Welcome To Oregon

Looks like we made it! I finally passed in to the state of Oregon on Friday and it was very rewarding. I had a real sense of accomplishment after completing the California section of my journey.....I now have about 950 miles to Canada. Things are going great on the trail and I am really learning a lot about myself. When this journey began it was important for me to communicate to others that I wasn't doing this because I was searching for something. I had already been fortunate to find a great and powerful peace that comes from knowing and having a relationship with God and Jesus as my savior and friend. This journey started because once I really felt that type of peace on the inside all I really wanted to do is go out and experience the beauty and wonder of creation. The trail has taught me a lot though. I realized that I really was searching for something though....I was searching for a way to share that peace I had found with others...what good is such a powerful love if not shared with everyone we are on this journey of life with? I realize that what I really longed for the most was to live a life of peace, love, compassion, and forgiveness and by doing so help others come to know the same grace that I have found in our heavenly father. The magnificence of creation can be seen at its fullest on the trail.....the starry nights, the beautiful forests, and the other animals we share nature with all have a way of making me feel so connected to everything that is real about this life....it is that connection that helps make me feel closer to God than anything I have ever experienced and I just can't help but to want to share that with everyone around.....have a peaceful day!
Love,
Forager

It's Pancake Time!

Good morning from sunny Yreka, CA. I am now only one day away from reaching Seiad Valley and the "Pancake Challenge." Many of you are familiar with my story of how I learned about the Pacific Crest Trail. I saw a show on the Travel Channel that was about resaraunts around the country to "pig out." The Seiad Valley pancake challenge was one of those places and the show mentioned how hungry hikers come off the PCT starving for carbs and try to do the pancake challenge. It is a 5 pound stack of pancakes and I will be eating every last bite! A lot of fun has been had since the last blog. I made it from Old Station to the beautiful Burney Falls state park that was full of you guessed it....beautiful waterfalls...From there my travels took me to Castella and Castle Crags State Park. That park has a very unique mountainous rock formation that looks like some type of ancient castle. From there I took a side trip with Waffles, Sun Tan, Jammer, and Breezeway. We white water rafted down the Sacremento River for three days on tire intertubes. It was quite the adventure! We all lost our sunglasses, popped 4 tubes, got smashed in to rocks, and were drug accross the bottom when we tried to go over small waterfalls....by the grace of God none of us were seriously injured, but we did get plenty of scrapes and bruises. The best part of the story is that Sun Tan and Waffles had a wedding to go to and instead of taking a bus or a car they came up with the idea to tube down the river. We didn't make it far enough so after three days they finally decided it best to get out of the river and find some more reliable transportation. It was a side trip well worth doing! My next adventure is from Seiad Valley where we will finally cross in to Oregon and head for the city of Ashland. I cherish the experiences that I've had in California, but it feels good to be moving on to something new. Until next time.
Have a peaceful day,
Forager