Somethingâs Missing
For 34 years, Howard Shapiro, Jim Peacock, and I have been hiking the Pacific Crest Trail together. Despite living at opposite ends of the country (Jim lives in Maine, Howard lives in Washington State, and I live in California), we have managed to arrange work schedules and family commitments in order to regularly get together on the PCT for a week or two of walking, catching up on our respective lives, and soaking in the deep peace that only the wilderness provides.
This year our plans to walk from Crabtree Meadows to Walker Pass together were derailed when, in the last pick-up hockey game of the season, Jim broke his ankle. âWhat is a 59-year old guy doing playing hockeyâ, you might ask. That, however, is another story.
Howard and I continued with plans to hike Section G. In conversations with Jim, we agreed that at 7 a.m. (PDT) we would pause and think of Jim. This process was aided when, a few days before Howard and I departed, âFlat Jimmyâ arrived in the mail. Jim, in turn, maintained an account of his thoughts at the appointed hour for each of the ten days we were on the trail. This can be read via this link:
http://peak-careers.com/the-130-mile-backpacking-trip-i-am-not-on/
Rees, Flat Jim, and Howard at Cottonwood Pass
Flat Jim overlooking Beck Meadow at 7 a.m. on July 18th
Flat Jim makes it to Walker Pass
