I am dedicating this post to feeding future PCT hikers. I remember sitting in your chair thinking this idea is madness and the details- overwhelming. But know after your preparation, you will stand at the Mexican border on your start day, throw consideration to the wind, and take the first of 5.3 million steps. I met a PCT veteran providing trail magic that said he feels the energy and passion of the new class every year. It keeps drawing him back to support and meet them. Here is my virtual attempt, and I look forward to meeting some of you when you pass through Oregon.
Pleasure-Way and I have a New Year’s Eve tradition of looking back through our calendars and photos to remind us of the year we are departing. One memory stood out that foreshadowed 2021’s wild and unpredictable nature. My story marks your last opportunity to get permits for 2022 this coming Tuesday, January 11, at 10:30 AM Pacific Standard Time.
This was just another day in the zoomsphere with Kiki, my daughter’s COVID kitty. It was like the day when an algorithm changed my life.
This time last year, I dutifully logged into the permit application system two hours before it opened in hopes that waiting at the start line would give me an advantage. Due to COVID, the PCTA did not issue permits until January. The seconds ticked away until the portal came to life, and I entered the queue. My excitement plummeted when I saw that 9536 people were randomly placed ahead of me to get one of the 2500 permits. I watched in disbelief for a few moments while in a zoom meeting. My place in line decremented every 20 seconds, translating to a 53-hour queue. Any sane person would have logged out. Instead, I trodded upstairs and started harvesting sour grapes. “It was a stupid idea anyway.” “I could never have made it.” During lunch, I felt relieved that an algorithm had rescued me.
When I returned to my zoomsphere of meetings, my queue number was 15. What the hell, where did all those people go? I told my work colleagues that I would rejoin after figuring out what to do when it was my turn. You only have 10 minutes to start the process once you get in and 20 minutes to make your permit selection. I grabbed one of the remaining early permits on March 29. I didn’t know what had happened. I felt like my future just branched, and whatever I thought it was an hour before was no longer. Later, I discovered that other hikers logged into the permit system with multiple computers and asked family, friends, and neighbors to log in. Then they kept the best queue position and logged off the others – duh!
I sent this chat to family members. It reminds me of how trivial things like permits and hiking are in the grand scheme.
There is nothing more personal and unique than the food choices made by my fellow hikers. I am more engineer and less artist in the domain of backpacking food, and my packing ritual looked like an assembly line. On the other extreme was a talented hiker named Tuna, who selected the cheapest food available along the way. He had only brought muffins for breakfast, lunch, and dinner on the six-day stretch where we met. Some people bring fresh ingredients and actually cook meals, and others don’t bring a stove and hydrate their food cold. Some think it is all about calories filling their packs with junk food, and others follow a vegan diet. My suggestions are one slice through a myriad of choices. I broke down the process into three steps.
My favorite meal of the day was “second breakfast,” consisting of an oatmeal concoction and coffee smothered in heavy cream, giving me 1700 calories. I typically started hiking by 6 AM and then stopped after four hours for a proper break. This photo is in the Sierra just south of Mammouth Lakes.
Step one is to determine your daily caloric needs. You can start with your Basal Metabolic Rate, which considers your height, age, gender, and activity level. My BMR is around 2300 calories. My simple approach was to add 110 calories per mile of hiking, bringing me to 4720 calories for a 22-mile day. I like this backpacking calorie calculator, which provides more variables to play with and gives me a range of 4500 to 5350 calories for a 22-mile day. That seems like a ton of calories, and it is too high for hikes of a week or less. But this caloric calculation was accurate after one month when my readily available fat was gone. I lost 19 pounds in a month and I kept increasing my food to end the hike only 13 pounds down.
Step two is translating caloric needs into a food plan. I set a goal to carry foods that, on average, contained 120 calories per ounce. If I assume 4800 calories a day, I need to carry 40 oz or 2.5 lbs per day. I would typically leave my resupply stops with four days of food weighing 10 pounds or around 40% of my total pack weight.
Step 3 is deciding what food you want to bring that meets the 120 calories per ounce goal. I started searching far and wide for interesting options. Not surprisingly, I ended up on some survivalists web sites as they prepare for the apocalypse. Food choice is not just about calories; you must want to eat it day after day. I found that my digestive system changed, so I needed to pay attention to how my body responded to constantly eating and moving at the same time. My food experiment never ended, but I did land in a place that worked well. You can download Rib’s Food List and Calculator below, which shows my diet during the last two months.
Thanks to Pleasure-Way’s support, I was able to load up on fresh fruit and vegetables several times a week. This photo was taken after a 25-mile day climbing out of the San Gorgonio Pass into Big Bear.
I can feel the anticipation and energy build as you prepare for this beautiful adventure. I hope to share some logistical tidbits before you hit the trail.
Hello trail family – I did not forget you. I have been making my site easier to navigate, so check out the blog categories from the menu and the blog word cloud on the main page to visit the pages that speak to those topics. I am committed to keeping this site alive as some prepare for your thru-hiking adventures next year.
I promised to write a blog about gear in early August while on the trail. Here we are in October, and it is still on my to-do list moving week-for-week. This delay is not just my penchant for procrastination; I discovered that I have a bonified insecurity on the topic of gear. My hangup started before Campo and grew as the pros and bros made conversation about our gear. “What is your base weight? Wow, 15 pounds – good luck with that,” followed by an eye roll. The closest thing I can remember is pulling up to a stoplight back in ’73 next to one of the cool kids in high school. He was driving a candy apple red Pontiac GTO coupe with a beefy 455 HO V8 long-stroke engine. I was in my faded turquoise Toyota Corolla 4-door, 4-cylinder, 75 horsepower looking the other way. Those moments aside, my little car, named Nidwin, did do the job just fine.
