I thought of it in the desert. I started it in September. I've been teasing it for months. And now it's finally available: Absolute Creatures: A Zine About Thru-Hiking the Pacific Crest Trail.
Are You There, Internet? It’s Me, Passport
Hi readers. Are you there? Are you still subscribed? Are you missing my PCT posts? I am too. Every single day. I'm meant to be grading papers right now, but that's clearly not what I'm doing. I'm drinking an IPA and listening to a Big Thief record and thinking about the trail. It's February in …
PCT Epilogue: Seattle and See You Later
September 17-21, 2022 0 miles Seattle, Washington I wake up on the morning of September 17 in the ranger cabin feeling groggy. I don't know why, but the quality of sleep I've experienced on the PCT is far lower than on the AT. It could have something to do with the fact that my sleeping …
PCT Day 151: Canada
September 16, 2022 The alarm goes off and we set about packing up. It's still dark, and it's cloudy again today. If there was any doubt before that the seasons are changing and autumn is setting in, those doubts are gone. It's undeniable. We are at a crossroads. And today is the last day on …
PCT Day 150: Last Steps on the PCT
September 15, 2022 Bridge Creek Campground at mile 2577.8 to Rainy Pass at mile 2592.1 14.3 miles I wake up slow. There’s no need to go fast, not anymore. I pack up my tent and move all my stuff over to the picnic table, where I eat breakfast: part of one of the cinnamon rolls …
PCT Day 149: Chaotic Planning and the Last Night on the PCT
September 14, 2022 Stehekin to Bridge Creek Campground at mile 2577.8 4.9 miles Today is an odd mix of relaxing and chaos. We think the shop opens at 9, so we sleep in way later than usual, which is pleasant. After we pack all our stuff up and go back down to the deck to …
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PCT Day 148: All Downhill to Stehekin
September 13, 2022 Campsite at mile 2558.1 to Stehekin 14.8 miles It’s not as damp as I expect it to be when I wake up. It’s still cloudy, but I don’t think it rained last night. I hear Jumbo rummaging around and, although I’m not ready to actually move yet, I rouse myself enough to …
PCT Day 147: Soggy But Sweet
September 12, 2022 Mile 2538.5 to campsite at mile 2558.1 19.6 miles It’s raining when we wake this morning. Usually, the sun wakes us up naturally, but today, we have to motivate ourselves a little harder than usual. This is what Washington is supposed to feel like, I think: cool, misty, mysterious. Once we’re packed …
PCT Day 146: Blowdown City and the Marmot King
September 11, 2022 Mile 2519.7 to mile 2538.5 18.8 miles Jumbo is still quiet this morning, which means he’s still hurting just as much as he was last night. I understand the feeling. Even though we’ve been getting really decent nights of sleep recently, our bodies are just simply done. We slowly start moving. It’s …
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PCT Day 145: I Would Like to Speak to the Manager of the PCT
September 10, 2022 Reflection Pond at mile 2501.2 to mile 2519.7 18.5 miles Packing up this morning is not fun. The wind didn’t stop for a single second last night, and it’s still going now. I procrastinate as much as I can, but I eventually have to face reality and get out of my quilt. …
Continue reading PCT Day 145: I Would Like to Speak to the Manager of the PCT
Sarahmarie Specht-Bird 