PCT hiking update: Halfway done, and the Jump to Ashland OR

"Real travel requires a maximum of unscheduled wandering, for there is no other way of discovering surprises and marvels, which, as I see it, is the only good reason for not staying at home."

- Alan Watts



A lot of people have to take time from the trail for various reasons. I hear most often of people leaving to attend weddings, but family affairs and problems at home are common as well.

I was almost embarassed to tell people that my own "trail leave" would be for a 10 day cruise in Europe...

Cologne Cathedral, 500 something steps to the top...

Needless to say, I spent the entire trip stuffing my face with food and wine. The food was delicious, and the sights were amazing - although somewhat overwhelming to my wilderness attuned senses.

Getting off trail, over to Europe, cruising around, then back to trail was a bit of a Traveller's nightmare... so many people and airports and lines to wait in. I also rode an Amtrak train for the first time, from Sacramento to Ashland. Not a bad way to travel honestly...

Only pic I got before my phone died wandering Ashland... captures the place quite well though

I decided to jump ahead to Ashland, to improve my chances of beating foul weather in Washington. I'll have to back track to pick up the last 300 miles of California at some point. Still 900 miles to cover both Washington and Oregon.


Anyway, since I've re-experienced the frustrations of city life, I figure I can tell some tales of the daily frustrations of life outdoors...

The Three Nuisant Entities of the Wild:

Imagine yourself laying out a pad or finding a sweet spot to chill after a hard stretch of hiking. There are a couple creatures of the outdoors that will keep you from fully easing into that relaxed space...

1. Carpenter ants:

Crawling on my hat after a break. He would be on my face soon if I hadn't noticed!

They crawl on everything... and even though they have never bitten me, they are just large enough to be unnerving. I remover smaller ants with a gentle pinching motion, but these guys get a solid thump through the air. I've even had one crawl across my chest - under my shirt - in the middle of the night...

2. Mosquitos:

Yep.. not going to pose for a pic with this guy on me..

Everyone knows the frustration of mosquitos.. they were particularly bad through the Sierra's, though big enough that you could just about feel them landing on you, giving time enough to smash them out quickly.

These bugs are the number one reason I set up the tent vs. just cowboy camping... got to have the enclosed bug mesh!

3. Flies of every size:

Yep, that's a fly... biting my face.

Flies often accompany one of the other nuisance bugs, but typically come in swarms or not at all. Some are slow enough to smash. Some are big and sound like bees buzzing your head. Some bite... but either way, a swarm will keep you from reaching full relaxation at break time.

Sometimes, all you can do is pack up and move along...

Check these scenes leading up to Chester CA just before I left trail.

Happy trails friends...

- Traveller