Hiking Through Washington, Getting to Canada

"I put my wet socks in a ziploc bag and into my sleeping bag last night. Now I get to put on warm wet socks this morning!"   

- Mr. Noodles

The view, about 100 miles from the Canada Border

I remember hiking in the High Sierra in mid June, where the sun rose around 6am and didn't set until 9pm. The days stretched on forever, and I could take a three hour lunch break in some beautiful spot without worrying about getting the miles in before dark.

Entering Washington in September, and being so much further north, the days were shockingly short. The Weather had turned a bit in Northern Oregon, and I was definitely nervous about getting caught in a long stretch of wet weather. The mental toll is hard to handle, being wet and cold constantly.

Lovin' those foggy wet days...

 We walked through more foggy wet days. When the sky was clear, night temps could drop into the 30's, and if camped in a valley, the sun may not get high enough to warm things up for several hours. It was hard to get out of bed and packed up, having to stop to warm frozen fingers between every task.

But it was beautiful.

And despite all this, we managed to crush miles. I had a solid string of 25 mile days, pushing despite shorter daylight and poor weather.

Made 52 miles in two days to get to this cabin on a forecasted stormy night.. trail luxury

The cascades are pretty remote, and most of the places we cross on trail are seasonal ski resorts. The towns have cool native sounding names, like Snoqualmie, Skykomish, and Stehekin. 

Big view of the North Cascades

The tree varieties began to change, and unfamiliar birdsongs filled the air as we entered the Northern Cascades - a taste of frozen tundra landscapes dominating farther to the north perhaps...

Unfamiliar 'Larch' trees losing their needles

Then strangely and abruptly, as though waking from a dream, the trail ends. People a few days ahead, are now described best as "done." The land extends on, but this beautiful thing loving refered to as 'the trail' is done. Like the last bit of our victory fire embers, the familiar hikers are scattered, making their various ways back home.

This is certainly a great accomplishment... Though I can't help but come out of the whole trip feeling humbled. What a beautiful experience thru hiking is. I'm going to miss the friends I made and the places I've visited. With time, I might even miss the simple joy waking up every day and having nothing to do but walk...

Please enjoy these bits of footage from the trails-end!

Washington pt 1:

And pt 2

Thoughts on Trail, and The Beginning of The End

"I will limp to Canada at this point if that's what it takes." -Professor

A nice Mt. Ranier landscape

The trail experience continues for me, and the miles to Canada get smaller and smaller everyday.  I'm taking a break in Leavenworth WA, 190 miles from the border crossing at Steven's pass. There is just one more resupply stop in Stehekin WA, a very minimal mountain town (as most of the towns we walk through are).

Cascade locks, the end of Oregon and start of Washington!

Everybody is excited, but a little sad at the same time. The thru hiker community and this lifestyle have become familiar and comfortable to us - almost to the point where being in town for a long time is a strange, sensory overloading experience. Getting back on trail feels like a haze is lifted, and clear thinking can start again.

I have a section of Northern California I intend to complete after reaching the northern terminus, but I know I will be saying goodbye to a lot of great people I've met along the way as we all scatter back to our homes to begin the next chapter of life.

Showing off the hiker calves - pic taken from another hiker :)

This is going to be a short update... I've been fighting with memory overload on my current sim card, and making the next video is taking some time. Washington is absolutely beautiful, and the seasonal turn toward winter has made for some colder days on trail.

Frosty September morning

Stay tuned, I'll definitely do my best to bring this blog saga to a satisfying ending. I did have a really cool moment on trail recently that I want to share. This book, Trail Life by Ray Jardine was the beginning of the PCT dream for me. I tell people that it was the PCT pictures from that book that made me want to hike it. He and his wife have done the PCT, AT, and CDT multiple times each I believe. Great book..

Check out the cover photo:

I must have dreamed over that picture for some good amount of time, because I had a strange sense of 'trail ja vu' when I got to a switchback between Snoqualmie and Steven's pass.

I took this photo:

This switchback looks familiar...

Anyway, funny how things come full circle like that. Happy trails friends!

- Traveller

PCT hiking update: Halfway done, and the Jump to Ashland OR

"Real travel requires a maximum of unscheduled wandering, for there is no other way of discovering surprises and marvels, which, as I see it, is the only good reason for not staying at home."

