After 70 days of hiking, Bree Fuqua had logged 1,630 miles along the Pacific Crest Trail. Beautiful scenery and weather has greeted Bree in Northern California as she approaches the Oregon border and the final 1,000 miles of her epic journey.
“California is such a long state!” Bree wrote recently on her blog.
The 31-year-old Kalispell teacher plodded through the Marble Mountain Wilderness in the Klamath National Forest last week. She ran into several interesting and memorable characters along the way and enjoyed a night’s stay in a “Hiker Hut,” where she indulged in a few luxuries, like a comfortable bed.
“It’s really amazing what a shower and a night in a bed can do,” she wrote. “I felt like a new woman this morning. The trail can be a blast when you’re rested.”
Bree has encountered countless memorable sights along the way. But the journey hasn’t been without its challenges. The most recent was an attack from a swarm of bugs, including bees that stung her arm and wrist. She needed a serious dose of Benadryl to try and reduce the swelling and allow for a couple hours of sleep after the attack, but her arm remained severely swollen for a few days.
Regardless, Bree climbs onward. By July 14, she was less than 100 miles to Oregon, and approaching the final 1,000 miles of her 2,650-mile trek. She has averaged more than 20 miles a day since pursuing her dream hike in early May, with the goal of being back home in time for the school year, which begins at the end of August.
“Every morning I start my hike with some daily prayers. I am so thankful that after I get the first painful mile out of the way my legs feel recovered from the day before,” she wrote.
“I also feel thankful every morning that I was watched over and protected as I slept and rested. So far I’ve done a decent job of remembering that this is not a trip I can accomplish on my own. I could see how it could be easy to let pride or your ego get in the way and think that you’ve accomplished something like this without any help from above. I continue to be blown away by the blessings I experience on a daily basis!”
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