At the end of the trail a hug is in order .
ing about what I just hooked into . Then see a six-inch fish give its best marlin impersonation , and it would then proceed to still be full of piss and vinegar while you try and get the fly out of its mouth . My perception of only catching quality over the years changed when I hooked into nearly 50 fish in a day .
Transitions were abundant along the PCT . The descent out of the Sierra was slow but obvious . When the highest elevation I hit for the day was around 7,000 feet and not over 10 , I knew Northern California and Oregon were knocking . The temperatures began to climb again , but the terrain got easier . The climbs were far mellower and the days were getting longer and longer . Pretty soon the slow casual pace through the Sierra , turned into marathons and the occasional ultra .
This part of the trip turned out to be a highlight , despite the fact that it wasn ’ t of the standards of what I just went through . It was because it was different . It was social hour . Here is where I met some of the most incredible humans that I still call friends to this day . Having the ability to share 20 plus mile days through some gorgeous terrain made the rest of the trail fly . Some of the fondest memories of the entire trip are from the people . Simply the
passion that we shared for hiking the trail is all we ever needed to strike up a decent conversation . We would often joke about how some lost more weight on the trip from laughing over poop conversations than actually the walking part of the trail . It was just amazing the outpouring of love I could give and also receive within five minutes of meeting another hiker . Falling in love with someone on trail seemed like it only needed a week to happen .
We were all puzzled through Oregon and Washington . It was such a mixed emotion part of the trip . We could all see the light at the end of the tunnel . We all noticed the differences in terrain , as it seemed like it was clear as day with every border . And once that happened , some were excited to know that it was almost over , while others , including myself , wished it could keep going . It was this never-ending chase from volcano to volcano in this bazaar game of cat and mouse . Starting back at Lassen while hiking through the Sisters Region in Oregon that made us think we were standing on Mars . Getting to that luxurious breakfast buffet at the lodge on Mount Hood , and finally getting our first glimpse of Rainier as we rounded around one of the fingers of Mount Adams .
But it really started to set in when we reached the North Cascades . The snowcapped spires shot up to the sky and blew all of our expectations away , but kept us all in check , making sure we had to work to get to the finish . The last ten days of the trip were by far the hardest . The terrain was even harder than that of the Sierra , and some were emotionally wrecked . Crying periodically everyday and got nauseous because the six-month dream is almost over . The feeling of accomplishment was there for sure , but not being able to look over at the equally as dirty friends every morning , or lean our packs up against a tree and take a nap because it ’ s that comfortable , are just examples of things that changed the way we thought about nearly everything .
I lost weight , I gained friends , I fell in love , I got sick , I got emotional , but most importantly , I changed . Looking back , the trail was and still is the greatest teacher in the lesson of life and inspiration . Doing things I still can ’ t believe I did , and feeling emotions I didn ’ t know I could feel . From dehydration to deprivation and accepting and accomplishing , there is simply nothing else in my life up to that point to where I am grateful of what was in front of me .
I set off from Campo , California on April 13th at around 2 pm . I finished the trail on October the 10th at 1:20pm . Five months and 27 days or 180 days total : 2,650.10 trail miles , 2,781.16 total miles hiked , 253 trout caught , 46 passes hiked over , hitch hiked 39 times , lost 34 pounds , got 27 days of rain , took 22 showers , used 15 fuel canisters , stayed in 11 hotels , eight campgrounds , took seven buses , got snowed on six times , went through five pairs of shoes , saw three bears , climbed three mountains , stayed in three houses , two days below freezing , and one life changing adventure .
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