The Sacred

“There are no unsacred places; there are only sacred places and desecrated places.”   Wendell Berry

In Robert Capon's book An Offering of Uncles he recommends we take a walk and discover our priestly role in nature and history. I couldn't agree more. In fact, if you want to stop reading right now and take a walk, I won't be offended. There is something about walking, especially in nature, that reminds me who God is and affirms His presence in creation and my individual life. Hiking the Pacific Crest Trail, I have felt the presence of God on a daily basis and seen His face in the faces of the people I have met along the way.

To the praise of His glorious grace! 

Reflections

I'm not shy on the trail about the fact that I am a Christian. Spending five months in the wilderness is not a license for lowering my standards for how I talk and act. In fact, being in nature makes me feel closer to God, and therefore even more conscious of my thoughts, words, and actions. When talking with other hikers I constantly refer to the things we are seeing and experiencing as God's creation. And yet...

I find very few like minded people on the trail. While hiking the PCT, I have only met one thru-hiker who is a Christian. A few hikers have questions and are open to talking about God, but the vast majority are shocked by and even antagonistic to the idea that the wonder and beauty of nature we experience on a daily basis actually has a creator.

Personally, I find this baffling. You expect to find Christians in church where we corporately worship God. Why would we not expect to also find them exploring, celebrating, and enjoying God's creation?    In Bible College I heard things like: Christians have abandoned cities, academic institutions and industries that are now by default the devil's playground because we simply didn't fight for them. I feel the same way about the wilderness. Why aren't the people who believe that God created this world and made us the stewards of His creation, the people who are most visible and vocal in exploring, celebrating and preserving it?

It is hard to fully form or express this idea while on the trail with my days consumed with hiking long miles and my primary method of communication being an iPhone keyboard. But I continue to think and pray daily about how I can be a better witness while on the trail, and also how I can be an advocate to encourage Christians in their role as stewards of creation and the opportunity we have to experience God in His creation.

I think we are missing an opportunity to be a relevant witness to our faith by not being engaged in the conversation about topics such as wilderness, energy, conservation, pollution, recycling, environment and climate change. If God created the world and we are His stewards, we should be actively involved in the discussion about these topics.

New Friends

On my second day of hiking from Cascade Locks, I hiked 24 miles to a paved road, very near Panther Creek Campground. It's a car camping area and I was interested in visiting it to use the restroom, empty my trash, fill up my water bottles, and eat dinner at a picnic table. There were very few campers so I picked a vacant campsite near the bathroom for dinner. A mother with her son walked by the table to use the restroom and we struck up a conversation. They invited me back to their campsite for dinner and I thoroughly enjoyed sharing about my hike while eating a hotdog, carrot sticks and fresh fruit. It was a nice way to end the day and I took the picture above with their two boys before leaving to camp on the trail.

One of the things I have enjoyed about hiking the Pacific Crest Trail is all the wonderful people I've met along the way. Sharing food, giving rides, providing lodging, wonderful conversations, and encouragement. A special thank you to my new friends from Olympia, Washington. It was very nice to meet you. 

Washington Here I Come

Eva and I have enjoyed three days together celebrating our anniversary in Portland, Oregon, and the time has come for me to cross the border into Washington. I will walk across the bridge over the Columbia River at Cascade Locks, which is the lowest point on the Pacific Crest Trail, and begin a steep climb back into the mountains. In the first 12 miles, I will climb almost 5,000 feet. The next 500 miles will be some of the most remote portions of the PCT and my five resupply stops will be in very small towns, some just mountain passes with very limited services. One of the towns, Stehekin, has no road access, phone, or internet services. You can only get there by boat, floatplane or hiking. There is one satellite phone at the general store.

I am excited to be hiking again, but also excited to be so close to the completion of this amazing adventure. I'm beginning to imagine just what it will be like to stand at the border of Canada, sign the final trail register, take a picture at the monument and walk the final 8 miles into Canada where my journey ends at Manning Park. After that, it will be just a few days, and I'll be home!

Thanks for following along and sharring so mamy positive comments and encouraging notes. It is a blessing to have such amazing friends! 

Show Me The Video

I haven't recorded too many videos on the trail, but the ones I have captured I think are worth viewing. The latest one is of me walking through a tunnel behind a very tall water fall!

