What's Next?

I promised to set out my feelings and what my future plans will be about a week ago. It has taken me this long to actually feel like writing anything. The disappointment in this aborted trip has been very bitter and the storm in my mind has been a raging force that won't be conquered for a while. It will take a some time for the pain to subside.

What a First Day!

Day 1
20 Miles

Today was supposed to start at 6:15, getting out early enough to avoid some of the heat. Right out of the bat, I started with a total melt down. Three things went wrong. First I couldn't find my Ipod with all my music. I had the earphones, but not the pod. Then I found that we had forgotten to put the velcro on my shoes to attach the dirty girl gaiters. And I did not have a comb or my cable to recharge my hotspot. Aaargh!! Mark suggested we go get a bite to eat and while doing that, we could think about what to do.

My Music Choices and Special Thanks

~ France       ~ Norway     ~ Ukraine     ~ Poland       ~ Germany     ~ Israel  ~ S. Korea     ~ Russia     ~ Venezuela     ~ Australia     ~ Canada     ~ United Kingdom     ~ Bolivia     ~ Belgium     ~ Argentina     ~ Switzerland      ~ Denmark     ~ New Zealand  ~ Austria     ~ Hungary     ~ Mexico     ~ Indonesia     ~ Chile     ~ Ghana    ~ United Arab Emirates     ~ Turkey   

What do all these countries have in common? *Answer at the bottom of post

Trying to Relax

GD Puppy "Italy"

So here I am, 2 more days until I leave home for 5 1/2 months. What could be more relaxing than posting cute puppy pictures!

One Week to Go

Well, this is it. I have a week before I start the trail.

Food Thoughts Completed!

O.K., I have my food choices down and they're going into my resupply boxes as we speak. Here is what I have decided to eat.

Chase the Dreams, Not the Magic

         I saw this title of a blog by Mark, a thru hiker last year. He was referring to the contrast between the trail and his work. You can read this blog here: https://mbiropm.wordpress.com/.

 

I, on the other hand, thought this would be an appropriate title for a post on, you guessed it, Trail Magic.

Logical? Logistics ...... Logically!



 Oh boy, the fun has finally started! The resupply boxes are about to be filled!

 

Lego helping with the resupply boxes

I am now off work for good, the next three weeks are going to be hectic. I have a whole list of chores that I hadn't been able to get to because I was too tired after working all day to really concentrate on doing anything. 

Testing, Testing 123

First off, I am now over 10% of my donation goal, thanks to Griff Traveller! This donator is a total stranger to me, but from the kindness that abounds in Trail Angels, he has donated enough to give me meals and a couple of motel rooms through the month of April. Since I wasn't planning on using a motel room until Big Bear, and I may not need it there thanks to another trail angel, it looks like I will be getting a room in Tehachapi or Mojave. Griff has the desire to hike the PCT one day, and I hope he too will receive some big time trail magic!

An Open Letter to my Parents

Dear Mom and Dad,

 

I'm writing this to let you know how grateful I am for all your support for this endeavor I'm about to embark on. The PCT is everything to me right now, it is my personal Olympics. I don't have the talent to compete in the real Olympics and I'm not young enough to even try. But the trail is just tough enough that I have to put training and tenacity into completing a thru hike - in my mind and for my level of fitness, it will be my Olympic moment when I receive my completion medal.

 

I know you are scared for me Mom, I hear it in your voice when we talk on the phone and you try to bite your tongue so you don't tell me for the 15th time how you would like it better if I would section hike the PCT over the years, or that you would prefer it if I didn't go at all. You don't need to hold back, I'm mature enough to handle your fears for me. Despite your misgivings though, you remain enthusiastic when I talk about the trail, you ask questions, and I know you are proud of me for my commitment to this quest over the years. Some parents won't talk to their children about the trail because they are too scared. Thank you for not being one of those.

 

Dad, you too share my enthusiasm for the trail and my blog. Even though I have started the trail twice and didn't finish, that doesn't matter at all to you. You are still supportive for this trip, as if it were my first attempt. I am thankful I can use the internet to keep you informed along the way, it is fun for me too.

 

Please remember that you both have good friends who will support you when you are fearful or have doubts. Use them, they are here for you for such a time as this. Lean on them when you are afraid and share with them when you are proud of me. They have told me that they will be there for you both.

Throughout the years you raised me, the love of travel was a common thread. The many trips around the United States we took instilled in me the craving for more travel and adventure. You also raised me to be independent and self sufficient. You did good on all accounts. That is partially why I must do this hike. Adventure and travel call to me once again.

 

You mean the world to me and I wouldn't put you through this if hiking the PCT wasn't the one thing in the world I need to do now. I was born for this time, 52 years ago today. I will promise you that when I come back, I will never again attempt a thru hike. If I don't make it now, I will consider doing sections until I finish. It is hard to describe how much different a thru hike is than a section hike, the camaraderie is so much different, the inside jokes that happen over many weeks and months, the talking in the evening at camp for many, many nights. You can't get the same experience any other way than to be a thru hiker. As much as I love trail angeling, I still feel a bit of an outsider with the thru hikers and it doesn't totally satisfy the cravings for more. 

 

 

I am only days away from starting, I will call you when I get into layover day towns, and Mark will also keep you informed the rest of the time. As I walk, I will remember that you ultimately taught me to walk and to tie my shoes. That was good practice for this hike, if you hadn't taught me that, I wouldn't get very far down the trail!

 

 

Thank you for all your love and support,

Love Always,

Linda

 

 



My Food Thoughts

Special Note: My friend Anne from Norway, we knew her as Gummi Bear on the trail in 2013, has donated to my cause and I will be having a grand breakfast either in Julian or in Idyllwild. Thank you so much for your thoughtfulness, Anne, you know what a hiker needs. We hiked with her from Mt. Laguna to Scissors crossing and had a ton of fun with her and Lucky Winner.

