It’s over

I think I’ll end this trip at Snoqualmie Pass. I wrote yesterday that I wouldn’t make a final decision until I got there, but the return of knee pain—which I’ll presumably carry all the way to the pass—has changed my mind. If my body is in pain, why should I keep going? This pain certainly won’t be permanent; it’s the second time it’s returned after its first appearance around the hundredth mile (shortly after Warner Springs). Unfortunately, I’m now moving forward out of inertia, driven only by the desire to reach the monument at the border. Why does it obsess me so much? Pretty obvious: because I’ve had it in my head for more than four months now. But the mountains have taught me countless times that you must know when to give up certain goals when conditions clearly indicate they’re not meant to be.

There’s still a real possibility of walking the last thirty miles and reaching this coveted Northern Terminus. It’s a journey of a couple of days, which would allow me to return to the trail at Harts Pass after reaching Mazama, the last town before the Canadian border. The real question isn’t whether it’s feasible, but whether it’s worth it. I don’t think I can afford zero days given the muscle issue that’s resurfaced in the last few days. My body is tired, exhausted; I should really take care of it. I struggle too much to barely walk twenty miles, a distance covered with no trouble a month ago. Reaching this wooden monument seems to be an obsession with a rapidly rising cost. However, I’ll wait until Monday to decide; whatever it is, it will be final. Now I must focus on completing the last fifty miles to Snoqualmie Pass. And I really hope the muscle problem doesn’t get worse.