So here we are in Idyllwild. Our zero in Warner Springs turned into two nearos, then into just one nearo and an 18 mile day out of town, so we're definitely taking a day off here. Feels good already. Been a tough few days, getting here. Feet have healed, so the walking has been a dream pretty much. Which means, with the constant pain gone, the inward journey can begin. Just you and your thoughs as you walk along rhythmically, almost hypnotically. It goes with the territory. Heavy stuff, though, about what I'm doing out here, what I'm living for, and all my failures and problems. It can be pretty draining, especially since there's no distractions out here: no books, internet, TV, work, etc. You're stuck with yourself out here. People always say they wish they could get out and do somthing like this, have adventures like me; lately it almost seems crazy to envy me. Do this long enough (and it is addicting) and you just end up a poor man with nobody and nothing but idle wandering.
The upshot is that I get to spend months at a time in some of the most beautiful places America has to offer, among awesome people, living a simple and pure life. I'll take it for now. And don't let the above fool you, I'm having a great time out here, and a journey like this would be worthless if all I got out of it is pretty pictures (which I hope to post later today). It's hard, physically, mentally and spiritually, but it's worth it on every level.
Getting used to the weather shifts out here has taken some getting used to. In the desert sections, the swings are incredible. Marc, a hiker who's sorta teamed up with K-Bomb and I, says "it's like a landscape in menopause, man!" And of course the elevations change everything. Monday we started getting up into higher country, and a storm moved in as well. The winds were fierce as all hell, and low clouds obscuring everyting. I hiked alone most of the day, as K-Bomb went to a cafe just off the trail for a few hours to warm up. I knew I'd never leave and have to go to town if I went, so I hiked on. Good hiking at first, but up on the ridge at around 7000' the weather fully sucked. There was rime ice coating every bush and tree, the wind chill was maybe 20 degrees, so strong it was blowing me around like a drunk man.
About 1 or 2 oclock, roughly 15 miles on I hiked down a mile long side trail to Cedar Springs for water. I was so cold that when I got there I just sat down on a log and felt miserable. For about a half hour, actually-- Moccasin doesn't like the cold. Finally I realized that that if I didn't move, if I didn't get some damn layers on, I was going to die. So I slowly got my insulated jacket out, my arms shooting in pain from the frigid muscles. Then got the tarp up, slowly, then finally the sleeping bag. Ate a couple dinners, and vegged out. Later Ninja and Drop and Roll came in, two girls who have been hiking around us since the beginning, so at least I had some good company for the evening. We were all asleep by about 6:30
Next day was hard too. Weather was better, but it was gonna be a 21 mile day mostly up hill, steeper climbs than any yet, and at elevations from 7000' to 8500'. Definitely felt that thinner air. I also didn't eat or drink enough, and was freakin exhausted for the afternoon; any little tiny uphill made me feel queasy and sick, but I finally made it (thanks to a short side trail that cut 0.8 miles off the PCT, saved me a big climb in the snow drifts. It was an astonishingly beautiful hike all day, though; the San Jacinto Mountains are some legit mountains, dramatically sheer and rocky, with real trees (huge pines). We all miss trees, a little.
Felt better after getting into town, thanks to a ride from some random trail angels, ate some lasagna and just hung out. Actually, our cabin had a TV and I sat watching The Office for a few hours before going to bed at 11. Way past my bedtime. Still up at the ass crack of dawn, though, standing outside the coffee shop waiting for it to open so I can get my fix. And now you're all caught up.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Friday, May 6, 2011
Warner Springs
Hello from SoCal! K-Bomb and I have made it to Warner Springs, a bit past the 100 mile mark. We've also teamed up with a girl named Busted Magic and a guy named Captain Caveman (we're trying to get that name to stick, we'll see). Having a good ol' time out there on the trail.
I'll lay it all right out there: the AT was a great adventure and I wouldn't trade the experience or the memories for my life, but I have to admit the PCT is going to give it a run for the money. It's great out here, an entirely different experience. Actually I'm going to try not to compare the two trails at all, since the only things they really have in common are that they are both long distance trails, and the same basic crowd of people are out hiking on them. Beyond that, the concerns are largely different. Out here, water is it. It dominates, if not all thought, then at least most planning and conversations. And there's also the constant exposure to the everpresent sun, which one does not have in the AT's "long green tunnel."
