The Bell Rock LightHouse ~ fixated off the coast of Angus, Scotland – remains to be the world’s oldest surviving sea-washed lighthouse.  The construction began in 1807 by Robert Stevenson and was completed in 1810.  This steadfast figure stands at 115 ft tall, and it’s light is visible from 35 statute miles inland.

When I came across this photo, I became fixated, realizing that this is a real representation of what life feels like some days.  Standing tall doing my very best to weather any storm trying not to get knocked to my knees, or worse, flat on my face.

Over the last couple of years, I’ve had some crippling moments, some ‘knock-you-down-so- hard-you’re-not-sure-you’ll-ever-be-able-to-get-up’ kind of experiences.  But – and this is the key – I made it through them all.  It would be amazing to say I made it through unscathed but I can assure you, I did not make it through without stumbling.  It was indeed a slow arduous crawl back to health. Feelings of inadequacy, failure, extrordinary pain and emotional turmoil plagued my head and my heart. Some days – believing that had I just died, this all would have been easier.  Isn’t it funny when we find ourselves amidst the most challenging things in life – it is easy to go there in our minds.  But the reality for me is, every challenge, every difficult situation I’ve found myself in during my 36 years – the most significant growth has come as a result of moving directly through the pain.  I had a tremendous amount of support and love, but no one could walk the path of recovery for me – that was a path I had to walk myself, and I did so as gracefully as I could.  And – here I sit, fully recovered reflecting on the experiences, the pain, the gruesome photos, all now, just a memory and a reminder – there is nothing I cannot do or accomplish one step at a time even when I doubt my own ability to do so.

I’ve heard a few quotes over the last few years of listening to motivational speakers that have inspired me and helped me to understand that when life pushes back or presents a challenge, or knocks the wind out of your sails, the best way to approach those moments is to walk right through them.  There is no climbing over, crawling under, going around or any other creative way to ‘dodge’ these moments – just a simple understanding that the only way is right through the damn middle of the fire.  If you try to avoid the path through the middle, these moments will inevitably find themselves back at the surface and you will be forced to contend with them at a later date, quite possibly without the tools and support you had at the time they surfaced.

Les Brown offers this, “Life is hard, but I have this saying, when life knocks you down, try to land on your back, because if you can look up, you can get up.”

A Japanese Proverb written as, “Fall down seven times, stand up eight.”

And another quote I ran across recently that also speaks to me, “You can’t fall if you don’t climb.  But there is no joy in living your whole life on the ground.

It is true that FEAR can paralyze the very fibers in our soul that desire living a fulfilling and abundant life – especially when they ground us and keep us from dreaming or spreading our wings to fly as high and far as we can.  I am reminded of this each day my hands run across the scars on my abdomen from my experience last year.  I refuse to let any more days move past me with any feelings of discontent or disenchantment in my head or heart.

Life is precious.  If we were all to experience a ‘near-death’ moment – maybe it would be the wake up the world needs.  I know this – Death is certain – so as I move through the days, its important for me to remember to live each day wholly, love with reckless abandon, to use my words carefully as no one will forget the last things I ever get to say, believe in myself and my abilities, give each day the best version of myself, to make a positive impact in at least one person’s life each day – and to continue to do the things in my life that I love, that feed my soul – and allow me the ability to grow more feathers to add to my wings – because I have to keep flying higher and higher.

While the waters and waves of life may be rough at times… there are also moments where the chaos and pain fall silent – and it is in these moments, I feel most alive because it is the reminder of what I have endured, that I did make it through and I am stronger as a result.

As I sit this morning, comfortable, in a warm booth, in my favorite nook – “The Local Blend”, a coffee shop in Saint Joseph, only a two block distance from home, working on my third cup of coffee, watching the rain pour outside on this unusually warm February morning ~ I am once again reminded of the trail.

I said to myself, “Isn’t it funny; once you’ve had a simple taste of Mother Nature in all of her glory – you’re drawn back into it, even in the worst of conditions.” – like a moth to a flame, addict to a fix, or grandpa to a familiar friend; a walking cane – the grip holds tight and never truly leaves us, our heart, body or mind.

It is true – and why I am drawn to pack up all of my books, computer, notes and ‘things’ to go home, drop it all on the floor, throw on clothes and go run in it; makes perfect sense to me.  You see, to me and many I’ve come to know, it’s no different than being inspired to do something in your life, driven by the feeling that there is something more, to give it your all and to find yourself naked; stripped of all you have; in your rawest of forms only to embrace yourself for exactly who you are, where you are, and know you are on the right trail; meandering one-day-at-a-time, one-step-at-a-time.

Maybe it can be as simple as:

Listening to music that resonates in your soul and gets you moving.

A motivational message that pumps you up and helps you pursue something that scares or intimidates you.

A friendly wave or ‘hello’ from a passerby that puts a smile on your face and helps to pick your head Up and move about your day.

Running in a race, completing an obstacle course or playing a sport for the first time leaving you with a sense of accomplishment and desire for more.

