In Search Of

I hiked the John Muir Trail last summer with a young man in his 20's from the church I attend. I often tried to keep him motivated and his mind occupied with something other than the pain of hiking twenty plus miles a day with 5,000 feet of altitude change. I would tell personal stories, dumb jokes, talk about the Bible, and share theological insights along with interesting details about the trail. I remember one day trying to explain my passion for exploring nature and talking about the biblical concept of being a steward of creation. The idea I was trying to get across was that if I am going to care for creation as God commanded, I better have some idea of what is out there...hence the desire to explore nature.

I was reading the creation story in Genesis chapter one recently and noticed something interesting that got me thinking.

And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day. Genesis 1:3-5

It says God saw that the light was good. It didn't say He knew it, or thought it, or said it. Seven times in Genesis chapter one, God saw what he created was good. G.K. Chesterton wrote that the sun doesn't rise because it has to: it rises because, as God watches it set each evening, He says, "That was nice; do it again." The creation story suggests that God watches and enjoys His creation; that he rejoices in its beauty and admires it not as a past event but as a present experience. Isn't this what Jesus suggests in the New Testament when he says: "Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care." Matthew 10:29

Could it be, that the desire to explore, to experience, and to see for ourselves what God IS creating today is part of what it means to be made in the image of God? I was talking with my wife about this very topic the other night as we were lying in bed. She was trying to stay awake because she knows how frustrated I get when she falls asleep half way through my late night sermons. Just as she was dozing off, she says, "I wonder if God saw that it was good so that we can say that it is good. He saved the saying part for us." Well, that got me thinking again and I graciously released her to her beauty sleep.

Have you enjoyed a sunset lately?

Eating

A One Pound Snickers Bar!

"I think," said Christopher Robin, "that we ought to eat all our provisions now,
so that we shan't have so much to carry." Winnie the Pooh

Planning meals for 5 months on the trail is a challenge. I am preparing resupply boxes to be mailed to me along the trail. I will pre-pack the first two months of food and supplies before I leave and Eva will pack the next three months after we see how well I have estimated how much I will eat and what my taste buds will be craving. Post offices, stores, homes, gas stations, resorts, campgrounds, and state parks will receive my packages and hold them for me until I arrive. I will be purchasing some food along the way to supplement what is mailed to me, but the bulk of what I eat will be prepared in advance so I can quickly resupply and keep moving.

I am ordering many of my dinners from Mountain House but breakfast, lunches, and snacks and some dinners will be purchased at Costco and my local grocery store. I'm guessing I will need a thousand Ziploc bags in various sizes to repackage my meals. Eva makes some amazing fruit leather and she will be busy for several months dehydrating bananas and berries for the PCT. I'll be eating lots of oatmeal, granola, nuts, pop tarts, peanut butter, hot chocolate, tea, tuna and crackers, trail mix, dried fruit, cookies, candy, and cheese. I'm getting hungry just writing about it! Keep calm and hike on!

Solitude

I enjoy hiking alone, but when I finish hiking at the end of the day, I enjoy some social interaction. I can entertain myself for hours with music, sermons, and recorded radio program like "This American Life" on NPR. I also like to sing, preach, and quote scripture while I hike! But when I come to a full stop at the end of the day, the solitude I enjoyed throughout the day becomes more like loneliness and I crave the ability to share my day with someone. It is amazing how having someone to chat with during dinner or while sitting around an occasional camp fire in the evening can cheer me up and encourage me to get up and hike again the next day.

I have never been very good at keeping a journal while I hike but on this trip I will be trying to write a daily blog post to be uploaded whenever I have internet access on my phone. I hope that pouring out my thoughts and feelings in my blog will help me when I am alone and don't have anyone to personally share with.

