Not sure if we have any subscribers anymore, since we haven’t written in forever! But I thought I’d let any of you out there know that both Lorax and I have continued to blog since the PCT…just not on this site since it was pretty PCT specific.
Check out Lorax’s blog at intocascadia.com – trip reports, gear reviews, and general environmental goodness. He is the Lorax after all!!
I just started my very own blog at intobohemia.ca (see how we have matching names?!) – trip reports, spiritual musings, and basically journalling. Why a new blog now? Well, we are making a major transition at the end of October, and I figured I had best document it.
Here’s a hint…
Peace, love, and adventure,
Lorax and T-Fox
PS – Having a glorious ride in this gem of a van may have had something to do with things…I’d say it’s safe to say I was feeling the nomadic, hippie vibes back then in SoCal 🙂
Hands down, Washington was my (T-Fox’s) favourite terrain on the entire trail. Don’t get me wrong…she threw some challenges at us – grown-over trails in section K and cold, bone-chilling rains just to name a few. But she made up for it with her beauty and her character.
Washington felt like home. Canada was so close. As hard as wet-weather can be, we enjoy West Coast weather because rainforests are magical…the wilderness is ALIVE with lush and green vibrancy.
And I relaxed more than I ever had on the trail. Sure, we were cranking out long, gruelling days, but I felt so capable to do so! And Canada was SO CLOSE! With only 510 miles left in Washington (with 2150 miles completed), we had this thing. If I could go back, I would…in a heart-beat.
The entire PCT was unreal…better than I ever could have imagined. I’m not just saying that in a naive “those were the days” kind of way, but in an honest-to-God kind of way. THE BEST experience of my life to date. It’s hard not to feel a little depressed when I think back to the PCT. Here I am, sitting on my couch, watching videos from the best adventure/trip of my life. I was strong! I was outside everyday! I was LOVING life! How do you get that feeling back? How can I continue to make everyday like the PCT?
Sadly…I don’t think I can make everyday an adventure. Life goes on. Work has to be done. I say I would hike the PCT again in a heart-beat…but would it be the same? Should I keep reminiscing about those days and wish to live it all over again, or embrace today for the challenges, and wonders that she has for me? While hiking on the PCT, I kept reminding myself to “live in the moment” and soak it all in. I need to keep doing that. Live in the moment, even if the moment is going out for drinks with a new friend or walking my dog around a lake. Those moments can be just as beautiful and magical if I allow them to be.
It’s been roughly 10 months since we started the PCT. We’re in Victoria, settled into our jobs, and thriving as a couple. We try to explore The Great Outdoors as much as possible – camping, mountain biking, hiking, and skiing. Mother Nature is EVERYWHERE!
Backcountry skiing smiles!
Lorax hitting it…
Cheetah Giant in Pacific Rim National Park, BC
So while we may not be walking on the PCT anymore (boo-hoo), we are still trying to embrace the lessons on love, life, and adventure that we learned through that experience. Recently, we visited the Cheewhat Giant here on Vancouver Island – the largest known red cedar in the world. I cried when I met him/her. Started bawling like a baby. I feel more in-tune with nature…with life…with the complexity and FRAILTY of it all. You have to respect life that is thousands of years old…right?
Gloriously gracious Oregon!! – The land of flatness, “unending” trees, and tolerable weather.
She did not disappoint. If anything, I’d have to say that Oregon was much better than either of us expected. I mean, check out this video…the trail was more than trees! Crater Lake, lava flows, mountain views and waterfalls surrounded by LUSH foliage.
These were the days where the “easier” terrain (combined with our strengthened bodies) allowed for more ambitious mileage. My confidence had rocketed by this point…T-Fox is capable! I can’t quite say that I was feeling like I had this thing “in-the-bag,” but I was feeling stinkin’ close.
So here’s the section of the PCT through all of Oregon, in a very tiny nutshell. Of course, if you really want to know what she’s like, you may just want to give it a go yourself 🙂
Well, Dan has compiled the next video – Northern California. We both keep watching it over and over and over again…reliving the wonder, the laughs, the views, and the quality time with each other and with nature.
We miss the trail terribly…but it’s nice to remember something so fondly and with such a full heart. The PCT is a new friend, and she will forever be our friend.
Re-living the Sierra days with Part 2 of our video series!
Here’s where the trail got serious…steep mountain grade climbs, spectacular scenery, and strengthened bodies. This video literally brings a tear to my eye.
Those were the days! That was living! An adventure we will never forget.
I came to our blog today with the intention of thanking everyone for their congratulatory comments on the blog, and in some cases, in person. Both Dan and I (or is he forever Lorax?) had no idea that so many people were following our journey and supporting us through thought and prayer. It nearly brings me to tears when I consider it.
I am currently visiting family in southern Ontario, while Dan (last I heard) is camping in the woods somewhere in Victoria British Columbia while attending school and searching for an apartment for us. My man continues to look after me, even while I’m away – maybe I should have been Princess Fox 🙂
My task for the day is to load up our lives in a 5 x 8 foot trailer and drive it all back to British Columbia for the next chapter in our journey – luckily my parents are helping with the move!
Adjusting back to life as been interesting but comfortable with the help of family and friends. I’m not sure if it has truly sunk in that we are done walking…almost like this is an extended break.
So thank you everyone for your kind words of encouragement during our trip, and your celebratory congrats over the past week. I miss my trail, but she’s not going anywhere…
