We had walked 1000 miles on the Pacific Crest Trail. 1000 miles.

Not even halfway through and still in California, it had taken us 79 days to get to this point. It might seem like slow progress and I suppose you’d be right, but that’s kind of the point of a thru-hike. It's a cumulative endeavour of small steps. The focus, at least for us, wasn’t the northern terminus. At any given moment the goal might be the next switchback, the next few miles before a break, or the remaining march towards a flat spot to pitch our tent.

The speed, or rather lack of, is what makes thru-hiking everything it is. By taking the time to savour it, the present was revealed in all its richness of detail and variety.