Tales of Adventure
Sunday 10 May 2009 09:55pm by Tom
From time to time I lose my mind and become entralled with tales of adventure. I joined the Navy after high school on a whim. I enjoy playing adventure-ish video games entirely too much. I was once *this* close to joining the Peace Corps. Then it was the Long Way Round adventure with Ewan MacGregor and Charlie Boorman. Now it’s the Pacific Crest Trail.
The PCT is a system of hiking trails that stretches from the Mexican border to over 2,600 miles North to the Canadian Border, through California and Oregon and Nevada. Most hikers start the trail in April and finish in September. Some 300 hikers attempt the trip each year–about half will complete the journey.
With the blessings of technology, today’s hikers are more connected than ever. They are able to update their blogs while in range of cell towers, upload pictures, and share waypoints on a map via GPS. Some even share videos.
Here I am, each day, reading the tales of adventure from the PCT. I can see their progress on Google maps and see beautiful scenery that I know that I’ll never see in real life. I’m both happy and sad at the same time. Happy that I’m able to follow along through my web browser, and sad that the web browser is the closest I’m going to get to hiking this trail.
What dedication, what stamina, what… ahhh, I don’t know what… ?
My favorite hiker is a fellow who calls himself Diamond Dave. I particularly like him because he’s a big guy, like me, at 6′4″. He started the trail this year at over 300 pounds, and now, a month later, he’s dropped over 30 pounds. Good luck Dave! Ohhh, I hope you make it all the way.
A charming couple that I’m also pulling for are Cindy and Andy. Andy is a professional gambler (you know, like the World Series of Poker guys you watch on ESPN?) Cindy is a technowiz that maintains their website with journal updates, GPS waypoints, digital photos, and even podcasts. Their entire journey is being chronicled online. And she updates often (thank you sooo much, Cindy!)
Here’s the website of a Kiwi who completed the PCT in 2007. I’ve spent countless hours on his website absorbing every bit of info regarding his trip. I’ve read every blog entry, seen every picture, and watched every video he’s got up there.
These are truly amazing people. I admire them like no others.
Hey, thanks so much for the link.
We’re taking 2 zero days in Wrightwood. So happy about it.
“sad that the web browser is the closest I’m going to get to hiking this trail.”
Really, you could do this hike. There are so many people out here supporting each other, it’s amazing. Or, why don’t you section hike it? All the fun benefits and not so much of the torture.
I’m so inspired by you, Cindy, and Andy. AND all the others out there making this journey along the PCT.
Since I found out about the trail last month it’s consumed my thoughts. I want to hike the PCT. I want to do it so bad… gotta get my knees rehab’ed first though. I’ve had chronic knee and ankle pain in both legs for the last 10 years. All those sports injuries finally caught up with me.
Good luck out there! I’m checking your website multiple times a day, every day. =)
hey Tom,
Thanks for the kudos. The PCT was the greatest experience of my life, it’s kinda ruined other things for me now, they always be compared to the summer I spent living outdoors. I did another big walk the next year OneManWalking.com. Being in Japan it was quite different.
So yeah, got those knees in order and get out there man, it’s worth every blister.
Craig, thank YOU!
I’ve spent soooo many hours on your website. I’ve read every blog entry, watched every movie, and looked at every picture. Hiking the PCT all the way through was such an incredible accomplishment. I really admire you, and I’m sooo thankful that you shared your journey online. Thank you!