Reasons

Background: Eddie and Eric attended Gonzaga University together and were roommates for 4 years. 

We tend to post the good times and some jams on our shared instagram page (@epctrail_) in an attempt to keep both our own spirits high and assuage the concerns of those that care about us.

Nonetheless, lest people think the trail is all sunshine and cactuses, it is important to note that there are many times every day that totally suck. 

Each day on trail is a grueling test filled with rigid deadlines (if I don’t limp 5 miles to that stream right now, I may die of thirst). No doubt many other people would attempt a through-hike but, for a variety of reasons, are not so fortunate as us. We are grateful for the opportunity to even begin this adventure. Few people attempt a through-hike and an even fewer amount of people (20-30%) actually finish them. The opportunity to even attempt a through-hike is a testament to months (15 months in our case)  of financial and mental preparation and would not be possible without the people who support us from afar. Once on trail, people are forced to quit for many reasons.  In the 9 weeks we have spent on trail, we have witnessed injury, disillusionment and mental breakdowns cause hikers to go off-trail.  These people are not weak, these things could happen to us any day.  A hiker broke his leg last week after stepping badly on one of the 50,000+ steps he took that day.  Just like that, no matter what his mental foundation consisted of, his through-hike came to a sudden devastating conclusion.

The miles take their daily toll and there are moments that are physically, mentally and spiritually taxing. It is in these desultory moments that it is all too obvious that you are exposing yourself to all of this voluntarily and it would be much easier to quit this ludicrous journey and go back to your comfortable mattress.  During these moments you must fall back on your reasons for attempting the through-hike in the first place, your foundation. 

Eddie’s reasons:

Hey, Eddie here. Outside of a general love for camping and the outdoors, I had a serious motivation for quitting my job to do what I want to do instead.  Huntington’s disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative disease that has been commonly described as a combination of Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and ALS.  After growing up watching my grandmother struggle with the disease, my mom (an inspiring single mother) was also diagnosed 3 years ago. Huntington’s (also known as the Family disease), in addition to its devastating bodily effects, is an especially cruel disease as it is also hereditary. Given that my mother was diagnosed with the disease, me and my identical twin brother now have a 50% chance of also carrying the disease. 

I had a moment of clarity one day at work while at a 401K planning meeting.  As I listened to an advisor talk about age 60 being his roughly estimated retirement age, I began thinking more seriously about my own future. 60 was about the same age my Grandma was when HD really started to show and it was around then that I witnessed her losing her ability to drive, ski, walk, talk, and function independently. This trail, among many other things, is an attempt to start living my life more intentionally regardless of the outcome of my 50/50 chance with HD. I hope that other kids and young adults in the same situation can look to me as an inspiration if they need one. You have to live your life right now, there’s no waiting around.

Eddie’s trail name is Bard, given to him because he carries a 3/4 size guitar on his back, a luxury that many have scoffed at as unnecessary weight. Eddie’s love for the occasional plucked folk song keeps his spirits up if they ever get down. 

Eric’s reasons:

Though I don’t have an especially strong love for camping and the outdoors (I look forward to taking daily showers and dislike bugs), I have my own reasons for attempting this through-hike outside of supporting Eddie with his reasons and believing that challenging one’s self is the best way to achieve self improvement.  I  aspire to start my own business someday but am aware that there is much I can learn before taking that big jump. So, being a good auditory learner, I purchase and listen to business (and non-business) audiobooks while I hike and keep a journal of the especially poignant pieces of wisdom I come across. 9 weeks in and I just finished my 27th book. In the last few years I would try to read more books but, for one reason or another, I would end up managing to finish only 2 or 3 books a year. Taking that average into account, I’ve achieved a decade or so of reading in a much shorter time. My goal for this year is 60 books.

Also, due to a few years of relatively wallowsome sloth (woohoo desk job!), I was recently diagnosed with steatohepatitis (a reversible condition) and must get off my ass and live a healthier lifestyle.  After 9 weeks I’ve gone from a svelte 241 pounds down to a svelter 209 pounds, losing 32 pounds. Turns out that walking all day and not eating a lot (because food is heavy) is a good weight loss program.  My goal is to be sub 200 pounds. 

Eric’s trail name is Red, initially given to him due to his short, annoying, frequent, desert-induced nosebleeds. He kept the nickname to remind himself of his sweet red-haired girlfriend who is a constant inspiration to finish faster and return to. 

Years from now we hope to look back on this experience with eyes of chipped granite and know with satisfaction that we accomplished something intense and out of our comfort zones. So, here’s to hoping we can see this thing through!  Mile 906 (~34% complete) and still going strong. Next stop is Lake Tahoe in a week or so. Check out @epctrail_ on Instagram if you’d like to follow along.

Cheers,

Eddie and Eric (Bard and Red)