Don’t get me wrong; I love gear. It is hard to fathom hiking this trail with the 60+ pound packs full of equipment that didn’t keep hikers as warm, dry, or safe as what is readily available today. After my four-month counseling session, courtesy of the trail, I am ready to rise above my insecurities and share my mistakes so you can avoid mine and make your own. Below is an excel sheet that you can download with my gear list.
Kiki the COVID kitty helping get my gear sorted before leaving for Campo.
Base Weight
Comparing the weight of gear is equivalent to horsepower back in the muscle-car days. And, just like horsepower, there is a lot of gamesmanship (or confusion) on what it means. I found two helpful measures. The first came from an excellent blog on gear by Halfway Anywhere. Halfway provides a valuable summary of top gear, and I used his site extensively. He defines the Big Four as a tent, backpack, sleeping bag, and sleeping pad. Invest in these four items because they are half of your base weight and critical for safety. The second measure, Base Weight, is everything in your pack except consumables (food, water, fuel, toilet paper, etc.). My base weight ranged from 13 to 17.5 pounds, depending on my kit (see below).
There are two problems with obsessing about Base Weight. Andrew Skurka’s blog describes his journey to discovering “stupid light.” Hikers that tout Base Weights as low as 7 pounds are unlikely to be self-sufficient when conditions turn for the worse. The reality of stupid light is that other hikers or rescuers are more likely to need to bail them out. The second issue to consider is your total pack weight when starting a hiking segment. For example, for a six-day section, my total pack weight doubled from 15 to 30 pounds. I needed 2 pounds of food per day, one fuel canister, and I typically carried 2 liters of water. I mention this because many thru-hikers use ultralight packs with little support. They work great at 20 pounds or less but became painful above that. The heaviest carries came in the Sierra with a Pack Weight above 35 pounds for seven days of food, bear canister, warm clothing, ice axe, and microspikes.
Customized Kits
My alternative to going stupid light was customizing my kits for different hiking segments. Changing kits gave me a significant advantage, only possible with Pleasure-Way’s support. In the spreadsheet, you will see five kits across the top: warm segments (1-3 nights, or 4-7 nights), cold segments (1-3 nights, or 4-7 nights), and a snow segment. The table shows how I changed my gear depending on what was coming up next. I recognize other thru-hikers do not have this luxury, but they do ship gear to and from resupply points along the trail for big transitions, like the Sierra.
Setting out on the first seven-day Sierra section. We weighed in above 35 pounds and the smiles are not authentic.Happier days with my EXOS 38 light pack and kit for a 1-3 day warm hiking section.
The Big Four
TENT: I used the Big Agnes Ultralight Tiger Wall UL2 tent. I have been a fan of Big Agnes for a decade because their gear is light and durable with excellent customer support. The packed weight of the tent is 2.5 pounds, including the footprint. This tent faced wind gusts well over 60 mph on this trip and temperatures in the teens. It also has plenty of room to hang out, store gear, and cook meals. The downside is that nylon absorbs water over multiple days when compressed into the pack. Dyneema Composite Fabrics (DCF, a.k.a Cuban Fiber) is the most promising nylon replacement material. The price has dropped from ridiculous to a 2X premium. DCF was developed and perfected for high-performance sailing. DCF tents are entirely waterproof, lightweight, and the fabric doesn’t absorb water. There have been some drawbacks, such as ventilation, but tent designers are innovating rapidly, and new products are coming out each year. Many models use hiking poles instead of tent poles to further reduce weight and bulk. Here is a site with some of the most popular models. Plan on a six-month lead time to get an order filled. I would have cut one pound off my base weight with one of these 2-person models.
My lovely campsite at Rock Creek in Washington. One advantage of the nylon tents is the ability to sleep without the rainfly, keeping things cool, and staying connected with nature. I loved this place so much I wrote a Haiku.
Rock Creek
Rock Creek reflected
with leaves gently swirling
to water over rocks.
Ribs
BACKPACK(S):I had two packs available to use in my different kits; the Osprey EXOS 58 and EXOS 38. I am super happy with this choice. They are not the lightest packs, but they have a suspension system that carries more weight than advertised and provides much-needed ventilation on hot days. Using DCF packs without suspension, Hikers looked like they just got out of the shower, covered in sweat from their packs. Whatever you get, make sure you get fit in person from someone who knows what they are doing and then load it up to 30 pounds. I spent 13 days on the trail the summer before the PCT, ensuring my pack was right for me. This piece of gear becomes part of you. I remember talking to thru-hikers over the years, and I noticed that they never take their packs off. I was the same way. I took it off maybe four times during a 12-hour day.
SLEEPING BAG(S):I started with the Western Mountaineering VersaLite sleeping bag and immediately fell in love. This bag is only 2 pounds and lives up to its 10-degree rating. I also love the near full zip feature so that you can turn it into a quilt for warmer days. When the heat started to go through the roof, it was just too much. I was lucky to find the Western Mountaineering SummerLite bag at a fabulous store in Redding, Hermit’s Hut. The SummerLite, a 32-degree bag, worked from northern California to the border but would not have been warm enough in the desert during springtime or the Sierra. When you look at these bags, you may get sticker shock, but they are worth every penny and will last for decades with proper care. Western Mountaineering only sells through small retailers. I got both of my bags from the Hermit’s Hut but order yours well before peak season.