To find something; anything, which gives you the self confidence you need to push through all of life’s challenges; through failures and successes all – good, frustrating, bad, external, difficult, fun, easy, hurtful, emotional, personal, hard, internal… is a miraculous feeling.

This trail I keep talking about; it’s given me just that – and even now in my moments of self-doubt, feelings of inadequacy, insecurities, even times that I feel worthless – I draw on the trail, I find a way to get back – not always physically back, but mentally.

How do I achieve this? usually through some type of physical strain and struggle.  I’ve found that walking, running and even dancing(not that I can claim to be a good dancer, it mostly looks like ridiculous flapping) but, it brings it all together; leaving me with feelings of pure, unimaginable and overwhelming emotions of  JOY, HEARTACHE, LOVE, ACCEPTANCE, DETERMINATION, BELIEF, FAITH… and most importantly leaves me feeling so very ALIVE – just as much as anything else I’ve experienced in my life – this strain, struggle and sometimes slow crawl takes me there; every. time.

Each day I struggle, I’m learning that I am enough, that I am lovable, that I do have what it takes in this life to be successful and to inspire others to do what their hearts truly desire. Don’t wait another second, start today; because whatever your challenge is, you can obtain it by believing in yourself, making a conscious decision to commit and consistently take one step at a time and you will achieve whatever you desire in this lifetime.

Today, I’m going out into the rain to find that special place… to find my trail.

What’s your Rain?  Where is your Trail, Are you on it? ~ You CAN Be.

 

Aqua-Man

Good Afternoon,

It’s been several months since my return ‘back to reality’ slowly taking my time to reflect on this past adventure as I begin to take baby steps into this new life in Minnesota.  In reflection, I’ve spent many moments remembering the laughs, the tears, the highs and the lows that this last hike brought into my life.  I remember vividly the challenges, the pure joy; and better yet the moments I wanted to quit and go home.  Without a shadow of a doubt, despite the challenges I faced; finishing my hike was the only way my spirit would have allowed me to return home.. feeling fulfilled.

While my return from the Pacific Crest Trail has not presented the intensity of post-trail depression I wallowed in for two months following my first hike on the Appalachian Trail; it momentarily has crept up from time-to-time and grabbed ahold of me.  Difficult to understand and comprehend, moreover interesting to think that many of my hiking family shares this same disposition, or does not at all experience these overwhelming feelings.  However interesting it might be, it is clear – the draw of the trail is present in my heart and my spirit each and every day. As I I find it planted firmly and deeply in my soul – I yearn for another opportunity to be outside, in my place of pure joy.

One may wonder – with such strong feelings; what tool am I using to handle the consistent push and pull the trail provides?  I’ve found the best option for me is to share my story with strangers, friends, colleagues, interviewers, passer-by’s loved ones, or even just myself.  It is because of this that I had an opportunity to share a brief glimpse into my story and what some may consider, my expertise.  The forum; a speaking engagement at St. Johns University in Collegeville, Minnesota (Living in Avon Hills Conference)  This presentation was held Saturday, January 30th, presenting on long-distance backpacking over two sessions during the afternoon.

Was I Overwhelmed … Yes,  Scared … Yes,  Freaking Out … Maybe a little,  BUT EXCITED…   MOST DEFINITELY YES!  And Nervous… oh, and a little NERVOUS. 🙂

As many of you have heard me say; I am learning to become comfortable with being uncomfortable – this opportunity has brought to light my desire to share my story not just individually, but on a stage in front of a large crowd.  I want to inspire others by sharing my story and helping them to realize that pushing beyond the limitations we believe true for ourselves is possible – chasing dreams is feasible and that doing what may seem as impossible – is possible if you believe in yourself.

I’m excited for what this will bring to my life despite the unknowns, despite the challenges, despite the insecurities I exude from time to time and personal trials I face – the future is so bright and I have so many people to thank not only for influencing that outlook, but by being a real part of who I am continuing to become today.  Being welcomed into the small community of Saint Joseph has been amazing and filled with connections of inspiring individuals, savvy business owners and community volunteers.  I’ve even had an opportunity to assist with the growth of a small business.  To say that the change has been positive would be a gross understatement; I owe a lot of thanks to a lot of individuals who have taken an interest, reached out and/or provided introductions to other people they felt I should meet all just based on meeting with me and looking out for me.

So now what?  Where do I go from here?   I share my story with any individual or group or people that will listen.  I find a job, (which has become more difficult than I imagined), I continue to plan for the future, live in the present – And I do it all one step at a time… always looking forward and excited about the opportunities this life presents each day.

A special thank-you to all of you who have continued to follow me along this journey we call life – have taken interest in what I am doing and supported any of my fundraising efforts over the last several years.  Your support, love and guidance has been very influential and special for me.

Here’s to the next adventure – and having each of you with me.

