On Monday V and I returned from a 4.5 day trip through the Alpine Lakes Wilderness on the PCT (Pacific Crest Trail) from Stevens Pass to Snoqualmie Pass. It's roughly 75 miles, so we put our feet to good use and huffed it up hills and into valleys. There is so much beauty in that stretch and so many great opportunities for writing- whether in another book or in my magazine contributions. The mountains are in perfect condition right now and our weather could not have been better- every day we got sunshine and cool nights which kept those pesky skeeters to a minimum.
The people you meet on the PCT are fascinating. You can almost always tell who is a through-hiker, (defined as someone who is coming from Mexico to Canada hiking the entire 2000 miles) as their packs are tiny, they smell like hot-death and they have beards to rival ZZ Top. They start in April at the Mexican border and arrive in Manning B.C.-this time of year. Usually they are flying as they pass, covering 20-30 miles a day and sometimes pushing up to 4,000+ feet of elevation gain and loss. By the time they reach Washington, the drive for the border is all that is on their minds- they've seen so much beauty that it's no longer about scenery and instead it's about "getting there". Rarely do they stop to talk, but we did manage to chat with one guy from Georgia who was friendly and seemed willing to share some of his experiences. This season the snow everywhere has been lingering from late May storms. He had to cross 450 miles of solid snow without seeing the trail in the Sierras! He also had to ford streams that were icy cold and mid-chest height. Often, these hikers start out solo and meet others to help them cross such hazards. They then play "leap frog" on the trail, often missing each other for days, then catching up and passing. When they meet you they often ask questions like "did you happen to see two guys from Denmark in front of me?" It's almost a little game to close in on their friends. Most have quit their jobs and spent months planning for these huge trips. It's fascinating and bordering on neurotic to do such a crazy feat.
Our 'little' hike in comparison was perfect- just enough to come back ready for a real meal, a real bed and a real shower. Despite a full 30 minutes of a soapy loofah scrub, I'm still wearing a dirt perma-tattoo along with bug bites on the ankles.
My mind wanders as I think back- between the little hummingbirds that pop up in flowers, the fireweed against the backdrop of burned forest, the butterflies that flirt with you as you wander and the views that make you misty- it's easy to see why people backpack. It's truly soul food.
If only we could all have a memorial like this one. Sit for a while and think of Larry.
No comments:
Post a Comment