With a grateful heart, I say hello to my family, friends, trail family, and fellow pilgrims near and far. Your continued interest is inspiring and makes me realize how our actions contribute to one another in unseen ways. I have been surprised to see folks from 21 countries and five continents tuning into my story. I asked a colleague upon my return, “why would anyone besides family, friends, and other hikers be interested in my blog?” She said, “I know why; this past two years, we have all been on our own trail as we navigated a global pandemic. Any story that inspires or informs is helpful.”
I promised an update on my experience coming off the trail in a blog about Post Trail Adjustment Disorder. But first, here is my unexpected pick for the song that most inspired me while hiking the PCT. Despite the myriad of rocking numbers from my formative years and those given to me by my fellow hikers, this song and album took me deep every time, and it still does. It makes me feel like a natural human.
A way over yonder
Is a place I have seen
In a garden of wisdom
From some long ago dream
Oh yeah
Carole King, Way Over Yonder, Tapestry 1971
The deep forests of Oregon and Washington led to surprises around every corner with quiet solitude.
The most challenging question that I faced when returning from the trail was, “what does it feel like to return to real life.” I have asked that same question of others, but weirdly, I completely froze. What was going through my mind was which life is real life. Walking in nature day after day with few responsibilities or supporting my family, job, and being a functional member of society. The answer is both. My natural life and my civilized life are both real. The interesting question is how to merge them as much as possible.
What Worked from my Post Trail Adjustment Plan
I identified three areas to work on to ease me back into civilized life. The first was finding meaning in my experience by connecting with interested people. This practice has worked incredibly well. A dozen people have gone deep into my experience, and their perspectives have opened new insights for me. I also shared my insights with my Zen community in several settings. In my relationship with others, I see new facets of my experience. Merging perspectives is the best example of bringing my two “real” lives together. I look forward to connecting with fellow hikers because we share something beyond words, and hearing how this experience unfolds for them is a precious mirror.
Magic Marker and I hiked Browder Ridge in Oregon on a beautiful fall day. The conversation was even more moving, and I learned so much from sharing our post-trail journeys.
My second practice was to find new ways to exert my body to bring me joy and continue my ongoing connection at a cellular level. This practice revealed some unexpected issues. The big one is that I had not realized how much muscle I had lost in my upper body. After doing more research, people in their 60’s and beyond lose a higher percentage of muscle mass with a drop in weight than younger adults. I dropped as much as 19 pounds and then kept increasing my food to get back to a 13-pound loss. The other issue is that I will have a more challenging time metabolizing protein to build back muscle. So, my practice now includes a virtual personal trainer and a lot of weight lifting. Instead of wanting to keep the weight off, now I want to gain it all back in the form of muscle.
The other practice was to get back on the trail. One of my best motivations to push my PCT mileage was to have time in September to travel with Pleasure-Way to visit our son and fiancée in Switzerland. We combined that with some fantastic hiking in the Jungfrau region, and my body just loved to feel the trail again.
Hiking with Pleasure-Way in the Jungfrau region of Switzerland was magical – we even had a local resident serenade us with his yodeling.
What Hasn’t Worked from my Post Trail Adjustment Plan
The third practice I identified was to examine and change habits that no longer serve. I have made a few minor changes, like drinking less caffeine, but others prove very difficult. For example, I am a chronic list-maker and can obsess over what I check off rather than being fully present with each step along the way. I am struggling with media consumption and had to turn off most of my feeds. Habits that don’t serve me seeped right back into my civilized life without asking permission. I will need to work hard to retire habits well past their expiration date with kindness and toughness. In the Zen tradition, these obstacles are teachers who have come to guide us down life’s trail. I look forward to swapping stories.
Have you have ever thought about becoming a dedicated trail angel or hoped that someone would take on this role during your thru-hike? If so, this blog is for you. I caught up to Pleasure-Way for an exclusive interview about her secrets to being the best trail angel on the PCT in 2021.
