Keep Calm and Blog On by Eva

It’s been a quiet few days as we all wait word on the latest from Butterfingers. Fortunately around 8:30 tonight I finally got a call that all is well and he is hunkered down in his tent waiting out a snow storm at about 9000 feet near Big Bear City. He continues to write posts, but can’t download them to Blogger until he reaches a spot where he can access internet. Once he does, we will all have some catching up to do.So as we all wait, I thought it would be a good time to write a post about the blog because it truly is fascinating.  

Here are a few statistics you might enjoy knowing…

• There have been 6,511 page views since the first blog with a tremendous spike in views occurring during the last two weeks with 110 to 150 people reading on a daily basis. Even as I write this post, 8 people are looking to see what’s new.
• Butterfinger’s post titled, “The Desert” has received the most page views. And his post, “Butterfinger’s Hikes 140 Miles” received the most comments.
• And here’s the truly fascinating part…people from all over the world are reading Butterfinger’s blogs including the United States, Spain, China , Canada , the United Kingdom , Germany , Russia, the Czech Republic, Belgium and France. If you are from outside the United States, we would love to get a comment from you and find out who you are.  :  )

Keep sharing Loren’s blog site with your friends and family and let’s see if we can get the readership up to 200 daily and across even more countries.

Keep calm and blog on!

Full Disclosure

For those of you trying to keep track of my mileage, you might have noticed a gap while I was in Idyllwild. Last summer there was a wild fire in the area and there is a section of trail that is closed because the burn area is still closed. I was hoping the forest service or the PCTA would come up with an alternate way to hike around the burn area, but the only viable option to a dangerous road walk on a windy narrow mountain highway was to hitch hike into Idyllwild from Hwy 74 at mile 153 and reconnect with the PCT at mile 179 using the devil's slide trail in Humber Park. It's unfortunate, but it gives me an excuse to visit the area in the future and day hike that section.

There are three other small sections of the PCT that are closed for various reasons but there are published maps with alternate hiking routes so unless there is a forest fire this summer that effects access to the trail, I should be able to complete the rest of the adventure on foot. 

I have to say, however that hitch hiking into Idyllwild was an adventure in itself. My ride was a 1980s Toyota Van with 7 people, two dogs, and a driver with dreadlocks. After strapping our backpacks to the roof, we had a crazy ride into town. Here is a picture to give you some idea. I would have gladly hiked...

Trail Magic!

Today I hiked from the San Jacinto mountains with pine trees and snow on the ground to 1,500 ft. where I walked under Highway 10 in the desert. It was a long descent and it's hot in the desert, but I'm doing well now. I'm sleeping in a trail angel's back yard with about a dozen hikers. I was able to clean up, wash my socks, and had some ICE CREAM! Tomorrow we'll be up at 4:30am to hike another 20 mile day...mostly uphill! We hike through a windmill farm, past a trout farm and back into the mountains!

I've not heard from Lost And Found today. I hope he catches up before we reach Big Bear. 

Keep calm and hike on!

On The Trail Again

Love Line and I left Idyllwild, and picked up the PCT near Humber Park. It's a few miles from town so we hitch hiked again. Lost and Found has caught up with us and is in Idyllwild, but when he hitchhiked into town, he left his hiking poles in the car, so they are lost AGAIN! I'm not sure how he'll find them this time since he has no idea who gave him a ride. There is a sports shop in town, so maybe he'll buy another pair. He also needs to buy groceries so we will be meeting him somewhere on the trail. Probably in a day or two.

While in Idyllwild, I was reminded of the times my dad took me tent camping at the state park here and the time we hiked the same trail in Humber Park to climb San Jacinto Peak. Thank you dad for introducing me to camping, hiking, and the great outdoors!

Today we started hiking at almost 7,000 ft., climbed to over 9,000 ft., and have started descending again. We are camped at mile 190 at about 7,800 ft., and it's cold and windy. It's only 7:45 and I'm already in my sleeping bag trying to get warm. Tomorrow we'll drop down to 1,700 ft., and then start climbing back to 9,000 feet again!