You can view my videos here!

I have reached the small town of Cascade Locks at the northern border of Oregon, and across the bridge pictured above is Washington! Eva is on her way to pick me up and we'll spend three days together in Portland celebrating our 30th anniversary! After our time together in Portland, Eva will drive me back to Cascade Locks and I'll walk across the bridge called The Bridge Of The Gods, and I'll back on the trail to finish the PCT!

The last few days of hiking into Cascade Locks was difficult for me and I think main reason was is that I didn't take a break from hiking in the whole state of Oregon. It took me 18 days to hike from Ashland to Cascade Locks which is an average of 25.6 miles per day. I had no rest days and no town stops. I didn't sleep in a bed after leaving Ashland until I reached Cascade Locks. I'm finding that pace without any rest is pushing too hard for me and takes the joy out of the journey. I plan to hike 22-24 miles a day in Washington but I also plan to rest at each resupply stop, sleep in a bed whenever possible, and enjoy the last 500 miles!

Dear Diary

August 17, 2014-I thought that the physical challenge of hiking, adapting to  extreme weather and different environments, and the constant exposure of living in the wild for five months would be the most difficult parts of hiking the Pacific Crest Trail. It turns out it is also a serious mental challenge for me to deal with problems I create for myself.

Yesterday I hiked until sunset and in the dark, I sat on a tree stump to eat my dinner. It turns out the stump was oozing sap and my hiking shorts, my only shorts, are now covered in sap. My butt smells pine tree fresh, but I can't sit down without leaving a film of sap and I just look stupid walking around with blotches of sap, dirt, and pine needles on my rear end.

A second, more serious problem is today I lost my hiking poles, my expensive carbon fiber hiking poles. I was hiking 5 minutes after a bathroom break when I realized I didn't have anything in my hands. I spent the morning searching, talking to other hikers, giving out my phone number, praying, and crying, but finally I had to abandon the search and start hiking.

I know both my shorts and poles can be replaced, but I'm really bummed. I don't like making mistakes and am hard on myself when I do. Earlier in the hike I lost my headlamp. (I know where I left it, it was just too far to go back.) But after hiking 2,000 plus miles, I thought I was done with silly mistakes. I'm an expert now right?

Since I'm hiking alone, I spent the day brooding while I hiked the 20 miles to Mt. Hood. It would have been nice to listen to music or even the Bible on my MP3 player, but my earbuds are broken and need to be replaced. Tomorrow is a new day and I'm only two days from my next resupply where all these problem can be fixed.

At least I haven't run out of pop tarts yet. Now that would be serious! 

Friday, August 15-I Thought It Would Be Easier

Maybe it's the rain. Maybe it's that I haven't seen Eva in almost a month. Maybe it's that my gear and clothes are wearing out. Maybe I'm tired of eating the same foods day after day in massive quantities to keep from looking like a prisoner of war. Maybe I'm tired of being dirty and smelling worse than a high school gym locker. Maybe it's because I fell down today...

Somehow I thought it would get easier and not harder after hiking so many miles. The longer I hike the more I miss home, family, friends, work, and the comforts of a roof, bed and indoor plumbing. The last week has been hard and I hope three days rest in Portland, where I get to see Eva, energizes me for the three weeks I need to hike through Washington and finish the Pacific Crest Trail.

After hiking over 2,000 miles, I know I can make it, but right now I lack the excitement I once had. I'm going to get a good night's rest and pray for sun tomorrow. I'm also praying for someone to hike with in Washington. I've been hiking alone since Tahoe and it would be great to have a partner for the last 500 miles.

Thanks again for following along on my PCT hike. I really do appreciate the encouraging comments and prayer. I've tried to be positive most of the time and I've enjoyed most of the hike, but I guess even thru-hikers have bad days. :( 

Thursday August 14-Another Rainy Day

When we lived in Fresno, there were times during the winter when the fog would be so thick you wouldn't see the sun for days. Today, along with the rain was a thick mist that reminded me of the fog. I was also reminded that I would often get mildly depressed when the fog would last for days. I haven't seen the sun for four days and it is starting to get me down. It's 6:30pm, I'm sitting in my tent cooking dinner and trying to stay warm and dry after another 25 mile day. Here is a view from inside my tent. 

