I have recently finally made a decision and am officially announcing that I am off trail for good for the rest of this year. By this I mean that I will not complete my thru-hike of the PCT this year. Nevertheless, I will complete it! The trail will always be there is what I am told and what my rational mind reminds my restless heart of on a daily basis.
As for my injury, the cause of my need to get off trail in the first place, I have recently tested my hiking abilities in Yosemite and realized that I can hike, but not with a heavy pack on, not with my back still healing. I have still not healed up and might not be 100% for another couple of months. I have a deep bone bruise in my tailbone, and possibly some temporary nerve damage, as well as some inflammation in the left lumbosacral joint, and that takes a while to heal. I am going to take care of that for these next months while I plan my next grand adventure! I will be resuming my PCT thru-hike in 2018, as I have something else amazing planned for 2017 (I will announce that later!). My restlessness will eat at me and drive me insane, and my heart longs to be back out there, but as reckless and impulsive as I sometimes am, I also know how to choose what is best for me, and at the moment, it is not carrying 35lbs of survival gear on my back.
So, as difficult as this is, I am saying goodbye to the Pacific Crest Trail for now. I have hiked from the California/Mexico border to Yosemite National Park this year, and last year, I hiked from Tahoe to Burney Falls. With these two totaled together, and about 160 miles subtracted for a few sections I skipped this year, I have hiked about 1,220 miles of the PCT. When I first got off trail, I felt like I had failed, but revisiting Tuolomne Meadows in Yosemite last week caused me to feel like I’d come back to face my failure and come to terms with it. I am pretty happy with having hiked close to half of the PCT and have taken so much from the experience. I am grateful to nature and for how good it was to me and what’s it taught me, I am grateful to everyone I met along the way, and I am grateful to God. I have discovered that I absolutely love long-distance hiking, although I already knew that since last year and that is why I came back this year. I promise you, I will gain back my strength and health and try again soon.
Thanks for following along and caring and worrying for me from afar. I feel so loved. I am happy. No post-trail depression here. I wholeheartedly believe that everything will turn out okay. The PCT is waiting for me to come back to it so it can bestow more of its magic on me again, later, when I’m ready to experience it again, when I need it the most. I believe that there is a time for everything, and right now is just not the time. I’ll be back out there when it is. The PCT has taught me so much, and maybe right now it’s teaching me patience. I welcome the lesson.
(I will soon post journal entries of my last couple of days on trail. It was too difficult to do so earlier.)
Elina Travels 
Sorry to hear about your misfortune. Take care of your spine, as if you do not, you may find in 20+ years that it has degenerate likely due to an “old” injury.
You are a great writer, and many of use, me included, will miss your “mis”adventures. Keep us posted, and if you are ever in or near Ventura, CA (e.g. Surfers Point,) I will take you to lunch and check on you are holding up.
Best of luck to you, Elina
Bill Miller and Spike the French Poodle
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks so much! That is exactly what I’m doing, because I plan to hike for many more years, and want to be able to do so without an unhealed injury acting up constantly.
You’re very kind!
LikeLiked by 1 person
All of my questions seatked-thtnls!
LikeLike
So they really do just throw it out. My wife thought this when our trash collection company replaced the old recycle bins, where we separated news papers, bottles, and cans; with a single new one where we put all of the recyclable in together.
LikeLike
Hope the healing continues rapidly. Have really enjoyed reading your blog.
LikeLike
I still haven’t healed completely, but I’m getting there… thank you!
LikeLike
Adiosito for a little while. You did great. Thank for writing your blog and letting this guy be in on your adventures.
All the best, take care, & heal up for more trails in the near future.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you! ❤
LikeLike
It will be there for you when you’re ready to go back. I had to bail on an AT thru hike due to crippling plantar fascitis, but then finished it up a year and a half later.
Happy Trails
LikeLiked by 3 people
Thank you! I will most definitely be back 🙂
LikeLike
Thank you for allowing us to come along! First off, there is no failure in living passionately and with loving, wisdom, joy, awareness, weakness, kindness, tears, strength, courage, fun and integrity. You embody and live these in every breath, every step, every, heart you break and heart you grow No one walks the Way you do, and no one, not one could have walked 10 steps in these last months you’ve ***1300 miles (more like 3000). …Congratulations for the incredible adventure, you have reached the heavens, truly, my wild and brave friend! Be gentle with yourself! I will meet you somewhere else on the PCT, just as you have met yourself here, and now. Welcome home! Be proud, and peaceful, you Divine Goddess! Keep going! xom
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you! I’m sorry for my long absence, but I am back, and with many
more adventures to share!
LikeLike
It took me two tries to finish the AT (plantar fasciitis). You’ll get there! Happy Trails
LikeLike
Thank you! I know I will. Nothing can keep me from it. 🙂
LikeLike
The hotnsey of your posting shines through
LikeLike
“a great photo of a girls's ass”? When my friends and I were in our twenties, hanging in bars, hearing people older than 40 (who still hung out with our age group) talk like this, we referred to them as “Dirty Old Men” and “Dirty Old La82#s&ed2i1;. We assumed they had never progressed emotionally past their teen years and pitied them.Poor Penelope. Poor Farmer. Innocent Poor Children. How truly pathetic.
LikeLike