I woke up on the Airbnb couch to the smell of pancakes. High life and Speaker were running the skillet and I was thankful for the chocolate chip pancakes and potatoes!

A town filled with trees. Jacinto’s shadow looming. Shared meal to refuel.

I woke up every few hours last night. The wind was ripping through the mountain. But sleeping on top of the mountain at 8,300 feet hot different. You can’t just get to this spot quickly. We’re out there. Part of me was annoyed by the wind when I laid in my tent. But a bigger…

Another night cowboy camping. Another gentle wake up from the sun. My sleeping bag was cozy. It was cool outside but not cold. Probably around 40 degrees. I laid on my back looking up at the sky.

I woke up at 6:00 on the concrete slab. Breakfast was on my mind. I wanted to get to Paradise valley cafe before the menu changed to lunch.

The sun woke me up for the first time of my backpacking life. It was 6:30 and I felt great. I crashed hard after the 32 mile day. I was surprised my body felt so fresh in the morning. Only my toes were sore when I curled them.L. So I can’t complain.

I woke up at the RV park surrounded by friends. I felt fortunate to be out there and have no injuries after the car wreck. There are no absolutes or guarantees in life. Anything can change in an instant. And I’m here for the journey. Whoever it takes me.

I woke up to the sound of someone fumbling with the water spigot at 4 am. Then at 5 am to the rustling of nearby hikers packing up their gear. I swear it took the couple section hiking an hour to pack up camp in the dark!

I didn’t sleep very well. The wind was blowing all night. The tent wall by my head constantly flapped in the wind. Also one tent state blew out of the sandy ground twice. At 2am, the second time I found a huge rock and out it over the stake.

I woke at 5 to a quiet camp site. Not even the turkeys were making noise. There were 20-30 hikers in tents but nobody was moving. I laid in bed until 5:30 and decided it was time to get up.