Cheer’s to all of you ~

Aqua-Man

 

 

 

Leaving town seemed to be difficult at times. Why?  Maybe the pull of a hot meal, a warm bed, a shower or a cold beer was hard to leave.  But there was always something that pulled hard against my brain to be back on the trail and out of the even slightly populated areas.  Almost as if someone pulled a brick off your chest or shoulders and removed the anxiety that towns can present after spending a duration of time in the woods.  It was always a good feeling to be back in the woods and hiking again and making progress north toward Canada.

Recalling the time between Snoqualmie and Skykomish, I remember continuing to feel overwhelmed as this experience was coming to a close, but a sense of relief that it was almost over.

An entry from October 2, 2015 in my journal:

“Unbelievable views in Washington.  The last several  weeks have been spectacular.  It took me way too long to remind myself of the enjoyment of a thru-hike.  I have got to remember balance and perspective.  Pain is temporary, mental challenges and emotional turmoil is o.k. and a part of the experience.  A moment of pain is worth a lifetime of glory.

Washington has wide expanses of dense forest.  Conifer and Evergreens cover the hillsides, mountaintops and valleys.  Fall is setting in as the reds, yellows and oranges become more prevalent and each shrub begins their transformation into dormancy.  The nights are getting colder and we’ve run into a great deal of rain.  Despite the challenge of cold, and wet this is still an amazing place to be.  Washington will at some point, be a place I need to return to and spend more time in the woods.  This experience has been wonderful – and would not be the same without my buddies (Breaks, Genie, Taxi, Bison and Cheese).”

Creeping closer to Skykomish, we began to see weather patterns that indicated we were nearing the end of the window in which to complete our hike.  Mile after mile the cold mornings were an awakening in a sense that we needed to be diligent with the remaining time we had in towns, and get moving toward Canada.

Hello Skykomish!  And just in time for an amazing burger and appetizer platter all to myself.

Skykomish was an interesting little town with a very popular deli.  We stayed in the local hotel that evening and faced a moment we had all been dreading – making our last minute arrangements(last resupply, flights, train rides and travel plans for loved ones).  A quick evening of our normal chores, and we were off to bed only to rise early in the morning, resupply and pack up to begin hiking toward our last town stop in Stehekin, WA.

Leaving Skykomish was difficult especially with knowing what the weather ahead was predicted to be.  But nonetheless we still left, most of us with sandwiches in hand – except myself.  (Believe me, I kicked myself hard for not packing out a delicious piece of town – and got razzed pretty good from my buddies for thinking I wouldn’t be hungry again until later in the day)

So away we went into the depths of the woods Breaks and I making a bit more headway than the rest of the pack, finally settling in for bed after a grueling 17 miles.  The next day we awoke to weather that was beginning to turn on us – slowly beginning with cold and rain in the air.  Over the next several days – we would fall behind Bison(who was on a given timeline for his flight home), stay ahead of Taxi(who split off trail to fix an issue with his phone) but Breaks, Genie, Cheese and I would stick together through what would be the worst weather experience I’ve encountered to-date.

Bitter cold, tough milage days, soaked gear and clothes was a true awakening that Mother Nature was no longer on our side, and did not care where we were in our adventure.  Day two out of Skyomish, Breaks and I arrived at a small lake after pressing through an entire day of very cold temperatures and rain and made a decision to post up for the night and try to get a fire going.  I helped with setting up our tents and gathering wood as Breaks worked tirelessly to get a fire started for an entire hour with bitter cross winds of 50 + mph and nothing but wet wood to work with –  I have to give it to my Eagle Scout buddy here – not only did Breaks get a fire started, he helped 7 hikers dry out as much gear as they possibly could and warm up before retiring into our cold wet tents and sleeping bags mentally exhausted from the day.  The next morning, we woke to a remotely better start to the day, but quickly returned to the cold freezing temperatures and rain we had experienced the day before.  (Glad to have dried out most of our jackets, pants, shoes and clothes from the night before)

So we continued through four more days of intense weather, high level water crossings, constant rain, big all day 20+mile climbs, fallen trees, washed out muddy trails, freezing temperatures, snow, ice, high winds – you know – only the most miserable conditions imaginable – but we attacked it all with smiles on our faces, even when it began to wear on our spirits. (We were lucky that we had each other to pull on, and were concerned for our friends; Taxi and Bison – not knowing where they were or how they were handling the terrain and weather all alone)  Because of the nasty weather, we broke camp later in the mornings and experienced shorter hours of sunlight during the remaining days of hiking resulting in hiking well into the dark hours and evenings. Exhausted mentally and physically, we remained alert to our surroundings and changing terrain as we looked forward to heading into Stehekin; our last break off trail before our final steps into Canada – hoping that at some point, mother nature would be kind enough to let us finish with some good weather.