Thank you for taking the time to join me today now that you have moved out of your van. My readers have been asking – what is the real story behind your trail name, Pleasure-Way?
Pleasure-Way:As is the tradition, my trail name was offered to me by a hiker, Twister, and I decided to go with it. I get some smiles and comments when people first hear it but bringing pleasure to thru-hikers in the form of food, and moral support is what trail magic is all about. It is also the van’s name, so hikers make the connection right away.
Ribs and Scott preparing for entering the Sierra with Pleasure-Way.
Your name certainly worked; I have met hikers that knew about Pleasure-Way and had no idea who Ribs was. How long were you living on the road, and what were some of the high and low points you faced?
Pleasure-Way: Staying in the van for the better part of five months was certainly a new experience. I was very comfortable driving and operating the vehicle and covered over 13K miles since leaving home. The van gave me a feeling of self-sufficiency, and I could control my physical space during the spring when the vaccine rollout was ramping up. I enjoyed the simplicity of living, exploring, and seeing new roads, parks, and towns from Mexico to Canada. I met a lot of interesting people, both thru-hikers and fellow travelers. I won’t miss laundromats or driving the steep and narrow roads without guardrails to get to some of the remote trailheads. I also won’t miss buying deli chicken for trail magic – a real hit with the hikers, but I hope I never see it again.
Pleasure-Way, at Scissors Crossing, was already meeting an interesting mix of past hikers that return every year to provide trail magic.On the road again, Pleasure-Way got to know California’s HWY 395 quite well.Pleasure-Way had to navigate blazing heat, snow, and wildfires.
How would you describe your role in terms of supporting Ribs?
Pleasure-Way:My overall role was to provide options for meeting to make Rib’s life a little easier. There was a chance for a shower, home-cooked meal, and equipment exchange (no longer need that ice ax? trade out the old shoes?) as well as a chance to fill out the wish list (new items from REI, specific food requests). We would exchange food supplies for garbage, clean clothes for dirty, and reassess the plan for the next segment.
Coming off the trail at Stevens Pass – the trail magic begins.All the resupply gear was in labeled boxes making repacking and gear changes easy
What was the most challenging part of supporting Ribs?
Pleasure-Way: The biggest challenge was that the plan changed constantly. We learned this early on when Ribs hiked faster than expected – so the initial plan, which had campground reservations up until Kennedy Meadows, was flawed from the get-go. I had little problem making new reservations in the spring, but it became harder to find open spots as summer began. I discovered fewer available campgrounds with hookups north of Kennedy Meadows, so I had to rely more on private RV parks. Some RV parks were very nice, like the Mountain Gate RV Park south of Shasta Lake. Other locations along the way were less inviting but met the needs for safety, power, water, and sewer. So, my biggest challenge was figuring out when and where to locate the Sprinter van when it was not a meetup day. I also learned that Ribs became very focused on the next trail segment and had trouble planning beyond that. I started making predictions and then adjusted as needed.
Life in the van became the new normal.Dusk at Lake Cahuilla Regional Park near Palm Desert.
My takeaway from your last answer is that you would create detailed plans and be okay if Ribs hiked faster or made some other changes and then you would do it all again – sounds frustrating. I guess that’s why they call you a trail angel. What was the most fun aspect of being a part of this hiking team? Beyond the logistical support, what did you find was needed to support Ribs from a psychological or emotional perspective?
Pleasure-Way:I truly enjoyed hearing the stories from the trail and getting to know other thru-hikers in real-time. At first, Ribs was reluctant to connect with other hikers and was self-conscious about my support. I jumped in and started engaging other hikers, and we both enjoyed being a part of their hiking teams. His physical stamina improved, so he looked fresh coming off the trail, but I noticed early on that he was not tracking day-to-day life as is usual. For example, I told him about a young swimmer from Alaska, Lydia Jacoby, winning a swimming gold medal. It caught my attention since my parents met in Alaska. He asked if it was at the world championships. He did not even know the summer Olympics were going on, one of his favorite sporting events. I tried to be patient and actively listened when he came off the trail, offering positive reinforcement that this was doable for him. I reviewed my latest plan with him for feedback rather than creating it together.
