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Closing Time

Semisonic says it best. “Time for you to go out to the places you will be from”...”Every new beginning comes from some other beginnings end.” 

I have had the immense privilege of walking the Pacific Crest Trail for the past five and a half months. I have seen the most spectacular views. I have met the most amazing people. I have been through some of the best times and some of the worst times. I have learned about life, love, friendship, challenge, perseverance, patience, nature, and myself amongst many other things. 

In my last update I explained that I would be hiking the final section of trail on my own. I set out solo and was grateful to have the time to myself to reflect on this epic journey as it came to an end. I cried for many miles as I recalled so many fond memories that lay behind me. I cried as I thought to myself what a strong woman I am and how much more capable I am that I ever knew. Reflecting on the lessons I have learned out of trail, and how badly I want to instill them in my daily life. 

There is a saying out of the trail, ‘the trail provides’. It always does. When you are in need of something, someway, somehow, your need is met. All hikers know what I’m talking about here.  Its some sort of trusted magic if you will. It may not come in the form you ask for, but the trail ALWAYS provides. Well, it seemed that the trail wasn't done with me and DB. As I was sitting at camp the last night on trail, DB showed up just before the sun went down. As much as I had enjoyed the soliderity of this final solo mission, it just didn't feel right without him. We hiked around one another on the last day. My heart was heavy all day, knowing that these were my last steps on the Pacific Crest Trail, as my first thru hike. I shed lots of tears. My ankle throbbing with each step, I couldn't help but feel heartbroken that my epic adventure was finally coming to a close. As I approached the last water source before the boarder (one mile before the terminus), I saw that DB was stopped there. As I approached him, he asked if he could ask me a question. “Munch, do you want to walk the last mile with me and finish this hike together?”. We walked, and I cried on the 2,650th mile into Manning Park. I assume a lot of people think about this day a lot out on trail. Truthfully, I had never thought about it before. I think this is why I never wanted to quit. I always made small goals for myself and only looked ahead a few days at a time. Standing there at the boarder was surreal. I did it. I am done. I let that sink in. I’m done. No more early mornings, packing up. No more boiling water to rehydrate my meals. No more cat holes in the early mornings. No more snack breaks. No more nightly picture reviews. No more filtering my water. No more hiking. So much to sink in. 

After reaching the terminus you still have to hike out eight miles to get to the resort. I hiked out with DB, Grandaddy Long Legs and El Tigre. We reminisced about all our memories on trail and talked about how proud we were of what we had just accomplished, saying things like, “one day I’ll tell my kids how their mom/dad hiked from Mexico to Canada”. I have never felt more powerful or more alive than I did while hiking the PCT. I have grown so much during the last five and a half months. Every ache, every pain, every freezing cold morning....it was all worth it. 

I have been warned about post trail depression by many. I have been home for exactly a week and I’ll be honest, its hard. Sometimes during the day, my heart aches for the trail. I’ve been so lucky to have such an incredible support system in my friends and family. The most helpful thing though, has been having my trail family stay at my house with me for a week. DB came home with me via Vancouver, thanks to my incredible friend Mona, who picked us up from Manning Park. Mona brought us to Vancouver where her cousin lives, and took us out for dinner to celebrate. Mona is AMAZING-truly. 

A day after arriving home, my trail sister County Dump, and fellow trail family member Pingaling came down from Bellingham to stay as well. Ping had a bus early the next morning, but we made the best of our time together while she was here. Having my three friends from trail around has made it feel less shocking to the system. 

This morning I had to say goodbye to County. Just typing that makes me tear up again. How can I say goodbye to my trail sister? She changed my life forever. I am so grateful for the time we spent together and I know we will always have our memories. She taught me so much and made me laugh until I cried or peed.  We WILL meet again and I look forward to that day very much. 

My journey has come to an end in some ways, and in others it is just the begining. To those of you who didn't think I could do it, its okay, I wasn't sure I could either. We were both wrong. 

And to each and everyone of you who has told me that I inspire you. You inspire me, you all do. If I have made a positive impact on others by living my dream, I am honored to do so. I have been so inspired by the kindness and the support I have received while on my journey. You are all incredible. I thank you from the bottom of my heart. 

So, heres to taking risks, living out our dreams, and living in each moment as if it was our last. 

