Some thoughts before departure...

  • I am still not a vet, doctor, lawyer, dog trainer, cia agent, fbi agent or a navy seal so...walk
  • I am doing this for the challenge of course, and I hope to gain a confidence that comes with this type of endeavor. But also I hope to gain some new knowledge about the world and the truths that reside in it.
  • Am I walking to "find myself"? Or just to take a walk. You decide...and you'll probably be right.
  • I'm not in the best shape of my life, but I do have a lot of new great gear so....
  • After living with my parents the last 2 years, it makes perfect sense to walk 2650 miles - alone.
  • Yes there will be bears, cougars, rattlesnakes and scorpions both imagined and real along the way. I'm definitely more worried about those imagined.
  • Am I scared? Not as of yet, more of just a constantly increasing anticipation. But check back with me on the 3rd night in the desert.
  • I tried to keep my pack fairly light, but I definitely would not call it ultralight. Somehow when I added up all my ultralight gear and put it in my ultralight pack, I ended up with just slightly heavy.
  • My biggest concern for this trip is that I get too hungry somewhere along the way, my brain goes awol as it usually does when I get hungry and subsequently you never hear from me again...I'll try to eat frequently.
  • I am not Christopher McCandless. This is not Into the Wild.

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

Welcome to Washington...it also rains here

Day 122, Mile 2175.9---This morning i woke up early (early for town) and turned the dryer back on. It worked out (i think), but it took all morning for my bag to get dry. My Uncle Rob made me an excellent breakfast this morning, definitely a hiker portion. I packed up all my stuff and did a few last minute things. On the drive out to Cascade Locks i thought about how great this stop had been. So great in fact and in such a place and time on the trail that it would be hard to leave, and it was. My Aunt Andrea and my cousin Jeff met me at the Bridge of the Gods and walked across with me. They hiked with me about a mile and a quarter on the trail. Jeff brought me a Session(good beer) to enjoy on the trail before i took off. It was very good and so was having them hike with me as it made the transition back to the trail a bit easier. When i left them i had a good feeling that i only had 25ish days left and i could do it. For some reason that vacillated back and forth for me the rest of the day. Not that i thought i wasn't going to do it or that i would quit, but that good positive feeling about it came and went. When i stopped for dinner Don't Panic caught up to me. It was a cool reunion as i had not seen him since Ashland. We hiked the rest of the way together to where we are now. It rained on us pretty good as the sun started to set so i am a little damp inside my tent and i only have been on trail less then 12 hrs. I keep falling asleep. Goodnight. Thought of the day; have i learned all that the PCT can teach? Song of the day; when there's too much to do, don't let it bother you, just something something something something sing yourself a song, by the mice in Cinderella? Craving of the day; more of Aunt Andrea's rolls.


JWC on the PCT
Posted by at

1 comment:

Sandra said...

Thanks to Shelby, I can help you out on this song of the day.
When there's to much to do
Don't let it bother you.
Forget your troubles, try to be
Just like a cheerful chick-a-dee and
Whistle while you work. (or walk in your case....) -Snow White

September 2, 2008 at 11:17 PM

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)