I have talked to my previous hiking partners and none of them are available to hike the PCT with me this year. (I can't understand why more people aren't interested and/or available to hike for five months.) The information I have read online and in guide books suggests that it will be fairly easy for me to make friends on the trail and find others who are hiking at a similar pace. I hope so... I am looking forward to both solitude and the camaraderie of other hikers and trail angels as I hike the PCT. Keep calm and hike on.

Water

When I hike in the High Sierra, I seldom carry more than 1 liter of water. Lakes and streams abound in the Sierras and they provide frequent opportunities to drink, cook, bathe, and wash. But on the Pacific Crest Trail, especially in the desert, there are stretches of the trail that are 20-30 miles long without water. Because water is so critical for a safe and successful hike, there is a water report to help PCT hikers know exactly where the reliable water sources are and how far it is to the next one. I will be carrying a copy of the water report with me as I hike and sometimes carrying 7 liters of water with me on very dry sections of the trail. That's over 15 pounds of water!

I am looking forward to hiking through the desert, but to be honest, I am not looking forward to carrying all that water. Trail angels often leave water caches in the desert sections and they are a blessing to hikers, but when the majority of hikers are passing through the desert in May and June (often called the "herd") the caches can be overwhelmed. I have read stories of people arriving at a cache needing water and finding the cache dry. It is easy to get dehydrated in the desert and I plan to carry enough water to survive without the caches. If there is water, that's great, but if not, I want to know I can hike to the next permanent water source without too much discomfort. Keep calm and hike on.

PCT Documents

 

 

I have my campfire permit, PCT hiking permit, and Canadian Border permit! Thank you USPS! I can check those off the to-do list! I will carry the first two documents with me the entire trail along with my driver's license. (I may not need a licence for driving, but without a photo ID, I can't pickup my resupply packages at the post office.) Eva will bring me the Canadian Border permit along with my Passport when we meet in Portland. Along with a credit card, I'll also be carrying some cash because many of the small towns along the trail don't accept credit cards. There is one town that does not have land line or cell phone service. The only thing that works in the area are satellite phones.

Today I enjoyed a 15 mile round trip hike to the summit of Mt. Diablo in beautiful weather.  I tested some new shoes which was a great success. There were very few people on the trail and I enjoyed the solitude. There were a few people working on the trail and I thanked them for their service. For the first time I was thanked for being a hiker and visiting the park! Keep calm and hike on!

Hike Your Own Hike-HYOH

There are as many reasons to hike the PCT as there are ways to hike it. There are plenty of inspiring stories and lots of helpful hiking advice on the web and in the published guidebooks. I have enjoyed many hours of reading online and studying guidebooks and I think I have a good idea of what to expect as I hike through each section of the PCT.

Being a planner by nature, I have enjoyed creating a detailed hiking itinerary and preparing 26 resupply packages to be mailed or personally delivered to me along the trail. I think my hiking plan is reasonable based my experience, but this is not a military march or a race and I am going to follow the advice of so many thru-hikers who have completed the PCT before me: Hike Your Own Hike (HYOH). I am going to try to relax and enjoy the journey...if I don't make my mileage one day; I'm not going to punish myself the next day with lots of extra miles. If there is an amazing campsite or I make friends along the trail, I want to have the freedom to adjust my schedule a bit. That being said, getting to Canada before the snow starts piling up in Washington will not happen if I don't average 20 miles a day every day. Keep calm and hike on!

The Nicest People

I have hiked solo, with a friend, with people I met on the internet, and with people I met on the trail. All of them have been good experiences. I have hitchhiked from several trail heads and enjoyed the generosity of strangers. I have met the most interesting people on the trail and only once did I ever feel uncomfortable when meeting another hiker. Most of the people I meet while hiking are intelligent, educated, friendly, and adventurous. Like me, most have a career, a family, and a healthy lifestyle. They go hiking for some of the same reasons I do...for the adventure, the challenge, and the joy of experiencing God's creation first hand. I read somewhere that the desire for wilderness is a disease of civilization. If that makes any sense to you then you'll have some idea of the kind of people you are likely to meet in the mountains. And if you think the mountains are only for young people, think again...there are many retired people, both men and women, hiking at their leisure since speed is not an issue for them. Greetings fellow hikers! See you on the trail!

