This is entry 1 to my series of updates about my PCT hike.(A continuous footpath walking 2650+ miles through California, Washington, and Oregon going from the Mexican to Canadian border).  Throughout these entries you will follow along with me as I adventure, struggle, learn and grow from my quest.  I also hope to write lots of other things in addition to my updates, so in addition to following my hike you get to (or suffer to) be exposed to what is churning in my strange noggin as I walk.  

As another, even stranger guy said “All truly great thoughts are conceived of by walking”

-Nietzsche

Alas, you are here to hear about my quest! 

It all began in midtown Atlanta where I almost lost my sanity.

There in that horrible place I swore to myself that in reward for my finishing that corporate summer I would go on a ridiculously difficult and grand adventure the next summer—one that would clear my head (and liver) from college and launch me into the many adventures and (figurative) mountains of life with the fullness of my soul, body and mind.  

I will talk more about my mind and motivations later but the physical journey really began on Tuesday May 19th.  I woke up at 5:00am and came downstairs to hug my mom goodbye and then give my Dad a firm handshake! (And then hug him too).  My Mom dropped me off at the airport with a grocery bag full of fresh sausage balls and my sister’s chocolate cookies.  [savored last home food!]

At the airport I met my friend from high school John. John is one of my oldest friends in the world, a hard worker, apparently something of a clean freak, and is going into Real Estate Banking in July.  John is coming out to do the first 180 miles with me.  

Eventually we landed in San Diego which, suprisingly…… I kinda loved.  

They had 

Aircraft carriers, pirate ships, and beers on the water… It was practically Bath!!

Then we got on the PCT shuttle which took us to REI, then a gas station on the 2 hour drive to our campsite on the border.  On they shuttle was OneSpeed- the driver who is a PCT vet and runs the nonprofit that does the shuttle and campground, and then 2 Canadians in their 60s. 

OneSpeed gave us the option to be dropped off at ther border, take a picture at the PCT southern terminus monument, and then hike the .5 miles to the campsite so we wouldn’t have to backtrack the next day.  She even smirkingly told us that some other guys bought beers to drink at the border to celebrate the start—we didn’t take much convincing.  

So we, with our beers began the trail before we even started day 1.  

Upon arriving to the campground, we (like the typical men that we are), began to survey the other “competition.”  Of these many fellow hikers, the Canadian gentlemen were our best friends there and the conversation shifted to the ever important “Base Pack Weight,” this conversation is so common and transformational that the starting campsite has a scale, a gear donation box, and ready to ship UPS boxes. Well, we did not avoid the stereotype—John shipped home 6lbs of unnessesary gear and clothes and I even added in my extra water filter and an extra pair of socks.  This was all thanks to the Canadian’s making taunting/advising.  So it was an honor to participate in their great anxiety induced (but necessary) excess gear shedding ritual.  

Finally, we crawled inside our tent and attempted to sleep.

Notes anbd takeaways:

Thru-Hikers make a rule of only learning someone’s name if they are someone adjacent to their hiking pace.  This is done either by superficial assumption and more often after multiple interactions or leapfrogs on the trail.  It seems like it is simply impossible to befriend every person you see on the trail—there are and will be thousands.

….I will not comment on how few people thought me to be at their pace and worthy of an introduction on day one