Today was hard. It's the first time hiking above 6,000 ft., and the effects of altitude were noticeable. I felt tired and should have spent more time resting the previous day while in town.
The mental challenge of the extreme altitude changes in this section was difficult. Since I'm going to bed early tonight I'm thinking of getting up early tomorrow so I'll have plenty of time to complete 20 miles. I need to take my time going down because it's hard on my feet and knees and has caused shin splints before. The uphill section will also take some time and may happen in the heat of the day. 

Thank you to everyone who is following along on my adventure. You are in my thoughts and prayers. I have no cell service so this post will be a day behind. Hopefully I'll also have a new hiking joke! 

Butter Fingers

Butter Fingers Hikes 140 Miles!

Today is the 7th day of hiking on the PCT and I have completed 140 miles. That's exactly 20 miles per day and my feet and legs are feeling pretty good. No blister or overuse injuries so far. My first hiking partner, Lost and Found, is probably a day behind me. He had to spend the night in Warner Springs to retrieve his hiking poles. I'm hiking with Love Line (named after a late night radio talk show) and he is a little faster than me, but we meet up for lunch, dinner, and to camp so it's all good. Tomorrow we will hike 12 miles to Paradise Cafe on Hwy 74. The talk on the trail is they serve amazing burgers and some real food sounds great! 

I was given a trail name today. Here's the story; we knew there was no water where we planned to camp, so we stopped at the water source at mile 137 to have an early dinner and enjoy some shade. I was rinsing out my bowl and trying to fling the wash water out. Instead I flung the entire bowl down into a steep brushy river bed. There were some other people there getting water and resting, and by the time I climbed back up the steep embankment, I was Butter Fingers. It could be worse...

Below is a picture, taken from my tent, of the dry creek bed I am camped in tonight. The desert is dry and hot as expected, but far more diverse than I imagined. 

Warner Springs

I arrived in Warner Springs today, had a pancake breakfast, and had an outdoor shower at the community center. Next was a trip to the post office to pick up my resupply box. I am feeling refreshed and excited to get back on the trail. Getting to the next resupply location in Idyllwild will require a detour around an area that burned last year in a wild fire. There is no official detour so we will be using some suggestions by other hikers, GPS, and some divine guidance to get to town. It may require hiking an extra 10 miles...more if we get lost.

After hiking 9 miles to get to Warner Springs, and another 9 to get to today's destination at about 6:30 pm, I'm tired and ready for a break. Most of the afternoon was uphill, in the desert, in the heat of the day. Lost and Found lost his hiking poles and went back to Warner Springs to look for them. I hiked on with Love Line from Colorado. Hopefully L&F finds his poles and can catch me in a few days!

The picture is of Eagle Rock at mile 106. I  feel like I am soaring with eagles now! :)

It's late and I need my rest. Trying to do another 23 mile day tomorrow! Thanks again for reading! 

Where is P-LO?

Where on the trail is P-LO? Well, I'm glad you asked! There is a new, really cool, high tech (I love it already) feature on the web based PCT planning site called Craigs PCT Planner. It's still in beta so if it doesn't work, don't worry, I'm not lost, dead, or sitting in a hotel room in Los Vegas hiding. It shows you a text based map of the Pacific Crest Trail using major landmarks and resupply locations to give you some idea of where I am on the trail on any given month, day, hour, second...you get the idea. You should be able to find my name: P-LO on the map. You might even be able to click my name and end up back at my website. Here is the link. Go ahead press it. I promise your computer won't blow up. Craig's PCT Planner

Any opinions expressed are my own, and generally unpopular with others. Actual mileage may vary. Price does not include tax, handling and shipping. Some assembly required. Each sold separately. Batteries not included. Objects in mirror are closer than they appear. If conditions persist, contact a physician. Keep out of reach of children. Avoid prolonged exposure to direct sunlight. Keep in a cool dark place. Subject to change without notice.

