A lot has happened in the last few days, with the upshot that I’m off the trail for good.
Although I was looking forwards to continuing, once I got underway it felt like a burden pretty quickly. Five days in Kenwood then two more in Ashland while heat and wildfire smoke subsided hadn’t fully reset my mind. On the second day out I pulled something in my groin while swinging a leg over a blowdown – something I’d done easily at least a hundred times over the last two months. I guess a week off trail had removed some of my limberness despite the usual pre-start stretching. I could not lift my right leg without a lot of pain.
I took a break under a shady tree, had a drink, ate some food, assessed the injury. I could continue walking with care. Pack on, head north. Every right step hurt, less on downhill. I altered my gait attempting to find a less painful step. On steep uphill I couldn’t lift my leg enough, I had to pull it up with my hand pulling forwards and upwards on the trouser fabric over my knee.
I went back to the shady tree, downhill thankfully. Had another break and a think. Could I make it to Crater Lake 80 miles north, where my next resupply package was waiting – I had plenty of food to do it, even at 15 mile days instead of the 20 anticipated? Not with this level of pain. I walked up and down without my pack for a bit, could I loosen the knot? No, it was a tendon pull not a muscle cramp. I looked at my bailout options. Finding a couple of dirt roads which joined a highway I hobbled off, having to stop every hundred or so paces to test the injury. At the highway I had phone signal and was able to contact Bill the trail angel who’d dropped me off from Ashland two days ago. He came to my rescue and returned me to town, along his scenic route which gave him opportunity to fill me in on local floral and fauna.
I took two nights in a motel to see how I healed. I’m still hobbling as I write this.
I’m spending a few days on a road trip down the west coast back to Kenwood. Along the way I’ll visit some Giant Redwood forests. That’s all my plans are at this time.
It hurts me mentally and emotionally to end now. I have a lot to process about that, with the overriding feeling of achievement that I made it this far.
Joe has just sent me info that the heat dome over California seems to be abating, so at least we’ll be able to enjoy outdoors there rather than sheltering from dangerously high temperatures.
New Valley Hills 
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