It was common for Pleasure-Way to transport hikers to and from the trail head.Pleasure-Way, Ribs and family greeting a young family with some young girls who are very interested in becoming PCT hikers.
It sounds like you also had to deal with a lot of uncertainty about Rib’s condition when he came off the trail. What did you both do to get him recharged and back on the trail?
Pleasure-Way: We became experts at overnight meetups at trail/road intersections to resupply and get him back on the trail in the morning. We did this 30 times, which was a key reason we pulled so much time out of the original plan. Ribs provided pretty accurate estimates when he would arrive, and he pushed the mileage to arrive in the afternoon. In some cases, I would hike down the trail to meet him, which was fun. I had some high-calorie foods for immediate consumption to start the recovery. He would typically shower, and we would talk about the upcoming trail segment. He would then unload and re-load his pack using a checklist with different gear based on the length and weather conditions. We had a duplicate set of clothing, making it an easy swap. Originally, Ribs only wrote blog posts when he took a day off (zero-day). He started reducing zero-days as the hike progressed, so he would dictate the blog on the trail and then edit it and post that night. Dinners became increasingly simpler as the hike progressed to suit his changing dietary needs. He was typically out on the trail by 6 AM the following day.
Ribs getting his first blast of calories after getting to the van. Finishing a blog post after dinner before heading out the next morning.Pleasure-Way sent Ribs out with a killer breakfast including protein blueberry/banana pancakes, three eggs, fruit and more.
Wow, your description reminds me of a pit-stop in the Indianapolis 500, except you are changing tires on a thru-hiker. What tools did you develop or use to be so successful?
Pleasure-Way: One of the most important tools used during the five months was a daily itinerary of the hiking plan over the entire PCT. Ribs created the first version to capture his initial guess. I used this tool to plan the hiking segments, resupplies, overnight meetups, and zero-days. It was created to be easily modified along the way and, in the end, serves as a detailed diary of each’s day’s progress. Ribs communicated his location and how he was doing every night from the trail using a Garmin satellite device which kept us connected and informed. I was also able to update him on any weather and fire concerns.
I took this initial plan and noted intersections of the trail with roads accessible by our Sprinter van. The large state atlases helped find the roads, but the crucial pieces were the National Geographic PCT trail maps and the Guthook app. After finding an intersection, I would map it through google maps to evaluate the route and check for road closures. I would complete the analysis with a final check back to the atlas to ensure that the road was drivable. In general, I tried to stay on paved roads since the quality of gravel/dirt roads is hard to predict (my vehicle wasn’t 4WD).
Pleasure-Way’s headquarters to do her logistics magic from Brite Lake.Pleasure-Way’s view while staying at lake Almanor.
My takeaway is that you were the one keeping track of the overall logistics and figuring out when and where you could deliver trail magic. All Ribs had to do was walk 12 hours a day; frankly, it seems like he had the easy job. What did you do on the days when you were not together?
Pleasure-Way: I needed to develop a second plan besides the PCT to park and stay in the Sprinter van safely. I could go 3-4 days without electrical or water hookups, staying for free on BLM lands or campgrounds. We would often boondock at the trailhead or in nearby BLM land or NFS campground for overnight meetups.
The ideal situation for me on my alone days was to find a centrally located campground with hookups. One of my favorites was the Brite Lake Campground, a county park outside of Tehachapi, California. I had ten days there, very happy to have the electrical hookup to allow for air conditioning. Sometimes I picked up Ribs and brought him to stay the night in the campground, but other times I met Ribs and stayed at the trailhead, returning to the campground the following day.