Modeling my Western Mountaineering VersaLite sleeping bag and Arc’teryx Cerium SL Down Jacket on the top of Mt. Whitney. It was in the low teens and I needed all of this and a cup of coffee to warm up.
SLEEPING PAD(S): I also had two options for sleeping pads. I used the Nemo Switchback foam pad in the desert to avoid getting a puncture from the pokey things on the ground. The advantage of a foam pad is that it easily attaches to the outside of the pack, allowing me to use my smaller pack. You don’t need to inflate them, and they also make for a relaxing afternoon nap. The disadvantage is the thermal R-Value is 2.0, which means more heat loss to your biggest heat sink, the ground. They also are bare-bones (no pun intended) when it comes to comfort. For colder sections and comfort, I used the Thermarest NemoAir XTherm inflatable pad. The R-Value is 6.9, giving three times better insulation. Yes, inflating the sleeping pad at the end of a long day is a pain, but 10 minutes meant much better sleep. The other downside is that they are noisy when you roll over, so there is a weird symphony from hikers camping nearby. As the night progresses, everyone starts to shift positions synchronously, another way that thru-hikers support one another.
Electronics
As I have shared earlier, I am a big advocate for carrying a satellite communication device. The Garmin InReach Mini worked well for Pleasure-Way and me. It was fun to look at the message log at the end of the trail and see that we had exchanged over 400 messages. Mostly, the messages were short affirmations that all was ok. There were some cases where she shared weather and fire hazards. Primarily, this allows thru-hikers to take charge of getting rescued. I also took out rescue insurance from the American Alpine Club. The other decision one needs to make is what power source to use. I decided to use power packs because they are small and durable. I kept my phone in airplane mode all the time and reduced the power usage of the screen. I was able to keep my phone, and the Garmin charged for seven days on a 10K mAh pack, but it was very tight. Others bring solar panels and attach them to the outside of their packs during the day. They are certainly getting lighter and more durable, so worth checking out for long sections.
Water and Cooking
I used the Sawyer Squeeze water filter, and it worked great. I needed a better water bag to get unfiltered water since the Sawyer bags are known to fail. The CNOC VECTO was the most popular on the trail, but I couldn’t find one given their popularity. I would guess that I filtered close to 1000 liters of water on my trip and only replaced my filter three times with no failures. The other big question is whether or not to bring a stove. I estimate that a fourth of the thru-hikers were cold-cooking. You add cold water to dehydrated food an hour or so before eating instead of adding boiling water. It sounds disgusting to hit camp, tired and hungry, and chow down on cold biscuits and gravy. And what about my proper second-breakfast of gourmet oatmeal and coffee saturated with freeze-dried heavy cream. All in, my stove, mug, and fuel weighed 8 ounces. I will likely keep this as a creature comfort.
Clothing
Many of my errors came in the clothing category. Looking back at my original list, I ended up cutting about half of my clothing. You don’t need more than one of anything, except socks and underwear. I also got lighter versions of everything as I went along. The most critical piece of clothing is socks, and I am a huge fan of the Injini toe socks. I used the no-show lightweight and midweight socks, depending on the temperature. I HAD ONE BLISTER IN 2653 MILES. That is freaking amazing. The toe socks removed heat better and isolated my toes eliminating blisters between toes. I also rinsed my socks once or twice a day and dried them on my backpack as I hiked. Other favorite items include my Columbia sun shirt, REI Sahara pants, Arc’teryx Cerium SL Down Jacket, and Dirty Girl Gaters. The bottom line is to get good stuff that works and only bring one; that is enough.
Hiking Shoes
Last but certainly not least is the shoes that will support and protect your feet during the 5.3 million steps needed to cover the distance. Selecting shoes is a vital gear decision because most hiker injuries are feet and ankle-related. It is also the most expensive piece of gear because you will need five pairs to replace the shoes every 400 to 500 miles, as recommended. I was fighting pain in my left foot metatarsal joint during the four months before I even started on the trail. I could have been one of the first hikers to flame out had this not gone away. I went with the Hoka One Stinson shoes because they are the most cushioned shoe out there. I got a lot of comments about the shoes because they are noticeably wide and cushioned. They are not very durable, so I went through six pairs and one grand to keep my little piggies happy.
Have you have ever thought about becoming a dedicated trail angel or hoped that someone would take on this role during your thru-hike? If so, this blog is for you. I caught up to Pleasure-Way for an exclusive interview about her secrets to being the best trail angel on the PCT in 2021.
Thank you for taking the time to join me today now that you have moved out of your van. My readers have been asking – what is the real story behind your trail name, Pleasure-Way?
Pleasure-Way:As is the tradition, my trail name was offered to me by a hiker, Twister, and I decided to go with it. I get some smiles and comments when people first hear it but bringing pleasure to thru-hikers in the form of food, and moral support is what trail magic is all about. It is also the van’s name, so hikers make the connection right away.
Ribs and Scott preparing for entering the Sierra with Pleasure-Way.
Your name certainly worked; I have met hikers that knew about Pleasure-Way and had no idea who Ribs was. How long were you living on the road, and what were some of the high and low points you faced?
