[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

[pct-l] RE: Memorable times on the trail...

Hi all,

Some special moments on the trail must be experienced to be appreciated.  No
description does justice to the moments of intense beauty that are out
there...

But one of my special moments can be described because it's one of those
moments of personal growth that we all experience from time to time.  Like
many Californians, I have much more backpacking experience in good weather
than bad, so I was uncertain if I would have what it takes to  persevere in
day after day of cold, wet weather.

Early to mid September '97 in Washington saw a series of storms come
through, each one colder than the last.  By Monday 9/15 I was in danger of
losing the mental edge that was keeping me going.  On the shoulder of
Glacier Peak there were two opportunities to leave the PCT and visit a place
called Kennedy Hot Spring Guard Station.  Visions of being warm and dry were
almost too much to bear, but I headed up the trail to Fire Creek Pass, where
the rain turned to snow.   That night I was snowed on again, and the next
day there was a blizzard of heavy wet snow going over Suiattle Pass as the
biggest, coldest storm of them all went through.  Here's some of my journal
entries during this  time.

9/15: "Rain, Cold Rain.  It just keeps coming down...."

9/16:  "...Then this morning (before dawn) at Dolly Vista Campsite (what
view?) I thought it had stopped raining when I couldn't hear the little
drops anymore, just the big drops out of the trees.  But when I got up it
was snowing hard! ..."

9/16:  "So how am I doing through all this?  I'm okay.  I'm alone.  I'm
about 60 miles from anywhere resembling a town.  There are a few trailheads
closer, but who would be there on days like this?  I'm on my own.  I've been
cold.  I'm constantly wet.  My body heat dries out the inner layers as I
hike.  Everything I have is wet.  If you were reading the original of this
journal, you would see the smeared ink and the wet places that I'm not
writing on.  Even my precious maps are wet around the edges.  I've been cold
enough to wear every stitch of clothing I have, even while hiking.  I've
been wearing everything but my raingear to bed and I've been a little cold
in bed just before morning.  I've set up camp in the rain.   I've broken
camp in the rain.  I've started a campfire with soaking wet wood.  I've
hiked through wet brush that is chest-high  and the source of much of my
wetness.  I've been through it all.  I'm alive.  I'm well.  I'm not having
much fun, but I'm in no real danger.  I've seen the rainforests of
Washington at their wettest and finest.  I now know I CAN survive out here.
It's a nice comforting feeling.  After it's all over, I will be REALLY glad
I went through it because everything else in life will be EASY."

Brian  (very glad I went through it all)

PS  For those who want to read about the rest of my (and my dad's) '97
adventure, it's all on the web at:
http://www.accesscom.com/~kkbunya/pct/index.html.  Or follow the link from
the PCTA page.
* From the Pacific Crest Trail Email List | For info http://www.hack.net/lists *

==============================================================================