Zero, another post about the number? No. But kind of. On the trail there are days you hike, days you hike and rest half the time (a nero), or don't hike at all (a zero). You have a choice in life, to hike or not to hike?
It is extremely important to take zeroes on the trail. One, it gives your body a time to rest, heal and recover. Two, it is time for you to let your mind take a break, maybe distract yourself from the next section and what lies ahead. Three, you get a chance to resupply, fix gear and catch up with the outside world.
Time exists, but mostly to the tune of eat, hike, eat while you hike, break, water filter, hike, eat while you hike, hike more, photo op, hike to water, eat, set up camp, sleep, repeat. There are no specific days, no specific month, sometimes no specific hours. When it is time for a zero you know, your body knows, your mind knows, and your stomach knows.
We are taking a zero in Tehachapi, a desert town before the hardest stretch of desert on the trail. Lots of windmills this last stretch. My body is ready for a break, it's time to turn off the mind for a day. Then we will start prepping for the final So Cal desert stretch and then the Sierras.
We often wonder where time takes us. About a year ago I would have been having an awkward conversation before heading to Alaska for the first time. A year later we are here, desert life, trail life, living life.
- The Prodigy
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