I slept in this morning because the business where my resupply box was held didn’t open until 11am and I was only two hours from town. However, I double checked the hours on Google when I got to service only to find they were closed today. Shooot! I searched for a phone number and got lucky enough to get ahold of the owner of the bar, who had an employee close by that could come get my box for me. Crisis averted! On the last bit to town, we picked the first fresh blackberries from the trail.

Sandman and I chilled in town until around 3pm doing random chores. 

One thing I promised to myself when committing to do a daily blog was to share the good, the bad, and the ugly. Here’s a bit of the ugly:

There is a popular hiking podcast, called Backpacker Radio, where the hosts joke that “you aren’t a true thru-hiker unless you poop your pants” due to the common occurrence hikers contracting giardia or the poor nature of their diet. Well, today I can declare I am true thru-hiker with an oopsie walking to the bathroom.
Sandman thought this was hilarious. Karma, however, got the last laugh. I believe the saying is, “he who laughs first, poops his pants last”. I hiked out earlier than Sandman. I get a text from him declaring he is also a true thru-hiker, although he said it more bluntly, and that he’d be a little behind. Well, bad luck for us today. 

We entered the state of Washington today after crossing the Bridge of the Gods over Hood River. Washington is known as the 2nd hardest part of the trail, and it didn’t waste time letting us know why. We were immediately hit with a 4K foot climb out of town. 

We decided to call it a little early tonight to live to fight another day. 

Miles: 17.3

Total Miles: 2,254