I had SO much fun carpooling with my friend Rudy over at North Cascade Hiker down to PCT Days in August! We both signed up to volunteer at the ALDHA West information booth for one day, leaving us the rest of the weekend to walk around and join in the festivities. My friends Jay and Denise (from PCTA trail work) drove down, as well.
Rudy and I arrived Friday night at Cascade Locks (home of the famous Bridge of The Gods) and set up camp on Thunder Island which had been divided up in to “hiker” and “camper” sections (we took camper as we are not currently hiking on the PCT). I couldn’t believe how many people there were. I set up my hammock and set my camping chair and cooler next to them to make up my “camp”.
Friday night was pretty uneventful as folks are still coming in but we visited the town and local grocery store for cold drinks (it was over 100 degrees that weekend!) and visited shortly with everyone in the beer garden/food court which was closed by the time we got there.
Saturday was the big day as the lineup of vendors was extensive and there were more than a few raffles and giveaways to sign up for during the day. I won a Buff from Gear Junkie, and a great Seahawks Sombero to show my team spirit this season.
I also walked away with a ton of free stuff the gear companies and outdoor representatives were giving away. Look at all this stuff!
I blew out my Xero hiking sandals after my PCT hike with my girlfriends and I was in need of a new pair.
When I saw that Luna Sandals would be at PCT Days, I made sure to take some extra cash. Would you believe? When I went up to see what they had to offer, I was told they were offering their sandals 50 % off. Sweet!! I told her I wasn’t leaving without some new ones and she helped me try on a pair meant for watercrossings and hiking.
Don’t they look great?? I even got a ride in the rickshaw by the owner of Luna Sandals.
I was also able to renew my PCTA membership in exchange for a license plate cover and entrance into a plentiful raffle (that Rudy ended up winning!). I couldn’t believe how much gear was given away in the big raffle: backpacks, boots, tents, microspikes, etc.
I found another great company making healthy backpacking food: Backpacker’s Bistro. Melissa Lieser, this chef turned stay-at-home mom, is cooking up some delicious meals out of Portland.
Check her out! Editor’s note: Melissa and her family moved and their lives took a different direction meaning the end of Backpacker’s Bistro. You can find some of my other favorite healthy premade meals here.
I was pleasantly surprised with the food truck selection and enjoyed a yummy dinner from GAIA out of Stevenson, WA.
Hikertrash (Renee Patrick-She Raa) was there presenting the Oregon Desert Trail and screenprinting your gear for free. I did my bandannas and I think it turned out pretty rad.
Our time spent volunteering in the ALDHA West booth was a lot of fun, meeting and talking with hikers and hikers-to-be and signing folks up with memberships (I signed up, too!). They are a great support for long distance hikers and put events on during the year recognizing hikers, advocating for trails and teaching new hikers the ins and outs.
The night ended with us hanging out with some thruhikers in the beer garden; Hadley Krenkel and Cheryl Perry along with a few others (James and Stephanie from Belgium). You can follow their journeys on Facebook and on their websites. They are Washington State locals and I have been following their adventures from the beginning. Let’s just say it was a late night listening to their many stories! Sorry, no pictures but there is a Live Facebook post somewhere…
As we drove home, I knew I was going to have to make PCT Days and annual tradition. Not only was it great to hang out with so many people who love hiking, you walk away with a lot of free stuff.
Make sure you mark it on your calendar for this year (most likely the third weekend in August)! You can find out more information here.
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