Walking The West

This film is about two thru-hikers who hit the trail in 1998. I purchased it and will happily loan it to any friend who asks. This isn't the most beautifully photographed documentary, nor is it the most compelling told story, but it does show the actual process of this hike. There's the "I'm going to do this PCT hike", "We're planning and packing and shipping food", and "We're hitting the trail" portions of the story. Most interesting is that one of the two doesn't make it. Why is this interesting? He makes it 2,561 miles and then drops out before the last 62 miles (the trail has changed length since this time due to new routes). Now, I'm not criticizing the guy because after all he hiked 2,5621 miles and that's amazing. His feet were torn up and blistered and he was cold. He probably could have went back a week later and finished but he didn't. This is a testament to the trail and it's difficulty.

Meanwhile in the same film we see a 78 year old man finish the trail. How beautiful is that? I thought about this for a while and my conclusion is that it's about personal motivation. I have not always been the type that fought the long fight, or saw the gains in long term sacrifice. Isn't it easier just to go out for coffee and read a book after all? This however is something I want to do and must do. I will plan this hike better than those in the film (I think they tried to go too fast), I will train better (doing long term hikes a week or two long before I go), and I will not take no for an answer when my feet and body throw it at me.

The hike is said to be 80% mental and 20% physical because it's such a physical pounding that your mind has to overcome the consistent pain. Here's some fun facts:

• It was recently pointed out that fewer people have thru-hiked the PCT than have climbed Mt. Everest!
• The trail doesn't actually end at the Canadian border but continues for another 9 miles into Manning Provincial Park, British Columbia. Thus I need to update my passport.
• In spring 2003, the Travel Channel chose the Seiad Valley Cafe (in Seiad Valley, near Calif./Ore. border) as the third best location in the world to "pig out." They were referring, of course, to the cafe's great "pancake challenge" which tempts hungry thru-hikers to finish a mammoth stack of pancakes in one sitting.
• The PCT passes the three deepest lakes in the nation; Lake Tahoe (1,645 feet), Crater Lake (1,932 feet) and Lake Chelan (1,149 feet)
• Eric Ryback, popularly known as the first person to hike the length of the PCT, carried an 80-pound pack on his 1970 thru-hike. He had only five resupply packages on the entire trip, and was loaded with 40 pounds of food at the start of each leg. He often ran out of food and foraged or went hungry.