I'm at mile 2,030, it's been raining most of the day and it's raining now. I'm getting close to Mt. Hood and I've been told this is the prettiest part of the PCT in Oregon. I hope I get to see some of it tomorrow. Everything today was shrouded in a mist. The last weather report I saw said today was supposed to be the last day of rain until I reach Washington. That would be awesome! 

Rain, Rain, Go Away

I reached the 2,000 mile point on the PCT today.

It is quite an accomplishment, but I didn't have the energy to celebrate. The last three days it has rained and today it rained again while I was walking through miles of lava fields. It was hard on my feet as well as my morale. Yesterday it rained so hard and so long that I had water in my backpack that soaked into my sleeping bag and most of my clothes and gear. By the time I finished 26 miles for the day, my hands were numb from the cold and I had a hard time even setting up my tent. I was miserable sleeping in wet clothes in a wet tent in a wet sleeping bag. At my resupply today, I picked up a large trash bag to line the inside of my backpack. I hope that helps. I need to fix that problem before I reach Washington.


I was able to wash and dry my clothes, and dry my sleeping Bag and tent today, take a shower, and eat a warm meal. I arrived at Big Lake Youth Camp at 2:30pm and left at 6:30pm. What a difference 4 hours can make! After dinner I left BLYC and hiked 4 miles to a small lake and camped for the night. It looks like the weather is going to improve and I'm excited to hike again.


Three days ago something stung/bit my right leg just below my calf. It was crazy painful but I was hiking on an exposed ridge in a thunder storm and couldn't afford to stop for very long to investigate. It burned, itched, and swelled up, but the worst is over now. I used a steroid cream my doctor gave me and it really seems to have reduced the symptoms. I never figured out what bit/stung me.

I'm one week away from reaching the border of Washington! After that it's just three weeks to Canada. Already dreaming about coming home!

Added the next morning: I woke up at 4am to my 4th day of rain...

Elk Lake in Oregon

It's been raining the past two days with thunder storms in the afternoons. My rain gear is working great and I'm staying dry while I continue to hike. It's a nice change of pace and the rain keeps the dust down. I'm inside my tent right now listening to the rain, organizing my food for the next two days and getting ready for the big push to Cascade Locks at the border of Washington. I took a short 1.5 mile detour from the trail this afternoon to grab a burger at the Elk Lake Resort. I met quite a few campers staying at the resort who were very interested in the PCT. I had plenty of company for dinner sharing trail stories and when it started raining AGAIN, I decided to stay in the campground at the lake rather than returning to the trail. I'm 10 miles ahead of schedule so I hung out at the resort until there was a break in the rain and then ran to my campsite and quickly set up and stowed my gear in my tent. I found a 5 gallon bucket to wash my socks and feet and poured a bucket of water over my head. It wasn't exactly a warm shower, but it was refreshing for sure. 

1,912 Miles!

This is Shelter Cove Resort on Odell Lake. I was up at 5:15am and hiking by 6:00am. I hiked 26 miles to reach the resort by 5pm. By 8:30pm I had eaten 3,000 calories, showered, washed my clothes, sorted my resupply box, charged my phone, chatted with Eva by text, and setup my tent to get ready for bed. It was a very productive day! I'm only 245 miles from the border of Washington. I'll be there on August 20th. 

A train track runs right by Lake Odell and it seems strange to be in this setting and hearing trains at night.

Along with some yummy food supplied in my resupply box, Eva also included a newspaper. It might be slightly outdated, but I am still looking forward to sitting at a picnic table, eating breakfast and reading the paper. It doesn't get any better than this! 

It's All Downhill From Here

Ok, that's not exactly true... There is plenty of up and down still to come, especially in Washington, but it is true that I'll never be higher for the rest of the trail. The high point of the entire trail is Forester Pass in California in the High Sierra @ 13,153 feet. 

Just past the OR/WA high point I found some shade and enjoyed a lunch of crackers, cheese, beef stick, and plenty of candy! I'm hiking a 16 mile waterless section of the trail and will be at the next water source, a spring, for dinner. I may camp there or hike a few more miles before quitting for the day. 