So, to break things down. Things I like:
The grades. They really are much easier than the AT or most other hiking I've ever done. I can hike all day on these uphills, without having to stop for breath. This is huge, because often on these big mountains you're going uphill all day. I can even talk to people as I do so, at least on most of the climbs. For someone with a heart condition such as mine, this is a huge relief. It's one worry I had going into this, whether I could handle the uphills at the higher elevations. Of course, we haven't really hit the higher elevations yet, but my confidence is strong now. We started right off doing 20 mile days, unthinkable on the AT, where I did just 7 or 8 mile days for a week, only slowly increasing it.
Night hiking. This has been a real treat, though we've only done it once so far. It's been ridiculously hot the last couple days, hiting 101 degrees yesterday, and out in the desert there's no shade. So we've been setting up my tarp (glad I have the 8 x 10) for mid-day siestas, then hiking the late afternoons. The other day we actually hiked in the dark, which was the most fun I've had in ages. I opted not to use my headlamp, just relying on my heightened senses, and it worked out just fine. I was as alert as I've ever been, feeling at one with the night and the mountain. The trail seemed to glow, as if from the latent energy of all those who have gone before, but probably just from the mica in the sand catching the faint starlight. Will be even better when the moon grows a bit. It was only the tiniest sliver that night.
Trekking poles: I've talked a lot of shit about trekking poles in my day, but it turns out they're not so bad, not bad at all. I used them like antennae for the night hike, and otherwise they do add power to your stride, cushion on the downhills, and are great for keeping a rhythm going. Took a day to get used to them, but I've been converted for sure.
Things I don't like:
Blisters. As usual, my idiot feet have turned on me. Not so bad as on the AT; still, the walking has been a challenge. I have one on each foot, on the bottom at the base of each second toe. Also, I have blisters under the nails of both second toes, may lose at least one. I don't know why I seem to be putting so much pressure on that toe, must be how I walk. The pain of these has screwed up how I walk, especially on the left foot, turning it pigeon toed, as I walk on the outer edge of my foot. That in turn screws with my ankle tendons and up my calf, both of which are sore. I've had to really focus on rolling through to my toes on my steps, which hurts but is better than a real injury.
The sun. Alright, nice weather is good, but this desert section is going to be a challenge. The exposure is extreme, and constant. We're learning to deal with it, but it's intense and only going to get harder. I won't complain about this much, though, since I still remember those wet days in New England.
Heat rash. Won't go into details, but let's just say days worth of sweat (salt!) in sensitive areas is not fun.
We'll be in Idyllwild within a few days, where we plan to take a full day off. I'd write more but people are waiting.
I'll lay it all right out there: the AT was a great adventure and I wouldn't trade the experience or the memories for my life, but I have to admit the PCT is going to give it a run for the money. It's great out here, an entirely different experience. Actually I'm going to try not to compare the two trails at all, since the only things they really have in common are that they are both long distance trails, and the same basic crowd of people are out hiking on them. Beyond that, the concerns are largely different. Out here, water is it. It dominates, if not all thought, then at least most planning and conversations. And there's also the constant exposure to the everpresent sun, which one does not have in the AT's "long green tunnel."
So, to break things down. Things I like:
The grades. They really are much easier than the AT or most other hiking I've ever done. I can hike all day on these uphills, without having to stop for breath. This is huge, because often on these big mountains you're going uphill all day. I can even talk to people as I do so, at least on most of the climbs. For someone with a heart condition such as mine, this is a huge relief. It's one worry I had going into this, whether I could handle the uphills at the higher elevations. Of course, we haven't really hit the higher elevations yet, but my confidence is strong now. We started right off doing 20 mile days, unthinkable on the AT, where I did just 7 or 8 mile days for a week, only slowly increasing it.
