Friendship Grows Stronger Over the Pacific Crest Trail

In 1994 four local woman began a journey that would take a decade to complete. One that would encompass the entire Oregon section of the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) and would see them through personal hardships and loss and strengthen their friendship. In early August, Marge Bernard, Mary Gardiner, Tanya Dadaos and Margy Plein will hike from Mount Hood to Bridge of the Gods. There will likely be laughter as these plucky women complete their adventure. Together.

Every summer these friends have planned a week long adventure that covered sections of the trail. They travel for about five or six days and each day they cover between six to twelve miles. "There are people who do larger sections, but we have more fun," says Mary. They started with day hikes around the Rogue Valley. "We had a hard time finding the beginning of the trail," says Tanya. "It isn't marked very well, but eventually we found it and most of the PCT is clearly marked." Those early hikes were close enough to home that they were day hikes which worked out well for their families. As they covered these smaller sections they realized they could do more, so they planned longer trips as the years passed by and their children grew.

Side by side, they have also shared personal hardships over the years. Mary's seven year old son, Brett died shortly before their first trek. Margy was diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2000. Tanya is living with diabetes. And each woman learned that hiking is a lot like life. Sometimes you aren't sure if you can keep going, but you, "buck it up, put that boot on and go" as Margy put it. And they all learned that they are strong. "It's empowering to overcome it. I was dealing with this personal issue and I still did this_, Mary says. "It's so much more fun to enjoy the moment and not focus on what is out there," says Marge. "I'll get there and I'll handle it. While hiking, there are many opportunities to focus on what is really important -- friends and family. There is time to reflect on these things."

Over the years they learned to set manageable goals, pack lightly and then set out. Communal gear is distributed equally, which helps make their packs more manageable and they have shared the cost of equipment between the four families which has made it easier all around. They were able to get a partial sponsorship for walking sticks from the Leki Company, and all agree that the sticks have helped them balance across tough terrain.

Hiking the PCT sounds exciting, but in reality it is very hard. From terrible blisters to exhaustion, they rally around each other. "Not only are we doing something healthy," Tanya says, "but this has cemented our friendship."

They all agree that it is sometimes worth it to take an alternate route so you can get more out of the experience. Out of their many adventures and stories, one stands out in their collective memories. While at Sky Lake Basin at Devils Peak they came across a snow field. One by one they slipped and slid down. Although it was scary at the time, nothing bad happened to them and it was exhilarating. They finished at Cliff Lake and there was jubilation and relief in that they made it safely.

Tanya says "It's amazing though. When you look back and say, I've hiked all that. The enormity of it really hits."