Day 7 and The Future

Done a day early, we slept in inside the tent, away from bugs, late into the morning We woke in full-body tiredness and the humid dankness of sweat inside a hot tent. We hand bathed in the creek, kicked around the campground, and hiked (without our full packs, for the first time in a week) up the trail a mile or two into the steep canyon towards Mt Jefferson, just to see the sights and gain some vantage on the last few days walk. Spent some time walking in the cold creek to cool off and pamper the feet trying to catch trout in a mosquito headnet and mesh stuffsack. Failed at the fishing but had great success in the pampering.

The day of leisure was full of reflecting upon the 70 rough, exciting and breathtaking miles of Great Basin landscapes we had witnessed in the last week. We also marveled at the nearly 200 miles we had come in our journey across Nevada. Sitting at the future head of leg IV, we knew we would be back sometime to continue the experience.

Around 3:30, a suburban rolled up the road and circled the campground. It was Mr. Bath, our ride home. We exchanged salutations and chatted as we loaded our packs into the vehicle.

The ride back was quiet. We stared out the window at the passing valleys and mountain ranges, gauging the distances and sizes of mountains in a hard-won sense of bipedal reality that was at its sharpest after a week of honing. The several hour drive was a salute to how fare we had walked from our home in merely two trips. I did not feel that I had conquered the distance. Rather, I was grateful to have experienced it and humbled by the vastness of the country we had made our way across. It was then that I came to the realization that a good life is filled with real adventures. Real adventures are dangerous, trying and sometimes questionable. The good life is a life to be proud of when it ends, whenever that might be. It is a life that, in its darkest and saddest hours will illuminate and uplift itself with the treasures of past experiences and the prospect of more to come.

That night we were treated to showers and a meal at the Historic Hotel Nevada with both sets of our parents. Greasy casino food and good company is just what we needed.

* * *

The rest of the summer was a good one, at least for my brother and I. That fall, we returned to our respective universities in the Northwest and Paul to Reno. The following summer of 2008 found everyone in different places and sadly no progress was made on the trail. The continuation of the Trail remains a goal for all of us. Until then, we wish that you, fair reader, will endeavor to take some chances and embark on that journey you have been thinking about. It will be worth the ride.


-Carson and Owen Baughman and Paul Bath