I was surprised to find that getting a hotel wasn’t a relaxing break for the most part. It did not remove the need to care for the Sprinter van (where to park, how to keep its power, etc.) For example, I was given a Mother’s Day present to stay in a nice hotel at Mammoth Lakes. I found out just before dark that they recommended I not leave any food in the vehicle because bears will break into unattended vehicles, even RVs, to get the food. I hauled my food, as well as Rib’s food supplies, into the hotel room.
Pleasure-Way giving Ribs encouragement as he left Trout Lake in Washington.
Thank you for telling us your secrets – I have a much better understanding of what it took to be the best trail angel in 2021. No wonder Ribs says that you are the key to his successful PCT thru-hike. What are the top five things our readers should know before taking on your role as a dedicated thru-hiker trail angel?
Pleasure-Way:
Be patient, expect constant change, both of the route and the needs of the thru-hiker.
Find meaningful ways to connect with others.
Let others know where you are.
When possible, stay where you have internet/cell connectivity to keep from being isolated – have frequent phone calls with family and friends.
Buy two Garmin satellite communicators, one for the hiker and one for the van, to stay in touch when either one is without cell coverage.
I started to fear my post-PCT adjustment about one month before completion. Ironically, I was also facing some resistance to hiking, particularly in the morning. I have been off the trail one week and decided to open the next chapter of my journey – returning home.
I coined the term Post Trail Adjustment Disorder (PTAD) to describe my transition experiences. The Mayo Clinic describes adjustment disorders as “conditions resulting in more stress than would normally be expected in response to a stressful or unexpected event, and the stress causes significant problems in your relationships, at work or school.” There is little written on this topic for thru-hikers, and what I found is labeled post-trail depression, which presumes that the only response to this transition is depression. One thing is for sure; the experience changes all thru-hikers. Understanding how to harness those changes for the better is not at all apparent.
Starting in Washington, hikers wrote messages on the PCT trail markers nailed into the trees. The markers were there to help keep us on the trail, but these comments provoked larger questions such as “how have I changed?”
I talked to 10+ hikers that had previously completed one or more multi-month thru-hikes. They shared stories of being disoriented for up to three months and not seamlessly returning to the flow of “normal” life. The disruption seemed to be more pronounced if they had quit their job before the hike or left their previous residence and needed to start afresh upon their return. Some were using the trail as a means for reflection or navigating a significant life change. For others, hiking the trail at this time was opportunistic such as after completing a degree. Universally, hikers did not want to lose their physical capacity or gain unwanted weight, which is common after our caloric needs plummet.
Curiosity
Of all the virtues
I find one opens all doors,
curiosity.
Ribs
The most powerful tool I have to navigate uncertainty is curiosity. Simply shifting an experience from a reaction to a question changes my ability to learn and adjust rapidly. Below is my approach to navigating this transition, and I plan to journal daily and then post what I learned and what worked in a month.
Finding Meaning
Even after one week, the richness and depth of my experience are starting to fade. It would be easy to dismiss my journey as a passing phase, a vacation, or perhaps a selfish attempt to be young again. I will explore several questions to find meaning in my hiking and transition experience.
How did the hiking experience change how I perceive and engage the world around me?
What aspects of those changes do I intend to bring into my daily life, and what practices are most effective?
Connect with people that want to discuss my experience to internalize my insights and learn from their perspectives.
Bring these experiences back into the present through walking and seated meditation.
Observe what situations in my daily life are most disruptive to these desired states.
Experiment with on-the-go practices to bring me back to my desired state when disrupted.
Exerting my Body
One thing I learned is that my body likes to be used to its fullest capacity. Exerting my body brings me joy and creates an ongoing connection at a cellular level.
What physical activities bring me joy and build on my new capacity?
What practices bring exerting my body into my daily life?
Experiment with new ways to exert my body to build new capabilities such as strength and flexibility.
Develop a weekly plan to integrate these practices into my daily life.
Experiment with on-the-go body scan practices to keep my body engaged during the day.
