Decision Time

June 30. 10:15 pm

We've had a roller coaster week of deciding and redeciding what to do next. The morning after the last post I woke up with abdominal pain about twice as bad as it had been for the last few weeks. As we hiked on it didn't get much better. We decided to get off the trail at the next road in Walker Pass and head into the town of Lake Isabella (a 35 mile hitch!). I decided in my head that morning on the hike to the road that my body wasn't going to heal on the trail and that it'd be best for me to leave and go home. I had none of the internal debates, should I or shouldn't I, that I had had for the last few weeks. It was clear to me that heading home was the best option. When we got into Isabella, Garrett began making plans to hike on by himself and I started looking for plane tickets. We also made arrangements to go into the nearest big town, Bakersfield, and rent a car so that I might help Garrett resupply in the High Sierras. We got to Bakersfield and rented a small Aveo from Enterprise and made sure to hit an In-N-Out Burger on our way out of town. I'll always remember that day that we drove off in our "own" car and the freedom I felt. I felt free from the burden of the trail, free from the logistics of continuing on and free to go anywhere we wanted. It was a great and fleeting freedom.

The next day I dropped Garrett off at Kennedy Meadows, the beginning of the High Sierras and 50 miles north of where we left the trail. He was going to hike for 40 miles and I was going to meet him with food the next day. I went on to Lone Pine and got a room in a hostel. I ran into a hiker (Skywalker) we had met in Big Bear once I got to Lone Pine. It was exciting to catch up on all the news with people in front of us and trail conditions. Skywalker is an enthusiastic story-teller and he made me feel like a real, healthy, hiker again just by recounting the life of the trail. My body was feeling better at this point, probably from the relative inactivity. The combination of running in to Skywalker and feeling better gave me the idea that I didn't need to buy a ticket home and that I could join Garrett after the High Sierras. Later that night I got a call from Garrett who had hiked about 7 miles in and 7 miles back out realizing that he didn't want to hike this most anticipated section without me and by himself. I thought this was really sweet considering how much I know Garrett loves to just go, despite the challenge.

I came back to Kennedy Meadows the next morning and we spent the day in a guy named Tom's Airstream trailer/Cyber Cafe (Kennedy Meadows is a small town completely off the grid, so this small internet cafe was powered completely by solar!). I came cautiously thinking we could both get back on the trail since I had had one really good day of health; Garrett was there thinking that we'd both leave the trail so I could get well. After pricing every mode of transportation home and debating all the options we ultimately decided that we would wait it out one more week. I would see another doctor and if all was getting better we would get back on the trail after the Sierras. Skipping the High Sierras would be less risky with my cast and put us closer to more people (which I've decided is the next best thing to being healthy). I saw the doctor in Lone Pine today and got a reassurance that my internal contusions behind my ribs would indeed heal, but it would take longer than normal in the trail environment. She herself was a backpacker and could sympathize with the discomfort I was feeling. She didn't say it would be quick or easy recovery, but she did say I would get better. We felt pretty happy about the good news.

So now we are heading back to Bakersfield tomorrow to return our car. We will then take a bus back up to Lone Pine and on to the town of Bridgeport where we will ultimately get back on the trail at Sonora Pass. Bridgeport supposedly has a huge Fourth of July celebration with funnel cakes and the whole shabang, so that's an added plus. We'll hopefully return to Bridgeport after we get to Canada to hike the section we skipped through the High Sierras down to Walker Pass in September southbound.

We're both really happy to be heading back to the trail, and a nicer, cooler, less-sandy trail at that. Ironically, we're actually back on our original schedule now. Our next stop should be in South Lake Tahoe sometime early next week.

until then!
bluebird