The Wild Effect

Upcoming Oregon Presentations:  

     February 19, 6:30 PM  – Clackamas REI

     March 5, 6:30 PM – Portland REI

     March 17, 6:30 PM – Tualatin REI
     April 9, 6:30 PM – Port of Cascade Locks

     April 21, 6:30 PM – Hillsboro REI

Registration required.  Go to www.rei.com/stores/  Type in the store, and scroll down to "Find Events & Classes."  

Is being felt everywhere these days.  

Reese Witherspoon's film Wild (based on Cheryl Strayed's PCT book of the same name) opens in the United States on December 5, 2014.  Yes, of course I am going.  Out of curiosity.  And because the trailer looks good.  And because the movie was filmed largely in Oregon and partly in its State Parks, and the Columbia River Gorge (my new stomping grounds).  And because even I am feeling a little bit of the Wild Effect.  It turns out the effects are not all that bad!

A post-trail essay appears on the Pacific Crest Trail Association's
new "Wild" page.  PCTA Wild Stories

I realize that I haven't posted in well over a year--and there are definitely a few things to catch up on--but I wanted to post now because I am excited to share that I will be giving another public presentation soon.  And, for the first time, in the Columbia River Gorge.

I am teaming up with my cohorts at the Army Corps of Engineers, Bonneville Lock and Dam for a presentation on Sunday, November 30, 2014 at 2 PM at the Bradford Island Visitor Center (access from the Oregon side.)  Just shy of a week before Wild opens.  Details to come.

I'd love to see you there, talk a little Trail, and give you a sneak peek into scenes to be on the lookout for in the new movie.

Until then . . . Bacon Bit

Homeless or Thru-Hiker?

 * * Upcoming Talks:  October 10, 2013  Corvallis Parks & Rec, Senior Center, 7 PM.  $5, Register #11248 @ https://corvparksandrecreation.apm.activecommunities.com/Activity_Search  //   October 15, 2013  Salem, Louck's Auditorium, 7 PM,  FREE * *  

“What’s the difference between a homeless person and a thru-hiker?” Maddog asked one day in Washington.  He, Gumby, and I had been hiking together for most of Washington.  Maddog and Gumby took turns telling jokes to keep our minds occupied.  I only knew two jokes, and I had told them way back in California.  “I don’t know.  What?”  Pause.  “A Smartphone.”  I laughed long and hard and chuckled hours and days later.

Maddog and Gumby in Washington.
The Trail began and ended with these two!

I was reminded of this conversation the other week as I headed out to help another ranger to dismantle a transient camp that had been discovered within park boundaries.  It was the third camp from what appeared to be the same woman.  As we approached the camp, he described the other two camps they had found and how they’d also discovered soap and a washcloth by the creek.  I instantly thought of how many times I had jumped into a creek to clean up on the PCT and other backpacking trips.  How “laundry” in a creek was an every two to three day occasion during my five months on the trail.  I pushed out the thoughts and the empathy.  “Makes sense,” was all I said.

When we reached the campsites (there were three relatively close together, only one in use), my mind blanked and traveled back to the Trail.  On my right was a damp clearing in the brush—not a prime campsite, but doable in a pinch.  On my left was a clean, dry site below a cedar tree; it was on the upslope of a hill, slightly dug in, and braced by a few-feet-wide tree trunk.  I stopped.  It was a place I had camped.  It was cleared of brush as a PCT thru-hiker would clear it.  It was positioned at the base of a tree as a PCT thru-hiker would position it.  It was an area made flat by scraping into the slope as so many PCT thru-hikers would sculpt it.  I’d have chosen that site if I walked by it on the PCT.  I had slept in places just like that.

PCT transient camp with "the Canadians" in a cuddle puddle.

We approached the most recent camp.  Tarp over a sleeping bag, some clothing, a few coffee cups, and a book.  I tried to keep my mind in ranger-mode, but I found myself wondering how her sleep setup fared in the rain, when the last time was that she did laundry, how she managed to keep clean enough to hang around town and go to the library.  When did she wake up?  When did she read?  What was it like for her to go to bed and wake up outside day after day?  Where was she digging her cat holes?  (The area was remarkably clean.)  As we packed up all of her belongings, I couldn’t help but to feel a tinge of guilt.  I, too, had lived outside for months.  I had washed up in the creek.  I had headed to town to clean up and get a cheap or free meal.  I had had no place to go but outside, no one to talk to but Gumby and the birds and lizards, no belongings but those that I could carry.  Who was I to take apart someone else’s campsite?

After spending nearly 5 hours in a McDonalds eating
 and charging electronics and cleaning up,
I first realized that I was, indeed, homeless.