Much Love, 

Munchies, PCT 2017 Thru Hiker 

Mexico-Canada

April 4, 2017-September 15th, 2017 

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Closing in on the End

I'm laying here in Lake Chelan, ankle on ice, pondering the last 88 miles. In the last week my hike took an unexpected turn. I've been treated so well by friends and fellow hikers. I spent four days with my friends Erica and Aaron in Leavenworth. My time with them was incredible! We got to catch up, play at the river, cook together, play games and had a special visit from another mutual friend Kim. Kim brought more laughter, light and music to my respite. I'm grateful that we had that time together. Once upon a time we all worked together at UWMC, and now we were all able to come together as friends enjoying life and making great memories together. I'm grateful for these people in my life. Erica and Aaron are some of the most genuine people. Thank you guys for making me feel at home and able to heal in such wonderful company. Last night the four of us went out to dinner in town, drinking wine, eating amazing food and enjoying our last night together. Life is funny. Change is inevitable. I've spent the last three months hiking with a partner. This weekend I made the decision that I needed to finish the trail on my own. There were many reasons for this decision. I feel good about it. I've learned so much about myself on this journey, and one of the most important things I learned is how to be independent. It's sometimes necessary to make tough decisions in our lives, especially when that means we will be on our own. I will be walking this last section alone, but with my head held high, with integrity. My self worth and self respect are in full force and will be leading me to my finish line. I am a strong, independent woman. I'm proud of how far I've come and am looking forward to the next days of self reflection as I walk into Canada. From suffering comes some of the most beautiful things in life. I've been taught this lesson time and time again. So, with a full heart and my head held high, let's do this!!! Much love from one determined bum ankle, -Munch

