Day 23: Tortoise or Hare?

(Miles 297 before Deep Creek to 316 on a ridge = 19 miles)

Interview with a snake and lizard. Both alive and kicking!

Today was a pretty great day, for it was a day in Deep Creek Canyon.  I love canyons.  And if the canyon were not enough, there was a hot springs I stopped by for four and a half hours (Gumby got there about an hour later -- we lounged around for awhile, it was too hot to make a move early.)  And now we're camped in a gorgeous spot overlooking the desert and some sort of town.  Just a sliver of moon and the bright night stars.  Warm breeze.  This is the life. 

Hot spring handstands. And 300+ miles!

So today I was thinking about our old story of the tortoise and the hare.  And the lesson -- which is, of course, that slow and steady wins the race.  I have always agreed.  But today, I thought the hare might be on to something, too.  Wouldn't it be great to hike fast and lounge around at breaks for longer?  Move faster to enjoy more stops?  What's wrong with a nap mid-race?  And the tortoise, he doesn't get to stop for anything -- just keeps on truckin'.  So, is it really better to be a tortoise?  Or would a hare be better in the PCT?  Jury is out here.  I'm sure the answer is somewhere in between.  I'm just not siding with the tortoise yet.  Even though my pace is that of one.  Perhaps that's why.

Sunset from my bed.

Oh!  One last thing from today.  Well, a few.  1)  Talked a bit with Scallywag -- we had the tortoise and hare debate.  He's for the tortoise.  A good guy.  I enjoyed his company.  And he's a young buck!  2)  Interviewed a garter snake eating a lizard this morning.  It was incredible.  I eventually moved on because I think I was interrupting.  3)  We were buzzed four times by helicopters in the canyon.  Looking for a hiker.  (They called down to us with some sort of megaphone.  Of course, they used her real name, and none of us know each other's real names.)  Keep an ear out, we have no idea what happened.