I thought about and have been thinking about the above for a couple of weeks.  And I cannot resolve it in my mind.  It is another way the Trail has changed my perspective—but it is so new that I don’t know yet what to do with it.  Clearly, what made Maddog’s joke so exceptionally funny was how painfully close was to the naked truth.  The line between thru-hiker and transient is drawn with 4G.

From Hiking to Crawling: Lessons Learned on a Long Walk

 * * Upcoming Talks:  March 7, Oregon City Library, 7 PM  //  March 26, Straub Environmental Learning Center, 7 PM  //  April 16, Tryon Creek State Natural Area, 6:30 PM * *

Recently, I wrote an article for my park's--Tryon Creek State Natural Area, Portland, Oregon--newsletter, "The Trillium Times."  It forced me to reflect on my thru-hike (and made me cry a few times), so I thought I'd share.  Enjoy!

“From Hiking to Crawling:  Lessons Learned on a Long Walk”

For nearly three years, walking has been my greatest obsession.  Last spring, I tackled my first long trail—a thru-hike on the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) from the Mexican border to the Canadian border.  From the day I finally resolved to attempt it in 2010 to my first steps away from the corrugated metal fence that is the Mexican border on April 30, 2012, I obsessed with the idea of walking—planning and preparing for a journey I could not comprehend from my temperature-controlled home in Silverton.  For the next 151 days, I was immersed in the act of walking—traveling an average of 20 miles a day to reach Canada before the Washington snows hit.  And every day since those final steps on September 28, 2012, my time and thoughts have been filled with reflecting on and recovering from walking. 

Today, I look out the windows of the Tryon Creek Nature Center where I have just started working as an Interpretive Park Ranger, and I see countless people walking.  All hours of the day, all days of the week.

And so, it is in this light that I would like to write today about walking. 

Let me begin with a few of the lessons I learned during my six-million step journey:

My new park includes "Willamette Stone," the surveyor's monument that is
 the point of origin for  all of Oregon and Washington's public land surveys.  
So, in a round about way, this historic place led me through Oregon & Washington!

• A good long walk takes the weight of years and worries off your shoulders.  You’ll lose as many pounds of actual weight as you do of worry.
• Nothing is so worrisome that you can bear to worry about it for 14 waking/walking hours a day, 7 days a week. 
• Rest is as important as anything else in the world . . . as is water and nourishment.  Without these three, nothing is important.
• Nothing tastes as good as anything after a long day’s walk.
• Anywhere really IS walking distance if you have the time.
• “Walk it off,” is more than just a coaching cliché.  Many ailments, physical and mental, can be cured by a nice long walk.
• Walking is for everyone.  The tall and the small, the young and the old, the injured and the well, the elk, the porcupine, and the goat.  I found them all traveling the PCT.
• If you walk far enough, you will find answers.  You will not find all of them.  Rather, you will find answers you were not looking for and questions you did not know you had.  Rest easy knowing that your question to answer ratio will remain the same.
• You cannot walk away from your problems, only into them.
• Clarity rides on the shirttails of fresh air.
• Christopher Robin was right when he said, “... we ought to eat all of our provisions now, so that we shan’t have so much to carry.” 

And last, but not least, for all those of us who have neither the time nor energy for an expedition-length walk:

• A long walk is nothing more than a series of short ones.

My slowly-healing feet recently walked me around
Mammoth Hot Springs in northern Yellowstone National Park.

The above is what I learned while walking the PCT.  My most valuable lesson, however, came post-trail.

Since finishing the PCT, I have had a limited ability to walk.  In northern California, I developed plantar fasciitis.  1000 miles later, upon finishing the trail, I found I could walk no more than 100 yards—and at a snail’s pace as I attempted to balance pain with distance and pretend that everything was fine.  When I awoke at night with no one watching, I would opt to crawl to the bathroom rather than put weight on my feet.  This drastic transition from hiking 25 miles a day to hobbling to the kitchen has been one of the  most humbling experiences of my life.  My appreciation for the simple act of putting one foot in front of the other has increased tenfold.  As has my awe and respect for all of you walkers—tall and small, young and old, injured and well—who make the time and effort to do it.  It has only been through reflecting on and recovering from the PCT that I have fully grasped the final lesson of a long walk, which is this:

• Sometimes putting one foot in front of the other is the most difficult thing you can do.  It is sometimes also the only thing you can do.

And with that, I bid you farewell.  I am out for a short ramble on my new favorite Tryon Creek trail, Big Fir.  Perhaps I’ll see you out there.

If I Could Do It Again . . .