- Alan Watts



A lot of people have to take time from the trail for various reasons. I hear most often of people leaving to attend weddings, but family affairs and problems at home are common as well.

I was almost embarassed to tell people that my own "trail leave" would be for a 10 day cruise in Europe...

Cologne Cathedral, 500 something steps to the top...

Needless to say, I spent the entire trip stuffing my face with food and wine. The food was delicious, and the sights were amazing - although somewhat overwhelming to my wilderness attuned senses.

Getting off trail, over to Europe, cruising around, then back to trail was a bit of a Traveller's nightmare... so many people and airports and lines to wait in. I also rode an Amtrak train for the first time, from Sacramento to Ashland. Not a bad way to travel honestly...

Only pic I got before my phone died wandering Ashland... captures the place quite well though

I decided to jump ahead to Ashland, to improve my chances of beating foul weather in Washington. I'll have to back track to pick up the last 300 miles of California at some point. Still 900 miles to cover both Washington and Oregon.


Anyway, since I've re-experienced the frustrations of city life, I figure I can tell some tales of the daily frustrations of life outdoors...

The Three Nuisant Entities of the Wild:

Imagine yourself laying out a pad or finding a sweet spot to chill after a hard stretch of hiking. There are a couple creatures of the outdoors that will keep you from fully easing into that relaxed space...

1. Carpenter ants:

Crawling on my hat after a break. He would be on my face soon if I hadn't noticed!

They crawl on everything... and even though they have never bitten me, they are just large enough to be unnerving. I remover smaller ants with a gentle pinching motion, but these guys get a solid thump through the air. I've even had one crawl across my chest - under my shirt - in the middle of the night...

2. Mosquitos:

Yep.. not going to pose for a pic with this guy on me..

Everyone knows the frustration of mosquitos.. they were particularly bad through the Sierra's, though big enough that you could just about feel them landing on you, giving time enough to smash them out quickly.

These bugs are the number one reason I set up the tent vs. just cowboy camping... got to have the enclosed bug mesh!

3. Flies of every size:

Yep, that's a fly... biting my face.

Flies often accompany one of the other nuisance bugs, but typically come in swarms or not at all. Some are slow enough to smash. Some are big and sound like bees buzzing your head. Some bite... but either way, a swarm will keep you from reaching full relaxation at break time.

Sometimes, all you can do is pack up and move along...

Check these scenes leading up to Chester CA just before I left trail.

Happy trails friends...

- Traveller

Further Adventures Along the PCT: ATypical Hiking Day

"Nature loves courage. You make the commitment and nature will respond to that commitment by removing impossible obstacles. Dream the impossible dream and the world will not grind you under, it will lift you up."
 - T. McKenna



I thought it might be interesting this time around, to share what a typical day on trail consists of for me. I carry a small notebook to record interesting thoughts or ideas, and I kept a log of events for a day. Here is the result...

5:40 am 
I wake briefly, note the sun's earliest presence in the sky, and roll over to continue sleeping.

7:00 am
I wake again, noting the sun is clearly above the horizon, roll over and sleep some more...

8:00
Finally I get up, eat some breakfast, and pack up to get moving.

Packing up camp!

8:30 - 10:30
Hiking, with a brief break at a creek to filter some more water.

10:30 
Snack break consisting of pop-tarts, chili cheese fritos, and a peanut butter and jelly tortilla.

Break time! Elevate the feet if possible.

10:40
A couple of other PCT hikers catch me on break, and we chat for a bit.

11:00 - 12:45
Hiking, listen to a bit of music while contemplating this blog idea. Cloudkicker is the choice of the day. (Cloudkicker)

(I don't always listen to music while hiking, but it does help take my mind off the achy feet and churn out miles...)

12:45
Water break, decide to eat another peanut butter jelly tortilla... A couple folks on horseback pass by and engage me in conversation.

Thru hiker in his natural habitat.. this how passerby's would see me - stuffing my face

Them:"Oh hey, there's a hiker! Are you going all the way to Canada?"

Me: "Yep, that's the plan"

Them: "Wow! Where did you start, how long have you been on trail"

Me: "The Mexico border, been on trail since April 25th, about 1100 miles so far.."

