June first, is it truly summer? Gray clouds congregate at the north end of the Columbia Valley, perhaps a thunderstorm will rumble through town. It has been an awfully dry and cold spring. The snow line hangs around 1500 meters, a frightening thought when considering that it is within this very month that we will be spending most of my time at, or above, the stated elevation. There are now 25 days until setting the first step on the Great Divide Trail.
I can feel the timeline shrinking away. Feelings of doubt, anxiety and worry crop up like spring gardens. Did we pack all of our food? What are we forgetting?...the list goes on. These negative feelings are not the lone residents of my chest cavity, they are joined by joy, excitement, and a new energy I am yet to fully describe. It is the first time in my life where I have a day to day schedule penned-out for the 77 days ahead. Crazy.
I know that the days ahead will pass by like that of the days behind. We were once nervous and filled with worries on Permit Day in January…and February, but we successfully secured our permits. We were once nervous about our gear and how the first time we packed it, it did not fit into our packs. We can now close our packs with a comfortable sub-20lbs base weight. In 77 days' time, on the side of highway 16, we can reflect on the feelings of today, like we can for all the other days our guts were filled with uncertain feelings and smile.