PCT CLASS of 2015!

Southern Terminus Monument 3/10/2014

SO HOW DID THIS PLAN TO HIKE THE PCT COME ABOUT ANYWAY?
     I have been thinking about thru hiking the PCT every since I first stepped onto it in the Summer of 1981.  OMG, that's 33 years ago!! I live in Washington State and have always been within an hours drive from both Stevens Pass and Snoqualmie Pass; both of which, the PCT passes thru and both of which have been my playgrounds for many years now.  In 1981 my college buddy, Mike Claassen, took me on my first backpacking trip on the PCT at Stevens Pass to Janus Lake.  We stopped for a break and he made the comment that the trail we were hiking on goes all the way to Mexico and that a guy named Eric Ryback had hiked it from Canada to Mexico in one summer!! No way, is what I thought, but I found Ryback's book at the library and read it, then the National Geographic book about thru hiking the PCT come out not too long after that.  Hiking became my whole reason for existing.  It was all I wanted to do, all I could think about.  Then I joined the Mountaineers and took their mountain climbing course and then all I wanted to do was hike and climb.  If I wasn't working, I was hiking and climbing all throughout the Cascade range.  The next year, in 1982, my friend Wayne King and a his buddy, took off for San Diego, took the bus to Campo and started walking North.  Knowing what I know now about the PCT, I am so very, very impressed that Wayne did the trail at that time.  No equipment, technology and information like today.  The picture of Cheryl Strayed's pack was literally Wayne's pack; except, he did the whole trail with it!!  I tip my hat to you Wayne; your one tough Dude.  When he got back we did many, many hikes together and I listened to all of his stories about thru hiking the PCT.  I decided I was going to do it and started telling people that fact.  But then marriage, career, family, mortgage, "Life" just got too busy and demanding.  I continued hiking and climbing and have consistently done so on a weekly basis every since and still do. All these years and those mountains are still always in the forefront of my mind; ALWAYS.

The thought of thru hiking the PCT just never entered my mind anymore and stayed that way until 2 years ago.  My long, long time friend and hiking and climbing partner Bob Hirnle and I hiked the PCT up to the Kindel Cat Walk going north on the PCT from Snoqualmie Pass and while hiking the thought entered my mind; "I'm an empty nester now, I wonder if I could thru hike this trail now". But then I thought; man your 55 years old dude, don't be ridiculous, your opportunity has passed.  This is when what I call my "PCT Phenomenons" started happening.  I know this will sound weird to some people, but I have a feeling anyone who has hiked the PCT will know what I mean, but the trail started talking to me, not literally of course, but things were happening that were beyond coincidence. 

PCT Phenomenon #1:  A little over a year ago a new nurse started working in the ICU at the hospital I work at.  In all my years of working, I have never met anyone randomly that had thru hiked the PCT.  Trust me in that, if I did work with anyone that had thru hiked the PCT I would have known it because hiking is always one of my primary topics of conversations with everyone I meet; everyone.  Now the funny thing is, I hadn't even met Hillary yet and someone out of the blue told me; "I hear Hillary hiked the AT twice and the PCT as well".  I was off in a flash down to the ICU to meet Hillary.  She confirmed that sure enough she had thru hiked the PCT and the AT twice.  She was a Goddess!!  I shared with her that I had always wanted to do it, but that I thought I was now too old to do such a physically and mentally demanding undertaking.  She quickly disagreed with me and told me that the two biggest groups of guys that thru hike the PCT are the 20somethings, and the 50somethings.  The guys in their 20s aren't tied down yet and the guys in their 50s are getting untied down.  Wow, maybe I can do this after all.  

