Post trip update

So I've been back at home a few days now, and it is still feeling like the right decision to get off the trail when I did. I've been seeing photos online of people who have made it to the Canada border over the last few days, and these have stirred in me some sense of longing for getting to accomplish the whole trail in one season. But in the backgrounds of all these photos is the unmistakable gray haze of forest fire smoke, and seeing this has cemented in me the feeling of not wanting to hike through the beautiful Washington when the sky is choked with smoke. And of course being back with Libby and Abbey is so wonderful and has filled an emptiness that had grown throughout the hike. I've been spending a lot of time in the ocean to distract myself and my body from not being on the trail, and this seems to be working. I am really excited about returning to finish the trail at some point, but doing those miles now, when conditions and my body and my emotions are not at their optimum, just to say I did it in one season, has grown to feel like doing those miles for other peoples' reasons, not my own. If I can't enjoy the miles in the way I want to, then I'd rather not invest all that time and pain and loneliness in doing them. I'm really lucky to have so many amazing things to do with my time, and to have the ability to do them on my own schedule and pace.

Climbing from Portland airport, looking north past lots of haze to a big plume of smoke somewhere in WA.


Over the next week or so I will do some reviews of the gear and other things I used and put together a few tips for doing the hike. And some time in the future I will be back out there on the trail, looking for birds and enjoying views and taking my time to finish Washington.