With pouring rain last night and the weatherman’s forecast of days of rain ahead, we are feeling pretty good about our final decision to end our journey at 1500 miles. Yay! 1500 miles! Two days ago, Portland friend Betty whisked us away from Cascade Locks to the comforts of civilization: beds, full refrigerators, restaurants, easy chairs, and glorious showers.
I do miss the trail: the people, the daily exercise, being able to eat whatever/whenever I want, and most especially, the fresh, cool air on my face while sleeping (really). So, we are already thinking about when we will come back to hike Washington’s 500 miles (Aug 2015, anyone want to join us?).
Here are some stats for your reading pleasure:
1500 – PCT miles walked
40 (ish) – non-PCT miles walked
13,200 – highest point on the PCT in feet
14,494 – highest elevation we hiked to, Mt. Whitney (highest point in lower 48, too!)
4,000 – estimated calories I shoveled into my mouth every day
0 – pounds lost on hike, due to great shoveling efforts
3 – pairs of trail running shoes beaten to death
6 – pairs of running socks beaten to death, 2 pairs at a time
17 – base weight of my pack without food and water (in pounds)
38 – heaviest my pack was with 9 days of food (in pounds)
2 – feet that feel like wood blocks that are rounded on the bottom like a weeble wobble so I lurch strangely until I am warmed up
6 – luxury items I allowed myself on the trail (a “town dress” to wear whenever washing everything else, 2 flip flops, 2 scrubby gloves for bathing, pumice stone for d’ feet)
1 – awesome hiking partner
Countless – friends, family and strangers who supported us in this adventure, from picking us up on roadsides to sending us care packages, to meeting us on the trail to buoy our spirits, to giving us food on the trail, to making free downloadable maps, to writing good guidebooks, to building one heck of an amazing trail.
We are now visiting friends and family in Seattle and Vancouver, and then will head back to the Bay Area. The job search is beginning, Rog already has had some interviews and I have a lead on a contract. Our house will be ready for move-in Oct 1, we plan to attend two weddings….so we are well on our way to not being itinerant vagabonds.
Many thanks and big hugs,
Jen
p.s. Oh, and here are some photos of the last two days on the trail. We went an alternate route that boasted tremendous basalt canyon waterfalls.
Saying goodbye to Timberline Lodge
Ramona Falls with Trail friend, “Porsche”
Likely weather we could expect in Washington
Next day in Portland, best celebratory ice cream cone EVER (check out those flavors!). I had olive oil and salted almond brittle. Yum!