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A Bad Fall

Being home was surreal and yet I was 100% ready to be back on trail as soon as our time there was up. We left Seattle on a hot Sunday morning and headed to Snoqualmie where my parents sent us off. We hiked uphill for seven miles and cowboy camped at Ridge Lake, one of many beautiful alpine lakes in the area. I woke up at five am to the strong smell of smoke. We were suddenly in a cloud of smoke, covered in ash. The next day was full of ridge walking with these spectacular views which were now hidden in the smoky abyss. As bummed as I was about the smoky curtain, I tried to make the best of it anyhow. About five miles into my day, on a downhill section of the ridge walk, I stepped on a rock at the edge of the ridge, and immediately turned my ankle in the worst way. My full body weight and some serious momentum were both working against me. As I lay in the middle of the trail, pack straps choking me, knee skinned, I began to sob. I wasn’t crying because I was hurt, although I knew I was badly injured. I cried because the first thought I had was ‘my thru hike is over.’ Devastation flooded me. I’ve come so close, and this is how it ends?! I started to cry out for DB, but he was too far ahead and couldn’t hear my cries. I couldn’t stand. I continued to cry and soon enough another thru hiker came along. I had met Bobby Hill a few weeks back, but didn’t really know him. He immediately took off his pack and sat down with me. He gave me something for the pain and told me he would stay with me for however long I needed. I was SO grateful to have him there with me. We talked about my options. As the tears subsided, the reality sunk in. This was a real injury. I was on the side of a steep mountain, miles from water, and there were no easy exit points. I could hike back to the last water five miles, or continue north to the next water three miles ahead, where DB would be waiting for me. If I couldn’t hike at all, I needed to seriously consider pressing my SOS and get airlifted out. For anyone who knows me, the last option wasn't one I would give into unless it was life or death. After more tears of frustration, some pain killers, an ace bandage wrap, and lots of motivation from my peers, I decided to hobble the three miles north to the pond where I would meet up with DB. Bobby Hill patiently walked behind me and made sure I was okay. About half way to the pond, we turned around a bend to find DB, hiking south to find me. "Honey, I'm broken" were the first words out of my mouth. I've fallen so many times on the PCT and I've never been hurt. Why this time?! DB walked behind me just as Bobby Hill had, and we slowly made the other mile and a half to the pond. I soaked my already grapefruit size ankle in the cool water and we ate lunch and talked about our options. I didn't want to turn around and so we decided to hike the next three miles to the waterfall and camp. It was the slowest three miles of my entire hike (including the Sierras). Along the way we met a hiker named The Mayor, who gave me some extra food and offered to carry my pack for a while and give DB a break. Of course DB said he didn't need the help....my night in shining armor ;). When we arrived at the waterfall, camping was limited. There was already a hiker posted up and just enough room for us to squeeze onto a semi flat rock on a cliffs edge. Not ideal, but we had no other options. There was a small note at the campsite reading, "resident rat. Do not camp here! Will chew through ANYTHING to get to food". We didn't take this too seriously. We've been living out here for five months and have never had any issues with rodents. Our friend Tissue showed up shortly after, and we all made dinner together. Tissue gave me a great ankle brace and some pain killers. We set up our cowboy camp and went to bed shortly after eating. It had been a long day and I needed some good sleep. DB and I decided to use our food bags as pillows to ensure the rat would stay away. We've always been under the impression that animals will smell us first and be scared off. Well, this nasty little bugger had some balls. No sooner than five minutes after laying my head down did I hear the pitter patter of rat feet on my thermarest neoair. Omg!!!! The rat had crawled right up to my head! We shooed it away, only to have it return as soon as we settled in again. This was an ongoing issue for a while. Finally we decided to flip over so that our heads were towards the cliff and we stashed all our food between us and cuddled it. That damn rat finally left us alone and we got some much needed sleep. However I did fall asleep with my tent poles in one hand and my head lamp in the other, ready to swat the bugger if he was brave enough to return. The first thing most of us do when we wake up is pee (sorry, but I have no filter anymore). On this morning, my ankle was so swollen and so painful, I could barely preform this task. We were 20 miles from any road and I couldn't even pee on my own. This was bad. I crawled back to my sleeping bag and began to cry. I cried and cried and cried. When I thought I was done crying, I cried again. I was so frustrated with my body and so fearful that this was the end of my PCT adventure. DB told me I had to make a decision. We would either commit to the 50 miles to Stevens, with a high probability of running out of foods and a chance of doing more damage to my ankle, or hike back 20 miles with enough food to take it easy and have a better chance of making it safely. This was one of the hardest decisions for me. I've never hiked south bound. I'm a north bound thru hiker. This was a time where I had to put my pride aside and make a smart decision. I made the choice to hike back to Snoqualmie after trying to walk 50 ft from the campsite to trail in utter agony. DB insisted on carrying my pack and we ever so slowly made our way up the many switchbacks we descended the evening before. Along the way we ran into many familiar faces of hikers we had met along the way but hadn't seen in a long time. Everyone stopped to make sure we were okay, offering help carrying my pack, made sure we had extra food and meds. It was amazing to feel so much support from my thru hiking peers. We even met a section hiker named Janis, who was a massage therapist. Janis gave me a treatment right there on trail! My gratitude was overflowing. We arrived at the pond after three hours and spent the rest of the day soaking my foot, elevating it and simply resting. DB was so supportive. We are used to being on a sort of schedule and meeting these goals we set for ourselves each day. My injury threw a wrench into our plans, and of course I felt guilty for being the reason we had to turn around. DB didn't make me feel guilty about it for a second. Be was 100% supportive in my decision to turn around and did every single thing he could to make sure I was okay. He reminded me to drink water and elevate my foot at each break. He carried my pack the entire way out....which had to have been extremely hard. He had his own pack on his back and mine on his chest, climbing mountains to our exit point. Many hikers who passed by us commented on how strong he was and what a champ I had in a hiking partner. Of course I fully agreed with each of them, yet each time he would tell them they were wrong. He told them that I was the strong one and the champion for hiking on my injured foot. I honestly couldn't be luckier to have him as my hiking partner. Our friendship makes the hiking more enjoyable, but it most certainly makes situations like these far more manageable. We hiked fifteen miles the following day, all the way to the road. We were both exhausted and sore. We weren't sure how we were going to get to Leavenworth where we planned to stay with my friend Erika (an 7ne RN alum) and her husband while I could heal. It was almost seven pm and we had no plan and we were beat. We decided to walk to the Chevron at the pass where hikers get a free beer from a local named Dan who hosts a food truck and figure out a plan there. The moment Dan handed us our beers, my phone buzzed. It was Erika, telling me that her good family friend Donna who lives at the pass had a room and hot meal for us to stay the night. I yelped with utter joy and hugged DB. I called Donna moments later and I kid you not, she was there within five minutes! We couldn't have dreamed of a better scenario. Donna is truly one of the kindest souls we've met on trail. She and her husband provided us with hot showers, laundry, their guest room and two hot meals. My parents (they are incredible) picked us up early in the morning and drove us all the way to Leavenworth to Erika's house. I'm officially resting now and am feeling so grateful for all of the support on and off trail in the last 72 hours. Thank you to everyone who offered to help me. I'm immensely lucky to have a such wonderful people in my life and I don't take it for granted one bit. I'm certain that I'll be back on trail in no time. Until then, I'm looking forward to catching up with my old friend from UWMC here in Leavenworth. Feeling SO much love and sending it right back to all of you! XO -Munch

