Dear Friends and Family
I hope life is treating you well. For some of you it’s been some time since we’ve seen each other or even talked. Let me take this opportunity to reconnect. I’ve decided to take time this year to write down what I have been up to and to make an effort to shed some light on where life is taking me. Some of this may be old news, some of it is new even as I sit here writing. What I really want from writing a letter like this is the chance to stay in touch, and get the most out of my friendships, family, and life.
During the past several years I’ve had the opportunity to work in places like the Boundary Waters in northern Minnesota, California’s Sierra Nevada Mountains, Kentucky’s Red River Gorge, the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, Lake Tahoe’s Desolation Wilderness, and currently in the Gila mountains of New Mexico. If there’s one thing I’ve learned in all that time in all those places, it’s that snow makes the best toilet paper.
Life is good outdoors, and in the past 6 months there’s been a steady flow of jobs in my line of work. Trail construction and maintenance to be specific. I currently live in Silver City New Mexico and work as a Crew Leader for high school Americorps crews doing trail work in the National Forest. We camp and work in the back country for 8 days at a time cleaning up trails. Building structures, cutting downed logs, hiking and clearing brush, cooking meals, and staying warm are all tasks of a typical day. Out of the last six months, I’ve spent 30 days sleeping indoors. I think I can count on my hands and feet the number of showers I’ve had in that time as well.
It’s not a glamorous lifestyle, but trail work is truly a lifestyle that suits me, and I love it. The challenges are so unique. Physically, mentally, and socially, it demands a lot. The needs of 8 high school students, or seeing the same faces all day, every day, can be tough (especially after burrito night). There is no greater satisfaction in my mind than throwing yourself at a trail for days and then getting to walk on the results. I visited places this summer where I worked over 2 years ago and found the waterbars, signs, bridges, and steps just as we placed them, like it was yesterday.
I’ve been fortunate to have these opportunities mostly because of the support of my parents, who gave me the education, inspiration, and love that I needed to be successful. My dad, who may not always like the random and far from home places that I work, has always told me to do the things that I love and not settle for any less. In honor of that advice, I will make my attempt in 2010 to hike the entire 2,663 mile Pacific Crest National Scenic Hiking Trail.
The Pacific Crest Trail (PCT)(www.PCTA.org) stretches from the border of Mexico in southern California through the National Parks and Forests of California, Oregon, and Washington to the Canadian border. The journey will last about 5 months and cover some of the most beautiful and awe inspiring areas of the west. Because my dad is the main inspiration for most of my adventures, I will make this trip in conjunction with the creation of the Mike Carroll Tribute Scholarship for Lourdes High School student tuition assistance through the Lourdes Foundation. For every mile that I walk, I will donate 10 cents to this fund. I’m asking friends and family, or anyone for that matter, who has had support in the pursuit of their own dreams from my dad to join in their support.
I hope to hear from you all very soon with feedback, comments, or just to talk and hang out. The journey will begin near the end of April and if you feel like hiking with me for a week or two, I’ve included a draft itinerary for you to look at. Also, if you'd like to send a letter of encouragement, the postal addresses for each leg of my trip will be posted on my itinerary page.
I came up with a quote earlier this year when I said “The journey is the destination.” Two weeks later I saw that phrase on a t-shirt in Wal-Mart. Even though someone said it before me, I strongly believe and live by those words.
All the best,
Tim Carroll