July 27, 2013
30 miles
Mile 1585
Awoke a survivor. Orbit passed by. The storm had pinned her about a mile back. From her perch much higher on the mountain she had seen a triple rainbow. She also witnessed the clouds try to funnel up into a tornado. Today I will keep an eye out for earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.
Let the sun do its drying work for a while. When I got bored of watching steam rise, I hit the road. The path was mostly level, my knee pleased and the pace strong. I zipped along. We had entered the Cascade Range and the PCT didn’t like it. For many miles the sun rose on the left which meant I was headed back to Mexico and the PCT was in retreat. I thought of Obit and her hostility toward illogical trail directions. She loves and believes in maps. She thinks unrealistically that trailmakers should pay attention to them when designing trails. For me I generally ignore cartography, but today was outrageous.
The Kermit Mobile
The path dropped to a road crossing. There Kermit and June Bug had set up trail magic shop outside their lime green VW bus. I stopped in for a feed and a chat. Their daughter Weebee is hiking the trail this year and they wanted to help out. We talked of their years of missionary work in South America. Just recently they had returned from Guatemala where they had built efficient cooking stoves in remote villages. Good people fighting the good fight on many fronts. They glowed with pride when talking about Weebee and her life in a cabin she had built in Alaska. June Bug wrapped it up with an amazing statement “We’ve learned so much from our daughter.” That I’ve never heard from a parent. Good on them.
Recharged, I charged up the hill. Had lunch with Fun Size and conversed about his life in Portland. How he had ceased drinking and smoking on the same day. Quite a feat. Off again, following a herd of cows who all appeared to have dysentery from the amount of deposits on the trail. Spent the afternoon vista hopping, Which goes like this. Look out at a vista, follow a big inverted U along the mountain curve and come to another vista at the next point. Repeat process. Mountain horseshoes basically. Good fun.
Picture framed
As I pushed uphill a long chain of very young backpackers made their way down. Politely, and according to trail etiquette, they stepped aside for the uphill hiker. They were part of a church group and pumped up by their backcountry experience. Their enthusiasm was energizing and I finished the day strong. Caught up with Orbit at a spring around mile 29. We found a camp at mile 30 and settled in. Slack soon showed up with video of a six-foot rattlesnake he had just run into. All went to sleep with thoughts of unwanted night company.
Steve Halteman
On the Pacific Crest Trail
Hiking the PCT for the Kids of Escuela Verde
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The very existence of flame throwers proves that some time, somewhere, someone said to themselves, you know, I want to set those people over there on fire, but I’m just not close enough to get the job done.
Steve, everything you’re doing and the way you’re writing it is a magical read. So amazing that you’re doing this, but if I could peg one guy who would, well . . . I guess it makes sense.
Forever young, man.
Glen
Steve,
You are the modern day Henry David Thoreau. Your writing skills truly engage us out here in the “civilized” world. Here is your modern day quote which seems to fit your trip perfectly. “I hiked the PCT because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.”
Awesome quote. Why can’t I write like that? It nails the purpose of the PCT exactly and succinctly. I still have a lot to learn.
We have all traveled… but not like you my friend. To walk… it is the most basic human activity yet at the same time a deeply spiritual, meditative and gentle avocation where no cheating is possible. To traverse vast distances on foot, in silence, all the while listening to the inner voice that says- “This is the Way”.
When I think of you I recall one of my favorite quotes attributed to the Indian Sorcerer “Don Juan” in that first magnificent work by Carlos Castaneda- “A Yaqui Way of Knowledge”: “For me there is only the traveling on paths that have heart, on any path that may have heart, and the only worthwhile challenge is to traverse its full length–and there I travel looking, looking breathlessly.”
Steve,
I love the blog! I stumbled upon it a while ago because I really enjoy reading PCT blogs, and yours is the one I read the most – by far! You’re a very gifted writer – keep it up! I saw a comment from someone else on a different day that you should make this into a book, and I agree! I would definitely buy it!
I live up here in Washington and love to hike, and sometimes do day hikes on the PCT. It is a dream of mine to one day hike the PCT.
Keep up the great work Steve!
Flattered to hear you are enjoying my writing. Hopefully it’s good enough that you will be inspired to complete the PCT yourself soon. It’s really just a day hike times 120 days. As to the book, Vamos a ver. But thanks Erik for taking the time to write in. It was very kind of you.