PCTdave2015: Off the Trail

Here's the short version: I'm off the trail for this year.

Here's the longer version. While I was still enjoying myself, I found it harder and harder to make the miles I used to make, and need to make to stay on schedule. I was simply out of gas. Previously, I would be on the trail by 6 or 6:30, and by 10 I would have made 9 or 10 miles. Now I found I was making 5 miles in that time, and I wasn't enjoying myself. This happened day after day after day - simply out of gas.

Central Oregon had been a great break from the trail. I spent two days (two rainy days!) with Dory, and then a third rainy day with an old climbing pal. He dropped me off on the trail, I walked a day and a half past the Three Sisters (10,000' + volcanic peaks where I used to climb and explore) amongst absolutely beautiful scenery, and was picked up by another old friend who lives in the town of Sisters. Together he and I slack packed (hiked without packs) from McKenzie Pass to Santiam Pass, with both evenings spent at his very comfortable house. I got plenty of rest in Central Oregon.

After I started hiking North from Santiam Pass I had a hard time keeping going. Conditions were fine, the trail was nice, but I had no energy for hiking. By the time I got beyond Jefferson Park, I was thinking about bailing out. At Highway 26 I managed to sweet talk my way into a ride into Portland.

I'm not sure what or why this happened. I have lost more than 30 pounds, and while I was in great physical shape I'm pretty sure I am not in good nutritional shape. Maybe nutrition played a bigger role for me than I had expected.

Over the course of 3 months I had walked just over 1400 miles. Due to snow I skipped ( and want to return and complete) the high Sierras. I skipped the 220 miles from Old Station to Etna (Hat Creek Rim and the area around Shasta) when I left to attend a wedding. I hiked most of Oregon, only missing the final 60+ miles to Bridge of the Gods. And of course, I've missed all of Washington.

I like the idea of becoming a section hiker, and am looking forward to spending 3 or 4 weeks in the coming few years doing these missing sections. In a way, it's like being able to continue my relationship with the trail and the trail community a bit longer.