 * * Upcoming Talks:  March 7, Oregon City Library, 7 PM  //  March 26, Straub Environmental Learning Center, 7 PM  //  April 16, Tryon Creek State Natural Area, 6:30 PM * *





This is one of the most frequently asked questions post-trail.  Right up there with, “How many pairs of shoes did you go through?”  Let me say right off that I do not have any regrets about my hike.  However, if I had known then what I know now, there are things I would have done differently.  For those of you headed for the trail and for my own reminder to my future self, here they are:

By the time we left Crater Lake,
we had finally ditched most of  our extra gear.  Nearly 2  lbs.

Gear

Overall, I was happy with my gear selections.  I might have gone with the Big Agnes Fly Creek instead of the TarpTent Contrail, considered more seriously the MSR Pocket Rocket over an alcohol stove, picked the iPhone over the Droid Razr Maxx, and definitely have found a better solar charger than the PowerMonkey.  But, mostly, with gear, I would have just ditched it sooner. 

Items I sent home included:  zip-off pants (traded for shorts), extra socks, extra sports bra, a mug, hot hands, 50% of my first aid kit, 3 extra stuff sacks, the lid to my pot, a small Nalgene, an emergency blanket, an extra USB charging cord, my camera case, an extra camera battery, the “Lid” I bought for my Granite Gear pack, a couple of folds of my Z-Lite, dental floss (which I added back), a pack towel, half of my spare cordage, half of my roll of duct tape (wrapped around my trekking poles instead), a small journal, the “data book,” the baskets for my trekking poles, ace wraps, extra inserts (should have used those), my Crocs (handy in the Sierra crossings—not after!) 

I started with a base pack weight of 18 lbs; I was down to 16 lbs by Washington.  In Washington, I also sent my TarpTent home and shared with my cousin (the Contrail can squeeze two in a pinch—I also shared this with my 6’1” mate when he hiked with us).  So, I dropped to just over 14 lbs, but added foot braces and athletic tape for my feet, rounding me out to a solid 15 lbs.  Given my size and weight, I should have been at 15 lbs from the get-go.  If I did it again, I would start with less.

Timing

If we had started earlier, we might have called it a night as soon as we hit this!

Gumby and I finished in 152 days.  Not bad considering our tortoise pace.  We hit the Sierras on June 15 and made it to Canada before it snowed or really even started to rain.  If I did it again, I would start the trail two weeks earlier, hitch down for Kickoff (ADZPCTKO), and then hitch back up afterwards.  We could have benefitted from starting slower and from having a 2-week head start.  Since we were not fast hikers, we took less zeros and more neros to keep pace and make it to Canada before October.  We never stopped anywhere for long and skipped a number of town stops.  It would have been more relaxing if we had given ourselves more time in the beginning.  AND, we would have had more trail magic!  In the back of the Herd, you miss some of it by mere days . . . 

Food

I packed all of my food ahead of time and had it shipped to me in 25 resupply packages.  Overall, I would stick with the buy-and-pack-ahead-of-time method.  However, I would have done three things differently. 

Worth the extra weight to spend over 2 weeks straight in the Sierras.

1)  I would have made sure I LOVED every food that I packed and not tried to save myself money with food I felt “okay” about.  Any food I settled for back home, I hated midway through the trail.  I also portioned out five months worth of jerky ahead of time—bad idea, it rots and molds in three weeks.  My shipper (my mate) had to pitch all of it. 

2)  I would have resupplied on trail a couple of times.  A few of the stops had great resupply stores; although many did not, I wish I had planned to resupply on trail a couple of times to give myself new food selections.  Food is an obsession on the trail—something new to obsess about is a blessing.

3)  I would have stopped more often.  There are two ways to plan your resupply.  One is to stop as often as possible so that you carry as little as possible between stops.  The other is to resupply less and carry more so that you have to pull off trail and hitch to town less.  Overall, I was happy with the places I chose to pull off, but there were times I went for a longer haul when a stop would have been simple and made my pack a hell of a lot lighter. 

Oh, I guess there is one more thing:  I would have carried less food.  I planned for nearly 4000 calories a day.  It’s a good number.  It turned out to be a little too much for 5’ 3/4” me.  I pulled into town with extra food 23 times of the 25 times I arrived.  Extra food is extra weight.  1 lb of extra food is 1 lb added to your base weight.  I would not have shipped myself less, it is nice to have the option of more, but I would have ditched more in the hiker boxes.

Photos

I wish I had taken more of these traditional landmark photos!

I took 3,000 photos.  If I were to do it again, I would take more.  More photos of the mundane parts of the trip and more photos of my fellow hikers—once you are back at home, the mundane on trail feels special, and the people are just as important as the places.  I also would have asked others to take more photos of me—it can be a little weird to ask people to do this (which is why I didn’t that often), but once you are back, you wish you had more candid shots.  Get over yourself and be a little vainer, you’ll be glad you did.

