How do you put a walk of five months to a travel report from a few pages? Most of my journal entries a day is about one page each. This is the main reason to avoid that struck me so long, it has to write - it seemed an enormous task. So I mainly hit a few highlights and share some thoughts and feelings.
Why would anyone be five months on foot from Mexico to Canada? Most thru-hikers get the matter over and over again. It 's like a mountain climber to ask whyThey climb the mountains. For me it started when I was active in a particular group of my church in Manhattan Beach, a suburb of Los Angeles. Jason, one of the participants began, leading monthly hikes for the group, usually in the Angeles National Forest San Gabriel Mountains, north of Los Angeles. I've been mountain biking, inline skating, rock climbing, and enjoyed the mountains and other activities, was a regular migration as well. This was theto move the start of my love. Jason has also organized several trips, camping and backpacking, including the Grand Canyon. I grew up camp, but had never done a backpack. A journey, and I was dependent.
On several tours in the Angeles National Forest, we would have signed for, and walk on part of the Pacific Crest Trail to see. When I heard that from Mexico to Canada, I thought it was some fun, one day it will. In later years, IAdventure Racing Club and writing activities progressed into the open, the longer, harder and more often. In the summer of 2002 I went to Peru for a two-week mission trip travel. That turned into a work period of three years the following year. In 2005, knowing that my office was in January 2006, I started wanting to do the PCT thru-hike. By the time all came together, no job, no mortgage or other expenses, and some money in the bank through the sale of my house when I went to Peru.
I began myExcursion on April 28 near the border with Mexico. I tried and I finished in four months I had already bought my ticket back in Peru, based on this schedule. The first week went well, and then I got blisters. I was faster than most tours, so I spent a lot of people did not spend much time with them and not make friends with other hikers. After two weeks I've had a couple of days to take some time to heal blisters. I also realized that I needed to slow downdown and spend time with other hikers, if I wanted to make friends who was one of my goals for the walk. After leaving Big Bear, California, I'm slow and began hiking with four other people. Two of them were section hiking and had to quit because of an injury, but I went with Go Big, the other, most of the road to the border of Oregon.
The desert areas of Southern California were hard, I told myself then that I never wanted to walk again. We had to be constantly aware of whereour source of water would follow, and many times has run three fifty-seven liters of water. And yet they had their beauty, not always, and provide bonding experiences. They were also broken with the snow-capped mountains and beautiful trees. The stations of the city have been frequent and has given us time to relax with other hikers as well.
Shortly after we started the High Sierra, we met and Swiss Miss Pang. I walked with them for the rest of the trip to Canada. Along the way, stepdifferent amounts of time with other hikers as well. A group of 12 of us stayed together Yosemite - The Dirty Dozen! Half of us were from the United States and half from other countries, it was a very international. Each of us has strengths and weaknesses, and we learned to work together as a team, and help and depend on each other. My biggest fear before starting the hike was the rapid flow passage, frozen rivers. It proved to be not as bad as I expected. We hadCall from a neighbor and some fighting, but the cooperation has been incredible, and we did it together.
We entered the Sierra Nevada on June 11 in a year of very heavy snow so we spent about a week walking in the snow, sometimes accessible only under the snow in the evening at the camp. I had very little experience sailing excursions in the deep snow and no experience, if the road was covered with snow, most of the day. Usually you have with map and compass, but we have to use a GPS to locate some of the tracksAble to confirm, and that was the right fit a couple of times. I was climbing on top of the Sierras, but soon came out from the back of my package before I ever use them. One thing I do not have to worry about is water. We just take one or two liters of tainted water. Often drunk directly from springs and streams of melting snow, without having to treat water.
We brought ice picks, but after a few passes before they were mostly used forDigging cat holes. The cups were only one of the biggest problems, along with the post-holing in soft snow in the afternoon. Most use trail running shoes, carried out with the exception of the Europeans, the hiking shoes. We had wet feet all the way through the Sierras of snow and fords, and much of Washington from rain and snow, but surprisingly it was not really a problem. We are tired of snow and the need always looking for directions. I would likelike to go back and hike the John Muir Trail (most of which is the same as the PCT) in the fall when you actually go on the road.
California is when you know how long you walk all the way, it took three months and reached one week after Oregon, but I never tired of landscape constantly changing and always beautiful. Mount Shasta on our numerous forest fires caused Hazy skies, beautiful sunsets, and had closed the routes and detours. For the last month we were not sure weWould be able to finish the road in Manning Park. We had a section on fires in Oregon by Skip, but the last stretch before the Canadian border once again just before you get there. Unlike some in front of us, we could stop at the official end point, and get our pictures to the border monument. This is a Thru-Hiker's time "summit", as when a climber reaches the summit of the mountain.
Oregon and Washington had lasted only three weeks and four weeksThen it's over, with the exception of the very emotional goodbye. Unlike the climber to even get down the mountain after the summit, the walk on an emotional high you ended up with nowhere to go, do not get off to relax. We spent a couple of days there, do not want to leave and go home. It 'hard to overcome the feeling of watching the landmarks at the top of the mountain down on the flight back to Los Angeles, five months go fast in reverse in a few hours to describe! And then there was trying to goback to "normal" life, if our primary concern has been for so long just to walk, eat and sleep. Now we were at home, at least our bodies are, but our thoughts always wander back to the track.
Many people have commented on how "The Journey of Life." I understand what they mean, but I have a problem with it. It is a common disorder that affects many long-distance thru-hikers. I have the disease, and there is no cure. It 's only to a certain extent, relieved by a further longHike. When and where, I do not know, but I'm sure going to happen. It is 11 months since I finished the tour and I still have to try some of the thousands of photos, or just someone slide show, and every time I wish I could pack up my backpack and head back to the path. Just write this and think of me for the emotions and the desire to have caused to life "than" on track. Of course, as the most difficult but rewarding experience, to forget easilyhard times and remember only the good.
From the Mexican border to Manning Park, British Columbia, Canada, took 151 days. It was an experience I will never forget. God has shown me his faithfulness and provision at every step of the road. Friendships are made for the trip very special experience shared, joys, dangers and difficulties of the road to deep and lasting ties established. I could not walk without the help of many that I have spent much time have concluded with hiking.Others have a wealth of experience and made it a joy even in difficult times. I thank God first, and then everyone was going to do the walk as a wonderful experience.
If you like a photo album of the trip can be seen, there is a post-Summit below, click on the link below:
http://www.summitpost.org/album/288745/Pacific-Crest-Trail.html
