“The personification of the natural is exactly the tendency I wish to suppress in myself, to eliminate for good. I am here not only to evade for a while the clamor and filth and confusion of the cultural apparatus but also to confront, immediately and directly if it’s possible, the bare bones of existence, the […]
Means and Ends.
“Departure is simple: you step out the door, onto your bike, into the wind of your life. What’s hard is not looking back, not measuring gain or loss by lapsed time, or aching legs, or the leering mike markers of ambition. You are on your way when you decipher the pounding of rain as Morse […]
Mile 2,650: The Desert and The Monument
When I walked south out of the Sierra, sequoias and white granite immediately dissolved into cacti, shrubbery, and undulating mountains that were more akin to sand dunes. I was headed into the final section of the PCT: The Desert. A rambling 700 miles that crosses the Mojave, the Los Angeles Aqueduct, and some of SoCal’s […]
Mile 2200: I Found What I Came For
I know how your mind rushes ahead, trying to fathom what could follow this. What will you do, where will you go, how will you live? You will want to outrun the grief. You will want to keep turning toward the horizon, watching for what was lost to come back, to return to you and […]
Mile 1800: Off Course
I knew the High Sierras were going to be grueling. Between the tight window of manageable weather and elevations that are significantly higher than the rest of the PCT—let alone anything I’d encountered prior to this hike—the Sierra was more than a little intimidating. Like a specter that haunted thru-hikers, everyone spoke of this section […]
Mile 1150
How do I even begin to describe the strange and exquisite world of the trail? The absurdity and adventure of the past 1,150 miles? The rare challenges and self-discoveries that make up the PCT? Today, I’m at a complete and utter loss for words. The Oregon/California border! Where Du Jour, Fluffy, and Footprint waited for […]
Wildfires are real. Trail magic is too.
Imagine traversing the slender, exposed spine of an angry red peak with clouds coalescing overhead in dark, threatening plumes. Imagine hearing thunder cracking overhead with a quickness and immediacy that halts your steps. Imagine the oppressive Oregon heat which penetrates every energetic molecule and living cell—scorching the soil and stealing the sweat off your skin. […]
Mile 500: Goodbye, Washington!
Yesterday, on July 31st, I crossed over the Bridge of the Gods and marched my bone-weary feet over the Columba River into Oregon! Reaching my 500th mile and completing my first state feels gratifying. My “hiker legs” are nearly fully fledged, meaning my calves and quads have become fine-tuned muscles which rarely tire, even on […]
Adjustments and Enchantments
I have to say—backpacking is tough. In many ways, it has been more difficult than I imagined. The inclines are often steeper, longer than I thought possible. Have you ever ascended for ten miles, calves burning, shoulders aching, lungs screaming only to reach the crest of a mountain and realize that another more jagged and […]
Mile 110
Mile 110 arrived quickly and with an unexpected bang. After a laughable number of flight changes and delays, I arrived in Seattle, Washington on Wednesday, June 26. In all sincerity, the delays were fortuitous for serval reasons. My being unexpectedly stranded in Denver, Colorado allowed for the happiest of reunions with my good friend, Megan, […]
IsabellaZHall 