Thru hikers have a saying on the PCT – “the trail provides.” It’s the distillation of a notion that when you find yourself in need on the trail, somehow, no matter what type of situation you’re in, you’ll manage to get what you need to keep you moving forward on the journey.

The trail provides in so many different ways. Sometimes it’s tangible gifts such as a ride to/from town, or arriving at a cache of bottled water after a 20 mile dry stretch in the middle of the desert, or some other piece of “trail magic” provided by a complete stranger. Sometimes the trail provides in less tangible ways. These may be moments or experiences that cause you to stop in your tracks and marvel over nature’s beauty, made more poignant especially after a particularly tough day of hiking where you could really use a pick-me-up.

I lived most of my life prior to the trail hesitant to ask people (especially complete strangers) for help. A few years before this hike, I read a thought-provoking book by Amanda Palmer called The Art of Asking. Her thesis was that the human experience is an inherently communal one made all the more rich by helping others and, more importantly, learning how to overcome fear, pride or any other self-imposed obstacles in order to seek help from others. The trail has been a master class in the art of seeking [and providing] assistance. I’ve witnessed the best in humanity as I’ve hiked the trail this year. This trail experience has taught me not to worry about silly things and mistakingly try to figure everything out ahead of time – I’ve found that generally, things will just work themselves out naturally…and complete strangers are often chomping at the bit to help out.

The earliest example of the trail providing for me was right after I destroyed a titanium tent stake trying to pound it into hard-packed soil with a rock. Luckily, I had an extra stake in my kit just in case I lost or damaged one. However, the very next morning, while breaking down my tent I found a perfect aluminum tent stake someone else must have accidentally left behind. Again, I had an extra tent stake for my kit.

As I mentioned in a previous blog post, I have to get off the trail every four to seven days to resupply. Sometimes the trail goes right past resupply stops and sometimes it requires a ride (unless you want to walk an extra 6-9 miles). In those latter situations it is highly desirable to somehow find a ride into town. I’ve been blessed at several locations to know local folks who offered to meet me at the trail and drive me into town.

Near Lancaster, California I was able to get a ride from (and then back to) the trail by my good friends (and former landlords) John and Craig. I was able to stay at their place and clean up and rest. They also gave me a ride into town for a resupply and then dropped me back off at the trail to continue the trek.

After the incredible stretch of the PCT in the High Sierras between Kennedy Meadows South and Kearsarge Pass (near Independence, California), I got a ride all the way up to Bishop for a resupply from my friend Laura. Betsy and I had gotten to know Laura through horse circles when we lived in Southern California. She went way out of her way to pick me up [and then drop me back off] at the Onion Valley campground and it was so very much appreciated.

Sometimes you don’t have friends along the trail to call and come get you when you need a ride into town. This was the first time in my life where I got to a road intersection and then…stuck out my thumb to hitch a ride. That took a leap of faith for me initially. I mean, what hiker wants to jump in a random person’s car and then get murdered by a crazy axe murderer? But also, on the other side of the coin, what self-respecting motorist sees a filthy, unshaven backpacker on the side of the road and says, “hmm, that seems like a good idea to pick up that backpacker.”? Even in this time of COVID though, some people were more than willing to stop and pick up a needy hiker and take me into town – or back from town to the trail.

I ended up getting hitches several times along the journey. I talked with a guy named John who drove me from Leavenworth, Washington back to the trailhead at Stevens Pass and he said he liked giving PCT hikers rides because we “usually had interesting stories” and he just liked chatting with us on the drive. He said he could spot PCT hikers a mile away because we just have a “look” to us.

Hikers inevitably have extra gear or supplies to give to other hikers in need. The pesky washers that go on a Sawyer Squeeze water filter often fall out and when they do, the device becomes near impossible to use. While hiking alone, I found myself having to fashion a makeshift washer out of duct tape after I lost my washer. Twice while hiking through the High Sierras, a guy we were hiking with lost his Sawyer washer and it just so happened that Money had extras he was able to give to him.

There were times when people got low on food in a section and other hikers were able to help them out. John Muir Trail hikers going south in the High Sierras often have too much food and so I saw several instances of them handing off extra food to northbound PCT hikers who were running short and in need of food. Often we would run into day hikers who would ask us if we needed any food and would pass off their extras to us.

One time in Southern California I was sitting down, propped up against the outside wall of a pit toilet to get out of the wind and a guy pulled up in an SUV and asked if I was doing the PCT. I said I was and he replied, “You want any food? I just got done with a camping trip and have a bunch of extra food.” I definitely took him up on that offer and he hooked me up with some great stuff. It turns out he had thru hiked the PCT several years ago and so he well understood how appreciated the gift of food is on the trail.

Another time, Money, Landlord and I were sitting at the edge of a parking lot at Rainy Pass, Washington having a snack when a lady drove up to us and said, “Hi, are you Money?” Her name was Beth and she had recognized Money from the PCT Facebook group and came over to see if we needed anything. She had just finished a section hike and had all sorts of snacks and drinks in the back of her car. She totally hooked us up with fruit, snacks, yogurt, sodas, water and even some white wine! Random acts of trail magic such as this are a true blessing on a PCT thru hike.

I briefly had the pleasure of hiking with a thru hiker named Stitch near Sierra City, California. While having lunch and beers with him in town he said he could really use a cork massage ball. It turned out I had an extra one in the resupply package I had just picked up at the post office and so I was happy to pass that along to him.

As I alluded to above, water caches in the middle of the desert were lifesavers. There were several caches along the trail maintained by wonderful trail angels who want to make sure hikers have access to water in the middle of particularly long, dry sections. Below are some photos I took of various water caches I happened upon throughout the hike.

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The trail also provides in more ethereal ways. One of the best examples of this for me was during a particularly foul weather section of the hike in Northern Washington. It had been raining – and at times snowing – on me for four days straight. It was even so bad that during one of the days, I spent the whole day in the tent taking a “trail zero.”

On the fourth day, I hiked alone through freezing drizzle, then through a blizzard to cross a mountain pass, and then back down in elevation into rain. I was exhausted, cold, soaked to the bone (even though I was wearing rain gear) and demoralized. But on the fifth day, the blue skies and sun came out and I soaked in the warmth and my whole outlook turned around. It’s amazing how some beautiful weather and the drying power of the sun can melt away the demoralization incurred from difficult days.

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The day before reaching the northern terminus, I found myself on the west slope of a mountainside catching the warm afternoon sunshine. It was a moment where I felt compelled to stop, lay out my foam pad right on the trail and just watch and listen to the golden grasses swaying in the wind as the sun slowly descended towards the neatly spaced rows of North Cascades mountains in the distance. I felt a feeling of complete peacefulness and must have been there for nearly 45 minutes quietly taking it all in before a southbound hiker showed up needing to get around me. A perfect time to reflect on the trail and the overall experience before arriving at the ultimate goal – the Northern Terminus. Yes, the trail does provide.

Trail Facts:

• Trail miles walked – 2,266
• Current PCT mileage marker – 180 (I’m making up the southern 454 miles now)
• Additional PCT Thru Hikers I’ve met – Uphill, Wallace, Cajun
• Current Audiobook – The New Tsar: The Rise and Reign of Vladimir Putin by Lee Myers
• Additional wildlife seen – Western Diamond-Backed rattlesnake, Acorn woodpecker, Downy woodpecker, Gray fox