100 Miles!

Today I passed the 100 mile marker! I did a little dance with my hiking poles and finished the day at Barrel Springs: a flat area with some big oak trees and a horse water trough for water...with tadpoles swimming inside. (I'm thinking that means the water is safe to drink, right?) We also hiked 23 miles today and I'm feeling very good! Still no blisters, bug bites, or chafing...just one skinned knee that is healing quite nicely. I fell down...apparently I can't walk and eat granola at the same time. 😁

Tonight we celebrate the first 100 miles and our 23 mile day in style: Top Ramen and Snickers...make that two please! 

I'm so grateful for the people who are reading my blog, Facebook, and Twitter posts. It is so encouraging and I never feel alone! Blessings to you all!

I hiked alone for most of the day and didn't use my MP3 player so I could hear the rattlesnakes. (I didn't see or hear any.) So, I had lots of time to amuse myself. Here is my idea: I'm going to tweet a hiking joke each day...something original and funny, I hope. Since you are a loyal blog reader I'll share the first one with you here: You might be a long distance hiker if...you consider a mini travel size pack of baby wipes equal to a shower! (Don't worry I'm just getting warmed up.)

Tomorrow I see Eagle Rock, a PCT landmark, and then on to Warner Springs for a shower, clean clothes, and my second resupply box. Good night from the trail! 

Looking for Cheerleaders by Eva

I have been told by several these last couple of weeks that Loren has become an inspiration to them. They look forward to his daily blogs, facebook messages and tweets. I got a call from Rebecca the other day asking how to post a comment to one of her dad's blog posts. I filled her in but realized that there may be others out there who would like to do the same but have not been able to figure out how. As Loren enters the Mojave desert, this would be the time to let him know how hot he is. Hmmmm... you better leave that up to me. But please think about sending him an encouraging word. Don't be shy. 

If you are viewing his blogs through his website at wiredwild.net you can go to "BLOG" at the top of the screen and then hit the "Blogger" in blue (next to "Best Viewed On:"). As you scroll down to the bottom of each blog you will see a "View Comments" or "Add a Comment" button. Read what others have written and then join in on the fun by adding your own in the "Enter Your Comment" box. Hit "Publish" and it will post (as soon as I approve it). Don't be afraid. Give it a try!

For those of you who are still confused or simply afraid of hitting the wrong key and doing something you will forever regret, you can mail him an encouraging card or a high calorie package (hint, hint) at the following addresses by the following dates...

Mail by 5/25 - Loren Mauch
                        5304 Homewood Way, 
                        Riverbank, CA  95367  (I will be hand delivering these)
Mail by 6/16-  Loren Mauch
                        c/o General Delivery
                        Tuolomne Meadows
                        Yosemite National Park, CA 95389
Mail by 7/22- Loren Mauch
                       c/o General Delivery
                       Seiad Valley, CA 96086

Go Loren!!! You can do it!!! And you're hot too.  :  )

The Desert

At ADZPCTKO we were told to be careful in the desert. They said it a bit stronger: "everything in the desert is trying to kill you!" Today we got a real taste of what the desert has to offer. Heat, pokey things, snakes, bugs, no water, and did I mention the heat? I carried 7 liters of water 10 miles to the location I am currently camped because the next reliable water is another 23 miles! (Can someone do the math and tell me how heavy that is?) It is a popular area for PCT hikers to hang out in the mid day heat, or in my case, spend the night. There are 16-20 other hikers here for the night. There is a bit of a commotion right now...a car driving on the highway less than a 1/8 mile away missed a turn and drove off in a ditch. (No one was hurt.)

The pic above is me trying to dress for the desert! I successfully avoided getting sun burned today and three of us are getting up at 4am to get 15 uphill miles done before the heat of the day. Today was the toughest day on the PCT so far. Tomorrow might top that but the next day, I'll land in Warner Springs and pick up my next resupply box and probably get my first shower and the opportunity to wash the few clothes I have.

I'm tired and sore but overall feeling good and hoping to rest well tonight. Last night the wind was blowing like crazy and I kept waking to the feeling that my tent was going to fly away! 

