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Welcome to Canada
I did it. I made it to Canada.
I don’t think the reality of achieving this long-time goal quite set in today. I don’t know if it will for a long time. There were still 11 miles to get to the terminus, and quite a bit of elevation. And no one mentions that the last 3 miles of trail are riddled with blowdowns. I locked in and got a bulk of miles down before meeting up with Dromedary to hike the last few miles together.
Over the trail, we’ve reflected on our progress with a round of “best, worst, weirdest”. For the last 3 miles, we shared our top 3 best, worst, and weirdest moments on trail. I hadn’t felt emotional until I this point, where I was reflecting on just how far we’ve come.
I heard our friend’s voices in the distance. We rounded the corner and saw Flash waving a checkered flag. Out of the corner of my eye I could see it. The terminus. It’s real. I walked up to the wooden pillars and touched it with tear-filled eyes to take in the moment. I’ve made it. I’ve completed the PCT.
I signed my trail name in the logbook for a final time. The rest of our friends trickled in behind us about 20 minutes later. All 12 of us, plus Bubbles and Cowboy who joined us for the last stretch after time off trail to heal up injuries, grabbed champagne bottles from our pack pockets and set up in front of the terminus. Little Wagon counted us down as we all shook our bottles and opened them in unison, champagne going everywhere.
The feeling of this moment was indescribable. We took turns taking photos in front of the monument and cheering for each other in awe and what we’ve done. Just a few days ago, I didn’t think this moment would be possible. And here we were, all of us together, at the finish line.
I frolicked all the way back to camp on cloud nine. What a journey it’s been.
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Comments 11
Congrats Darcey! I have been following along your journey and have truly enjoyed your blogs. This is so amazing, and I am so happy to see that you safely made it to Canada!
Congratulations!. So glad you were able to get to Canada. I enjoyed reading your posts, thank you for sharing your experiences and the awesome pictures.
Well Done! Congratulations!
What an accomplishment! So glad you all got to celebrate together. Thanks for bringing us on your adventures!
Darcey, it’s been so exciting to follow your journey from Campo to Canada! Nancy and I have been enjoying your blog and cheering for you from SD! Huge congratulations to you on your spectacular finish!! -the Nowaks
Congratulations!!!! I have looked forward to and savored every post you’ve written. My mornings will be a bit darker without them. I’m so happy for you. Way. To. Go. Sister!!!
Congratulations Darcey!!
Congratulations on finishing your hike. I enjoyed your writing. David Odell AT71 PCT72 CDT77
I loved following along on your adventures; and I was so happy to see you reach the terminus with your people! Congratulations!
Fantastic — congratulations!!! So glad the trail reopened so you could have the finish you hoped for. Thank you for sharing your adventures with us. 🙂
A bit late to the game here- but CONGRATS DARCEY! What an epic adventure!!!