Hypothetical Backpacking

Today, we learned about a woman named Cheryl Strayed who made the decision to hike the Pacific Crest Trail. We watched a video where she explained what was gong on in her life at the time she decided to make this journey. She explained that her mom had died and left this empty feeling in the world, and she didn't know how to live without her. This resonated deeply with me because even just going to college without my mom terrifies me.

She also talked about her backpack, Monster. This backpack held 70 pounds of backpacking gear that she thought she would need, and she carried it with her on her magnificent journey. She read excerpts from her book and told stories of different people she met on the way. I am insanely jealous of her, I wish I had the courage, funds, and ability to just pack up my life and go backpacking for a hundred days on the PCT. Maybe one day I'll get the chance to.

We did get to see what a very small part of the journey must have been like for her. Lauren and I planned out everything we would need for a ten day backpacking expedition on the Continental Divide in Colorado. The bag ended up weighing fifty pounds, and we filled a backpack up with weights to get a feel for how heavy Cheryl's backpack must have been. It was so much heaver than I thought it would be, and it wasn't even as heavy as Monster. Aside from the insanely heavy backpacks, I've added hiking the Continental Divide in Colorado to my "do before I turn 30" list. Colorado is one of my favorite states, and I feel like the experience would be enlightening, invigorating, and unimaginably amazing.