Rain on the Pacific Crest Trail - Original Oil Painting by Melanie Thompson

Rain on the Pacific Crest Trail - 8x10 - Oil on Canvas 

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The idea for this painting came to me while I was looking through photographs I took during a volunteer vacation with the Washington Trails Association. It was an amazing experience, but this newbie hiker from the deserts of the Columbia Basin had never even HEARD of rain pants. I packed what I considered to be a rain jacket, and assumed I'd be good. Then, while hiking in to our base camp I overheard talk of rain pants. This entire concept made no sense, rain pants were obviously frivolous REI junkies bought to sound hardcore.

I learned three things. One: The jacket I packed was NOT water proof. Two: It rains a LOT in the North Cascades, even in summer. Three: Rain pants are kind of important when you cut trail through brush in the rain.

So that was my educational experience, and despite being wet and cold the entire trip, I had so much fun, and learned a lot from my fellow volunteers. Like check the campsite and make sure you don't set up your tent in a potential puddle. Because if it rains for many days straight it will become a puddle. These are important things to learn, and fun memories I wouldn't trade for anything, and I got to re-experience them through this painting!