Some New Friends

I thought I was the one giving Smitty advice. As we hiked together for a bit he told of loving his work in manufacturing, but needing to get away from the inflexibility and the precision of his work. He viewed thru-hiking the PCT as a means towards this end, but found he was now being inflexible with his 30 mile days to get at certain points at certain times. I shared my opinion that everyone has their own journey to pursue; what matters is remaining true to that as opposed to what is expected.

Smitty gave heartfelt thanks for the advice but in retrospect I was in need of those same words of wisdom. When a ten mile snowfield north of Santiam Pass destined us to do the PCT piecemeal, hopping around to do sections at the best time or us, the chances of completing the Triple Crown for Cindy decreased significantly. I was crestfallen at first; but we determined that the most important thing was the pursuit of fun, adventure and exercise, making this experience as rewarding for Cindy as possible. If we completed the whole PCT in the process so be it, but that would not absorb us.

Except that it still did, at least for me. What can I say? I’ve completed 11 long distance trails; that is what I do. Subconsciously it weighed on me when there were signs that we might not complete the PCT. Such a sign came when Cindy asked me to assist her with putting on her cap. I’ve assisted her with putting on every other piece of clothing, a cap should be no big deal, except that this was a first. Being a first this was a possible sign of further degradation. This and other signs led me to focus on the potential obstacles to completion, rather than the potential to enjoy the PCT for all that it offers for a woman who loves hiking.

When I dropped Cindy and Charissa off at Bucks Summit for their hike into Belden we encountered trail angels Kermit and Jeannie Bug. Their daughter thru-hiked the PCT the previous year and they caught the trail angel bug at that time. Given a previous post perhaps I should refer to them as trail angel supremes; their strategy is to provide unlooked for kindness at unsuspecting places.

I got to chat with them awhile after my girls started hiking. Becoming trail angels is just another manifestation of what they are about: playing Santa, working at soup kitchens, assisting impoverished people abroad. Kermit experienced trail magic himself when bicycling across country. Like so many who have benefited from trail magic in the past he now seeks to provide it.

Kermit asked what I thought about the increasing traffic on the PCT, in large part a result of a book called Wild. I made an analogy to Halfmile’s maps and app, in comparison with orienteering in the seventies and eighties. As this centers around another post I wish to make I’ll leave this as a bit of foreshadowing.

When I left Bucks Summit I gave a ride once again to Kaiser and Off the Rails. They are now competing with Teddy Rose for the thru-hikers we encountered the most. They mentioned that their Dad knew where they were before they called last from reading this blog. Hello, Dad!