2MoreMiles…

There will be no mutiny here. It appears that the Immune system has been feeling a little left out, unappreciated and apparently jealous of the skeletal, muscular and even the digestive system’s attention as of late, and has attempted a mutiny of sorts. It all started with “false flag” muscle spasms in the lower back, coupled with knee and ankle/achilles pain. If it were not for low end nagging inner ear pain that was later followed by coughing up colorful sticky goobers (too graphic for ya?) I would have thought all the muscle issues may have become “deal breakers” so close to the start of our thru-hike. Luckily, the muscular system ended up diming off the immuno thugs, after a session with my friend Erika Figge who beat the spasming muscles into submission (via percussion therapy). The muscle system then retaliated by coughing up the tell-tale nasty goobers, thus exposing the Immunes as the Prima donna’s they are, and once again, the Immune’s feeble attempt at insurrection has been quelled…thank you Alexander Fleming (penicillin 1928) and Tadeus Reichstein (first synthesized vitamin C, 1933). We will have no more thought of insurrection on the trail as we will be well armed with hand sanitizer, Emergen-C and cache of antibiotics for use, be there another attempted uprising.

So you know that feeling you get before that big presentation, upcoming athletic event, or interview? You’ve done countless hours/days/months of preparation. You’ve checked and rechecked your information, gear, goals and benchmarks. Visualized and gone through the “big event” in your head a thousand times to optimize your performance, and just before… you get that queezy feeling in the pit of your stomach, a bit or worry maybe self doubt attempts to lodge itself in your psyche as you wonder, “What was I thinking?” “Have I prepared enough?” “Will all go as planned?”

And then you hear that stupid saying your college coach used to chant, “If if’s and buts were candy and nuts, we’d all have a merry Christmas”…at least that’s how I remember it. Meaning, for me that, IT IS WHAT IT IS. Translation…It’s just a really long walk. You’re as prepared as you’re going to be, and of course NOTHING will go as planned (Murphy’s Law)…that’s the adventure! Thus anticipation turns to excitement which is currently evolving into impatience as we are now roughly 1 week out. Alas there are still things to tighten up on the home front as one must still be responsible…damit! Not quite sure whatever quite compelled us to strive to be responsible adults, maybe we’ll get over it one day…doubtful, but one must have something to strive for.

All permits have arrived. Taxes are done. Two major home projects scraped till we get back. Weather forecast checked for launch date. Re-supply boxes packed/organized…ready to mail (mostly). Now to per-flight our gear one more time to make sure it’s still good to go, and more importantly figure out how to pack all our crap into our synthetic shoulder carry “U-hauls”.

5 years in the planning and 26 days out we are still working on the details.  Food prep and supply boxes should be completed by the end of this week.  We are planning to use the hybrid strategy and will mail 12-13 boxes.  We are betting that we will be hungry enough to eat the food we have pre-packaged via our FoodSaver and #10 cans of dehydrated food from Emergency Essentials.  We will certainly miss “fresh” food and especially SALADS..they just don’t rehydrate well, and thus during in-town resupplies will be going as “fresh” as we are able to carry and keep.

And so begins the packaging. Thank goodness for companies that provide already dehydrated foods for our prep. It was a pain in the vacuum packer as it was. Those of you who did it yourselves are frankly overachievers and make us feel like slackers…not a first. Below is the result, and that is just breakfast and dinner!

Lunch and snacks to follow, as well as the acquisition of enough coffee, G2 and Emergen-C. Still to figure are other “essentials” in the form of toiletries, clothing, footwear/care to name a few.