Fear Not!

What do you call a bear with no teeth? A gummy bear!

One of the common questions I'm asked is about the dangers of backpacking. For someone who has been robbed at gunpoint in my own driveway, I can tell you I feel safer on the trail than I do in a mall parking lot after dark. Cumulatively, I have spent almost a year in the wilderness. Yes I have seen a few snakes and bears, but the emphasis is on the word few. I am reminded of a quote by John Muir, “In my first interview with a Sierra bear we were frightened and embarrassed, both of us, but the bear's behavior was better than mine." Yes there are risks associated with backpacking, but most can be minimized with the right equipment, knowledge, and experience. When I hike alone I try to stay on maintained trails so if something happened, it wouldn't be too long before someone found me. I am careful when crossing rivers and use a bear canister to store my food safely from animals. And no...I don’t carry a weapon.

John Muir & I

It is a cliché to say that behind every great man is a great woman. In the case of John Muir there were two great women. The first was Jeanne Carr. Her husband, Dr. Ezra Carr, was one of Muir's professors at the University of Wisconsin. She encouraged Muir to pursue his dreams as an explorer, naturalist, author, and advocate for the preservation of wilderness. She helped him get his works published and also introduced John Muir to many influential people. Mrs. Carr also introduced Muir to his future wife, Louie Wand Strentzel.

Along with Jeanne Carr, Muir's wife also recognized her husband's unique gifts as an explorer, writer, and advocate, and after ten years of marriage she released him from his day to day responsibility at the family ranch to continue to explore and write. Here is a link to great documentary about the life of John Muir. It's worth the time to watch it. I am inspired by the life of John Muir and the impact he made on the way that we think about preserving wilderness for future generations. 

While I have no delusions of grandeur in comparing myself to John Muir, we do have one thing in common. I also have a wife who has supported and encouraged me in my love for exploring nature. She has allowed me to hike weekly on my days off and use my vacation to take extended backpacking trips in the High Sierra and to climb internationally. I have been talking about hiking the Pacific Crest Trail in retirement for many years and in 2013 Eva shocked me by suggesting that I should hike it now, before retirement, so she won't be a "trail widow" when we do retire. She would prefer I do it now while she is still working and busy volunteering at church. I have talked to enough married people to know that not every spouse is that supportive and willing to make sacrifices themselves to allow their husband or wife to pursue a passion that keeps them away from home for weeks and months at a time.

Eva, I love you and I am grateful for your love, support, and encouragement! You are truly the best thing that has ever happened to me, and I know I couldn't do this without you! Loren

Trail Maps

There are 455 pages of printed maps for the Pacific Crest Trail and I just finished dividing them into 26 groups for my resupply boxes. They are beautiful, color, 1:31680 scale (1 inch = 1/2 mile) topographic maps printed on 8.5 x 11 inch paper. They have mileage markers, water sources, campsites, road crossings, trail detours, alternate routes, hazards, and resupply locations noted on every page. It's crazy how much detail is included. And the best news...the maps are FREE! That's right they are free for anyone to download from the internet. There are high definition maps for printing and low resolution version for mobile devices. You can check them out here! The only cost involved is printing them. Eva had a set of maps printed as a Christmas present for me! Along with the maps there are trail notes and a water report. I don't plan on carrying paper copies of the trail notes and the water report, but I will have digital copies on my phone to refer to as needed. In addition to the above I have purchased two apps for my phone that use the phone's GPS to map my location on the trail and localize the trail notes based on my current location. It might be all but impossible to get lost on the PCT! Who said you can't enjoy technology and nature at the same time?

