Hit 500 miles on the Pacific Crest Trail and it finally clicked

I passed the 500 mile mark last week on a section near Mount Whitney. I knew I was making progress but seeing that number on my GPS made me stop and think. It took me 23 days of hard walking to get there, with a pack that started at 38 pounds. How many of you actually track your mileage on longer routes, or do you just go by days out?

2 comments

2 Comments

davis.emma19d ago

Oh man, that 500 mark is huge... I totally get it. It's like crossing that line makes you realize how much small steps add up over time. I've noticed this same thing happens in my normal life too, not just on trails. Like, you start a new habit or a project, and the first few days or weeks feel like nothing's happening. But then you hit some random milestone and it hits you that all those tiny efforts were building this whole thing the whole time. It's that moment where the fog clears and you see the path behind you, and it's like, oh, I was actually going somewhere even when it didn't feel like it. That's what I love about tracking stuff, it forces you to see the progress that's easy to miss day to day.

val_wilson19d ago

Totally feel you on that, Emma. I hit 600 on the Colorado Trail and had the exact same moment, it's wild how the daily grind suddenly turns into a real achievement without you noticing.