There are a number of thru-hikers in this section that I have never met before. It may be because I'm hiking faster and more miles on a consistent basis or it might be because there are many hikers who hitch hiked around the fires in northern California and southern Oregon. I'm thankful I didn't have to do that and have been able to stay on trail except for the burn areas in Southern California from fires in 2013. 

Keep calm and hike on. 

What Is It Like?

When I resupplied at Mazama Village in Crater Lake National Park, I was walking through the campground after lunch at the restaurant and observed a young boy, maybe 9 or 10 years old riding a bicycle through the campground. The bike was too big for his small size, but he rode it with a sense of authority and I could see a look of wonder and joy on his face as he peddled through the dusty campground. I imagine that to this young boy, riding in the campground felt like a grand adventure, exploring each section  for the first time, venturing further and further from his campsite until he had explored the entire area. 

It was the look of joy and wonder on his face that made me think, that's how I feel hiking the Pacific Crest Trail. I feel like a young boy on a grand adventure, experiencing the wilderness for the first time, seeing new people, places and things. Being challenged physically and emotionally, and feeling the pride of accomplishment.

Crater Lake

I walked the rim of Crater Lake today. There were breath taking views all morning and I enjoyed the walk even though I was carrying 4 liters of water to hike 27 miles to the next water source. It was a warm cloudless day and the visibility was good. (For the first time in maybe a week I could see stars the previous night.) You could see smoke, but it was way off in the distance.



I hiked 24 miles today starting around 6am. I stopped a little earlier than normal and will hike the 8 miles to Thielsen Creek before 10am tomorrow. I'll load up on water there and then hike another 16 miles to the next water at Six Horse Spring. This is a very dry section, much like the desert...just not as hot.

It's 7:30pm and I'm already in my tent and ready for bed. I'll be up early and hiking by 6:30am! Even though I'm not a morning person, when you are trying to average 25 miles a day, it's good to start early.

Bones and Pigeon

I met Bones and Pigeon on the trail the day before I arrived at Crater Lake in Oregon. They started hiking the PCT June 16th at the Canadian border. They are hiking south and plan to finish sometime in November at the Mexican border, where I started April 24th (that sounds so long ago). They are the first south bound thru hikers I have met. Keep calm and hike on!

1,800 Miles

The miles are flying by! I'm getting excited about reaching Washington! I'm hiking in a burn section right now.

If I Was President...

If I was president, all showers would be free!

I took a half mile detour to visit a campground for lunch today. I needed water and the thought of sitting at a picnic table like a civilized person was also appealing. I like visiting campgrounds because mingling with campers often results in the sharing of food and soda...hopefully with me. There were very few campers because of the fires, smoke, and ash, but when I went to use the bathroom I noticed the showers were FREE! At first, I thought, I'll just wash my socks, but the water was calling my name and soon I was standing under the shower head in hiker heaven. I didn't have soap or a towel, but I watched plenty of dirt wash down the drain and I dried quickly in the warm afternoon.

I hiked another 12 miles in the afternoon and I'm camped with three other hikers at a water source next to a ski patrol hut. There is no water for 10 miles in either direction so I really expected more people here.

Fire and Mosquitoes

The mosquitoes are back and they are ready for war! The guide book said that when I cross Hwy 140, near Fish Lake, it would be like walking into a wall of mosquitoes. Specifically, it said: "make sure you have DEET for the mosquitoes and a gun to shoot yourself...they will drive you crazy. I hoped that since this was a dry year...

I can confirm the mosquitoes are here and doing their best to test my sanity. Right now I'm safe inside my tent, protected from the bugs and the rain. There is a thunder storm over me right now and it's raining very hard. We'll see how long it lasts. Hopefully the rain helps with the existing forest fires and the lightning doesn't start any new ones. 

At Hwy 140 I was also greeted by a sign stating that a section of the PCT a few miles past the highway was closed due to fire. It gave a number to call for more info so I climbed a ridge to get enough signal to call. I was told the trail was open again but to be aware that another fire closer to Crater Lake is also threatening to close the trail.

In spite of the above, I hiked 28 miles today, and I'm only 31 miles from Crater Lake. I could be there tomorrow evening, but I think I'll hike 24 miles tomorrow so I can get in early on Wednesday morning. I have a resupply box there including new shoes (thank you Eva)! They have camping, showers, laundry facilities, and a restaurant that I hear has good food.