Travel

I hiked the trail with my female cousin, Gumby.  I cannot tell you how many times I found myself glad to have another around to share beautiful sights, funny stories, and end-of-the-day chats with.  And how often I was relieved to have someone there when I was crazy with the monotony, irate about my malfunctioning electronics, so sick I wanted to cry, so in pain that I was crying, and so exhausted that I just did not want to take another step.  Both joy and misery love company, and the trail has an overabundance of both. 

152 days of cousins!

That said, if I were to hike the trail again, I would take a few more solos.  I loved the company.  I also could have benefitted from hiking on my own more.  If I did it again, I might still go with a companion; I would just plan for sections of solos.  Oregon is the perfect place for a little one-on-one with the trail.  Washington and the Sierras are better with friends.  As in all things, think balance is the key.

Things I Would NOT Do Differently

I would not plan less.

I would not plan more.

I would not research gear more.

I would not pack less food.

I would still carry a Smartphone and a camera.

I would still carry a SPOT.

I would still have printed and electronic versions of HalfMile’s maps.

I would still have gone 18 days straight in the Sierras, resupplying once at Muir Trail Ranch.

I would still treat all of my drinking water.

I would still go to Kickoff.

I would still hike 1000 miles with plantar fasciitis and finish the trail even if it meant that 4 months later I would still be hobbling and unable to hike more than five.

The trail is an unforgettable experience.  There is no place for regrets.  Only new plans for next time.

Gear Review: Part 1

* * Upcoming Talks:  March 7, Oregon City Library, 7 PM  //  March 26, Straub Environmental Learning Center, 7 PM  //  April 16, Tryon Creek State Natural Area, 6:30 PM * *


Well, I am keeping up on the PCT-L (the Pacific Crest Trail email forum), and it looks like the Class of 2013 is thigh-deep in planning.  And I am infinitely jealous.

In case any of the 2013'ers are reading old blogs for tips on gear, I thought I'd review my gear from 2012.  Here are a few of the big ticket items:  (I'll review more in a couple of days!)


PACK:  Granite Gear Vapor Ki

This pack is no longer made by Granite Gear (it was on sale last year just before Kickoff); I believe it was replaced by a heavier, but much "cooler" colored pack.  Many people went with the ULA or Osprey packs, but as a 5'3/4" female, I have to say, I think that this was the best possible pack for me.

Fully resupplied!

PROS:  The Vapor Ki is as light and as comfortable of a pack as I could find.  The hip belt and shoulder straps are thick and stayed thick for the entire five months.  The stitching and fabric also held up remarkably well.  The lower side pockets are big and deep.  This "no-frills" pack did not fail in any way.

CONS:  The upper side pockets are almost useless because the zipper lays so tight to the pack that once your pack is full, you can barely get your hands in.  There are no hip belt pockets on this no-frills pack.  I ended up adopting a front fanny pack for my camera, sunscreen, phone, lip balm, bug juice, compass, and snacks.  This fanny pack saved time and sanity.  I wouldn't use this pack without one.

BOTTOM LINE:  Great for petite women.  Just sport that fanny pack for practicality.


SLEEPING BAG:  Feathered Friends Egret, Small

This 20-degree down bag, "Ruby", was one of my best (and biggest) last-minute purchases.  I researched bags forever and kept going back to the Marmot bags, but could never find the right fit.  Finally, I went to Feathered Friends and found bags for small women!  And under 2 lbs!  I knew as soon as I got off the phone with the sales representative that I had made the right choice.

The right bag means good sleep.  This is an investment!

PROS:  1 lb, 20 oz of fluffy warmth.  I did not wash this bag the entire trip, and even today, it fluffs up like it did on day 1.  I was sure that I was going to have to trash whichever bag I took on this trip, but Ruby is as good as new.  AND we camped out under the stars almost every night.

CONS:  When Ruby is damp, she kind of smells like wet duck butt.  Of course, I smelled no better.  So together we smelled like wet duck butt and old sausage.

BOTTOM LINE:  If you're looking at a Feathered Friends, go for it!


SLEEPING BAG LINER:  Cocoon Silk Mummy Liner

I bought a liner for extra warmth and cleanliness.  I *LOVED* my liner.

PROS:  This added both warmth and comfort.  Additionally, I used it as a laundry bag and wore it as both a skirt and a scarf.  When I was blogging at night under the stars in the mosquito hell that was the Sierras, I'd pull the bag over my head and use it as a bug net of sorts to keep bugs from flying at my screen.  I machine washed and dried my liner regularly.  It stayed remarkably clean consider that it only came in WHITE.

CONS:  Who makes a white *anything* for backpacking?!  Oh, and I got tangled in it exactly three times and each time burst out of my bag in a fit of claustrophobia.