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A Taste of Home

After arriving at White Pass we found out about our first fire closure in Washington. DB and I weren't sure what we were going to do in terms of an alternate route. Most hikers were going around the section completely and heading to Snoqualmie. We decided to sit on it as we planned to stay the night in town. We said goodbye to our dear friend Omri, who has hiked with us for the past two weeks and is now off to new adventures in Canada. We met my dear friend Mona in town, where she had booked us all a room! Not only did she buy us dinner but she gave me a full body massage 😍. I admit it, I'm one spoiled girl! I giggled and groaned the entire time. My body (especially my feet) are in rough shape. How amazing it was to have my friend come down and spend time. We just wanted to lay around the hotel and eat pizza, drink wine and catch up. It was perfect! In the morning DB and I decided that we would go around the next section because of the fire and meet back up with the trail at Snoqualmie. Mona drove us to Seattle, where we took two days off. How strange it was to be home. This was a quick visit, but I wanted to cram in all I could. I had friends over to my house where we all drank wine, laughed and told stories of our adventure thus far. We had breakfast with two of my best friends from UW at Portage Bay. We replaced gear one last time at REI. I had my phone repaired, after having a cracked screen since the third day on trail. We spent a great evening with my parents on their back patio, eating, drinking, and spending quality time. I'm excited that we are heading back to trail today. It's good to be home and to sleep in my own bed, but I'm itching to get back out there. These days, the woods are my home and I miss them already. Thank you to every single person that made time for me during my short visit home. You all made me feel so special. I can't wait to catch up with everyone in a few weeks. For now, take me back to the mountains! Much love, -Munch

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Washington!

Four months and three weeks later, and I've made it to Washington!!! Crossing the bridge of the Gods was such an incredible feeling. California seemed to never end and Oregon flew by. Being in my home state is so great. Walking all the way here from Mexico is something I've thought about for so long and I have finally made it. The first thirty miles were full of blackberries and ferns. The tens of miles after were full of huckleberries, blueberries, mossy trees and lots of elevation gain and loss. Diaper Boy's good friend from home, Omri came from Israel to hike with us for two weeks. The three of us decided to take it easy on this stretch and do 15-20 mile days, taking in the scenery and enjoying our time together. Due to the fire next to Mt. Rainier, our first few days were pretty smoky. We received our first trail magic just before Trout Lake in the form of pancakes, Tacos and soda. I also ran into a friend from home who is finishing her thru hike after breaking her foot on trail last year. Karen was kind enough to meet me before my hike and talk everything PCT with me. She acted as a mentor as well as a friend to me. How fun it was to run into one another on trail! To add to the fun, my parents met up with me in Trout Lake. They brought my dog, and an abundance of food and magic for me and my friends on trail. My friends Emily, Andrea and Marianne surprised me and came down as well. We spent our time together singing, dancing, playing volleyball, and telling stories. It was hard to say goodbye to my family and friends, but I knew the next section of trail was going to be amazing, which helped. We headed into the Goat Rocks Wilderness, which is in my opinion one of the most stunning parts of the entire PCT. We had the best few days taking our time and snapping lots of photos. I will definitely be returning to that place in the future. We have now made it to White Pass and are planning how we will go about getting around the fire closure. My friend Mona has gotten us a hotel room for tonight and we are here awaiting her arrival. I cannot wait to see her! One of the best parts of being in Washington is seeing the people that I love and have missed dearly. Here's to hoping the rest of Washington is as wonderful as it has been so far! Happy trails, -Munch

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Fires, Friends and Trail Days

After a successful visit with Diaper boy’s family in Oregon we were lucky enough to make it to Crater Lake the day after they reopened the rim trail. We were so happy not to have to skip this section because it is one of the most beautiful parts of Oregon. We camped right on the rim and took in all the beauty of the lake. After the rim, most of the trail was under tree coverage and very flat. After hundreds of miles of ups and down we had been looking forward to the flat terrain that Oregon is famous for. In all honestly, I didn’t like it that much. I missed the climbs which I had to work so hard for, with the payoff of an epic view. Don’t get me wrong…Oregon is beautiful…but I couldn’t help but feel like I was in limbo. Northern California was tough. It was hot and the climbs were big and often. And I know from experience that Washington is full of epically beautiful scenery. Oregon was kind of the in between for me mentally…I found it challenging. In addition to this frustration, there were many fire closures along the way. We had to get off trail at Elk Lake. Rangers were hiking south bound informing hikers of the evacuation. Yet again, we were forced off trail in the Jefferson Park area due to a major forest fire. The upside to this is that we were able to spend some quality time with a friend of mine from college and her family. Emily, Mike and their two adorable kids took us into their home for the weekend and made us feel right at home. We had an absolute blast spending time with them in Gresham and were even able to watch the eclipse from their backyard. Emily and I picked up right where we left off seven years ago. It was a pleasure getting to meet her husband and spending time with her amazing kids. We are incredibly thankful for their hospitality. In addition to our wonderful stay in Gresham, we were also able to attend Trail Days! Trail Days is a sort of festival and gathering for hikers of all kinds. It was a big reunion for PCT hikers. I was able to see people I had hiked with prior and lost along the way. I was especially excited because I got to reunite with my trail sister, County Dump!!! It was like a scene out of a movie. I jumped out of the car, we saw each other from across the parking lot, ran into each other's arms screaming...and both started crying in our embrace. This woman means so much to me. We hiked from Campo all the way to the Sierra's, where we had a very tearful goodbye. Reuniting with her after nearly two months was one of the best feelings. We are still on different places on the trail, so we don't get to hike together. I am so very grateful to have gotten some time together again. I was also able to catch up with a handful of other 'family' members from my hike. These people are my tribe and we have a connection which is unexplainable to anyone who hasn't thru hiked. All I can say is that it's a powerful connection and a truly amazing experience sharing this journey with people who you would otherwise never meet and certainly never know in such a real and genuine way. All in all Oregon was not what I expected, but trail never is. Once again, the trail mirrors life itself. XO, Munchies

