May 3, 2018
00.0
Woke up early, as usual, and tiptoed downstairs to find Scott making strong coffee in a French press. I about fainted with delight. It was my first cup of really good, non-instant coffee in SO long! While I sipped my coffee Scott insisted on making bacon and eggs for everyone. I didn’t think I wanted to ever leave this place. Ghosthiker and I spent the morning doing laundry and resting, looking out over our hosts’ beautiful property.
They own several acres where they keep sheep and goats, and there was a very friendly calico cat roaming the house and yard that happily sidled up to me once in a while for some affection. It was the first easy, lazy morning Ghosthiker and I had enjoyed in a while, made even more special by the fact that it was just us girls. Sparky had managed to keep pace with Oats and Ghosthiker had taken the opportunity to hike solo for a bit. It sounded like everyone was getting the space they needed for a while, but Sparky was texting us to let us know where he was, to find out where we were, and to make a plan for hiking out the day after tomorrow.
Jennifer took us back to Wits’ End on her way to town and even offered to get us whatever we needed at Costco. We hung out at Wits’ End for an hour or so chatting with other hikers, including Odysseus, Seeker, and Alias! It was wonderful to see Alias, but he had already made arrangements to stay with a trail angel and was heading out. I would only see him sporadically until the Sierra, after which point I wouldn’t see him again.
Ghosthiker and I wandered around town enjoying a day off. It was nice to have no chores to do and nowhere important to be. We stopped at some local shops and I picked up a few postcards, something I liked to do in the little towns along the way so I can mail them to friends and family. Sometimes it’s fun to do things the old fashioned way.
We went to Kohnen’s, an authentic German bakery, where we enjoyed salads and Euclairs and coffee, then we wandered back over to Wits’ End to wait for Jennifer to come pick us up. She ran us to the post office across town where I hoped to retrieve the package of shoes from my brother, a resupply package I’d bounced ahead from Hiker Haven, and several Amazon boxes. Everything was there waiting for me except for my shoes, but it was a ridiculous amount of packages just the same.
When we got back to the house Jen immediately set out snacks and more beer, and Scott and I watched a ballgame on TV while Ghosthiker took a nap. We dined on Costco lasagna, Trader Joe’s salad, beer and wine, and a Tehachaberry pie Ghosthiker had bought in town as a thank you to our hosts, who’d already made it crystal clear that they would not accept any money from us.
Being at Scott and Jennifer’s was like being at home. It’s hard to put into words the many wonderful conversations that took place while we were there, they just made is feel so comfortable and at ease. I was already feeling sad at the thought of leaving.
Sarah Hikes 
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