Backpacking Fever

After college, marriage, graduate school, a few years of ministry and the birth of our first child, I got the itch to go backpacking again. And this time I wanted to go big! I had been reading about the Pacific Crest Trail, running from Mexico to Canada, but I knew that was out of the question because of the time it takes (5 months) to hike 2,650 miles. So I set my sights on the John Muir Trail. I would use my entire two week vacation to hike the 211 miles from Yosemite to Mt. Whitney and without anyone crazy enough to go with me, the plan was to hike alone. My wife was supportive and allowed me to pursue my dream. Over the last twenty five years, my wife has allowed me to hike, backpack, rock climb, and even climb high mountains internationally. Eva, I love you! Thank you for letting me pursue my passion for the great outdoors!

The Joy of Hiking

On the JMT section of the PCT

"Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves." John Muir

Some of my earliest childhood memories are walking, exploring and spending time outdoors. I loved to explore the orange grove at the end of our street in Yorba Linda and taking long walks on the paved bike path. I remember walking through the neighborhood, thinking, singing, and talking to myself. Camping trips, fishing trips, and family vacations were all opportunities to take a walk and explore new places. In college I preferred walking to driving and would often walk to work, church and anywhere else that time allowed.

It is common to find me walking on my lunch break during the work week and more than once a co-worker has stopped to ask if I need a ride somewhere. I smile and say no...I'm walking on purpose! Eva and I often walk to a local shopping area for dinner, ice cream, or to do some shopping. Friday is my day off and more often than not I am hiking somewhere from sunrise to sunset and get home in time for dinner.

I am excited to think that for five months, my primary mode of travel will be walking. I may hitch-hike into a few towns along the trail to resupply, but I plan on walking all 2,650 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail. Keep calm and hike on!

Hiking Partner

After backpacking with my Sunday school teacher a second time, I was ready to head out on my own, but I didn't have the confidence to go alone, so I did the unthinkable...I invited my younger brother to join me as my backpacking partner. Normally I didn't want him tagging along with me, but I wasn't confident enough to go solo, so he became my hiking partner. We backpacked a few times together and I remember with fondness the times we spent making campfires, cooking over an open fire, braving rain, snow and black ice, hiking cross country to find remote lakes, and to my pleasant surprise, enjoying each other's company. It ended too quickly when I left home to attend college and put backpacking on hold for the next six years.

Happy Valentines!

I hope you take time to watch this video. I can't tell you how many times I have watched it! I laugh until I cry every time! 

So this isn't a hiking post, but my wife reminded me that if I don't stop thinking and talking about hiking for at least a few hours on Valentine's Day, I might be sleeping outdoors sooner than later. Actually, she has been a pretty good sport about this whole hiking thing. She has never complained about giving up a room in the house to the PCT, the training hikes I take every week, or the number of hours I have spent in front of my computer planning the trip, building a website, and writing my blog. Look I am doing it again! 

A few days ago I called her during lunch just to say "hi" and her friends were so impressed! They said their husbands never call them during the day. I told her that if they let their husbands quit their job and go hiking for five months they might be much more attentive and affectionate! I better stop typing and get to work making my valentine feel really special, because she is! Happy Valentine's Day, Eva. I Love You!

Keep calm...it's not about the nail.

Backpacking

In my teenage years, I had a Sunday school teacher who offered to take the students in his class on a backpacking trip. I had been camping, fishing, and hunting with my father, but backpacking was something new and I remember my excitement checking out backpacking books at the library and spending lots of time at the local sporting goods store. My first backpacking trip was to the Mineral King area and I still remember with fondness the day we scrambled to the top of a ridge on the Great Western Divide and looked east across the high Sierra towards Mt. Whitney. It was a breath taking view and reminds me of a comment from the first successful ascent of Mt. McKinley in Alaska. Upon reaching the summit one of the climbers said, "It was as if we were looking out of the windows of heaven." I took one more backpacking trip with my Sunday school teacher and I was officially hooked!

Thinking Big!