Well a few months go by and I didn't give it too much more thought.  My daughter (and bestes hiking partner ever) sent me a PCT blog that "Wildcat" and "Baxter" (that's their trail names) were writing as they thru hiked the PCT in 2013. A trail name is a name you usually get at some point while hiking the PCT.  It is usually given to you by fellow PCT hikers based on some aspect of your personality or particular event along the way.  Its now early September 2013 at this point.  I had never read a Blog in my life and now I was reading not only Wildcat and Baxter's but just about all I could find.  With it being September, the thru hikers were coming thru at Snoqualmie and Stevens Pass.  I had read in the blogs about Trail Angels and Trail Magic and was intrigued; I had never heard of either before.  A Trail Angel is someone who does something (trail magic) to help a thru hiker along their journey. This can be a ride, food, water, etc.  Anyway, this particular year at the end of September, the weather up here in Washington turned winter early.  Lots of rain then lots, and lots of snow.  Usually this doesn't happen until early October.  Lots of thru hikers were taking a real beating out there. That's when I thought; I'll trail angel and bring some trail magic to some weary thru hikers.  It was about this time that I was really struggling with deciding whether or not to do the hike.  I'll do it , I won't do it, I'll do it, I can't do it, this is crazy your too old even if Hillary says lots of guys do it in their 50s. Back and forth it went.  Then finally, I kinda made up my mind that I'm not going to do it.  Too far, too old, too bad. That's when:


PCT Phenomenon #2 happened.
On Sept 25th 2013 I grabbed my day pack and headed for Stevens Pass. 

OK, Lets go take some trail magic to some thru hikers

On the way I stopped at my favorite Bakery; the Sultan Bakery in Sultan, WA.  and picked up six huge Apple Muffins in a pastry box.  I drove on to Stevens Pass, parked at the south bound PCT trailhead, put the box of muffins in my pack and started walking south on the PCT.  My destination was 5 miles to Lake Josephine.  I had been there about 6 years earlier and remembered a nice overlook that looked out over the lake from the PCT.  There is a slanted boulder there that was perfect for reclining against. 

Cold and cloudy; Lake Josephine

 The weather was not ideal. Cloudy and cold; I kept thinking it was going to rain any minute; fortunately it didn't.  I made it to the rock and pulled out my reclining sit pad, small camp stove, lunch, and waited.  An hour goes by, then two.  The weather seemed to be getting colder.  I had all the clothes I brought with me on and waited some more.  Finally, I came to the conclusion that no thru hikers were coming thru that day and, disappointed, I packed up and started the 5 miles back to Stevens Pass.  I wasn't in any hurry and just meandered along stopping to lay on the ground to take pictures of mushrooms that were sprouting up everywhere. 

About a mile back I stopped at a scree slope and had a break.  Off in the distance I thought I heard voices so I waited and about 10 minutes later 3 hikers appeared out of the woods onto the scree slope.  I instantly knew from looking at them that they were thru hikers!! They looked pretty well trashed from the last four days after leaving Snoqualmie Pass.  I greeted them and asked if they had started in Campo and they said "yes indeed".  I then pulled the box of muffins out of my pack.  At first they seemed a bit skeptical about what I was doing, but once I took the lid off the box their eyes got big with desire.  They each had one and they said two more hikers were right behind them.  

Aaron, Bird Dog, Andy

I introduced myself and they were Aaron and Andy (they didn't have trail names) and the other was Bird Dog.  About that time the other two came out of the woods; Leaky and Moonshine.  We chatted for a bit while they finished their Muffins.  I noticed that Bird Dog had a grey beard so I asked him, if he didn't mind, if he would tell me how old he was.  He said his birthday was two weeks ago on the trail and he turned 56!! Oh my God!! Exactly my age!!  Well, that pretty much blew my "I'm too old" excuse right out the window.  Another PCT phenomenon; but I still wasn't ready to publicly or privately declare any intent to hike the PCT.  I hiked back with them to Stevens Pass chatting the whole way about the trail and listening to all their experiences over the last four and a half months. We then came across two more thru hikers that had got off the trail in southern Oregon and went to the Canadian border and started hiking south in hopes of beating the weather that was really pounding Washington. 

"Hey Andy, Aaron; we haven't seen you since Northern California".  It was so much fun hanging out in the background just listening to all of them talk about the trail; giving reports on other thru hikers; who's made it, who's gone off trail, trail conditions, weather, etc. We continued on our way, and once back at Stevens Pass I then pile all five into my truck and drove them down to the Densmores Hiker Haven in Baring Washington.  I decided right there and then, that for as long as I live in Washington I will be a Trail Angel on Steven's Pass.  I'll post blogs this year as I meet thru hikers on the pass, bring them something to eat, and give them a ride down to the Densmores, so stay tuned.