Them: "Wow, that's so amazing/inspiring/cool!"

(I have a conversation like this almost every day. The questions and reactions are pretty similar every time.)

1:00
Decide to eat some trail mix too. Then I get up, dust the ants off, and hike some more.

2:30 - 4:00
Long lunch next to a stream with some other hikers. Ramen with tuna to eat, and definitely a dip in the creek to cool off.

4:00 - 6:15
Hiking to the next water source. I note that at this point in the day I have done 19 miles already.

8:10 pm
Stop for the day, make camp, eat dinner.

Total mileage for the day: 23. Not too bad, considering it was about 9 hours total spent hiking. I've found that I haven't gotten faster as my body has adapted, I'm just able to withstand longer days of hiking fairly comfortably. The terrain tends to dictate how fast I go, whether it's up or downhill etc..

Profile for this day, mile 1170 to 1193 roughly

Hiking breaks are good, and I take many. I eat a lot of food during these breaks. When I pack up in town, I plan for about 4000 calories per day.. this gives me a little buffer if I move slower than expected, but is surprisingly close to the mark for what I can eat on a solid day of hiking.


And of course, here's the next video. Part 2 of hiking in the Sierra! Definitely some more beautiful spots this round.

Cheers,
- Traveller

"I've found hiking paradise in the Sierras... turns out paradise has mosquitos too."  
 - Traveller

Leaving Kennedy Meadows

I have begun hiking in what is considered by most to be the best section of trail on the PCT: the Sierra Nevada mountains. It's full of towering mountain views and beautiful high altitude lakes. The section of trail doesn't drop below 8000 feet in elevation for several hundred miles.

Forrester pass looming, the highest point on the PCT

It is also some of the hardest hiking I've done this journey, with big climbs over mountain passes every day.

The PCT also merges with another popular route, the 200 mile John Muir trail. This has consequently been the busiest section of trail I've seen, and I do miss some of the solitude found in the desert.

I walked past a group the other day, and a guy on the end caught my eye. His gear was all shiny and new, his beard perfectly trimmed, and he had the goofiest grin of excitement plastered to his face for the journey he was just beginning.

That was me a mere 2 months ago...

Nice pose, bro

Now, I'm one of the bad boys of the Sierra.

Blessed with awesome beard genes..

A wizard of Yosemite.

My rain jacket and rain kilt - I get a lot of compliments on the outfit

A hiking machine with 900 plus miles under my belt.

On the way up Whitney's jagged crags

The JMT differs from the PCT by an order of magnitude, plain and simple. Those hikers can take two weeks off work for the journey, and are willing to spend any amount of money to ensure a successful journey. PCT hikers on the other hand are like, "Woohoo, I quit my job!"

I love where I am right now, and what I have become. My soul is full to the brim with whatever essence I felt lacking when seeking the trail to begin with.

Cheers friends, enjoy the scenes from the Sierra part 1. Glad so many of you have been following with me on the journey. Sorry for delays between posts, the towns are a bit more spread out these days...

Weeks 5 and 6 on trail: final stretches of desert hiking

"I love walking along looking at a nice big mountain in the distance, until I realize that, shit... I'm probably going to have to climb over it..."  - Mohalo

A Mojave sunset

What else can I say about the desert? I've had hours and hours of trail time to contemplate the nature of it, while hiking through it. It took me 47 days to traverse the 700 miles of southern california desert. I don't know if that's prophetic in some way or not, but It's definitely taking some time for the experience to sink in. Personal changes are subtle, and though I feel this whole hike will change me in some way, I'm not really sure at this point how I've been affected.

Sun dried and windblown...

In some ways, I'm reminded of my childhood growing up in New Mexico's desert climate. Things like the smell of rain when it first moves in on the wind. Walking the trails reminds me a bit of the old stomping grounds we had, looking for places to build forts, or just playing in shrubby desert area's near my elementary school.

From another viewpoint, it almost feels like it wasn't totally desert the whole way, because a lot of it was high elevation desert climate, with pine trees. The PCT is a roller coaster in that way, repeating a pattern of climbing.. climbing... and then dropping straight down to the desert floor for a short stretch.



