Journal Entries

We took the Dillon/Silverthorn alternate (kind of!) And the climb up out of Dillon was pretty hard work. Also, the trail kept disappearing on us (it was poorly trodden and poorly marked) and was pretty poorly graded. I can't say I enjoyed this section very much. As we climbed the switchbacks to rejoin the official trail, the Sugarloaf fire did it's "afternoon kick off" and we watched as the thin wisp of smoke turned into a billowing cloud. We had little choice but to keep climbing so we could get a better sense of the scale and risk, since from where we were on the switchbacks the fire looked as if it could have been just one valley over. Luckily we were already above treeline, so the risk was smaller for us to stay up high/keep climbing. It turned out the fire was two valleys over (past several high passes and treeless expanses Mum, don't freak out!) So we kept going. After we made it into Grand Lake we found out they had actually closed this section of trail while we were in there, so we were lucky to get through!

Well, my fellow travelers and hikers-- I am still trying to keep moving and getting into the forest to preserve my sanity! Today, I hiked for about three miles on the Art Loeb Trail starting from the trailhead along the Davidson River. Naturally, every day I miss my time on the AT. And boy, have I lost my trail legs!!

This was a real gem to find along the trail today--it's past the blooming season for most of the rhododendrons. So I stopped for a few moments to enjoy its perfection. There is a saying that flowers don't compete with other flowers--they just bloom when they are ready. Be like the flowers.

The most important part of the trail for me was the forest healing, the therapy of being out there. Finding a way to replace that therapy while off the trail is taking some effort. I'm blessed to live in North Carolina where there are such beautiful mountains and trails. So getting out there even for day hikes is a priority. In addition, I have been working on mindfulness meditation to help me adjust. There are two audiobooks that you simply must listen to--these were real game changers for me-- "Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics" and "10% Happier" read by the author Dan Harris. It's not my habit to recommend books but these are so relevant to our modern life, on and off the trail.

Right now, practicing loving compassion for all is my mindfulness exercise, even for the most difficult in my life. I experience deep gratitude for those who hike with me in life and have been a positive influence and I will work on mentally developing compassion for some people who have done some seriously ugly stuff. You gotta know that people who hurt other people intentionally aren't feeling good themselves. No matter what you do to hurt me, my internal happiness is not yours to take!

Hope you have enjoyed today's trail beauty. Happy Trails, Deb

One of the conflict areas where I worked was Liberia-a country largely modeled after the USA. Rural areas suffer from a lack of clean water. As hikers we know how much work it is to collect our liter bottles of water—but imagine that you have to provide water for all uses for your extended family, elders, littles, the disabled and all. This arduous task usually falls to the women of the family. So I am supporting this project in Liberia. I know the groups involved and have met them personally in Liberia. Please read about the project for its interest when you have time. Donating is appreciated but not required. None of the funds go to my hike. Only to help the project get on its feet with an ultimate goal of self-suffficiency. GoFundMe.com/cleanwaterforliberia

Kokodama pass had wildflowers for days.

The climb, although it was just over 3000ft, was well paced and manageable, and there were many spots to enjoy the view. We all climbed it much faster than we thought, just because it was so nice and steady. The valleys just below Searle pass in both directions really took my breath away in particular (and not because of the altitude!!).

There was a cabin near the top of the valley there that left me pining for a rainy winters day next to a log fire, but when I get to come out and hike everyday I really don't have too many legitimate complaints!

I turned 28 on the trail last week, just after we left Twin Lakes. It was a pretty uneventful day, but a good one nonetheless. Th climb (although not high) really aggravated my Achilles tendon, which has been extra grumpy since our monster day on the west Collegiate route. I also missed home a bit, as we all do sometimes.

It's funny, but it was good that it was an average day in some ways. The views were spectacular, the climb a little hard. It made me remind myself that you climb every mountain just one step at a time and that at any given moment, all you need is the willpower to take just one more step. I've been finding myself getting overwhelmed at the thought of getting to Canada lately (we definitely aren't winning any speed records) but really all I need to remember is that on any given day I need the willpower to get on the trail for just one more day. I love it out here, but it's hard. For every climb you get done, there is another one looming just over the ridgeline (this is especially true in Colorado!). For every meal you cook, there is another one coming that needs to be done. For every cathole you dig, there will be another one tomorrow, and the next day, and maybe tomorrow afternoon. It's easy to get bogged down in the hard stuff and forget that every step is moving us North towards Canada.

We are getting there. One step at a time.

Trip post morem thoughts:

• The Sentier National de Quebec has been great. It is well marked, pretty, and well worth exploring further. At over 1000 km of trail, I am definitely planning on coming back here many more times.
• The Lanaudiere region of Quebec (1.5 hours north of Montreal) is beautiful. There is a lot to do out there, and is relatively close to home for us. This was a really good find.
• I am blaming my chafe problems mostly on my choice of underwear for this hike. Over all my years of backpacking, I have always used tight-fitting long synthetic boxers and never had a problem. This year I decided to give merino boxers a try. My analysis is that they absorb too much water, and tend to bunch up creating a situation ripe for abrasion. Never again.
• I am always going to make sure I have anti-chafe balm/lube with me.

We pushed pretty hard on some.advicw from friends further up the trail than us, and climbed Lake Ann Pass late in the afternoon so the snow at the top was nice and soft. It felt pretty exposed up there still, but the soft snow definitely helped. We crossed the snow around 7pm, met Crash up the top (another Australian hiker) and pushed down only a mile or so and made camp. Overall a huge day, but pretty rad.

In the photo you can see Lake Ann Pass on the far right (look for the low point with the crescent of snow in it).

We climbed up and over Hope Pass today to make it into Twin Lakes.

Hope pass was a brutal climb, that was totally exhausting. It was made worse by the fact that 100 runners passed us on our way up, so we kept having to step aside to let them pass (even though we had right of way because we were going up, only 3 or 4 of them yeilded to us. So annoying).

It started snowing on us just as we climbed above tree line. It was the first time I had seen proper snowfall (it snowed lightly as we left camp that morning but really very little). It was so confusing! However, I strongly feel light Snow is better than rain to hike in now as you get so much less soggy.

It seemed to have stopped halfway down to town, so we sat down and ate lunch. Naturally the snow resumed as soon as we sat to eat, and then stopped as soon as we got up to keep walking.

My one and only camp site for the weekend, 0.5 km from the road crossing which marks the end of the Sentier the Contreforts.

Thank God for mosquito netting! On some sections of the trail the bugs have been pretty brutal. My chosen camp site is apparently one of those places.

My chafing hasn't gotten any better overnight, and is really painful. I have decided to cut my trip short rather than risk making a bad situation worse by continuing on for two more days. This is really disappointing, as the next section of trail is supposed to be really beautiful. I have texted Renee to come and pick me up at the road crossing.

I decide to end my day after 27 km of hiking, stopping just before the road crossing near a creek. My chafing is really bad now, and I have no way to deal with the problem - I neglected to bring any anti-chafe lubes/creams. I don't have different underwear or shorts to try.

The only ointment I have to apply is lip balm, which I decide to try. If this doesn't heal up enough by morning, I may be forced to cut my trip short.

Here is actual Lake Ann. If you look closely there are 3 tents in the photo for perspective.