Going north

This post is a bit late, but just found the draft on my phone... :)

Sometimes, things happen on the trail that make you wanna cry, sometimes laugh out loud all by yourself, and sometimes both at the same time. Here's a short collection of those kinds of moments :)

1: The first time I hitch hiked, I got a ride from a delivery guy with a van full of locally smoked fish - yum. My backpack didn't fit in the front cabin, so he kindly put it in the back of his van. You guessed right - my stuff had a lovely smell for a few hours afterwards... :)

2: Hiker's workout = 40lb peeing squads. Ok this is (thankfully) not a frequent exercise, but to be performed when a female hiker really has to pee in the middle of a huge swamp with no chance of taking off her backpack without it getting soaked in muddy waters ;)

3: Another variation of this was me, fully loaded with 45lbs, trying to take a closeup picture of a flower, squatting with my backpack on. A mosquito seized the moment and flew right in my face, causing me to lose balance and fall on my heavy back like a helpless beetle.

4: This is the most embarrassing one: you know the phenomenon that you suddenly have to pee when hearing water nearby? Well, I'm crossing a creek in heavy rain and therefore wearing multiple layers of clothes. I have to pee so bad and it's taking forever to untie my rain poncho, take off 3 layers and... Thank God for a second pair of leggings!

5: Hiking through a meadow, my foot suddenly sinks in at a muddy spot. 2 seconds later and sunk in mud just under the knee, my right boot is completely filled with water and dirt :)

6: Crossing a wide river, no bridge, 2°C (35°F) water temperature, rapid water coming up to the hips, aaaaaah. Nothing to do but take off shoes and pants and take it like a real hiker! I've never really used swearwords, but this seemed like an appropriate time for them ;-)Lue lisää