Night hiking. This has been a real treat, though we've only done it once so far. It's been ridiculously hot the last couple days, hiting 101 degrees yesterday, and out in the desert there's no shade. So we've been setting up my tarp (glad I have the 8 x 10) for mid-day siestas, then hiking the late afternoons. The other day we actually hiked in the dark, which was the most fun I've had in ages. I opted not to use my headlamp, just relying on my heightened senses, and it worked out just fine. I was as alert as I've ever been, feeling at one with the night and the mountain. The trail seemed to glow, as if from the latent energy of all those who have gone before, but probably just from the mica in the sand catching the faint starlight. Will be even better when the moon grows a bit. It was only the tiniest sliver that night.
Trekking poles: I've talked a lot of shit about trekking poles in my day, but it turns out they're not so bad, not bad at all. I used them like antennae for the night hike, and otherwise they do add power to your stride, cushion on the downhills, and are great for keeping a rhythm going. Took a day to get used to them, but I've been converted for sure.
Things I don't like:
Blisters. As usual, my idiot feet have turned on me. Not so bad as on the AT; still, the walking has been a challenge. I have one on each foot, on the bottom at the base of each second toe. Also, I have blisters under the nails of both second toes, may lose at least one. I don't know why I seem to be putting so much pressure on that toe, must be how I walk. The pain of these has screwed up how I walk, especially on the left foot, turning it pigeon toed, as I walk on the outer edge of my foot. That in turn screws with my ankle tendons and up my calf, both of which are sore. I've had to really focus on rolling through to my toes on my steps, which hurts but is better than a real injury.
The sun. Alright, nice weather is good, but this desert section is going to be a challenge. The exposure is extreme, and constant. We're learning to deal with it, but it's intense and only going to get harder. I won't complain about this much, though, since I still remember those wet days in New England.
Heat rash. Won't go into details, but let's just say days worth of sweat (salt!) in sensitive areas is not fun.
We'll be in Idyllwild within a few days, where we plan to take a full day off. I'd write more but people are waiting.
Friday, April 29, 2011
ADZPCTKO (No, I didn't mash on the keyboard)
By the time you read this, I'll be at the Annual Day Zero Pacific Crest Trail Kick Off (ADZPCTKO), "Kick Off" for short and the subject of this post. I like that they went with the most unpronouncable acronym of all time. It somehow appeals to me.
Okay, great, you're thinking, but what the hell is it? Keep your panties on. The Kick Off is a big get-together at the start of the trail (actually, at mile 20, at Lake Morena Campground, see the placemark on the map), where hikers can, according to their website,
The Plan: along with K-Bomb, my hiking partner, start at the border on Thursday, and take it easy on the way to the Kick Off. We could probably do it in one day, but are planning on taking those 20 miles easy, camp around mile 16 or so, then mosey in early on Friday. Neither of us have trained much, and with the incredible, near-record snow year in the Sierras, we have plenty of time to kill those first 700 miles. Let that snow melt a bit.
Then, Friday and Saturday we will enjoy the festivities, then Sunday hike out once and for all. We're both pretty damn excited. I for one have been thinking about doing this hike since, well, there was talk of it on the AT in 2008. Of course, I was waffling over whether or not to hike until last August, when I decided to face my fears and just do it. It's never as bad as you think it will be.
Here's hoping, anyways.
Okay, great, you're thinking, but what the hell is it? Keep your panties on. The Kick Off is a big get-together at the start of the trail (actually, at mile 20, at Lake Morena Campground, see the placemark on the map), where hikers can, according to their website,
shed those butterflies that inevitably precede a life-altering experience like hiking the PCT by showing you the broad spectrum of strategies that have been successful in the past and those of your fellow 2011 PCTers. Additionally, it provides a low-key gathering in which you can begin the friendships that inevitably evolve from such a journey.There will be gear vendors, presentations, food, and a lot of socializing. So in a way it's a bit like Trail Days, the big hiker festival on the Appalachian Trail. I hear the Kick Off is more laid back than the frenzied, drug and alcohol fueled shenanigans of Trail Days, but I can't say for sure.
The Plan: along with K-Bomb, my hiking partner, start at the border on Thursday, and take it easy on the way to the Kick Off. We could probably do it in one day, but are planning on taking those 20 miles easy, camp around mile 16 or so, then mosey in early on Friday. Neither of us have trained much, and with the incredible, near-record snow year in the Sierras, we have plenty of time to kill those first 700 miles. Let that snow melt a bit.
