For Purple Mountain Majesties

By Tyler Socash

IG: @tylerhikes

The trail will challenge you emotionally, physically, and mentally during your thru-hike.  I just happened to ride that triad of roller coasters within a 24-hour time span.

I set out from White Pass at 6pm alone.  This was strange.  Thus far I had been hiking with Half Jesus and Wildfire throughout the state of Washington, but I had different ambitions than my hiking comrades in this upcoming section — I wanted to do a high traverse in the Goat Rocks Wilderness. 

Ever since we met a northbounder named Impala (2nd to finish the Pacific Crest Trail northbound this year) in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness, we heard from every single northbound hiker how amazing the Goat Rocks were.  Most people remarked how they wished they had spent more time in that region.  Hailing from New York State, I couldn't imagine another time in the near future that I would find myself back here, so I decided to venture out by myself to spend more quality time with the wilderness. 

The initial ascent out of a resupply town is always difficult.  You carry large amounts of food, large amounts of water, and therefore your pack weight is substantial.  I was carrying a 40lb. pack. With Cascade Locks, OR over 150 miles away, I wanted to ensure that I had enough food for the journey.  

Thousands of vertical feet and many miles later, I made it to Shoe Lake Basin and the top of the ridge.  Even though my shoulders ached under the weight of my pack, the idea of witnessing my first sunset behind Mount Rainier propelled me onward.  

When I set my pack down, I was in awe. The clouds were perfect, and the sun was still above the horizon... This would be one of the greatest sunsets of my life. 

Goat Rocks in the distance.  Excited for the sunset!

The inspirational sunset behind Mount Rainier. 

When it happened I was invigorated!  I felt like John Muir, Bob Marshall, or Edward Abbey would have agreed that this was an exceptional sunset from an extraordinary location.  I sat there for an hour as the sky turned into a Crayola crayon canvas.  Every color was on display.  The mountains actually turned purple in the foreground.  "For purple mountain majesties!" I sang aloud. I felt alive, and I was very happy that I embarked out on this section in time to witness my greatest moment on trail.  

The sunset was so grand that I wondered, "If I night hike, perhaps I can reach the Goat Rocks in time for an epic sunrise?"  I pushed through the dark forest and donned my trusty headlamp.  I was intimidated at first, but no animal wants to mess with a loud human in the dark, so I pushed onward with confidence.  Something to think about, because someone will eventually ask thru-hikers about this: over 30,000 people have died in car accidents each year in the United States since 1945.  Only a couple of bear attacks happen every year.  You can pull this stuff up on Wikipedia if you'd like.  I think I'll take my chances in places like Goat Rocks Wilderness.  No I'm not afraid of bears or mountain lions... I'm afraid of sharing the road with people in steel machines that are going 65+ mph!

Mount Rainier and alpine flora in the safe Goat Rocks Wilderness!

The next morning I made it to the highly-anticipated Knife's Edge of the Pacific Crest Trail in Goat Rocks.  This is when I began experiencing euphoria...

A happy Tyler!

Don't drop off this knife edge!

Mount Saint Helens in the distance... I wonder where the top half of the mountain went?...

On top of Old Snowy - the beginning of my off-trail traverse. 

When I climbed Old Snowy, I felt like I had made it to heaven.  I saw herds of elk and mountain goats in the valleys below, I saw Mount Saint Helens, Mount Rainier, Mount Adams... They were all there!  I could even spy the Alpine Lakes Wilderness mountains and Glacier Peak in the north.  I felt so accomplished walking all this way in just a few weeks.  I remembered looking out of that airplane window and seeing all of these sentinels below... Now I was walking beyond them!

I felt a rush of emotion.  I cried, and that's OK because Jim Valvano said it was one of the three things you should do everyday — "have your emotions moved to tears."   I couldn't  believe that this was my life and my journey.  I couldn't believe how utterly gorgeous the wilderness was.  All at once I missed my family and my friends.  I wish they could have been up on Old Snowy with me.  Unbridled happiness and adrenaline pumped through me.  That's when I remembered Impala's suggestion from two weeks ago... "Stay high." 

I assumed he meant the ridgeline, and when I saw Ives Peak in the distance I knew that I had to give it a shot. I would summit Ives and contour to a ridge that met up with the PCT at Cispus Pass.  Easy right?  I was so incredibly wrong, but my emotional high had me pressing along the talus fields. 

It happened rather quickly.  It started with a misstep, led to a few cuts, and resulted in a rockslide.  I heard people on the PCT below shouting, "Rock fall!"  I jumped towards larger rocks and escaped with only a few small scars that still haven't faded.  The rock tumbled forever, but luckily not anywhere near the trail below.  I turned around. I was scared.

