Pictures from a 2016 thru hike

Pictures of what to expect. This guy was slowed down by injuries at the start. https://www.flickr.com/…/145…/albums/72157677144357536/page1

Second Purchase: The Tent!

Ordered the tent yesterday.

As is typical, it's after midnight and I've been doing reading on hiking in general and the PCT in particular. And I've just been made aware that I need to (1) acquire some back country survival skills (fire making, navigation with and without maps and things, etc.). That means, I need a fuckin' compass that works and definitely need printed maps.

Gotta hike them all!

There are trails out there right now that I'm not hiking and strangely, that bothers me.

Thru Hiking at 50 years old?

1 am. What a better time to be doing this kind of thing.

I'm finding other thru-hikes. 1200 mile Pacific North West Trail, newly "founded" Big Foot Trail in Northern California, and others. I'm finding I'm wishing I found the time, energy, money, and motivation to do these kinds hikes years ago. Decades, actually.

But, the best time to plant a tree (and plan a thru-hike) is 20 years ago. The second best time is today. I'm sure thru-hiking at 55 is still possible. Hopefully, my joints don't give out.

Reddit

Reading https://www.reddit.com/r/PacificCrestTrail/ . This Thing I'm Going To Do seems remarkably do-able. I feel like I'm becoming A Hiker™.

First Purchase!

Purchased my first equipment specifically for a thru-hike. Trekking poles. Don't know how much they'll be useful for but let's see.

Behold!

That Thing I'm Going To Do

Today is July 1, 2016, and I'm going to hike the Pacific Crest Trail. I've already done my one, true life-long dream (visit Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico) and now that I'm retired, I think I can set my sights on something that I never thought I'd have the time nor money to do.