Day 127 - Canada

Thursday August 20

A flood of emotions overwhelmed me as I caught sight of the monument at the U.S. and Canadian border. I had walked from Mexico to Canada! Tears filled my eyes. 

It is hard to explain all of my emotions. Mostly I am thankful. 

I am so thankful for all of the people who made this possible. 

My wife was my resupply person and she never missed sending a box or giving me encouragement. She drove for hours to get me to trailheads and meet me as I would finish. 

My family gave me the courage to keep going when times were difficult. My son and his friend Nick surprised me with the ultimate trail angel gift by meeting me at Crater Lake, feeding me and treating me to an airplane ride over the trail. And thank you to my daughter Anne and my brother Ron for sending such wonderful treats to Crater Lake. To my son, Thomas, thank you for house sitting and a special thanks for the brownies. They were a special treat each morning as I got on my way. 

Also, thank you goes to our friends Cody and Jenessa, who dropped everything at a moments notice and hosted my wife and I for a wonderful evening. 

I owe a huge debt of thanks to the trail angel, "Legend", who showed up when I was ready to quit and helped me find the courage to go on. 

Others on the trail gave me advice and help. A special thank you to "No Trace" and "Unbreakable" for answering all my silly questions and helping me solve my problem with my backpack. 

A special thank you to "Willie", as we hiked many hundreds of miles together. He became a good friend and helped me become a better hiker. 

Another thank you goes to my hiking buddies, Deb and Patti. They gave me encouragement to believe in myself, and to make a dream become reality. And thank you Deb for having the courage to walk with me and enjoy the trail from Timberline Lodge to Cascade Locks. 

There are so many other trail angels to thank. Bob Riess hosted me when I first arrived in San Diego. He gave me the confidence I needed at the start of this journey. 

Some trail angels left coolers of treats. Others gave me rides or shared their homes. It is incredible that they did this for a complete stranger. 

I would not be standing at the monument without everyones help. 

You all believed in me. 

Thank you!

A special treat awaited me a the monument. It was "More Cowbell"!  He had arrived just twenty minutes before. We reminisced about times and people who we had met on the trail. It was so good to see him!

I am going to camp tonight at the campground just beyond the monument. I will hike out to Manning Park tomorrow morning and meet my wife there. 

Wow, this is an amazing adventure!