BOTTOM LINE:  If you want to keep your bag clean, get one.  You'll also sleep warmer.  Or cooler if you use it as a sheet!  This was one of my favorite pieces of gear.


STOVE:  Homemade Chimney Jet Alcohol Stove

My mate made me a stove for Valentines.  The "CJ" that made the five-month journey with me was one of the first models.  We learned to get along by the end of the Sierras.  Yes, it took that long.  And, yes, it was a relationship.

Oh, CJ.  This was one of my most trying trail relationships.
But I never gave up on him!

PROS:  CJ is light, and his fuel (HEET or denatured alcohol) is plentiful on the PCT.  This particular design performs much faster than most alcohol stoves because it is pressurized.  The stand also rotates in and out for packability.  Even if tipped over (which happened a few times) the stove stays going and doesn't seem to spill alcohol.

CONS:  The first half of the PCT is WINDY.  And alcohol stoves do not like wind.  I brought my MSR stove's windscreen, and this helped, but did not solve, the problem.  I would also use my pack and stuff sacks as a windscreen.  Which is great.  Until your pressurized stove builds up too much pressure (too much pre-heat is the cause!) and decides to turn into an alcohol fireball TORCH.  And threaten to melt your pack and your stuff sacks.  It'a a good show for fellow hikers, but not so fun when you really just want to cook your dinner and go to bed.

BOTTOM LINE:  If you are willing to sacrifice ease for weight, go with the alcohol stove and consider CJ.  He's the best homemade stove I saw on the trail this year.  If you are going to lose it when it takes 3 tries to get the pre-heat right to get your stove going and everyone is cleaning their pots by the time you take your first bite, go with the MSR Pocket Rocket.


SHELTER:  Henry Shires Tarptent Contrail

Both my cousin and I went with the Tarptent for the sake of weight.  We set it up as little as possible and often cursed it when we did.

Shelters became more necessary in the cold, damp Sierras.

PROS:  This is the lightest bug-proof shelter system I found for myself.  We all have different requirements for shelters.  Having hiked plenty in the Oregon Cascades, I wanted something that would do well in rain and  thick mosquitos.  This kept out the bugs.  And was light.  And kept out the bugs.  And was light.  That's it for me!

CONS:  I found this a little frustrating to set up in higher winds and on hard ground.  I always found a way when needed, but was definitely jealous of those with the Big Agnes Fly Creek UL1 -- the *other* tent I was considering.  When the Tarptent is wet, it sags, and then gets your bag wet (not much foot room), making it smell more like wet duck butt.  It's single-wall and got wet often.  They say you can wipe the walls down, but that just makes drip lines and the problem worse.  On wet mornings, we'd pack 'em up and dry 'em at lunch.

BOTTOM LINE:  You don't need to camp under a shelter all that often on the PCT, making my issues with this bearable.  Additionally, Gumby and I were able to send one home in Washington and share one tent for those rainy / damp days.  These shelters have room for two if you're good friends!  The Fly Creek is more comfortable and easier to set up.  The Tarptent is slightly lighter -- definitely worth it if you are going to share.  But, if not, I wanted the Fly Creek UL1!

And the "Real World" Comes Crashing In . . .

I've changed clothes!

I cannot believe it has been three months since I have posted. I have had the best of intentions, but my life since the PCT has been eventful to say the least. Actually, it has been about as chaotic of the end of the year as I've perhaps ever had. I was going to post my Christmas letter for all of you, but the truth is, I still cannot figure out how to post PDF's as photos and I have neither ink nor money for it. However, I can type up an update all the same! So, here goes.

Work:

I returned to my position at Silver Falls on October 16. All went relatively well while I was gone and with my return. However, during the two weeks between finishing the PCT and starting back at Silver Falls, I applied for a position at Tryon Creek State Natural Area in Portland, Oregon. And, what do you know, right around Thanksgiving, I found out that I got job! Just before the New Year, I left Silverton and Silver Falls and moved to a Portland-meets-hillbilly heaven, Oregon City. I started at Tryon Creek on January 2. It is a little too early to say too much, but Oregon City seems to be a perfect fit, as does the new position. I am happy in work. And happily getting rid of the accummulation of living on one house for three years.

Health:

Well, my Christmas letter would have said a little something different about my health. I would have told you that my feet have gotten better but have plateaued. This holds true. I have started seeing my chiropractor for therapy and am being vigilant about stretching, icing, massaging, and wearing my braces. My letter would also have told you that my vision improved with my trip! Yes, it is true. I am nearsighted and my distance vision improved by two "clicks." Proving that a backpacking journey does, indeed, lead one to take the long view. What's more, happily, my height remains a whopping 5' 3/4" despite five months of a pack on my back. AND my long walk may just have been the remedy to kicking on ongoing health issue. Hooray!



