Poodle-Dodging

Sunday, May 18
Mile 430, Messenger Flats

Some incredible ridge walking this morning!

On the PCT there lurks a plant that is rumored to have stingers and oil that causes brilliant rashes. It smells conspicuously like marijuana and looks like a poodle's tail. It's name: poodle-dog bush.

Today was spent avoiding this plant, using various strategies. This morning, I danced and sashayed my way around it for five miles. This afternoon, I walked on an old road to bypass a reportedly horrible section of it on trail. The road walking was actually kind of fun; I was averaging 4 miles an hour and had Animal Collective and Radiolab podcasts to keep me occupied.

Poodle-dog LOVES burned areas

12 miles were a breeze, and I got to hike with Leisure Tour for a while; three cool guys called The Byrd, Sideshow, and That Guy. Sideshow has an amazing foam roller that does wonders for sore muscles, so hopefully I'll keep leapfrogging with him. Also I like them, which is important too, I suppose.