27 miles today
692 miles to go
Woke up later than usual. All the section hikers are still out. The sun is shining when I start walking. Not sure exactly why I slept in, a combination of not wanting to hike and not having to go thirty miles. I am finding hiking in the forest without any form of reference as to progress is difficult for me. I can pull out my phone and check my Halfmile App, but that is still not that interesting to look at. On and on the forest goes. The types of trees change slightly, the terrain varies, but my only motivation is to finish. I am no longer hiking for the enjoyment of hiking. I don't enjoy this hiking, it's demoralizing and demotivating. I pass a number of lakes, aquamarine gems glistening through the trees. There are nice looking campsites at each one. I also pass lots and lots of tiny brown ponds. There are loads of mosquitos just waiting for me to stop. When I stop they pounce and immediately start siphoning. I try not to stop.
My feet are having to adjust to my new shoes. I'm not sure if it's going to work or not. I find that the cuffs around my ankles are higher and press against my outside ankle bone. This has put holes in both my socks and a raw hotspot on my left outside ankle bone. I only have a little bit of the Leukeotape wrapped around one of my trekking poles. My trekking poles hold up my tent so I can't retrieve the tape until I have my tent down and I don't feel like stopping to address the problem while I'm hiking. Oh poor me, sounds like I'm having a pity party. Maybe I am, I'm the only one here to not enjoy it. On and on I go, step and after step. At some point these trees will open up and I'll be able to see again. For now though it's simply trust the trail, it'll take me where I want to go as long as I don't stop or quit.
I arrive at what I think is the first cold stream crossing the PCT in Oregon. Icy cold, I soak my feet while I eat my peanut butter tortilla. My feet hurt it is so cold. I wonder where this water comes from. It's wonderfully cold to drink, refreshing and rejuvenating. However, it takes a while to warm me feet back up. I don't think soaking them was all that effective. My feet tighten up and hurt really bad as I begin hiking again.
I run out of water three miles before Sisters Mirror Lake. Bad planning? No, laziness. I didn't take the time to get additional water while at the cold creek. So I have to plod along with a cottony mouth for about an hour. On top of that I'm climbing. Up and up and up. I am exhausted and burned out. I just want to finish. The lake is busy with people a least the terrain has stopped with the little ponds so it seems less buggy. I get a brief view of some mountains before its back into the trees. I am not going to camp at the campsite with the others, it's not the experience I am looking for. I move on another mile or so and find a flat spot on an open place. It's a little rocky. But it's mine. There is no one else camping here. I have a view of the South Sister and an open view to Mt Bachelor in the east. It's quiet here. I can hear the wind blowing in the pines. Sleep comes quickly.
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