Along the trail
(Editor's Note: Chattanoogan Claire Henley started an adventure of a lifetime on the remote Pacific Crest Trail in April. Along the way, she had many adventures and found herself a husband named Big Spoon).
“All of these lines across my face tell you the story of who I am, so many stories of where I’ve been, and how I got to where I am.”
-Brandi Carlile
We made the KOA in Acton the following Thursday, after a four day stretch through cold weather, wind, and thousands of black trees that had burned in a forest fire years ago. The sun hadn’t been out in days, and the last 75 miles challenged us to steep climbs where we had to dodge the tall and furry poodle dog bush known for its potent and fast spreading poison. Thus, by mile 445, hikers gravitated like words to ears towards the KOA with its hot showers and mowed green lawn. The campground became a sanctuary out of the cold and dusty hills for everyone to gather and catch up on the latest trail news.
Something I didn’t expect about the trail was that it talked. What I mean is that if something was going on with a fellow hiker–good or bad, big or mild–it was only a matter of time before another hiker caught wind of it and spread the word. It was like being back in high school. The gossip blazed down the trail like wildfire. And the rumors being told weren’t always true, either. For example, word on the trail for the last several weeks had been that the couple Dunzo and Purple Princess were rescued by rangers during the snow storm In the San Bernardinos. In reality, however, the two decided to get off the trail and hitch to town to wait out the storm.
I’m going into this aspect of trail life because on Monday evening, at the Copper Canyon Campground, Big Spoon and I ran into Malibu and Endless–a fun-loving pair who enjoyed bantering back and forth in witty ways to dish out the freshest happenings on the trail. When Big Spoon and I arrived to camp, the duo was sitting at a picnic table, talking about Mr. And Mrs. Egg (so named because of their Easter egg colored shirts) and how the couple only knew each other for six weeks before getting married.
“What’s the gossip?” Endless–a firefighter from Massachusetts with sky blue eyes and a fast Boston accent–immediately asked Big Spoon and I as we sat down at the table.
“I heard it was that The Spoons were getting married,” Malibu–a paramedic from Seattle with a burly auburn beard and upbeat nature–chimed in.
Big Spoon and I had been officially dating for one whole day and were already known on the trail as The Spoons. To my surprise, Big Spoon played along and fueled Endless and Malibu’s fire by answering, “Actually, yes. Hands and I are getting married. We’re going to elope in the next town.” He looked at me with eyes that told me not to say anything. The playful expressions on Endless and Malibu’s faces turned blank.
“Whoa, congratulations, you two,” the duo said earnestly before moving on to the next topic: the mystery of Mr. And Mrs. Egg’s wedding song.
From that point on, after the run in with Endless and Malibu, most everyone Big Spoon and I passed on the PCT congratulated us for the upcoming wedding and asked if this meant I would change my name to Little Spoon. The Tallyhos shrugged it off as a very funny joke. Some people acted highly offended. Regardless, the word was out and everyone talked about the engagement. In fact, the story that Big Spoon and I were getting married got so blown up that Saltlick eventually had to ask us, “Do your parents know about this?”
Big Spoon and I neither confirmed nor denied the rumor but let the trail talk. By the time we reached the KOA on Thursday morning after a misty mountain hike, we were a legend: the couple who met on the PCT who only knew each other a month and decided to tie the knot.
“Here comes the bride,” Malibu and Endless sang while following me as I walked down the field to my campsite.
That day over lunch a big group sat together at the picnic tables by the clear, deep pool. “The proof is in the pudding. I’ll believe it when I see it,” Malibu said in good fun to Big Spoon and I about our talked-up marriage.
Big Spoon and I looked at each other with knowing eyes and kept quiet. We wouldn’t keep quiet for too much longer, but for now we had to. For here was the truth: we shared a big secret not yet ready for the trail.
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Claire's first book on her adventures while living in Colorado can be ordered here:
http://www.amazon.com/51-Weeks-The-Unfinished-Journey-ebook/dp/B00IWYDLBQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1394801373&sr=8-1&keywords=51+Weeks
Big Spoon and Clair