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Oregon!!!

I have officially made it to the next state on the PCT, Oregon! After four months and two days I walked across the California/Oregon boarder around 8 pm. I walked 32 miles that day and spent a good part of it reflecting on what California has taught me. I have seen so many different landscapes, met so many incredible people (both on and off the trail), pushed myself to limits I’ve never been pushed to before, and learned a hell of a lot about myself. California is HUGE. Competing my walk across it is hands down my best accomplishment. Thinking back to the desert and the beginning seems like so long ago. So many people I grew to know and love so much have come and gone, and for all of you who know who you are, I had you in my heart and on my mind as I walked into the next chapter of this journey. Just a mile before the boarder, it started to rain. This really felt monumental because it never REALLY rained on me in California. It misted and it snowed, but these were raindrops just like back home. The most bizarre thing happened. It stopped raining and cleared up just as we approached the boarder. My friend Splash and I signed the first register in Oregon, took our obligatory boarder photo, and sat in the dirt, across the state line and drank our warm beers that we packed out to celebrate. All of the emotions were flowing through me as I let it set in that I am now done with California. I made it to Oregon! I’ll tell you…California didn’t want us to forget her. The last day, climbing out of the valley was a hot, strenuous day. We climbed up and down all day in the smoky fog. I’m talking huge mountain climbs…nothing easy. It made it all the more worth it getting to that boarder! I kept saying to Splash, “we’re in Oregon!” for the rest of the night, and even throughout the next morning. Oregon is beautiful so far. The terrain is great! California really kicked my butt at times, but prepared me to be a climbing machine. Oregon is much flatter than California and is know for people breezing through it. We will see what it brings for me.

When I arrived in Ashland, I reunited with Diaper Boy. He had arrived a few days before me since increasing his mileage and he decided to wait on me. It was good for us to do our own thing for a bit and for me it was especially good to prove to myself that I'm strong and capable all on my own. But as the saying goes, absence makes the heart grow fonder. It just wasn't the same. This little partnership we have developed over the past six weeks is a good one. We missed each others company and have decided to hike together again. We spent some time in the Ashland library when I first arrived, researching the forest fires that are just ahead of us. As we were walking down the stairs, leaving the library, a gentleman asked where we were headed on our journey (we get this question frequently as we have a 'special' look about us with our dirty/tattered selves with our packs). We told him Canada, and that we were hiking the PCT. He offered for us to come stay in his backyard and use his shower and laundry. I had been in Ashland for less than an hour and a stranger had already opened up their home to us. Our new friend and host, Barret ended up being an actor and was staring in one of the plays at the Shakespeare festival. He invited us to see his production of Julius Caesar the very next day! What a treat while in Ashland. I had another unexpected treat during my stay. I was able to meet up with some good friends from home, the Ducketts. It was so good to see familiar faces from home and get to catch up! They are a very special family to me and I'm so glad that they happened to be visiting Ashland at the same time that I was passing through! We have decided to take a couple of zero days (days where zero miles are hiked). With the fires changing everyone's plans, my feet hurting, and the sheer fact that I haven't taken a zero day since Yosemite, we are giving ourselves a respite. DB has some family in Eugene, where we have hitched to and are staying with for the next few days. On our way hitching to Eugene, we stopped in Medford at the REI. I needed to replace some gear which had broken and we both got new shoes. I'm happy to rest my feet. They have been pretty painful since I've been doing 30 mile days on the regular. I really hope this rest gives them what they need, in order to keep doing big days. Here's to a mini vacation from the trail. Already looking forward to getting back out there ;) Much love, -Munchies