Hello and welcome to Wanderland.
My name is Ellie. I was born in Michigan and raised in a relatively small town on the California central coast, but I am currently living in Denver and continuing my education at DU. However, I am about to put my studies and the rest of my civilian life on hold in order to become a successful thru-hiker of the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT). The PCT is an approximately 2,650 mile backpacking trail stretching from Mexico to Canada that traverses the mountain ranges of California, Oregon and Washington. I am estimating that this journey will take five months, so I am withdrawing from school for the Spring 2019 quarter and beginning my hike on March 24, just three days after I take my last final of Winter Quarter. I will travel through many different ecosystems ranging from scorching deserts to the snow-covered sierra and beyond. It is a massive undertaking, and I am equal parts terrified and excited. The success rate of successfully thru-hiking the PCT is very small, but I am stubborn, smart and resilient: I will succeed.
The most important thing to know about me is that I love to walk and wander. Preferably my wander-walking would always be up, over and around mountains; through dense, green and aromatic forests; along harsh, jagged and rocky oceanic coastlines; silently across arid, hot and desolate deserts; in places as remote and untouched by humanity as possible, where I can feel one with the natural world around me. Minus the ocean coasts, the PCT will take me through all of these magical places. I am a wild child, nature nut, vagabond, free-spirit and intuitive and deeply feeling human. I am a spontaneous soul who has recently began to discover my resilience, bravery and worth, and finally uncovered the courage and belief in myself necessary to search for the missing piece of myself that has left me feeling lost for as long as I can remember. That is why I have chosen to drastically shift the paradigm of my life and journey to–through–Wanderland by hiking the PCT. Through this blog I intend to take you along with me through the highs and lows of this unforgettable and life changing experience.
Back to my rant about my love of wander-walking. It soothes and calms my soul like nothing else. It is the one thing that I always know I can do no matter where I am, no matter how exhausted, overwhelmed or even paralyzed by fear I feel. Almost every day of my civilian life I walk upwards of 10 miles: to and from everywhere I have to go, even my physical therapy appointments that are six miles away, through the neighborhoods surrounding DU, over to the parks near campus for what I call a “little slice of nature.” I firmly believe that walking and time outside in the fresh is a cure all–for everyone. We can channel the energy of the natural world any time we step outside, even in the middle of the city. It’s about finding beauty in the little weeds growing out of the sidewalk, allowing your gaze to linger upon every tree you pass, seeking out parks to visit in your area or reverting to childhood pastimes and searching for figures in the clouds. A little slice of nature can be found anywhere; you simply must learn to look and to appreciate the beauty of the little things.
My journey along the PCT will be through remote wilderness lands, and my only interactions with the outside world for the five-month duration of this hike will be during weekly resupply town visits. During these visits my friend/hiking partner Alyssa and I will either head to grocery stores and purchase more food or pick up boxes of food and other necessary items we mailed ahead to ourselves. If we are lucky, we will be able to snag a shower too, and perhaps even get some laundry done. The experience of hiking the PCT is so powerful because it is so simple: all you have to do is walk, keep moving and keep going even when it gets hard. It is just you and the pristine wilderness around you, plus your “trail family” that you adopt along the way. Little things like showers become priceless, magical and luxurious activities, and I’m really looking forward to developing a new appreciation for all of the people, things and practices in my life. Trail culture is completely different from the society surrounding us, and I am ready to dive in head first, embrace it, melt into it.
Once I am on trail I will post an update approximately every week when my hiking partner and I stop in town for the aforementioned resupply stops. I sincerely hope you will follow along with and perhaps even become a part of my journey through this blog. That is all for now, but you will hear from me again soon.