Cloudy Pass is a mountain/climb that I will forever remember because of the mere challenge it presented.  With the weather, a 20 mile steady climb to the top was tough, but the winds and dropping temperatures upon arriving at the summit – the scare of hypothermia became monumental.  As we rounded the East side of the mountain the winds cut through us like glass – soaked to the bone our wet hands quickly became frozen and hard to use.  We reached out to a trickling water source to fill our water bottles, and quickly descended to a lower elevation where we found a side trail leading us to a relatively decent place to camp.  Still fully exposed to the winds, rain and dwindling daylight, we hustled to set up our tents and get settled, not knowing what mother nature would throw at us as the night progressed.  As darkness enveloped us, the rain turned into a snow/ice mix and the winds at times felt as if they would pick us up and send us to the other side of the mountain.  Bottles of whiskey were passed around the tents that evening to bring up the moral, and warmth within our temporary homes that evening.  As we lay silent listening to all mother natures fury – only one thought ran through my mind – what will tonight bring to the table and will tomorrow morning be better?

When we awoke, the clouds were still flying overhead, but sunshine and blue skies were beginning to poke their heads out in the gaps of passing clouds.  Was this an indication of what we could come to expect for the next few days?  Only a weather report in Stehekin could give us that answer, so the slow moving process of packing up would begin and later in the day we would find ourselves 17 miles further north and camping at an old rangers station where we could expect the shuttle to pick us up and take us into Stehekin the following morning.

 

 

A couple of great meals in Stehekin, a shower, good nights rest and laundry was quite a highlight – but running into ‘Ace’ a buddy whom I met at our Trail Angels home in San Diego before my hike even began, and who I also started my hike with was even better than the time in Stehekin.

Also, leaving Stehekin much like any town was difficult, but with only 87 miles left and arriving at trailhead  only to find Taxi awaiting our return from town to finish out the hike together – couldn’t have been a better way to complete this adventure!

 

 

Quite honestly, Stehekin to the Border felt like a blur – as you can see the terrain was nothing short of Spectacular – but the days leading up to our finish gave me a good deal of time to begin reflecting on my journey and where the road would be taking me next… To a new life in Minnesota.

The terrain in Washington was amazing – I don’t think the route of the PCT could have been constructed in more amazing wilderness areas than that which we traversed.  Generally the trail would wind around mountains and through mountain ranges.  The trail most often  only 1-2 feet in width; with steep slopes going up and down leaving a feeling of amazement and curiosity of just how these trails are built and maintained.       The time, energy, effort and scheduling it takes in the overall care for and maintenance of long distance trails in the U.S. is incredible.  I for one, feel very fortunate to have benefitted from many hard working volunteers and the organizations like the PCTA who pour their hearts and souls into taking care of this particular National Scenic Trail.

Through Blood, Sweat, Tears, HIGH highs and LOW lows, 65lbs. weight loss, Mental and Emotional Turmoil and a life-altering adventure I can say, I am thankful to have completed this hike. Only with the support of my followers, family, loved ones and camaraderie of my thru-hiking buddies was I able to get through the tough moments in order to cross the Canadian border, and while coming up short on my goals for financial assistance to both A.L.S. and Hike for Mental Health – I am glad we made a small contribution together.  (A Special Thank-You to each of you who were able to make a contribution to one or both of these organizations).

Thank you for your help, love and support – and stay tuned as my next adventure begins to unfold –

April 15 Mexico/California Border – October 16 Washington/Canada Border

Casey ‘Aqua-Man’ Owen

 

Good Evening,

As many of you following along with this blog know, I fell completely off the wagon with my updates.  The truth is, with journaling on the trail, and the ruckus of getting into town, resupplying, and prepping to hit the trail – keeping up with my blog seemed to be a bit much.  However, I’m going to do my best to give you a snapshot into the remainder of my hike from Crater Lake through to the finish and beyond.  I began the following blog awhile back –

Well, I’ve crossed the halfway point, I made it into Oregon, passed by Crater Lake and three sisters wilderness and landed in Cascade Locks, OR and am about to cross the bridge into Washington on this rainy Monday morning leaving 500ish miles to reach the Canadian Border and northern terminus of this trail.

During this stretch, I’ve connected with some wonderful friends; Jan and Charlie Mangum during their cross-country trek who waited 3 days to see me at Crater Lake and most recently my dear friend from Auburn; Patrick Mardis who decided to join me for 2 weeks of hiking 200 + miles together (averaging 25+ miles per day). Little did he know what he was about to get himself into…

This experience has very clearly been difficult, but with the challenge there were many things beginning to shift inside of me; making this trail much more enjoyable and exciting as it came to a close.  Challenges brought on by the weather certainly made this last several weeks tough, almost so that I left the trail once again, but alas – I am here for the long haul, and have some great trail friends around to see out this last 500 miles.

 

 

  
As I approached Crater Lake – I pulled a 37 mile day out of my back pocket and made in that evening with hopes of connecting with Jan and Charlie, as well as finding Patrick so we could begin our hike.

 

And that we did – we had a meal together, caught up on the Mangum’s cross county excursion, and had a great visit – I am thankful for my time with them, it is always a pleasure getting to see and connect with them.  Patrick and I then set our sights on beginning our hike together with a slow crawl out and around Crater Lake.  (Mind you the PCT had a fire closure at this time around Crater Lake because of the pending fires in the northwest part of the park).

