Working on 500 Miles of the PNT

Everybody needs goals. Though most of these goals, if we are honest, are not all that important. In the grand scheme of things, does cleaning out my closet really matter? No. But if we can’t find some purpose in everyday existence, we can get swallowed up. Goals keep us moving forward. I do have my “organize the cupboard” checklist, but bigger goals are a little more exciting. I’ve already accomplished one major goal – 500 miles on the Appalachian Trail. (And then write a book! Which you can buy here. Sorry for the shameless plug, though making a couple bucks is always a goal, right?😜) But being that it's done, now what? 

Make more hiking goals, of course! Except, this “goal” ideal creates a bit of a problem for me. I don’t want living (or hiking) to necessarily be about “accomplishing” something. Ego fulfillment is not living in the fullest, in my humble opinion. What a dilemma. 

How do I reconcile these conflicting ideas? I surrender them to the universe. (What I call God…or because I believe that this mystery is entirely loving, I will boldly even name it “Father” at times.) It’s true that my goals are not that important, but they help me live…therefore, they do have importance. I embrace them with gratitude; but I don’t hold them too tightly. I remind myself they don’t give me value. Maybe I give THEM value, just by experiencing them? I don’t know. But I know one thing – I enjoy goals. So I’m okay with making more. 

Becoming a “thru hiker” would be the pinnacle of my hiking dreams, though it’s a commitment that doesn’t fit into my life. Even finishing the entirety of a long distance trail (bit by bit) feels more than my realistic self can envision. Completing all of the PCT would be so amazing…but reading thru hiker accounts of what this actually entails has brought a harsh reality check to what this requires in real life.

So instead of finishing any one trail, I’ve decided experiencing several is better. Why not finish 500 miles of more than just the Appalachian Trail? 

Abandoned Elwha Ranger Station. Very apocalyptic!

I’m just 30-ish miles shy of finishing all of Washington’s PCT, which is just over 500 miles. (Update: finished ) So once that is done, that makes 500 miles completed on two major thru hikes.

I’ve discovered I’ve already done almost 100 miles of the Pacific Northwest Trail without realizing it. Do 400 more, much of it within a few hours of my house, and I've done three! Then I could start working on Arizona's trail because my brother just moved there and can be my Trail Angel. (Mary too! 2026 update of my last trip there is here - which got me to 151.5 miles on the AZT so far.) If I can get in 500 miles on all four of those major hikes, then I can make a nice clean “500 Miles on 5 of America’s National Trails” by doing the Colorado Trail, which is just over 500 miles total. Saving the grand finale for my one and only thru hike means I'm still hoping to call myself a thru hiker at some point. Sounds good, doesn’t it? If nothing else, it will keep me moving…and keep "FarOut" in business. (A must have trail app I was too cheap to pay for on the AT, until I finally caved; and now I can’t give them enough of my money 😆)

Thank you, FarOut! (Formerly Guthooks)

So, back to the Pacific Northwest Trail. The pictures on this post are from a Thanksgiving trip I took to the Olympic Hot Springs. Some quick things to mention about this hike are:

1. It’s on the PNT, of course. 
2. The road is washed out, so what used to be a quick couple miles is now a ten mile hike mostly on pavement. It is 3 miles from the parking area at Madison Fall TH to the abandoned Ranger Station (very cool!) where you connect to the PNT, then it’s another 5 or so miles of road walking to the abandoned Olympic Hot Springs parking, then the 2 relatively easy actual trail miles to the hot springs. 
3. Embracing this hike for what it is makes it fun. I loved listening to my audio book as I walked on the lonely, desolate feeling road.
4. You are not supposed to camp by the hot springs. I did anyway. BUT I didn’t make a fire, poop anywhere in the area, and I even picked up trash around my site. I would have never camped there in the summer, but there was nobody there so I was naughty. Sorry.
5. The hot springs are kinda gross IMO. Not anything like the idealized fantasy I had in my head. The sliminess and smell are hard to get past – and though the above pic looks like your own private hot tub, it was a dirty lukewarm bathtub at best.
6. You’ll need the Olympic National Park pass so why not drive up to Hurricane Ridge on your way home? You can even hike there from that abandoned Ranger Station I mentioned if you wanted to extend your trip.(I wouldn't attempt it in the winter, though.) Of course I drove, and got an extra mile on the PNT by just ambling through the parking lot with a little snow trail walking.
   
   Below you’ll find all my completed PNT miles along with my future hopeful miles. Every time I finish one, I’ll move it to the “completed” list. Happy Trails and happy goal making everyone!

 MILES COMPLETED = 500!

Beach section: Ozette Triangle  Shipwreck Coast  South Coast Trail

Olympics: Bogachiel  The Grand Loop  Seven Lakes Basin  Tubal Cain  A Bit of Dosewallips  Marmot Pass to Home Lake  Port Townsend to Four Corners Gold Creek to Mt Zion

Whidbey Island: Ferry to Ebey  Ebey to Joseph Whidbey  Oak Harbor Street Walking  Deception Pass Bridge

Anacortes and Skagit Valley: (Most of the 60ish miles I've done close to my home in Mount Vernon I did not write about. Everything I did write about was before I new much about the PNT) Oyster Dome  Lizard Lake  Chuckanut Area  Padilla Bay  Heart Lake Area

North Cascades: Baker Lake  Swift Creek  Hannegan to Ross Lake  East Bank  The PCT Section Devil's Dome

Eastern WA: Boundary Trail  Whistler Canyon  Sweat Creek to Church Kettle Crest

Montana: (I know I say in the story I didn't actually get to 500 miles, but I did finish off the rest with a road section close to my house. Actually I walked to the Old Edison Tavern, a bar right on trail, and got a little drunk. It was a fun celebration I never wrote about.) Bowman-Kintla Loop