A Series of "Calendar-Worthy" Events

By Tyler Socash

IG: @tylerhikes

When I turned seventeen I asked for one thing on my birthday, and whether you have been following the blog or not you know it couldn't have been a "2015 tangerine Subaru CrossTrek..."  Instead, it was a rather simple request.  I asked for a calendar. 

This blog is housed under the overarching title of "A Calendar Year."  Some people have pointed out that the term typically refers to events happening during the January to December window.  My yearlong journey is lasting from June 2015 - June 2016, which may be confusing so I want to clarify my wordplay...

Overlooking Spectacle Lake in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness.

Over the past 12 years I have been writing down my daily highlights in the squares of a calendar.  (Read: The secret is out!  Tyler keeps a diary!)  Unlike a diary, calendaring doesn't take long as calendar squares lack the room for complete sentences.  I simply take 3 or 4 minutes to reflect on the day that has happened, and I quickly record my favorite memories.  I have never missed a day, and I'm even cataloging life events while on trail.  I'll transfer all of my digital notes to my physical calendar when I return from my journey. 

Think about how much you actually remember about yesterday...  What about a week ago?  How much can you recall about the happenings of your life one month ago?  A year?  Many beautiful details are forgotten.  That's one reason why I "calendar."  

The other reason for my calendaring obsession involves The Awesome Principle.  My friend Zach King and I have been challenging each other to accomplish unique feats and to make every moment count since high school.  Essentially The Awesome Principle boils down to this: when given two options, you are forced to always choose the more awesome option.  

The Awesome Principle in full effect on the Kendall Katwalk. 

It's very easy to have an ordinary day.  I enjoy the challenge of mixing it up!  Friends and family are used to my incessant pleas to play more board games, to play one more round of water volleyball (we call it "walleyball") even when it's cold outside, why I tried to write my own stand-up comedy routine (huge failure - sorry again guys), why I organize miniature golf tournaments, why I create my own Adirondack-themed game nights at our annual New Years Eve Party (and why one year I want this to take place between Panther and Santanoni Peak at a place called "Times Square"), and why I have ever done anything that made you say, "What is Tyler doing?!?"

The Awesome Principle is to blame!  But at least these outbursts of energy have led to interesting calendar submissions.  I actually force myself to do something noteworthy every day — that way I always have something fun to write down in my calendar.  At the very least I'll try to play a Dashboard Confessional song (Read: very cool song) on guitar before going to bed. 

Pacific Crest Trail friends (Wildfire and Half Jesus) and me moving between Stevens Pass and Snoqualmie Pass in Washington. 

Jumping into the Deception Lakes... Because it was more awesome than not jumping in!

I have the tendency to message / email / call someone when I reach the 10-year anniversary of a fun experience that we had together (Yes, 2005 was that long ago).  Some of you may have received a direct message from me regarding an event from our past, or perhaps you've seen my reminiscent posts on the Facebook.  The resurrection of an old story elicits the best responses!  Oftentimes other details from that moment that I forgot to write down will emerge and make the memory more vivid for all parties involved. 

Half-way through Washington State on the Pacific Crest Trail!

I hiked all the way to I-90!  This could have been the road home, or a road to where Marshawn Lynch goes Beastmode, but instead I'll continue south through the woods until Mexico.  Hiking from Canada to Mexico has been awesome!

Even Bridget and Jamie, who hiked to the border monument with me during the first part of the journey, hiked up into the Alpine Lakes Wilderness to join the southbound trek for another day!

While this post revealed my calendaring endeavor and showcased the 78-mile stretch between Stevens Pass and Snoqualmie Pass, I really wanted to share why I'm hiking the PCT.  

