This being the longest day of my life as I previously stated. It took three parts but and will now try to just hit the highlights and move on as my trip nears its conclusion.
Slowly as the afternoon wore down, the wind picked up, gusting in my face. I marveled at the amount of ground I covered; all due to my adrenaline fear induced day. Physically I knew it was all adrenaline today with a terrible let down tomorrow. Mentally I explored all possibilities. Name a scenario and I promise you I thought of it. From would I let fire burn me or jump to my death. To who hotter... I won't name names here. I was confident but if I stopped or could see smoke, that confidence turned very quickly into despair.
Countless times as I said before; I would block out the thoughts of family and friends. This worked for most of the day but begun to seep in my every thought. The terrain was getting "lower" and "flatter" and that is the perfect description of my spirit. I did all I could to get distance, followed every bit knowledge I could draw on. Yet lower and flatter the two seemed. The canyon seemed to merge with another and clear trails that seemed to mark the way before, were now disappearing right before my eyes.
I had a. hour of light left when I reached this merger. A big decision loomed. Do I continue south and west? Or perhaps I'd be better suited going up this canyon that was flatter and had some outcrops and such for sleeping? I choose the latter option and found what to me could best be described as a large V-shaped area of rock. I climbed it, laid out just my mat, mummy bag and prayer cross and started looking at the sky turning to twilight and the thin layers of smoke crossing it. Needless to say I gripped the cross a little tighter that evening.
I went as far as I could in body and spirit. I really could not tell you if I had any thing left if that fire would have approached me again. If I would have seen a glow coming my way could I have kept going? I just thank God I will never know the answer to that question. No glow in sight and I passed out completely among the stars and smoke. The last thoughts I can remember were "what happens will happen and its out of my hands".
Day 15 just has to be better? Right?
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