Train Tracks and Trail Signs

I've hike about 60 miles of the PCT so far and after about 6 days on the trail I knew that I needed to come home and have a break. I am reevaluating my gear and also looking into ways to figure out how much water to carry as there are many long dry stretches without water. I plan to go back out where I left off and hike the next 50 miles into Warner Springs and hope to arrive there by Friday the 23rd. All is going well and I am excited to get back on the trail.



I've met tons of awesome people so far and was blessed with a trail name! Just call me Pink Panther!!! Its due to the epic pink sun hat that I have been hiking with as well as the fact that I wear a pink beanie and I have a pink sleeping bag. I think its a great trail name and I love it!



I did have an encounter with a rattle snake. I read that you can hold your backpack in front of you and that way if the snake strikes it hopefully will hit your pack and not you. My adrenaline was pumping as I approached the snake with my pack in front of my legs and much to my joy he didn't want to bother with me and decided to slither away.



I have seen lots of lizards but my favorite was the horned lizard... it looks like a tiny dinosaur!



I met some awesome ladies from Nevada who shared their campsite with me in Mt Laguna. We had a great time together! Thank you Stephanie, Heather and Lea!!!



So I've been through Lake Morena and Mt Laguna and now on to Warner Springs!!!

Tomorrow it begins!

Well it's finally here!!! Tomorrow I get dropped off at the southern terminus and start hiking to Canada. I spent the last two weeks getting my resupplys packed and then my friends Johnathan and Shiloh hung with me and we went to the Warner Bros Studios, the beach, and did a Zombie escape room experience. I'll post pics below and a video I made of us driving to Lake Morena. We're spending the night there tonight and my friend will drop me off in that morning.

One Week!!!!

One week from today I will start hiking the Pacific Crest Trail! Its so hard to totally grasp that thought. I am so excited and pretty nervous, but this is what I have been looking forward to and working so hard all this time for!

On March 26th I drove down to my grandma’s house here in Corona, CA and have been spending everyday getting all my resupply boxes together which has been an overwhelming project. I am so grateful and thankful that I have such an amazing and supportive family. They have been helping me to get all this ready for my epic journey. My brother even drove over from Las Vegas and helped me package food which I am sure saved me an entire days worth of work. Here are some pics of the process…

I will be resupplying 30 times which is a lot but I am going with the plan of resupplying more often and with that in mind being able to carry less food at a time. I will also have the opportunity to supplement my diet with whatever additional calories I may end up finding necessary.  

I plan on resupplying at:

Mt Laguna, CA at the post office Zip 91948

Warner Springs, CA Post office Zip 92086

In Idyllwild, CA my mom will be bringing me my resupply box

Big Bear City, CA Post office Zip code 92314

Wrightwood, CA Post office Zip 92397

At Hiker Heaven c/o The Saufley’s 11861 Carling Road Agua Dulce, CA 91390

Tehachapi, CA Post office Zip code 93561

Onyx, CA  Post Office zip 93255

Kennedy Meadows, CA  c/o Kennedy Meadows General Store 96740 Beach meadow Rd Inyokern, CA 93527

Independence, CA Post office Zip 93526

Mammoth, CA Post Office Zip 93546

Tuolumne Meadows, CA Post Office in Yosemite National Park 95389

Bridgeport, CA Post office zip code 93517

South Lake Tahoe, CA Post office 96151

Sierra City, CA Post Office Zip 96125

Quincy, CA Post Office Zip 95971

Burney, CA Post office 96013

Dunsmuir, CA Post offie zip 96025

Etna, CA Post Office Zip 96027

Ashland, OR Post Office Zip 97520

Crater Lake Mazama Village, OR  C/O Mazama Village Camp Store 569 Mazama Village Dr, Crater lake, OR 97604

Elk Lake Resort, OR UPS packages only

Then I am getting picked up in Sisters, OR by my friends and will send a few days back in Eugene!!!!!! YAY!!!!!!!