In November I was exhausted.  I was working full-time, in graduate school part-time, attending two evening classes, writing papers, going to a two-days-per-week internship, and I traveled for work non-stop during an 8-week stretch without ever having a day off.  I was literally doing laundry and typing papers at 10pm, driving to Boston for work until 4am, sleeping on the side of I-90, waking up at 6am, splashing water on my face in that rest stop McDonalds before you hit the hellish Boston traffic, putting on my dress pants and tie in the rest stop parking lot, working all day, driving back to Rochester for work/internship/class, and repeating this while staying awake.

When it came time to decide if I wanted that 2015 tangerine Subaru CrossTrek a week later, I was basically at this impasse: do I want to buy-in to the standard lifestyle of school-work-family-buy boat-retire-die?  Or, do I want to chase my actual hopes and dreams?...

I dared to be different.  I jumped into something that I truly believed was awesome.  Now I'm stringing my calendar days into A Calendar Year.  (Oh man I just said it!)  Instead of driving back and forth on I-90, I walked under it in hiking boots.  I feel like I've lived more in the past month than I have for an entire year. 

To be clear, I loved my job and I loved my internship.  I feel incredibly privileged to have had the opportunities to work and study at a world-class institution.  I really miss the people and the work that I quickly left behind.  I miss them a lot.  When my feet were blistered and both Wildfire and Half Jesus slowed down for me so that I could hobble on my wounded feet for those last miles into camp, I remembered that I had it pretty good back home... But at the same time I am reminded of a quote that my sister Nikki sent me.  One quote that really pushes me onward to see awesome things every day, blisters and all...

"If you watched a movie about a guy who wanted a Volvo and worked for years to get it, you wouldn’t cry at the end when he drove off the lot, testing the windshield wipers. You wouldn’t tell your friends you saw a beautiful movie or go home and put a record on to think about the story you’d seen. The truth is, you wouldn't remember that movie a week later, except you’d feel robbed and want your money back. Nobody cries at the end of a movie about a guy who wants a Volvo.

But we spend years actually living those stories, and expect our lives to be meaningful. The truth is, if what we choose to do with our lives won't make a story meaningful, it won’t make a life meaningful either." - Don Miller, A Million Miles in a Thousand Years

Instead of the 2015 Subaru, I've got a backpack, blisters, and million stories to tell.  Yes, I left a great career / family / friends behind, but I had to listen to adventure's calling.  While there is a lot that I miss about home, I'd like to think that this whole walk to Mexico was all started by something as simple as a calendar.  It feels like it was supposed to happen.  And even if it was propelled by a series of random coincidences... that's OK too because I'm having a blast out here! :)

 

What's in a Trail Name?

By Tyler Socash

IG: @tylerhikes

The Stehekin shuttle was arriving at 9am, and we had to make it!  After 5 grueling days on trail most thru-hikers get antsy for town food.  There are a few towns along the PCT that entice hikers to walk faster and dig deeper — Stehekin, WA is one of those towns.  

A view from the middle of Lake Chelan near the Stehekin village. 

While Brandon fell behind, the urgency to get to this fabled town pushed Matt and I onward.  He had been there before, and every story he told about Stehekin made the importance of catching the early shuttle grow.  Matt calls Stehekin, "The town that time forgot."  Situated at the end of ~60-mile Lake Chelan, there are only three ways to arrive at Stehekin: take the long ferry ride from Chelan, charter a sea plane ($100 per person), or hike there via the Pacific Crest Trail.  

In addition to hearing all about the iconic bakery, organic garden, impeccable swimming, and bountiful food, Matt also hoped to catch up to another hiker that he met earlier in his trip south.  They call her, "Wildfire."  Matt wondered if I had seen a hiker with a small turquoise pack and a French braid, but I learned that Wildfire started south before I returned from the border monument.  Catching your trail friends is a big deal on the PCT.  With zeros, neros, missed resupplies, injuries, etc. you never know when you or your friends' PCT plans will be thwarted.  Sometimes you never see a trail friend again... (Spooky.)  We had to make that bus to catch Wildfire, and we did!  

The Stehekin shuttles in "downtown" Stehekin. 

