Today, my friends Hal and Diane Watrous flew to San Diego.  From there, they were to board three different buses, which would eventually deliver them to near the small town of Campo, on the US/Mexican border.  The signifigance of that:  It's the southern end of the Pacific Crest Trail. 

Their goal is simple.  In about 5-6 months, they hope to reach the NORTHERN end of the PCT, at the Washington/BC border in Manning Park.  It is a 2,600-mile hike.  Think about that.  A two thousand, six hundred mile hike!

They have been planning this for a long time.  Diane, who is the postmaster (post-mistress?) of the Southworth, WA post office, is taking a leave of abscence.  Hal is semi-retired.  They met through the Mountaineers, shared their love of the outdoors, and were married last summer (I was their best man!). 

They will begin their hike in Southern California with about a seven-day load of supplies.  This has to last them for the first 76 miles, at which point the trail passes a small village to which they have sent the first of their 22 re-supply packages.  The logistical planning for this enterprise is very complex and detailed, especially if you don't want to have to lose valuble time tracking down food and other gear that you need for the trail ahead.

If all goes well, and if they can maintain an average of about 16-18 miles a day, they could finish the trail by the end of September.

They plan to post periodic reports on a web page, so we can all track their progress.  To read more about Hal & Diane and their journey, go to

www.trailjournals.com/StampLady