Last Monday morning (September 23rd, 2013), I crossed the Canadian border and officially became a Pacific Crest Trail thru-hiker five months and one day after starting from the Mexican border. After a quick photo in the cold rain and a signing of the register hidden in Monument 78, I promptly continued on hiking an additional eight miles to the road nearing Manning Park where Goodall's parents whisked us away to a quick shower with clean clothes, a delicious meal, and a four hour ride back across the border (via roads this time) and home to Whidbey Island.

Not exactly the smooth cruise to the finish we were expecting. In fact, it was the most difficult and dangerous part of the entire trip. Started with a raging thunderstorm the first night out of Steven's Pass followed by three days of being constantly soaked in freezing rain and staying borderline hypothermic. The day we hiked into High Bridge for the bus into Stehekin, we had a surprisingly dry and warm day. After a night at the lodge, we headed out for a lovely autumn scented day and camped above Rainy Pass. Next morning, the freezing rain returned and for the next two days the weather cycled between cold, rain, and snow while we crossed multiple washouts on ridges; some of which were 15' deep and required climbing up and down loose, slick rock. Our last night on the trail, we got three inches of snow and tracked the last six miles to the monument through puddles of freezing water.

But we made it. And just in time. Here we are only about five days later and the Pacific Northwest is getting hammered with another winter storm. 1-2 feet of snow and high winds are forecasted for that last section. Most hikers still on the trail are quitting or buckling down for a few days. Winter is definitely here and hiking season is reaching a quick close.

Now that I am done, I am resting and recovering at the Lohrenz Shelter for Displaced Persons on Whidbey Island for a few weeks. All of the gear is clean, repaired, and stored. All photos are edited and captioned for one to view on Flickr. And I had a job interview for a job in Bellingham this past Thursday.

Still, I feel a bit adrift and am slightly frustrated that I really have nothing to do. After five months of hiking nearly every single day, it is difficult to simply stop and try to take it easy. My body definitely needs the rest though. The bottoms of my feet have yet to stop aching and the knees are still requesting more time off as well. Patience is becoming the word of the day. Things will come in time: healing, job, exercise, money, direction.

I am just ever so curious and ready to start. What's next?