Detachment, that is what i thought of today. one of the key characteristics of the trail so far. Detached from news from the outside world, breaking and trivial, from family and friends and from the concerns that plagued us on a daily basis. This in both parts due to our lack of reception here out in the wild and also because these things are so far out of our reach, they could as well occur on another planet. Here in our little segregated world, the rules of society are different. Appearance takes a backseat to functionality (and cleanliness is a memory). The pct has transformed us into equally glorious, stinky hiker trash, providing a bond that is hard to put into words. we know each other’s struggles, because all of us are living them. We might have different motivations, but we are unified in our end goal: getting to canada
Although information from the rest of the world might have little bearing on us, relevant news travels up and down the trail through word of mouth, the number of times a certain story is told adding to the veracity of it. Someone got bit by a rattlesnake and had to be airlifted out! Tin Man, the guy with prosthetic legs, fell and got off trail! The first hikers have entered the sierra’s!
Some are uncomfortable at the idea of detaching completely from society and are eager to form trail families early on, seemingly desperate for people to hold on to and provide the safety of a group, bringing with them the rules and conventions from the outside world. This journey, in my eyes, is all about surrender to the unknown and the more we detach from the familiar, the more this trail will teach us.