What a Difference a Year Makes...
Today Mark flew to San Diego to start his trek of a
lifetime. As I dropped him off at the airport I was filled with bittersweet memories. Bitter only because
it was not me leaving again this year. Sweet because I was given the chance of
a lifetime last year on this very day and now Mark has earned the same privilege.
Like
others who have hiked the PCT I think of the trail every day. Something triggers
a memory and I am back on the crest. I feel the heat at scissors crossing, hear the
silence of the Sierras, taste the sweet
juicy huckleberries that I ate far too many of and stand in awe on the Knife's
Edge in Goat's Rocks. My hiking partner
calls from behind to get my attention - Heart look what I found ... a beautiful
flower tucked among the greenery - don't remember seeing this one before -
It has been a year -
so hard to believe. The trail has changed me, changed my life in so many good
ways. It has made me stronger, more thankful, more patient. It gave me the courage to admit I was very
unhappy in my marriage and I needed to admit it to others once I could admit it
to myself. My divorce was final in March and a great weight has been lifted and
a joy has filled me like no other. We all walk the PCT for a reason but
sometimes it is not for the reason we think. And often there are many reasons, some of which we do not know at the start. If
you are one of those arm-chair hikers, or want
to be PCT thru-hiker but are holding back because of the logistics, or
because you don't believe you could make it or could afford it or for whatever
reason you may have, just know that you
will find a way if you really want to do it. Just do
your research, plan and prepare to the best of your ability and you will have a
great chance of living a dream, finding out what you are made of and having the
pleasure of all those wonderful memories.
So where do I go from here??
Well yes I am divorced but I am still friends and business
partners with my X. BUT payback is hell!
This year is my turn to hold down the
fort and do the work of 2 as Mark did for me last year. But as I said in my message to you above - if you
really want to do something you will find a way - so I will be reuniting with
Gone Fishing for 2 weeks and we will both be at the kick-off come April 26. We
will shuttle hikers to and from their destinations, hand out goodies, and spread the magic. So please let us know if you need help. My cell is 281-770-0068 and my email is
mindy.dunham@yahoo.com. GF and I will be doing some hiking and hope to meet
other hikers living their dream. He has written a journal entry which you can find by going to: www.trailjournals.com/stevefitch
Mark (trail name Max) will be journaling from the trail as
he walks for heart disease. We are so proud of him for all the work he has done preparing for his hike. His journal can be found at : www.trailjournals.com/maxmin.
Happy Trails!
Heart-Full
