work?

Is there anything new to report on? NO... I have grand ambitions of being ready for this trail by Monday. For no good reason mind you! I have 2 more months of waiting. So much time to get my shi... stuff together, yet I feel a sense of urgency. 


So today at work, the Outdoor Gear Exchange, a home grown EMS/ REI type place, I ran around with blue rimmed, yellow lens sunglasses (which make you look really fast!) and an Outdoor Research sun runner cap, while singing pirate songs and randomly striking "action" poses for my co-workers. Were they scared? Oh yes!


I may need to find a more productive way to release all this excitement. With the lack of snow this year out side is a good, easy thing to do.


Peace and Love!

Itinerary

Departing Manchester Airport,  Saturday, April 24th 2010! 

My nerves are continuously freaking out and it is really hard to keep my head in my shoulders! One word is not adequate to portray the cyclical effect of excitement that I have been living with for the past month, so here are some synonyms that may aid my previous lack luster phrase... 

access, backfire, bang, blast, blowout, blowup,burst, clap, combustion, concussion, crack, detonation, firing, fit, flare-up, fulmination, gust, ignition, outbreak, outburst, paroxysm, percussion, pop, report, roar, salvo!

Thank you Thesaurus.com

There is a good quote from the Italian writer, Alessandro Baricco, that explains the emotion well, "Only the unstoppable machine of the sea still tears away at the silence with the cyclical explosion of nocturnal waves..."  

Things are in full swing though! My lists finally have items crossed off and feelings are positive and in a forward type motion, (which is always good). 

I have gotten some questions about where I will be when. Well, I did some figuring and here is a rough plan of where I will be stopping and when.

PCT 2010

Section	mi/day	ft/day	Distance (mi)	Elev. Gain (ft)	Days	Arrival
Campo (start)	26-4-10
Campo to Mt. Laguna	22.7	2897	42.9	5485	1.9	27-4-10
Mt. Laguna to Warner Springs	25.1	1295	67.7	3500	2.7	30-4-10
Warner Springs to Idylwild	22.1	3247	69.6	10211	3.1	04-5-10
Idylwild to Big Bear City	22.6	2901	96.1	12307	4.2	08-5-10
Big Bear City to Wrightwood	23.8	2147	89.6	8090	3.8	13-5-10
Wrightwood to Agua Dulce	23.0	2691	89.0	10428	3.9	19-5-10
Agua Dulce to Tehachapi	23.1	2629	100.2	11427	4.3	23-5-10
Tehachapi to Kennedy Meadows	23.1	2610	141.9	16045	6.1	01-6-10
Kennedy Meadows to Vermillion Valley Resort	21.6	3608	174.3	29128	8.1	09-6-10
Vermillion Valley Resort to Tuolumne Meadows	22.3	3107	65.5	9110	2.9	14-6-10
Tuolumne Meadows to Echo Lake Resort	22.6	2943	152.6	19885	6.8	21-6-10
Echo Lake Resort to Sierra City	23.4	2427	102.1	10606	4.4	27-6-10
Sierra City to Belden	22.9	2757	91.7	11056	4.0	01-7-10
Belden to Chester	22.1	3267	46.5	6875	2.1	03-7-10
Chester to Burney Falls State Park	24.9	1379	87.8	4857	3.5	07-7-10
Burney Falls State Park to Castella	23.6	2276	82.9	8000	3.5	12-7-10
Castella to Etna	23.1	2582	99.8	11144	4.3	16-7-10
Etna to Seiad Valley	24.3	1791	56.8	4185	2.3	20-7-10
Seiad Valley to Ashland	21.9	3397	64.5	10002	2.9	24-7-10
Ashland to Crater Lake Post Office	23.7	2220	105.4	9883	4.5	28-7-10
Crater Lake Post Office to Cascade Summit	24.1	1931	79.6	6376	3.3	01-8-10
Cascade Summit to Sisters	23.8	2128	77.1	6891	3.2	05-8-10
Sisters to Timberline Lodge	23.3	2447	117.8	12355	5.0	12-8-10
Timberline Lodge to White Pass	22.7	2871	197.4	24977	8.7	21-8-10
White Pass to Snoqualime Pass	23.7	2173	98.6	9025	4.2	26-8-10
Snoqualime Pass to Skykomish	21.3	3829	74.5	13420	3.5	31-8-10
Skykomish to Stehekin	21.5	3674	97.8	16720	4.6	05-9-10
Stehekin to Manning Park	22.2	3184	88.8	12723	4.0	11-9-10

The towns in Italics are the towns that I will be mailing food and supplies to. Other places I will just be buying food as I go, in grocers.

