posted by Claire on Feb 10
Nate and I just had a blast talking about our trip to the elementary school classes at Forest Lake Elementary, where Nate was a wee one back in the day. When he told the kids that he was there in 1995, they all gasped in disbelief. 1995?! Wow, he’s really old! You can see photos of the event on the FLE website.
I keep forgetting how strange this trip seems to most folks. We are surrounded by fellow campers and athletes, steeped in thru-hiking culture. To the outdoor adventure community, hiking the PCT in one season is a feat, but not extraordinary. But to most of the people we encounter, backpacking and camping are themselves adventures. Add to the mix 25-mile days and 6 months continuous hiking and you have an awe inspiring expedition.
It was wonderful to show these children our world, our passion, and see them get fired up about it. It’s true that the questions often involved dangerous encounters with bears, mountain lions, snakes, scorpions, and moose, not to mention cold, ice, hunger, being lost, impassable crevasses and insurmountable rock faces, but the students were truly interested in the whole proposition. Why are you doing this? How do you get food? What about communication with your families and friends? How can you walk so far in a day? What will you do when you’re done? My personal favorite was, “Are you, a boy and a girl, going to sleep in the SAME tent?” For all you wondering about that dilemma, we are sleeping in the same tent. It’s unbelievable, I know, but we really have to minimize the weight we carry, despite the hardships involved.