrive to my house until Mid-May, so hopefully my combo of 7.5/8 shoes will work until then.
I’m eager to be back on the trail. I like being in town, I love showers and laundry, but there is just something about being out there. Even when it’s hot, even when it’s freezing, I feel small, I feel something more powerful than I’ll ever be. If I were a religious person, I’d say it feels like being in the presence of God. I don’t know what’s out there though. I don’t know the meaning of anything, but I do believe there is a Light in everyone, that we are all connected, that the world is so much more truly magnificent than we will ever appreciate. I’m trying to though.
If you are enjoying this blog you can subscribe here to get email updates! If you are really enjoying the blog, please buy me a coffee and help me on my PCT journey! ☀️
