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DAY SIXTY-EIGHT, July 16, 10.3 Miles
At mile 1335.8
Whipped out my miles in 2.5 hours, including passing the official, but not actual halfway point. Two months and six days, looks like I'll be done in under four months at this rate. Took about 40 minutes to get a hitch into Chester, not too bad (and I discover later 40 minutes is a short wait), but it's rather frustrating when there is so much traffic on the road. The guy who picked me up was extremely helpful though, and as I was walking aimlessly, frustrated around town, Meredith (Piper's Mom) showed up and all was well again. Her and husband Lowell are the local trail angels, and are completely amazing. She left me in town to do my chores, internet, post office, AYCE pizza (they were not ready for me at that place). I was in the bathroom at the supermarket and herd shuffling and muffling from the stall beside me, turns out it was Shit Monkey who had recognised my gaiters. Awesome to see him again, he's been doing forty mile days to catch me up and to get to Ashland. I smashed him in our half gallon challenge (ice-cream, an Appalachian Trail tradition that I am more than happy to do on the PCT). Piper's Mom picked us up and took us to their house for the night, fed us and Sleepwalker dinner, gave us couches and the lounge floor, then breakfast. Huge thankyous. So I have to decide what to do. Option one is say bye to Shit Monkey and keep going at current pace. Option two is hike with him to Ashland, a little under 400 miles in 8.5 days (He only has till the 25th and planned Crater Lake, another 150 miles, but decided on Ashland). Option three is Etna, 270 miles in 7.5 days, then bus to Ashland to meet him and Hamburgerass to hang out in Ashland for the weekend, back to Etna and onward. Leaning toward two at the moment. I'm going to die, but I shall try. I want to stick with him if I can, and we have the Seiad Valley Panckae Challenge.