Then, Friday and Saturday we will enjoy the festivities, then Sunday hike out once and for all. We're both pretty damn excited. I for one have been thinking about doing this hike since, well, there was talk of it on the AT in 2008. Of course, I was waffling over whether or not to hike until last August, when I decided to face my fears and just do it. It's never as bad as you think it will be.
Here's hoping, anyways.
Monday, April 25, 2011
Pictures and Updates
Dear devoted readers (?),
I've mentioned this before, but I'll say it again. I can't guarantee a ton of updates here. I don't have any way to do so from the trail, no PocketMail or fancy iPhone, and will be depending on town stops, hostel stays, and whatever random internet access I might come across. I enjoy writing, and enjoy sharing my adventures with "the folks back home," and will make an effort.
But the PCT is much more of a wilderness trail than the AT was. There are fewer towns, and many of them are much farther away from the trail than AT trail-towns, making it a much more serious thing to decide to hop into town for this or that. Still, a man needs to eat, and I'll likely be in a resupply area once a week or so. If there's internet to be had, I'll try to do so, though many such resupply locations aren't really in towns, but are camp stores, country stores, and the like. Oregon and Washington particularly are farther in the back-country, with resupply at mountain resorts and such, rather than towns.
I'll try, but not at the expense of the flow of the hike.
Lastly, don't count on tons of photos. I don't know that I'll be able to add any at all, unless I decide to take my USB cable/card reader. It's extra weight (every bit counts) and I don't know if it's worth it. It'd be fun to entertain you with photos of what I know will be stunning scenery and awesome people, but I just don't know. May stop by Best Buy to see if I can find one with less cable (thus less weight). The one I have has a 4 ft or so cable, which is ridiculous. And I'm already carrying a phone, phone charger, camera charger, and an MP3 player, which is already excessive in my mind.
I may be able to load photos onto a CD at drugstores, and thus provide occasional photo posts, which at the moment seems a better option to me, though I'm not sure how feasible it actually will be. But know that I have you all in mind, and will try to provide the eye candy I know you so greatly desire.
Respectfully yours,
Moccasin
EDIT: I ended up buying a cordless USB adapter, so that's one step closer to you getting pictures to look at. Another issue might be time limits at the library. But, we'll see.
I've mentioned this before, but I'll say it again. I can't guarantee a ton of updates here. I don't have any way to do so from the trail, no PocketMail or fancy iPhone, and will be depending on town stops, hostel stays, and whatever random internet access I might come across. I enjoy writing, and enjoy sharing my adventures with "the folks back home," and will make an effort.
But the PCT is much more of a wilderness trail than the AT was. There are fewer towns, and many of them are much farther away from the trail than AT trail-towns, making it a much more serious thing to decide to hop into town for this or that. Still, a man needs to eat, and I'll likely be in a resupply area once a week or so. If there's internet to be had, I'll try to do so, though many such resupply locations aren't really in towns, but are camp stores, country stores, and the like. Oregon and Washington particularly are farther in the back-country, with resupply at mountain resorts and such, rather than towns.
I'll try, but not at the expense of the flow of the hike.
Lastly, don't count on tons of photos. I don't know that I'll be able to add any at all, unless I decide to take my USB cable/card reader. It's extra weight (every bit counts) and I don't know if it's worth it. It'd be fun to entertain you with photos of what I know will be stunning scenery and awesome people, but I just don't know. May stop by Best Buy to see if I can find one with less cable (thus less weight). The one I have has a 4 ft or so cable, which is ridiculous. And I'm already carrying a phone, phone charger, camera charger, and an MP3 player, which is already excessive in my mind.
I may be able to load photos onto a CD at drugstores, and thus provide occasional photo posts, which at the moment seems a better option to me, though I'm not sure how feasible it actually will be. But know that I have you all in mind, and will try to provide the eye candy I know you so greatly desire.
Respectfully yours,
Moccasin
EDIT: I ended up buying a cordless USB adapter, so that's one step closer to you getting pictures to look at. Another issue might be time limits at the library. But, we'll see.