These shuttles were ferried out to this isolated town to take hikers and hotel guests up and down Stehekin Valley.  For $7 cash, the bus will take you from the High Bridge Ranger Station all the way down to town — a price you'd gladly pay to avoid the 12+ mile road walk.  The bus makes one mandatory stop on the way into town... The Stehekin Bakery. 

This is one of my favorite magical places :)

When the bus came to a halt, the driver said we could run in and grab something to go.  When we got off the bus, we found a lovely group of hiker trash (an affectionate term for thru-hikers who have evidently adopted a sub-standard way of living, i.e. wearing tattered clothes, drinking water out of a Denny's bathroom sink, and so on).  That's when Matt said, "There's Wildfire!"  

Wildfire, like The Man Matt, is awesome.  She was given her trail name (a significant alias given to all long-distance thru-hikers) when she shouted "Wildfire!" while sleep-talking.  Similar to Matt's hiking backstory, her best laid plans to southbound thru-hike the PCT were altered last year due to weather/injury.  She was back at it though, and she was already hiking over 20+ miles a day. 

Wildfire, The Man Matt, and Tyler — soon-to-be Southbound besties!

I didn't have much time to talk.  I needed calories and the bakery's scent permeated the air as well as my subconscious.  I ordered huge sticky buns and a Pepsi immediately to help replenish the food deficit that naturally comes when you hike 120+ miles.  When I finally came out to the hiker trash picnic table, I noticed Wildfire was with other friends.  Karissa and Seth were about to head south out of High Bridge in order to enter the Glacier Peak Wilderness.  It was daunting to think that the next town, Stevens Pass, was 100 miles south from here.  Two other people, Robyn and AJ, were also enjoying the Stehekin Bakery.  Wildfire seemed to be very confident within this group, as if she had known these other newfound adventurers her whole life.  With a mouth full of sticky buns I ran back to the bus screaming, "See you all in the Glacier Peak Wilderness!"  I drew laughs because of my enthusiasm... And partially because I accidentally spit everywhere when I yelled.  I was very excited to be eating at the historic bakery. 

 I will fail to effectively describe what this town and these people meant to me.  I didn't just leave Stehekin for the wild.  I enjoyed a wonderful nero with this clan.   Even though I was over 2,500 miles away from New York State, for a day I was home.  If The Man Matt, Wildfire, AJ, Robyn, Seth, or Karissa ever read this blog, just know that I love you guys. You, and the entire town, made me feel like I belonged.  Stehekin has character, and that beautiful, wild place was accentuated by the characters that I met within those 24 hours.  Perhaps I'll go into the details of our kayak heist, our harmonica songs, the turtle wrangling, and my "future wife" at the Ranger Station another time...

Another picture of said heist.  By the way, Lake Chelan is the 3rd deepest lake in the United States.  It just so happens I'll also see the two deeper ones next month...

Of the aforementioned people, I ended up giving three of them their trail names.  They all helped to give me ones to try on for size.  Turtle Wrangler almost stuck thanks to AJ and Robyn (seriously, you guys are awesome), and both Neil Patrick Harris and Doogie Hauser had a nice run.  The Man Matt, who is now The Man Half Jesus due to his ability to swim half-way out of the water thanks to his water polo days and his desire to wash thru-hikers' feet as a trail magic gesture, always says, "It's not your trail name until you introduce yourself as it."  Half Jesus is very wise.  

Big reveal: my trail name has become Future Dad. 

In order to remain in chronological order and to avoid a Memento storyline I'll save that story for later in this post.  

That night in Stehekin was one of the best nights of my life.  It reminded me of my childhood nights in Old Forge at the lakefront.  At one point, The Man Matt Half Jesus (he has a peculiar tendency to call everyone, "The Man") told Wildfire that she should team up with "The Man Tyler," in the Glacier Peak Wilderness.  Matt completed that section two years ago and had another adventure planned for himself off the PCT during the next 5 days. 

