“The Herd” should be at least 400 miles along by the time I hit the trail. Unless they come back to hike a section that they skipped because it was icy or on fire, I shouldn’t have to deal with them for a month, maybe more.
The Herd is a teeming rat king of 50-75 hikers that hike within a day or two of each other. Last year, I would meet people, who were hiking in the opposite direction, that would tell me about them. They would shake their heads and laugh and say they weren’t like hikers. There was one report that they had drank up an entire town’s beer supply.
For a long time, I would just hear about them; I was meeting few hikers. The reports started getting closer and closer to me. Then, one early morning, as I was walking on the aqua-duct, all these hikers started rising off the desert floor and joining me. It was like something out of “Night of the Living Dead.” I knew if I couldn’t get out of that mire of hikers my trail would be done. Through fear spawned tenacity and great effort, I quickly escaped.
I went to the kickoff for the first time, and sent off the herd well ahead of you. Heard from a friend last weekend that the bubble was at or beyond Big Bear. When we hike the trail, I’m hoping for some solitude as well. Have a great, quiet summer.
Night of the Living Dead? That’s kind of hard on a bunch of hikers, don’t you think really?
I think calling them a “teeming rat king” was a little harsh. The “Night of the Living Dead” analogy was right on. It was just like The Night of the Living Dead– they would rise right out of the desert as I walked by. Soon the aqua duct was full of them.
Maybe I shouldn’t have said anything, but you know there is a place for people like them–town.
I’m a little crabby these days. I think it’s from reading trail journals; I have stopped reading them and feel better now.
It also may be from being in my cabin for 8 months… that is way too long. Man, I am so ready to be out of here and back on the trail.
I suppose that reading trail journals is a little like video poker. Glad to hear you’ve stopped now. Will you be posting to your blog when you are on the trail?
I thought I would do a trail twitter. It might be interesting but then again it might be dumb. We’ll see. I’m pretty dedicated to just hiking once I hit the trail.