  Two months later in November 2013, I flew down to LA for a work related conference.  I went down two days early and packed my hiking gear with me.  I got settled in at the hotel I was staying at in Anaheim and the next morning I was up and out the door by 5AM with my hiking clothes on, my day pack, and trekking poles in hand.  I drove to Cajon Pass and had breakfast at the infamous McDonalds that I had been seeing in all the thru hikers blogs.  

I then drove up highway 2 past Wrightwood to the PCT trailhead that goes up to the top of Mt Badin Powell.  I had an absolutely wonderful hike up to the top at 9,400 feet. 

Almost to the top

The top of Mount Badin Powell (9,399ft)

 The weather was absolutely perfect.  I was on top for a couple of hours just taking it all in.  LA basin on one side, Mojave Desert on the other.  Simply breathtaking!  I wrote my name in the metal box at the top thinking it would be fun to see it again should I decide to do the hike in 2015.  I was still undecided; wracked with doubt and nagging, annoying fears.  Why is this so hard to decide??


PCT Phenomenon #3:  Four months later, on March 10th, I found myself in San Diego unexpectedly.  There was a medical conference my boss wanted me to go to and give a talk.  I tried a number of different angles to get out of it and at one point even thought I had succeeded in my efforts to not go.  On the one hand, I wanted to go so I could go to Campo and Lake Morena and get some experience hiking in the desert, but I get so very anxiety riddled when it comes to doing these medical talks that I just didn't want to go.  Again, the trail was talking to me and wasn't going to let me off the hook just yet.  I ended up having to go.  I spent a frantic weekend before my Monday flight preparing my presentation and practicing.  The all too familiar anxiety was in full swing.  To help relieve the tension, I decided that I would go ahead and go down a day early and drive to Campo to check out the Southern Terminus Monument. Then drive to Lake Morena and hike 4 miles south on the PCT, have a nice lunch and then hike back.  

I got on the plane in Seattle with my hiking clothes and shoes on and my day pack and trekking poles in my suitcase.  I got off the plane in San Diego at 9AM, picked up my rental car, and by 11AM I was sitting at the Southern Terminus Monument. 

March 10th, 2014

 It all seemed like some weird dream I was having.  I found the trail log book in a metal box hanging on the back of the monument and started reading thru it.  The first thing I noticed was that the most recent person to sign the log was a solo girl that had started her thru hike just three days ago.  I didn't give it much thought at the time, but, remember this fact, because she is the next "PCT Phenomenon".   I continued reading thru the names and comments while the boarder patrol cars and trucks drove by and checked me out numerous times.  In the book from a year prior I found Bird Dog's sign in along with Wildcat!! How cool!! I took a picture of Bird Dog's and emailed it to him when I got back to Seattle.

Once I had my fill at the monument, I then drove north to Lake Morena.

Lake Morena

I stopped at the Ranger Station to get some information; especially about Rattlesnakes!  Even though I grew up in Texas where there are lots of Rattlesnakes, I haven't lived there in 38 years, so I was quite a bit anxious about them on the trail.  Maybe it has something to do with the fact that "A", they bite, and "B", they're poisonous.

