An Adventureful Life

My last day was almost all uphill, all the way up Mount Hood to Timberline Lodge, where T.D. was going to pick me up. I’ve actually never hiked up this part of Mount Hood before, and there were some nice views! I may. have scared a few people with my lovely hiker scent when I stopped at Frog Lake Snowpark to make use of the pit toilet. I honestly don’t remember a whole lot about what would be my final day on trail because I was so focused on getting to my destination.

I knew I would make it, but the last few sandy and exposed miles up Mount Hood really tested me. Then I was forced play a game of frogger crossing a small patch of snow while dodging what felt like 5,000 snow boarders shedding down the hill… and finally, I made my way to Timberline Lodge for some well deserved food and beverage, and await my chariot!

That’s it… my first PCT section hike is in the books! I backpacked 150 miles in 8 days and had an absolute blast. And… I did it SOLO! I was blown away by all the beauty, by how hard it was, and by how much I LOVED IT!!!!

Some things I learned:

1. Food that doesn’t excite you at home will NOT excite you on the trail. No matter how hungry you are.

2. Reapply sunscreen often! I was hiking 8-12 hours a day and one application of sunscreen was not enough.

3. Never underestimate the value of Airpods, and a variety of music, audiobooks, and podcasts to keep you entertained for hours and hours (and hours and hours)!

4. As soon as you notice anything, stop and assess. Hot spots, hunger, something ‘different’ that doesn’t hurt yet but seems… off… most likely it will rear its ugly head later and probably could have been avoided. Yes, I’m talking about my overuse ankle injury that I’m still dealing with….

5. Keep your gear organized – if everything has its place, you are less likely to lose it. In that same vein, I always stopped when I needed something (sunglasses, AirPods, snacks) – this makes it less likely for something to fall out and be left behind forever…

6. If you know there will be mosquitoes, pre treat everything you can and bring multiple forms of protection or you will go mad.

7. Large “adventure” wipes are great for wiping legs and feet down nightly after traversing through burn areas.

8. Swim in all the lakes, soak your feet in the streams, stop and take photos… enjoy all the moments! Then hike on like the badass you are!

9. Thru-Hikers are cool! And if you section hike, you too can smell like one!

10. FarOut is a great and useful tool for staying up to date on long trails!

Special thanks go out to my Hungry Hiker backpacking family for the friendship and all the lessons bringing me to this point… I have a few more adventures planned for this year, so stay tuned!