June 5, 1993 was an unseasonably cold, windy, drizzly day. From beneath a canopy, the Secretary of the Interior under President Bill Clinton's administration, Bruce Babbitt, addressed a crowd of more than 300 unsheltered, hardy souls. At this "Golden Spike" ceremony in the Soledad Canyon area of the Angeles National Forest, the Pacific Crest Trail was declared officially complete. "It seems to me," Babbitt said, "that what this day and this occasion is all about is the way trails connect not just land and ecosystems, but people."

On Saturday April 3, 2004, the day was bright and sunny in Sacramento, California, the evening crisp and invigorating. Inside a large banquet hall at the Radisson Hotel, 200 of those who have been connected, one way or another, by the Pacific Crest Trail gathered. Over dinner, tablemates met new friends, reconnected with old ones and shared stories from the trail. Later, the buzz of conversation became a hush as PCTA President Jim Hilton welcomed the evening's keynote speaker, Bruce Babbitt.

Following a career as governor of Arizona, Babbitt served as Secretary of the Interior for the full eight years of the Clinton presidency. During his tenure as Interior Secretary, Babbitt drafted plans to restore the Florida Everglades; helped enact the massive California Desert Protection Act; and negotiated the largest land swap in the history of the lower 48 states in order to protect the new Grand-Staircase monument and other parks in Utah. In all, Babbitt provided recommendations to President Clinton that led to the creation of 21 new monuments protected under the Antiquities Act and resulting in several million acres of resources on federal land coming under new conservation management, including at least two monuments along the Pacific Crest Trail. Currently, Babbitt is an attorney at Latham & Watkins, in Washington DC, where his practice focuses on environmental and natural resources matters. He also speaks to audiences, like the one gathered at the Pacific Crest Trail Association's annual Trail Fest, about environmental challenges facing America in the 21st century.

Reiterating the feelings he expressed at the "Golden Spike" ceremony in 1993, Babbitt told PCTA members and guests that "The Pacific Crest Trail is a lot more than a trail - it's a journey of a lifetime. The trail is more than a line on the land, it stands for a vision of an extended ecosystem and diverse groups coming together, united by love of the land and experiences on the trail…"

"We are the descendants of John Muir," continued Babbitt, "and the trail is a place to think about the integrity of the landscape and ecosystems we share."

In this vein, Babbitt then led listeners on an imaginary trip along the trail. Beginning in the south, Babbitt lauded the protection of the San Jacinto Mountains in the form of the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument. He imagined watching a beautiful sunrise over the San Jacintos but countered the image by saying that the San Bernardinos "remain unprotected" and that "urbanization is lapping over the Los Angeles basin and we need to get serious about land use planning."

Progressing further north on his mind's eye journey along the PCT, Babbitt wondered whether he could breathe a sigh of relief upon entering the Sierra Nevada. Here, he said, is the largest roadless wilderness in the lower 48 - but he expressed concern over movements to put roads in roadless areas. "Roads," he said, "are the most destructive - the beginning of the end." In thinking about the Sierra, Babbitt also discussed global warming, speculating that in 50 years there may be no snow in the Sierra and saying, "We need to get serious about climate change."

Picturing himself in the Columbia River gorge, Babbitt turned his thoughts to salmon and dams on rivers and tributaries. He advocated for the removal of some dams and said, "There is a place for salmon on this landscape." Then, with perhaps an air of victory, he noted that Washington State has largely ended the era of clear cuts.

Babbitt's short PCT journey ended with thoughts of restoration and the possibilities for the future. Citizens working on and for the trail, he said, are "Setting an example by getting connected with the land and carrying that message. This is the answer for the next generation." Babbitt was given a standing ovation.