“HELLO!” CALLED A disembodied voice from the doorway. “Are there any PCT hikers here? We’d like to buy you a drink!” Well, this was tricky. I had my Pacific Crest Trail permit clutched in my hot little hand, I had my pack cocked, locked and ready to rock, but I hadn’t yet set foot on dirt. Luckily, my roommate had. More than that, ‘Jawohl’ (the Austrian’s trail name came from his enthusiasm to tackle anything) had just completed the trail’s most difficult section in what was widely considered the hardest year ever to do so. Donner Pass marked the northern end of California’s Sierra Nevada Mountains, the same section on which I was embarking, in the opposite direction, the very next day. It was close enough, I decided.
It wasn’t the first time that afternoon I’d felt like a fraud. On checking into Donner Ski Ranch, my permit was carefully examined. Obtaining this paperwork was not a trivial matter. Holders had to commit to walking at least 500 miles (800km) of the 2650-mile trail, which runs between the Mexican and Canadian borders through the deserts, mountains, and forests of three US states. It’s a major physical and mental challenge, and by all accounts a life-changing experience.
Unable to spare the six months required to complete it, my original goal had been the 220-mile John Muir Trail (JMT), running from Yosemite Valley to the top of Mt. Whitney through the most picturesque part of the Sierras. Just to make the trip worthwhile, I’d tacked on the Tahoe to Yosemite Trail, another 180 miles. But then I’d discovered the JMT was so popular that permits were allocated by lottery, whereas a PCT permit starting at Donner Pass was easily secured, so 500 miles it became. This covered the entire length of the High Sierra, and made me a SOBO LASH, a Southbound Long Ass Section Hiker. It suited me down to the ground.
After verifying my PCT credentials, the barmaid had offered me my complimentary beer. My what, now? A liquid reward for any hiker making it this far. Umm … sure, thanks. As I’d got stuck into my ill-gotten gains, four tattered figures had pushed through the door. Filthy, sunburned, sweaty,
