Posted

Pre Trip – Up a Ridge, Down a Ridge
Pre Trip – This Is The List That Never Ends
Day 1 – True Grit
Day 2 – Melting
Day 3 – Wildflowers Wildfire
Day 4 – Ups and Downs
Day 5 – Zero Day
Day 6 – When You Think You’re Alone
Day 7 – 100
Day 8 – The Hunger
Day 9
Day 10 – Fleeting Friendships
Day 11
Day 12
Day 13
Day 14
Day 15
Day 16
Day 17
Day 18
Day 19 – Where Not To Camp
Day 20
Day 21 – A Walk in the Park
Day 22
Day 23
Day 24
Day 25
Day 26
Day 27 – Reception
Day 28
Day 29
Day 30
Day 31
Day 32
Day 33
Day 34
Day 35
Day 36 – Twenty Nine Miles to Water
Day 37
Day 38 – Running
Day 39
Day 40
Day 41
Day 42
Day 43
Day 44
Day 45
Day 46
Day 47
Day 48
Day 49
Day 50
Day 51
Day 52
Day 53 – Pass to Pass
Day 54
Day 55
Day 56
Day 57
Day 58
Day 59
Day 60
Day 61
Day 62
Day 63
Day 64
Day 65
Day 66
Day 67
Day 68
Day 69
Day 70
Day 71
Day 72
Day 73
Day 74
Day 75
Day 76
Day 77
Day 78
Day 79
Day 80 – Halfway!
Day 81
Day 82
Day 83
Day 84
Day 85
Day 86
Day 87
Day 88
Day 89
Day 90
Day 91 – Stranger Danger
Day 92
Day 93
Day 94
Day 95
Day 96
Day 97
Day 98
Day 99
Day 100
Day 101
Day 102
Day 103
Day 104
Day 105
Day 106
Day 107
Day 108
Day 109 – Finished?
Day 110
Day 111
Day 112
Day 113
Day 114
Day 115
Day 116
Day 117
Day 118
Day 119
Day 120
Day 121
Day 122
Day 123
Day 124
Day 125
Day 126
Day 127
Day 128
Day 129
Day 130
Day 131
Day 132
Day 133
Day 134
Day 135
Day 136
Day 137
Day 138
Day 139
Day 140
Day 141

Posted

I sit staring at my hands for the twentieth time while I try to summarize my experience on the Pacific Crest Trail. Each time I start reflecting and writing, my mind wanders off and gets lost in the other world that was my thru hike. Half of me doesn’t believe I ever really hiked the Pacific Crest Trail and the other half thinks I’ll wake up tomorrow and be back on the trail, chasing that mythical monument at the border.

I want to summarize the elation and sadness of finishing the thing I poured all of my self into for four and a half months, but I can’t.

I want to summarize the beauty in the world I saw, but I can’t.

I want to summarize the pain and loneliness I felt at times, but I can’t.

I want to summarize the compassion of strangers like I’d never experienced before, but I can’t.

I want to summarize the deprivation of so much I’d grown accustom to, but I can’t.

I want to summarize the friends I made along the way, but I can’t.

I want to summarize, but I can’t.

Posted

Day 141 9/1
Mile mark 2650.7-2668.8
Hopkins Lake to Manning Park

 

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A big group us decided to finish on the 1st. There was champagne, maple whiskey, and beer going around.IMG_3390

At last!

Posted

Day 140 8/31
Mile mark 2630.5-2650.7
Campsite North of Harts Pass to Hopkins Lake

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Nothings quite so fun as hiking when it’s 36 degrees out and raining.IMG_3349

A slight break from the rain. IMG_3351

Washpot heads up the last pass of the trail.

Posted

Day 139 8/30
Mile mark 2609.1-2630.5
South of Methow Pass to Campsite North of Harts Pass

 

IMG_3345 IMG_3346

Posted

Day 138 8/29
Mile mark 2585.0-2609.1
Bridge Creek Campground to South of Methow Pass

 

IMG_3344

Posted

Day 137 8/28
Mile mark 2580.2-2585.0
Stehekin to Bridge Creek Campground

 

IMG_3343We stopped again at the Stehekin bakery on our way back to the trail. I spent nearly 40 dollars on baked goods for eating then and packing out.

Posted

Day 136 8/27
Mile mark 2557.6-2580.2
Miners Creek to Stehekin

 

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Taking the bus from the trailhead into Stehekin. IMG_3340

A magical little spot. Apparently, the locals like hikers since we’re a break from the usual Seattle yuppies that come here, but they do refer to us as “the aromatics.”  IMG_3341 IMG_3342

It was Strawberries birthday and we all ate cake from the Stehekin bakery in the afternoon. Blue Skies(pictured above) came in on a later bus and missed the initial cake eating. There was still some left, but it was put in the trash. A guy retrieved it and found it still in the box, so we thought it was still good. After taking a bite, the guy who retrieved the cake told blue Skies that he accidentally dropped it back in the trash while trying to pick it up and it collected some debris(bottle cap above).

Posted

Day 135 8/26
Mile mark 2528.52-2557.6
Fire Creek to Miners Creek

 

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Hmm…where did the trail go. I wasn’t ballsy enough to swing across with the rope and instead walked back up the trail and cut a switch back. IMG_3334 IMG_3335

One of the guys I was hiking with nicknamed this section the “obstacle course.” There were tons of trees across the trail and lots of washouts. Above is an old growth tree that created a very large obstacle. IMG_3336

After a bridge washed out a few years ago the PCT was rerouted down through an old growth forest. This section has some of the most spectacular trees I’ve seen.

Posted

Day 134 8/25
Mile mark 2500.3-2528.52
Pass Creek to Fire Creek

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This section was pretty beat up. Lots of fallen trees and washouts.