One Week to Go!!!

My trip is finally here! Crazy to be just moments away from something that has been years in the making. That's five more days of working at the office. Seven more nights of sleeping in an actual bed. Twenty one more meals that won't primarily consist of granola or trail mix. Sixty more hours where I can use my computer and phone.

I couldn't be more excited/anxious.

Now is the time when all the worries start to surface. Did I print off all the right maps? Have I trained enough to be ready to hike twenty mile days with a full pack? Will there be any water in Southern California? Will my ankles hold out for me? The list goes on and on. I have been fighting hard to not let this get the best of me and am loosing that battle. I'm trying to picture myself on my flight down to San Diego, or better yet standing at mile zero facing the long trail ahead, and just feel there is so much that I still need to prepare for. I am certainly well experienced with the nervousness you get before a big race and just can't wait to finally get to that first step and then there will be no looking back.

Like any big trip, the biggest worry eating away at me is what if I've built up my PCT thru-hike to be something more than I had hoped for. I've tried hard not to have many expectations coming out of my trek, but don't want this to turn into something that majorly lets me down or when I finish, makes me never want to go out backpacking again. Luckily I just got back from the most perfect places to calm my fears; Salt Spring Island.

For my last weekend here in Victoria I went out to visit my friend Cassie with her family (and new fiancee!) out on Salt Spring Island. I took the ferry over and biked across through the hundreds of farm stands, rolling hills and artist studios. We had a nice little campfire and got to see the brightest full moon of the year over St. Mary Lake. Sunday I biked up to Mt Maxwell and jumped off to hike when the road got too steep and rough. I had brought my pack to do some final training and all of my last minute worries about the trip kept running though my head. Then I got to the top and saw the amazing view.

View from Mt Maxwell

I just stayed up there for an hour gazing out across the islands, watching the cliff swallows dive down the rock face, looking at the the boats sail around the bay and following the hawks as they soared through the thermals. This is what my trip is about. Its about taking those moments in my everyday life to appreciate this beautiful world God has given to us. While this trip could be one of the greatest experiences of my life or may just be a grueling test of my nerves, I know that at the very least I will be able to take pride in the fact that I followed through with my dreams and set aside the time to appreciate the world around me.

One Final (Song) Request

As this will be my last blog post here in Victoria with my personal laptop, I also wanted to ask any of my friends and family reading this a favor. I'm putting together the playlist for my iPod shuffle that will get me through my trek. I imagine a little music here and there will be a good pick-me-up for some of the long tedious stretches through the desert or logged forests. I wanted to have each of you suggest a few songs to not only give me some good trail beats but also to trigger some great memories as I'm pushing on through my trip. Sorry if this is super cheesy but I'd be happy to hear your requests. Shoot me an email with your suggestions at mattspcthike@gmail.com.