I fully intended to return to the trail down the Old Snowy alternate.  When I climbed back up to the summit of Old Snowy I was shocked to be confronted by a beautiful girl hiking in a sports bra and her parents.  "Where yah heading?!" the older, yet spry man asked.  "Well, I was thinking about traversing to Ives Peak and beyond before eventually returning to the PCT, but I just started a rock fall and spooked myself out."  The older man with his wry wit responded, "You're heading the wrong way if you want to summit Ives.  Just stay on the very top of the ridge and negotiate the cliffs and glaciers.  I did it when I was younger."  Now the pressure was on, and Future Dad wasn't going to back out now, especially with a cute girl nearby.  "Alright, I'll try it again!" I proclaimed. 

After a nice conversation, I hiked through stuff like this...

Mount Adams through a hidden arch!  Naturally, I had to walk through it. 

Just about to climb off this glacier with my 40lb. pack and go up some Class 4 rocks to get up Ives Peak.  Sorry Mom!!!

Looking back at my traverse - the greatest hiking experience of my life!

Finally atop Ives, I was pumped.  Super pumped.  Emotionally, I was feeling excellent.  But on the descent something happened.  It started with a few pebbles getting into my boots.  They were in there hours ago, but due to my adrenaline rush and the inherent danger in an exposed hike like this I hardly noticed them.  During the descent my rush was fading, and the pain was mounting.  Every scree field on the way down seemed to pound more and more pebbles into the balls of my feet.  I emptied my ankle-high boots a few times, but to no avail.  The rocks found a way in.  

After a few hours I finally made it back to the actual Pacific Crest Trail, but something was horribly wrong.  I felt physically defeated for the first time on trail.  I walked all the way from Canada to Goat Rocks in southern Washington with no problems... Until that descent. 

I took off my boots after Cispus Pass.  That's when I noticed the blood.  My socks helped to stop the bleeding, but my toes were still oozing.  Yes, it was gross. 

Upset Tyler only hours after summiting Old Snowy.  I took this photo intentionally - to remind myself that the PCT isn't all sunshine and roses.  Well, actually, there is a lot of sunshine.  It never rains out here.

After an attempt to wrap my feet with tape and moleskin, I could only move 2 more miles that day.  I collapsed on trail and rolled off it to a small campsite with one spot left.  It was only 5pm, my earliest campsite destination so far, but I needed to stop.  Physically I could not move on.  The other two spots were occupied by Lost and Found & All Day Long.  We had our typical "Northbounder meets Southbounder" conversation. "Have you seen Tin Man, Magic, Impala, Bi-Polar, Kiester?" they inquired.  Some I had, and some I had not.  "What was your favorite part of the trail?" I asked robotically.  I quickly added, "Mine was nearly today until I hurt my feet." It was All Day Long who told me then, "The trail will challenge you emotionally, physically, and mentally during your thru-hike."  He also added, "What you need is Leuko tape, that stuff is the best when it comes to fixing blisters and caring for your feet."  I didn't have Leuko tape.  I didn't even have Half Jesus or Wildfire with me.  I was in a bad place...  

The mental part came that next morning.  My two campsite friends left by 6am.  I was afraid to look at my feet.  They throbbed.  I knew I wouldn't be able to put my boots on.  I actually felt defeated. I thought, "Wow, maybe I can't do this.  Maybe I won't make it to Mexico..."  Nearly half of all thru-hikers who set out on this cross-country 2,650-mile quest never complete their journey.  Injury plays a heavy factor.  

I just laid in my sleeping bag.  7am. 8am. 9am.  The hours went by.  That's when I saw him.  Bobbing along the trail with a great white beard was a man that All Day Long referred to last night.  With the warmest of tones the man said, "Oh, hello down there!"  "Are you 'Bi-Polar?'" I asked.  "Yup, that's me!"  Bi-Polar has an excellent reputation  on trail.  Everyone loves him.  Hiking legends are praised along the trail, and word spreads about the not-so-friendly hikers too — sometimes hundreds of trail miles in both directions. 

In addition to becoming a legendary character during this 2015 season, Bi-Polar apparently has a controversial blog.  Find it if you can!  

Even though he was pressing hard for Canada, Bi-Polar was more than generous with his time. We talked for an hour!  We connected over other long-distance hiking trails, like the Ice Age Trail in Wisconsin.  We talked about the negative consequences of hydrofracking.  We talked about the fact that only 2.7% of the Lower 48 States is classified as wilderness.  In the end, I saw him as a genuine man with a gentle soul.  Unprompted, Bi-Polar asked how I was feeling.  I told him about the sunset over Rainier, the herds of elk, the Knife's Edge, Old Snowy, the rock fall, the spry older man, my traverse, and the condition of my feet.  

"You know, what you need Future Dad is some Leuko tape... And it just so happens that I have some for you.  My feet don't blister anymore.  You can have it."

It was as if a heavenly angel had descended upon my campsite. Just as quickly as he dispensed his unexpected trail magic, Bi-Polar was gone.  

I finally removed my legs from my bag and applied the Leuko tape.  I slipped into my hiking boots.  It felt like stepping into comfy slippers on Christmas Day.  That's when Wildfire wheeled around the corner, shocked to see me so soon.  My reaction upon her timely arrival was joyous!  Things came together perfectly...  Almost too perfectly.  