Things are getting pretty exciting on the PCT!

Trail Magic-Ashland Style

It they made posters of trail angels, this brother and sister should be on one. 

I hiked hard to get to the border of Oregon and reach Ashland by August 1st. I did it, but I was tired, hungry, dirty and ready for a short break. I had a resupply box waiting at Callahan's Lodge and was planning on getting a room there. I called them from the ridge above town and they were booked solid for a wedding and anniversary party...no room for hikers. It was a Friday night and I imagined it would be hard to find a room in Ashland. I was bummed but hiked on and met Dave on the trail. He was hiking up the trail to where he stashed his mountain bike earlier, with plans to ride down. We were talking about my adventure on the  PCT and I mentioned my lack of lodging for the night and he went right to work. He called his sister, Suzie, who also lives in Ashland and asked her if she would host a PCT hiker. She had PCT hikers camp in her backyard before, but since I was alone, I got the royal treatment...a room, a bathroom-with a bath tub, and laundry. It was amazing! I walked into town for dinner, had a wonderful night's sleep, went to breakfast with both of them and then Dave gave me a ride back to the trail! It doesn't get any better than this! Thanks Dave and Suzie for a wonderful introduction to Ashland...I'll be back someday with my wife to explore more of your wonderful town. 

Welcome to Oregon

I have officially hiked though the entire state of California, all 1,698 miles! I hiked 27 miles today to reach the border of Oregon and I'm spending my first night in Oregon on a ridge near a logging road. I hiked past a small forest fire in Northern California today. I woke up in the middle of the night smelling smoke and here is what it looked like in the morning as the sun came up. The smoke had settled in the valley.

At one point I was about 3 miles away from the fire, but the wind has been consistently blowing south, so I don't think I was in much danger.

I'm going to try to hike 28 miles tomorrow and reach my first resupply in Oregon at Callahan's Lodge. 

Resupply Exposed

Here is everything you ever wanted to know about a town stop while hiking the PCT, but were afraid to ask...

It begins the day before, camping only a few miles from the road where you will hitchhike into town. In this case I am camped 6 miles from the paved road at Etna Summit, a 10.4 mile hitch into town. I arrive at the road at 10am to find two other hikers there also waiting for a hitch. Another hiker arrives before the first car passes. After about 30 minutes we hear and finally see a truck coming up the grade and to our surprise and delight the driver stops! She has a spare tire, a box of chains, and 4 laundry baskets full of dirty clothes in the back of her old pickup. She offers a ride for as many as can fit in the back and I jump in, organize her cargo, throw a backpack on top of each laundry basket and we all squeeze in. It's illegal to ride in the bed of a pickup, but she doesn't seem to mind and neither do we. On the trip down the hill we discuss our plans. I hope to get a room at the Etna Hotel but one of the hikers says it's full...there is a rodeo in town. She has a room at the B&B, but that sounds expensive to me. The only other lodging is a small hiker hostel, so when the driver stops at the B&B I ask the driver if she is willing to stop at the hostel and let me check if they have space for me. If not, then I will continue on to the laundromat where the driver is headed, do a load of laundry, walk to the store and hitch back to the trail with the same driver. That's plan B.

The hostel has room for me and I quickly claim a bunk bed by spreading the contents of my backpack on the bed. I go to the office to pay. $20 for the night and that includes a shower and towel. Laundry? Yes, $3.00...add that to my bill. Loaner clothes? Yes, in the laundry room...no charge.  Wifi? Yes, it's free. A ride back to the trail in the morning? Yes, $5.00...I'll take it. I see bicycles...are they for hikers? Yes feel free to use them to ride into town.

It's now 11:30am and I find the washer and dryer and sign up for laundry and grab loaner shorts and a t-shirt. There is always a list for laundry and I'm third in line. When you put your clothes in the washer you cross off your name and find the next person and give them a heads up they are next.

