20 days from today I will be leaving home with all my gear and heading to the southern terminus of the Pacific Crest Trail. At this moment I feel ready. My resupplies are sorted and ready to be shipped and my pack is packed to leave. Now its just about waiting, gathering all the last little tid bits of information, calming my nerves, and preparing myself, mentally and physically, for the journey of a lifetime.
Holy shit! 20 days!
Questions
As I get closer and closer to my start date, the questions about this trip come non-stop. I assume it is because most people do not understand why anyone would want to do this or the logistics that go along with a trip like this. I almost can't answer the first question before they have another! How do you shower? How do you get food? Are you bringing a gun? How do you do laundry? How many changes of clothes do you bring? What if you have to go to the bathroom? Do you bring mountain house meals? How can you do it alone? A multitude of questions that I have been asked over and over again. Maybe this will clear a few things up.
I'll be more worried about getting drinking water than bathing myself. I have gone 67 days without showering while backpacking in Utah and it will not kill you. There are trail towns along the way that have coin showers.
I will be buying most of my food as I go and mailing myself a few packages along the way. I will be in a town generally every 5-7 days.
No, anyone that brings a gun along the PCT clearly has not read guidebooks about the docile nature of black bears and the rare occurrence of bear and mountain lion attacks.
Laundry can be done along the trail in plastic bags, hot water and biodegradable soap. Also laundry mats in trail towns.
I don't plan on having a change of clothes. Once my clothes wear out, I'll have new ones sent to me.
If you've never shit in the woods, its seems a little weird but follow Leave No Trace rules and you will be fine.
No, but others might take those.
I will not be alone if i do not want to be. in safe areas I plan on taking solo time and hiking alone but I will not hitchhike, ford creeks, or enter icy passes alone.
This all being said, I am happy to answer any other questions people may have, but it seems to be the same ones recurring
Outdoor People
One of the many reasons I love the outdoor world is the people you meet throughout your adventures. Most of the people I have met previously or have helped me out in my planning have been some of the most helpful, kind hearted people I've ever met. Their help has been incredibly invaluable to me and their experiences have eased my nervousness. A few people I want to mention specifically:
My very good friend Trevor, who hiked the PCT a few years ago, has not only helped me with gear decisions, random tidbits of information and sat down with me for hours talking trail; He is also making my maps for the entire trip while planning his own through hike on the Continental Divide Trail this year. I appreciate everything you have done so much!
Another person who has been an absolute world of help is my friend Sterling. When he first learned of my interest in the PCT, he brought me a sticker for my water bottle so I would be reminded that I want to through hike the PCT someday. He may not know it, but in the next few months it made me believe that this was a realistic thing I could accomplish. Sterling has also spent hours messaging back and forth with me answering every question I can think of, and then some. I would be completely lost without his priceless information.
And last but definitely not least, my parents. Though they may be completely terrified that i'm embarking on this journey, they have been nothing but supportive. Letting me take over the game room with all my gear and half the kitchen with all my dehydrated food (In advance, mom and dad, it will only get worse from here!). When your daughter tells you she wants to backpack by herself for 5 months, most parents would have an adverse reaction than the ones I received from my parents. They have always believed that I can do it and will be supporting me the entire way. But Mom, you cannot come visit me once a week!
I can say over and over, and I probably will, but thank you, thank you, thank you!
My Invincible Summer
“In the depth of winter I finally learned that there was in me an invincible summer.”- Albert Camus
This quote reminds me a lot of how I view our emotions. In the darkest of times, you realize the only person in control of your happiness is you. Though I've known this for years, it is much harder to control than just saying “I want to be happy now.” There are a few times in my life where I have felt like I’m in a lull of happiness and it gets harder and harder to pull myself out. Something that always helps me is spending time outside and remembering the things that I enjoy about myself. But for me, it takes more than a few hours outside everyday to reset my happiness. I need to experience the back country and the harsh reality of who I am when I forget who I want to be.
The last week I spent on the Immersion semester with Chico State, I was devastated about returning home. I didn't want to lose everything I had gained. I didn't want to regress into the person I left behind. I was emotionally, physically, mentally, and spiritually changed by this incredible journey and I didn't know if I was strong enough to keep those changes. Spoiler: I did not. Though I kept some things close, returning to Chico sucked me back into my old lifestyle. I didn't realize it till a year later, after I graduated college and moved back home with my parents. I was nearly the same as I was before, with a few cool stories to tell.
This journey across the PCT can bring me back, will bring me back to a better version of myself; And this is the biggest reason I am taking on this hike, I will carry my invincible summer with me on this hike and beyond, hoping to let it shine brighter and brighter with each step I take.
I Can't Wait
Today I'm in one of those moods where I absolutely cannot wait to start this journey.
I can't wait to wake up outside every morning.
I can't wait to breathe the mountain air.
I can't wait to catch the stars every night.
I can't wait to feel the empowerment of carrying everything I need on my back.
I can't wait for sore feet and aching legs.
I can't wait to meet all the wonderful people i'll encounter.
I can't wait to change mentally, physically, and emotionally.
I can't wait to conquer my fears.
I can't wait to eat delicious new trail meals!
I can't wait to swat at the mosquitoes incessantly.
I can't wait to summit mountains and glissade down slopes.
I can't wait to rediscover who I am.
And I can't wait to walk across the Canadian Border, forever changed by this journey.