Just like that, Tyler and Wildfire became hiking comrads.  Spoiler alert: After three weeks the three of us still hike southbound together / near each other!  These characters will come up a lot in my stories. 

To accelerate a bit (I'm a storyteller and this really could go on forever) I'll show you what Wildfire and I accomplished in the Glacier Peak Wilderness (my second favorite wilderness area so far) and in the Henry M. (The Man) Jackson Wilderness during the next 100 miles.  Details will come out in my memoir. 

Hiking up to Suiattle Pass

Wildfire crosses the dangerous Suiattle River

At camp on the slope of Glacier Peak: Wildfire, Karissa (Darkside - I named her for her dark humor), Seth (Talent Boy - I named him this for he has many talents), and Future Dad (Seth named me this because of my conversations about finding a future wife and having a future child to take on the PCT on some future day. This name makes me happy because my old colleagues at the University of Rochester continue to speak about our impending fatherhood with reverence. I miss you guys too!)

Wildfire and I pressed on!  We appreciated these great views....

Glacier Peak!  Stratovolcano!  Remote! Wilderness is awesome!

I'm trying to break the SOBO lake swimming record.  I'm at 8 lakes so far. 

Last swim before Stevens Pass. 

And finally, to go all Memento on you, Brandon arrived at the Stehekin Bakery only minutes after Matt and I left.  He ordered sticky buns (like me).  Exhausted, Brandon laid down on the hiker trash picnic table and got his treats all over his back.  We now call Brandon, "Sticky Buns."

Trail Magic on the PCT

By Tyler Socash

IG: @tylerhikes

It hit me when Paul, Bridget, and Jamie waved goodbye and drove downhill from Hart's Pass... I was on my own.  Without cellular service in extreme northern Washington, there was no turning back.  Mexico was approximately 2,627 miles south of my current location, but you can only think about the PCT in sections.  The 2,650-mile journey is more or less a long series of 5-day backpacking trips.  Stehekin was slated as my next resupply point, so that became my focus. 

Before Paul left he graciously gave me his spare sunglasses.  I lost my pair within 5 minutes of embarking on our journey to the border, and we never found them on the return trip.  The clouds were threatening, so I began to set up my tarp tent (thank you Seth Jones) for the first time.  After a short conversation with some locals on a day hike, I sat down to rest my tired legs which had gone 66 miles in 3 days. *CRUNCH!*  Sorry about that Paul, I sat on your glasses only minutes after your departure.  That's when it started to rain...

A bit of much-needed rainy weather in a burned area south of Harts Pass

After a few solo miles the next morning I felt that I was in my element again.  I saw a grouse up close, (Paul, those four *thud, thud, thud, thud* sounds are grouse calls - you were right) which was exciting.  Shortly afterwards I picked up a dropped piece of hiking equipment, a wool buff, (I hadn't forgotten the pain of losing my sunglasses) in hopes of making someone's day down the road. When the weather broke I was high up on a ridgeline.  What beauty!  What splendor!  Mountains, as far as the eye can see, were shooting up into the sky.  It's exciting to see the Pacific Crest Trail ahead of you flying over exposed passes and around rocky crags.  Here's what I'm talking about...

The PCT winds its way down into Glacier Pass below Azurite Peak. 

My campsite on Methow Pass below Tower Peak. 

The next day was spectacular.  I contoured around the mountains until hitting Cutthroat Pass.  That's when the trail plunges down to Rainy Pass and Route 20, a roadway that I took only 5 days earlier to get to the starting point. 

Pristine valleys, the untrammeled wild!

My solo journey on the PCT wasn't permanent. During a water filtration break, a familiar face rounded the corner. His name was Matt and I met him briefly when I was hiking with Paul, Bridget, and Jamie.  