Changing Habits
I am a creature of habit; we all are. Habits are not bad. They are essential to efficiently move through a complex world, like putting my keys and wallet in the same place when I come into the house. That said, habits often outlive their original purpose and become unexamined behavioral traps. Returning from four months on the trail is the perfect time to examine and change habits that no longer serve. For example, I drank one cup of coffee per day during my hike, and I immediately reverted to my 5+ cups upon my return.
Which of my newly developed habits from the trail would serve me in my daily life?
What old habits are returning, and which do I wish to end or change during the transition?
Recreate my trail routine for one week to remember and examine the habits I created to hike for 12 hours a day safely.
Identify trail habits that I can integrate into my daily life.
Observe and journal my old habits as I return to daily life.
Identify those I wish to end or change and a specific approach to do so for each one.
I’m excited to share my experience hiking on my 100th day on the PCT. I chronicled my day to remember life on the trail. It represents both the simplicity and the practices I use to stay engaged and safe while deepening my awareness.
I hiked a relatively short day of 21.6 miles through the Goat Rocks Wilderness. I pushed hard 30-miles the day before to get to this section. At the end of my 100th day, I had completed 2,280 miles or 22.8 miles per day. I had some new insights as I look back at the twists and turns common on the trail.
First, I have refined and developed practices that I use throughout the day applied at various times. As I observed my approach, it became clear that I was using meditation practices to coax my mind and body into embracing the coming hiking day. I have noticed that I am becoming increasingly resistant, mentally and physically, to hiking at the start of the day. I think this is natural after an effort of this magnitude and certainly something other hikers have described. I’m glad that I developed some structure to support my intention and the joy I receive as my day progresses.
My second realization has to do with joy. I noticed throughout the day unexpected moments grab me at the deepest level. For example, I turned a corner on the trail to see the wind blowing through the grass and felt it caressing my hair. These moments of connectedness are hard to describe, but it felt like my hair and the grass and the wind were not separate but one continuous energetic expression. Or the clattering sound from a woodpecker or the high-pitched chirp of a pica. These unexpected moments occur frequently and come when I am grumbling or happy, present or checked out. But there they are, connecting me with everything that surrounds me. This is what brings me to nature, it is the feeling that I’m a part of it, not just watching it, or conquering it, or taking pictures of it – no, I’m a part of it at a cellular level. I wonder what it would take to experience these moments during what we describe as “normal” life. Do I need to trek endlessly day after day to be open for these unexpected moments of connectedness?
5:00 AM
My alarm went off at 5:00 a.m on my 100th day of hiking. As usual, it was a restless night of sleep. The rain had started in the middle of the night, but it was so warm that everything was dry again. My 30-mosquito escort had a sleepover outside the tent so they could greet me in the morning. As I prepared to pack out, I did a quick survey of my current condition. I hiked 30 miles the previous day in hot and humid conditions with a constant barrage from mosquitoes and biting flies. I felt dehydrated, as evidenced by some leg cramping – all the more reason to take it slow this morning and try to rehydrate. I have 1.5 liters of water which needs to last for the first 7.5 miles.
5:40 AM
I packed everything and was hiking by 5:40 AM. I put on my full rain gear, including long pants, for the first seven miles to get thru a swampy area. I had three bites on my ankles in the short time I needed to put my shoes on. I hiked at a gentle pace for the first hour to give my body a chance to wake up.
6:40 AM
After two miles, I had my first-breakfast, which was a cliff coffee bar. I’d been working to rehydrate myself but save water for the next 2 hours. I started a one-hour body scan meditation.
7:40 AM
I completed my body scan, and everything is felt good except pain in my right footpad. I checked in with 32 different locations on my body. I find this is an excellent start for the day because it gets me out of my head and connects me to all the parts of my body that will do the work today. I decided to keep walking for the next two hours to clear the buggy swamp section.
8:40 AM
I’d hiked seven miles and had started climbing. It began to rain as it has on several occasions over the last two days, but I didn’t think it would break through this stifling humidity. I completed my secondmeditation, a trail sensation meditation, where I focused my attention on any sensations I felt from the trail, including the trail surface and the brush that I touched along the way.