A Word About the Map
Just a quick note to potential and actual followers of this blog and my PCT hike. The map over to the right will be updated along with the blog. At times I may update only the map, if I only have a few moments to update, so watch for that. Or I may add several placemarks when I get into town, not just one for the town itself, in an effort to provide more info. I didn't have a map on my simple AT blog (I was such a noob back then), so we'll just have to see how this works.
Of course, I don't really know what I'm in for out there. Maybe I'll neglect the map. Maybe I'll neglect the blog altogether. Don't know. Hope not.
But, those little blue placemarks are clickable. Go ahead, click one. You'll see the location name, and a little note below about the location. For map-oriented people like me, it's nice to be able to plug an incident into a location on a map.
Also, I tried to get the map a bit more zoomed in than it is, so it wouldn't show so much of Canada and Mexico, but Google doesn't allow fine tuning on its embedded maps. I have it on the 4 zoom level, and if I go to 5 it's way too close, cuts SoCal and Washington out completely. But of course you can zoom in at will, it's a fully functional map, just double-click with the left mouse button to go in, and double-click with the right button to go out. Or just use the +/- buttons on the map itself. Finally, you may, by left-clicking, hold-and-drag to shift the map around. I'm sure I way over-explained this, but this way there's no confusion.
Enjoy!
Of course, I don't really know what I'm in for out there. Maybe I'll neglect the map. Maybe I'll neglect the blog altogether. Don't know. Hope not.
But, those little blue placemarks are clickable. Go ahead, click one. You'll see the location name, and a little note below about the location. For map-oriented people like me, it's nice to be able to plug an incident into a location on a map.
Also, I tried to get the map a bit more zoomed in than it is, so it wouldn't show so much of Canada and Mexico, but Google doesn't allow fine tuning on its embedded maps. I have it on the 4 zoom level, and if I go to 5 it's way too close, cuts SoCal and Washington out completely. But of course you can zoom in at will, it's a fully functional map, just double-click with the left mouse button to go in, and double-click with the right button to go out. Or just use the +/- buttons on the map itself. Finally, you may, by left-clicking, hold-and-drag to shift the map around. I'm sure I way over-explained this, but this way there's no confusion.
Enjoy!
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Maildrops Done!
Ah. So, I believe I have my maildrops set up. Thank the Lord. It's been so stressful thinking about this; how to plan for situations I've never been in, when half the variables are unknown (how fast will I be hiking? Will this or that store be open yet? How willing will I be to take extra time off in towns?). I hate planning, especially on a thru-hike, which is so much about freedom, being in the moment, and living simply, day to day.
Anyway, Here's the list:
I had planned a drop at Vermillion Valley Resort, but figure I'll hope the store and hiker boxes are stocked enough for a couple days, at which point I will be able to get into Mammoth Lakes for full resupply. When I scrapped that idea, I had all this food sitting in my room, and figured I'd box it up and send it to Crater Lake, where I planned a drop anyways, but one to be sent from the trail.
I was also going to send a drop to Tuolumne Meadows, at least maps, but with the crazy heavy snow year (near record) it may not be open in time, at least not in enough time to get a package sent there. I hope it will be open and I can grab some food from their store. If it opens early and I hear about it, it's likely I will send a small drop there from the trail
And that's exactly my plan for the rest of my maildrops. Much of the Trail in Oregon, and Washington for that matter, doesn't go by towns much. Instead "resupply" points are at ski resorts and the like, and the resupply is pretty iffy. So I'll probably send a big batch of drops from Ashland, OR to the Oregon resorts, and do the same from Cascade Locks, OR for the Washington section. No sense mailing it all the way across the country, and anyways I don't really have a resupply person as such. My sister said she or my bro-in-law would send out the few drops I do have. But I don't want to leave a ton of stuff for them to do.
The boxes for Kennedy Meadows (the 2 on the right) are rather funny. I may or may not be oversupplied for it, but I do know those boxes feel heavy. Two large Flat Rate Priority Mail boxes stuffed with food and warm clothing. Those, plus my ice axe, which is a mess of cardboard and tape. Looks kinda scary, I hope the PO will ship it!
