Troutdale Baptist Hostel, Day 2

I got up this morning, showered and walked to the Post Office to pick up my resupply package at about 9 a.m. Unfortunately, it didn't include cigarettes, so I decided to try to walk to the only store, which was about 3.7 miles away. It got hot really fast today, and I could tell it was affecting Forest. At about 2 miles I stopped under a tree to give him some water and try to cool him off in the shade. A man came out of his house and asked me to move along. I said, "I'd be happy to, but my dog is really hot. Would you mind filling this bottle up with your hose?" He turned around, walked back in his house and locked his door. I'm beginning to understand why no one stops in Troutdale. Luckily, soon after that we were picked up by the store owner who happened to drive by. He was kind enough to drive us to his store, and then brought us back to the hostel.

This episode made it evident that I will have to night-hike to keep Forest out of the heat. I'm also going to try to get my hands on some 1/2-inch PVC joints to make him a shade canopy.

I'm seeing more and more people leave the Trail. Everyone tries to act like it's the best thing they've ever done, but they're only trying to convince themselves. Hiking the Trail actually sucks most of the time; you just have to decide whether it's a price you're willing to pay for the exhilaration of finishing. Most of the people who finish are the ones who decided they would from the beginning. It  will become a better, more honest crowd the further I go.

There's no place here to hang our hammocks, so we are sleeping on bare plywood beds. My back is really hurting. I'll be happy to get back on the Trail in the morning.