Friday, June 1, 2007

Day Eight - Thursday, May 31

Wow, the last day of May! Seems like it was just April and I was waiting for Julien to arrive.
Awoke this morning to find the top of my sleeping bag around my face all wet. I was wondering if I slobbered last night, eeww that's disgusting! Then I checked and the whole top of my bag was wet. At least I wasn't that gross but don't know why its so wet. I can't put it in my stuff bag all wet or I won't be able to use it tonight.
I had to climb to 9000' feet today. It felt like going up Mission Peak 15 times! I skipped two water stops that took me a mile or so off trail and was lucky to find a water cache from the trail angels when I needed water after a 9 mile dry section. There was a note from Tattoo Joe complaining about no water a few days before and another note that said these are maintained by volunteers and not guaranteed. I'm so glad some angel was nice enough to restock the water before I arrived. I was able to run about 5-6 miles today on the downhills to pick up my pace. My legs and feet are feeling good so my obsidian bracelet is working!

As I neared the PCT trail junction to Idyllwild, I noticed I had lost my short-sleeved, blue Montrail shirt that I had hung on the back of my pack to dry. Plus, my watch has been blinking off and on for a few miles. The battery must be dying. Darn - wet sleeping bag, failing watch, lost my shirt! I decided to go the 4.5 miles to Idyllwild and spend the night in a hotel and take a down day on Friday. I can get my watch fixed, charge my phone, a tarp to cover my bag at night , dry my bag - and take a bath! I left the trail at mile 180.
So I'm sitting in a restaurant sipping a lemonade! I will go to the library tomorrow and check e-mail. Jerry got an e-mail from Lon Cooper that the Russian woman, Dina was missing this morning. I had met Lon on Sunday at Scissors crossing before I met Dina. Jerry got an afternoon e-mail that she was found - whew. Tattoo Joe left a message on my phone that he is leaving the trail for a couple of days to attend a wedding and will return on Monday. I'm going to try to reach his restart point by then.
I plan to start again at 8 am on Saturday if anyone wants to come out with me. I can start earlier if you want. Call my cell phone.

15 comments:

Olga said...

Catra, dear, good for you to get a day off and recharge. I hope you find somebody to spend a few days in those lower parts of hot CA desert, and can't wait for you getting up to the beauty of OR mountains!
Sending positive vibes every day you way!

Jo Lynn said...

Hi Catra,
Some little problems, but all at one time, become an issue! Relax in the tub with that tall glass of lemonade. Oh, how I wish I could come run with you tomorrow. You know I would! I think of you every single day and my nightly prayers always include you. It doesn't surprise me at all that you are leaving everyone in the dust. You are such a determined person. Keith & I loved the newspaper article about you. If you're interested, we want to meet up with you in Kennedy Meadows where we would be accompanied by a four-legged boy named Rocky Rockstar. What do you think?
Hugs,
~Jo Lynn

Tracy Thomas said...

Catra!!! YOU ARE AWESOME!!! Thanks for doing this wonderful blog and keeping us up to date. What you are doing is wonderful and a real inspiration!!!! Stay stroooooong and positive. I wish you the best!
Love, Tracy

Jen said...

“Only as high as I reach can I grow, only as far as I seek can I go, only as deep as I look can I see, only as much as I dream can I be.”
Karen Ravn quotes

Peace and Lite feet!
jen

Unknown said...

!*! Good Morning 180 Mile Woman !*!

Wow.
Whatever was going on with the sleeping bag? How weird is that? We don't have dew here in the desert ~ maybe it was more Angel Water? Anyway, i am glad it happened now and not in the snow so your chartruese braids don't freeze into Pippy Longstocking look-alikes.

***Congrats on take A DAY OFF!***


Love that Lemonade and Enjoy That Rest. Oh, and the bath, . . oh yea.

Jill and the fourlegged babies and i wish we were there in person to lift out some miles tomorrow, but we will be there in spirit, smiling with you all the while.

Stay hydrated and Enjoy Your Down Time, Amazing Catra.

xxoo
mer

JeffO said...

If you were within 200 miles of me I'd take a couple of vacation days to run and camp with you. Too bad I have to work for a living (at the beck-and-call of all the 9-5 people I support).
The weekend is coming and there will be plenty of companions! You'll need crowd control!

Unknown said...

Stay strong girl. You rock!

hugs

HERC DRIVER said...

God I'm proud of you!!!!! Thanks for being such an inspiration!!! Keep smiling and I'll be following your progress every day! If you have a cel # I'd love to give you a call sometime to give you some "motivation" ;)

Namaste!

Tom

Catra's PCT Adventure said...

Catra's Cell phone number was posted on Day 7

SimplyStu said...

The hotel sounds like a dream (at least for a day). The re-charge seems to come at a good time! Best of luck! I'm totally starting to think this would be something I want to try one day. You rock Catra! You are getting so many of us the perspective of what the PCT is all about! Thanks!

Unknown said...

This blog makes me feel like I can do anything

Brian Thomas said...

Sounds like an awesome trip. Inspirational. Rock on.

Renee said...

Looking amazing, Catra!!!!

Unknown said...

~*~*~*~Happy Sunday Catra~*~*~*~

The PCT keeps turning up in the craziest most unexpected places ~ i'm talkin' 'bout a cooking magazine. Some cool photos but they don't show the gnats, snakes and other fine things like you.

The Blue Montrail Shirt . . .sigh . . . i'm hoping you trained your Sons well in that short time so one of them will find it and have sense to sent it to you since after all they are being the sweeps for your dust. ;0

Stay Tight out there, Amazing One.
Be thinking of you when i go out for my long rn of fun in 97F heat at 6pm.

xxoo
mer

Tuco said...

Good luck! Hope you have a brand new pair of shoes (and socks!) stored up ahead somewhere!