"A trail is a promise of possibilities, an idea as much as a line on a map." Brarbara Hodgin

I am a detail person. When I was a school administrator, I was famous for my detailed lists. I remember one staff meeting in November, close to Thanksgiving when we were doing our best to focus on the staff meeting agenda rather than counting the hours until we were off for the holidays. To begin our meeting, I showed the staff a copy of a letter from my mother about our family plans for Thanksgiving. It was a detailed list of everything we were eating, who was bringing what and what time everyone was arriving. The format of her letter looked so much like my staff meeting agenda it was scary! We got a good laugh out of it and finished our staff meeting before everyone's eyes glazed over. Lists, charts, graphs, details...it's in my DNA.

I tell you that because being a detail person doesn't always lend itself to immediately enjoying new and big ideas. The last six years I worked as a sound engineer for The House Modesto. It is a great job and I plan  to return after my hike! But I learned something about myself. When people think big, I get nervous. I remember sitting in meetings where people were throwing out ideas for the next big event. I was usually quiet during the meeting and at some point I would start frowning. Occasionally, someone would notice and ask me what's wrong? I would smile and say, "I'm trying to use my little brain to think of all the details required to make this big idea happen. You are making my head hurt. Once I can wrap my mind around it and know how to make it all work, I'll be smiling again...just give me a few minutes to process."

I like hiking because it uses that part of my brain that loves details to plan and prepare, but the actual hiking is simplicity itself. Walk. Follow the trail. Eat when I get hungry. Drink lots of water. Keep warm when it's cold and cool when it's hot. Wear a hat. Watch for snakes and poodle-dog bush and don't lose anything. Rest when I get tired and stop to smell the flowers and enjoy the views once in a while. Eat as many Snickers as I want.

Hiking frees my mind to focus on new ideas for my life, my family and my future, and I get some of the biggest and craziest ideas when I am simply putting one foot in front of another. When I turned 50, I read the book: Second Wind for the Second Half: Twenty Ideas to Help You Reinvent Yourself for the Rest of the Journey by Patrick Morley. The book didn't have a huge impact on my life when I read it, but I think I was still in denial that I was getting older. Well...I feel it now and while I am hiking the PCT, I plan to invest some time thinking about the next 20-30 years of my life and what God might want to do in and though me. I want to be a better person, a better husband, a better father, and be motivated by God's love and grace more than I am today. I want to smile more, laugh more, cry more and love more. Jesus, I need you.

My eyes are dry, my faith is old

My heart is hard, my prayers are cold 

And I know how I ought to be 

Alive to You and dead to me 

Oh what can be done for an old heart like mine 

Soften it up with oil and wine 

The oil is You, Your Spirit of love 

-Lyrics by Keith Green 

Keep calm and dream on!

Feeling Alive

"Confronted with the petty concerns of ordinary life, I feel empty as if I am wasting a priceless gift. Days pass and my work does not generate the strength and eagerness to live which memories of the mountains inspire in me. Mountains are not stadiums where I satisfy my ambition to achieve, they are cathedrals grand and pure, and I approach them as a man goes to worship. From the vantage of their lofty summits, I view my past, dream of the future, and with unusual acuteness I experience the present. The struggle renews my strength and clears my vision. In the mountains I celebrate creation for on each journey I am reborn." Anatoli Boukreev.

It's late and I am sitting in bed listening to my wife breath as she sleeps. About an hour ago, I got home after a twelve hour work day. I have been too busy to think about hiking today, but the reading material on my nightstand reminds me of the upcoming adventure I have planned.

The image in this post was taken by Galen Rowell and I have a signed, large format print hanging in my office. It illustrates well the joy and excitement I feel when I am hiking. During the winter, when I spend most of my time indoors, and the fog often obscures the sun for days at a time, there is a heaviness that only being outside and feeling the warmth of the sun can dispel. A work day without a walk during my lunch hour or after dinner feels empty and unfulfilling no matter how many things I crossed off my to do list.