 

 

So we began our trek north in hopes for good weather, great views and to experience a place that neither one of us had ever seen – Three Sisters Wilderness (volcanic rocks).

 

 

While I wish I could tell you I have several photos of the Three Sisters Wilderness area, I can’t – simply put – this section with the weather we experienced was the most difficult time I had on the trail.  (and for Patrick – let’s just say his luck when hiking with me always seems to take him through the most challenging of times, but I can tell you – despite how scary the pre-hypothermic conditions of 40-60mph sustained winds, rain and freezing temperatures; I cannot think of another individual I’d rather be with in a situation like this one.)  Patrick and I literally ran through 21 miles of pure HELL – in 7 hours. Mind you, this area was the most exposed and rocky ground on the trail.  Something of this magnitude truly makes you feel alive, and gives you the appreciation of how raw mother nature can be – it’s also a real awakening of just how small you really are in comparison to the mere size of this earth.

Although I have backpacked many miles; and have another thru-hike under my belt, I can say I was not prepared at all for this kind of weather.  I did not have sufficient gear; no rain pants – and just a crappy rain jacket that didn’t hold up to Mother Nature’s Fury.  An awakening that I’m sure most long-distance backpackers have had at least once in there time outside.  So, after shoving two guys in a two person tarp tent soaked to the bone; we made a quick dash the next morning into town for a hot breakfast and a ride into Bend, OR to the REI for some better gear.

After buying a new tent, rain jacket and pants, I felt much better about my bad weather preparation than I had prior to the nasty weather in Sisters, but that didn’t keep me from deciding that I was leaving the trail and going home.  So Patrick and I rented a car, and drove to Eugene, OR – where we toured around town and crashed for the evening.  That night, I grabbed our bags out of the trunk and realized my good buddy, Breaks had left his trekking poles in the car when we gave him a lift to the hotel just before we left town. When we awoke the next day, Patrick and I drove into Portland, OR with the intention of finding flights home and getting out of town.  But after a conversation with my mother (who has always known how to put me back together) and time with good friends from the Appalachian Trail – (FIG and Wet-Bag) I made a decision not to go home, and to head back to the trail the next day after Patrick made his way to the airport.  (Wet-Bag, aka Nik Tucker – a true friend and Trail Angel agreed to drive me the several hours back to the trail and dropped me off)  Shortly after he left, the rain began to pick up; but I was just a mile away from the 2000 mile marker and my buddy Breaks who had already hiked 20 miles in the nastiness of the day.  We hiked a couple of miles together after celebrating the 2000 mile marker – and set up camp just as the rain began to turn to snow.  A few slugs of Jim Beam and we were off to sleep only to wake up to some cold snowy weather the next day.

As you can see from the photos above – the following day was quite chilly and snowy – but it didn’t slow us or our moral down as we continued to drudge north on the PCT.

 

As we continued trekking – fall color was beginning to set in in early September and we were beginning to realize that Mother Nature was not going to allow us to drag our feet forever – we knew that we would hit a wall at any given point and that wall wouldn’t allow us to finish our hike.  So we continued to move closer and closer to Washington; doing our best to soak up the lasting miles in Oregon.

As we continued moving, we had the pleasure of backpacking through wilderness areas that ran close to Mount Jefferson, Mount Hood, Mount Adams, Mount Rainer and Mount Saint Helens.  Most of these mountains were visible for many miles traveled and would be visible for weeks on-end.

Traversing through America’s scenic and dramatic landscapes, I was moved as each day passed with our surroundings – wide expanses, open views – quite different than that of the Appalachian Trail.

Inching closer to Washington – we came up on the one place we were looking forward to as our time in Oregon was coming to a close; Tunnel Falls.  This is an active waterfall where the trail leads you down a path with a shear drop-off and meanders around and behind the falls – simply put, this was amazing.  An additional highlight leading up to this amazing trail was running into my good friends; River Jelly & Chopsticks – the same couple I began this hike with had ‘flipped’ up north and began heading south to finish off their hike.  We had a moment to catch-up; which was not even close to long enough, and then we were off and on our way again.

After a quick jaunt passed Tunnel Falls, I ran into Cascade Locks – the last town before crossing the “Bridge of the Gods’ – and gateway into Washington for a hot breakfast at the Cascade Inn… (Chicken Fried Steak – a staple for me on-trail was where I began my feast in town with my buddy Bison who had already been in town for a day.)  Later in the day the rest of the crew we had been hiking with finally made it to town and we all got together for drinks and food that evening.  What began as a quick in-and-out of town stop was quickly changed by some rainy weather which kept us at bay for three days longer than expected, continuing to gorge ourselves silly with as much food and beer as we could successfully manage to get down – followed by lots of wasteful television time.

