PCT Day 0 – The Hike

I woke up at 3 a.m. and got out of bed with enough time to put on my clothes and kiss the cats goodbye. Khalid took me to the airport and we also said goodbye. I felt sad and almost immediately felt homesick and I hadn’t even left the state yet. He says enjoying the trip is once in a lifetime. I know you’re right. I should be having fun. But I can’t help but feel some way. This trip feels different than my tour of CT. I’ve been struggling to feel excited about the upcoming hike. I think it all goes back to my current financial difficulties. Which seems so stupid. I am what you would call poor old man. I’m used to not having money. Monetarily I am flying by the seat of my pants. I wasn’t prepared for the exorbitant cost of buying six weeks’ worth of food at once. I can only hope that the initial cost is worth it and that my dehydrated meals work out. I tried a few recipes on my trip to Texas in March. But now it’s a matter of life or death.

Gritt is in the air! I’m lucky to have the window seat. It’s always a gamble what you get in basic economics. I will never cease to be amazed when I see a plane take off. It’s watching hundreds of years of science culminate in a magnificent winged bus barreling down a track at 400 MPH. My breathing always comes in short when I feel the first lift off the ground. The wings shake and I feel the G-force pull me back into my seat. It was a cloudy, muggy day in Iowa. But once we broke through the clouds I saw the sun shining and the golden glow radiating from the fluffy clouds. I take a photo to remember this moment. I’m on my way and the only thing left to do is eagerly await my complimentary biscoff cookie and cold ginger ale. We truly live in an age of opulence.

I may only have $11.25 in my bank account, but here I am, embarking on the adventure of a lifetime. Bilbo has left the shire, call me Alaxander Supertramp, the lone wanderer crosses the moor.

Once I landed in Portland, the town’s tasks began. I needed to collect fuel for my stove, you won’t catch me in the forest eating cold porridge! I also needed my bear mace. A good portion of hikers would scoff at the mere idea of ​​carrying extra weight, especially in black bear country. But it’s the only piece of equipment that is non-negotiable for me. It makes me feel safe to have some kind of weapon to protect myself from an angry animal. I’m also sure it would work just as well with creepy men, haha.

So I Googled the nearest REI and took the train from the airport to the mall. It was here that I followed an anime girl sporting a skunk tail from the platform to the mall. I laughed quietly, not at her, but that there is only one place that can bring together a dirty-looking tramp like her and me. In my mind I pictured an eagle screeching and I have never felt more patriotic and united with my fellow humans.

She turned toward Barnes & Noble and I went straight to REI. I grabbed the things I couldn’t fly with and made a B line to Chipotle. From there I returned to the train and prepared to find the CAT bus stop for Columbia Gourge.

I was worried that the rate would be expensive. But I was pleasantly surprised to find that it was only $10 one way to Cascade Locks. The bus looked a little dented at the front, but she seemed reliable. I climbed in and watched as the landscape around me went from Portland’s concrete cityscape to thick forests and rocky cliffs with small waterfalls.

I arrived at Cascade Locks sooner than I expected. My Google maps should still be on Iowa time. A few days earlier I made a post looking for affordable stays in the area since the campground was not yet open to hikers. To my surprise, almost immediately a man named Kevin responded and offered to put me up that night. At first I was nervous and afraid to accept. But after doing some research on the area, I discovered that it is one of the most notable trail angels in the area. So I accepted and I am very grateful that I did.

Kevin’s wife, Peggy, picked me up with her dog Casey. We drove to his house, which was near Cascade Locks, and I saw the iconic God’s Bridge for the first time. Kevin had invited me to the church potluck and, although I’m not a religious person, I agreed to go. I’ve had my fair share of bad experiences with crowded church as an angsty goth teenager, but my experience with Lake City Presbyterian Church in Colorado softened my views a bit. The small community of Lake City, CO, is a famous destination among hikers because of the church’s hiking center. They hosted a Sunday dinner for hikers weekly and ran daily shuttles to take hikers to and from the trailhead. The ladies at the church made donuts the day I was there and were very hospitable. I felt a sense of community and togetherness in a place like that. No one cared about religious affiliation, it was more of a gathering place. A third place for people to socialize and find community.

Oddly enough, that’s why I come here, in the middle of nowhere, to find community. So after meeting Kevin, who unfortunately wasn’t feeling very well, Peggy and I went to the potluck together. Kevin made sure I signed the register, gave me his sticker, and made sure I knew how to get to Trout Lake before we left. The potluck was a cookout with hamburgers, hot dogs, and various sides. I ate my fill and Peggy introduced me to everyone.

We sat down and almost immediately it was a women’s corner. I felt welcomed by the older women who told me a little about their lives and what it felt like to live in what I consider a paradise. A small mountain town in the Pacific Northwest. They were just as curious about me and my hike. Some seemed maybe a little worried about me going alone, but no one ever told me I shouldn’t do it. It felt like a “go girl” kind of energy.

It was a cold afternoon and I regretted not bringing my coat. But eventually Peggy was ready to go and we headed back to her house with the heated seats on. Kevin and Peggy let me stay in their spare room and she showed me her adorable sewing projects. For some reason I was making stuffed pigs, but I can’t remember what. I could tell she was proud of her crafts and that they really were cute.
I went to bed fueled for the road thanks to the kind support of those around me. From the potluck attendees, Kevin and Peggy, my boyfriend Khalid, and text messages from my friend Girly Girl. She’s following the path in Oregon, but I know she’ll eventually find me here. After all, I’m very slow, haha!

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