Around 10:30, I headed to the airport to pick up a couple from Buffalo, NY. They have each attempted the trail once or twice already and met on the trail last year. They are back once again to thru-hike together. After a stop at the Evil Empire and McDonald's (also an EE in my opinion), we arrived at the campground around 1 pm. It was wall-to-wall people --some very colorful. Long-distance hikers are an interesting breed. I walked around and talked to people I had met (and some I hadn't). There was a lot of nervous excitement in the air. There are presentations throughout the day on bears and fires and such things, but I didn't attend any. Instead, I watched the gear contest, which was entertaining. People come up with crazy ideas about how to use common items for multi-purposes. Some are practical; others are absurd. Like I said, long-distance hikers are an interesting breed of people.
After the gear contest, hikers from a previous year hosted dinner. Since I had helped Jan make the brownies, I supervised the dessert table, making sure no one took more than one, since there were about 600 people at this event. Following dinner, Ryan and I had a nice conversation. It was somewhat existential. He wasn't particularly excited about hiking out the next day. Having been on a bicycle for 3 months, he wasn't thrilled to live in the woods for another 5 months. We talked about the concepts of happiness and contentment, and how one attempts to achieve those within themselves. He's hiked the Appalachian Trail, so we talked about what it means to complete such a grand goal. I'm really impressed by his maturity and intellect. I hope he enjoys his hike and has a wonderful life thereafter.
As the sun set, it began to get cold -- really cold. With the lake nearby, it was a moist cold, leaving your clothes damp. At 7:30 pm, many of us gathered at a make-shift theater in a clearing. There was a slide-show presentation by a woman who, along with her husband, was the first to complete the entire trail by horse -- in 1959. Very few even knew the trail existed, so she and her husband shot a 90-minute film, as well, and distributed it to movie theaters around the Pacific Northwest. They even appeared on the Art Linkletter show. For some reason, their accomplishment has been largely ignored by those immersed in the culture of the trail, so Scout is on a campaign to give the couple their historical due.
Following the slide-show presentation, we watched an incredible National Geographic special on the PCT that was shot last year. It featured some of the people at the kick-off. It hasn't been released yet, and should air on public television in August or September. Nat Geo gave the Pacific Crest Trail Association an advance copy, which we saw last night. It was, by all accounts, somewhat over-dramatized, but it was otherwise very well done. The photography was spectacular, as one would expect from National Geographic. I enjoyed watching it, but froze to death while doing so. After it was over, I quickly scrambled into my tent and sleeping bag. Someone said it was in the mid-40s, but it felt colder.
I had a really, really good day. I have met some truly wonderful people, and I am enjoying being a part of this whole thru-hiker experience, even if I'm ultimately not going to hike this year.
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