25 more days. 4 weeks. July somethingth, 2015: I found out about the PCT. From then to now, I have gone through so many attitude shifts and different states of mind about the whole thing, the final result is really just anticlimactic. There are a lot of words to describe how I feel about being …
I have been told many times that in order to not die, I will need a down jacket. Okay, maybe no one said I would die, but I've met some resistance against me bringing a synthetic jacket. "But, if it gets wet it will be useless!" "You're gonna be cold!" "RABBLE RABBLE RABBLE" I hate …
When I started gearing up for the PCT, I did research into what I thought looked good and didn't give much thought to alternatives. I was actually a stubborn ass about it and had to eat my words a couple times when I had people say "I hate to tell you I told you so". …
Ah, one of my favorite items of gear. These are the pants that started my descent into ounce counting madness, what pushed me out of my comfort zone of conventional hiking clothing. They freed me from the shackles of hiking pants. They freed me from the sweaty prison that is rain pants. I saw someone …
It's a big spooky El Nino year in 2016, so traction for getting over snow/ice is a big ticket item (for me). While most went for microspikes, I went a little crazy and went with hiking crampons. Why? I'd heard about microspikes slipping off people's shoes on inclines. Whether or not that's a constant problem …
I love my gear and gear in general, but I'm so over it right now. That being said, maybe I can be of use to someone out there. To stray from having an entire book written about my gear, and to make things interesting for myself (because I'm selfish), my planned format is to review …
Oddly enough, most of my exhaustion wore off once I started climbing up the mountain. New energy seeped through my skin and worked its way into my muscles, and I felt pretty good. My legs were cooperating, my breathing was still ragged, but I was able to continue. Every so often I'd stop. I did …
Continue reading Tales from the Trail: Why is Anything Happening Ever
Did I seriously forget to bring food again? Ah well, what can you do. That feeling of dread was quickly replaced with my legs pounding with exhaustion. I consoled them with a generous amount of stretching, and eventually they calmed down. I sat back down and stared at the basin below me for a little …
Continue reading Tales from the Trail: Going Up, Feeling Down
I made my way down Anderson Pass, going through my favorite boulder field, and finally hitting the trail down into the basin. I passed the weary couple who descended down mountain prematurely due to weather concerns. We talked a little, I noted how right they were for getting down early. I felt like such an …
Continue reading Tales From the Trail: Exhaustion, Dehydration. Worth It
"That night sucked. That night absolutely sucked" I thought as my eyes opened again. I had only slept another hour since I last woke up, and the sun was up enough to illuminate everything around me in a cold grey. I was hesitant to leave my tent. It was bright enough around my camp, but …
The Limping Rabbit 