In early April a Northwest woman will set out to complete one of the continent鈥檚 most challenging hikes, the 2,900-kilometre Pacific Crest Trail. It鈥檚 more than a physical challenge for the Terrace resident, Janine Wilson, but a rediscovery of her strengths and abilities following a 140-pound weight loss.
The trek first caught Wilson鈥檚 attention in 2006 while working as an interpretive ranger at Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument. As she gave a talk on the local ecology, a man in filthy clothes wearing a large backpack stood out among the crisp, camera-gunning tourists. Afterwards, he asked for directions to a public shower. While giving him a ride to a facility 10 kilometres away, he told her about the trail and the 4,200-kilometre journey he was on.
鈥淚 thought that would be something that鈥檚 super cool to do before I was 40. It鈥檚 always been a bucket list item, but then my career took over. I gained a bunch of weight and then the family life took over. I just threw the dream aside.鈥�
That changed in 2014 when Wilson set a goal to lose 60 pounds. On a dedicated regiment of walking, roughly 16 kilometres per day on a four-hour training schedule, she soon shattered her goal with a total weight loss of 140 pounds.
But as the weight dropped, her perception of her life also began to change. She started examining her choices of the past, and the options ahead. She stresses this thinking wasn鈥檛 about regrets with any person or any choice in her life, but a desire to be the best version of herself.
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The dream of the Pacific Crest Trail crept back into her thoughts, not simply as the physical challenge it once was, but more like a six-month sabbatical to sort out her thoughts.
鈥淲hat the trail made me think about is the ability to find yourself, to learn what you鈥檙e capable of and to depend less and less on technology and other people. To let that survival instinct kick in,鈥� she said.
Two-and-a-half years ago, Wilson began training.
The Pacific Crest Trail, or PCT, is a rugged, volunteer-maintained path stretching 4,265 kilometres from Campo, California on the Mexico border to the edge of B.C.鈥檚 Manning Park on the 49th parallel. Crossing through 25 national forests and seven national parks in California, Oregon and Washington, the trail is carefully aligned with the highest portion of the Sierra Nevada and Cascade mountain ranges, avoiding all civilization along the way. The Pacific Crest Trail Association describes it romantically as something that 鈥渞eveals the beauty of the desert, unfolds the glaciated expanses of the Sierra Nevada, travels deep forests, and provides commanding vistas of volcanic peaks in the Cascade Range.鈥� However, with terrain peaking at more than 14,000 feet above sea level, the altitude, geography and unforgiving climates, from dry desert heat to alpine snowstorms, only 15 per cent of the thousands of hikers attempting the trail each year succeed.
Of greatest concern to Wilson is the Sierra Nevada snow melt and the notorious river crossings they affect. Last year two hikers died crossing rivers and creeks, 32-year old Rika Morita from Japan, and 30-year old Chaocui Wang of China.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 like water,鈥� Wilson says. 鈥淚t scares the crap out of me, but that鈥檚 just one more thing to overcome.鈥�
To the obvious question, Wilson鈥檚 answer is a 鈥測es鈥� with an exaggerated eye roll: of course she has read the book Wild, the true story of a young woman who tackles the trail solo to find answers to some of life鈥檚 questions. But no, neither the book or Reece Witherspoon鈥檚 big-screen adaptation motivated her decision to try it herself.
鈥淭he trail is intriguing to me because I鈥檝e spent most of my life taking care of other people: grandparents, parents, siblings, husbands. I hinged my happiness on other people. Even after losing 140 pounds, there was a part of me that felt guilty about it because I couldn鈥檛 be happy for me. I didn鈥檛 know who I was.鈥�
To prepare, Wilson has spent the past two and half years pack training, in part by taking on three paper routes with the Terrace Standard, and heading into the forests almost every weekend for camping pursuits. Along the way, she鈥檚 fine-tuned her skills not only with the gear her life will depend upon, but even the food supplies. She鈥檚 prepared and dehydrated original recipes for her unique requirements of carbohydrates, fat and protein she鈥檒l need to sustain a burn of up to 6,000-calories per day.
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Those meals, 1,800 of them, sit in her basement ready for shipment to the designated re-supply points.
鈥淭he two main reasons people don鈥檛 finish the trail is preparation and cost,鈥� she says. Packaging her own food has helped reduce those costs, along with a variety of fundraisers and odd jobs over the past two years, but Wilson is worried that despite her efforts the expenses will be her downfall. Unlike someone dropping off the grid, Wilson will still be responsible for the usual bill payments while away.
鈥淚t鈥檚 awful to know you鈥檝e done all this planning and preparation, and the whole thing falls through because of money. I鈥檝e never been one of those people who have a dependency on money, but I sure do today,鈥� she says with a laugh. 鈥淚鈥檓 holding onto the faith and vision that things will work out.鈥�
To help with costs Wilson has reached out to the community to sponsor her with the purchase of T-shirts and hoodies with custom-made emblem.
Wilson admits her plan has put a strain on her marriage. At first, her husband worried about the impact a six-month emotional with physical absence might have. On a pragmatic level, he also worried about losing half the household income.
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鈥淚 don鈥檛 have answers for him and that鈥檚 one of the hardest parts. I don鈥檛 know what will happen during the hike, and I don鈥檛 even know who I鈥檒l be after it. But he鈥檚 on board now and he鈥檚 the biggest supporter I鈥檝e ever had. In fact, he鈥檒l be the one sending me my re-supplies.
鈥淭he support from the entire town has been amazing. When I鈥檓 out walking my hand is constantly flying up to return a wave to someone. They鈥檙e incredible sources of support. I don鈥檛 necessarily want to be out there walking in the cold, but the support they give me in my life is something I look forward to.
鈥淚 have a new level of appreciation for what I鈥檓 capable of.鈥�
To purchase one of Janine Wilson鈥檚 T-shirts visit janinepct.ca
quinn@terracestandard.com
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