9:40 AM
I filled my water bottles at a small stream after hiking eight miles, with the first miles being a 1750 ft descent followed by a 1300 ft climb. The bugs significantly eased as I climbed the ridge, and I was looking forward to having a proper second-breakfast soon.
10:40 AM
After getting water, I started to feel more at ease with the climb ahead. I used a meditation approach that works well for me on climbs. That is to count my breaths from 1 to 10 and then start over. I focus on my steps between each breath which helps me set a sustainable pace. I started to feel in a groove and decided to keep going instead of stopping for second-breakfast. I grabbed a protein bar and continued to climb.
11:40 AM
I reached a pass where the PCT crosses into the Yakima Nation after 13 miles. I remembered this spot from my previous hike in the Goat Rocks and was thrilled to get here for second-breakfast. I heated water for my excellent high-calorie oatmeal concoction and my morning cup of coffee with great fanfare. With the heat and humidity, I had been hoping for rain. It drizzled at first, so I finish my breakfast and then the rain picked up, so I continued hiking after putting on shorts. As strange as it may seem, thru-hikers will put on shorts and their lightest gear in warm rain. Getting wet is inevitable if you hike in the rain for long stretches. This way you keep your warm clothing dry.
12:40 PM
I always get a big energy boost after second-breakfast. I finished climbing Cispus Pass, and the rain stopped. I met six hiking parties, out for the weekend, that wanted to talk about my journey. I spent time with each of them because I know how much I appreciated learning from previous PCT hikers. I am rarely seeing fellow north-bound PCT thru-hikers at this point but now meet about 10 south-bound hikers a day.
1:40 PM
I had reached the basin under Old Snowy Mountain. Usually, Old Snowy is one of the most picturesque sections on the PCT, but today the mountains were barely visible due to a smokey mist. I hiked this section two years ago with Scott, so coming back and feeling my first cool breeze in days made me smile. I did my one-hour metta meditation as I climbed up to 7,100 feet.
It is worth noting the tools thru-hikers use. Navigation and crowdsourcing information from other hikers is available on an app called Guthook. It allows hikers to see their location in real-time even when the phone is in airplane mode. It also allows hikers to comment on water sources, safety issues, and the best pizza joint in trail towns.
3:20 PM
I climbed the alternate PCT route to the top of the Knife’s Edge, a feared section of trail that follows a thin ridgeline with exposure on both sides. Before descending, I had first-lunch of refried beans and Fritos and called Pleasure-Way. The trail is tricky, and one hiker is believed to have died here but was never found.
Photo of the Knife’s Edge trail from the top of Owd Snowy two years agoLooking back up the Knife’s Edge after descending on my 100th day
5:20 PM
I made my way to my campsite after descending 1500 feet from the summit. I selected this site because it was next to a stream and on clear days, has a great view of Mt. Rainier. It was great getting into camp this early since most days I arrive after 7 PM.
5:40 PM
The tent was up, and I used the cold and clear water to hydrate, filter water, and clean up. When possible, I take a sponge bath each night away from the water source. Most nights, I am “dry camping,” which means there is no water source nearby. I always need to ration my water when dry camping, so having it readily available is a treat.
6:40 PM
I cooked dinner outside my tent, the first time in several weeks. The wind kept the bugs at bay, and I enjoyed the solitude. On the menu was my favorite, spaghetti followed by ramen.
7:40 PM
I worked on my 100th-day blog post. I was pleased to have made notes during the day, and reviewing them provided me some valuable insights.
Last summer, during a training hike, I met a couple who had completed the PCT in 2015. We had a great discussion about why they enjoyed it so much and what it took to complete it. I then ask them whether I was too old, and they laughed and shared that an 82-year-old was keeping up with them during sections of their hike. The conversation concluded with this summary remark; “it’s a mental journey, not a physical one.”
