It’s hard to believe I am now halfway through my trek from Mexico to Canada and what a trip it’s been. I just got into Old Station, and two days before that, I crossed the halfway point. It’s actually a bit of a debate where the midpoint lies. There is a halfway marker at mile 1325 but some of the recent reroutes added to the trail have made it slightly longer at an official 2,660 miles, moving the true marker 5 miles further north. However, some of the most recent detours added such as the Endangered Species detour (adding an extra three miles back in Southern California) pushes the true midpoint back to the current marker. This silly little game of trying to decide where is truly halfway. In the end, the PCT is just some route to get from Mexico to Canada that will always be shifting a little here and there to adjust to the ever changing trail conditions and land rights, so trying to pinpoint a random spot halfway between becomes a bit futile. Regardless, I will admit I spent a good five minutes skipping songs on my iPod shuffle until I could belt out the lyrics to Bon Jovi (I was just glad nobody was around to have heard me missing all the high notes, and I bet all of the animals are sick of that song by now).
What is important is knowing that I am now closer to Canada than to where I left in Mexico which is quite a strange feeling. Very rarely have I actually thought about the larger trail, and seeing the mileage to Mexico and Canada on that midpoint marker is one of those rare occasions where I actually stop to think about it. Most of the time, I have broken the trail down and only think of my trip as Sierra City to Belden or Idyllwild to Wrightwood. Even then, I didn’t get into all of the details and break it down further into all the stream crossings, roads, side trips, and campsites in between. The idea of thinking of the miles to Canada becomes so abstract when I’m mostly concerned about getting eight more miles in before dark, knowing I have roughly 50 more to go to the next town.
The other times I will notice the larger trip is when I pass one of the 100 mile points which are often marked by big rocks, sticks, or pinecones spelling out the mileage, but even then, I’m not thinking “great, now I’m at mile 800 which means about 1800 more to Canada;” it’s just a milestone on my way, and I just seem to keep adding them up with no apparent end in sight. If I did spend some time worrying about how far from Canada I am each day, I guarantee it would quickly destroy my morale and make finishing that minuscule 8 miles into camp tonight seem so much longer.
As I do take a moment to contemplate the bigger picture, I’ve been trying to think of good examples of other events in my life to compare this to. In the physical sense, I can draw many comparisons like reaching halfway in a race. I start off so anxious and nervous about what lies ahead, and then the flag is waved, and I’m in the race. By the time I’m halfway, I’m no longer worried and have found a nice steady rhythm to rely on to get me the rest of the way. I know at some points I’ll get tired keeping that pace, and at others, need to kick it up a notch. I also know that when I’ve now covered half the distance, the second half as I approach the finish, will have to be a bit faster.
I reached halfway on day 71, and if I took 71 more days to get to Canada, that would have me finishing around October 1st, which is just fine. However, when I last sat down to figure out my dates, it’s looking like I’m more likely to get in that last week of September, which will certainly be the case for some of my fellow hiking friends who’ve started the trail two weeks before me. Two weeks into October has the potential to get cold and nasty. At the halfway point, I also looked back and am really glad I didn’t crash at the start and battle through the tough conditions but am still just as nervous that I’ll mess up and get out of the race on the second half. Luckily though, the PCT isn’t a race, and while I was very worried I may become competitive with my fellow hikers, I have managed to do a great job of avoiding those issues after a few good lessons early on.
I’ve also drawn many comparisons between reaching the midpoint of the PCT and the middle day of summer camp as a kid. In that first stretch, there may have been times I got a bit homesick missing my family and friends but by now, I’d made new friends and formed a new community I loved and didn’t want to leave. While there were times the bugs drove me crazy, the food got old, and I’m dying for a little AC, by halfway, I’ve found ways to manage all these little issues and have accepted them as the new norm. I think an area I was always bad at as a kid (and I hope this doesn’t carry over to the PCT) is already worrying and getting sad about leaving. I know many times at a week long summer camp, I spent too much time Thursday and Friday dreading having it say goodbye to everyone and everything on Saturday. While I’m doing a much better job now of living in the moment and appreciate every day, I do find my thoughts starting to drift this way, and it is certainly something I will have to watch out for.
I think I’ve found the most similarities between getting halfway through the PCT and halfway through college. They are both in the middle of a very distinct period in my life where I’m not in the real world, and I’ve become completely absorbed in this awesome period in my life. By now, I’ve forgotten what life was like before and don’t ever really feel like this will end (which, while things can be tough, and it would be amazing to stay here forever, never entering the “real world”). I’ve also made some amazing friends in this first half, and while I am excited to continue to get to know them better and share more adventures, I also can’t wait to meet new faces here who I’ve yet to cross paths with as I get into the second half.
However, arguably, the biggest similarity is that I know I’ve matured and learned so much from this experience already, and while I may not be able to pinpoint exactly how this has changed me for the better, I know eventually when this is over and I enter the “real world,” thru-hiking the PCT will help me get through the tough times and achieve my goals. Who knows that the future has in store for me out here. I can only hope it is as exciting and inspiring as the first half of what this phenomenal adventure has been.
No comments:
Post a Comment