PCT 2014

Guest Blogger

I thought it might be fun to have Eva write a few blog posts while I am on the trail and busy hiking. She will have a unique perspective on my trip that may be of interest to my faithful readers. Along with being an amazing wife, mother, and teacher, she is my Pacific Crest Trail Base Camp Manager. (The long title makes up for the very low salary.) She has the important job of making sure my resupply boxes full of food and supplies are delivered to me along the trail. On a hike this long, I'll need five pairs of shoes, dozens of pairs of socks, new clothes, and hundreds of batteries just to name a few things, and she will make sure they all arrive at the proper location and at the right time. There will be sections of the trail where I won't have cell service and cannot post updates, but she can keep you updated on my progress during those times. Thank you Eva for supporting me on this adventure and feel free to share anything you want on the blog, except that time when I... That would be embarrassing!

Thru-Hiking School

Today Eva and I are attending ADZPCTKO http://adzpctko.org/ at Lake Morena along with a few hundred other people. Most are also thru-hikers. We attended workshops on trail conditions, desert hiking, water and snow conditions, overuse injuries, snow travel, bears, food, fire, etc. (Mom, for your sanity, please skip the next paragraph.)

The day began with a somber announcement that a PCT hiker died the day before near the lake. He was close to the lake, right on the trail, and I actually witnessed the emergency team performing CPR on the young man on my hike from the border to the lake. I watched and prayed as they worked hard to revive him. The initial reports are that he was suffering from dehydration and heat exhaustion. NBC San Diego News Report It was a reminder to everyone that hiking the PCT is not to be taken lightly. Please pray with me for the young man's family!

Tomorrow morning I will say good bye to Eva at the lake and continue hiking north. I'll see her again in a month. The weather report calls for rain tonight, wind tomorrow and heat later in the week. It was nice to have a break today and spend it with Eva, but I'm ready to get hiking again. The trail is calling...

Food on the Trail

My Stove for the PCT

It's pretty basic...

Breakfast: Oatmeal, Pop Tarts, or Granola with hot tea or cocoa

Lunch: Trail Mix, Tuna and Crackers or Beef Sticks, and Fruit Leather

Dinner: Freeze Dried Meals, or Top Ramen, or Stove Top Stuffing, and Cookies

Snacks: Trail Mix, Granola Bars, and Candy

Nothing requires more than hot water to prepare and a spoon to eat. I hope I don't get too bored eating the same thing day after day. The only variety will be when I pass through towns and can buy a meal or friends send care packages, hint hint, to resupply locations along the trail. See the itinerary page on my website for more info on sending care packages. Keep calm and hike on.

Run For The Border

Yesterday was my last day at work and today Eva and I are driving to southern California so I can begin hiking tomorrow! I am so excited! I have been packed and ready to go for over a week! We have plans to connect with friends in the Fresno area before we reach our destination for the evening, about 40 miles from the border. Eva will drive me to the border early Thursday morning where we will take a few pictures and then I'll hit the trail! Now, if I can just focus on driving and keeping my excitement under control so I don't get a ticket for speeding. It will take us about 8 hours to drive to the border of Mexico from Modesto, but the return trip, hiking the PCT, will take approximately two months to cover the same distance. Walking isn't the most efficient mode of transportation, but it promises to be much more of an adventure.

“Walking is the only form of transportation in which a man proceeds erect - like a man - on his own legs, under his own power. There is immense satisfaction in that.” -Edward Abbey

Sitting Is The New Smoking

I have been seeing more and more reports that sitting is bad for you. I don't have to worry about that for the next few months. I won't be doing much sitting. I'll be walking 10+ hours a day. Here is some helpful info on minimizing the effect of sitting for long periods of time. If you are reading this, you are probably sitting down. Maybe it is time to go for a walk (after you finish reading my blog of course). You don't have to hike 2,650 miles, just start with a walk around the block. Yes you can!

