As promised, I woke the girls up a little early on our last day. We packed and were ready to hike just as the sun filled our valley. We had four miles to hike that were actually on the PCT. Much of this was along the creek itself:
We then came to a trail junction at the Bear Ridge Trail where we were to leave the PCT for this trip. Well, at least two of us were to leave the trail for this trip; the third, Katie, was to leave it and not come back.
Katie's interest in these hikes has been declining for a long time. At first I didn't listen to her on this subject, I probably didn't want to hear what she was saying. Time's gone by, she's older and her interests have been changing. Although she likes climbing and hiking, she seems to like them more when she's doing them with other people. This will likely change in a few years or in several (or maybe it won't at all). I suspect that in time she'll be OK hanging out some with dad again. But for now she wants to do other things, and especially, she wants to do things with other people.
We talked about all this before this trip and also while we were on it. Katie made it plain that this was the last PCT trip she wanted to go on (at least for the foreseeable future). At first this decision was tough on me; for years it's been three of us and the thought of Katie not being part of this dream (really, my dream) was difficult. But it's also not ultimately my decision, it's hers. And so it was made: this trip, and now, on day nine, this trail junction, was the last Katie would do with us on this fantastic trail.
I'd had nine days to think about this issue. And nine days helped a lot. By this point on the trail I was OK with Katie's decision and with continuing the trail with just two of us. In fact I think this hike, and this whole issue, were critical in me letting go of Katie in a greater sense.
Katie turns 18 in two weeks, she leaves for university in six. During this trip I really came to realize that I am done. Or at least I genuinely feel like I am done. I feel like I've given her every bit of knowledge that I have to give her. By the end of this trip I'd actually come to feel like she's raised and ready for the world. I'm ready to move from being the father of a girl to being the father of a woman. It was and is a good feeling.
And so, at PCT trail mile 874.5 we posed for pictures, we walked our customary extra feet (to make sure there's overlap and that we haven't missed a step - even though Katie's not coming back) and then we all three turned left on the Bear Ridge Trail and headed down to end the trip:
The rest of the hike to the dam at Lake Thomas Edison was easy, although it was severely downhill and seemed to be one final insult to Katie's painful shins and knee. But we got there and soon got a ride to Vermillion Valley Resort:
Once at the resort, the girls faced a dilemma: after nine days on the trail was a shower or a deluxe meal more important? Vicki hadn't yet arrived by the time we checked in, and, rather than showering only to put on dirty clothes, the girls choose to eat:
Vicki showed up soon after our lunch. We then cleaned up, enjoyed a nice dinner and then enjoyed a nice evening. We left the next day for Katie's orientation at U.C.S.B. (and man is she ever ready for university - we all had another excellent time during these two days).
Tricia and I intend to continue on the trail this month (we plan to stop for the year at Highway 120/Tuolumne Meadows). There's much more of the Sierra coming, including still more of it's best parts. But there will be two of us now and not three.