Timberline Lodge, OR C/O Timberline Lodge Ski Area 27500 E Timberline Rd, Wy’East Store Timberline OR 97028

Cascade Locks, OR Post office zip 97014

Trout Lake, WA Post office Zip 98650

White Pass, WA c/o White Pass Rural Branch PO, at the Kracker Barrel Store, 48851 US Hwy 12 Naches, WA 98937

Snoqualmie Pass, WA c/o The Summit Inn 603 SR 906, Snoqualmie Pass, WA 98068

Skykomish, WA PO Zip 98288

Stehekin, WA Post Office Zip 98852

There you go folks! Its gonna be amazing and crazy! Can’t wait to get started!!!

This Is Just the Beginning!!!

Alright... here we go! Less than a month away from the beginning of my great adventure. Now the song The Great Adventure by Steven Curtis Chapman is in my head ha ha ha!!!

I am finishing up my last few days here at work and packing up my belongings which will go to live in a small storage unit here in Eugene, OR. On March 26th I will drive to Southern California where I will set up home base at my grandmothers house and I will put together all of my resupply boxes. I already know what my meals will look like and have been shipping boxes of supplies to her house. It will be my full time job to organize all that dehydrated, freeze dried and powdered food. :-P

My friend Shiloh is flying in from Austin, Texas to spend my last few days in civilization with me where we will hit the town hard by checking out a lot of touristy things. Having grown up in So Cal I've been all over but its always fun to check out new things and see what has changed since the last time I've traipsed about town!

The night of April 9th Shiloh, my friend Johnathan and I will all head south to spend the night close to the starting point and then early Sunday morning April 10th they will leave me ALL ALONE IN THE DESERT!!!! I am pretty excited but also feeling rather anxious.

Its crazy to think that after a year and a half of planning, praying, and preparing that all my hard work will bring me to the beginning of another long summer of hard work LOL! I CAN'T WAIT!!!

I have been putting together a gear list so I will post that ASAP. Once I finalize my resupply strategy I will post that as well. Probably the first week of April.

I wanted to just post today so that I could check in with everyone and let you know where I am at with things. Its gonna be tough once I hit the trail as I have not been able to hike as much as I would like right now. I have been working almost everyday between my two jobs and I have been packing and getting ready to go!

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog and I can't wait to meet those of you who will be hiking this year also! See ya soon!!!!

"Well, what if there is no tomorrow? There wasn't one today." -Phil from Groundhogs Day

Today is Groundhogs Day and I am not going to lie... I love the movie with Bill Murray! I didn't like it at all the first time I saw it as a kid but after I grew up and I watched it again with my brother I thought it was one hilarious film. I've been curious to see what would happen with the groundhog this year. I wondered if he would see his shadow or not. Would he predict 6 more weeks of winter or an early spring?  Because one of the only things that strikes any fear in my heart regarding my PCT hike is snow... bum, bum, bum!!! I am not exactly sure why, but I have never been a huge fan of snow. It probably has a lot to do with being born and raised in the sunshiny, sandy beach covered, palm tree waving land of southern California. When all the people around me start shivering in anticipation of waking up to a lawn dusted in downy whiteness, I shiver at the idea of having to deal with icy roads and numb fingers! I honestly hate it! I don't mind visiting the snow but I despise when the snow comes to visit me!!!

As I have been keeping track of the weather this year and watching as the mountain tops of the Sierra Nevada's pack with snow, I've been feeling rather anxious.  I have no, I repeat, NO snow hiking/backpacking experience. I've never used crampons or an ice axe. I am not excited about this aspect of my hike at all. And yet, the Sierra's call to me and I must answer!!!  I cannot say no!  In the midst of my trepidation, I feel that familiar sense of stubbornness that lives inside of me. The part of me that decided I would teach myself to play guitar and did. The side of me that I relied upon to help me lose over 100 pounds. The part of myself that has spent the last year and a half making this PCT hike become a reality. I will rely on that stubborn, resolute side of myself again as I approach the drifts of snow piled high in the Sierras and practice (hopefully on a safe slope) how to use my ice axe.  Um... yeah... Its gonna happen. So I am interested to see what the groundhog's take on what this winter/spring will look like.

 I also feel another sense of connection to the "Groundhog's Day" movie because with only about 60 days left till I leave Oregon and about 75 days till I start hiking, my final days here in Oregon feel very repetitive. Everyday I get up and do what seems to be the same old thing. One day runs right into the next with very little variety.  I feel as though I am living the same day over and over and over!!!! But I know that March 26th is just around the corner and April 10th is only a blink after. It will be here before I know it and the adventure that has consumed my brain for the last year will be a reality! I can't wait for the morning I wake up and "I Got You Babe" isn't playing on my bedside clock radio!!!! That will be a glorious day!!!!

