These echos would end.

DAY SEVENTY-NINE, July 27, 14 Miles
At mile 1606.3
Never really got comfortable last night until the temperature really dropped and those persistent, humming mosquito's finally called it a night. Being on this saddle gave me a sunrise to rival last nights set though, so it was hard not to start with a smile. Was fairly quickly removed by more hidden climbing, nothing like going up on what the guidebook calls a "gentle descent" (perhaps the gentlest form of descent is ascent?). Caught Indy (who had pushed on last night for water) and were caught by Iceaxe (how does he get behind me all the time?) in quick succession and we walked together all morning. Came across a couple of goats, then a woman who as Iceaxe puts it could have been Mother Nature herself, and her four month old. Then her companion and the rest of their eighteen goats and two dogs appeared out of the bushes. Turns out they cruise around all summer, four gallons of goat milk a day, plus cheese, jerked goat, some grains and whatever edibles they come across. Amazing. The goats milk tasted so good (surprisingly so in fact). Beautiful people leading such a beautifully simple life. Definitely the most surreal moment of the trail (although Donna Saufley having Pendulum blasting at Hiker Heaven is still up there). Got to the road about midday, and found Atlas there (his journal is about the best I've read by the way, on Trailjournals.com, he carries two pieces of re-bar taped together as a walking stick so as not to lose his gymnast muscle), ended up being about ninety hot minutes before we were picked up, by an English guy who'd lived in Christchurch, of course. It's a pretty quiet road and ninety minutes seems to be on the short end of the waiting line. Etna is the hyped up "best town on the PCT". Yes and no, but hey, personal opinion etc etc etc etc. It's very small town America, the soda fountain was cool. Staying at the CCTG which is a sort of hostel for a not-for-profit who do AIDS prevention in Africa and Latin America. There's currently about twenty Brazilian and South Korean students here (18-22) and a couple of American team leaders. They're ultra hiker friendly and have everything we need. It's definitely the best place I've stayed at (not the most comfortable, but who needs comfort?). There are a few hikers about, had some food (two half gallon ice-creams for $4. Oh. My. Wondouous. Yes. Yes) and did precious little else. I heard from Wild Child that Shit monkey got off at Castella with a stress fracture. That sucks. One of the students was giving a presentation on patriotism, which a couple of us sat in on and was very enjoyable. As was the follow up conversation. Very hot down here, zero tomorrow.