21 September - the Grand Finale

From Woody Pass (Mile 2649.4) to the Northern Terminus of the PCT (Mile 2660.1) to Manning Park (2669)

Total PCT Miles today (counting the Canadian PCT miles): 20

After a bracing morning swim in Hopkins Lake with the delightful Spud, Oasis, Honey Bear, and Cookie, we pressed on toward the border -- crossing paths with other thru-hikers who had made it and were returning: Fierce Melon, Train, International Gourmet, Anchorman, and others. "It's just ahead! You're almost there" they said -- and we still kept finding it hard to believe it would be.

Finally, exhausted, elated, disoriented (smile), undernourished, goofy, and gaga -- we stumbled across the finish line to the applause and supportive cheers of that great troop of thru-hikers ("The Love Train") we were privileged to hike among for several days. What marvelous people. They are pictured below.

Here's a photo of the assembled Love Train + The Caballeros:

Photo courtesy of Spud. From left to right:

Back row top: Zen, Wampus Cat, Chimp, 

Middle row standing: Snausage, Spud, White Bear, Pan, Seano, Dionysius, Mufasa, Histo, 

Front Row: Yankee Son, Hallmark, Cookie, Oasis, Honey Bear)

The mob of us all as Freebird came walking down the trail and took this photo. [Photo courtesy of Freebird]

Here's a video of a little victory dance Hallmark came up with for all of us. What fun.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3eKQUbi_wHE

As we finished up doing photos, along came Free Bird whom we had seen off and on all the way along the PCT for five months. How good to see him at the finish line!

We'll post more info later (plus more photos), but right now we are wiped out, elated, grateful, in awe, and struggling a bit with re-entry.

Will post photos and catch-up journal entries soon (there's no Verizon in Canada -- at least here).

Hugs,

The Caballeros (Seano, Dionysus, & Pan)

PS. We found out later after much researching that about 131 hikers who had started at Campo in 2012 and step-by-step walked the 2665 miles, had made it here before us. Over the next two months, another 300 (of whom about 270 were thru-hikers) arrived to climb up onto (or hug, or lean against, or fall down at the base of) the monument. The last (we believe) SoBo arrived at the Southern Terminus on Nov. 11. And remarkably, in deep snow and plunging temperatures, I'm Fine made it to the Northern Terminus on Nov. 11 against daunting odds. And a week later, Silent D and Dances With Lizards trudged through a great deal of snow to be the last over the finish line on Nov 18. Hail to the hearty!



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