Matt was awesome from the beginning.  Our hiking friendship solidified when I asked him if he dropped his wool buff.  Indeed he did!  Matt told me how he experienced "trail magic" two years ago during his first attempt of the Pacific Crest Trail.  A popular trail angel, (someone who assists thru-hikers out of the goodness of their heart) named "Meander" resupplied Matt with fuel and snacks on the same sterch of trail that we were hiking at that moment.  Only a few miles later, Matt found pair of sunglasses in the bushes.  When no person claimed them after a day of asking fellow hikers, Matt reciprocated the trail magic experience.  

We entered North Cascades National Park and took another water break together.  While filtering we met our newest friend Brandon who exclaimed, "I've got some extra whiskey if you guys want some tonight."  Brandon was immediately welcomed into our growing hiking crew.  Together the three of us would make our way to the magical town of Stehekin.  I quickly realized that wasn't feeling so alone any more. 

Heading into North Cascades NP!

I learned a main credo of the PCT during this stretch: the trail provides!

NOBO before the SOBO

By Tyler Socash
IG: @tylerhikes

In the darkness, we had arrived.  Four-and-a-half hours after departing from Seattle, our hiking party made it to Harts Pass, WA.  This location is ten axle-crunching miles northwest of rural Mazama, and it takes you to the northern-most trailhead on the Pacific Crest Trail.  I encourage you to open Google Maps and search for it.  Switch to "Earth mode..."  Try to imagine yourself finding this location, which is on the highest road in remote Washington, during the dead of night without ever being there before!  (No cell phone service, no clearly marked intersections.)  It was nearly 2am, and without a cloud in the sky there was no debate... we were going to cowboy camp (no tent) under the stars.  After our third shooting star in the pitch black Washington State sky, we rapidly fell asleep. 

Over the next three days, my fellow University of Rochester alumni and I would hike 33 miles to the U.S./Canadian border and back (66 total) so that I could avoid a Federal charge and begin my southbound Pacific Crest Trail hike legally — you can't simply walk into the United States from Canada anymore!  Inherently, a southbound (SOBO) journey is "tougher" than a northbound (NOBO) trek, but only 33 miles harder out of 2,650...  In the grand scheme of things, both ways are unfathomably difficult.  Maybe the extra hiking is a subtle factor that causes over 1,000 hikers to attempt the PCT northbound annually while only 100 or fewer will attempt it southbound?  The 33 bonus miles are among the most scenic, and arguably among the most physically taxing (especially when you consider that your body is still in sedentary office mode) along the trail.

Tyler, Paul, Jamie, and Bridget on Day 1

This section of the PCT in the North Cascades boasts 14,787 feet of elevation gain from the border to Rainy Pass on Route 20.  Even for four fit and former University of Rochester Cross Country runners, these three days were grueling.  The Pacific Crest Trail has approximately a 50% success rate for thru-hikers attemping to go border-to-border (depending on the year), and after our 20+-mile days it was apparent why so many people leave the trail.  The first leg in the Pasayten Wilderness will humble even the strongest athletes.

Alpine flora in the Pasayten Wilderness

The difficulty of this first section is overpowered by its beauty.  I've hiked in many special places, but I already know that I'm experiencing my favorite life moment.  The Pasayten Wilderness, which brings you to the Pacific Crest Trail monument on the border of Canada, boasts remarkable views and wildlife.  The denizens of this region include deer, moose, mountain goats, bighorn sheep, and the largest population of lynx in the Lower 48.  

 En route to the U.S./Canadian border.

That moment when a life-changing adventure begins!  

For the record: I made Paul, Bridget, and Jamie sing the National Anthem as we stepped back into the United States.  This was, perhaps, the finest rendition of the Star Spangled Banner ever sung while entering the country.  This will become a tradition!

Our backcountry campsite was on the other side of Three Fools Peak. 

I'm very excited to walk to Mexico!

Here are a few things that have surprised me so far:

• in 16 days on the trail, I have only used my tent three times. (A generous donation from my friend Seth - thanks Seth!)  The weather has been amazing, and cowboy camping has become my favorite thing to do!

