Pacific Northwest - Prehike Jitters, etc.

Just a few days before the train leaves the station, and in a week, I'll be hiking through the Rockies. Seriously going to do this!

Hope to camp the first night here - Stony Indian Lake
in Glacier National Park

A few pieces of gear, worn out by 205 days of Appalachian Trail, had to be replaced, but the main items are still hanging tough, the backpack, tent, sleeping bag and pad. I've added an inflatable camp pillow, a luxury item for sure, but the increase in comfort exceeds the cost, both in dollars and in grams.

The 1,200 mile Pacific Northwest Trail is not really a trail at all, but more like an idea. There are a few resources that have been pieced together by the handful of people who've hiked the PNT, and I've printed a bunch of maps, probably 150 pages, to lug along. I've divided the maps into ten sections, Section One entailing 147 miles through the Rockies to Section Ten, 63 miles along the Pacific beach. The maps illustrate lots of different options and alternative routes, just to make things super confusing. For my mates and me, there will be decisions to be made daily, with our chosen routes based on things like weather, snow pack, forest fires, resupply needs and mental/physical health. Unlike the Appalachian Trail, where we simply followed white trail blazes for 2,200 miles, the PNT is mostly unmarked. In some areas, there is not a real trail at all, and miles of bushwacking will hopefully land us in a desirable spot. I picked up a base compass and had to do some research to figure out how to navigate old school style, with compass and maps.

The start of the adventure, Chief Mountain
Customs Office at the Canada/U.S. border

With over 18 hours of daylight, we'll have an opportunity to hike big miles early on, as the days grow gradually shorter. But a freakish record-breaking heat wave in the Inland Northwest, 25F degrees above average, along with expected aches and pains, will likely limit us to a great extent, at least for the first couple of weeks.

Seriously? The average high is 78F and low is 49F.
Maybe hike in the morning/evening and nap/swim at mid-day.

I worry about about grizzly bears and mountain lions, about a missed step at an inopportune time, and the physical demands that will most certainly take a toll. But I heard something on a podcast at The Trail Show recently that sums things up pretty well. "When you set out to do something you're sure you can easily accomplish, then it's not really an adventure." No word of a lie!

Happy Trails!
Fitty Shrimp