Ttomczik - Pacific Crest Trail Journal - 2021

The Beginning

When I was a freshman in high school I read a book about a guy who hiked the Pacific Crest Trail. I was

fascinated with his journey which led me on a literary adventure. I read as much as I could about the

Crest Trail (PCT), Appalachian Trail, walking across America, John Muir, ect. I thought to myself that one

day I was going to do something like this. Since then I have backpacked small sections of trail over the

years but have never really been out for more than a few nights at a time...barely scrathching the

surface of what these people accomplished in the books I so fervently read.

Now I am 51 y/o. For years now, as I lay in bed at night, I have been "faux planning" my adventures,

strategizing routes, thinking about gear, looking at maps and watching YouTube videos of people going

on adventures of a lifetime. I thought back to my early teens and remembered the excitement I had to take

on such a challenge and it was at this point that I decided that I, too, was going to attempt to fulfill a lifelong

dream. I planned out my finances and decided that I could pull it off...It was going to take a huge chunk of

money to accomplish something like through hiking the PCT as I have a mortgage, car payments, family,

insurance, ect that I am still responsible for, not to mention costs associated with being on trail and resupply..

I spoke to my wife about it and she said go for it. My boss agreedto grant me a leave of absence from work.

Now it was up to me...do i really want to do this? YES, yes I do.

2021 is going to be the year I attempt to fulfill this dream.

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