Can She Do It? By Eva

Loren has left me with the challenge of keeping you updated while he is on his great adventure and sharing my thoughts. I must admit though that I am a bit intimidated by this. Although my boss calls me the "Word Smith" of the office, I fall short when compared to the cleverness of my husband's posts. One of my greatest fears is that I won't be able to figure out how to compose, schedule and publish my posts. This takes some computer knowledge, you see. And I am not the computer whiz by any means. In fact, this would be a good time to confess that I am more dependent on my husband than I would like to admit. He is definitely the one that keeps things working around our home. The other night, in one of my fits of technology confusion, Loren laughed and said he was afraid he'd come home to find me sitting in the dark with no electricity, no television service and holding a flashlight while doing a Sudoku puzzle. I'm making myself sound pretty dependent I know. The truth is, I have a wonderful husband who has shown me over and over again that he loves me by taking care of me. And I've let him. : ) Thank you honey for always being there for me. For fixing my computer when it won't work. For fixing the dryer when it stops running. For fixing the sinks when I clog them. For getting me electricity again when I blow a fuse after plugging too many things into the outlets. And now, for leaving me a very thorough list of people I can call when I need help! And thank you to all of you who have agreed to be on the list. You know who you are.

How Far Is That?

The driving distance from Campo, California to Manning Park, British Columbia is 1,506 miles and would take just under 24 hours with no fuel, big gulp, or potty breaks. (Hiking adds over 1,100 miles and approximately 131 days to the journey and will definitely require a few potty breaks.) For comparison: the distance across the United States is approximately 3,000 miles and the distance across Australia is approximately 2,400 miles (for my down under friends).

Based on an average walking stride of 2.5 feet, it takes approximately 2,000 steps to walk one mile. Using this estimate, walking from Mexico to Canada is only 5,300,000 steps. (I believe the number of steps will be closer to 7,000,000 since my stride will be shorter when going uphill, and there is 90 vertical miles of uphill trail.) At 2.5 miles an hour, it will take 1,060 hours to walk the entire trail. I’m planning a new pair of trail running shoes every 500 miles and a new pair of socks once a week. I’m hoping the rest of my clothing lasts the entire trail.

What Goes Up...

There is an estimated 489,418 feet of altitude change on the Pacific Crest Trail, which is over 92 vertical miles. Imagine a ladder 92 miles tall or 1,359 football fields end to end. Imagine climbing the stairs to the top of the Empire State Building 400 times. That’s 40,800 flights of stairs or 75,888,000 stair steps. Hiking the PCT is the equivalent of climbing Mt. Everest 17 times...from sea level. Any way you describe it, it is a lot of uphill and downhill hiking. Above is a graph of the altitude change for the entire trail. For more detail, below is a link to a flash based interactive elevation graph for the Pacific Crest Trail. Detail lovers rejoice! http://bearcant.org/elevation.php

Something Beautiful

"Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play and pray in, where nature may heal and cheer and give strength to body and soul alike." John Muir

I have a beautiful wife and two beautiful daughters and my heart melts when I think about how much they mean to me. I have amazing parents and a brother who is so talented and I admire him
for his perseverance in life. I have been blessed in my career, my health, and my finances. I have so much for which to be thankful . The opportunity to hike the Pacific Crest Trail is another reason to say thank you to the wonderful people in my life and the God who has richly blessed me.

But I also set out on this adventure recognizing my need for renewal. There is a quote I like by George Barna: "What got you here won't get you where you need to go." It is a reminder that we are in constant need of growth, renewal and change. I look forward to the joy, strength and healing this adventure will bring as I play and pray my way to Canada.

God's Love

“We should be astonished at the goodness of God, stunned that He should bother to call us by name, our mouths wide open at His love, bewildered that at this very moment we are standing on holy ground.” Brennan Manning

I know God loves me and I can tell you how His love feels. It feels like the first rays of the sun peaking over a distant mountain ridge, an alpine meadow glistening with the morning dew, wild flowers dancing in afternoon breeze, and the cool refreshing water from a mountain stream. The beauty of creation is a lavish feast for our senses which John Muir describes like this: "God never made an ugly landscape. All that the sun shines on is beautiful, so long as it is wild."

Whenever I have the opportunity to spend even a few minutes in God's wild creation, I feel God's presence and power and love in a personal and intimate way. More than once I have walked through an alpine meadow or stood on a mountain pass and marveled at the beauty of creation. More than any sanctuary made with human hands, creation is where I feel His presence and know the privilege of standing on holy ground. This is why I am passionate about saving it, protecting it, and sharing it with others.

"The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world." Psalm 19:1-4

Saying Good Bye

"I wish you well and so I take my leave,

I pray you know me when we meet again."