Anyway, Here's the list:
- Agua Dulce (maps only)
- Kennedy Meadows
- South Lake Tahoe (maps only)
- Belden (maps only)
- Ashland (maps only)
- Crater Lake at Mazama Village
- Cascade Locks (maps only)
I had planned a drop at Vermillion Valley Resort, but figure I'll hope the store and hiker boxes are stocked enough for a couple days, at which point I will be able to get into Mammoth Lakes for full resupply. When I scrapped that idea, I had all this food sitting in my room, and figured I'd box it up and send it to Crater Lake, where I planned a drop anyways, but one to be sent from the trail.
I was also going to send a drop to Tuolumne Meadows, at least maps, but with the crazy heavy snow year (near record) it may not be open in time, at least not in enough time to get a package sent there. I hope it will be open and I can grab some food from their store. If it opens early and I hear about it, it's likely I will send a small drop there from the trail
And that's exactly my plan for the rest of my maildrops. Much of the Trail in Oregon, and Washington for that matter, doesn't go by towns much. Instead "resupply" points are at ski resorts and the like, and the resupply is pretty iffy. So I'll probably send a big batch of drops from Ashland, OR to the Oregon resorts, and do the same from Cascade Locks, OR for the Washington section. No sense mailing it all the way across the country, and anyways I don't really have a resupply person as such. My sister said she or my bro-in-law would send out the few drops I do have. But I don't want to leave a ton of stuff for them to do.
Friday, April 22, 2011
Gear List
For all you gearheads, here's what I'm taking. I don't have all the brand names, and this isn't quite finalized, especially the clothing. There's probably some odds and ends I'm forgetting, but this gives the gist of it.
Big Three:
Kitchen:
Water:
Clothing:
Other:
For the Sierras:
Half of this stuff I either found (headlamp, foam pad, warm hat), made (stoves, sandals), or already had, which explains why the swimming shorts. I'm pretty good at getting by with what I've got, making do, and am not afraid. Compared to what heavy, clunky gear I hiked with on the Appalachian Trail, like my 5 or 6 pound $50 external frame pack, I think this time around is going to be better no matter what.
Big Three:
- ULA Catalyst internal frame pack
- Etowah standard 8 x 10 nylon tarp, camo print
- Marmot Helium 15 degree down sleeping bag
Kitchen:
- Snowpeak titanium mini solo cookset
- hobo stove
- pop can alcohol stove
- fuel bottle (aquafina 16.7 oz bottle)
- spoon
- bandana
- lighters (2)
- REI stuff sack for food bag
Water:
- two 1L Gatorade bottles, and a gallon milk jug (may substitute a 2L pop bottle)
- Aquamira
Clothing:
- polypro long johns, top and bottom
- convertable pants
- swimming shorts (may get some running shorts instead)
- short sleeve shirt from REI (nylon?)
- Colombia long sleeve button down shirt
- fleece sweater
- rain jacket (may replace with a lighter one)
- Dri Clime windshirt (maybe)
- socks: 2 pair wool ankle socks, 2 pair liner type socks (not for use as liners, though) and one pair heavy wool sleeping socks. Probably too many socks.
- floppy wide brim hat from Target
- $20 sunglasses from Walmart (polarized)
- warm knit hat
- La Sportiva trail runners
- homemade sandals for camp
Other:
- Opinel knife
- cheap blue sleeping pad
- Black Diamond headlamp
- Photon II mini-light
- MP3 player
- Phone and charger
- Nikon Coolpix s500 digital camera (mine is stylish, in black)
- camera battery charger
- Leki Malaku Tour trekking poles
- journal and pen
- rope
- toiletries
- first aid kit (minimal)
For the Sierras:
- Black Diamond ice axe
- bear canister
- REI down vest
- mosquito head net
- gloves (with the mitten covers that pull on and off)
- even heavier wool sleep socks
Half of this stuff I either found (headlamp, foam pad, warm hat), made (stoves, sandals), or already had, which explains why the swimming shorts. I'm pretty good at getting by with what I've got, making do, and am not afraid. Compared to what heavy, clunky gear I hiked with on the Appalachian Trail, like my 5 or 6 pound $50 external frame pack, I think this time around is going to be better no matter what.
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