As I write this, I've just finished the first week of hiking in the high sierra. I've had to carry a water report for the trail up until this point. Not all of them where on trail though almost all where critical to making it through safely. The final few stretches of desert where the most brutal, with one 35 mile stretch between sources. The Mojave was by far the most miserable and windy stretch of desert. From Hikertown, along the L.A. aquaduct, and into the foothills covered in wind turbines I travelled..

Kennedy Meadows is at mile 702. It's the stop right before the Sierra, which means the end of desert. I had planned to upload a video there, but had no internet or phone service. It made for a cool experience in town though, and everybody spent time talking if the journey so far. We had all just completed a difficult stretch, and spirits were high.

 Every hiker that comes rolling up the road gets a warm round of cheers and applause from the crowd on deck of the general store. We can't cmprehend hiking without a water report at this point. Unaware that we will be passing alpine lakes and late snowmelt streams for miles to come.  So I'm behind a bit and have 2 videos to post. The end of the desert. You'll have to wait a bit to see the first of the Sierra.. but let me assure you it is worth the wait!

Cheers friends, see you further down the old dusty trail... - Traveller


Agua dulce to Mojave section:

Mojave to Kennedy Meadows section:

PCT Hiking Week 4: A Week of Sunsets

"Life before death, strength before weakness, journey before destination" - The Way of Kings

My perception of the passage of time is one of the most interesting things to ponder out here. It's hard to recall where I slept two nights ago, simply because I've been in a different place every night for the past month, some of them rather strange.

I've had to trim my fingernails twice, and my beard is becoming noticeably bushier. I've gotten quite a few compliments on it recently. Other than that, every day feels brand new.

Another nice sunset, note the beard..

 It's all an awesome part of this overall journey. At 4 weeks in, there are days when hiking feels like work. 20 mile days are very long... but the sunsets still seem to tie everything together, and the company of others is always good. I've got to keep the mindset of experiencing the journey, not seeking the end destination.

Hanging out at Casa de Luna trail house

 This week was particularly spectacular in terms of sunsets, with a final bang on top of Mt. Baden-Powell. I only missed one sunset this week, while stuffing my face full of $1.50 tacos and beer in the town of Wrightwood at mi 363.

Sunset outside Cajon pass with cloud rainbow

I suppose the strangest thing to realize at this time, is that it's feeling more like a day to day living experience now, rather than a vacation. If I make it all the way to Canada, I still have 4 months to go after all... hell, I'm not even halfway through California yet. Humbling indeed.

Pretty simple directions, how hard could it be?

Anyway, check out the newest scenes below or via youtube.

 Cheers,

-Traveller

Week Three: Wilderness and Civilization

"There are plenty of rules out here, we just don't follow any of them" - Genie

Week three, 21 days on the trail. I've spent 4 of those nights in a bed of some sort while passing through towns, the rest out in the outdoors. It's weird to see how my perspective is changing. I don't notice how dirty and sweaty I smell until I'm actually in a public place again, like a post office... I guess it's because there is so much fresh air outdoors.

There are a few things that myself and others have found hard re-adjusting to in towns:

Store hours and days of closure - the post office in particular:
 There was a day on trail where many of us realized we'd have to book it to make it to town the next day before closing hours. The post office was only open until 1:00 on a saturday, which would've delayed us until monday if we missed it. Hard to readjust after having no real schedule for days on end, and the day of week is definitely useless information on trail days.

Public bathrooms:
Had to reign in the instict to just pee on a nearby bush while in town.. strange how quickly I forgot that social rule.

City Grime vs. Outdoor Grime:
Sleeping in cheap hotels has an element of griminess for sure, and I find myself much prefering to sleep in dirt on trail.

Also, when the trail passes a location that is easily accessible by road (hence locals coming from town for the day), graffiti and trash really become prominent and painful to see. The on-trail community is so welcoming, and the wilderness so pristine in many places, that it's strange to come back to "civilization," where things are much different.

Also, I had my 27th birthday on trail recently. Seems appropriate that I settled on a trail name for myself that day as well. Those on the path will know me as 'Traveller" from here on out.

Week three video is here (hope it's working, still doing all uploads from my phone...). Catch you in the next town!

Week Two Video uploaded

Here's the week two video, from outside Warner Spring to around mile 210!