William Shakespeare

The last few days have been filled with excitement as the beginning of my PCT hike draws ever closer, and sadness as I say good bye to my coworkers and the friends I have made over the last six years. I know it's not "good bye forever", but at the same time, five months is a long time to be gone, no matter what the circumstances. It has been a joy and privilege to work with some of the most amazing people at The House Modesto, and I will miss them as I hike the PCT. It is times like this when I realize that I have not told them often enough how much I love and appreciate them, how much they have blessed me, encouraged me, and made me smile and laugh. There is no denying how hard we work, but we have also had lots of fun along the way and have seen so many people's lives touched by the power of God. It is a joy and a privilege to be part of something that is impacting the lives of people for eternity and building the Kingdom of God. To everyone I work with, thank you for your love and support. You blessed me on a daily basis and I will miss you. I hope you will check my blog on occasion to see how I am doing and keep me in your prayers while I am hiking. And don't forget about Eva...she is so amazing for allowing me to be away for five months. I look forward to seeing you all again after my PCT adventure. P-LO

I Know You

We know what we are, but not what we may be.

William Shakespeare

The other day someone said to me, "Loren, I know you". Isn't that what we all want? Someone to know us? Someone who knows our successes and failures, strengths and weaknesses, hopes and dreams, doubts and fears? Twelve step groups have a saying: "We are as sick as our secrets", and it is wonderful to have people in our lives who know us and accept us just the way we are. But there are also people who think they know us. People who have never spent time with us, shared a meal with us, or truly listened to us. They might have an opinion about us, but they don't really know us. When these people say, "I know you", it's easy to feel judged, pigeon holed, reduced to personality type, a job description, or a number.

But I have good news. There is someone who knows you: every thought, every word, every act, from beginning to end. Someone who knows you better than you know yourself, and loves you more than you can imagine. Brennan Manning describes the love of God this way: “I have been seized by the power of a great affection," and “My deepest awareness of myself is that I am deeply loved by Jesus Christ and I have done nothing to earn it or deserve it.”

But it's even better than that! God doesn't just love you the way you are, He has a plan and purpose for life. He not only sees who you are but who you can be. In Christ, there is grace for the past, faith for today, and hope for the future. In Him, there is the promise of something better, something new, something only God can do. In Romans chapter five, after telling us that God showed His love for us by sending Jesus "while we were yet sinners," Paul goes even further:

For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!"

Just in case we didn't catch it the first time, Paul uses that phrase, "how much more" twice in the chapter to make sure we get the point: attempting to straighten out our own life is like beating a dead horse, but in Christ, we have life, abundant life, the life of a son or daughter with all the rights and privileges that brings. But don't take my word for it. You can read what Paul wrote yourself. So rejoice! You are a loved person becoming a loving person. You are a forgiven person becoming a forgiving person. And you are a reconciled person, being made into the righteousness of Christ. Sometimes through trials, but always with his power and grace.

What Time Is It?

We effectively became time-keepers, and then time-savers, and now time-servers with the invention of the clock. Lewis Mumford

The first mechanical clocks were made by monks who desired to structure their days to allow for more time to pray. (Isn't it interesting that today people often complain they don't have time to pray.) I hope to leave behind this slave mentality to the clock while I am hiking the PCT. The sun, moon and stars will be my watch and thirst, hunger, and bladder my alarm clock! I'm not planning on carrying a watch with me on the PCT. If I need to know exactly what time it is, I can use my phone, if the battery isn't dead...

Most of the daylight hours will be spent hiking with only brief stops for eating, filtering water, and taking pictures. In the desert, my schedule will probably be flip flopped; hiking at night and napping in the shade during the day.

For the next 5 months if you ask me what time it is, I'll probably tell you...It's time to hike!

Keep calm and hike on!

Motivational Quotes

I'm always looking for motivational quotes that challenge me to pursue my passion to hike, climb, and explore. Here is a great list of quotes and photos from another website. Enjoy! Adventure Quotes

Eva Is Letting You Go? by Eva

It's 3:00 in the morning and I've listened to my husband toss, turn, pace the house and return to bed many times. Now he has given up on sleep and distracts himself with middle-of-the-night television waiting for the clock to say its time to get up and head for the Mexican border. He's obviously too excited to sleep. This would be a good time to try to finish answering the questions from friends as they've heard about Loren's plans. Usually the conversation goes something like this...

"You're doing what? And Eva is going to let you go for 5 months?"

