The Trip that Started it all

In the summer of 2009 my friend Brandon and I hopped on a Seattle bound train with exceptionally heavy packs, blind ambition, and a vague idea of what to do once we got out there. Fifty seven hours later we were in Pike Place Market eating fresh seafood and gazing at the Pacific Ocean and Mt. Rainier. I had lived in Seattle in the previous fall and it seemed like an appropriate starting point for our Western adventure. Brandon had never been out West, and I figured we should start somewhere familiar before setting out into the unknown. We spent a few days visiting my former land lady and then hitched a ride to Crescent City, CA with an old Couchsurfing friend. On the way down we took a detour to Crater Lake, which was our first run in with the PCT.  At that point we were aware of the trail's existence and that we might encounter it later in our travels. Little did we know it would become the highlight of our trip and have a profound impact on both of us.

Me and Brandon on California's Coastal Trail

We hiked south out of Crescent City on a coastal trail through dense Redwood forests, often sleeping within earshot of the mighty Pacific Ocean. This was the longest backpacking trip either of us had been on, and we were still going through the learning curve. We each had exceptionally heavy packs and we quickly parted with unnecessary items, ditching 5-10lb each in the first week. Brandon developed debilitating blisters that we were not prepared to properly prevent and/or treat. That's what road walking and heavy hiking boots will do to feet.


We began to realize that folks treated us differently as we walked down the highway with our big packs. We were blown away by random acts of kindness big and small; these were our introduction to happenings referred to as "trail magic". Folks offered food, rides, and directions on a daily basis. One older couple even paid for our meal at a diner and instructed our waitress to inform us only after they'd left. There's something about meeting backpackers and travelers in general that causes people to reach out. Our age probably helped us too - our 19 years of age may have brought out the nurturing instinct. We felt so blessed at our fortune and we made sure to keep the good karma going by aiding those actually in need on more than one occasion.

The perks of staying in the RV section of a campground.

We ended our coastal walk in Eureka at an old Couch Surfing friend's house. Next we headed up to Truckee, CA to start the next leg of our adventure. Somewhere along the way we decided to hop on the PCT although I honestly can't say when. Regardless, we wanted to see Lake Tahoe and knew the PCT ran nearby. We hung around there for a few days talking to hikers and stocking up on food and additional gear. At last we accessed the trail from Echo summit and hiked south. Very soon we ran into our first thru hiker - sort of. The PCT is open for equestrian use, and we met a woman on horseback. We actually expected this, as we had met her husband in the parking lot a while back. He had a truck with a horse trailer and as she rode he followed along on parallel roads and provided support. Unbeknownst to us we were hiking southbound just as the main pack of thru hikers was passing us northbound. This provided an excellent opportunity to meet them, pick their brains, and find out just how heavy and inadequate all of our gear was.

Hitching into Yosemite

Yosemite

Our PCT experience was magnificent. We hiked an incredible section of the High Sierras with perfect weather. The only unfortunate part, other than the unyielding mosquitoes, was that we opted against buying a bear canister so we couldn't hike directly into Yosemite. Instead we hitch hiked out to Bridgeport to check out the hot springs and resupply. While soaking our aching bodies in the springs we struck up conversation with a honeymooning couple who invited us to a BBQ at their friend's house in town. We ended up tenting in their back yard and waking up to the neighboring cows mooing at the new day. We hitched into Yosemite and explored the park for a few days. Not so surprisingly I saw my first close up bear, which was a novelty until later that day when it happened again and the next morning when it happened again. Yosemite is like another world - many of the pictures I took simply look fake. In my mind it was a perfect point to wrap up the adventure. I was also getting worried about money and wanted to get back to work and prepare for my junior year of college. I flew home after 5 days of Yosemite, immensely satisfied with the way the largely unplanned trip had unraveled.

Brandon decided to stick around a while longer. His adventure wasn't over, so he ventured on and did another week in Yosemite's back country. That's not my story to tell though. He has a blog too, maybe he'll write his version some day. He's teaching English in Galicia, Spain right now and his musings can be found here.

I've been dreaming about a thru hike since I returned from that trip nearly 4 years ago. Soon it will be time to stop dreaming and start hiking and finish what I started in 2009.