As I’ve thought about that conversation, I have wondered how can 2,650 miles all be in one’s mind. I started meditating with the Corvallis Zen Circle ten years ago to develop my awareness. Jon Kabat-Zinn, internationally known for his work as a scientist, writer, and meditation teacher, defines awareness as “paying attention in the present moment, non-judgmentally.” I asked my Zen teacher, Abby Mushin Terris, for a Koan to guide my inquiry. Koans are unanswerable questions, at least through our everyday thought processes. After listening to my description, she offered the following Koan, “what mind is walking?” This question yielded some immediate surprises.
The first surprise is that during the early weeks when I was getting angry, depressed, or anxious about the hike, I could trace that anxiety to what I describe as my thinking mind. The thinking mind is a magnificent problem-solving machine, but it’s best when it has good information. At the start, I had a limited understanding of what was in store for me or whether I could complete this journey. When people would ask whether I was hiking to Canada, the only honest answer I could give was “I hope so, but I don’t know.” These kinds of answers drive the thinking mind crazy. With no tangible information to go on, I noticed it swirling into ever-changing stories and distractions that fueled my anxiety.
The second surprise came from observing my body walking. Using my awareness, I observed my body’s sensations, emotions, and thoughts while hiking all day. Walking over continuously changing terrain is complex. It is no wonder that roboticists have taken decades to develop robots that can marginally imitate how humans walk. I noticed how my body anticipated and applied thinking in real-time. For example, I observed that a split second before I stumble, multiple parts of my body had shifted their position in anticipation of the stumble, such as my arm position and the tightened grip of my hands on the hiking poles. I was not consciously aware that any of these actions had occurred even after I stumbled. So the question then is what mind is figuring all of this out if it is not my thinking mind located in my prefrontal cortex.
After hiking 1847 miles, I can share some insights into this question. In my case, I have identified 32 minds that are walking, and this is still evolving. They are all directly involved with getting me safely through each 12-hour day. These minds include individual joints and muscles (left foot, right knee, left hip flexor, etc.), organs (lungs, heart, bowels, etc.), senses (sight, hearing, balance, etc.), and my thinking mind. One technique used in meditation practice is to use your awareness to observe individual parts of your body, known as a body scan. I spend about one hour twice a day doing a body scan. I connect with each of these “walking-minds” by observing them and establish a direct connection as the day progresses.
My third surprise is the most important. I observed that my body loves to walk. It’s not necessary for me to will my way mile after mile while playing pump-up music. I don’t need any motivation at all; my body is designed to walk, and it feels rewarding. This practice has taken a great burden from my thinking mind. Now that I am in direct contact with the crucial systems of my body needed for walking, my thinking mind can focus on what it’s good at, like planning my route, finding water, solving problems, and applying its creative capacity.
Before you write this post off as the rantings of a crazed thru-hiker, I suggest you try this for yourself. During a walk, spend time focusing on one part of your body, like your left foot, and see whether your relationship with it changes. When would-be hikers ask me, my summary remark will be something like, “it’s a mental journey, and you need to engage the intelligence of both mind and body.”
Here are a few photos from my first 150 miles in Oregon!
It is so refreshing to hike in forests again and to see the 100 shades of green on display on Mt. Ashland.Just after entering Oregon, I entered a field of Bear Grass in bloom. I did not see a single instance of this before arriving home.The approach to Crater Lake covers about 10 miles of lava fields. The skill of the trail makers was impressive.The PCT has an alternate route that follows the Crater Lake Rim Trail. Pleasure-Way joined me to enjoy this national treasure.Wizard Island shouts mystery and adventure.
I have turned the corner and started to head north again. I am taking a zero and will restart the trail on mile 511. I have achieved a significant milestone – crossing the 500-mile mark, but it is bittersweet. I had to skip miles 486 – 511 due to a trail closure because of the Lake Fire. This is the second section of the trail closed by recent forest fires.