Yes, I am letting him go. And if you know my husband and have seen the glimmer in his eye and heard the flood of words gush from this normally pensive man as he talks about his trip, you understand why I am. After talking with my friend about it, I've decided the best word to describe this desire within him is Passion- A passion for the mountains. A passion for experiencing God's creation. A passion for knowing God as creator. A passion that few of us understand because few of us have it in our own lives. But shouldn't we all live with this same passion. Isn't it how Jesus lived? Isn't it why he died? I believe this is truly the way God would have us live...passionately! So I let him go to fulfill this passion within him and to take the time to consider and pray about my own. And let me encourage you friend, to do the same.

Rest and Resupply

Time for a few days of rest and resupply. I've been hiking at faster pace than I expected, and I'm about a week ahead of my original schedule. The concern is, I don't want to arrive in the High Sierra until most of the snow is gone. Snow creates challenges for navigation, is difficult to hike through, and makes mountain passes dangerous (and there are at least a dozen mountain passes in the High Sierra). Snow also means there will be swarms of mosquitoes just below the snow line where the ground is wet and muddy. I arrive in Tehachapi on Friday and Eva will pick me up there on Saturday and we'll drive to Bakersfield which has more amenities. I'll start hiking again on Monday when Eva drops me off at Highway 58, where I hitched into Tehachapi. A family member of someone my mother is friends with is planning on meeting me at Highway 178 at Walker Pass and I'll spend the night with him in Ridgecrest before returning to the trail. It has been exciting meeting hikers, trail angels, and making new friends along the trail.

Shameless Self Promotion!

Thank you for reading my website and blog. Now it's time for you to show me some love! Go ahead and make a comment or two on my blog posts. I wrote them just for you! Let me know you are reading, but remember what your mother told you: if you can't say something nice then don't say anything at all. Blessings!

We Are Live!

My plans are public, the website is live, my blog is current, and I'm sharing about my trip on social media. Join the party! Subscribe to my blog, become a facebook friend, or follow me on twitter. I am excited to be able to talk about my hike and can't wait to begin hiking and posting on my blog from the Pacific Crest Trail! Keep calm and hike on!

ALL SYSTEMS GO!

Permits.........GO!
Gear............Go!
Food............Go!

Clothing........Go!
Training........Go!

Finances........Go!

Weather.........Go!

Resupply........Go!

Logistics.......Go!

I will begin hiking April 24, 2014. We are GO for launch!

Time to Focus!

Two weeks to go! I'm focused at work to make a smooth transition when I leave. My "honey do list" at home is almost finished. My check list for the PCT only has a few items left. It's time to finish packing my resupply boxes for the first two months and get the first few in the mail! I need to spend time with my wife, parents, and visit my daughter in Santa Cruz one last time. I'm so excited and I can't stop smiling. Keep calm and hike on!

Dedication

If the only prayer you said in your whole life was, “thank you,” that would suffice.

Meister Eckhart

Do people dedicate blogs, websites, hiking trips? I don't know, but I thought it would be good practice for when I write my first book.

To my parents who took me to the mountains,
To my wife who allows me to return to them,
To my friends who endured me talking constantly about them,
To my junior high Sunday school teacher who took me backpacking,
To my Lord Jesus Christ who saved me from myself and gave me abundant life,
-Thank You

An Apple For The Teacher

At our family Christmas gathering, I shared my plans to hike the Pacific Crest Trail with my cousin, Sandra. She did her best to be supportive as I explained my crazy idea to walk from Mexico to Canada. (Editor's note: PCT-What is that? You are going to walk HOW far for HOW long?) My plans continued to develop, my website began to take shape, and I started looking for someone to proofread and edit content. I also wanted someone to test the site and help make it user friendly. If only I knew a retired teacher who might be interested in reading every word I write for the next nine months...

In January, I contacted Sandra and asked her to be my website and blog editor. She graciously agreed, and after getting her set up as an editor on my blog, she got right to work proofing each post. She corrected grammar, spelling, and asked thoughtful questions that helped me communicate effectively. She also edited the website content and made suggestions on making it more user friendly. If after all her editing, you still find a typo or broken link, that’s because I keep making changes to the website. I just can’t leave well enough alone. I keep tinkering with the text and layout. It’s just a Type A personality thing.

