So I decided to walk 1000 miles on the Pacific Crest Trail

At some point this past summer, while suffering through 325 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail in Oregon, covering my first 30-mile day, meeting amazing thru-hikers, sharing stories, skinny-dipping when I felt like it, I sensed an incomprehensible feeling of freedom and I knew that I wanted to do my own hike. Strangely, nine years ago when I met Happy ‘JO’ I had never hiked in my life. I claimed that 98% of my hikes were for love, but I slowly found myself craving the wilderness, the simple necessities of life on the trail, and the incredible companionship that only comes from letting go of all of your worldly belongings and walking with other crazy masochists in one direction for days on end.

I knew that I wanted to hike my own hike--and sometimes I justify it by saying that I am having an early mid-life crisis. I don’t know what I will uncover about myself, but I know that it will be hard, the desert will be hot, and that I will get the biggest blisters of my life. I also know that when I meet others on the trail, we will have an affinity that transcends the commonalities of everyday life. We will instantly understand the need for walking for weeks on end, the craving for clean water, dry weather, and a cheeseburger.

I knew that I needed to do another fundraiser, though, for something or someone that was meaningful to me and would motivate me in my darkest moments, when I wondered how I could have put myself in a 25-mile waterless stretch of 110 degree heat. Through my friend Anna, I met Jake French, and I can’t say enough about how much he motivates me to want to WALK. Every time that I feel like I can’t do it, I can think about Jake, and the motivation that he must conjure up every day during the rehabilitation process to move through every day activities.

So now I am preparing my schedule, my gear, and my food drops. I don’t know who I will start with, and I don’t really care. I won’t go to the annual day-zero kick off party (ADZPCTKO) simply because it is too early in the year, and I don’t want to get siked out. I plan to hook up with hikers along the way. And to all of you trail angels in LA (O’dark, Shadow, the Kenderians), I can’t wait to reunite with you.