I found the desert to be very interesting.  99% of my hiking has been in the Northwest, so to go from always wet to always arid and hot was quite a different experience for me to say the least.  I was constantly on the look out for Rattlesnakes and I just don't understand why lizards have to dart out of the brush at your feet to cross the trail.  I  must have done a hundred "Lizard Dances", but after an hour or so, I was getting use to it and was being less and less jumpy.  Finally, I didn't hardly even notice them anymore.  I was even starting to kinda hope I would see a Rattlesnake, but I never did. 
I get to the 4 mile mark and a nice view of the PCT below and stop, as planned, for lunch.  I was there for a good hour and a half just taking it all in.  I was surprised with how beautiful it was.  The desert was in bloom with flowers all over the place.  Hummingbirds, butterflies, lots of birds, it was breathtaking really.  But as I sat there, the vastness and dryness of this environment started settling into my psyche and my thoughts turned from "Wow, this is beautiful" to "Oh my God, I must be completely nuts.  I'm going to shrivel up like a dried prune out here". " I can't do this! I don't want to do this! I'm an experienced hiker and climber, I know what I'm getting myself into.  It would be better to be completely naïve about this.  No one who knows what this entails would ever chose to take on something like this.  There is 700!!! miles of this before I get to Kennedy Meadows and the start of the Sierras.  Nope, no way. I'm not going to do this.  I'll just Section Hike bits and pieces of the PCT and be happy with that".  But, once again, the trail was not done with me yet and was getting ready to send me yet another message. 

My lunch spot; Hauser Creek just over that ridge

I hiked back to my rental car, put my pack in the trunk and said good bye to Lake Morena. Now I needed to figure out where I was going to stay the night.  It was almost 6:30 at this point as I got back onto Interstate 8 and headed back to San Diego.  I had hotel arranged at the conference for the next night, but did not make any arrangements for this night because I wasn't sure were I would be.  As I came into La Mesa, I saw a Holiday Inn Express; yippee, they have complimentary breakfast, so I pulled in.  The parking lot was packed but I went in an approached the front desk. No rooms, bummer.  Its going on 8PM at this point I had had a long day, so this news was not what I wanted to hear.  To top it off, the Desk Clerk told me its Spring Break and I was going to be lucky to find a decent room anywhere.  Oh no, more not good news.  He then told me that there was a regular Holiday Inn about 8 miles from there, but they don't have complimentary breakfast; would I like him to call and see if they have a room?  YES! please.  So he gives them a call and it was my lucky day, they had two rooms left.  Did I want one? he asked. YES!! So off I went the 8 miles to the Holiday Inn in La Mesa.  It was such a welcomed sight to see.  Its going on 9PM (Hiker Midnight as the saying goes) and I was simply exhausted.  I get my suit case out of the trunk of my car, put my day pack on my back, and grab my trekking poles and head on into the lobby.  As I approached the desk, the clerk tells me I'm lucky I grabbed the room when I did, because they are now all taken.  He then noticed my backpack and poles and asked the obvious question "you hiking around here somewhere?".  I proceeded to tell him about how I'm from Seattle and came down a day early for a conference so I could go to the Southern Terminus Monument of the Pacific Crest Trail and hike at Lake Morena.  His mouth dropped open and his eyes got big and wide and he told me.  "Now that's funny; I had never heard of the PCT until three days ago when this girl stayed here.  The next day she left to go to that same Monument and start walking all the way to Canada and she's going all by herself!!"  Needless to say, I was standing there simply dumbfounded. Oh my God, that's the girl who signed the log book on the back of the monument.  Out of all the hotels in the San Diego area, I get turned away from one, its Spring Break and all the hotels are packed, and I get directed to the ONE Hotel that this girl had stayed at.  I went up to my room, dropped my pack on the extra bed and dropped myself on the other one and just sat there thinking about what the hell had just happened.  Another PCT Phenomenon.  At that moment I knew that I had to give it a go.  No matter what, I was going to give it a try.  If I make it a week, a month, or make it the whole way, I knew I had to make the commitment and give it my best shot. 
The next day at the conference, my colleagues asked what I did the day before and I told them what I had done.  One then asked; "your not going to do something like that are you?"  I leaned back in my chair, took a deep breath, and said "Yes, yes I am.  I'll be back here next April with my backpack and I'll then walk Home"...

That's me at the top of Bandara Mountain; April 2014

Many, many Thank Yous to my Wife for being so receptive & supportive of my doing this. I know my being gone for FIVE MONTHS!! will be a burden for her. There is no way I will ever be able to thank you enough Linda!!!! ;o) Not only for this really big adventure, but also for all of my many Climbing & Hiking excursions over our 28 years of Marriage.  Your the Best!!!