Tag: backpacking

PCT Day 2

Second day on the PCT!

Camp at road crossing- 18.8 miles

The moon shines bright into my chilly tent as I write this. One of the biggest pieces of wisdom that Scout left us with was regarding the passage time. A thruhiker will begin to notice the passage of time in different ways than the hurried bustle of work, eat, sleep, repeat. One of these ways is by knowing the moon phases because that impacts a lot: when we can night hike the easiest, when I need to recharge my headlamp, the weather.

The simplicity of passage of time and enjoying time is one thing I am most looking forward to on the trail. It is something I often reminisced about from the AT and thought about specifically when rushing to finish deadlines for school. It is why we try to live simply in life outside the trail as well.

Throughout the day, I often found us talking about memories from the AT or comparing things to now. Obviously we will take this trail as it’s own entity, but a person always learns the new by finding a place for it in the old. We were excited for a smooth dirt path for most of the day, an uphill that felt quite hike-able, and seeing people we had met previously, even on the second day. These are all different occurrences than our previous thruhike.

We have been wildly blessed with cooler weather to start out in so we have already done 38.8 miles on day two!

Hurray for the PCT!

First day on the pct!

Camped at lake morena- hiked 20 miles

The night before we stayed at Scout and Frodos, the legendary trail angels. It was their very last night hosting people for the year and potentially for the rest of the years. They were so welcoming with beautiful places to stay in tents outside, home cooked food and dessert, and wise words to calm the nerves and fuel the thirst before starting the next day.

In the morning, we were served a delicious and hearty meal before piling into a car with other hyped hikers and a kind volunteer. Scout and Frodo have many volunteers who both help cook for hikers and drive us to the border. Our driver was named Ellen, she heard about driving hikers from a friend and said it sounded interesting. As we drove, Ellen pointed out where the trail crossed the road, skipped up the ridge, or under the highway. We also discussed birding since Ellen said “I’m really into birding right now” and all of us in the car happened to use the same bird identification app! (It is called Merlin, if you would like to get into it yourself.)

After a stretch on a bumpy dirt road, we look up the hill and see a group of people gathered next to a giant metal wall. I knew immediately that it was the monument! I felt a sudden surge of excitement and tears sprang to my eyes. My mind went back to the moment on Katahdin when I also looked up a hill, saw a group of people, and knew I was near the terminus. Then I imagined this same feeling but different scenery, in a forest at the border of Canada.

We took a few pictures, then listened to the PCTA volunteer give a few last minute reminders. He started off by saying that even just getting to this point, the southern terminus of the trail, the starting point was an accomplishment which was encouraging.

Even as I write this, it is hard to put a word or name on the feelings of this day. I have felt overjoyed to be out of school and free in the great outdoors once again. I have felt overwhelmed while thinking of the trail in its entirety and worried about getting bored of walking, sick, injured, all the things. But mostly, I feel the part of myself returning that I have felt when doing something I know I am meant to do. Such as when hiking before, summiting Katahdin, or sitting in a counseling room with a client. I feel confident and at peace with the knowledge that I am here on this trail for a reason. A reason that will become clearer with each step.