Merry Christmas to all!

This is what you would have heard from me pre-Christmas. Post-Christmas, however, you'd have heard how my little pinky saved my life. For Christmas, my mate, another couple, and I rented a fire lookout in southern Oregon. Pickett Butte; I highly recommend it. Christmas Eve, I slipped while I was headed down the ladder/stairs to use the outhouse. I stopped when I got to the landing and found that my hand was caught. When I doubled back to free it, I found my pinky dislocated and stretched 1 centimeter longer, the tissue between the bones squashed down to a few millimeters and wedged an inch deep between the railing and a support post. When I could not free my finger myself, I called for help. After about ten minutes, my mate freed me, and my friend drove us the hour and a half down the snowy fire road, through the blink-of-an-eye canyon towns, to the ER in Roseburg. We made it home by 3 AM on Christmas morning. I spent the day napping and on painkillers. It actually was a nice quiet Christmas despite everything!

Pickett Butte.  Gorgeous.  And memorable.

And, fortunately, my mom flew out two days after Christmas to help me function and move with one hand. She has been here since and leaves on Saturday. It has been extremely helpful and pleasant to have her around. With the help of my mom, my mate, and my steadfast Silverton friends, I was packed in one day and moved to Oregon City the very next. It turns out that the Trail was not the end of my needing help. My finger is, hopefully, on the mend. The specialist has me splinting it for 6 to 8 weeks in hopes that the torn tendon will repair and reconnect. I am following all doctors' orders these days.

Mate:

My mate and I took a 2 1/2 week whirlwind trip to the Midwest over the Thanksgiving holiday. In addition to the feast, it was my youngest sister's wedding and his mother's birthday. We spent over half a month traveling, meeting family and friends, and being generally gluttonous. It was wonderful and exhausting, as those trips often are. With my move, we are now half an hour apart rather than an hour and have the opportunity to work together on the occasional project. (He's the manager of a nearby park.) I am as in love as ever with this tall, handsome, intelligent, and gentle Minnesotan.

My emotional rock.

Dakota:

My kitten is quickly becoming a cat. He is the perfect mix of loving and playful, smart and not-so-bright. He loves drinking water straight from the faucet and waking me up with one huge, startling chest compression. Dakota is the most social of cats that I've had the pleasure of welcoming into my home, adorably but not annoyingly so. What can I say, I adore him. And I may someday be a crazy cat lady.

PCT Talks:

I gave my first presentation about my PCT journey in mid-December to an audience of 80 friends, co-workers, and Silvertonians. I think I only cried three times. It was the most difficult and meaningful presentation I have ever given.

For those in the Portland or Salem area, I have two upcoming presentations scheduled:

· March 7: Oregon City Library, 7 PM

· March 26: Straub Environmental Learning Center, Salem, 7 PM

Other News:

Let's see . . . in other news . . .

· I bought 48 steaks on a whim and a quick sales pitch. I now own a George Foreman. So much for vegetarianism.

· This winter, both car and my truck decided to collapse. The truck is back; the car is getting repairs equivalent to its value. I am debating which of these beloved 90's era vehicles to sell.

· Thanks to the trip, I now depend solely on my smartphone for both my telephone and my internet. Yes, I am hooked.

· I have found a Jazzercise class in Oregon City a mere 4 blocks from my new place. It isn't the same as Andi's classes, but I am happy to be dancing my way back into health and happiness.

· Although I still don't have television, I have gotten into "The Office" television series. I finally get it. And I could be addicted if I had better access.

· Gumby has moved to Florida for a gymnastics coaching job.

· Kindergarten Cop will return to the PCT in 2013 to finish Oregon and Washington. I'll be trail angeling him.

· I have been reading the occasional PCT posts and questions from 2013 thru-hikers. I long for the Trail.

Stay Tuned:

I have a few other posts planned for the next few weeks reviewing gear, food, logistics, etc. If you're planning a 2013 trip and have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me!

Thanks for checking in!

Bacon Bit



On the shores of Gitchi Gumi.  Midwesterners in their element!

Day 152 & 153: Saved by Pepperjack & Batteries Included!

(Monument 78, 2660.1 to Manning Provincial Park, 2668.1 = 8 miles)

Well, my dad never did show up the day we finished. And we did not travel far from the monument. We hiked less than a mile and found Dyno and Zoomie sitting on logs in front of a cold campfire ring in silence. I suppose it is how we all felt. And so we joined them! It was nice to spend the last night with a group. As if it were not all over.

In the morning, Gumby and I headed out. I kept a quick pace, eager to find out what had happened to my dad. Scenarios ran from a late train to a mugging in Vancouver. Fortunately, I found out before I reached Manning Park. Right around the 4-mile mark, I saw my dad! In a backpack! On the trail! And after a quick reunion with him, I found my friend, Elsa/Pepperjack! In a backpack! On the trail! With my dad!

