Why? Why does one embark on a journey where they decide to walk 4270 km or 2652 miles? What is the point? Why?
To be honest with you, apart from the fact that it was a dream since I
first discovered the Pacific Crest Trail existed, I had no idea why. I felt like I needed to leave the life that I was just starting to build in Nicaragua to accomplish this new goal. A voice inside of me was just urging me to start the trail as soon as possible and that the answers to the questions I had were going to be answered only if stick with the whole journey. There was a voice that kept repeating, no matter what happens, just finish it. What were these questions? The weeks prior to the start and probably until I reached the Sierra Nevada, I wasn’t aware of them, I just think that my soul knew what they were.
I love the spiritual and mystical aspect of life and I usually follow its calling. Throughout my life, throughout my travels, I discovered that the intuitive voice that sometimes speaks from within is there for a reason, goes beyond reasoning and should sometimes be followed. So here I was, jumping again into the deep end, without much experience in hiking long trails, called thru hiking. To be honest, apart from daily hikes and three four days hike in my life, I didn’t have much to go with. Yet, I still had no idea why I was on this path, I just trusted the Universe, I trusted that gut feeling that was telling me that this was the way.
I prepared myself as fast as I could. I started my hike March 30th, preparing myself in less than 6 weeks. Like anytime one jumps into the deep end without much preparation and experience, the shock is brutal. First, the cold, I wasn’t expecting nights to be below freezing in the desert of Southern California, not only that, but I had just spent eight months living in the tropical life of Nicaragua. Second, my body wasn’t used to walking over 25 km or 12 miles per day from the get-go. My feet were hurting as they started to flatten out and spread. Once again, something new to me, I was soon told that most hikers’ feet will change and gain one full size just from the pressure we put on them. (If you are interested in seeing PCT hikers’ feet and what some go through, I recommend the Instagram page FeetofthePCT) Third, my backpack was way too heavy at the beginning, I started with a base weight of around 30-35 pounds without food and water and ended my journey with a base weight of 18 pounds.
The first month consisted of learning the life, the routine of the trail, the beauty and the ugliness of it. Walking, taking a break, filtering water, resupplying, mending the aches and pains and meeting new people. Going gradually from walking 20-25 km a day to 30-35. Your body adjusts, you lose weight in your upper body, and gain some in your legs. You learn to take a break in the heat of the desert, waking up early and walking late to avoid the heat, also meaning you might not need to carry as much water. The name of the game is moral, your pack’s weight, water management and kilometers or miles since we are in the States.
You understand you are living something truly magical, but at the same time, grasping the immensity of the task at hand and the effort behind it is just too hard to comprehend. You learn to go one day at a time. To enjoy the little things, to enjoy the breaks, to enjoy the unique people that you meet on trail, you get a trail name, mine is Shaman, and most importantly, you keep on walking.
But, in the first few weeks of the trail, I knew I was supposed to be here, but I still didn’t know my why, I didn’t know what were the questions that led me to do this. All I had was the trust in that voice that kept repeating to me: ‘’No matter what, you must finish this to receive the answers to the questions you don’t have yet. ‘’
Before you know it, you are arriving to Kennedy Meadows South, the official marker letting you know that the desert section is over, and that the Sierra awaits. Having covered 700 miles, spending over 6 weeks out in nature, the trail having more of a feeling of home than the few hours you spend in town to resupply. Although it is an accomplishment to walk this much, and to spend this amount of time out there, you still haven’t reached a quarter of the trail’s total length. All that there is to do is pack up, prepare for the Sierra and keep on walking, letting life live itself through you.
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