Thru- hiking the PCT has been on my mind for 2 or 3 years now. Before starting grad school I spent 12 years living in Portland, OR- an eclectic and outdoor- oriented city located only 60- 90 minutes from parts of the PCT. As I went through college I become an avid day hiker, always dreaming of backpacking and thru- hiking but never quite knowing how to go about it. In June of 2013 I summitted Mt. Adams with a friend- an overnighter that took us 6,000 feet up the 12,500 foot beauty in Washington state. It was tough, I was probably the slowest person on the mountain, we got lost and nearly had to camp an extra night as the sun was coming down, I got the worst sunburn of my life, and I had to work a 12 hour graveyard shift after arriving back in Portland after a 28 hour backpacking trip- but we did it. Somewhere around that time I realized we, as humans, can do whatever we put our little minds to.
Fast forward a few years and the perfect time to hike the PCT is upon me. As a current grad student my biggest hurdle is money, so I've been applying to weekend jobs and pleading to the masses like crazy, perhaps annoyingly so. I want to fund my own trip, because it is just that- my trip- but I'm not above asking for help to get there.
So what is the Pacific Crest Trail? It's a 2,650 mile trail that traverses from just over the border of Mexico to just over the border of Canada along the west coast. The majority of hikers travel northbound and start in mid- April to early May. Depending on pace and how many days you take off relaxing in nearby towns the trek takes 4-5 months, and depending on your extravagance level and how much you have to take care of at home it costs between $4- 8,000. That covers gear, food, travelling to and from the trail, the occasional meal or night at a hotel in town, lost income, and covering bills while you're away. I finish school on April 8 and plan to start 2-3 weeks after that and average 20- 30 miles per day.. but that's just a rough estimate for the sake of math. As an endurance athlete my motto has always been just to do it and have fun. Slash that- really just to have fun That's what I plan to do with the PCT.
My trek is quite a ways off but it gives me a lot of time to plan and train (-I mean "train.") I have already received a ton of vows of emotional, financial, physical, etc etc support from friends and family and am feeling very grateful. I cannot even express how excited I am! For now my focus is finding a job and I probably won't post much at all until the trip gets closer but the ball is rolling and I want to share the whole journey with all y'all. I couldn't do this without your support!
Until next time.
Eleah