There is a lot if Information on this post already but I thought I would add a link. This is one of the coolest guys I have heard of, an older gentlemen called Nimblewill Nomad. This link goes to a video of Nimblewill reciting a poem that is one of my favorites.

Peace and Love

Lists

In order for me to not go all nutty and do too much or too little, I have made a couple of lists... this is my type A coming out.

First list! HAVES: tent, backpack, sleeping bag, sleeping pad, cookset, rain coat, etc.etc.

Second list... HAVE NOT: (things i do not yet have but need) such as, sun screen, sunhat, shoes! sanity, etc.etc.

So far, I made the lists and they have in fact made me feel a whole lot better (even though I haven't crossed anything off yet). So much for type A personality.

Make a difference while hiking!

Plain ticket? check!
Backpacking gear? Check!
A Purpose? che..wait, what?

Who has a purpose when they go backpacking? I mean other than your typical "getting, excersize, in tune with nature, escape the pressures of the "real world"". Well I certainly didnt at first. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that maybe it shouldnt be just about me this time.

I decided to raise money for a charity. which charity? Well the one that stuck out in my mind was the non profit organization, Save the Children.

Now for those of you who know me, you might be thinking, "Children? you dont like kids." Well you would be wrong! I do like kids. I feel very strongly for helping those in need and kids need. Save the Children, I think, does the best job helping. Putting over 90% of there money into program services. This is greater than most non profits. Another reason I chose this group is because it started in the Appalachian mountain region of the US. A place that since 2008 (my AT hike) has been near and dear to me.

I know I dont start hiking for another 3 months or so, but I thought it would be good to let people know my intentions and to get the word out.

The Pacific Crest Trail is a 2,650 mile, 4,265 kilometer, trail. So, I am trying to raise $2,650.00. if I reach this goal, I have a secondary goal of $4,265.00. 


I would appreciate any help that people feel comfortable giving: DONATE, advise, or forwarding the message to a friend. OK my sale is over now. That "please donate" stuff always makes me nervous, but I will get use to it. 


Just so you know, if you follow the donation link it goes to the fundraising site and I am happy to assure everyone that I do not touch any of the money! Which eases my nerves, quite frankly. 


All right that is all for now. 
Peace and Love!

Gear

So I thought that people might want to know what gear I am taking on this journey of mine. Here are some items that i am particularly excited about.

Granite Gear Vapor Trail (This is a lighter pack than the one I used for the AT, but I will be carrying less weight... fingers crossed.)

Western Mountaineering Ultralite 20* (what an upgrade this will be from my Marmot Pounder Plus 25*, which I can still use as a very comfortable summer bag but is more like a 40* after care taking in the White mountains and getting dragged along the Appalachian Trail.)

Thermarest Zlite (I carried a ProLite on the AT and it was really nice but with the wet weather I experienced, mildew grew prolifically. Also didnt want to risk puncturing an air mattress in the Desert and Chaparel.)

pepsi can alcohol stove (this includes primer pan and windscreen.) 

(Why not the Jet boil? well, it is because I will have nothing but time when I am out there and I never developed the "Hiker Hunger" when I was on the AT, so I really dont see the need to boil water in 90 seconds.)

Sea to Summit Ti long handled spoon (Oh Luxury!)

Snow Peak Ti Mini Solo cook set (a nice lite addition to the dining scene)


So thats it for now.
Peace and Love!

The 1st post

So this is the first in a long line of posts that will document my preparation and hike of the Pacific Crest Trail! It has been since October 8th 2008 when I summited Katahdin, the northern terminus of the Appalachian Trail, and I have been itching to get back on a long trail ever since.

The months are down to 3, til I fly from my home state of NH to sunny San Diego. My plain ticket was bought over 2 months ago and most of my gear upgrades are purchased. some last minute ods and ends and food and I should be set.

On this expedition I am also fundraising money for the non profit oganization, Save the Children. A link to my fundraising page is up at the top of the blog but here is another link just in case, Steph's trek for children.

more to come soon!
Peace and Love