The reason why I'm attempting this thru-hike is hard to describe. It has been something that has been in my mind for over 10 years. I bought my first PCT Trail Guide in 1996. At that time the guides consisted of 2 books; one covering California and one covering Oregon and Washington. It's interesting that I would pick a long-distance hike as a goal, as the longest backpack trip that I participated in was a 12 day Boy Scout Philmont expedition in 2006. While the seed of the trip was planning many years ago, the more I read about the PCT, whether from books or from online journals of other hikers attempting the journey, the more seed has grown and the more interested I have become.

One reason why I'm attempting my hike now, in 2008, is that I realized that the longer I wait, the harder it will be to get into physical condition to complete the journey. Every year I find it harder and harder to keep up with the scouts in the Boy Scout troop in which I belong. Also I have several friends who have passed away in recent years, and I have decided that it will be better to "go for it" now. I am thankful that my wife puts up with my antics and supports my efforts, and that we are financially in a position where I can take time off from work to make this attempt. I also want to thank the Lord for granting me this opportunity at this time in my life, and for allowing everything to "fall together" to allow me to take part on this expedition.

The best thing about this hike so far is the conditioning hikes that I've been taking to get in shape. I've seen much beautiful scenery and many animals, and I've stopped several times on these hikes and just relaxed and smiled, enjoying the experience of the moment. This is a form of contentment that is hard to explain. It's interesting that it takes the commitment of an oncoming thru-hike to get me out on the trails this often, but so far, the more hiking I've done, the more I've enjoyed my time on the trail.

I realize that while now my primary obstacle is physical, I will have to be able to spend 8 hours or more hiking on a daily basis, that this will change and that my primary obstacle will turn mental. That is the mental stress of putting in the daily effort to complete the journey for months and months. Right now I have many uncertainties, and I am looking to the trek with anticipation. I hope that my anticipation will continue as my uncertainties unfold. I hope that I will still have moments on the trail where I can still stop and smile and enjoy the experience, and that my daily task of "putting in the miles" does not turn into drudgery.