Ideas for what to write typically come and go. This post has been with me for three weeks emotionally, even though the pieces don’t seem evident on an intellectual level. Sharing what I am experiencing on the trail can feel like trying to explain a dream to someone – so please bear with me.
Apache Peak fire after 12 years
As soon as I started climbing mountains in Southern California, I experienced the scale and devastation of their wildfires. Many areas of the trail have been closed due to unstable soil and the danger of falling debris. The above photo from Apache Peak shows the damage 12 years later. I live in the northwest; I am used to hiking through some burned sections of the forest. But here, it is the norm – day after day.
Ten miles north of Apache Peak
I noticed my pattern of ignoring the burned sections and pushing through to the lush forest. The dense forests along the PCT in Southern California are few and far between. I understand that forest fires play a role in natural ecosystems. Still, we have crossed into a new regime of fires that burn hotter and more frequently fueled by higher temperatures, frequent interaction with humans, and misguided fire suppression methods.
Holding the wisdom of generations
I’ve always had a thing for trees. I befriend trees in our local forests and look forward to visiting them. I feel comforted by them, and they give me a sense of wisdom that spans the generations. On the trail, I have started touching them to connect on a different level and sometimes even chew on a small piece of bark. Many date back 400 years or more, and although they are independent, they survive together. Thru-hiking into a grove immediately calls me to attention.
Los Angeles Forest (taken by “Twister”)
To see even one, let alone scores of these wise giants, fall together gives me a feeling of extreme loss. They know how to withstand fires, and by the time they reach maturity, they have seen many fires come and go, and their bark bears these scars. But they were not built to withstand the infernos of these times.
Bill and I playing in the White Clouds
The unexpected and tragic loss in the natural environment has frequently brought me back to those I have lost in life. My brother loved sharing wilderness adventures, was as kind, strong, and determined as they come, and became a kid when he was outdoors. We became two kids, the same ones who shared a bedroom for most of our childhood and talked about everything under the sun. He was swept away by cancer too young. He would have been so engaged in my hike, whether on the trail or giving me his full support.
Walking the trail provides a constant reminder of how fragile and precious life is – including the lives of all that share the earth with us.
I got a great present from my daughter several years ago, the book On Trails, by Robert Moor. The book went on to become a New York Times Bestseller. The story starts with Robert Moor’s rather dreadful hike on the Appalachian Trail when it rained most of the time. Staring at his feet all day led him to contemplate the trail itself, and from that inquiry grew a wonderful exploration of how trails form, how the information embedded in trails are sometimes passed from insect to mammal to native peoples to European settlers and to highway engineers. Moor shows how trails are really physical networks that capture information that teach us the way.
Climbing out of Cajon Pass.
As a PCT hiker, I am constantly looking for the trail. You quickly learn to discern the pattern far off in the distance for where the path leads. I find myself reacting once the direction is clear. “Ugh, we are climbing that, we just descended a ridge – what is wrong with these people!” Why on earth do I think I know a better way through the four hundred plus miles of rugged terrain than those that came before me? When I go on one of these rants, my new mantra is “the trail knows the way” because it actually does.
Big Bear Lake, after turning west.
None of the PCT trail puzzles are harder to grasp than the abrupt turn at Big Bear Lake from heading north to heading west. For nearly 200 miles, the trail is on a crash course for LA. In fact, the last few nights on the trail I have seen the twinkling lights of our second-largest city. Mt. Baden-Powel is less than 20 miles as the crows fly from Pasadena. I stayed with my mantra and enjoyed my first chance to explore this string of significant mountain ranges.
Pointing west to Mt. Baden-Powel
I am now starting to turn the corner to head back north (see the blue tab below). For all you trail and map geeks, I have a new treat. The Pacific Crest Trail Association has created a new interactive map that shows a great deal about this unique trail. Here is my current location on the new PCTA interactive map.
My 400-mile journey so far.
May all your journeys, whether to your garden, park, or local trails, bring you joy.