Thank you Sandra for all you have done to make my website and blog readable. Your proofreading is spot on and your suggestions are always helpful. Thank you in advance for cleaning up my blog posts from the trail, all 150 of them. It has been my privilege to have your help with my PCT adventure and when I get ready to write my first book, I’ll let you know. Keep calm and edit on.

I've Got Good News!

"The Gospel is bad news before it is good news. It is the news that man is a sinner, to use the old word. He is evil in the imagination of his heart and when he looks in the mirror what he sees is at least eight parts chicken, phony, and slob. That is the tragedy. But it is also the news that he is loved anyway, cherished, forgiven, bleeding to be sure, but also bled for. That is the comedy. And yet, so what? So what if even in his sin the slob is loved and forgiven when the very mark and substance of his sin and his slobbery is that he keeps turning down the love and forgiveness because he either doesn't believe them or doesn't want them or just doesn't care. In answer, the news of the Gospel is that extraordinary things happen to him just as in fairy tales extraordinary things happen. Zacchaeus climbs up a sycamore tree a crook and climbs down a saint. Paul sets out a hatchet man for the Pharisees and comes back a fool for Christ. It is impossible for anybody to leave behind the darkness of the world he carries on his back like a snail, but for God all things are possible. That is the fairy tale. Altogether they are the truth." Frederic Buechner: Telling the Truth-The Gospel as Tragedy, Comedy and Fairy Tale.

Frederic Buechner is another one of my favorite authors, and this brief description of the gospel has been a favorite passage for more than twenty years. I find myself reading it over and over, sometimes to remind me that I am loved and forgiven and that God can set me free from the darkness that still creeps into my heart. At other times I read it to encourage myself to continue to love and pray for those who still have not responded to the Gospel and who need the God who makes the impossible possible in their life. Sometimes I read it just because I like the way he writes and the images he uses to express the reality and bondage of sin as well as the hope and joy of being set free by the power of God. Just last night, I read it to my wife again as we were going to sleep and thought to myself...someday, when I grow up, I want to write like that. Someday...

Full of Purpose

"The quality of the astronaut corps is reflected in the fact that every time NASA says it's seeking twenty-five new astronauts, some three thousand candidates apply. Those selected for training are the best. Those selected for flight crews are the best of the best. The astronauts are a national resource and it was absolutely terrific to be back in that kind of atmosphere again, free of pettiness and filled with purpose." John Glen

I love that phrase: "free of pettiness and filled with purpose." In my ministry I have quoted it often to the people I work with to remind us that we are working for a purpose...not a paycheck...not the weekend...not to impress others. So often it is pettiness that steals our time, saps our energy, robs our joy, and distracts us from the true focus of our life. In the past, I have found hiking to be helpful in focusing my heart and mind on the important things in life--like how to keep snickers candy bars from melting in the desert heat. Ok, that might not be so important, but you get the idea. What is your purpose? Rise above the pettiness and pursue it with passion.

"Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. All of us, then, who are mature should take such a view of things." Philippians 3:12-15

Finish Strong

I've been thinking a lot about what it will feel like when I complete the Pacific Crest Trail and cross the border into Canada. But that's not the finish line I am thinking about today. The next few weeks I am going to focus on finishing well at work and at home so there is a smooth transition to the trail without any loose ends or regrets. I remember a few years ago I traveled to Kyrgyzstan to climb Peak Lenin. The last few weeks before the trip were challenging and I struggled to get everything done at work, at home, and prepare for the climb. I remember getting frustrated and being short with my family and my coworkers. When Eva took me to the airport, I felt worn out, disconnected from my family and friends, and wanted to run away more than climb a mountain.

The first few days of the expedition were filled with activity that kept me very busy, but when we arrived on the mountain the schedule slowed down and I began thinking about home and the people I left behind. I had regrets that made me doubt myself, my abilities, and my reasons for being there. Those feelings were part of what ultimately ended in a failure to summit and a costly lesson in priorities. I learned that my desire for adventures cannot be fulfilled at the cost of my marriage, family, and ministry. Since then I have worked hard to finish strong at home and at work, so I can enjoy the mountains and the passion they renew in me for my family and my work. This adventure is five months long so it is more important than ever that I finish strong so my heart, mind, and body are fully committed to the goal of hiking from Mexico to Canada. It will be a physical, mental, and spiritual adventure that I believe will prepare me for the next chapter in my life.

