The Next Thru-Hike

The Choice
Embarking on my fifth attempted wilderness thru-hike since 1995 is a big event and a privilege. This time it is the Pacific Northwest Trail, a 1200-plus mile route that crosses Montana, Idaho and Washington. I will hike it westbound from Glacier National Park starting July 2. After hiking the Appalachian Trail in 2021, the Camino de Santiago in 2022 and the England Coast to Coast in 2023, I wondered which trail I would attempt next. Having lived in and embraced the Pacific Northwest since 1979, the PNT was an easy choice, and not solely for the location. The PNT is a hard trail. It combines the steep, up and down terrain of the Appalachian Trail with the remoteness of the Continental Divide Trail and the unfinished, pre-90s Pacific Crest Trail. I chose the PNT because it’s better to hike it while I am still relatively young (?).

Preparation
Jeff Kish and Erik Wollborg of the PNT Association have been effective resources and answered my questions over the last few years. My purchase of the package of maps in September 2023 sealed the deal. I set up spreadsheets, acquired some new gear (including a Six Moon Designs Swift X backpack and Skyscape Trekker shelter), read parts of the Pacific Northwest Trail Digest by Tim Youngbluth, Pathfinder by Ron Strickland (the founder of the PNT), and the informative Pacific Northwest Trail Town Guide by Melanie Simmerman. I purchased and prepared food and supplies that went into 13 well-organized boxes for shipping. I am grateful to my lovely wife, Cindy, for the trips to the post office she will make on my behalf!

Despite these robust resources for a trail that has relatively few hikers, I am hoping to uncover the mysteries and nuances of the PNT as I hike while embracing the remoteness of the mountains the trail passes, often to the tops rather than gently traversing around. I completed several overnight hikes recently in Oregon and Washington, and day-hiked near home with a backpack that weighed close to the pack I will carry on Day 1. But this level of training cannot possibly resemble what the PNT will likely throw at me. The mental and physical approach on trail will include practicing a philosophy I recently learned in yoga, Sthira and Sukha. Sthira refers to stability, intent, and strength. Etymologically it arises from the root stha, which means “to stand, to be firm”. Sukha refers to comfort, ease, and openness, and the literal meaning is “good space,” from the root words su (good) and kha (space). These can be practiced in many facets of life, not just yoga. At my age I do not expect or will attempt to power through a trail as fast as I can. Been there, done that 28 years ago! I need the daily balance that the Sukha and Sthira facilitates. These days on trail I prefer to stop and rest at least every three miles to breathe, stretch and observe.

Next
I will write more about my travels on the PNT and post them here when I reach a town. My first stop will be on Day 5 in Polebridge, Montana, just west of Glacier National Park, unless there is no connectivity. This IS a remote trail! Oh, by the way, nobody can be an actual thru-hiker until they hike all the way thru!