Pepperjack saves the day!  I love this woman!

It is a long story, but my dad's first bus broke down four times on its way from Ann Arbor, Michigan to Chicago, causing him to miss his train and setting him a day behind. I had put him and Pepperjack in contact just in case he needed any logistical help once he reached Washington (Pepperjack and her husband, Batteries Included--they met on the PCT in '03 and '05--live in Bellingham, WA.) Once she found out my dad was running a day behind, Pepperjack stepped in and saved the trip. She packed her pack, picked up my dad, helped him sort through his pack, took him to the trailhead at Manning, and hit the trail with him for a night hike on the PCT. They went a few miles that night and a few more the next morning until they ran into me. What a fantastic surprise!

Papa.  :)

After rescuing my dad, Pepperjack rescued us. She took us to Manning for lunch, drove us over the border (stopping at a dairy for ice cream treats), and took us to her home in Bellingham. There, we each had OUR OWN ROOM, and were treated to showers, laundry, loaner clothes, and a salmon dinner. Did I mention that she also treated Maddog to all of this magic?! After a good night's sleep and big breakfast, Batteries Included told us that he'd take us to Portland! He needed to deliver a washer and dryer to a friend, anyway. I couldn't believe it. And I wanted to say no. But we had no better plan, and we all said, "Yes, thank you." 

We found David and Brit at Stehekin and at Manning!
We hadn't seen them since the first week of May.  GREAT guys.

Although neither Pepperjack nor Batteries Included would accept any monetary thanks, I did manage to at least treat Batteries and his Portland friend to a paddle and a barbecue. Or, rather, my mate treated all of us, and I found myself saying, "Yes, thank you," yet again. It was all the perfect ending to an amazing trip. Hiking with my dad, being spoiled by Pepperjack and Batteries, and catching up with my mate and friends over a late summer cookout. It couldn't have been better if I had planned it myself.

Yes.  I locked Papa Bear's treats in the bear vault and made him break into it.

. . . . . . . .

I felt throughout all of this that I could not thank Pepperjack and Batteries enough. And then someone pointed out to me that they were just giving back. They had hiked the PCT as well and been given all kinds of trail magic. They probably loved the chance to give back. Perhaps. A few days later, my dad, Gumby, and I were driving down the Oregon coast. We came upon a guy with a backpack, thumb out. I pulled over without thinking twice. Where're you headed? Anywhere south. You can throw your pack in the back...

Welcome to the Pacific Ocean, Gumby!

Day 151: Monumental

(Mile 2641 to 2660.3 = 19.3 miles)

We made it!



Our last long view.

We are 2/10 of a mile past the monument.  It was another perfect day.  Just the ending for this trip. 



Sigh... I love this place.

There was a small group at the monument when we arrived:  Busted, Dyno, Zoomie, Stryder, and Jack Flash.  Gumby and I were quickly followed by Maddog.  The group sort of prevented the major breakdown.  It'll happen at some point, just delayed for now.  I had a little time to hike alone this morning and some time to hike and talk with Maddog this afternoon.  Gumby and I finished together.  It was just the right combination.



Handstands for walking 2660.3
 miles.

Since we are on some sort of a trail tonight, I am in a bit of denial about actually finishing.  I don't know when reality will settle in.  It has not yet.  And Papa has not arrived for some reason, either.  Seeing him will help with reality.  Perhaps when we reach the lodge in the morning.  Certainly once I get back to Oregon. 



I made it, Scouters!

I don't have any great thoughts for you tonight.  Except that it really has been all about the journey for me.  Reaching the border, yes, it is exciting, but it is all of the days and experiences before it that I will remember.  2660.1 miles, 151 days, it is an accomplishment.  But I do not feel an overwhelming urge to celebrate.  Instead, I am both saddened to know that I will not have another day on the trail and excited to have days back home.  I miss my place, my town, my friends, my work, and my mate.  Just as I will miss the Trail, the towns, the PCT wilderness, the daily trail life, and my fellow thru-hikers.  It has been quite the journey.  Even I cannot believe it.



PCT = Check.

Our finish team.  Zoomie, Dyno, me, Jack Flash, Maddog, Gumby, Busted, and Stryder.
September 27, 2012.

Our last long view.

Day 147 & 148: Time Warp 1985: Paradise

(Mile 2564 to 2580, Stehekin = 16; Mile 2580 to 2594, Fireweed Campground = 14 miles)

Well, we are on trail, cowboy camped at a site with a group of at least 30.  They seem to be students ... students on a get-to-know-you trip?  They just finished a flashlight tag game.  Maddog managed to get himself in on the game.  Of course!  I was a little astonished.  "He's a boy," Gumby reminded me.  He can't turn down a competitive game, even with perfect strangers.