I have been giving serious thought to the food I will be bringing along with me for this thru hike. In 2013 we just about got it right, and I will be
taking most of the food that we packaged up for that years hike and is now keeping in the freezer.(It is kind of nice to know that if there is a disaster in the near future, we have enough food to keep us for over 5 months)! And yes, it is still fresh even after 2 years, I am still currently eating the trail mix.

That being said, as a solo hiker, there are a couple of changes I will be employing. This time I won't have to compromise, and will be able to take all the food that I like.

Hitchin'

Warning: Due to the Nature of this Blog Post, Reader (especially parents) Discretion is Advised 

Documentation Almost Finished

 Happy Days!!

Things are getting a little more exciting!
I'm official now!

My Go Fund Me Account

Just a quick word about the Go Fund Me account.

 

I really struggled with this concept of putting a donation link up. I have always been self sufficient and quite like it that way. I have the funds now to complete this trip, since I have been working really hard over the past 6 months from 12 hour days this past summer, to 10 hour days, starting in January. Money for the extra comforts will be tight though, and my hiking plan is for far fewer motel stays than I could really use. 

 

As I have talked to people over the last couple of years, I have heard that some times people would love to be Trail Angels,* yet they live too far off the trail to be able to perform these acts of kindness, or don't know what to provide a thru hiker as we come into their range.

 

*Trail Angel

a generous individual or group of individuals that provide acts of kindness to participants of outdoor events, on hiking trails or various biking routes. Trail angels are closely associated with trail magic. "Trail Angels" are commonly referred to in online hiking journals as friends of hikers, relatives or others persons who will often provide food, transportation, etc. to hikers on the trail.^{[Courtesy of Wickipedia]}

 

Trail Angel Meadow Ed - 1999

 

After much thought, I decided to set up an opportunity for those people who would like an easy way to show their support and would like to provide for a weary hiker. You may want to wait to see if I will be going longer than 70 miles, then donate. It is all good.

 

Trail Angel Bob Uhlenberg - 1999

My friend Sandi Carpenter got the ball rolling with a donation that I have told her will be used on my third day at Mt. Laguna. There is a restaurant there that is really good, and by then I will be thankful for the gift of a great restaurant meal and the ability to purchase some snacks from the store to help fuel me further north.

 

 So that is what the donation button is for on the right side of this blog. Not to worry if you can't donate or don't want to, this has been set up for those who really want to be my Trail Angel. (I won't hate you if you don't)!



Much Needed Motel Stay - 1999



Unnamed Trail Angel who Provided a Ride and a Soda- 1999



 



I Am Not a Sloth!

And My Toenails are Not This Long

As my friend Tammy puts it, Sloths are so cute!! Thanks Tammy, for your input into my blog. But I am not a sloth, therefore I will be doing my exercises before I start the trail.

These are a Few of my Favorite Things, on the Trail

 Have you ever had something you were looking forward to so much that you felt little flutters in your stomach every time you thought about it?

Oh Those Barking Dogs!

Did I also mention that those dogs are biting too? No, I'm not talking about canines, I'm talking about my feet!

A Map of the Pacific Crest Trail

People have asked me to show a map of the PCT, so they can see where the trail goes. This is the PCT map, and a few fun facts to go along with it. I blew it up extra big so you can get a feel of the terrain and the basic areas where the trail is located. 

 

What is the PCT?

The Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) (No, it is not the Pacific Coast Trail) is a 2,650 mile hiking trail that runs contiguously from the Mexican border at Campo, California to the Canadian border near Manning Park, BC. 2,650 Miles is the specified length of the trail but not the actual length. The true length from Mexico to Canada is 2,655.4 miles and the trail travels beyond the Canadian border to Manning Park making the total trail length 2,663.5 Miles.
The PCT is a designated national scenic trail. It traverses three states (California, Oregon and Washington), climbs nearly 60 major mountain passes, descends into 19 major canyons, passes more than 1,000 lakes and tarns, 3 national monuments, 7 national parks, 24 national forests, and travels through 37 federally mandated wildernesses.

The seven national parks are:

1. Sequoia National Park
2. Kings Canyon National Park
3. Yosemite National Park
4. Lassen Volcanic National Park
5. Crater Lake National Park
6. Mt. Rainier National Park
7. North Cascades National Park

Elevation Gain: 314,711 feet 
Lowest Point: Cascade Locks, Oregon (140 feet)
Highest Point: Forester Pass, California (13,153 feet)
California Length: 1,698.8 Miles
Oregon Length: 456.8 Miles
Washington Length: 499.8 Miles
California Elevation Gain: 192,339 feet
Oregon Elevation Gain: 49,647 feet
Washington Elevation Gain: 72,725 feet

Most PCT thru-hikers begin their journey at the US/Mexican Border in late April at the Annual Day Zero Pacific Crest Trail Kick Off (ADZPCTKO). The goal is to depart early enough in the year to get through the Southern California desert before it gets too hot and with hopes of arriving at the Sierra Nevada when the snow pack has melted sufficiently. Once through the Sierra Nevada, the race is on to make it to Canada before weather conditions make sections impassible.

Amazing Fun Fact: Fewer people have completed a thru hike on the PCT, than have climbed Mt. Everest.

Do You Believe In Miracles?

Miracles!

Some may believe in them, and some may chalk them up to coincidence. I choose to believe that God has a plan for my life, and when I am following with His plan, miracles do happen when there is a need for them.

 

This is the story of the miracles that happened to us in 2014 that led me to be able to hike the PCT this year.