Well I just heard on the radio that Punxsutawney Phil did not see his shadow and is predicting an early spring. I'm hoping he's correct and also hoping the snow will melt away along with my fears with sunny days in the Sierra's!

On an exciting note the permit process has begun and I was able to submit for the day that I wanted. I am expecting to get an email in the next few weeks that will have my permit attached. I will have to carry it with me all 2660 miles!!! Yay!!!

Whats the plan Stan?

I had a family friend ask me some great questions today on Facebook and I have a feeling that many others will be asking these burning questions as well and so in order to answer all these excellent questions I decided to go ahead and make a new blog post...

How far between supply points?

I will be using a website www.craigspctplanner.com which allows me to choose where along the trail that I would like to send myself a resupply box. This planner also allows me to enter my start date and to adjust how many miles I plan to hike each day. It also allows me to enter where along the trail I would like to take a day off and not hike any miles. A day where a hiker does not hike any miles is referred to in the thru-hiking world as a Zero. Also there are days where you may only hike a few miles and that is referred to as a Nero. I've enjoyed learning the hiker lingo a lot!
Here is a link to my plan so far... I have not finished totally tweaking it so it may change. http://www.pctplanner.com/v.php?g=pP7mvF2jZtNt

If your sleeping outside do you have others around u?

There will be nights where I will be with other hikers and there will be nights when I am on my own. I look forward to both experiences. I think about how being that alone I will really be able to hear from God in a unique way that I don't think I have ever been able to before. Also, I am excited about all the new awesome people I am going to meet and all the new friends I am going to make. The number of people who attempt to thru-hike the PCT each year has increased so much that it has doubled in the last couple of years. I found this chart on the Pacific Crest Trail Associations website www.pcta.org I will be a Northbound thru-hiker and am getting Northbound thru-hike permits.

Will you be eating dehydrated foods? Water is heavy to carry...

Yes I will mostly be eating dehydrated food... My food plan:

Breakfast: I plan on eating powdered eggs with dehydrated bell peppers or mushrooms or both with a pinch of freeze dried cheese. I may from time to time add a pinch of bacon bits as well. I also will have lots of instant oatmeal with me as well as instant coffee. I found instant coffee packets that already have a bit of creamer and sugar in them. Sometimes where I don't want to cook I will probably eat Granola for breakfast as I plan on taking a lot of that with me as well.

Morning and afternoon snack options: Clif Bars, granola, trail mix, dried fruit, etc.... snaky things.

Lunch: I don't want to cook for lunch to I will take foil packs of tuna, chicken and salmon. I can eat this with crackers or in a tortilla. Also sometimes I may make up some cold dehydrated refried beans with a little bit of freeze dried cheese for lunch. I am also planning on carrying powdered peanut butter which can be eaten with crackers or in a tortilla. Anything that will be quick and easy that I don't have to cook will be a good lunch option. I also found some cabbage salad recipe that can be made with dehydrated veggies. Gotta get my veg!

Dinners: I have a bunch of recipes that I am going to be putting together and I do plan on cooking my dinner. I have a recipe for dehydrated stews, noodle dishes, rice dishes, quinoa dishes, etc, etc, etc.

Desserts: I will be taking instant pudding and dried milk, maybe some candy or Little Debbies or cookies. Also I hope to drink Hot Chocolate most nights as well as it will be cold at night.

I hope to eat about 3000 calories a day as they say that hikers burn about 4000+ a day so I know I will still lose weight. I also do not want to eat a bunch of garbage as I know many hikers just eat candy bars and garbage all day which I don't want to do.
When I am in a town I will give myself a little break and get a treat like a cheeseburger, pizza, pancakes, whatever.

How far do you plan to walk each day?

At first I am planning on hiking about 10 to 15 miles per day and hope to increase that every time I can. I know that I need to also get rest and don't want to have overuse injuries so it will be important to pace myself and make sure that I am listening to my body. I really want to finish the entire trail and it would brake my heart to have to leave due to an overuse injury. Eventually I hope to be doing 20 to 30 mile days as I only have about 5 months to get to Canada before the snow starts falling in Washington.