“The will of God is not something you add to your life. It’s a course you choose. You either line yourself up with the Son of God…or you capitulate to the principle which governs the rest of the world.” -Elisabeth Elliot

Wired Wild

When I first started creating a website to document my plans to hike the PCT my goal was to have an interesting way to share the experience with family and a few friends. I had been dreaming about hiking the Pacific Crest Trail for years, but I had no idea how much content I would generate and how much fun it would be to share it. I am not a web designer, graphic artist, or writer. I have a passion for the trail, a desire to express myself, have made something I am proud of, and look forward to sharing with as many people as I can. Last week I went to the post office to make sure I understood the regulations on mailing stove fuel to myself on the trail. The postal clerk was very excited about my trip and I could have stayed there for hours telling her all about it except for the 20 people waiting in line. When I bought 30 boxes of pop tarts at the store there were looks and questions and another opportunity to share.

This brings me to the topic of today's blog post: my domain name. As the website has grown, so has my interest in upgrading from a free design and hosting service with ads to a paid/ad free account with a personal domain name. Eva and I were brainstorming and came up with the name: Wired Wild. The .com extension was taken but .net was available so I snatched it up, created the simple logo above in publisher to use as a favicon and published the website! Eva and I like the name because of the play on words. In real life I play with wires. It's my job. It's what I love! People confuse me, but wires make sense. I know the names of the wires, the color codes, the number of conductors, and the types of connectors. Adapters are fun too because you can connect two different kinds of wires together and...Someone slap me please! But I am also wired on the inside for hiking; predisposed to adventure; susceptible to wildness. I am truly wired wild. So there you have it. Aren't you glad you asked? Keep calm and hike on.

Show Me The...Savings!

I'm not sure how old I was when someone told me that Santa wasn't real, but I do remember the day I was introduced to the concept of compounding interest! It was one of those moments when you hear the heavenly music, see the bright lights, and you start to tingle all over. I started saving money and I haven't stopped. It got harder when our children were born and even harder when they became teenagers, but I always found a way. Last spring when I met with the financial planner for our retirement plan through my employer, he said: "Maybe you don't need to save so much anymore. Maybe you could enjoy some of it now." (I know what you're thinking: I didn't know financial planners were even allowed to say that, but I'm telling you it's all true.) My first thought however, was: Don't tell my wife! She loves to spend money and she is really good at it!

The truth is, I don't like to spend money. I think money feels much safer in the bank. Those cash register drawers at retail stores are cold, dark, and lonely. So, I thought to myself, if I don't want to spend money, then maybe I don't need to make so much money, but what would I do if I wasn't making money? (Gasp) I know...I'll go HIKING for five months! Unfortunately, I am discovering that even hiking costs money, so when I return, I'll be going back to work, so I can afford to go hiking again, hopefully sooner than later!

I wrote this post to express, with a sense of humor, hopefully, the importance and value of saving, but saving is only a part of what it means to be a good steward. I believe a huge part of our financial success is our commitment to a modest and frugal lifestyle, always living within our means, and being generous in our giving to the Kingdom of God through our church and other charities. God has richly blessed us with good health, good careers, and opportunities to bless others. Now I have the good fortune to enjoy part of that blessing myself while I hike the PCT. Keep calm and save on.

Inquiring Minds Want To Know!

How many Ziploc bags does it take to hike the Pacific Crest Trail? I will use them to repackage just about everything! I'll even be using one for a wallet. I'm thinking I'll need over a 1,000 for the whole trail! How about rolls of toilet paper, bottles of "Vitamin I" (ibuprofen), batteries for my headlamp, band-aids, and travel size tubes of tooth paste? Then there are items like shoes...probably 5 pair, socks...I'm thinking twenty pair, and shirts...one might last the whole way, but do I really want to try it? I'm thinking just to protect innocent bystanders from the terrible smell; I will mail myself a new shirt each month!

I have a room in my house dedicated to my PCT hike with 24 resupply boxes. I am slowly filling each box with food and supplies. Some boxes get extra things like a new pair of shoes, or extra clothes for the High Sierra. It is exciting to see what was a dream only three months ago materialize right before my very eyes! Today I did some shopping at the local grocery store for some additional items to add to my menu. I want to have as much variety as possible so eating remains enjoyable and not just a necessity. I look forward to trying some of these new items on the trail. We'll call it a culinary adventure!

PCT-The Movie!

Who wouldn't want to do this? I am so excited!
Is it time yet? Let's watch it again!