After the bellies were full, and we had held onto town much longer than our budgets wanted us too, we began our jaunt across the Bridge of the Gods, and into Washington to start our trek through what I would find to be the most enjoyable state I’ve backpacked through to-date.

A slow beginning into Washington- Breaks and I took a quick detour off trail and into a small town for breakfast just one day out of town – and had quite an interesting hitch back to Panther Creek Campground – only completing 5 miles that day(pouring rain) – we decided to have a little wine(well… maybe a little more than a little) that evening after we got back on trail- and hit it hard the next day.  Over the next few days, we made up for some slow mileage days and cranked into another unexpected small stop for some real food – Trout Lake.  We were welcomed by Love’s (another hiker, her mom and grandma) – who refused to do anything less than buy our lunch(a lot of lunch at that).  After lunch we tooled around grabbing a few extra goodies to take back to the trail – and connecting with one of the coolest couples on-trail. (FILL IN NAMES HERE).  We took some time and toured around town, finding a ‘bed & breakfast” called Trail-Head.  What an amazing place with some eclectic and interesting people – I think we were all in awe and shock at this place, truly a one-of-a-kind stop in an awesome town. One that I am sure Breaks and I will return to one of these days.

After a few hours of fun, Breaks and I finally made it back to the trailhead only to once again settle for a low milage, belly-full kind of day and made a fire, enjoying some delicious beer and whiskey, having a ‘race’ to see who could set their tent up faster – (I set mine up on a whole load of horse poop) but all the while laughing and enjoying each others company.  Quick hiking over the next two days brought us to our first planned resupply at Whites Pass – arriving after our friends, Breaks and I splurged a little and got a nice room with a loft and many beds expecting a quiet evening with no much company, but that was a pipe dream as our room quickly filled by the hiking family we had been surrounding ourselves with for awhile – (Bison, Cheese, Genie and Taxi)

After taking a zero day and eating once again; more than any human should, we were back at it hiking in force with our crew.  As we left the pass, we were looking north as our next stop was 100 miles away in a small town of Snoqualmie, WA.  The days leading up to Snoqualmie were simply beautiful – the weather still treating us well but the reality of this trip coming to a close was ever-present.

Upon our arrival in Snoqualmie – a short walk right off trail into town – several of us short on food – we went directly to the restaurant connected to the hotel we would later rest our heads that night, for a late breakfast.  For me – the usual, Chicken Fried Steak with eggs, has browns, toast smothered in good ole’ country gravy, and a side of bacon. and Yes – I finished it all.  After rolling out of the breakfast nook, I slowly worked my way over to the Chevron/Post Office where I found my box tucked away in one of the refrigerators with many additional boxes and mail for hikers. Ironically, they did not even require an I.D. to pick up your box – which left me feeling uneasy on how someone could just walk out with your box – nonetheless, I still retrieved my box and made my way to the hotel to find a room with Breaks.

We also were excited to rejoin hiking with Bison and Taxi, who had arrived in Snoqualmie much before Breaks, Cheese Genie and I had.  While we secured a room, Cheese and Genie were leaning heavily toward leaving town and getting back on trail – but after some much needed rest, beer and pool time – we got them to stay – even if we were dealing with the wrath of Khan that evening in our hotel.  The next day we all slowly trickled out of town after another good meal and extra resupplies to push us toward our next stop, Skykomish about 175 miles north of Snoqualmie.

 

Good Evening ~

Since my last post, there has been a great deal that has transpired along this trail we call the PCT; and now a clear moment for me to bring you up to speed with the events that have led to me being 1,100 miles into this adventure.  

As per my last post, I was awaiting a visit from Glen at the tail end of my time in Bishop, CA – healing the neck injury I sustained postholing down Forrester Pass.  Our time together was wonderful – and although brief, it gave us the time we needed to connect and spend some quality time together.  Glen left on June 18 to head back to Minnesota and I began my trek back over Kersarge Pass to get back to the PCT.  

Upon Glen’s return home, she and Sam have been staying busy with projects around the house.  Glen is feeling great about her new role with the college, and as expected, has jumped in with both feet and is moving along well.  Sam is already busy making new friends and helping around the house and working with Patty – our new little Havanese puppy dog – making sure to keep her in line. 

As for me, I am currently in South Lake Tahoe, CA – anticipating my return to the trail tomorrow morning to press on and make some big miles over the next several weeks – doing my best to beat the weather we know to expect in Washington.  Over the last week, we’ve encountered several thunderstorms with lightening, and up-to quarter/marble sized hail.  The weather conditions have been extremely odd this year, but I suppose it is to be expected, most specifically when you are outside for months at a time. 🙂

As this hike has unfolded over the last few months, there have been many challenges I’ve eluded too in some of my prior communications, but today – my hope is to give each of you a real perspective of what I have personally been struggling with despite the beauty that sits all around me – and to do so; I need to back up to the High Sierra’s, the very mountains I chose to tackle in a very short period of time in order to make-up the miles lost to my neck injury.

