memoriesaheadmilesbehind

45 Days… and it feels like tomorrow!

Everyday the trail is on my mind. It’s clearly an obsession. I feel like sooner or later someone’s going to say “… enough already, quit talking about your hike!” Thankfully that isn’t the case. Daily, I’ve been inundated with questions and shared excitement. I can’t believe it’s right around the corner.

I’m definitely getting a case of the “nerves”. Two nights ago I spooked myself reading -again- about all the bad things that could happen on the PCT (mind you, just before I went to sleep). Nightmares did not ensue, but I awoke during the night and couldn’t get back to sleep. I moved myself into the entertainment room where I found solice in laying on the cold hard tiled floor on top of my camp sleeping pad and nestling in my quilt. It was my closest version of a created night on the trail. I’m expecting nights on the PCT where something will spook me. Nights when little creatures will make their attempt to find my food. Nights when rainstorms will hit constantly outside my tent. And nights where I just might be out there alone. The reality is, if I weren’t expecting any of those things to happen I’d be fooling myself and all of you.

I think the biggest challenge we fear is leaving our comfort zone. Day in and day out, we all have some routine. We see the same people, go to the same workplace and live in the same home. It’s all comforting in its own way and for most people, it’s enough. For others, it’s never enough. For me, I’m pretty darn content. I’ve learned that nothing in life is ever perfect. That no matter how much money I make, it doesn’t mean it will make me happy. And that just because I’m living, doesn’t mean I’m experiencing life. It’s so much bigger than we know. So being comfortable today is actually amazing, but it’s time for a change of scenery. After almost 18 years at the same company, I’m ready for a new adventure. Who knew it would be the PCT???? I’m hoping that breaking the creature comforts of my daily life I will learn what the next chapter holds for me. I’ve heard the PCT and thru hiking is a life changing experience, I want to know what that means for me. I’m so looking forward to the challenge, to break from the norm, to meet people and to push my body to great lengths. So, for those who think I’m running from something, I’m not. I’m chasing a dream.

So spooked or not, the countdown still continues. My bear canister arrived yesterday. I quickly slapped a sticker on it (Thank You JamieP). I’m testing one more style of Altra trail runners (Timps) this week to make a final decision on which shoes I will use for the duration of my hike. I picked up more boxes from the post office and will start packing them within the next few days. I’ve also cleaned out the two guest rooms in my house and placed things in storage as my new housemates will arrive in March.

We’ve slated March 22nd for my going away party. Location is The Tap in Boulder City, NV. Please bring Kleenex for the tears of laughter.

So many happenings…. and the $24 underwear.

This week has been slightly overwhelming. I haven’t managed to get a training hike in since last week sometime, but have tackled quite a few pre-hikes chores in the meantime. First off, without going into detail, I finally feel like I have the housing situation at bay. Second, I made a trip to Costco and Target for the first purchase of resupply snacks. And third, I secured a spot for a going away party on March 22nd.

Amongst all of those very exciting events, there was some serious friend time this week. On Monday, I met DoranB, who hiked the PCT a few years back. He shared his experience and answered my questions as they came up. I think our chat ignited his desire to hike again and he asked if he could join me at Mt. Baldy. He said he’d bring In-n-Out burgers and some Skittles, of course I said yes. Tuesday, HilaryU had extended an invitation to her place for ladies night. It was so great to see her beautiful home and enjoy dinner in a fun environment. On Wednesday, KellyB was gracious enough to suffer through Costco while I read labels and expiration dates of every possible trail snack. Yesterday, JacobyL and I caught up on life as he assisted in the production of an Ikea dresser. Later, MattS and I talked survival gear and he plotted 2 junctions for resupply, one before the Sierras and one potentially after. And this evenings adventure to Boulder City brought us MannyF who walked (and played music gigs) from Florida to New York in 2011. His “Pound The Pavement” tour on YouTube is pretty awesome. Thanks for sharing your story.

Last week I was able to try out the Garmin InReach Explorer+ that I’ll be using. I honestly have to say, I think its going to be a great investment, not only for this year but for years to come. It was my first dry run with all my PCT gear (minus my rain pants which still haven’t arrived). Do you know why we should all do “dry runs”???? …. cause sometimes you forget to pack your sleeping bag! Yup, I totally admit that. Base weight right now is at 17 pounds, that is no food or water. On that training hike, I also carried 3 liters of water and food for about 2 days, so basically another 10 pounds. That is still a few pounds shy of what I expect to be carrying most days during the hike. I have a few places I can cut weight but in lieu of buying gear twice, I’ll stick with what I have for now. With that being said though if REI has a sale, you can probably find me there.

And about that underwear… yes, it costs $24. Its made by ExOfficio and I’m in love with them. Glen (my brother) and I had a long chat about these when we were in Tampico together. No, not awkward at all talking about underwear with my brother <ha!> but seriously, totally worth the investment.