Pleasure-Way: Staying in the van for the better part of five months was certainly a new experience. I was very comfortable driving and operating the vehicle and covered over 13K miles since leaving home. The van gave me a feeling of self-sufficiency, and I could control my physical space during the spring when the vaccine rollout was ramping up. I enjoyed the simplicity of living, exploring, and seeing new roads, parks, and towns from Mexico to Canada. I met a lot of interesting people, both thru-hikers and fellow travelers. I won’t miss laundromats or driving the steep and narrow roads without guardrails to get to some of the remote trailheads. I also won’t miss buying deli chicken for trail magic – a real hit with the hikers, but I hope I never see it again.
Pleasure-Way, at Scissors Crossing, was already meeting an interesting mix of past hikers that return every year to provide trail magic.On the road again, Pleasure-Way got to know California’s HWY 395 quite well.Pleasure-Way had to navigate blazing heat, snow, and wildfires.
How would you describe your role in terms of supporting Ribs?
Pleasure-Way:My overall role was to provide options for meeting to make Rib’s life a little easier. There was a chance for a shower, home-cooked meal, and equipment exchange (no longer need that ice ax? trade out the old shoes?) as well as a chance to fill out the wish list (new items from REI, specific food requests). We would exchange food supplies for garbage, clean clothes for dirty, and reassess the plan for the next segment.
Coming off the trail at Stevens Pass – the trail magic begins.All the resupply gear was in labeled boxes making repacking and gear changes easy
What was the most challenging part of supporting Ribs?
Pleasure-Way: The biggest challenge was that the plan changed constantly. We learned this early on when Ribs hiked faster than expected – so the initial plan, which had campground reservations up until Kennedy Meadows, was flawed from the get-go. I had little problem making new reservations in the spring, but it became harder to find open spots as summer began. I discovered fewer available campgrounds with hookups north of Kennedy Meadows, so I had to rely more on private RV parks. Some RV parks were very nice, like the Mountain Gate RV Park south of Shasta Lake. Other locations along the way were less inviting but met the needs for safety, power, water, and sewer. So, my biggest challenge was figuring out when and where to locate the Sprinter van when it was not a meetup day. I also learned that Ribs became very focused on the next trail segment and had trouble planning beyond that. I started making predictions and then adjusted as needed.
Life in the van became the new normal.Dusk at Lake Cahuilla Regional Park near Palm Desert.
My takeaway from your last answer is that you would create detailed plans and be okay if Ribs hiked faster or made some other changes and then you would do it all again – sounds frustrating. I guess that’s why they call you a trail angel. What was the most fun aspect of being a part of this hiking team? Beyond the logistical support, what did you find was needed to support Ribs from a psychological or emotional perspective?
Pleasure-Way:I truly enjoyed hearing the stories from the trail and getting to know other thru-hikers in real-time. At first, Ribs was reluctant to connect with other hikers and was self-conscious about my support. I jumped in and started engaging other hikers, and we both enjoyed being a part of their hiking teams. His physical stamina improved, so he looked fresh coming off the trail, but I noticed early on that he was not tracking day-to-day life as is usual. For example, I told him about a young swimmer from Alaska, Lydia Jacoby, winning a swimming gold medal. It caught my attention since my parents met in Alaska. He asked if it was at the world championships. He did not even know the summer Olympics were going on, one of his favorite sporting events. I tried to be patient and actively listened when he came off the trail, offering positive reinforcement that this was doable for him. I reviewed my latest plan with him for feedback rather than creating it together.
It was common for Pleasure-Way to transport hikers to and from the trail head.Pleasure-Way, Ribs and family greeting a young family with some young girls who are very interested in becoming PCT hikers.
It sounds like you also had to deal with a lot of uncertainty about Rib’s condition when he came off the trail. What did you both do to get him recharged and back on the trail?
Pleasure-Way: We became experts at overnight meetups at trail/road intersections to resupply and get him back on the trail in the morning. We did this 30 times, which was a key reason we pulled so much time out of the original plan. Ribs provided pretty accurate estimates when he would arrive, and he pushed the mileage to arrive in the afternoon. In some cases, I would hike down the trail to meet him, which was fun. I had some high-calorie foods for immediate consumption to start the recovery. He would typically shower, and we would talk about the upcoming trail segment. He would then unload and re-load his pack using a checklist with different gear based on the length and weather conditions. We had a duplicate set of clothing, making it an easy swap. Originally, Ribs only wrote blog posts when he took a day off (zero-day). He started reducing zero-days as the hike progressed, so he would dictate the blog on the trail and then edit it and post that night. Dinners became increasingly simpler as the hike progressed to suit his changing dietary needs. He was typically out on the trail by 6 AM the following day.
Ribs getting his first blast of calories after getting to the van. Finishing a blog post after dinner before heading out the next morning.Pleasure-Way sent Ribs out with a killer breakfast including protein blueberry/banana pancakes, three eggs, fruit and more.
Wow, your description reminds me of a pit-stop in the Indianapolis 500, except you are changing tires on a thru-hiker. What tools did you develop or use to be so successful?
Pleasure-Way: One of the most important tools used during the five months was a daily itinerary of the hiking plan over the entire PCT. Ribs created the first version to capture his initial guess. I used this tool to plan the hiking segments, resupplies, overnight meetups, and zero-days. It was created to be easily modified along the way and, in the end, serves as a detailed diary of each’s day’s progress. Ribs communicated his location and how he was doing every night from the trail using a Garmin satellite device which kept us connected and informed. I was also able to update him on any weather and fire concerns.
