1/6th of the Way There!

Dearest readers,

Please forgive the social media intern's silence. I have had a busy few weeks. BUT I am back with news from the PCT!

Michael passed through Agua Dulce, CA this weekend, about 50 miles north of Los Angeles. By my calculations, that means that he's about 1/6 of the way to Canada. He took a zero day to rest, but I did not manage to catch up with him by phone. I was busy performing and planning all sorts of interesting, secretive things with the Yes Lab (check us out), but I still felt bad to miss his call.

Luckily, I still have many interesting updates.

1) First, here's an excerpt of a beautiful letter that I received from Michael last week:

Yesterday I climbed up and over a 9,000 foot ridge and then traversed a snowy hillside. I walked 18 miles down switchbacks to lose 6,000 hard earned vertical feet. I reached a water source and curled up in the shade to wait for the cooler evening to cross the last 5 miles of desert floor. As I get up to walk my final push, the wind kicks up to about 40 mph out of the Northwest and I plod my way at about a 30 degree slant [here he sketches a picture of a stick figure falling forwards] when all of the sudden I just found myself laughing as hard as I could. The situation was so ridiculous. My feet hurt, my knee ached, I was tired, dead tired, and here this crazy wind was trying to blow me back. I naturally proceeded to narrate my life as if I was in a movie trailer, put out my arms like I was an airplane, and composed ever so slightly ridiculous poems about my adventure. A giant smile spread across my face and the last few miles flew by. With love, Michael

2) I thought this episode was very theatrical, so I decided to make a movie about it. At first I thought I could use a hair dryer to play The Big Wind, but it kept knocking my Michael over. So I decided to cut the hair dryer and replace it with a sexier, though no less dangerous, adversary. That's Hollywood, kids.

More soon! Go Michael Go!

Much love,
Social Media Intern Megan

Moses, Staggering Beef, and Michael

BROOKLYN, NEW YORK
Social Media Intern Megan Hanley here.

Lots of news to share on the PCT front. First of all, it seems that Michael has become friendly with a clumsy cow. But we'll get to that in a moment, dear readers!

Michael and I connected via phone on Thursday (no small feat-- as some of you know, I am notoriously bad at answering my phone, and Michael is usually only in cell phone range for a few hours every couple of days), and then I got a letter from him on Friday. Erin picked him up on Friday to go down south to the PCT kick-off-- more on that when I get the full report-back from her.

Michael rolled into his next stop ahead of schedule after clocking in a 27-mile hiking day! Or possibly a 24 mile hiking day. Here's the thing, guys. I am just not a reliable source here. You're going to have to take everything I say with a grain of salt. I claim poetic license/no real knowledge of the PCT as my excuse. In fact, I am very confused about where in the world he is. Perhaps 200 miles in? Oh, hold on. Let me go listen to my voicemail from him, and then I will update this post.

Wherever he is, there are a couple of trail angels who open their property to PCT hikers, a place to rest. They keep a guest book each season so you can figure out how many hikers are ahead of you-- Michael was hiker #69 this season-- and they ask that you write back to them if you complete the trail. Michael said they were incredibly sweet and welcoming.

On Friday, I received a letter from him written on a PCT topographic map! Unfortunately my cat Marcelo has tried to eat the letter twice now. I am not, it seems, a very careful archivist. Now, unfortunately, I am having trouble reading parts of the letter. It seems to me that Michael has taken up with a biblical hero and an uncoordinated bovine. Am I wrong?

"Dear Megan & Friends,
Last time I wrote I was cold and having a rough time of it. But today things have improved drastically. Since starting, 5 and a half days, my new buddies Moses, Staggering Beef, and I have covered 110 miles. Yesterday we stomped out 24 miles. We've covered some staggeringly beautiful country. I'm really enjoying the challenge and getting used to the long hours spent walking. Lots of the day is spent in mild to moderate discomfort, but I'm really blessed to be with the people I'm with and excited by the ongoing challenge. It feels great to be at the end of section sitting in a field in Warner Springs.
With Love,
Michael"

I will do some fact checking with Michael next time I speak with him, but for the moment let's all rejoice that he has a new friend named Staggering Beef. PCT-induced hallucination? Could be. Es imposible que sepamos (It's impossible for us to know).

Okay! Since this post has been riddled with holes, I include a picture of my cat sitting on Michael's letter and looking adorable AND a map of roughly the distance Michael has travelled. It's google maps, so it doesn't actually show the PCT route, but at least you can imagine where in the world he is. This week Mike's buddy John Henry joins him on the trail. Next week hopefully I will have a report-back from John about who-- or what-- Staggering Beef really is.

EDITED TO ADD: when I first wrote this post, I thought Michael was in Warner Springs. But now that I have reviewed my voicemail, I think he is actually a mere 100 miles farther down the trail, in Cabazon. So here is an updated map!