Do you get a hotel at night or sleep under the stars?
 
I will have a tent with me and most nights I am sure I will be staying in my tent to avoid rain, snow, and critters. When I am in town I plan on avoiding staying in Hotels as much as possible as I do not want to spend the money. I am sure a soft bed and a hot shower will be calling my name so if I can find friends to split the cost of a hotel with me I will take the opportunity I am sure! I will have opportunities from time to time to sleep under the stars which is referred to as Cowboy camping and I know that would be an awesome experience so when I can I will try that too!


What about bears and bob cats?

They are out there... I have read lot of info about how to deal with an animal encounters and I will be carrying bear spray with me. Beyond that I will be praying a lot for Gods protection and believing that He wants me to do this and in the process He will protect me!

Thank you to my friend Pat for all the awesome questions and if you have more please let me know. I will be posting an official resupply plan once that is complete and I will be posting my gear list once I have finished typing that up as well.

WhatinthehellamIthinking!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well... its official! I have made the epic and "ridiculous" decision to hike the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT)!!! I am going to hike all the way from the border of Mexico into Canada. The PCT is one continuous trail that traverses 2668 miles through three states: California, Oregon and Washington. I will begin at the Southern Terminus near Campo, CA in early April 2016 and hopefully complete my journey some time in September at Manning Park in Canada. Five or so amazing months of hiking, backpacking, getting stinky and pretty much choosing to be homeless for no better reason then the plain joy and adventure of it all! 

You may be asking yourself why anyone in their right mind would leave the comforts of their modern life, quit an amazingly well paying job and choose to walk more than 2500 miles. I've heard it said that if you have to ask, then you'll never understand, but I will attempt to explain my reasons for setting out into the wild. First of all, I have been overweight pretty much my entire life. By the age of 12 I weighed over 200 lbs and found myself in my early 30's topping out at 340 lbs. After going through some major life changes and with the help of my amazing mother, Carolyn, I was able to lose 130 lbs over the course of about two years. Slowly over the last couple of years I have gained about 30 of those pounds back, much to my consternation. 

One thing I told myself during my weight loss process was that I needed to find physical activities that I really enjoyed. I knew if I did it would help me to continue to lose weight as well as help me to keep it off. Through much trial and error along with the help of my amazing friends, Shiloh and Emily, I discovered a deep love for hiking and the outdoors. I had also always loved camping though I never did much growing up. 2014 was the year of hiking for me. Weekend after weekend I was out with Emily and other friends as we visited many of the amazing hiking trails we have here in Oregon. What a blessing to live somewhere that has so much outdoor beauty to offer!

In October of 2014 I was introduced to the PCT through my Uncle Donato who is a major PCT enthusiast. When I went to California for Christmas in 2014 my Uncle and I watched about 10 different movies about the PCT... everything from  "Wild" (about Cheryl Strayed) to all of Squatch's films (which if you haven't seen them yet you should, because they are amazing!)(www.squatchfilms.com ). After I discovered the PCT I could not stop thinking about it. It was like a song I couldn't get out of my head. It became my mantra..."I want to thru hike the PCT! I want to thru hike the PCT! I WANT TO THRU HIKE THE PCT!!!!!" That must be what happens to people: when they hear about this kind of adventure and they are meant to attempt it, it becomes a calling. They HAVE to do it! It takes hold of their minds and their hearts, and until they surrender to the desire it just wont let them go.  Even so, until the day I stand at the Southern Terminus with my pack on and face North I don't think it will seem real.

So the main reason I am doing this is because I feel like I just have to! The PCT is calling me! The other reason is that I know this will be physically so rewarding for me. I hope to lose weight while doing this and of course have already started planning how to keep the weight off when I get home. I am also super excited about what this will do for me mentally and spiritually. There are many things I plan on dealing with out there when I am alone with my thoughts. I'm also looking forward to a lot of time alone with God to pray and seek His direction for my future and what He has for me out there on the trail, as well as what lies ahead when I get home.

In the blog posts to come I will be sharing my gear list as well as my meal plan and resupply strategy. We are three months away at this point. I plan to start hiking on April 10th.