My time back in the High Sierra’s began after Glen’s visit and started wonderfully.  I was greeted by trail angels, Pablo and Tracy at the top of Kersarge Pass who were as kind and enjoyable to connect with before getting back into the grind, hiking over Glen Pass and camping by the beautiful Rae Lakes area.  As the next several days unfolded, my mileage picked up, the surrounding areas became more and more spectacular and arduous because of the shear elevation gain and loss.  I ran into several hikers on the JMT(John Muir Trail) and the PCT – none of which I knew personally, but whom I got to know over the next several days; one gentleman in particular, Matt Jenkins from Sacramento.  What Matt didn’t know is just how much I was struggling when I met him on top of Muir Pass; but after a day of hiking together, I was in a much better place because of our interactions and shared laughs over the course of the day.  Despite my good day with Matt, I spent the evening writing the the following journal entry:

An entry from my personal journal –   6-23-15 (Day-74) ~ [22.4mi] – 

“So, I think I have decided to head home after my arrival in Mammoth, CA tomorrow.  The trail has been amazing and very difficult all in the same.  But I know my heart, and I believe it to be in Minnesota with Glen and Sam.  Once I arrive I will make the appropriate calls and make my final decision.  This is a hard choice, but as I said, I believe it to be the right one.  ~ I passed the 1/3 completion sign today – while it felt good, it really didn’t even phase me.  I’ve spent so much time contemplating a decision to keep going, or get home to my sweeties – and the reality, I don’t know what the right decision is – I’m in constant pain, my feet are throbbing, my hips and lower back are being rubbed raw, my neck pain is still lingering, the folliculitis on my legs is unbearable and the Sierra’s are beating my body into a pulp.  All of these things, although physical, are weighing in heavily on the mental side- and when you compound all of this with my ‘heart’ beating in Minnesota, it’s easy to say… It is time; time for the adventure to begin in Minnesota, and time for me to be home with family and friends…  (Flashback to yesterday, 6/22) – as I was descending from Seldon Pass, I tripped and fell taking a hard hit to my shin just below my knee immediately bruising my hand, leg and cutting me up pretty good – (then fast-forward to tomorrow – 6-23) same incident descending Silver Pass where another fall; this time my right arm taking the blow – After I popped back up, I chatted with another hiker continuing our descent down this pass and was overtaken by the overwhelming feeling of being beaten down so much that leaving the trail feels like the best decision.  I wonder – was my heart ever truly in this hike? I’ve busted my butt, hiked up and down big mountains, through the heat, the cold, the rain and hail, through the hottest and driest sections, and now – it’s time to go home.  I say all this, without regret – but how do you say I’m sorry to all of the people watching this experience unfold, all of the people I am working hard to support that are faced with challenges much greater than the ones before me… I’m sure this answer will come with time…

I’m ready to go home – ”

As you can imagine; hiking a 20 mile/day pace for 6.5 days through some of the most grueling terrain we’ve seen, following 10 days of resting a major injury off trail was brutal.  As you can tell from the entry above,  I was in constant pain, and my mental state was deteriorating as each day passed.  Most of you may know how important it is to not make a hasty decision about getting off trail especially after a tough run at things – but I felt like I had spent enough time thinking about my decision and had made up my mind; I’d had enough, I’m heading home… 

But oh how things can quickly change… 

After several tearful conversations with Glen & Sam, my mom, fellow hikers and even some random strangers – a decision was made to keep moving forward, one-step-at-a-time.  Never have I ever had such a hard time and never did I ever expect to have as difficult a time as I was – and why?  

As I’ve discovered over the last several weeks; I believe my struggles are a culmination of several things – most specifically; mental fatigue brought on by the constant beating my body has endured along with missing my sweeties in Minnesota and my family and friends. I also believe that the transition of our normal lives, to the trail life, is an adjustment in and of itself – much like any challenging change or experience we undergo in our lives that leaves us feeling uncomfortable. 

While I am ready to be with Glen and Sam in Minnesota and begin building our life as a family, I am also aware that I simply cannot give-up on this experience, I must keep my forward progress and pull on my support group during the hardest of times to ensure my completion of this hike and to achieve the very goals I chose to set before myself by continuing to raise awareness and financial aid for A.L.S. and Mental Illness.  The best way I have learned to do this, is to share my experience through means of social media, more importantly, to take the time and connect with individuals I meet while I am in town and on-trail.  

As an example ~ Rob, Lisa and Braden – a family camping at the campground in South Lake Tahoe with 5 other families spending the summertime traveling around and enjoying the company of their friends – what is their significance to me? Well I ran into these fine folks while doing my laundry at the campground just yesterday and had the pleasure of spending two hours talking to them about my hike.  I feel fortunate each time I have an opportunity to talk with anyone about my experience, what it means to me, and how it has changed my life – and I am hopeful that it means as much to the individuals I get to speak with as much as it does to me.  These folks were so kind as to invite me back to join them for dinner last night, but I was up to my eyeballs in gear and resupplies that I was focused on getting together and drying before heading back out to the trail.  

