Due to lack of service, day 57 and 58 will both come out today

It was supposed to rain last night but there were no sprinkles on my rain fly as I fell asleep. More surprisingly, however, there were none when I woke up either. I looked to the ground outside of the fly. Dry. I skipped my usual routine of laying in bed and groaning and rushed through my morning chores, relishing at the opportunity to pack up a dry rain fly. 

By the time I was done with my breakfast and packing, baby talk and rocket were just getting out of their tents. “See ya!” I called out as I walked out of camp. “Look for me at the Mau Har campsite!”

It was drizzly as i walked. I thought about putting on my raincoat because it was chilly, just above 50 degrees, but decided against it. I really hate the feeling of a clammy raincoat on my skin. So I just walked through the drizzle, growing slowly damper with each step. 

The day grew wetter and wetter with the rain starting to come down harder as I went. I took off my glasses because they had long since fogged up and become covered in droplets. I hung them on their usual spot on my pack’s chest strap. 

But even without my glasses on, I was able to spot the duck a couple yards ahead of me. “What is that duck doing in the woods?” I found myself thinking as I got closer. But with all my energy focused on the duck, I forgot to look where I was walking. I slipped on a slick rock and immediately found myself on my back, staring up at the sky. To add insult to injury, when I looked at the duck from this new vantage point, I realized it was just a duck shaped branch. 

I continued on, stopping only for a quick picture of the 800 mile marker. I kept telling myself I would eat lunch at the next water source, but each time I got to another one, it would still be raining and I couldn’t bring myself to stop. To let my now soaked through body cool down. To eat a damp peanut butter sandwich. Just the thought of it repulsed me and made me lose my appetite. I kept going. 

When I finally decided to stop and get some water, I checked and saw I was only 4 miles from the campsite we had agreed upon. I figured I may as well just wait til I got there. I’d be able to eat in dry clothes under my tarp, I figured. So I took off my bag, filled up water and kept on going. 

A mile and half later, I crossed a suspension bridge over a river and saw a flat campsite. The rain was coming down even harder and it was so close to trail that neither rocket nor baby talk would be able to pass without seeing me. I made the executive decision. I was camping here. We were camping here. 

I set up camp and changed into dry clothes. I started to eat lunch when I decided to check my phone. I couldn’t really read the screen well so I went to put on my glasses. And that’s when I realized, my glasses weren’t on my pack any more. I check the whole campsite. No where. “Fuck!” I yelled into the abyss. (Sorry mom) 

It took me a minute, but i realized where they must be. They must be back where I filled up water. So I found myself changing back into wet clothes (not fun) and heading back up the trail. It admittedly felt great to walk without a pack, but I was mostly focused on being mad at myself. How did I lose my glasses??

“And why might you be going in this direction?” Asked baby talk when I ran into her going the other way. I told her about my glasses. And then asked her if rocket was behind her. “No, he passed me a while back. Did you not see him?” I hadn’t. I knew what that meant. He had missed me. He was headed to the campsite we had agreed upon this morning. 

Babytalk and I  agreed to meet at the campsite and figure out the rocket situation shortly. Glasses were top priority. 

When I got to the stream the glasses were there. They had clearly been stepped on and were quite bent out of shape, but they still existed. And that’s what mattered. I wiped the mud off and held them up in the air triumphantly. Showing them off to no one in particular. 

Back at camp, I saw a message from rocket, “looks like I missed you. Ninja said you’re down by the river? Went to Mau Har.” I told babytalk that I was already set up. I just want going to move. Especially not after my 3 mile round trip glasses adventure. I also told her I was going to finish my lunch and then likely get into my hammock and not come out til morning. 

She thought for a while and eventually decided it was miserable out so she may as well get the extra miles in now. She headed off up the trail towards rocket. 

I got into my hammock with the intention to do one of three things, write my blog, listen to music or read my book. But none of those happened, at 4:30pm, I just fell straight asleep. 

Key stats: 

Miles: 19

Elevation gained: 3,400

mile marker: 835

Food consumed: not enough