I set out with perhaps unrealistically high expectations for this hike, yet was not disappointed. My preparation proved up to the task: mentally and physically, my knowledge, fitness, gear and food choices were dialed in. Assorted chafes, hotspots and ankle aches threatened at various points, but responded well to a stern talking-to. I encountered no bugs and got no blisters.

As the days passed, my focus narrowed. No thoughts of work or the news, just one foot after another, one camp to the next, view to view, living fully in the present and paying complete attention to my immediate surroundings. Forward planning was limited to wondering what the weather would do next (speculation without influence) and deciding what to have for dinner (from a very limited set of options). The trip almost became an extended period of meditation.

I developed a surprising affection for the equipment I was carrying. Each item was carefully chosen to fulfill a necessary purpose, and nothing was redundant. Oh red fleece, how I love the way you keep me warm on windy parts of the trail, and also wrap my other clothes to create a pillow at night. Beloved camp shoes, you're so great at protecting my feet while letting them air out after a long day on the trail. There was magic in the routine of establishing a comfortable home each evening, then folding it all back up to continue on my way the next day.

My only regret is that the rest of my group was unable to complete the whole circuit with me. They were great company, my kind of hikers, and I have so much respect for the wisdom they showed in dropping off the trail before small problems had a chance to grow into major ones. We found our satellite communicator devices invaluable for keeping folk back home informed while this was going on, and for letting those still on the trail know when others had made it safely home. We carried 3 Garmin inReaches between our group of 6, and learned some things about how best to use them:

• When splitting into 2 groups over Spray Park, we really should have made sure each party had an inReach, rather than all 3 being with the same people!
• We should have pre-tested sending messages directly from one inReach to another. Come to find out this didn't work the way we thought, so we were only able to communicate indirectly via at-home contacts.

Sasha made a video covering the first 2/3 of the circuit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qVEvBnmfKl8

I made a photo montage: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yv8Vnn_ZQo

Thank you Tahoma for blessing my pilgrimage with great weather and excellent trail conditions. All praise the trail crews for bridges in and blowdowns cleared. These sights and memories will stay with me forever. Truly, the Wonderland Trail is well named.