Back home in Honolulu, I can thoroughly reflect, enjoy and revel in the great fun we had.

I'm very thankful for Julia's friendship and her invitation to join her adventure. And, it wouldn't have been possible without my ʻohana in Hawaiʻi to take care of Monty (pup) and Diesel (EV truck) so I could go play on the mainland.

Always great to catch up with my old rowing crew, former co-workers from The Seattle Times, ski school and REI over a few beers at our favorite haunt, the Ravenna Brewing Co.

If you've got a couple weeks to spare, want to get dirty, sweaty, lose a toenail, a water bottle and some body weight (it's impossible to replenish the calories burned on this long, unsupported trail), Section K might be for you. If I ever decide to backpack the entire PCT, I will skip this section. I wouldn't feel the least bit guilty.

My GPS recorded us hiking 139.48 miles and 26,417' of elevation gain. On Day 1, my backpack fully loaded with food and water weighed 37.4 lbs. I weighed 165 lbs. Afterwards, my backpack was 20 lbs. and my body weight dropped to 153.7 lbs.