I took this initial plan and noted intersections of the trail with roads accessible by our Sprinter van. The large state atlases helped find the roads, but the crucial pieces were the National Geographic PCT trail maps and the Guthook app. After finding an intersection, I would map it through google maps to evaluate the route and check for road closures. I would complete the analysis with a final check back to the atlas to ensure that the road was drivable. In general, I tried to stay on paved roads since the quality of gravel/dirt roads is hard to predict (my vehicle wasn’t 4WD).
Pleasure-Way’s headquarters to do her logistics magic from Brite Lake.Pleasure-Way’s view while staying at lake Almanor.
My takeaway is that you were the one keeping track of the overall logistics and figuring out when and where you could deliver trail magic. All Ribs had to do was walk 12 hours a day; frankly, it seems like he had the easy job. What did you do on the days when you were not together?
Pleasure-Way: I needed to develop a second plan besides the PCT to park and stay in the Sprinter van safely. I could go 3-4 days without electrical or water hookups, staying for free on BLM lands or campgrounds. We would often boondock at the trailhead or in nearby BLM land or NFS campground for overnight meetups.
The ideal situation for me on my alone days was to find a centrally located campground with hookups. One of my favorites was the Brite Lake Campground, a county park outside of Tehachapi, California. I had ten days there, very happy to have the electrical hookup to allow for air conditioning. Sometimes I picked up Ribs and brought him to stay the night in the campground, but other times I met Ribs and stayed at the trailhead, returning to the campground the following day.
I was surprised to find that getting a hotel wasn’t a relaxing break for the most part. It did not remove the need to care for the Sprinter van (where to park, how to keep its power, etc.) For example, I was given a Mother’s Day present to stay in a nice hotel at Mammoth Lakes. I found out just before dark that they recommended I not leave any food in the vehicle because bears will break into unattended vehicles, even RVs, to get the food. I hauled my food, as well as Rib’s food supplies, into the hotel room.
Pleasure-Way giving Ribs encouragement as he left Trout Lake in Washington.
Thank you for telling us your secrets – I have a much better understanding of what it took to be the best trail angel in 2021. No wonder Ribs says that you are the key to his successful PCT thru-hike. What are the top five things our readers should know before taking on your role as a dedicated thru-hiker trail angel?
Pleasure-Way:
Be patient, expect constant change, both of the route and the needs of the thru-hiker.
Find meaningful ways to connect with others.
Let others know where you are.
When possible, stay where you have internet/cell connectivity to keep from being isolated – have frequent phone calls with family and friends.
Buy two Garmin satellite communicators, one for the hiker and one for the van, to stay in touch when either one is without cell coverage.
I started to fear my post-PCT adjustment about one month before completion. Ironically, I was also facing some resistance to hiking, particularly in the morning. I have been off the trail one week and decided to open the next chapter of my journey – returning home.
I coined the term Post Trail Adjustment Disorder (PTAD) to describe my transition experiences. The Mayo Clinic describes adjustment disorders as “conditions resulting in more stress than would normally be expected in response to a stressful or unexpected event, and the stress causes significant problems in your relationships, at work or school.” There is little written on this topic for thru-hikers, and what I found is labeled post-trail depression, which presumes that the only response to this transition is depression. One thing is for sure; the experience changes all thru-hikers. Understanding how to harness those changes for the better is not at all apparent.
Starting in Washington, hikers wrote messages on the PCT trail markers nailed into the trees. The markers were there to help keep us on the trail, but these comments provoked larger questions such as “how have I changed?”
I talked to 10+ hikers that had previously completed one or more multi-month thru-hikes. They shared stories of being disoriented for up to three months and not seamlessly returning to the flow of “normal” life. The disruption seemed to be more pronounced if they had quit their job before the hike or left their previous residence and needed to start afresh upon their return. Some were using the trail as a means for reflection or navigating a significant life change. For others, hiking the trail at this time was opportunistic such as after completing a degree. Universally, hikers did not want to lose their physical capacity or gain unwanted weight, which is common after our caloric needs plummet.
Curiosity
Of all the virtues
I find one opens all doors,
curiosity.
Ribs
The most powerful tool I have to navigate uncertainty is curiosity. Simply shifting an experience from a reaction to a question changes my ability to learn and adjust rapidly. Below is my approach to navigating this transition, and I plan to journal daily and then post what I learned and what worked in a month.
Finding Meaning
Even after one week, the richness and depth of my experience are starting to fade. It would be easy to dismiss my journey as a passing phase, a vacation, or perhaps a selfish attempt to be young again. I will explore several questions to find meaning in my hiking and transition experience.
How did the hiking experience change how I perceive and engage the world around me?
What aspects of those changes do I intend to bring into my daily life, and what practices are most effective?
Connect with people that want to discuss my experience to internalize my insights and learn from their perspectives.
Bring these experiences back into the present through walking and seated meditation.
Observe what situations in my daily life are most disruptive to these desired states.
Experiment with on-the-go practices to bring me back to my desired state when disrupted.
Exerting my Body
One thing I learned is that my body likes to be used to its fullest capacity. Exerting my body brings me joy and creates an ongoing connection at a cellular level.
What physical activities bring me joy and build on my new capacity?
What practices bring exerting my body into my daily life?
Experiment with new ways to exert my body to build new capabilities such as strength and flexibility.
Develop a weekly plan to integrate these practices into my daily life.