Lake Chelan is gorgeous, even through the smoke.

We left our last town stop of the trail today.  Stehekin.  If you ever, ever get the chance, go.  The population is about 80 permanent residents.  From what I gathered, there is no road into the town.  The Trail, float planes, and boats.  It is on the gorgeous Lake Chelan, walled in by tall mountains.  The town is in its own grid.  A post office, a lodge, a restaurant, a ranch, an organic farm, and a stellar bakery.  And the North Cascades National Park ranger statio.  (Yes, I struck up a conversation with a ranger I found at the bakery.  R. Something.  Carl, he knows Dana; so, give her a ho ller, and tell her I met on e of her co-workers!) 

1985.

We saw more people on bicycles in Stehekin than in vehicles.  And the vehicles are all from about 1985.
Many say that Stehekin is their favorite trail town.  It is obvious why.  It does not feel like 2012 in Stehekin.  I'd put it in the 1980s.  The pace, the feel, and even the looks.  Quaint, quiet, and full of good vibes.  What a perfect way to wrap up our trip.


It was a big reunion for everyone at the bus stop.  We saw Patch and Lampshade one last time!

Speaking of which, we are aiming to hit the border on September 27.  It sounds like my dad is going to make it to Canada to meet us.  I am THRILLED.  I don't know if he'll be at Manning or the monument, itself.  We have no service!  And I was only able to get a call into my aunt this morning.  So, three to four more days.  My body is failing--a lower leg muscle is now in spasm due to my funny hiker hobble and my feet hurt like heck by the last part of the day (braces and tape keep the first half relatively good.)  But my mind is doing pretty well.  I am ready to finish, but I am still soaking up the scenery and marveling at this trip that not even I can fathom completing.

P.S.  In the five minutes of Wi-Fi I had at the ranch, I received numerous well wishes and cheering ons from you all.  Thank you.  As Washington continues to kick our behinds and our bodies continue to tell us no, your encouragement and faith helps keep me going.  And keep Gumby going--I always read her the motivational comments!  Night!


Dinner with friends! 
(Counter-clockwise)  Nino, High Life, me, Magic Bag, Brit, David, Gumby, Face Plant, and Stryder.



Cedar love.

Day 145 & 146: "So, You Think You Are Almost Done, Eh?"

(Mile 2515 to 2538.5 = 23.5 miles; 2538.5 to 2564 (minus 5) = 21.5 miles)

Sunrise! Before we got socked in....

 That is Washington.  Talking to us.  Taunting us.  Testing us. 

About to get socked in. Pretty, eh?

These last two days have been difficult, to say the least.  Yesterday was downhill, uphill, downhill, uphill.  The last down and up were five miles a piece and into and out of an icy fog.  We got to camp at 9 PM last night.  And we didn't even do our 25 miles.

Gumby on the old PCT route near Suiattle River. FUN.

A late night put us at a later morning this morning and a 2-mile "old PCT" route had us scrambling over trees and log crossings, trying not to lose trail.  There were floods in this area in 2003 and 2005 that took out a handful of bridges.  An official new trail opened in September 2011 with a brand new bridge.  And 5 extra miles. 

Creek crossing with High Life. Water can be pretty powerful...

It is supposes to be gorgeous, the new route, but we don't know.  We opted for the old, abandoned, overgrown route.  And we were treated to an adventure!  Halfmile calls the new route the one for purists, but I say a purist would take the old route!  It was a highlight of the trip for me.  Three creek crossings, two over slightly sketchy downed trees.  And then heaps of downed old growth to make your way up and over and under and around.  I felt like I did when I was a kid, trekking through the woods and swamp.  Banged, bruised, and filthy with twigs and needles everywhere, but happy as can be.  I remember one of my girlfriends declining an opportunity to try portaging a canoe by saying that she was delicate, "like a flower."  And I suppose she was.  But not me.  I love portaging (even though my boat is like trying to maneuver a 75 lb, 17-foot bullet over your head through the woods).  And I love stomping through the woods, balancing on logs, and swinging on branches, trying, all the while, to keep up with the boys (Maddog has been traveling with us!).  I hurt like hell (two days of mountains climbs mixed with landing leaps from logs and twisting the heck out of my ankles has kicked my butt), but I am happy.

Gumby before our 5 mile descent and ascent.

This is NOT an easy finish, this last week or so in Washington.  With the mileage we are all trying to make, I would say that this is actually one of the most difficult parts of the trail.  And at a time where we would like to be excited to finish, excited to cruise on in to the end.  But there is no cruising here.  Crawling is more like it!

Interview with a marmot!