But then Malora and Carrie came into town. They are hiking home, to Bellingham Washington, via the Pacific Crest Trail. they began in Campo, CA right at the border of Mexico.
Between insane laughing and feeling like i was stuck in an episode of The Office, they lectured me on my abundant showering and water waste. Then they dug into my excessive spending on things like pedicures and dozens of pairs of socks and explained in depth why organic lettuce costs $7.00 a head.
They have spent the last year working on organic farms in Hawaii and Italy where their tasks included picking coffee beans and pulling slugs off of lettuce leafs. Pretty much, i feel like a bad person.
They convinced me to only take one shower on Sunday and to forgo shaving for one day. Thats all i could handle.
Today i had to drop them off in Cabazon, CA at exit 110. The day looked like this. Windy, cold, and sprinkling rain. Carrie asked me to stop using the windshield wipers, it just made her feel better about heading out on the trail.
They are headed towards Big Bear, they should get there by Thursday or Friday. I offered to drive them up there, its like an hour away. that idea got shot down real quick.
They average 20 miles a day at 2mph pace. They are usually out on the trail for a total of 12 hours a day including stops and snack time. You should have seen the blisters on Malora's feet!! They stayed an extra day with me to get them to dry out just a little bit more.
Their packs weigh 20 pounds, depending on how much water they need to carry with them. Everything they have is ultra light and every item specifically selected. I tried to sneak in some candy, but it was quickly rejected due to its weight and being so cumbersom.
It was the oddest feeling watching them walk off into the mist under the "Wind Farm" of wind mills. The wind was so strong, i could hardly close the car door and they had to use their walking sticks on flat land.
One of the dozen things i learned from them this weekend is that if you think you need it, you probably don't. Just walk around the store with it for a few minutes, then put it back on the rack.
A few of their necessities they sent forward to me so they could have the necessary tools for the Sierra's.
1 comment:
you cant own too many pairs of socks. Eff the haters.
True story: to help a friend stop smoking, i told him to buy a pack of socks a day in place of his usual pack of cigarettes, cuz then he could just throw away the socks afer he was done and have 2-3 pairs left depending on how smart he is with his money. The moral of that is, its way cooler to have a never-ending supply of fresh socks than blowing smoke out of your mouth. Unless of course the smoke is preceded by like flames or hornets or something.
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