• I only saw two Pacific Crest Trail markers during the 70+ mile stretch from the border to Rainy Pass.  That's it!  Nearly every tree has a trail marker on it back east.  You need your maps out here! 

• the U.S. Women's National Team won the World Cup!?!?  That's awesome!  It's also pretty cool that the only thing that matters on trail is self-regulation... and your happiness of course!  

I hope to have ~140 sunsets like this while on trail. 

I'll end this post with something from The Hobbit:

The greatest adventure is what lies ahead.
Today and tomorrow are yet to be said.
The chances, the changes are all yours to make.
The mold of your life is in your hands to break.

Until the next time I have service... (only happened two times in over 280 miles of hiking) be well and thank you all for the support!  The trail is wonderful!  The first few days were blister-filled and physically demanding, but I'll get stronger every day on trail.  Advice I received from a friend: "The first two weeks are all mental.  The second two weeks are all physical.  If you make it through four weeks, you will make it to Mexico."  

 

The Final Countdown

By Tyler Socash
IG: @tylerhikes

"Do not open until airborne (or whenever, it's not like I can stop you)."  I accelerated into this adventure with an unopened letter gripped tightly in my hand.  As I wait to board my first flight I'm realizing that pulling an "all-nighter" probably wasn't ideal given that I'll be entering the Pasayten Wilderness of northern Washington in 12 hours.  This is one of the most remote sections of the Pacific Crest Trail — there's only one paved road that leads you to this majestic part of the country.  Over half of the glaciers found in the lower 48 states are located here, and I'm told that there are a lot of lynx in the North Cascades, too.  Cool. 

When you leave for a long distance thru-hike your world really turns upside down. Almost everyone on the Pacific Crest Trail is in limbo.  A lot of loose ends have to be taken care of before you embark on a 5-month quest.  I happened to be typing my final grad school paper only a few hours ago!  It's been difficult to sleep with my life in a state of flux... 

10 years in Rochester... What a run!

Suddenly you realize that you've said your last goodbyes.  (These are a little awkward due to the fact that the future is so uncertain.)  You realize that your apartment is completely empty.  There aren't any keys in your pocket.  Effectively, you become homeless.  It's bizarre, but I'm ready for the trail to become my new home. 

Things that you've been potentially taking for granted go by in a flash.  Your last shower, your last hometown restaurant meal, your last view of downtown.  You try to give everything magnitude because you never know when you're going to see certain people or things again.  I guess a lot of it won't sink in until it's really gone.  Good thing I give powerful hugs!  I'm not trying to be melodramatic, but it is a bit shocking to realize that all of the normalcies of yesterday will soon be replaced by oddities and new experiences tomorrow.   

Choose your own Adventure - Daily if Possible!

For the first time in a long time I don't feel anchored down to anything.  No work projects, no deadlines, no grad school assignments, no, "Oh sorry I can't hang out tonight I've got this thing."  Even weekends have a palpable finite feeling to them — come Sunday morning you understand that work is happening Monday.  Now no barrier stands in my way.  There's nothing holding me back.  It's "retirement," but at 28!  I feel limitless.  I feel free.  I feel like I can do anything. This feels awesome.

...Gosh it's weird not having any keys in your pocket!

As I amble down the jetway I'm blissfully unaware of how arduous my undertaking actually is.  The lady next to me on my first flight leans in and asks, "Are you going on a hike?!"  "Yes, a long one!" I replied.  "Well I wish you luck," she said with a smile.  I'm sure I'll need a lot of luck.  Thanks random lady!

As I stand on the brink of my greatest adventure I notice that life becomes an endless series of countdowns.  Whether it be the next vacation, life event, etc. we are always looking ahead.  Tonight is my last foreseeable countdown.  I'll take my first steps on the PCT tomorrow, and I couldn't be happier.  Every view will be new!  I can sleep wherever I want!  (Yes, while being mindful to camp on durable surfaces!)  Countdown freedom!