Wildfire and I hiked south.  We hiked with gusto.  We walked past Mount Adams, spent time in rural Trout Lake, encountered the most magnificent Trail Angels near Panther Creek Campground, and crossed Bridge of the Gods into Oregon together, with Half Jesus only a few hours behind!  

The reflection of Mount Adams in the wake of my emotional highs and physical/mental lows.  What a great swim!

If you'd like to see what the PCT in Washington State looks like, check out my original video via this link: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=eTKVK7uib_A&feature=youtu.be

I'm in Oregon now, pushing south.  Walking through Washington took me just under a month.  515 miles complete! Over 2,000 daunting miles to go!  Ahead of me lies more hardship, more sunsets, more magic.  The author Donald Miller wrote that, "The mountains themselves call us into greater stories."  I can only hope that more of these future mountains are purple.

Speak for the Trees

By Tyler Socash

IG: @tylerhikes 

The clearcuts went on for miles. After you walk through four wilderness areas and 267 miles of unadulterated forests, walking out of Snoqualmie Pass was kind of a shocker.  

We spent our previous day in North Bend, WA taking a nero (nearly a "zero" mile day).  During our brief respite from the trail, Wildfire's parents (I call them The Firestarters) took us to see Snoqualmie Falls after lunch.  The only thing I remember thinking was, "Man, this world is getting crowded."  The amount of cars, trash, noise, and the shoulder-to-shoulder standing room at the viewing platform to see a waterfall that had 90% of its flow diverted for Puget Sound Energy use made me wonder why I'd left the trail at all.  

Back in the woods things were suddenly just as disconcerting.  South of Snoqualmie Pass the land isn't protected.  In fact, I'd say it is abused.  Sure, trees are a renewable resource.  They grow back. But no one tells you that it could take over 100 years for a clearcut to grow back entirely.  I use paper products, but after this experience I promise to use less.  Nothing about walking through a clearcut looks or feels right.  The three of us walked through plenty of them for the next 3 days.  The same irksome feeling hits me when I see a hydrofracking complex.   Gross. 

The clearcuts were flanked by burned areas.  

Thanks for leaving one... Desecration of nature. Reuse your stuff!

When the last crackling power-line had been crossed and the last clearcut that The Lorax warns you about when you're a kid was finally behind us, we entered splendor.  

Our first close view of Mount Rainier. 

Our stay at Government Meadows at the entrance of the Norse Peak Wilderness was enhanced by elk bugles in the evening and by our stay in Urich Cabin — one of the only shelters on the PCT.  When we entered the wilderness the next day we were treated to ridgeline views of Mount Rainier!  I stumbled across a herd of mountain goats.  Half Jesus saw a porcupine.  The wilderness certainly felt more appealing every single day.  

When Europeans colonized America, there was an underlying fear of the wild.  Many New England Puritans thought that the wilderness was the natural habitat of the devil.  Where a wilderness existed, a garden should be made. The notion of Manifest Destiny made it seem that it was our God-given right to develop from coast-to-coast.  The natives were pushed aside, we annihilated the buffalo, and now we are only left with fragmented pockets of beauty.  If you look at a map of the United States, you'll notice that we did a pretty good job of modernizing this country, especially the east coast where few large wilderness areas remain. In fact, wilderness.net will inform you that only 2.7% of the conintental United States is designated Federal Wilderness. When you include state and tribal wilderness areas, you get to a meagerly 3%.  Combine all wilderness areas together and you've got the state of Minnesota out of the entire Lower 48.  That is pathetic.  This means that 97% of our country will be or has been altered by man.  

The good news is that the wilderness that does exist is incredible.  I'll walk through 48 wilderness areas from Canada to Mexico along the Pacific Crest Trail, and these areas are stunning.  Sometimes it just takes a short reintegration into the Cotton World (the world that you can wear cotton clothes in and not die) to remember how precious our wild spaces are.  They aren't something to fear.  Losing them is something to fear.  Here are some highlights between the Norse Peak Wilderness, Mount Rainier National Park, and the William O. Douglas Wilderness before I reached White Pass... (This is the positive stuff.  Sorry for being so controversial, I just really believe that we need more wilderness areas for all the cute animals and for our population that keeps growing and growing.)

A herd of mountain goats up the hill!

A rainbow around the sun in the Norse Peak Wilderness!

Mount Rainier National Park entrance

Spooky Lake Tipsoo!

The William O. Douglas Wilderness!

Just think... In 1803 President Jefferson sent Lewis and Clark across our great nation to explore the Louisiana Purchase.  Everything they saw west of the Missippi River was pristine and wild.  Just over 200 years later only 2.7% of the contiguous United States remains wild.  Edward Abbey once said, "Growth for the sake of growth is the ideology of a cancer cell."  I think it's time for more young people to get outside and to see how spectacular our country is.  Or maybe 2nd graders can stop singing "America the Beautiful," and instead learn "America the Paved."

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."