It is hard for me to even imagine what it will be like to set aside the concerns of my normal life for 5 months to hike the PCT. Living outside for five months, watching the sunrise and sunset each day, camping in a new location each night and enjoying the changes in the weather, seasons, and landscape. What can be better than this?

My Love For The Mountains

I think my love for the mountains began on our family vacations to Mammoth Lakes, California. The area is a popular ski resort during the winter, but in the summertime it is a paradise for fishing, hiking, rock climbing, mountain biking and all things outdoors. Every summer we would spend a week there for a family vacation. My dad took us fishing at one of the many lakes, and if the fish weren't biting, I would be the first to put down my pole and go for a hike around the lake. I can remember the drive from southern California and the amazing view of the high sierra which seemed to grow and grow as we drove north.

Since getting married twenty-eight years ago and spending our honeymoon in Mammoth, we have continued the family tradition of vacationing in Mammoth. Going to Mammoth Lakes feels like going home. I am grateful for parents who took me to Yosemite and so many other mountain destinations. My love for creation, wilderness and the beauty of the mountains was born on these trips. Thanks mom and dad, I love you!

Let It Rain!

Click HERE for a Current Graph

Back in the fall of 2013, when I began thinking about hiking the PCT in 2014, I told my wife that if we had a wet winter with higher than average precipitation, I would postpone the trip. I didn't want to hike through the High Sierra in June with the mountain passes covered in snow. It was one of many things I thought could derail my plans to thru-hike the Pacific Crest Trail. As I prayed about the timing for my hike, I made sure God knew the right snow conditions and the personal issues that could affect my ability to be away from home for five months. I am happy to report that my personal concerns have been resolved and the only issue now is that the desert sections might be too dry! So I'm joining everyone else in praying for rain...just not too much. With less snow in the mountains, I am thinking about starting my hike earlier -- maybe the week after Easter. I will make a final decision on a start date by the beginning of March. I have to apply for a hiking permit with the PCTA. It can take up to a month to process the application and receive my permit. Keep calm and rain on!

Eric Liddell

The movie Chariots of Fire is the story of Eric Liddell, who won the gold medal in the men's 400 meter race in the 1924 Olympics. In one scene, Eric's sister expresses her concern that running is distracting him from his calling to be missionary to China. Eric tells her: "I believe God made me for a purpose and that purpose is China, but he also made me fast. And when I run I feel His pleasure."

I know what it's like to feel God's pleasure and I feel it when I hike. I feel God's pleasure in my body in the rhythm of walking and breathing. I know the joy and satisfaction of hiking over a steep mountain pass or covering 20+ miles a day. I feel God's pleasure in nature: "God saw all that he had made, and it was very good" Genesis 1:31. I feel the sun, wind, and rain and hear the sounds of nature. I see the clouds, trees, flowers and grass and rejoice in knowing the God who made it all. Here is a good blog post that also takes Eric Liddell's words and applies them in a very theological and practical way. You don't have to hike 2,650 miles to honor God with your body! Keep calm and hike on.

"The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why." Mark Twain

Hike On!

My Feelings Exactly!

PCT Hiker Survey

PCT Hikers by Age

I recently found a survey of 2013 Pacific Crest Trail thru-hikers. I think the information is interesting, but then I'm the kind of person who loves statistics and charts! I noticed that I am not the average PCT thru-hiker in quite a few categories. I already knew I was not a normal person, but now I know that I am not normal even among hikers. I feel so special! You can view the survey results here: PCT Hiker Survey. Happy reading!

Hiking Sabbatical

“The command is "Do no work." Just make space. Attend to what is around you. Learn that you don't have to DO to BE. Accept the grace of doing nothing. Stay with it until you stop jerking and squirming.” Dallas Willard

I have described my PCT hike as a sabbatical and the more I think about it, the more I think that is a fitting description for what I am doing. The word sabbatical comes from the word Sabbath which means to rest from labor. A weekly day of rest is the most common understanding of practicing the Sabbath, but in the Bible there is also a Sabbath year (one in every seven years) that allowed the land to rest from planting, pruning, and harvesting.