I have cell service here so I had a chance to talk with Eva and upload this post. I'm not sure I'll have service tomorrow. Hope everyone at The House Modesto is doing well. You are in my thoughts and prayers.

On Sunday I earned a PCT badge of honor...someone called me hiker trash. If you search my blog for a post titled: Trash Talk, you'll understand what that means.

Good night and don't let the bed bugs or scorpions bite!

Introducing Adrian

I'm hiking with a young man (31) from Spain and his name is Adrian. Personally I think he looks more like Brandon, but maybe that's just me . I gave him a trail name today: "Lost And Found" because he keeps losing his gear. He likes the name so I think it will stick for the rest of the trail. We are camped tonight with a young man from Colorado who has hiked the 500 mile Colorado Trail. (Eva, add that trail to my bucket list please 😁 !)

As we hiked out of Mt Laguna this morning and passed a small community church, I remembered it was Sunday. I spent the afternoon listening to worship music, the Bible, and a Sermon on my MP3 player. It occurred to me that Sunday isn't more important than any other day, it's just the day we celebrate what every day should be: life lived in the presence and power of God. There is so much time on the trail to worship, pray and meditate on God's Word. It is such a blessing! 

Tomorrow we will hike 10 miles to the next water source and then load up with water for the next 32 miles of waterless, desert hiking! Depending on the heat, we may hike at night! It's crazy windy tonight and my tent is flapping in the wind. I have one bar of signal. Let's hope this posts as I sign off for the night. 

Blessings from the trail. 

Second Day Hiking

Saturday, April 26, 2014. 18.5 miles. 38.5 total miles. Word for the day: cold

Today is the first day on the trail that truly felt like backpacking. The first day I slack packed 20 miles from the border to Lake Morena. I spent the next day with Eva at AZDPCTKO and enjoyed being with other thru- hikers. Today I said good bye to Eva, and left the lake heading north. It was windy and raining at the time and continued most of the day. It hailed and snowed briefly just for added variety. It was very cold and I expect it to get even colder tonight. I hiked the first 6 miles alone, adjusting to the weather, thinking about Eva (who I already miss), singing old Keith Green songs, and praying.

I caught up with a group of hikers at Boulder Oaks Campground which is just before the trail goes under the I-8 freeway. One young man seemed anxious to leave and I'm not one to stand around chatting, so I offered to join him. Turns out he is from Spain and is in the USA just for the PCT. He wanted me to lead and after a few miles, he said he liked the pace I set. I think there is another reason: he is terrified of snakes and wants me to hike in front of him to reduce his chance of stepping on a snake. (I plan to have some fun with this fact later.) We are camped in a meadow at 5,707 ft. Above is a picture of my tent and the surrounding area. I'm a bit tired, but no major aches and pains. No blisters, sun burn, or bug bites. Overall, it was just a nice day of hiking on the PCT.

Tomorrow morning we will hike to Mt Laguna and I'll pick up my first resupply box. My friend didn't plan any resupply boxes (it's harder when you live outside the country), so he will be buying food off the shelf in each little town. We'll see how that works out for him. 

I feel like I've written a lot for typing with two fingers on an iPhone. There might even be more later, but now it's time for DINNER! I hope there aren't too many typos. :) 

It's almost 7pm and the wind is still blowing. It's too cold to do anything besides crawl into the tent and study the maps for tomorrow, write and read. I hope the wind calms down and we get some sun tomorrow. I have no cell signal so this post will have to wait...hopefully tomorrow.

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

Recommended Reading!

I wrote over 80 blog posts before even starting to hike the PCT and finding the best ones in the sea of words might be difficult. So...if you are just joining the party, here are a few I recommend reading:

My First Post...Just because it's where it all started
Hiking Sabbatical...An attempt to answer the "why" question
John Muir and I...A tribute to my beautiful wife
Feeling Alive...What makes me tick
The Peace of Wild Things...Wendell Berry at his finest
That You May Contribute A Verse...A twist on Romans 8:28
Robert Farrar Capon...A Tribute to my favorite author

That's just a sampling of what I have written and there is plenty more coming from the trail. Keep calm and read on.

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!