Spaced Out Street Walker

Am I the only one absolutely losing their mind this winter? The off season is never easy, but this one has been particularly tough. Maybe because my hiking expectations keep increasing. As with any addiction, I need more and more to get my fix...and when there is no hiking...withdrawals. 

Yes, this is officially part of a trail

Of course, it's not like I can't hike just because it's winter. It's just that my escalation of expectations means a decrease in motivation for the "average" hike. But as Mick Jagger so eloquently put it, "You can't always get what you want, but if you try sometime, you'll find you get what you need."

Our starting spot - the famous jets of Oak Harbor

And so, looking at the dismal forecast (did you know that we did not get a full day of sun for the months of November and December?!) I decided a simple walk in the rain was going to have to do. If the hike was to be "average," then it might as well mark off a few of my PNT miles. (Working on a goal of 500. My new thing - 500 on 5 different trails. Gotta keep with my "5" theme! Will I finish before I hit 60 and have to make it "6"?)

Wildlife on the road

A few months ago, a gal I had never met messaged me (or "slipped into my DM's" as I've heard the youngins say) that she'd like to help me with my PNT miles, as she loved the trail too. But would she want to walk boring road miles in Oak Harbor?

Surprisingly, the answer was yes! We'd meet at Cornet Bay where'd we leave a car, then drive together to the Mobil station where we'd start our 11 mile journey back. The PNT is one of the newer long distance trails, and it has some bugs to work out...one of them being way too much road walking. (75% road in Skagit Valley! Ugh!) But hey, they count. 

A handful of these miles were actually in the forest

What a marvelous treat to meet Rebecca! And how wonderful of her to do these miles again with me. (She's already done all the PNT on Whidbey Island and has a house there that she and her husband ran as a hostel up until this year.) The miles flew by as we told tales, compared husbands (they are basically the same person) shared spiritual thoughts and even discussed politics - politely! And it didn't even rain on us! Before we knew it, my car was back in sight. Though suddenly I realized I had NO idea where I put my key. ZERO recollection of storing it safely in a pocket--something I am usually intensely aware of after a humiliating experience on one of my first backpacks. (Which you can read here if you want.)

A ferry that operated at the end of this point used to be the only way across...
before Deception Pass Bridge

Rebecca was so gracious, assuring me she could call her husband if I locked them in my car, but thankfully the car was unlocked...with the keys still in the ignition!! I know I get nervous meeting new people, but sheesh! I guess it's good that she discovered I'm missing a few brain cells before she agrees to hike with me again. Fingers crossed she still says yes. Happy non-trail trails! ;)