Wind Rose Adventure

Since moving in two days isn’t stressful enough, I took the time out to create my “gear photo”.  Not only is this a rite of passage for all thru hikers, it’s helpful if I get lost and need to be rescued. My home support team (my mother) can see all of the items I set out with and what I’ll be wearing. 

I’ll do a deep dive into the gear later when I have some more time, but this is the result of many months of research into the best brands, ounces vs. functionality, and realizing what I can’t live without. The Kindle made the cut, and the GoPro did not. I’ll be changing gear down the road, sending home the superfluous items and sending in my bear canister & snow gear. 

It’s TWO DAYS until go-time, I fly to SoCal tonight (flight is two hours delayed as we speak), then one night with Scout & Frodo (I’ll do a separate post on them, they deserve many more words), and then I’ll be feet on the trail on Sunday. 

I CAN’T WAIT. 

Also – I moved, with two hours to spare and many hours worth of help from my mom & brother. Thanks guys. 

Good Morning Campers… after thinking about it for many years, I have decided that 2019 is the year that I will attempt a thru hike of the Pacific Crest Trail. If you don’t know what that is, it’s a 2,650 mile trail that runs from the Mexican border to the Canadian border that runs through California, Oregon, and Washington. It’s an entirely masochistic thing to attempt, especially for someone like me that has mostly done day hikes and just a few overnighters. 

There are so many things to prepare for, and I will undoubtedly have many more posts for the planning portion of this endeavor. 

• Gear – thru hikers obsess about their gear, getting their base pack weight as low as possible. I hate to admit I fell into this time-suck a few years ago and have spent endless hours in forums, facebook groups, and list serves gleaning as much information as I can. 
• Timing – I have a couple commitments in the spring that cut into optimal hiking time. The permit for the this hike is also a variable that will affect how I begin. 
• Health – I think most of you know I’m a walking allergic reaction. I need to figure out a bullet proof plan to prepare for all sorts of ways my body will try to kill me
• Fitness – time to hit the gym! If I’m trying to cut the pack weight as much as possible, it makes sense to try to cut excess off the body weight as well. I’m going to prep with a few overnight hikes & work on getting a bunch of cardio, weightlifting, and stretching in before April. 

I’ll keep you all apprised of my progress with a bajillion blog posts!