Experiment with on-the-go body scan practices to keep my body engaged during the day.
Changing Habits
I am a creature of habit; we all are. Habits are not bad. They are essential to efficiently move through a complex world, like putting my keys and wallet in the same place when I come into the house. That said, habits often outlive their original purpose and become unexamined behavioral traps. Returning from four months on the trail is the perfect time to examine and change habits that no longer serve. For example, I drank one cup of coffee per day during my hike, and I immediately reverted to my 5+ cups upon my return.
Which of my newly developed habits from the trail would serve me in my daily life?
What old habits are returning, and which do I wish to end or change during the transition?
Recreate my trail routine for one week to remember and examine the habits I created to hike for 12 hours a day safely.
Identify trail habits that I can integrate into my daily life.
Observe and journal my old habits as I return to daily life.
Identify those I wish to end or change and a specific approach to do so for each one.
I’m excited to share my experience hiking on my 100th day on the PCT. I chronicled my day to remember life on the trail. It represents both the simplicity and the practices I use to stay engaged and safe while deepening my awareness.
I hiked a relatively short day of 21.6 miles through the Goat Rocks Wilderness. I pushed hard 30-miles the day before to get to this section. At the end of my 100th day, I had completed 2,280 miles or 22.8 miles per day. I had some new insights as I look back at the twists and turns common on the trail.
First, I have refined and developed practices that I use throughout the day applied at various times. As I observed my approach, it became clear that I was using meditation practices to coax my mind and body into embracing the coming hiking day. I have noticed that I am becoming increasingly resistant, mentally and physically, to hiking at the start of the day. I think this is natural after an effort of this magnitude and certainly something other hikers have described. I’m glad that I developed some structure to support my intention and the joy I receive as my day progresses.
My second realization has to do with joy. I noticed throughout the day unexpected moments grab me at the deepest level. For example, I turned a corner on the trail to see the wind blowing through the grass and felt it caressing my hair. These moments of connectedness are hard to describe, but it felt like my hair and the grass and the wind were not separate but one continuous energetic expression. Or the clattering sound from a woodpecker or the high-pitched chirp of a pica. These unexpected moments occur frequently and come when I am grumbling or happy, present or checked out. But there they are, connecting me with everything that surrounds me. This is what brings me to nature, it is the feeling that I’m a part of it, not just watching it, or conquering it, or taking pictures of it – no, I’m a part of it at a cellular level. I wonder what it would take to experience these moments during what we describe as “normal” life. Do I need to trek endlessly day after day to be open for these unexpected moments of connectedness?
5:00 AM
My alarm went off at 5:00 a.m on my 100th day of hiking. As usual, it was a restless night of sleep. The rain had started in the middle of the night, but it was so warm that everything was dry again. My 30-mosquito escort had a sleepover outside the tent so they could greet me in the morning. As I prepared to pack out, I did a quick survey of my current condition. I hiked 30 miles the previous day in hot and humid conditions with a constant barrage from mosquitoes and biting flies. I felt dehydrated, as evidenced by some leg cramping – all the more reason to take it slow this morning and try to rehydrate. I have 1.5 liters of water which needs to last for the first 7.5 miles.
5:40 AM
I packed everything and was hiking by 5:40 AM. I put on my full rain gear, including long pants, for the first seven miles to get thru a swampy area. I had three bites on my ankles in the short time I needed to put my shoes on. I hiked at a gentle pace for the first hour to give my body a chance to wake up.
6:40 AM
After two miles, I had my first-breakfast, which was a cliff coffee bar. I’d been working to rehydrate myself but save water for the next 2 hours. I started a one-hour body scan meditation.
7:40 AM
I completed my body scan, and everything is felt good except pain in my right footpad. I checked in with 32 different locations on my body. I find this is an excellent start for the day because it gets me out of my head and connects me to all the parts of my body that will do the work today. I decided to keep walking for the next two hours to clear the buggy swamp section.
8:40 AM
I’d hiked seven miles and had started climbing. It began to rain as it has on several occasions over the last two days, but I didn’t think it would break through this stifling humidity. I completed my secondmeditation, a trail sensation meditation, where I focused my attention on any sensations I felt from the trail, including the trail surface and the brush that I touched along the way.
9:40 AM
I filled my water bottles at a small stream after hiking eight miles, with the first miles being a 1750 ft descent followed by a 1300 ft climb. The bugs significantly eased as I climbed the ridge, and I was looking forward to having a proper second-breakfast soon.
10:40 AM
After getting water, I started to feel more at ease with the climb ahead. I used a meditation approach that works well for me on climbs. That is to count my breaths from 1 to 10 and then start over. I focus on my steps between each breath which helps me set a sustainable pace. I started to feel in a groove and decided to keep going instead of stopping for second-breakfast. I grabbed a protein bar and continued to climb.
11:40 AM
I reached a pass where the PCT crosses into the Yakima Nation after 13 miles. I remembered this spot from my previous hike in the Goat Rocks and was thrilled to get here for second-breakfast. I heated water for my excellent high-calorie oatmeal concoction and my morning cup of coffee with great fanfare. With the heat and humidity, I had been hoping for rain. It drizzled at first, so I finish my breakfast and then the rain picked up, so I continued hiking after putting on shorts. As strange as it may seem, thru-hikers will put on shorts and their lightest gear in warm rain. Getting wet is inevitable if you hike in the rain for long stretches. This way you keep your warm clothing dry.
