PCT day 52-My body is resilient. I am determined and I have found a way to let my feet heal, my ankle mend and my mind relax while still pulling off 40 mile days. I am now a stones throw from Oregon and less than 1000 miles from the end of my second of the three major trails in the US. My immediate thought when I began the day was that it was time to put in at least 40 miles. I needed to position myself so that I could hit the Seiad Valley post office during the 1 hour that it was open on Saturday. After a few easy miles and hiking with another hiker for a while I realized this wouldn’t be a problem. The glorious granite faces of the Marble Mountain Wilderness were all the motivation I needed. There were some hot climbs but they flew by with the stunning views. At least they did until I entered the devastated burn area. This 2013 fire was so bad it even melted the bridges over the creeks. I vividly remembered much of this section from 2011 and it was sad to see the effects a fire started by arson had on the area. After walking a full 40 miles and while I was strolling along looking for a campsite late in the day I came to one of these melted bridges. I always cross streams with my shoes and socks on. But since it was so late in the day I did not want to get my feet wet and have to start out in the morning with wet shoes. So I took off my shoes and socks, slung them over my shoulder and crossed the fast moving creek barefoot. It was almost massaging to walk on the smooth rock at the end of a good day. Tomorrow I hit Seiad Valley and should be able to get very close to the Oregon/California border!
Miles 1601-1641
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