What about jinx?
As soon as I get up this morning, I step out of the tent and retrieve the clothes I left outside to dry after applying insecticide. And I find a nasty surprise: the back of my long-sleeved shirt is riddled with holes—there must be at least twenty. My first thought is that the solvent in the product we used might have caused this, but the pattern of holes makes no sense. They look like they were made with tiny, sharp tools, not quite at random but almost. And who else is scurrying around at night if not those little rodents that dart away during the day as soon as they hear human footsteps? Lesson learned at the price of a merino wool hiking shirt1.
Today’s stage turned out to be much longer than expected, but it wasn’t as draining as similar ones have been. We walked almost forty kilometers and one thousand four hundred meters of elevation gain, thanks in part to the relatively smooth trail. Despite several ups and downs, we are now out of the toughest part of the Sierra—the one filled with deep, long valleys that test both patience and endurance. And training plays a role too: muscular endurance has increased significantly after the High Sierra, as has cardiovascular capacity for maintaining high walking speeds. Sure, by evening you’re tired and hungry, but the body can handle this level of exertion and recover quickly enough to do it again.
Tomorrow will be another thirty-plus-kilometer day, as will Thursday, which happens to be the Independence Day. Walking faster and for longer distances earns you time—time you can spend later in town, relaxing a little longer.