It’s been a great week. I don’t know where the time goes…. 57 days til’ Campo.

FAQs

Are you going alone?

This is always the first and most obvious question I have been asked. The simple answer is, yes. The PCT Association allows for 50 permits to be issued for a single starting and ending point each day. The release of these permits are done in 2 waves, one on Nov. 1, 2017 for 35 permits and the second on January 17, 2018 for the additional 15. At time of publish, from March 1st through June 1st, 35 permits have been issued for each day already, with some hikers starting as early as February. On Nov. 1, I secured my permit 2 hours after it opened for my March 25th start date (Thanks Jack). In theory, what ever time I actually start hiking that Sunday, 49 others will be starting their journey as well. During the beginning its best to assume that campsites will be crowded and chatter will be high. As time passes, the crowd will thin for various reasons but I feel like there will always be someone near.

Are you bringing a gun?

No. As this is not a place for debate, my reasons for not carrying are obvious ones.

I don’t have the training to carry a weapon.
There are different rules in each state for carrying a weapon.
Weapons are heavy. (Keep reading, everything weighs SOMETHING.)

Where does the trail begin and end?

Since I will be going northbound (aka NOBO) I will start in Campo, CA which is about 60 miles outside of San Diego. The trail ends in Manning Park, British Colombia, about 4 hours from Seattle. Keeping exits strategies in place, I’ll always know which Southwest city I’m closest to.

How will you resupply?

As this is my first long distance hike, I’m taking resupply in a 50/50 sort of fashion. What I don’t want to do is buy so much food that I tire of one flavor or another. I also don’t want to have a surplus of dehydrated meals in the event that my hike is cut short. I’ll be ordering half of my meals next week and will plan to reorder as I get further into the hike. Its possible that my appetite may change in ways right now I can’t describe or I simply may not “cook” hot meals as the hike goes on.

The trail goes through or near various towns and places to restock items. A simple gas station can contain an abundance of high calorie snacks that will make an easy stop and get me to the next resupply. Every 4-7 days I’ll be through some sort of restocking location. Most hikers will send resupply boxes to a local post office or business. Since these towns are hiker-friendly, the boxes are held until arrival. This can create a bit of a logistical nightmare with hours of operation and hiking schedules so this is just something that I will have to watch and get used to as I get the flow of things.

What about water?

I currently have a Platypus GravityWorks filter system. I’ve used it several times and find that it works well for me. I also have AquaMira drops that serve as an ultralight backup option. I’ve found that the drops tend to give the water a slightly different taste and so I prefer to use the filter. I may also try the MSR Trailshot. It’s a small hand sized pump filter or even go as simple as a Sawyer Squeeze. The Sawyer is all the rage lately, but not a necessary expense at this point as I have a system that works for me now.

Water through the desert is a concern for those hikers starting later in the season. Fortunately, since I’m on the earlier side of the season, I won’t have too many long distance water carries. Meaning, the trail will either pass creeks, streams, campgrounds and caches quite often. There’s also the Pacific Crest Trail Water Report which I will be closely paying attention to. Any updates on reliable and unreliable water sources are posted there.

What about the snow in the Sierras?

This one I don’t really have an answer for yet. Another site I will monitor as I get closer to the Sierras, namely Kennedy Meadows north, is the Pacific Crest Trail Snow Conditions website. As we all know, the Sierras were slammed with snow during the 2016/17 winter. 2017 PCT hikers faced a tough challenge once they entered the snowy sections. High snow melt made for difficult water crossings. Late morning starts made way to post-holing by afternoon. And snow covered trails lead to lost hikers. Some hikers turned back while others skipped the section all together.

I have been in contact with a mountaineering company outside of Bishop, CA. They will be available to spend a day on the trail teaching me crampon and ice-ax use if it looks like Mother Nature will provide some snow in the next few weeks. I haven’t given up on going through the Sierras with a little bit of snow actually I’m really looking forward to that challenge. I will not enter the Sierras solo so I hope to have met a hiking buddy by then.

Can I meet you somewhere and hike with you?

Absolutely. Catch me if you can. Just kidding, I’m not that fast. I guess at this point, the best way to keep track of my whereabouts will be either here or through my mapshare page. If I’m anywhere near you, it would be great to see a friendly face. And if you need a piece of gear, I’m sure I have something you could borrow.

How many miles will you hike a day?

I don’t foresee long days in the beginning, nothing more than 10 miles a day for the first week, possibly 2. After that I hope to gradually increase my mileage. There will be days when I might hike 20 miles and other days when I can barely fathom 3. All depends on how the body adjusts and what the terrain is like that day. I never said it was going to be easy. And yes, there will be rest days–days in town, maybe even a hotel where I will let the body just relax and recoup. And probably eat, a lot.

This seems like a good place to stop for today but what haven’t I covered yet???? Let me know. Ask away!