While waiting for the washer, I change into loaner clothes, find an outlet to charge my phone and make a list of what I need to buy at the grocery store. I only need a few things to get me to my next resupply box in Seiad Valley; two lunches and some snacks. Flip Flop finds me and let's me know I'm next for the washer. When my clothes go in the washer, I notice Flip Flop is still waiting to dry his clothes. I suggest we dry our clothes together and he agrees. He'll throw my clothes in with his when the dryer is free.

It's time for a shower. There is no line, so I scope out the shower and find hot water, a bar of soap, shampoo, and a large scrub brush...awesome. I take my time and enjoy the shower. It's now 12:45pm, my clothes are washed, I've showered, and I'm ready to eat!

I grab a bike and ride into town. Bob's Ranch House restaurant seems to be popular with hikers so I head there. I scan the room and find an abandoned newspaper. I continue scanning and see a table with three hikers. I wave, they wave, and I join them. They have already ordered so I quickly order breakfast (served all day) because this gives me more options for dinner in just a few hours. I get the enormous breakfast burrito with sour cream and salsa please. A pitcher of ice tea would be nice...I'm really thirsty! 

The other hikers' food arrives first which works to my advantage. By the time I finish my burrito I can see there is bacon, hash browns and pancakes that they need help eating and I graciously offer to help. By the time I'm done eating I've had two full breakfasts and a pitcher of tea.

I take the newspaper and ride to the grocery store. I purchase the trail food I need along with a large bag of candy orange slices, a liter of soda, and a large cookie ice cream sandwich. I ride back to the hostel and enjoy my ice cream, candy and soda while reading the newspaper on my bunk. My phone is charging and I'm getting sleepy...

I wake up from a food coma a few hours later with my phone charged and I'm ready to update my hiking apps, download maps for Oregon, upload some blog posts, check my email and call Eva.

It's 6pm and time for dinner. I approach some hikers at the hostel looking for people to join me for dinner. I'm thinking the burger joint so I can get a large milk shake. It seems most people want to eat at the brewery so I decide to join them. I still get a burger and ice cream so it's all good. I don't know this group of hikers as well as the first group I ate with, so I refrain from eating off other people's plates.

By 7:30pm I'm back at the hostel and working on a blog post while eating skittles and chex mix courtesy of another hiker. I finally brush my teath and crawl into bed around 10pm while others are watching TV and chatting. I read for a while and finally fall asleep when everyone quiets down around midnight. 

In the morning, I'm up at 7am, eating breakfast at Bobs at 7:30am, packed and ready to go at 9:30am. The first ride to the trail head is 10am so I try to stretch and relax even though I'm anxious to get hiking! 24 hours after leaving the trail, I am on my way back.

Mile 1,650!

I've hiked 1,650 miles on the Pacific Crest Trail. I only have 1,000 miles left to reach Canada! I'm thinking I can do that in 40 days!

Seiad Valley

I'm at mile 1,662 in Seiad Valley. The post office, store, and cafe are all in one building. I've eaten two breakfasts waiting for the post office to open. I thought it opened at 8am but it will be noon before I can get my resupply box. There is no cell phone service here, but I have wifi to text and blog. The Oregon border is only 37 miles away. In two days I'll be in Oregon!

I arrived here early in the morning hoping to beat the heat. It's supposed to get to 100 degrees today and the trail climbs 7,200 feet in 20 miles; 4,900 feet in the first 10 miles. Now that I'm waiting till noon to get my resupply box, I'll be doing that climb in the heat of the day. I'm so excited. The forecast says the heat will continue for the next few days with thunder storms tomorrow and the following day.

There's No Crying in Disneyland by Eva

This week a disc jockey on the radio shared about his trip to Disneyland. The disc jockey said that he observed a child there crying because she wasn't being allowed to push the stroller. There she was in the middle of Disneyland and all she could do was fret over some insignificant thing like her stroller! 

It reminded me of a book I read some months ago called Notes From the Tilt-A-Whirl by N.D. Wilson. The book challenged me to consider my life as a story full of excitement, love, sorrow, intrigue and all the things that make a great novel. I am the main character in my novel and it's written by God himself just for me- and the excitement of each new day is to find out what that day's chapter has in store.  I'm pretty good at enjoying my personal novel in the good times. But I often forget this in the day to day.  I know Loren is experiencing and fully enjoying his novel right now. Even though he may be suffering from a few blisters, sore muscles and mosquito bites, he continues to call me with an excitement in his voice because of all he is experiencing. 

