The third zero day in Stehekin

Day 134

Another painful morning, but this time the pain was quicker to subside. The sky was grey, like yesterday. Not from skies but from the smoke having returned. I didn’t care much for that, though.

As for how many days of rest I should take, it is also a balance against getting to Canada before the cold, rain and snow starts. Ideally, that should be before mid September, so I could wait some more days, but looking at the weather predictions, it makes sense to head out tomorrow, as there seems to be a long streak of cold weather and rain on the horizon. I’m planning to stretch the last section out to have shorter days, and things doesn’t seem to work out I can get off in twenty miles where the trail crosses a highway. After that, it is all or nothing.

I got the last of the town chores done, which took a surprisingly long time. I also asked many of the other hikers if they had any acetaminophen, but none had any, though many kindly offered more ibuprofen, which I didn’t need. As the store didn’t have any more I ended up getting a weird prep that in addition to acetaminophen also had caffeine and an antihistamine.

I had a cup of tea in the evening in one of the common rooms of the lodge. It had large windows facing the lake and seemed not to have ben updated much since the eighties. Wooden veneer clad the walls and a tiled ceiling topped it off. One of the window frames had a nail sticking out on top as if it never had been hammered in and had been left there untouched for decades. I actually like finding such “museums” of interior design. I also like Stehekin. Or rather, I liked it when I first came here. The last two days I have felt somewhat confined and bored by the monotony of all the everyday routines of the place.

I tried to read a book, but I simply couldn’t concentrate as my thoughts were all over the place. Oh, how I suddenly wish this was all over and that I was back home with friends and family. Five more days!

This day’s miles: 2572-2572 (a zero day)