How Thru Hikers are like 4 Year Olds

At the present moment I am about 650 miles into this epic journey. A few miles were skipped for health and safety reasons but most of the miles have been completed by foot. 

I have run into some physical issues on the PCT this go around. I contracted some kind of stomach bug about 180 miles into the section after Idelwild, Ca. I hiked one of the most difficult sections of the trail through San Jancento in a pretty compromised state. I couldn’t keep up with my original hiking crew here so I lost them on day one of this section. I wasn’t at the time,  to worried about meeting more folks to hike with. However over the next 275 miles I would be hiking alone. I was initially convinced that I would find other people who hiked at my speed. 

I also formed an injury during the Deep Creek section. And my shin and foot on my right leg was in a lot of pain. Ibuprofen made it possible to hike at all. But the physical discomfort of sickness and pain  slowed me way down. And the class of 2025 is so dialed in already hiking high miles for this early in the trail and I would meet lots of lovely folks who would sail by me with a smile. 
Telling unsolisited stories about their daily mileage. ‘ It’s 1 pm and I’ve already hike 20 miles!’ Choose the number and the time of day…. It’s odd how often that happens. I send them good luck and congratulate them awkwardly as I hobble along at my own pace of about 13-17 miles a day. I don’t really know what the appropriate response is to a complete stranger yelling out their mileage. But what I do find is a lack of celebration for the slower hikers. I’ve even had people ask me how many miles I was hiking that day and when I told them their response. ‘Wow! You’re really slow!’ Hilarious! I’m like yup! I’m slow. Your fast. There is a thing about this… fast is good… slow isn’t, high miles is good… low miles is inferior. It got in my head a little. And I had to remind myself to enjoy the ride.

I Was also super lonely. All I could think about was meeting up with my oartner to hike the Sierras. Everyday just getting closer to him being with me again. 
I’ve done a lot of solo hiking. About 4K of the miles I’ve hiked have been alone. But over the last 7 years, until this one, I have hiked with my partner Shoki. About 3k miles we have hiked together. I miss my person. 

when I got to the Oasis in Aqua Dulce I met this amazing small group. A couple named Smiles and Gandolf who were my age and a guy named Rippin Richie who is 72 and his sister inlaw Penny 61 who I started to hike around. We have been really looking after each other and as the ‘old folks’ saunter down the trail, it’s nice to have a hiking community again that I’m sure to meet up with eventually and they all do such an amazing job at looking out for each other. 

I have 50 more miles til Kennedy meadows and I will once again be reunited with my beloved person! We are so close! 

I hope this post doesn’t alienated anyone! I’m proud of everyone out here! Being in nature no matter the pace is such a healing journey. I just wonder about this competitive spirit sometimes. Funny enough I usually run into the fast hikers I’ve met in towns. They are always happy to see me… surprised sometimes but happy to share what they have been up to. 

All that said! Here is my list of:

How hikers are like 4 year olds

1. we are in bed and sleeping by 8pm

2. We thrive on sugar and carbs

3 we have no problems eating a snack that fell on the ground

4. When we have to go the bathroom we have to go right away

5. We cry when we are hungry and tired

6. playing with our friends is the highlight of the day

7. When we are somewhere with puppies and cats we love to pet and cuddle them

8. We have no filters around telling others how we feel that day

9. We need the comfort of our parents whenever we talk to them

10. we realize that most things around us on a daily basis are bigger then we are. And we live life in Awe 

be well! 
indra Stable