A week from today, Teddy will step back onto the trail and complete the last leg of his PCT journey. It has been a very emotional, frustrating time for him to say the least. I would like to clear this up for those of you who are not sure what and why this is happening.
When Teddy stepped off the trail last November, he left the mountains of Oregon and Washington with 2+ feet of snow, making the last 350 miles of his journey impossible. We had always planned for him to go back this summer and complete the pieces he had not hiked. There are 172 miles in Oregon, spanning from just past Crater Lake to a town called Sisters, and 180 miles in Washington spanning from Skykomish to the monument in Manning Park, just over the Canadian border. In total, Teddy had missed 352 miles.
We planned a wonderful trip out West, for early July, where we would visit with family, and at the end of our visit, would deliver him to the spot where he had stepped off last November. All was in place, and on Tuesday, July 10th we drove up to Skykomish with the Jump family to send Teddy on his way. If there were ever someone watching over Scarecrow on his journey, (and we feel there is every minute) , they were certainly present that day. We arrived at the Skykomish Post Office to retrieve his food package that he had sent ahead of time, and met with the woman who worked the counter. She remembered Teddy when he had stepped off the trail back in November. She informed us that a thruhiker had just come down that morning from the mountains where Teddy was headed, completely panicked and defeated as there were 6+ feet of snow up on the trail, making it impassable. Teddy knew exactly how he had felt, as he had bailed when there was 2 feet of snow last fall. Of course a million things were running through Scarecrow's head ~ was the hiker experienced or a novice? Was it as bad as he said it was? Does he chance it and go up anyway or heed to the warning given by the postal woman. After having a wonderful lunch with the Jumps at the Skykomish Diner, thinking about and discussing his options, Teddy thankfully decided to accept this divine intervention as a blessing. You see, we would never have had access to the trail conditions up on the mountain where we were dropping Teddy off. If that thruhiker had not come through that morning with the report, we would have dropped Teddy off on a trail that would lead him up to where he had to step back onto the PCT. He would have been stuck in 6+ feet of snow, while we drove the hour ride back to Redmond.
We all got back in the car and drove back to my family's home in Redmond, where Teddy decided to contact his trail angel in Oregon. He would plan to travel down and complete the section from Crater Lake to Sisters, and then make his way back up to Skykomish in a few weeks. We thought, not only would there be less snow south of here in Oregon, but in a few weeks, the snow will have melted in Washington as well, making for easier travel for his completion. He called Lloyd Gust, who immediately remembered Scarecrow from their meeting last fall. They discussed what Teddy had wanted to do, which was take a greyhound from Washington to Portland, and then Portland to Bend, have him pick Teddy up and bring him to the trail and send him on his way. To Teddy's frustration, the gentleman explained that although he would be more than happy to accommodate his request, he had just that morning rescued two thruhikers from that portion of the trail. These hikers were experienced, had GPS and the proper equipment and still got stuck, as there were 6+ feet of snow up on the trail. We could not even believe what we were hearing. Twice in one day, there was divine intervention sending us a message that Scarecrow did not belong up in the trail at this time. Again, we would have never had access to the conditions of the trail if it were not for the hikers being rescued THAT DAY!
Teddy made the tough, heartbreaking but safe, smart decision to not attempt to finish at that time. I reassured him that he would get it done ~ it just wasn't the right time. I am so grateful and appreciative that he listened to the warnings and chose to fly home instead of risk his safety.
Which brings us to today ~ a week before his departure. He will fly out on August 21 to our family in Washington, and be driven to the trail head the next day to begin. His backpack and hiking stick are ready to go, already in Washington, and he is excited to finally put this last piece of the trail to rest. He estimates it will take him about 26 days, with a few rest days in between. He will be in the mountains at the optimal time, where there is always the least amount of snow. My prayers and positive energy are for a healthy, safe, enjoyable journey through the last chapter of Scarecrow's PCT adventure.
I will update everyone as I hear from Teddy ~ I want to begin this last chapter with a huge thank you to all who have supported Teddy through this journey. Your love, prayers, and encouragement are what is giving him the strength and positivity to get this done.
Happy Trails, Scarecrow... enjoy the last leg of this wonderful, exciting journey.
The Thruhiker's Wife