Oh right I forgot that I set this blog post up with a cliffhanger.  If you hung on this long and were like, "Jeez FINALLY!" then this payoff is for you...  People should write more letters.  Hand-written letters.  As this multi-ton vessel somehow achieves liftoff, I am now free to open this goodbye letter addressed to me.  Vow kept. 

Within the goodbye letter, which was word for word one of my favorite letters of all-time, a friend reminds me that we can choose to make the most out of every single experience... no matter how mundane the experience might be.  Why waste time counting down when we can live every day?  He also quoted Shawshank Redemption, which was really well done but it unfortunately doesn't tie in with the "countdown" theme that I apparently pigeonholed myself into... 

The point is that you don't have to walk the Pacific Crest Trail to have an exciting experience.  All you have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to you.  Maximize your time with friends and family.  You never know when one of them is going to up and leave for the PCT ;)

Yeah, that was a Gandalf quote back there.  Bonus points to you!  

Until our next meeting...

Oh and I made it to Seatte.  BOOM!

"Area Man Leaving Area"

By Tyler Socash
IG: @tylerhikes
http://vestigo.co/blog/go-explore-tyler-socash

Circled round by kingly mountains, breathed upon by healing balm sits a town symbolized by a bear face bumper sticker.  A town so singular that despite its small size and meager year-round population, it is instantly recognized as the place, "Where the fun never stops!"  Some place warm.  A place where the beer flows like wine.  A place where the snowmobilers instinctively flock like the salmon of Capistrano...  This place is home. 

"So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover."  This Mark Twain quote seems very fitting at the moment.

Ten years ago today I went sailing on First Lake in Old Forge, NY.  Dylan, Patrick, and I had our own mini-adventure.  This was one of the little things that I loved about growing up in a small mountain town.  Adventure was everywhere!  You could get lost in the Ha-De-Ron-Dah Wilderness on one side of town (shout out to the gang that remembers this notorious day), REALLY get lost in the Moose River Plains on the other side of town, or look down upon the lake-speckled & wooded vastness while standing atop Bald Mt. in the middle.  Ten years ago we just happened to pick sailing, but we truly could have done anything.

                                         

Hey look!  It's Bald Mountain!

My upcoming trip is not without peril. Don't let this clip from Good Day Rochester fool you...

Area hiker leaving area to hike over 6,000 miles

Sure, I'm excited... I'm on the edge of a huge adventure!  I know where I'm heading... The Pacific Crest Trail will take me through 7 National Parks, 48 wilderness areas, and 2,650 miles of fun!  New Zealand and the Appalachian Trail will be soon to follow.

But there will also be many lonely nights when I'll miss where I'm from...

 Surviving Brown's Track on my first 90-miler with Natalie, Tina, and Olin! (Photo Credit: Seth Jones)

 Avalanche Pass in the High Peaks Wilderness with the parents!

The Adirondacks will always be my home.  I love it here.  I loved growing up in a small town with only 26 kids in my graduating class.  I loved hiking Bald Mountain with friends.  I loved playing hockey at North Street.  I loved hanging out at The Lakefront and The Place To Be.  I loved the Arcade and The Strand.  I loved Nutty Putty.  I loved Enchanted Forest Water Safari.  I loved the mighty hemlocks and stately Cathedral Pines.  I loved skiing at McCauley Mountain.  I loved the Green Bridge.  I loved golfing in Thendara.  I loved Lock and Dam.  I loved floating the Moose River.  I loved our campfires at Triple Left and the Dynamite Shack.  I loved how Columbus Day was always my favorite holiday.  I loved the fall foliage.  I loved our starry nights.  I loved the abundance of amazing wildlife.  I loved the clean air.  I loved the long, character-building winters.  I loved throwing snowballs.  I loved the stillness and the peacefulness.  I loved the Fulton Chain of Lakes and the haunting loon calls.

Talk about a paradise... 

