From Stehekin, I had about 80 miles left to reach Canada. I smelled smoke in the last few days from the Alpine Lake fire, and I heard that there was another fire west of the Rainy Pass. Due to the increase of wildfires in recent years,  I read an article that discussed it’s almost impossible to complete the PCT in a single year. For that reason, I was anxious and urgent to finish the northbound trip in the next three days just in case the trail closure happens. I took 90 minutes to take a break, reorganized my food and hopped right back on to the next shuttle bus to return to the trailhead. Since I ate some fresh food and some treat I packed for myself in the resupply box at Stehekin, I had a lot of energy and I hiked until twilight. Right when I became desperate to find a camp before I completely lost the daylight, I came to a place with giant cedar trees. Under one of the trees, there was a perfectly flat spot. It was one of the best campsites I had on this entire trip. It felt like the mother cedar was there to protect me and provide me with what I needed for the night. 

As the name indicates, the North Cascade National Park had so many cascades everywhere. Around a 6 mile camp, I came to a section of the trail full of thimbleberries. I named the section of the trail Thimbleberry Boulevard. I was like a bear. For half an hour, if not more, I moved a little bit, got into the bushes, indulged nature’s best gift. 

When I came to Rainy Pass, it started to rain heavily and I continued my hike to Cutthroat pass. When I went over the other side of the pass, the rain stopped. Hanging clouds and the fog were constantly changing its shape, hovering over rocks, covering it and I couldn’t see much view from the pass. I found a field of huckleberries as I began descending and even I was wet and cold, I took my time to enjoy the berries that were freshly washed by the rain. I was absorbed in foraging for good 20 minutes and when I looked up, the sky cleared and I saw mountains around me. It was incredible.

As I neared Canada, there were many times I teared up just thinking about the past 90 days of my journey. I started to see northbounders returning from Canada and every time I said congratulations to them, I got so emotional. How amazing is that to accomplish something like this? It doesn’t matter if it’s me or somebody else because I know what it takes to get here and we have many shared experiences that words cannot express fully. 

For the last two days I only saw five people going north and there were many days that I saw nobody going north on the trail. In fact, I started to see less and less people since I came to Washington. I knew only few who began the journey from Mexico would reach Canada in a single year and many of us still have the 650-mile Sierra section left to complete.

My last camp of my 2,000-mile journey was absolutely gorgeous. I climbed steep hills past Holman Pass and came to meadows. I found a pre-impacted spot tucked in the trees with a gorgeous view of the hills in the evening light, about 15 miles from the Canadian border.

On my last day, I woke up in the fog with no sound around me. I left my camp as usual, and I started to climb the last two passes that led me to the highest point of Washington section of the PCT called Lakeview Ridge (7,126 ft). I could see the sunlight coming through the fog and when I got to the Rock Pass, the golden morning light was shining all around me and I thought it was a blessing from Mother Nature. By the time I reached the highest point, the sky was blue and I smelled no smoke in the air. I took my time to embrace a quiet solo break with the 360 view of the mountains, seeing where I came from in the south and Canadian thick forest in the north. 

Then I started a steep descent and disappeared into the woods. I went back to the meditative mode of hiking or more like a jogging, left, right, left, right, left, right, left, right…. I’ve practiced walking meditation for the past 2,000 miles and I was able to focus on my steps for the last 7.6 miles, feeling the soft forest duff on my feet and hearing my inner voice saying, “I love hiking. I wish it never ends. I can go forever,” with a huge smile on my face. 

Then, all of the sudden, the forest opened up and I saw the monument. Without any thought, I put my both hands on it gently and firmly and closed my eyes and took a few deep breaths. I felt overwhelming gratitude, recognizing the incredible amount of privilege and support that I had to hike the last 2,000 miles. I gave prayers to mother nature and universe and thanked for keeping me safe and letting me have this experience for the last three months. Tears came out with the overwhelming joy, gratitude and happiness. I thought of all of my friends, my family and those who helped me to make this trip possible. I was hoping to have some alone time and it didn’t happen. It was OK. I ate lunch there and shared the special moments with other hikers. As many people turned around, I entered Canada and I was greeted by pileated woodpecker and a lot of thimbleberries!

I made it to Windy Joe PCT trailhead in Manning Park and got a ride from two Canadians. When they dropped me off at the Manning Park Resort, they gave me home grown broccoli, snap peas, beets, radish, salad greens, carrots, and cucumbers. I was so happy!! There was a ultramarathon race happening the following day, so there were a lot of athletes and supporters at the resort. For some reason, they noticed that I was a PCT hiker, and they asked if I finished it. When I said, yes, so many of them congratulated me and were interested in hearing stories. Throughout the evening, people offered me a place to take a shower, a ride back to the trailhead where I planned to camp the last night on the trail and a ride to Vancouver for the next day. 

As I settled in my tent for the last night in the north, I reflected on my journey. I am grateful for my ancestors who gave me an exceptional physical and mental capacity to embrace and meet challenging situations, cover many miles and yet recognize the beauty by slowing down, taking time and going off trail. I had so much solitude regardless of how busy the PCT was. I was blessed with berries, edible plants and incredible weather that kept me going.

I saw my best on the trail using everything I learned about the wilderness traveling in the two decades. I wish everyone knows how to be at their best and I have a responsibility to bring my learnings back to a much larger outdoor industry to make this trail and outdoor space more accessible and welcoming for those who may not have the same privilege as me. As the Canadian people cheered for me, I felt complete with the PCT and I reminded myself that I still have 650 miles to finish the Sierra section from Chester to Kennedy Meadows. I am so looking forward to continuing this journey and grand finish the PCT in the single year, which seems to be almost impossible at this point in the state of climate change. What I’m most excited about is that I have an opportunity to finish this journey in my home state and mountains. So here I go again and to the Sierra! But for now, from Mexico to Canada, I made it. Cheers!