[pct-l] Washington flooding, accept nature on her terms

[losthiker at sisqtel.net (Deems)]

I have seen the pct disappear locally in the Seiad Valley area along Grider creek in the New Year's flood of 1997. It took several years for the usfs to replace the expensive beautiful arched wooden bridges that were washed away that we have grown accustomed to along this magnificent trail, and this may parallel what has happened along the Washington sections. I was in Washington only four weeks ago at the ALDHA-W gathering and I was amazed at the dry conditions.  I have learned that to best live and hike with nature and to understand the complexities of her tantrums and doldrums, we must accept nature on her own terms. If you wait for a bridge or trail reconstruction project to thruhike the trail, maybe you aren't ready for a thruhike. Accept nature on her own terms every day, every campsite, every storm, every creek crossing, every blister, every bear, every ache, every existing and missing trail mile, every fire, every beautiful day, every disastrous day, and at the end of each day the glorious sunset that may or may not happen; only then will you learn how to live with nature. Nature has her own agenda, rules and conditions; and if you wait for man and budgets to mitigate those conditions, again reconsider your thruhike.  Be prepared to go crosscountry, swim, jump, crawl, or whatever it takes to solve nature's game of chance and risk along your adventure.  When you take that first step sobo or nobo, greet nature as your hiking companion, tormentor and mentor; only then will you learn how to solve her tantrums with ease, cruise through her doldrums, and embrace her magnificent splendor every day.  No two adventures are ever the same across the same landscape. No matter how experienced and prepared you are for hiking the pct or any wilderness adventure, if you accept nature on her own terms unconditionally, whether or not you succeed in your adventure, you will be rewarded with a little more insight into nature's and life's wild ride. Hikon.