It must have taken a great deal of faith to trust God to provide during the Sabbath year and I believe faith is at the heart of what God was trying to develop in us through the Sabbath in it's various forms. To rest from labor is to acknowledge God as our creator, redeemer and provider. Our trust is in Him and his provision, not in our knowledge, ability or effort. To rest is an act of faith.

I have worked hard for almost 30 years to provide for my family and save for retirement. I enjoy working and I have tried to honor God in both my work ethic and in using my talents for the Kingdom of God. When I finish hiking the PCT, I plan to return to work with the same enthusiasm and dedication. But for this time, this season, I believe God has made this hike possible and is inviting me to rest from my labor and trust him in a way that I have never experienced before. This sabbatical is a gift of time, place, and simplicity; an opportunity to experience God's presence and to renew my vision of who God is and who He wants me to be. To the praise of His glorious grace!

Simplify!

My desk never looked like this, but I love the hair!

Not only does the PCT require planning for a successful hike, it also requires planning to be away from home. I am taking the opportunity to simplify some areas of our finances and make it easier for Eva while I am gone and for me when I return. Before the end of this year, I am selling some of our stock portfolio, donating some to the church, and keeping just two stocks that I think might be winners... if I hold on to them long enough, lol! I am tired of playing the stock market and plan to use mutual funds and ETFs for retirement savings from this point forward.

In January of 2013, I went paperless which has worked out amazing! Any financial accounts that offered the option of paperless statements, I signed up. I began scanning and shredding all paper documents and eliminated most of my paper filling system. It's one year later and I can happily report that the desk drawer that used to be exploding with statements, invoices, notices, policy documents, and receipts is empty! I also went back for three years and scanned my tax documents and receipts. These are now on CD for easy access!

I set up all our bills, utilities, and payments for monthly auto-pay. One local utility didn't seem to offer auto-pay, but when I made a friendly stop at the office, they gladly took my credit card info and promised to pay the bill in full each month...now that's customer service. There is only one store credit card we have that does not have an auto pay feature....Kohl's.

I know that after the hike, there will be a pile of mail on my desk, but I'm guessing that 90% of it will be junk mail! Keep calm and hike on!

Gear Decisions...I'm Freaking Out!

Yesterday I spent the day fretting over gear. Weight, size, durability...I was obsessed, possessed, consumed, and finally depressed! I couldn't stop thinking about it! I was most concerned about what water purification method I would use. (I'm estimating my water intake at about six liters a day, which equals 900 liters of water for the entire hike.) I have two filters and a Steripen. I have also used iodine in the past and often carry it as a backup. If weight wasn't an issue I would carry my Katadyn Hiker PRO filter. I have used it for years and love it, but it weighs 11 ounces and it's too heavy for a 2,650 mile solo hike. I also have a Sawyer Squeeze, but I have had problems with it leaking! In a moment of doubt, I recently bought a Steripen ultraviolet purifier but I'm concerned about reliability, the number of batteries I'll need on such a long trip, and the possibility of needing a pre-filter for very dirty water. Iodine is great as a backup, but I'm not sure I would want to use it everyday for 5 months, and again there is the issue of a pre-filter... I'm getting a headache as I write this blog and think about it all over again.

So, after a good night's sleep, I have decided... I will start with the Sawyer Squeeze. The desert is where I will most likely need to filter dirty water and the Squeeze bags will be useful for carrying up to 8 liters of water in the dry sections. When I reach the High Sierra, I'll switch to the Steripen. There is abundance of water and I'll seldom need to carry more than a liter. If I have any problems with it, I'll switch back to the squeeze or have Eva mail me my Katadyn Hiker PRO filter. I'll always keep a few iodine tabs with me as a backup.

