Ins and Outs · Sep 15, 08:42 am by Jennifer Pharr
Well after coming 300 miles and over half-way through the state of Oregon, I guess you could say I’ve learned the ins and outs of this state. And so to share them with you, I’ve decided to make a list of what’s “in” and “out” in Oregon.
“Out” – gone are the voluptuous curves and stunning views of California. “In” – a more gentle, yet no less scenic “flat and pretty” landscape in Oregon (obviously I relate more to Oregon).
“Out” – low mileage days. It’s no longer possible to impress your friends with an occasional 30-mile day. If you want to be “in”, then it’s all about trying a 40.
“In” – hikers who still believe in personal hygiene. For all those hikers who wonder why I always get hitches to town faster than they do, it’s because I still believe in soap, a razor, and at least one shower a week.
“In” – the faded look. The grunge look is all the rage and there are extra points awarded for holes in clothing, shoes, or gear.
“Out” – as in passing out is definitely not cool. Trying to adhere to the “in” shower clause, I was waiting in line at Crater Lake’s gift shop trying to obtain quarters for the coin-operated showers and laundry, and the next thing I know I was laying in a man’s arms looking up at a half dozen faces hovered around me. (In retrospect, I learned that no matter how cool showers are, they are not to be prioritized above the replenishment of fluids and calories after a 38-mile day.)
“In” – black eyes. While passing out is never good, bonus points are awarded to those who manage to come out of it with bruising and a small facial scar above his/her eyebrows. The best part about it is that you look extremely tough for the next week but have no recollection or immediate pain from the injury incurred.
“Out” – park rangers who have no clue what they are doing. The protocol park ranger who came to help me after my fall delayed my shower and dinner for another hour all to place a huge adhesive bandage over my eye to cover a 1 centimeter wound and then deduce my dizziness had been due to elevation (even though I was at one of the lowest elevations I had been at in the past two months). Oh, and to top it all off, he then asked me what those things in Gatorade were called. “Um . . . electrolytes?” “Yeah, drink more of those.” Thanks for the help.
“In” – care packages and mail along the trail. Sally and my Aunt Vee are definitely leading the pack on this one. Aunt Vee for her organic chocolate bars and Sally for the silver sparkle nail polish that she stole from her 4 yr old sister Annie Lou. Nail polish, by the way, is very “in” because it manages to mask the black dirt that shows up underneath your nails every evening.
“In” – wildfires. Not so much fashionably in, just in Oregon, in the wilderness, in the trail, and IN my way.
“Out” – coming within 10 miles of the 2,000-mile mark only to have to egress to the nearest town on a 15-mile stretch of closed highway because there is a 5,000 acre wildfire staring you in the face.
“In” – seeing the same fire you were hiking near that morning on the CNN national news that evening.
“Out” – having to jump ahead 60 miles on the trail.
“In” – not dying.
Okay, obviously, some people grasp passing trends better than others, so to sum it all up . . .
I still love Oregon, love the trail. I may be dirty and hungry, but I’m fighting the fight trying to stay clean and fed and refusing to wave the white flag. I passed out, but it was more embarrassing than anything else and I’ve been fine since. A 5,000-acre fire is on the trail in the Mt. Washington wilderness, and a 2,000-acre fire on the trail in the Jefferson Wilderness. (Needless to say, these fires probably wouldn’t be eating up the trails if the parks were named after the fifth (and my favorite) president – James Monroe). So I’m skipping ahead 60 miles and hopefully somehow making my way back here after I finish to play “clean-up” with the section I’m missing—if there’s anything left of it.
That’s it for now. All the best, jp
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