How It Feels To Near The End of a Thru-Hike

2,650 is an in-fathomable number.

So intimidating that it is best not to think about it. But during the first stretch of trail, it’s hard not to, the reminders are everywhere.

Every gate, town, and road crossing in the desert seems to have a sign letting you know how close you still are to Mexico and how far you are from Canada.

So the miles crawl by. Mile by mile, day by day.

Then the mile markers stop, the signs become less frequent, and you stop thinking about it. You just walk.

And that is why, approximately 90 days later, halfway through Washington and just 259 miles from the Canadian border, it hits me. This hike will end. This trail that has been my home, my family, and my reality for the past several months will end.

For the first time since stepping foot onto the PCT, the reality of the passage of time sinks in.

Oftentimes on trail, a day feels longer than a week, and last month feels like a year ago. But today, it’s August. And somehow all of these steps have added up to miles and these minutes have added up to days. 1,405 miles and 79 days to be exact. I think back to my first few days on trail, it feels like a lifetime ago. I am just barely beginning to process what this experience has been for me but today, I am deeply grateful for all of it. And for that girl who took that first step on trail back in May.