(Might have to go full screen to clear it up. Not sure why, but it's acting a bit goofy for me.)

Week two: Julian (mi 77) to mile 210

"Home is where you unpack it" - Sled Dog

Week two has been just as busy, with more amazing views. It's an interesting experience being out on the trail even this long (13 days as I write this). 

I'm amazed at the mileage that's flowing past me, already hit 210. There was a 20 mile closure of trail near the town of Idyllwild, so I've not hit 200 exactly of my own feet, but still feels good.

Yep, my feet get that dirty THROUGH my socks

Beauty and brutality in the Desert:

I'm no Ansel Adams... but trying anyway

It's hot. My main daily concern is mileage to the next water source. Other than that, there's an unbelievable amount of freedom out here. I eat, sleep, rest, and walk when I want, within the only confining parameters of finishing the trail before the season turns.

For a solid span of days, I was unaware of the day of week. By 9:00 the heat of day is already in swing. Most hikers get solid mileage in the morning, then camp out for the heat of the day, hiking again in the cool evening. It's nice to be outside, feeling the lenth of a day in it's entirety. The heat wears you down though..

But the sunset's more than make up for it. We've made it a priority to have a daily "sunset pow-wow" to watch the day's final scene.

Wicked sunset view

A Tale of two Terrible Nights:

And times are not all fun. I should mention the terrible times as well. I've had two miserable nights, only needing my tent 3 nights in total since I've been out (cowboy camping the rest of the time).

The first was my very first night on trail. The weather was cold and windy when I started, and rain set in that evening. I ended up pitching my tent a little too close to sundown in wind and rain. The desert soil was loose due to the moisture, and I bent a tent stake trying to hammer them in tight. In the end though, my tent was dry inside, and sleeping bag was warm. It was just a frustrating start.

The second was last night, on a big decent from the San Jacinto mountains. It was insanely windy on the exposed mountainside, and I managed to pitch a solid set up with large rocks on the stakes to hold them in place... but the wind carried lots of dust right into my tent all night. It powdered everything, and I tied a bandana around my face to avoid breathing it in. In the morning, the crust in my eyes was mud when I cleared it out. A late night rain accompanied this wind, to make things rougher. A few miles up the mountain, others got a powdering of snow!

I was warned that week two is when the initial enthusiasm starts to wane, and the mileage becomes a chore. I felt that a bit today. Looking back at the mountains I just came from helps a little, but talking with other hikers going through the same hard nights helps loads. We'll have to see what week 3 has in store. 

Week two video coming soon! Need to find a solid connection to upload...

Week One: Hiking The Pacific Crest Trail

"It's just walking. Anyone can do it." - Yogi

Looking at the climb out of Scissors crossing (mi 77)

So, im just about through my first week on the trail. My extreme blogging ambitions have fallen by the wayside a little, but I'll do my best to capture some thoughts. I haven't had decent cell reception, and I've been caught up in the adventure and meeting new people. I've met tons of people already, from all different walks of life - and parts of the world even.

Since I delayed my start date to the 25th and got a ride out here from my parents, I lucked out and made it to the last day of the big PCT kick-off event. People who've done the trail in previous years come out and greet the new batch of hikers, and coordinate seminars and advice.

And I got to meet Yogi, the woman who wrote the guidebook I'm using! She gave me a PCT class of 2015 bandana. Pretty cool!

Yep, it can also be used to hitch a ride to or from town

The Hiking Community on Trail:

I've been hiking with a cool group of people. Sometimes we stay together, sometimes everyone does their own thing. You can hike all day in solitude usually, since everyone goes a similar pace down the trail. Then when you get to a water source or camping area, there's often a group of people chilling and resting their feet. It's never predictable where you'll encounter people either. You might run into someone at the next water source that you haven't seen in days.

There's an interesting age group out here also, and it's pretty well split. There are people in the 20 to 30 age group, and then people in the 50-60 age group. So, discontented youngsters like myself, fighting a 9 to 5 existence, and retired people chasing a dream they never made time for when young.

Either way, it's a beautiful trip. The Pacific Crest Trail in these early miles is like a roller coaster. It climbs way up into the mountains with beautiful views, and then drops down to the desert floor... over and over again. The terrain is constantly changing, making every section new and exciting. Everyday I can stop and look back on the miles I've accomplished, as the mountains roll behind me into the distance.

