"The hike literally changed me"



In Oswald West State Park, south of Arch Cape

On Jan. 12 of this year I received the following email from Patti of LaCrosse, Wisconsin:

"Thanks for your blog, book and all that you've put out there to advance the ease of hiking the OCT. I've been poring over your blog. My husband and I visited Gold Beach 3 years ago and completed multiple day hikes during that week; I was smitten and vowed to return. Now, on the verge of turning 55 and having made a major life change, I've been mulling the possibility of thru-hiking the OCT toward the end of summer 2015. My question is this: am I completely crazy to even be thinking of doing such a thing? While I've day hiked 14 miles at a stretch (and stumbled toward the end!) that's a very different animal than hiking day in and out 10 to 15 miles for a month or more. The up side is that I don't need to be anywhere, nor do I have a schedule, so I could adjust the hike accordingly… Any words of wisdom would be appreciated as I contemplate the adventure. "

 

Looking south from the summit of Neahkahnie Mountain

We corresponded a few more times. Then eight months later, on Sept. 8, I heard from Patti again:

"A quick email to let you know that this afternoon I finished thru-hiking the OCT, from north to south.  What an indescribable experience. So many contrasts, just like the coast itself. A life-changing experience."

Early morning at Carter Lake, Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area

Yesterday she sent me some photos. “The hike literally changed me,” she writes. I’ll let her photos continue to tell the story.

 

Between Thomas Creek and Indian Sands, Boardman State Scenic Corridor


 

 

Meeting her ride home at Crissey Field Welcome Center--the end of the trail