Intermission 4 - Ashland
Upon arriving in Ashland, I found out that my previous hiking partner, Cool Rocks, was also in Ashland, albeit going southbound. I wanted to meet up with her, but I had slightly inflamed tonsils and a sore throat, so before hanging out I got a covid test. It came out negative, and she insisted it would be alright, so later that evening we ordered pizza to her room and caught up on everything that had happened since we last hiked together.
The next day, I was supposed to get a ride with Cool Rocks out of town, but my throat hurt even more, so I texted her to go on without me. I visited a local doctor who verified I was negative for both covid and strep. While he confirmed my tonsils were slightly enlarged and my throat was irritated, he also said he doubted I had an illness, and figured that breathing in wildfire smoke had caused my issues. As rain was continuing to fall on Oregon, he assured me that the air quality should improve soon and encouraged me to continue hiking.