Flashback to 1997. My father, little brother (age 5), and I are walking along the blustery South Jetty beach in northern Oregon. My brother has a sudden epiphany filled with truth and wisdom, "Dad, if your hands get cold, just grab your peeps."
Many years later, and these words have continued to save my fingers from certain frostbite. Yeah... it's been super cold lately. The kind of cold where I seem to move in slow-motion, where my speech begins to slur, and where it's simply too cold to drop a number two.
I've been hiking off and on with a fellow named Zhivago (which, by the way, awesome trail name). Zhivago always has his thermometer handy, and the past three nights he's said it's been 4°, 10°, and -1°.
Say whaaaaa?!
I knew I was signing up for cold weather... but DANG. Plus, it's been really windy lately which multiplies the frigidness greatly. Needless to say, I'm in town today thawing out a bit. I don't think there is a better feeling than stepping into a hot shower after days in the freezing woods.
However, I'm staying in town too much. At this rate, I won't be able to afford it, neither with time nor money. So, I'll need to keep moving. And I mean this in the general sense, as well as the most literal sense. Besides crawling into my warm sleeping bag at the end of the day, the only way I've been able to stay somewhat warm is to keep moving. Keep hiking. Keep doing jumping jacks.
Honestly, my hands have been my greatest difficulty. It seems that no matter what I do, they remain numb and cold. That's why I have no problem taking a trip into town. If not for a motel room, at least for a hot cup of coffee before continuing the trek into the bitter cold.
Happy Hanukkah, ManCub. There will be some gelt in your account to buy a pair of mittens to keep your hands warm and to book at least one or two nights in a warm bed with a hot shower. Love you. Miss you. Thanks for posting all the cool photos. The one of you in the sleeping bag reminds me of your dad!
ReplyDeleteLove your updates in addition to the videos. When you started the long trail were you planning on hiking to Georgia or was that something you decided once you finished the Long Trail?
ReplyDeleteHey, Mancub
ReplyDeleteGlad to see you made it to Massachusetts. hWe enjoyed your visit and I have been wondering how you are faring. You may be a bit surprised that as we sit in the hot tub these cold nights, I have a bit of envy of your trek. Maybe not quite enough to put on boots and follow on foot, but enough to open a beer and follow on here. If you are ever back through here, be sure to get in touch.
Dan (Manchester)