(a special thanks to these wonderful individuals that listened to me blab for awhile, who gave me two beers and some quarters when I realized I had not started my dry cycle in the laundromat) 

In summary, it seems as though life throws challenging things at us everyday.  Sometimes these things push the envelope of comfort zones in our own lives; but as a wise man once told me – if we stay focused and work hard to consciously and consistently  move out of our comfort zone, and face these challenges head-on, we only become stronger and more confident as each day passes.  
What are you doing today to become comfortable with being uncomfortable? 
Casey ‘Aqua-Man’ Owen

   
    
   

   

    
    
    
    
    
    
   
   
    
    
    
    
   

Good Day ~

I wanted to take a moment to get an update together after spending several days in Independence/Bishop, CA.  

While I was descending Forrester Pass(13,100 ft. & highest point on the PCT) I sustained an injury to my neck that left me in agonizing pain.  After waking up 3 miles north of Forrester Pass, I completed a 13 mile side trail hike up and over Kersarge Pass with my broken pack(hip belt) to get into town late on June 9th.  

After spending a few days, I finally decided to make a trip to the local hospital to get an x-ray on my neck to make sure this was just a muscular injury with no additional problems – and that’s exactly the news I received.  

Luckily, while I’ve been in town, several familiar ‘hiker-trash’ faces have popped in and out of town – providing support and help however they could. The other wonderful thing I am looking forward to is a visit from Glen. She will arrive in one day and spend another 2 days with me.  

Because of my time here, I am reminded of my A.T. Thru-Hike and how extended time off-trail leaves you feeling antsy/anxious – ready to be back on-trail continuing the forward progress I set out to do.  However, this is also a good reminder to take care of the body and mind so that I can make it through this entire trip one step at a time. 

I am sincerely looking forward to continuing my hike, getting back into the High Sierra’s and walking through some of the most amazing areas I’ve ever been. 

Thank you all for your continued love and support – let’s pull together and help spread the word and continue to help raising awareness and financial aid for A.L.S. And Hike for Mental Health!  
  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

         

   

          

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

    

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hello from Lone Pine, CA!  

I’ve completed about 750 miles on trail, anticipating the remainder of the Sierra’s one-step at a time.  These mountains are spectacular –  a constant reminder of the importance to stop and take in all that surrounds us – A twisted and rotting lodge pole pine, a wildflower assortment, a slowly passing cloud, a friendly hello from a familiar face, or a view that seems to go on forever.  Life seems to ask us to slow down, but when it does we must be open to this and listen. 

Are you listening? When it is time to stop and smell the roses, will you? 

You must! And the best part? Sharing that with someone, anyone – I believe our experiences in life do in fact have a big impact on us, but if we can share these experiences; it makes them that much better.

Enjoy the photos – I’m off to walk in the woods for awhile longer. 🙂 

  

  

1/4 of the way done! 

      

A swimming hole, well maybe a sitting hole. 🙂 

  

700 down… One step at a time.

        

  

  

Owen’s Valley – there used to be a fairly sized lake here. 

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

And a breakfast feast! 

So, the last few days have been pretty darn warm – and us?

 
Well – we’re riding out the heat just fine! 🙂 (you should see the pool -haha!)

We are nearing Kennedy Meadows – and the heartbeat of the Sierras is getting louder.  We saw our first glimpses of this snow covered mystical place just a day or two ago ~ various reports of what to expect seem to continue up and down this communication pipeline we call the trail.  Weather aside; we are excited about the changing landscapes ahead, and are continuing to head north.  

I’ve been toiling around with what to discuss in this blog post, and I remember something from about a week ago that I thought was pretty interesting.

It began one crisp and cool morning, a nice little breeze accompanied by a brightly shining sun which lit the way for our early start.  We were walking through an area that had been burned years before.  Lots of trees still standing, but blackened by the fire, no leaves, or any sign of growth when you looked into the canopys of these once tall and prominent trees.  However, the ground; made up of sandy soils had a pretty amazing sight… Thick growing underbrush that glowed green, baby saplings filling in some of the empty spaces around, native and invasive grasses growing on  both sides of the trail – and all of these things; together, are beginning the rebuilding/redevelopment of this area that was devastated years ago.  

As these plants begin taking up lost space, there is hope for a larger, full forest in the future… I compare this to our lives, and how we experience times where we truly feel like we’ve walked through fire, or are down on our luck.  The regrowth period is just like a new beginning, a fresh start, a time to crawl out of a hole or get out of a funk we’ve been in for some time. Just as the forest rebuilds itself, we all can too.   

When the darkness becomes more comfortable than walking out into the light, we must force ourselves to become comfortable with being uncomfortable – push through the doors of life, always moving forward only with just a glance back to see where we’ve been, but focusing on moving forward through whatever trials and tribulations we face.  

Whatever you face today, tomorrow, or yesterday, you can make it through – stay positive, listen to that positive voice inside, put a smile on your face and seize the day!
Much love to you all – 
Casey