...May it forever remain the same!

 Winning Sectionals at the Dome in 2003 with the coolest kids!

  Completing my first round of the 46 High Peaks with my family (Mt. Colden)

And the people!!!  The characters of Old Forge are legendary!  The kids growing up in our great town get to know everybody.  What an amazing social experience!  All of the teachers/staff at Town of Webb!  All of the small business owners who employ us!  All of the adults who become mentors and coaches!  All of the amazing people who protect our town!  All of the people who support us at our athletic events, concerts, and plays!  All of the people who come out for Columbus Day!  All of the Bubs!  We grew up among Olympians!  We all earned our stripes by singing Down by the Bay with incredible caregivers in kindergarten!  All of the summer friends and relatives who visit us because we live in an amazing destination!

How lucky it is to grow up in a community comprised of the most genuine and caring people!

 One of the greatest days of my life... Buttermilk Falls, Bog River Flow, Tupper Lake canoeing!

 Please don't be mad at me if this is illegal.  The view was just too good to pass up!!!

If something doesn't challenge you, it doesn't change you.  Even though it's tough to leave a safe haven behind, other mountains are calling, and I must go.  I must set sail, venture out!

This post is a shout out to every person who has ever called Old Forge and the surrounding communities, "Home."  This post is to let you all know that I love you.  This post is a promise that that I will make our town proud.  When people on the trail ask where I'm from, I will smile wide and say, "The greatest town in the world.  Old Forge, NY."

Until our next meeting,

Tyler "Totally Loves the ADK" Socash

Follow the journey @tylerhikes on Instagram this June

PCT Preparation on the Cranberry-50

By Tyler Socash
IG: @tylerhikes
http://vestigo.co/blog/go-explore-tyler-socash

One of the largest lakes in the Adirondacks sits quietly within the northwest portion of the Park...

Cranberry Lake is peaceful.  It is massive.  I clearly understand why Bob Marshall loved this place so much.  There is a 50-mile loop hike around the body of water, although most of the trail is away from the lake's tree-speckled shoreline.  You'll mostly be exploring the Cranberry Lake Wild Forest and the Five Ponds Wilderness area during the trek.  For those of you who have aspirations of getting into long-distance backpacking, this might be a perfect launching point to consider.  I used this trip as a fun (3.5 days) PCT preparation hike, and it was a great experience with friends!  (Well, hiking with Paul was just OK...)

A view from High Rock, a .1 mile detour from the Cranberry-50 Trail

Our crew hiked the trail in a clockwise direction.  We carried everything that we would need while in the wilderness for 3.5 days (food, bear canisters, tents [lean-tos are usually occupied on weekends], water filters, appropriate non-cotton clothing, headlamps, first-aid, etc.). As always, we made sure that we were abiding by the seven Leave No Trace Principles while we were enjoying the Great Outdoors!

A map of the Cranberry-50 Trail, with official tent sites!

Make sure that you detour to High Falls (upper left), Five Ponds if you have time (upper right), and Cat Mountain (bottom center) if you do the trek.  You won't regret these side trips!  Unless you get injured at one of them.  DISCLAIMER: Tyler is not responsible for your outdoor injuries.

If you'd like to see a tylerhikes original feature film about the Cranberry 50, click the link below!
I promise that it's really good.  I did all of the editing and everything.  I'm Michael Bay.

People will often ask me, "How do you prepare for a hike like the Pacific Crest Trail?"  The answer is to hike, a lot!  Nothing gets you in shape for hiking like hiking.  Go out on some microadventures near your hometown.  Climb some smaller hills after work or take your dog down a nearby trail.  Shout at the moon.  The time to adventure is now...  Or, to quote Bilbo... "It's a dangerous business Frodo, going out your door.  You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no knowing where you might be swept off to..."  And now, to quote Pringles, "Once you pop, the fun don't stop."

Be Awesome!

Tyler "Not on the Trail Yet" Socash