Hopefully most of the other gear related decisions I have to make won't be this difficult. I need to remember that gear is important, but what will make or break this trip is my attitude, commitment, and willingness to get up every day and hike!

The Bible

I love this quote! Don't skip it just because it is long.

“I don't think it is enough appreciated how much an outdoor book the Bible is. It is a "hypaethral book," such as Thoreau talked about - a book open to the sky. It is best read and understood outdoors, and the farther outdoors the better. Or that has been my experience of it. Passages that within walls seem improbable or incredible, outdoors seem merely natural. This is because outdoors we are confronted everywhere with wonders; we see that the miraculous is not extraordinary but the common mode of existence. It is our daily bread. Whoever really has considered the lilies of the field or the birds of the air and pondered the improbability of their existence in this warm world within the cold and empty stellar distances will hardly balk at the turning of water into wine - which was, after all, a very small miracle. We forget the greater and still continuing miracle by which water (with soil and sunlight) is turned into grapes.” Wendell Berry

I have a Bible on my iPhone to read and mp3 player to listen to and I look forward to hearing the Bible in a fresh new way as I hike, listen and read.

The Peace of Wild Things

THE PEACE OF WILD THINGS

When despair for the world grows in me

and I wake in the night at the least sound

in fear of what my life and my children's lives may be,

I go and lie down where the wood drake rests

in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds.

I come into the peace of wild things 

who do not tax their lives with forethought

of grief. I come into the presence of still water.

And I feel above me the day-blind stars

waiting with their light. For a time

I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.

Wendell Berry

Andrew Lyon

Andrew at the Canadian Border

Andrew Lyon, 24, passed away on August 30, 2013, just ten months after he successfully thru-hiked the Pacific Crest Trail. In 2008, at the age of 19, Andrew was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma. After having chemotherapy and radiation twice as well as stem cell transplant treatment his cancer returned for a third time and Andrew decided to do the unthinkable: He would hike the PCT! On April 7, 2012 he began hiking the PCT at the US/mexico boarder and reached Canada on October 20, 2012. Here is a link to his blog which is maintained by his mother. Andy's Big Adventure. I find his courage and determination inspiring. It reminds me how precious life is and how important it is to live every moment to the fullest. Hike On, Andy!

It Makes Me Nervous

When I think about hiking the PCT I get excited. When I think about being away from my job for five months, I get nervous. (Please let me come back. I love my job!) I'm the kind of guy that had my first job in elementary school. (I got in trouble at school and had to clean bathrooms as a punishment...I did such a good job, they offered to pay me.) I had a paper route, mowed lawns, fixed small appliances, mixed audio, and was a electronic test technician all before attending college. I worked to pay for college as the campus electrician, phone man, sound man, and a part time youth pastor. (Exactly when did I study?) I have never been without a job. I have never had to wonder what's next...what will I do now? I know I will enjoy hiking the PCT, but I am concerned that I will spend too much time worrying about what I will do after the hike. I have to remember that God has made this hike possible and He has something great for me after it is over. I just have to hike to Canada to find out what it is! Keep calm and hike on.

Happy New Year

 

It's officially 2014! Before today, my plan to thru-hike the Pacific Crest Trail felt like something in the distant future. It was always next year, but now next year is this year and the clock is ticking! In the next two months, I will have to make a final go/no go decision for a 2014 thru-hike. If it is a go, I will need to choose a start date, finalize my itinerary, apply for permits, contact resupply locations to verify shipping instructions, and begin packing resupply boxes Eva will mail to me. I will need to go shopping for my food (300 lbs.), make some final clothing and gear decisions, and complete a list of "honey do" projects at home. I will need to find a good landscaper to take care of the yards while I am gone. I am committing myself now to workout and run five days a week, eat healthy, and hike as often as I can to make sure my feet and legs are ready. Can you tell I'm hopeful and excited? Keep calm and hike on!