12:40 PM
I always get a big energy boost after second-breakfast. I finished climbing Cispus Pass, and the rain stopped. I met six hiking parties, out for the weekend, that wanted to talk about my journey. I spent time with each of them because I know how much I appreciated learning from previous PCT hikers. I am rarely seeing fellow north-bound PCT thru-hikers at this point but now meet about 10 south-bound hikers a day.
1:40 PM
I had reached the basin under Old Snowy Mountain. Usually, Old Snowy is one of the most picturesque sections on the PCT, but today the mountains were barely visible due to a smokey mist. I hiked this section two years ago with Scott, so coming back and feeling my first cool breeze in days made me smile. I did my one-hour metta meditation as I climbed up to 7,100 feet.
It is worth noting the tools thru-hikers use. Navigation and crowdsourcing information from other hikers is available on an app called Guthook. It allows hikers to see their location in real-time even when the phone is in airplane mode. It also allows hikers to comment on water sources, safety issues, and the best pizza joint in trail towns.
3:20 PM
I climbed the alternate PCT route to the top of the Knife’s Edge, a feared section of trail that follows a thin ridgeline with exposure on both sides. Before descending, I had first-lunch of refried beans and Fritos and called Pleasure-Way. The trail is tricky, and one hiker is believed to have died here but was never found.
Photo of the Knife’s Edge trail from the top of Owd Snowy two years agoLooking back up the Knife’s Edge after descending on my 100th day
5:20 PM
I made my way to my campsite after descending 1500 feet from the summit. I selected this site because it was next to a stream and on clear days, has a great view of Mt. Rainier. It was great getting into camp this early since most days I arrive after 7 PM.
5:40 PM
The tent was up, and I used the cold and clear water to hydrate, filter water, and clean up. When possible, I take a sponge bath each night away from the water source. Most nights, I am “dry camping,” which means there is no water source nearby. I always need to ration my water when dry camping, so having it readily available is a treat.
6:40 PM
I cooked dinner outside my tent, the first time in several weeks. The wind kept the bugs at bay, and I enjoyed the solitude. On the menu was my favorite, spaghetti followed by ramen.
7:40 PM
I worked on my 100th-day blog post. I was pleased to have made notes during the day, and reviewing them provided me some valuable insights.
Native American Legend provides a vivid description of the formation and destruction of the Bridge of the Gods. As the Klickitat tribe tells it, the Great Spirit had two warring sons, Pahto to the north of the river and Wy’east to the south. The Bridge of the Gods was created as a way for the family to meet, but the brothers fought over a beautiful woman named Loowit. Their anger shook the earth with fire. The bridge fell into the river. Loowit could not choose between the brothers, and some say she perished in the fighting. For punishment, the Great Spirit turned his sons into mountains — Pahto into Mount Adams and Wy’east into Mount Hood. Loowit became the beautiful Mount St. Helens.
Geologists believe that such a land bridge did exist after the Bonneville landslide, roughly 1,500 years ago, sent a large amount of debris from the northern side of the gorge into the Columbia River. The debris blocked the Columbia River with a natural dam approximately 200 feet high and 3.5 miles long, possibly allowing Native Americans to cross the river. Eventually, the river broke through the barrier and washed away most of the debris, forming the Cascades Rapids, submerged in 1938 by the construction of the Bonneville Dam.
The Bridge of the Gods is also where Cheryl Strayed decided to end her 1,100 mile, 94-day PCT hike. Her book, Wild (2012), and the subsequent movie (2014), starring Reese Witherspoon and produced by her film company, has added more mythology to the PCT and this particular location. Her story struck a chord. In The New York Times,Dani Shapiro called the book “spectacular… at once a breathtaking adventure tale and a profound meditation on the nature of grief and survival.” I have met hikers from across the world motivated to hike the PCT based on Wild.
As I crossed the bridge at 5:30 AM, I was struck by the power of this place. It was more than my angst looking down 140 feet through steel grates into the swirling Columbia River. The full moon in the west reminded me of my Zen group’s metta service offered each month. Metta, or loving-kindness, is a practice of directing positive energy and kindness to oneself and then to an ever-expanding circle, including those you dislike. Perhaps this practice could have benefitted Pahto and Wy’east. I wondered how this journey would contribute to me and others. It urged me to look deeper during my remaining days to discover new insights that might emerge. The journey has given me an entirely new perspective of how my two-trillion cells function through my experience rather than my conceptual understanding. I will carry those insights through the rest of my days, but what else does the trail wish to teach me?
As for the details, I completed 2,147 miles in 94 hiking days, including all the open sections of California and Oregon. That is an average of about 23 miles per day. As expected, the pace in Oregon was faster, completing the open sections in 15 days, or about 26 miles per day. I plan to slow the pace down in Washington due to the increased difficulty and savor the remaining time.
