A last stage Victory
When I realized I had one final opportunity to catch up with Sugar Daddy, excitement ran through me. It seemed so simple: take a four-hour bus ride the next day, share a meal with ORION, rent a car, endure an 8-hour drive through a mountainous state, arrive by 10 PM, grab a few hours of sleep, depart before daybreak, and surprise Sugar Daddy at the finish line. All this while battling jet lag, having just touched down after a grueling 200-kilometer journey across Oregon.
Four hours on a bus. Lunch with Orion. Height hours of relentless driving, drained by physical exhaustion and lingering jet lag; it hadn't even been a week since I left France. A brief sleep at the Lion's Den, and the following morning, before the sun had even risen, I set off towards the summit.
By six o'clock, I was in hot pursuit of Kiki, hoping to overtake her before noon. However, I only caught up with her at the camp. All day, I had been grumbling about her not waiting for me that morning, planning to voice my frustration. Yet, the moment I laid eyes on her, all my stress and animosity dissipated. Seeing her just made me completly happy.
She was in the company of Pitbull.
The next day, while I was shaving, she did what we call a “british escape”. I immediately gave chase. Just two kilometers shy of the border, I managed to catch up with her. My pace was fast. I wanted to slow down and stay with her and yet I didnt seem to be able to.
I was determined to reach the finish line, to be the swiftest one last time. It's hard to say why, but after narrowly avoiding a perilous fall in the bushes merely 100 meters from the finish line, I finally touched the monument.
With my plans significantly delayed, I sat at the border, waiting. Soon, Kiki joined me. I was too overwhelmed to shed tears. We spent three unforgettable hours at the monument, intoxicated with joy and Kiki's sparkling wine.
Perhaps victory would have been sweeter last year; it's difficult to say. Nevertheless, finishing alongside Kiki that day fulfilled all my aspirations.
In life, moments of perfection are scarce, but they were somehow abundant on the pacific crest trail.
Big Bear out
