Conquer the Crest

Nick Brown makes it to Snoqualmie Pass on his journey to complete the Pacific Crest trail from Mexico to Canada.

It had the fear factor to be intriguing.

Nick Brown, 24, formerly of Camano Island, was looking for a challenge after graduating from Point Loma Nazarene University in 2007 where he earned a degree in theology.

By the following spring, the daunting thought of hiking the 2,627-mile Pacific Crest trial from Mexico to Canada began to take shape.

"I wanted to do some sort of trip and settled on this," explained Brown, from near the end of the trail earlier this month on top of Snoqualmie Pass.

He had stayed in the San Diego area of California working valet service for a local hotel after college. When he told his parents, Keith and Paige Brown, of Camano Island, his plans for the hike, they had mixed feelings.

"I thought he was going to be eaten by a bear," giggled Paige during a welcome picnic on Snoqualmie.

"She read much more than I did in preparation," Brown quipped.

Still, for his father, concern was blurred by envy initially.

Nick Brown at the beginning of the Pacific Crest trail in Mexico, April 7.

"I was jealous," said Keith.

However, he quickly came on board with the idea and like the rest of the family, studied daily maps of the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail established by the Act of Congress on Oct. 2, 1968 and later following his son's daily coordinates.

A year of saving and groundwork came to a close on April 7. With a full pack of hopes and dreams, along with 65 pounds of essentials, Brown walked away into the unknown. His extended family and friends looked on as he began his five-month hike from the Mexican border, an hour and a half east of San Diego.

"I was terrified," said Brown. "I couldn't believe I was doing it."

At first, he was only managing 17 miles a day.

"I was exhausted. I wasn't in shape yet," he said.

Within two weeks he knew he had to lighten his load. A sign on the trail read: "The fun goes up when the weight goes down." It had resonated loud and clear.

"I was so worried (about) hiking in the desert," said Brown. "You start getting smarter about your water sources."

He went from carrying five or six liters, to one liter of water. He purchased a filter and eventually a Steri Pen Purifer to treat the creek water along the trail for drinking.

"There was a learning curve in the beginning," he said.

Along the route, people known as "trail angels" offered food, shelter, showers and laundry facilities to the hikers. One couple even provided a camping trailer. When Brown stopped by, 40 - 50 trail users were already there.

Supply towns were accessible every four or five days, where he would also get to shower. The longest stretch was 10 days.

He began each day at 5 a.m. when his alarm would go off, and stop around 6 p.m. He cooked on a small alcohol stove a simple menu of Top Ramen noodles for dinner, oatmeal or instant mashed potatoes served cold for breakfast the next day and tortillas with cheese or tuna for lunch.

Coffee in the mornings was a luxury.

"I was able to 'yoggie' (get) a cup coffee once in a while," quipped Brown.

He blogged his progress by sending a letter to friends who would then post them on the Internet.

On April 20 he wrote: "So far, so good. The trail is living up to the hype. Freezing temperatures and scorching heat have made it uncomfortable at times. Winds have up-staked my tent a few times, crushing any hope of a full night's rest, and fatigue is endless . . ." "Every manner of beetle, spider and ant try to infiltrate your tent and/or attack your food. There are snakes of various size and color — which scare me the most!"

That's how "Nick" became "Indy" to fellow hikers, who look for any weaknesses or habit to attach nicknames to each other. Indy made sense since movie character Indiana Jones is known for being deathly afraid of snakes.

With the new name, came camaraderie on the trail. Friendships developed quickly and routines brought goals into focus. Each day was one day closer to the prize.

Hikers he met ranged in age from 17 to 70 and were mostly college educated, had no mortgages or a "five year plan," said Brown.

He had made it through the Sierra Nevada Mountains climbing 15 miles per day through snow-covered trails. He survived a snowstorm on June 3 at 12,000 feet, the latest snow since 1984.

He was happy with his navigational skills and stamina when at milepost 1,600, around the hundredth day, hiking now 28 - 30 mile per day, he hit a personal brick wall.

It had been four days since he had seen anyone.

"More than that and I got pretty mopey," said Brown.

A couple of months had passed and he was still in California. He began contemplating quitting. Then he remembered a letter his college friend Mike Anders had sent along to read if it came to this.

"I wanted to give it back to him still sealed," he said.

He owed it to himself to open it, which proved to be the inspiration he needed.

There was renewed vigor in his steps the following day and near the evening a sign directed hikers to a barbecue hosted by a man who had walked the trail in 1978.

"He really helped me, " said Brown. "It was really cool."

He spent the evening with the man and his son and had breakfast the next morning with them before rejoining the trail.

Little battles came and went after that, but he managed to get through each one. His Uncle Tony met him in Oregon and hiked with him along the Columbia River for four days, which gave him something to look forward to.

Now light at the end of trail can be seen. If all goes as planned, he will reach Manning Park, B.C., seven miles north of Stehekin, this week.

But he said he would never forget the incredible people he met along the way. Would he do it again?

"Probably not," he quickly answered.

"I might like to paddle the inside passage to Alaska, though," he said as he shot a grin at his dad.

Still, he said he's been surprised at how much attention his hike has gotten.

"I looked at it like I was just goofing off for the summer."

Nick Brown plans to move back to Camano Island while he goes back to school to study firefighting and emergency medical training.