I see Mt. Hood from the south the most from the ski areas.Mt. Hood in the summer is a beautiful place shared by many enthusiasts from climbers, hikers, mountain bikers, and even skiers and snowboarders engaged in race camps. My children, all aspiring racers, spent time up here in the summer training in the day and rubbing shoulders with world-class skiers and cleaning the dorms at night to earn their keep.My brother Charles treated me to brunch at the historic Timberline Lodge (shout out to my sister for the great idea). Charles is to blame for getting my father into backpacking which then infected the rest of us. By the way, I don’t suggest “all you can eat” buffets when thru-hikers are in the vicinity.Circumnavigating Mt. Hood requires a series of deep dives into the valleys that are the source of the White and Sandy rivers.This is the first time I have had a close-up view of Mt. Hood from the northwest. You can see why few climbers take this route. I decided to take the PCT alternate route down the Eagle Creek trail, which has been re-opened since a devastating fire three years ago. Tunnel Falls is one of many beautiful falls and refreshing swimming holes to explore.Brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Jeff and Lynne, kindly picked me up at the Eagle Creek trailhead and provided much-needed trail magic in the form of chocolate milk and ice cream bars, followed by a healthy dinner.The now-famous East Wind Drive-In in Cascade Locks is featured as the last stop on Cheryl Strayed’s journey. It was all lit up as I started hiking at 5 AM.The swirling Columbia River and full moon as I crossed the Bridge of the Gods. Chapter Three begins here. I am so looking forward to getting to know the beautiful state of Washington.Hiking out of the Columbia River Gorge takes 5K feet of climbing to gain 3.5k feet in elevation. The gorge is the lowest point on the trail and one of the most anticipated milestones on the PCT.
Thru-hiking like life brings toil and uncertainty to ask who am I? Ribs
I am writing from the comfort of a motel in Mammoth Lakes. I came off the trail today after the most physically challenging week so far with a profound appreciation of the scenic beauty and the responsibility we assume when thru-hiking. In seven days I covered 123 miles with 32K elevation gain from eight passes averaging over 11K feet.
I was joined by my nephew, Peter, an experienced Sierra climber and back country skier. His presence boosted my confidence to navigate the three highest passes with snow.
Kearsarge Pass, at nearly 12K feet, is required just to get back to the PCTGlen Pass, our second 12K pass of the first day, required several steep snow field traverses – not a big deal for Peter but I fell several timesLooking back at Glen Pass from the Rae Lakes
I could have written a nice post titled “Big Day – The Sequel” after two major climbs on the first day. But we were just getting started. Every day we climbed as quickly as possible to summit the next pass before the snow got too soft or possible afternoon thunderstorms materialized. We then dropped 3K feet to the valley floor to camp before starting the sequence again. It makes me tired just listing our Big Week itinerary.
Day 1: Kearsarge 12K and Glen 12K
Day 2: Pinchot 12K
Day 3: Mather 12K
Day 4: Muir 12K
Day 5: Selden 11K
Day 6: Silver 11K
Day 7: Mammoth 10K
We met him at first light of day 2 sharing the river valley, the first of many deer over the weekPinchot Pass featured the barren moonscape of the southern SierraLooking back from Mather to Pinchot Pass showed our day 3 work
Peter and I were most concerned about Muir Pass because of the snow depth. It was the most scenic section of the PCT so far. The intense azure blue of the lakes and sky radiated off the snow and ice.
Peter leads the way up Muir PassThe John Muir shelter, built in 1930, saves lives when storms close in on this highly exposed landscapeWanda Lake, north of Muir Pass, defines radianceThe ice flow moved with the wind, I had to peel my eyes away lest I would still be sitting there
The descent from Muir took us into the magical Evolution Valley. I have tried to hike this section for years but permits and fires have intervened. It is the transition from the barren Sierra peaks to the lush forests that stretch from valley floor to alpine lakes.
We shared our campsite view with the residents of Evolution Valley
The constant pounding of the descents took a toll on Peter. He dealt with a daily barrage of blisters but then he re-activated knee issues that quickly escalated. He decided to hike 16 miles out rather than continue 45 more miles and risk an evacuation. It was a hard decision but demonstrated the most important responsibility we have in remote wilderness situations – know your limits at every moment. Later we concluded the issue was likely using climbing approach shoes. Every thru-hiker tweaks their gear, food, and body care over weeks and months – Peter had five days.
Foot care at its best
I continued north to finish the last three passes and 45 miles. I had hiked this section with Jenessa in 2017 so it was fun to experience the trail again and remember the trip that inspired me to hike the PCT.
Silver Pass was number seven and a crazy day of climbingAfter a full meal, I decided to take on a mammoth mud pie. You’re damn right I finished it with an audience at the next table.
I am sitting in a peaceful campground outside of Julian, California, enjoying my first “zero.” For thru-hikers, a zero is a day off, meaning zero miles hiked that day. I have planned five zeros over the first 700 miles, so these are mighty precious. Since Alesia is supporting me in our van, I have been able to stay in the vehicle at some road crossings. It has helped me push the mileage and recover more effectively, an incredible advantage as I get myself into PCT shape.
Crossing the 100-mile mark
Alesia’s family knows how to read and interpret box scores. I can’t do either – but here is my PCT box score for the 1st of 26 segments. In five days, I covered 109 miles with 12K feet of climbing. All 26 segments comprise 2650 miles and 390K feet of climbing. The home team is off to a great start. Other statistics include bliss-meter pegged at 110%, 0 injuries, 0 blisters, 0 sunburns, and 0 rattlesnake bites. I went from COVID-19 zoom-zombie to a 10 hour per day hiker, which just shouldn’t happen on paper. I ended up doing this segment one day faster than planned. Here are a few photos from the journey so far. I fell in love with the rugged and vast terrain from Campo to Warner Springs.
Looking back at Scissors Crossing, where we boondocked.An amazing meadow with wildflowers near Warner Springs.I crossed this meadow near sunset.Eagle Rock near Warner Springs.Bliss meter pegged, even as I finished a 32-mile day.
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