PCT Day 131 – Everybody is so Nice

I’ll be at Trail Days in Cascade Locks from August 17th to 19th, if you’re in the area and would like to come say hi message me on Instagram @kaymkieffer so we can meet up!

McKenzie Pass (mile 1984) to campsite at mile 2004

Last night we stood on the back porch of Alana and Peters home in Bend, Oregon, surrounded by eight other thru hikers and two young women couch surfers. Our eyes were trained on the sky, looking for a steady white light to cruise overhead—the international space station which would be visible from our location as it circled the earth. The giggling drunken semi-silence faded away as the station came into view over the western horizon. The realization that there were humans up there who at this very moment may be looking back down at us silenced even the most inebriated.

Scattered around the backyard were people’s sleeping pads and bags, lit by the warm light pouring from the kitchen windows. And inside that brightly lit kitchen Peter gave us samples of variously aged scotch, teaching us how one sipped the drink, what flavors and notes to look for while Alana took requests for 80’s bands to be played on the turntable. These strangers who had invited a bunch of stinky hikers into their beautiful home, where they offered us showers and laundry all because they liked Carmen San Diegos YouTube videos. All because they wanted to help some new people and trade stories.

*****

This morning, promptly at 8am Dan came to give us a ride to the trail. Starman and I had met Dan at a local cider bar two nights ago and got to talking. He is a recent Bend transplant, a hiker and former sailor who offered to drive us back to the trail on Sunday. 40 minutes out of town. Nearly two hours of is weekend just to help us out. He was even willing to take Squish too, and make a few quick stops in Sisters so that we could hit up an ATM and grab breakfast from a bakery there.

*****

We pile out of the car at McKenzie Pass and have barely gone a mile, picking our way slowly over the sharp volcanic rocks when we see a blue pop tent and a sign for trail magic. This has to be the luckiest day ever. Larry and Marcia and their cute dog Lucy have set up in the shade with hotdogs, watermelon, beers and cold sodas. When we spot Mirage, Beehive, Nero and Zero sitting around in camp chairs we quickly pull over.

I eat water melon while petting Lucy, and Marcia and I discuss the merits of the new Star Trek Discovery series when compared to the old Next Generation episodes. It’s refreshing to have a conversation that doesn’t focus on milage, gear, or food.

*****

Later that day as well make our way out of Big Lake Youth Camp I thank a camp counselor who is sitting at the entrance, waving in cars full of excited kids and stressed out parents. In the few words I manage to utter in the time it takes me to walk past him I try and convey the gratitude I feel for the fact that this camp in central Oregon let’s hikers mail packages there, that they’ll feed you dinner for $5, let you shower and wash your clothes and fill up your water bottle. All while they’re running a full scale youth camp. And even though we only filled up our water here and spent an little time sitting in the shade of the A-frame that they dedicated to hiker use, I’m still grateful. He replies “oh, no problem at all!” Going on to add “it’s the least we could do.” Which of course, isn’t true. The least he and this camp, and everyone who goes out of their way to help a hiker could do is nothing. They don’t have to provide any of this for us, and yet they do. Because they’re kind, because they’re interested in what we’re doing, because it’s a nice and generous action to take. But certainly not because we deserve or are entitled to their generosity.