A Year Later

It is hard to believe that it has been over a year since Jeramy, Mark and I set off from the California-Mexico border in hopes of walking the 2,600-plus miles to Canada on the Pacific Crest Trail. With no way of knowing what adventures or mishaps we would encounter and in anticipation of the journey ahead we began our hike in the early evening of April 29. Now, over a year later I find myself looking back gratefully and, at times, longingly at those months spent living, experiencing and walking some of what is left of the West’s wilderness. Jeramy and I finished the trail on October 13 in the cold yet beautiful snows of northern Washington, bringing to an end a spectacular journey.

Since that time we have moved to Portland, Oregon and have been lucky enough to find work that we each enjoy. We have also been lucky enough to enjoy a few more adventures on the PCT. Shortly after finishing our hike we headed back to southern Oregon to complete a stretch of trail we missed due to Jeramy’s foot injury. In late October last year we struck out again, this time walking south from Ashland, OR, with the intention of hiking roughly 100 miles back to where we reluctantly got off the trail just 20 miles shy of Etna, CA in August. It was wonderful to be out there again, after only two weeks off trail I already had begun to miss it. Although this hike did not end as we would have liked, it eased our transition back into the rhythms and realities of life in “civilization”.

Our temporary home under the bridge

Northern California


The hike itself was gorgeous, particularly hiking down into Seiad Valley and up out of the valley into the Marble Mountains. Our first night out of Seiad the rains came, it poured all night and continued into the next day. We walked along exposed, windy ridges, rain drenched and cold-to the point where fingers and hands were incapacitated and useless. This was not what I had hoped for. I had enough of the wet and cold in northern Washington. Fortunately the day we set out from Seiad Valley, hiking up the road to the trial head, we ran into a ranger who told us of a side-trail down off of the ridge should the weather turn. We reached this junction in mid-afternoon the first day of the storm and knowing the trail stayed up on the ridge for miles to come and that the storm was to continue and possibly get worse we-somewhat reluctantly-decided to head down. We hiked five miles down, though cow-grazed lands, and came to a seemingly abandoned road. We had hoped to hitch a ride out that evening but given the lack of traffic and the encroaching darkness the nearby bridge became more and more appealing. Crossing the bridge we followed the stairs down underneath. To our surprise there was a sandy and dry spot directly under the middle of the bridge. Watching the rainfall we set up camp and ate dinner. Grateful for protection from the elements we slept soundly-and dry. The next morning we easily hitched a ride out and made it to Yreka. That was our last experience on the trail until April of this year.



PCT class of 2008


At the border....again

Every year the official beginning of the thru-hiking season is marked by the Annual Day Zero PCT Kick-Off (ADZPCTKO). The kick-off takes place the last weekend of April at Lake Morena County Park, twenty waterless miles into the trail. It consists of hundreds of hikers, past, present and future gathering to celebrate, learn and share knowledge of the PCT. We did not attend last year and decided to check it out, knowing that we would see many of the friends we made last year. It was a wonderful reunion where we reconnected with many fellow hikers, including, Marty McFly, S.O.L, Jester, Rat, Coyote, HR Huff & Puff, Smooth Criminal, High Octane, D-card, Jessica, Squatch, Mssing Link and many others. I almost felt as if I was back on the trail, except for the fact we were sedentary, although Jeramy and I did manage to get a little hiking in.

We spent two nights hiking the first stretch of trail we missed last year due to a fire. At the time we were disappointed, not only that we would be missing some of the trial, but also because it is the first time the trail climbs out of the desert into the mountains.


Before the climb

So nice to see Yucca's again

The San Jacinto Mountains rise over 9,000 feet above the scorching desert floor and snow can remain in there through May, shaded by tall Ponderosa, Jeffery and Coulter Pines. We had looked forward to the transition and witnessing the subtle yet substantial changes that take place in the land as it moves vertically upwards, from desert to mountain.

We were very thankful to find the time to hike this thirty miles stretch of trail while in Southern California. It wonderful to be back on the trial, remembering the way it moves, slow and winding through the land, meandering almost. Remembering the sounds of birds, feet against dirt and rocks, walking with the sun, sleeping with the moon, days determined largely by where our next crucial life source could be found- water. In the evening, feeling our worked bodies as we sat down to eat a much anticipated and appreciated meal.

All of these feeling and memories came back in those two short days, bringing with it nostalgia. But being “out there” also brought back the challenging and trying mements too. Blistered feet, stifling heat, steep and difficult climbs, cold hands and feet, monotonous meals. Though somehow all of the physical and emotional challenges could never out-weigh the beauty and joy of such an experience. I suppose all of the difficult times are a part of what makes it all the more amazing and wonderful. I don’t think we can truly have joy without the flipside, hardship and pain.





And so our short excursion back on the PCT was as I had hoped it would be, amazingly beautiful yet challenging. The changes in the landscape from chaparral, cacti, lizards, and sand to pine and fir trees, boulders, snow, cliff ledges, and mountain springs all in a days walk was astounding. We also met a handful of current thru-hiker hopefuls. One man whose son had hiked it last year and whom we had known, another from Portland, OR. We shared stories from our experience and their excitement and anticipation of the journey ahead was infectious.

We ended our hike in the quaint, friendly town of Idyllwild, a lone mountain town surrounded by desert and a get-away destination for those in the valley. We stopped at the local food Co-op that we had discovered last year and grabbed a few snacks before hitching out of town, down into the heat. It took some time to get a ride, though not for lack of willing people, but rather that we were going further than they. Eventually we got a ride with a man, around our age, who was getting ready to hike the trail in a few weeks and was checking out trail towns, as they are known. He said there would be a film crew with him following and recording his journey. The trail never lacks interesting folk.

We made it to Interstate 10 where, after missing the last bus towards L.A we called our friends there who kindly came and picked us up.

And so we ended another stint on the PCT, though future plans will no doubt be hatched as we still have 150 miles left to hike in central and northern California before we can truly say we walked from Mexico to Canada:) Until next time.

Happy trails.