Hello everyone!
First things first- we finished!!!! I made it to Canada on October 1, 2014 and it was glorious. Our last few days on trail were tough; filled with rain, snow, hard miles, and cold, long nights. It was a relief to finish and get safely off trail.
Situated at the border is a monument- "the northern terminus." We walked 2,660 odd miles to see a few pieces of wood :) in some ways it was very anticlimactic, but I was elated and extremely proud. It's difficult to describe the myriad of emotions that I felt. There is the obvious excitement- "we made it to effing Canada!!!!", bewilderment- " ok, I'm here, now what?" Disappointment- "why isn't it bigger and where are my balloons/ trophy?" Plus we weren't really finished because we still had to walk 8 miles into Canada or backtrack the last 30. The end of the trail is literally in the middle of nowhere so to leave, you have to keep hiking- exactly what we wanted :)
I also felt very sad that I finished without Trinket. She thought she was developing shin splints, but after a little fall, her leg started swelling and bruising. She made it into Stehekin like the champion she is and it became clear that she couldn't walk the last 80 miles to the border. Her leg was in bad shape and even walking without a pack was difficult. She met a nice couple who offered to help get her to Seattle and we knew it was the smart, safe thing to do. Saying goodbye to Trinket was one of the hardest things I have had to do on trail. I feel so fortunate because the PCT gave my mom and me the chance to spend a lot of time together and become close friends. This experience brought us so much closer and I know that without a doubt I wouldn't have made it to the finish line if it weren't for Trinket. She was my partner, confidant, friend, mom, and inspiration. I wanted to get her to the border and finish as a team. Having to say goodbye less than 100 miles from the end was devastating. The whole group struggled to say goodbye and we missed her immediately. I hope that one day, after lots of rest, we can still go and finish as a team. That being said, Trinket still kicked some serious butt on the PCT and I am so proud that she got as far as she did! Go mama go!! ( I would like to take this opportunity to remind you all of the first trail name Trinket was given: Mountain Crusher. 100% true. )
The German Film Crew met me at the border to document/film my arrival. They were a site for sore eyes and it was really fun to share that moment with them. They even brought champagne for my friends and me- I love them! I am actually very thankful that they became part of my journey. It was nice coordinating and meeting with them throughout the trail. It was always fun seeing them and catching up- like reuniting with old friends after years have gone by. Even when only a few weeks had passed between our previous meeting, it felt like we all had so many stories to share. Ingo, who interviewed me throughout the process, asked me some very important questions, which made me think about myself, my expectations, and my reasons for hiking the PCT. His questions encouraged me to examine my feelings and progress/limitations on the trail. I think it is important to reflect on things once in a while, and this documentary helped me do that. I hope to be able to share the footage once it is available. Audrey, Ingo, Felix, and Daniel- you all rock!
Weather: We had some crappy weather during our last 2 weeks on trail. We were rained on for 4 days straight. Non stop. It is scary when all of your possessions become progressively wetter. It was our number one priority to keep our sleeping bags and sleeping clothes dry so we could have something warm to dive into at night, but after a couple of nights, it was impossible to stay dry. Condensation made the inside of the tent wet, which dripped down onto our bags and dry gear. After two nights of this, everything was damp and provided less heat. Knowing that we were days away from a town, with no hope of becoming dry or warm is scary. The only advice we received for this situation was to dry everything out in the sun once it comes out. Well, what do you do if there is no sun? The only thing we could do was to keep hiking north. Our last two days on trail were cold. At higher elevations, we were hiking on snow. There were a few flurries, but luckily, there wasn't enough snow to conceal the trail or impede our progress. The snow actually made our last day on trail incredible. All of the gorgeous fall foliage was sprinkled with powder, so there were bright colors everywhere that glittered with ice and snow. I will definitely post pictures. Anyway, the changing weather during those last 2 weeks made me extremely grateful to be done the trail. I am not an experienced hiker and would have no idea what to do if a foot of snow fell overnight. What do you do when everything is wet and the temperature is dropping? It was getting to the point where I was very glad we all made it out of there safely and without any real problems.
I am still considering going back and hiking part of the burned section that I had to skip in Northern California. The trail doesn't feel completely finished to me right now, so I am going to take a week off and then make my way south and continue hiking.
I'll keep you posted :)
Love, Lobby
From my tent, I blog. October 13, 2014.
Tonight is my last night on trail. I am perched on the top of some mountain looking out at a wide expanse of treetops and the glorious Mount Shasta. There are thin ribbons of snow streaming down from the peak. It is beautiful. I am lucky to have such an amazing view on my last night.
I am so glad that I decided to keep hiking after reaching the northern terminus. Turning around and hiking part of the burned section that I skipped earlier was a hard and bittersweet decision, but right now, from my tent, I'm glad I did it. All of my hiking buddies are smarter than me and realized they were done with their hike once they reached Canada; so I continued alone. I was actually looking forward to hiking by myself even though the thought was a little bit scary and overwhelming.
Because I had always planned to go back and finish this section, I never felt like I had finished the trail- even when I was hugging the monument. These past few days have given me ample time to reflect on this journey and everything that I have experienced in the past five and a half months.
The biggest lesson I have learned:
I have not seen a single soul in the last 4 days. I have never been so alone or isolated. At times I have felt at peace and happy- it doesn't matter that I could be the only person on this earth- but during the majority of the time, I have felt lonely, scared, and vulnerable. It has driven home the importance and necessity of people and loved ones in my life. Meeting fellow hikers along the PCT-hearing their stories, laughter, and singing. Seeing their footprints on the path, or the flash of color from their packs as they round a corner. Smelling their ripe bodies, or their cooking dinner. It all brings magic to the trail. Every person I have met out here has added something special to my hike. I am so thankful for my fellow hikers.
In addition, in times of doubt and weakness, I can't tell all of you how much I appreciated your comments and support. Although I wasn't able to respond to your comments, every word that was written to me helped me push through some of the tough times out here. I have to thank my biggest fan, Long Trail, for all of his amazing support and constant encouragement. I am so lucky to have the amazing friends and family that I have. I love you and thank you for everything. This journey is so much more meaningful to me because I have been able to share it with YOU.
So, while on a journey for self discovery and personal growth, I have learned that all of you make the adventure worthwhile and meaningful.
Much love,
Lobby