Check out my video synopsis of week one as well. I'll try to keep the blog entries coming.

Gear: You Are Almost Always Bringing Too Much

It seems that every hiker has almost the same story of their first trip. Load a pack up with everything you think you could possibly need, and hit the trail. Might get bored? Bring a few books! Need more stuff than you can fit IN your pack? Strap it to the outside! Food? An early trip in my career was primarily fueled by canned ravioli and Vienna sausages. HEAVY shit for sure!

My buddy had a full size bed pillow strapped to his pack, which another hiker we saw on the trail exclaimed obscenities about. Good thing he didn't bring the air mattress along after all!

So this first foray into hiking usually involves a 40+ pound pack, insanely sore legs, and a lasting memory of pain you would like to avoid ever repeating.

From there it's a process of cutting items down every trip, and finding lighter alternatives. Also, it's a process of gradually learning what comforts you can really live without, and adjusting yourself accordingly.

Note the size of the cook pot hanging out on the back of my pack - classic!

There's a beauty in the simplicity of it really. It's carried over into other parts of my life as well. I traveled to Taiwan for two weeks this year with a single carry-on bag and 3 changes of clothes. Every time I move, I look at all the crap I've accumulated. Stuff that I've hauled around to three different homes and never really even use. I've begun to look at that with the same mentality of eliminating needless possessions, or convincing myself not to buy them in the first place.

Moving all my crap.. once again

 I've put together an overview of the gear I'll be bringing. The hiker method of comparing pack weight involves the concept of 'base weight'. This is the weight of everything (excluding food and water, which vary in weight due to consumability) that will pretty much reside in your pack. Tent, sleeping bag, and the backpack itself are 'the big three' collectively, as they are typically the heaviest contributors to overall pack weight.

My base weight is currently coming in around 16.6 lbs. With water and a weeks worth of food loaded up, I estimate about 20 to 25 lbs on top of that. I will be carrying this over literal mountains - so I need to be mindful about eliminating the excess!

Wearing     Packed        Total 2.64 lbs 16.62 lbs 19.26 lbs           oz           lbs Gossamer gear Mariposa (BackPack) 31.5 1.97        Big 3    Clothes         misc Marmot Plasma 15 degree + stuff sac 36.4 2.28 6.13 lbs 6.84 lbs 6.29 lbs Contrail Tarp tent + steaks 30.2 1.89 UrSack (food bag) 5 0.31 trekking poles (total for both) 18.8 1.18 ground sheet (tub) 3.4 0.21 pack towel 2.1 0.13 hankerchief 1.2 0.08 DEET 0.9 0.06 Sunscreen 1.1 0.07 compass 1 0.06 bits of rope 1.7 0.11 stick pic (for taking video) 1 0.06 Thermarest pad (14 segments) 13.4 0.84 wet wipes  1.5 0.09 Headlamp 3 0.19 S4 phone (w/ otter box) 7.1 0.44 Cables 1 0.06 Battery pack 4.7 0.29 Knife 0.7 0.04 Journal/Pen 2 0.13 Stove 3 0.19 Fuel 5.9 0.37 Cook pot 4 0.25 Spoon 0.7 0.04 Sawyer mini + filter bag 2.6 0.16 Clothing! Darn toughs socks 2.5 0.16 Darn toughs socks 2.5 0.16 Injini socks (x1) 1.5 0.09 Marmot Precip 11.5 0.72 Marmot driclimb 8.4 0.53 Mountain hardwear Puffy 13.3 0.83 Sleep shirt 8.7 0.54 Capilene pants 4.9 0.31 Patagonia shirt 3.7 0.23 Prana shorts 6 0.38 Prana Pants 13.7 0.86 Ex Officio boxers (x2) 2.7 0.17 Sun Glasses and stow sack 1.5 0.09 OR sun hat 3.1 0.19 Rain Kilt 2.8 0.18 Bug Net (.8 without bag) 0.8 0.05 Howler bros shirt 7.1 0.44 beanie (Arcteryx) 2.2 0.14 sun gloves 0.6 0.04 umbrella 12 0.75 First aid/toiletries 14.8 0.93