Frenchville resident Scott McKenzie is quickly approaching the halfway mark in his journey to hike the Continental Divide Trail.
The journey start to finish is more than 3,000 miles, and will be his most difficult of the three massive hikes he’s done in his life.
“I am exhausted,” said McKenzie. “My morale was way down a few days ago and I had to call my friend, Megan.
“She picked me up at the base of the mountain in Georgetown, Colo. The weather and snow, where I am now, have taken hikers by surprise.”
Colorado’s mountain peaks are normally melted down, and snow is not stacked near as high at this point in summer.
Because 2021 has proven to be an exception to snow melt normalcy in Colorado, it’s caused some hikers to change course.
Others pause their rugged trek and head back into town for much-needed recuperation.
“Recently, I used ice axes and hiked on a mountainside with a drop of over 1,000 feet,” he said. “It was way above my comfort and skill level.
“The snow was up to my waist at points; and for others, it was up to their chest area.
“We were hiking atop of snow-covered trees, and I actually lost my sneaker and had to dive head first into snow to retrieve it.”
This unforeseen obstacle has caused him to change course, and he’ll skip ahead to another part of Colorado.
From there, he’s journeying the more than 1,500 miles that still lie ahead of him.
Once he reaches the Canadian border, he’ll head back to Colorado to hopefully finish the part of the trail he skipped.
“You have to know unexpected circumstances will arise; … some hikers pulled out and skipped a significant part of the trail for various reasons.
“People, serious about completing a hike like this, can make all the plans in the world, but they likely won’t work out as they expect.”
McKenzie can attest to it. Recently, he endured about 17 hours straight of freezing temperatures, rain, hail and snow – in a tent.
His tent was soaked with condensation, and this is largely why he called a trail angel, Megan, to come get him twice.
This gave McKenzie some good meals and a chance to recuperate and revamp plans to finish his journey.
“I am blessed to have a friend in Colorado like Megan,” he said. “A single bad day can really throw off your hike tremendously.”
McKenzie hopes that when he returns to finish this part of the trail, the snow will be gone.
He’ll also be on a “stove-less” diet here on out so that he doesn’t have to carry as much weight on his back.
Initially, his diet consisted of dishes he could easily prepare with the help of boiling water.
With those no longer an option, McKenzie will rely upon candy, chips, cookies and other snack foods.
He said protein/energy bars will come in handy, as he’s already lost a good amount of weight and hopefully will allow him to finish his quest.
If harsh weather and a limited diet didn’t pose enough of a challenge, McKenzie has a nagging toe injury.
He first thought he had frostbite but now believes it’s a blood blister aggravated by his daily 20- to 30-mile treks.
“I knew it was going to be hard, but I couldn’t have imagined just how hard it would be,” he said.
“I am glad to be doing this hike this year because weather and circumstances could be even worse next year.
“Another year I wait is also another year older I am. My body has really taken a beating on this hike.”
McKenzie went on to say: “The constant up and down of the mountainous terrain is truly exhausting.”
To prepare for a rugged trail of this extreme, McKenzie’s only advice is to hike more, which he did in the central Pennsylvania region.
He said he spent several months hiking trails and mountain areas, and that he even went out in bad weather conditions.
For him, it’s necessary to figure out equipment set up in all types of weather because after 20-30 miles of hiking isn’t the ideal time.
Through it all, McKenzie finds peace in nature and it helps him see faith and goodness in humanity.
“It is a way … to find such peace in our world that can be so negative at times. The people I’ve met, the ‘trail angels,’ are genuinely good people.”
While he’s out on the trail, McKenzie is grateful for his friends back home who offer their prayers and encouragement on Facebook.
He especially thanked members of the Presbyterian Church of Clearfield who faithfully pray for him daily.
“Many have prayed for me to have the strength and power to get through this,” McKenzie said. “I believe in the power of prayer and have needed it in my tough times on this journey.”
If all goes well, McKenzie will finish his journey in mid-September and be home to celebrate soon after. He’s looking forward to several celebrations that will take place upon his return.