This chapter in my novel is unique to any I've ever been in before. It includes lonely times, new challenges, disappointments, delicacies never savored before, trips to places I've never been before and an unshared bed. But it's my novel and as Wilson writes, "Scene after scene is given to you and the teeming universe in the audience waits for your reaction, for your line, waits to see if you'll yell at the fat-faced child who spilled the milk, or if you'll laugh and kiss a cheek... What will your character do when the petty things happen, when your car betrays you in the cold? When the pipes freeze?" and may I add, "When your husband leaves for five months to participate in a new chapter of his own story." 

So if you hear me whining because I miss my hubby, just remind me... There's no crying in Disneyland!

Etna, CA

I'm taking an unscheduled, unplanned, unapproved, but very welcome visit to Etna. I usually try to stick to my schedule, and I'm not a spontaneous person, but I needed a break from the long miles. I'm going to eat three meals while I'm in Etna and stock up on much needed calories. I don't have a resupply box here and I only need a few snacks to get to Seiad Valley where my next resupply box is. After that I'm only a few miles from Oregon!

1,600 Miles

Only 1,050 miles to Canada!

I've Been Busy Hiking

Since leaving Burney Falls State Park, where I spent two days with Eva, my goal has been to hike as fast as possible to reach the border of Washington, where I get to see Eva again! I hear Oregon will be easier hiking, but I'm still about 98 miles from Oregon. I have hiked 178 miles since Burney Falls and averaged 27.2 miles a day. It's been very challenging, and I  know I need to slow down a bit to save my feet and my sanity. I'm taking a day off and hitching 10 miles into a small town named Etna to wash clothes, shower, eat, and sleep in a bed. My right foot needs some ice and rest! I'll be back on the trail the next day and should reach the Oregon border in 5 days. 

The hiking in this area has been difficult with lots of altitude change and sections that had very little water. On the positive side the weather has been good and the mosquitoes are gone!

Wednesday, July 23-1,500 Miles and Counting

I've reached Castella and Castle Crags State Park. I am resupplying, thanks for the food and supplies Eva, and walking back to the trail to...you guessed it, hike! I hope to complete the next 160 miles in record time! I completed the previous section from Burney Falls State Park with an average of 28 miles a day. Shasta looms large as I get closer and closer.

Hiking 26+ miles a day takes extra effort and I'm finding it hard to write and take pictures. Hopefully I'll adjust just like I did to 20 miles a day.

Table for One by Eva

Resupply Station at the Mauch Home

The most important part of my job as base camp manager has been the packing and mailing of Loren's resupply boxes. Butter Fingers can carry no more than 7 days of food at one time. So you can imagine that 2,650 miles means lots of resupply boxes. Before Butter Fingers left, he prepacked all his non-food items including batteries, toilet paper, fuel canisters, cash, vitamins and trail section maps. He threw in a few food items but it has been my job to make sure he has what he needs to make it from one resupply box to the next without having to stop at a store to resupply. Many of you have been curious about what he eats. Here is my guide for packing each box...
Breakfast can be the following: 1. Two oatmeal packets with a zip lock baggie of raisins, almond slivers and an individually wrapped danish, 2. Pop Tarts with peanut butter and home made fruit leather, 3. Granola with powdered whole milk and a zip lock baggie of almond slivers, or 4. a giant individually wrapped cinnamon roll sold at Walgreens. Each breakfast also includes a package of hot chocolate mix.
Lunch can be the following: 1. Foil wrapped tuna packet with small packets of mayo, relish, mustard, a package of crackers and cheese and a cutie pie, 2. A Beef Stick with 2 cheddar cheese sticks and a packet of crackers and peanut butter, or 3. Granola Bars or two packages of crackers with peanut butter.
Dinner can be the following: 1. Freeze dried backpackers meals with a variety cracker mix or pretzels, 2. Stove Top Stuffing package with small zip lock of freeze dried chicken or sausage, and dehydrated veggies (peas, carrots, onions, peppers or any combo), or 3. Top Ramen package with a zip lock baggies of sausage, dehydrated veggies and peanuts. No matter what the dinner meal, all include a package of cookies or a brownie and a candy bar, then gummy worms or gummy orange slices to wash it all down. 
Snacks: In order for Butter Fingers to get enough calories he has to eat between meals. For each hiking day I pack him four of the following- crackers & cheese or peanut butter packets, chocolate bars/m&m's etc, cookies/brownies and a 1/2 cup of trail mix. As Butter Fingers has never liked water, I also send him Crystal Light packets with caffeine to add to his water bottles. 

