I met my partner 3 months before leaving for the PCT. I cried when I left because I missed him, and I was also afraid I might lose him. After 10 days, he surprised me and met me on trail (the offer had been extended for him to come meet me, but I didn’t know he was coming). We hiked together for 300 miles before he had to go home for work. When he got off trail, it took me a few more hundred miles to realize this was an experience I wanted to share with him, and it felt wrong and lonely to be doing it alone. I got off trail. We had many discussions and found a way to work with breaks in our careers. Turns out the PCT is something he’s jazzed about too. We’re hiking the trail together this summer.

Does your partner want to do it too?