[pct-l] Dowse the Flames. Hike and Share your stories.

[lukeahoy@xxxxxxxxx (Luke Snyder)]

THIS LIST IS REACHING ITS MAXIMUM NEGATIVITY LEVEL!

Mr. Marc Smallberries, I hope you learned your lesson.
 Opinions here are of plenty, and...blah blah blah.
While many others on the list care to flame you and
prove you idiot, I offer peace with you.  While I no
longer agree with you, I once did.  Can I share a
little magic with you?

I ask you to just take a second and pull your eyes
from the screen.  Remember just a few of those moments
you've had along that trail we all know so well.
Whether you've hiked just a fraction or the whole
thing, it is guaranteed you've been blessed in some
way from it.

So, here's a call for a few more stories on the list.
Let's hear about some trail magic, favorite moments,
patience testers, funny happenings, and so forth.

Instead of trying to take power from others, let's
share it.

I'll start.

"Wonder"

A few years ago, I used to wonder alot.    I wondered
if sky-diving would make my heart stop. I wondered if
I could hold my breath for 2 minutes, ask that hot
blonde out, climb that rock, and other simple
challenges that usually led to pleasing results.
Wondering is natural, and young males seem to do it
alot.  Somewhere during that natural progression, I
wondered if I could push myself both physically and
mentally day after day, covering tremendous
geographical distances, on foot.

So the research began.  Soon after, the hike.  On the
first day, freedom.  On the next, the kickoff party.
Thanks to many of you, I was off to a good start.

Once the rhythm of the hike fell into a groove, I knew
I was going to make it to my destination. My mind and
body hardened and my goal was visible.  Over time,I
found the "wonder" part of my goal disappearing.  I
knew the trail would provide for my needs.  I knew I'd
be blessed with many beautiful people each day.  I
knew at the top of that pass something grand was
waiting for me.  I knew the experience would carry me.
 Feeling as if the goal was more and more tangible, I
needed something untouchable to wonder about.

With the days getting longer, my body getting
stronger, my mileage slowly started to creep up.  I
called everyone I knew when I hiked my first 20 mile
day.  Just two weeks earlier, I'd thought it would be
an incredible feat.  Believe it or not, it wasn't that
hard.  People couldn't believe I hiked 25 in one day.
I surprised myself when I hiked three 27 miles in one
day...and thus began the wondering once again.  How
far could I hike in one day?

Somewhere in that epic journey, I nailed a 36 mile day
on my quest for the Oregon border.  I guess I did it
just right, leaving the rest of the trail for later,
and suspending the wondering if I could make it to
Canada someday, and if I would ever be in the shape I
once was, able to hike nearly 40 miles in a single
day!

Just under a year later, I found myself fit, trained,
and even more keen to get back on the trail, with a
mission to rock the whole state of Oregon.

Boom.  Boom.  Boom. The flat terrain's entry to the
state left me flying, pulling two consistant thirty
mile days.  I was rockin, and not about to stop.  Once
again, feeling that groove only a few weeks on a trail
will do to you, I continued my push, wondering if I
could pull a 40.  I did.  It was easy.  The only
reason I stopped what because of the "self-induced
spookies."  I didn't want to stop, but the darkness
fell and I imagined mountain lion eyes stalking me,
ready to pounce.

So if a 40 mile day was easy, I wondered if a 45 was
feasible.  And if I was to do a 45, why not a 50 mile
day?  Was there enough time in the day to do one?
Would my muscles fail?  Will the trail allow for me to
cover so much ground?  Has anyone ever done a 50 mile
day?  Will anyone believe me?  Will "Survivor" take me
as a contestant?

The "Wonder" of my hike was at full throttle.

So the day came when I met a young hiker on a boy-
scout outing.  He was heading north, covering 80 miles
in 7 days.  As I approached him, I noticed his smile.
He was surely enjoying himself, looking at the long
vistas from the crest.  There was nothing different
about this adolescent with the exception of his legs.
He had none.  Wearing gloves, he would pivot with his
hands and slide his trunk, throw his arms forward
again and push on up the trail.

Inspiration for my legs.

That afternoon, I planned to walk from Ollalie Lake to
a small camp site just a few miles short of Timberline
Lodge the next day,  50.1 miles away.  I figured it
was to be a celebration of my legs.

I set my clock the night before for 4 AM to get an
early start and planned to rock all day, until about
11 at night.

The next chunk of story goes better chronologically.
3:30AM -The stars go away
3:31 -The rain hits my face
3:45 -Tired of fussing with my tarp, I'm walking.
3:47 -Huckleberries found for the first time.  I begin
to have serious re-considerations about pushing
myself.
3:50 -Rocking at full speed, flashlight on.
6:00 -Pee break and grab a granola bar to walk with.
6:01 -Rocking at turbo speed, probably 3.4 mph
8:00 -5 minute foot up break
11:00 -20 miles completed.  Lunchtime
11:20 Rocking full speed.

So the day continued on at full speed.  For some
amazing reason, my body didn't complain about the
accelerated speed.  My heart thumped mildly hard all
day. Somewhere around 2 or so, I met a young kid, who
was hiking north.  He hiked fast and we started up a
chat.  He too was hiking the whole state, and was in
great shape.  His daily mileage was at about 20 miles
each day and he wanted to push himself hard with me.
I soon learned that he was going to do his best to
make it to Timberline Lodge, making his day a 27 mile
one and mine a 54.1 if I were to join him.  I couldn't
believe I was attempting to break Strider's record.  I
remember idolizing he, his stories, and his long legs
at the kick-off-party.

You can see where this is going, and it did.  We
rocked, even taking a 10 minute detour to see Little
Crater Lake.  At an elevated pace, we walked all day,
rolling into the bitterly cold territory of Timberline
Lodge at 9:30 PM for some magic, including a free
meal, shower, and bed (from three different angels!)

As I look back on it, I smile.  I don't have much from
that adventure aside from the mental proof that you
can do anything you put your mind too.

I'm not sure if I ever want to do that day again, but
I'll still wonder if I could hike 60 miles in one
day.?

Thanks for reading.

Peace, Love, and many thanks to the trail,

-Amigo

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