We haven't had much luck taking food packaged in large portions and sending it in smaller portions. The large packages of pepperoni sticks from Costco molded before he could eat them as I had to open the package to put a couple in a zip lock. Because of this, I am always looking for pre-packaged single portions of items. The Walgreens cinnamon rolls for example were an exciting find. It might seem strange, but I have the most luck finding single serving, calorie dense foods near the check out stands of mini-marts and pharmacies. 

Together Again-By Loren and Eva

Mr. and Mrs. Butter Fingers

I'm at mile 1,424 in Burney Falls State Park, which is famous for the water falls you see behind the lovely couple in the picture. I have not seen the water fall yet because I am enamored with the ice cream and soda in the general store. I am hot, hungry, thirsty, dirty, and waiting for Eva to pick me up. I'm not walking another mile in these shoes!

When I picked Loren up at the general store, it was so good to see him. Unfortunately, besides dirty, he was also stinky. Funny that he didn't seem to be aware of it, nor did the other thru-hikers making use of the general store. The employees at the store diligently sprayed air freshener every time one of the hikers left the store.

Eva rented a room in the small town of Burney, 8 miles from the state park. She suggested my first task might be to take a shower. She is really catching on to what hikers are looking for in a motel because it had an excellent laundry room with a utility sink to pre-wash socks and wifi for updating my blog, photos, and videos.

Loren is pretty easy to please these days. I guess after sleeping on the ground without a shower for days on end changes your priorities. Things I look for in a motel is a laundry room, jacuzzi spa, wifi, a place close to the trail with nearby restaurants. Burney is a small town so no jacuzzi but I was able to get everything else. Judging from all the other hikers at the motel, most thru- hikers are looking for the same amenities.

Along with food and supplies for the next section of the trail, Eva brought me a new pair of SHOES! My old pair had holes in them and the mid-soles were so worn out that I could literally feel the tread pattern on the sole of the shoe. I was showing off my new shoes to some other thru-hikers in town and they commented on the unique tread pattern by noting that they have seen it on the trail for miles and had no idea they were following me. (I have seen only one other hiker wearing the same shoe style/brand as I am.) 

I've never seen Loren so excited about new shoes. I'm normally the one who comes home excited about the shoes I found that "I had to buy." Loren mentioned how nice his shoes felt several times over the last couple of days. We even walked on the road instead of the dusty trail when we visited the water fall so that his shoes would stay clean and pretty. They won't stay clean for long though. The trail is hard on shoes especially the hot lava rock areas where it can literally melt away the sole. I already have another pair at home ready for him when he needs them. A good pair of shoes is a thru-hikers best friend, unless you are Baja and have decided to hike the trail in flip-flops. This only because he couldn't do it barefoot which was his original plan.

Eva also delivered a care package from the Planet Kids Christian Preschool full of goodies along with notes and cards from friends and family. Thanks everyone for your love and support. Since I reached the half way point on Monday, July 14, I have been imagining what it will be like to finish the trail and return home. I am hiking faster now and I will complete the second half of the trail faster than the first half. I am 275 miles from the Oregon border and Washington is another 450 miles away. I hope to complete the 725 miles to Washington in 30 days. That is an average of 24+ miles every day for 30 days. I will meet Eva again when I get to Oregon/Washington border and we will celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary. Then it will be a mad dash to Canada to beat the snow.

In case you didn't notice what I am wearing in the above picture, the shirt says, "Suck It Up, Buttercup." I got the shirt from a friend who read these two blog posts: More Burned Forest and Brutal Day. I love the shirt but I must admit, I would be doing more than a little whining after 1,400 miles.

Well...it's time to wrap up this blog post! I have enjoyed a zero day with Eva and I return to the trail tomorrow. It's getting late and she still has to give me a back massage. I am so spoiled!