The thing about injuries is, you can’t argue with them. There is no negotiating with plantar fasciitis and I have been told that despite my best efforts, the heavy pack and long stretches that define thru hiking also spell possible longterm consequences. Which, of course means that despite everything else feeling awesome, crushing more miles than I ever have and feeling stronger every week, I have to stop.
So here I am on a bus to Reno driving away from the town where my best friend is gearing up to keep hiking. I’m heading to the first airport I could find to fly back to Seattle and I am sad. But to be fair, the doctor only said thru hiking is too much, not hiking in general … So I’ve got a new plan and hopefully one that gets me back with Pine Nut and Rainbow Dash in a couple weeks.
The new plan is section hiking. I left Seattle to do the PCT, and damnit I’m going to do every single mile of the PCT that I can!
I’m coming back down as soon as I get a vehicle and I will do what I can.
In all the plans, this was the best possible option … Better than returning home and waiting four months for Pine Nut to get back and better than quitting.
So it’s a brief goodbye to the trail for now, but I’ll be back and taking pictures just like before.
Count on it.
