I'd hoped to finish the PCT this year by going southbound from the Canada border back to Sisters, OR. That meant I first had to hike 30 miles north from Harts Pass just to get to the starting point. After getting dropped off midday by a trail angel at Harts Pass, I was able to hike 15 miles before camping that first night. There was a little bit of an awkward vibe in that I met a lot of hikers coming back from Canada, who were all very quick to congratulate me for being nearly finished, and having to explain that I still had a long ways to go, but major congrats to them.

The second day, I hiked the last 15 miles to the border, where I made sure to stick my foot into Canada, and then returned 11 miles before camping for the night. Wished I could have gone further, but had to acknowledge the shorter daylight hours were now playing a role. A young lady, who identified as LGBT and had just finished her triple crown, who I had caught and passed in that last eleven miles, showed up 30 minutes later and asked if I was ok if she camped next to me that night? Of course I was. I've said it before elsewhere on here, but I continue to be amazed how the commonality of thru-hiking helps those of us that might otherwise be polar opposites to not only get along, but get along really well. We had some good conversation that night (and over the next couple days) which I think definitely helped me be a little less judgemental, and I hope she got some good out of it as well. The one downer that night was a rodent snuck into my vestibule, chewed through my zip-lock baggie, and destroyed or made off with all of my almond M&Ms. I heard of that happening to other hikers, but that's the first time it's happened to me.

The next morning a blizzard started, and the wind was such that I was getting pelted from snow and sleet that was actually blowing up from below me. Then, during that last 19 miles, my left heel started to become more and more tender with each foot fall, and this time it didn't feel like something that I was just going to be able to walk off. So after 2,033 miles, I made the decision to get off the trail permanently, at least for this year. That means I left 621 miles unfinished, and admittedly I'm still wrestling with that decision a little. But even after getting off, the pain in my heel has subsided only a little, so it still feels like I've made the right decision. I'll need to get it checked, but according to the internet experts, it's potentially a bone spur or plantar fasciitis.

In hindsight, maybe I shouldn't have tried to cram so much into one summer. But nonetheless, I truly had a great time and I'm very grateful for all of it. Hopefully I'll be in a situation where I can finish the PCT next year.

I've made it back home to New Mexico now, and the silver lining to all of this is that I'll get to attend the Arizona game this Saturday with my brother, as I was able to snag some last minute nose-bleeds. So, can anyone tell me if this game is a whiteout, or whether I can just wear my blue BYU hoodie? Thanks in advance.