So as it appears that our pending adventure has initiated some inquiries that require some attention and to put those of you who think us bat-shit crazy (not anything new) and/or are genuinely concerned for our well being we will hopefully put some puzzlements to bed…
1. “How long will this take?” – We are hoping not much more than 5 months. Yes that is approximately 150 days of continuous walking an average of 20+ miles a day in mostly the same clothes with all our necessities (food, shelter, water, toothbrush/paste, phone, and a few other things) on our backs. The amount of time it will take us will depend on several factors: Trail conditions, Weather conditions, injuries, number of “zeros” (non- hiking “recovery” days) we take, and/or home issues we have to attend to.
2. “What’s the difference between a “Zero” and a “Nero”?” – A “zero” is a day wherein we do not hike, but laze around hopefully in a “posh” hotel (this would be anything with electricity, a soft bed and hot shower) and gorge ourselves with “fresh” non-dehydrated food. In addition to cleansing our bodies of trail dirt and stink, the same will be done with our clothing. Re-supply boxes and/or in town resupply will be done as well in preparation for next leg. A “Nero” is a day in which not much hiking is done, for either rest purposes, waiting for post office to open, we like the spot were at and want to spend more time there…any number of reasons. We have approximately 16 “Zeros” planned which include spending 2 days at the Kick Off at Lake Morena.
3. “Where do you go to the bathroom?” – The same place all outdoor mammals go. Ideally we do this far from the trail, as there is nothing glamorous about taking a crap in the wilderness.
4. “Where will you sleep?” – We have a light-weight 3-season tent that in theory will “protect” us from the elements and more importantly from being easily “sampled” (ie. licked, yes it’s happened) by the wildlife and/or bitey insects as we lay sleeping.
5. “Do you get to shower?” – Ideally once a week or so. From our previous THru-hike of the Tahoe Rim Trail, and by the fact our neighbors who picked us up for a resupply during that trip looked a little ashen as they drove with all the windows down…We know that given a couple of days we will smell like “ass” (think about wearing your gym clothes everyday all day for a week or more) or if your kid ever played ice hockey or lacrosse… you know how the inside of their bag or gloves smell, ya that will be us. This is not to say we won’t try and “wash up” (cause we will and have) as best we can each night via wet wipes,or ice cold stream baths, but until then we will be aromatic to say the least. It is interesting to note that while our noses will tune out our stank, we will become acutely aware of the lack of stink, or the smell of cleanliness of those day hikers and Trail Angels we meet along the way. When we were on the TRT and were within an hour or so of a major trailhead, we began to see more and more people…and we got to where we would discuss how they smelled like one would a fine wine.
6. “What will you do for protection? Will you carry a weapon?” – Seeing there will be two of us, and those of you who know us and our backgrounds, there is really no need for anything but quick wit supplemented by “two hands, a knife and a bad temper”.
7. “What about food and water?” – As we are looking to keep our pack weights as low as possible, carrying enough food and water create similar but different challenges. A days worth of food averages 2 lbs. A days worth of water (5 liters) is 10lbs. The amount of food we carry will depend on our resupply locations, and as we have figured shouldn’t be more than 7 days. Most average five days or so. Our food is pre-packaged and/or mostly dehydrated meals, ProBars, trail mix, calorie dense food. We made “mini meals” of our dehydrated food to taste test. As they tasted pretty good when not hungry we expect them to be AWESOME when we are ravenous a the end of the day. We will ship nearly 12 resupply boxes and at other times resupply in town, and repackage our food in zip-locks for preparation on the trail. We will use a JetBoil stove for heating water to add to our meals. Water on the other hand at some areas will be scarce and will need to be metered out according to available water sources and/or confirmed water caches maintained by “trail angels”. We have good maps and a detailed and constantly updated water report via a cool app (PCTHYOH) that matches up with Halfmile’s maps and the water report (www.pctwater.com). We have the capacity to carry as much as 5 liters of water at a time, more if we get creative. Ideally we won’t have to carry that much at a time, but will be able to “camel up” at each water source (which means drink till we can’t drink anymore) so as to manage our water weight. It is especially important for Dee not approach anywhere near dehydration as the combo of low H2O and electrolytes will trigger a heart arrhythmia that could take her off the trail, thus we will tend to carry more water (and electrolytes) than may be “necessary” to get to the next water source.
8. “Are you really going to go the whole way?” – Yes, that is the plan. As long as our bodies hold out, and things go well on the home front, the plan is to trek to Canada whilst carrying our “essentials” on our backs. Whether we break it up in our minds via weeks, 26 sets of 100 miles, or 100 sets of 26 miles a hiking we will go. What is funny is that the distance we could fly in an hour we could drive in a day, but it will take a week to walk.
9. “Will you be hiking in a group?” – Not specifically, it depends if you consider 500+ people attempting a thru-hike or section hike of the PCT with varying start times and possibly locations a group or a “herd” (of cats). Most hike Northbound while some hike Southbound. I expect we will meet other PCT hikers along the way and most likely “group” together leap frogging along the way.
9. “Are you sure you wont get sick of spending so much time together…5+ months of 24/7?” – Let’s see, we’ve been married going on 28 years, we are both recently retired, and thus are used to and actually enjoy being around eachother 24/7 (It’s like BC – before children). Not to say we might get on each other’s nerves, as we are yin and yang at times, but be sick of each other’s company…don’t bet on it. As BFF’s we cant think of a better way to spend time together than on an epic adventure like this.
10. “What will you do when you are done?” – We have 2650 miles to figure that out…probably prep for our October elk hunting trip.

The more we do to prepare for this adventure the more in awe we are of the early pioneers who traversed practically uncharted territory from the Mississippi to the Pacific Ocean.  Can you imagine walking in their shoes, I mean literally…no lightweight moisture wicking Vibram soled shoes. Heavy canvas tents, wool blankets to keep you warm while you sleep…and walk. Cumbersome cooking stove/utensils.  No water treatment system to protect you from “beaver fever” (aka. Giardia). Pushing/pulling a hand cart to carry all their “necessary” stuff.  Little to no opportunity to resupply in town, therefore they had to carry every ounce of food/water they figured they needed for the 5-6 month trek (if it only took them that long), and/or be proficient enough to hunt/fish/gather to supplement their supplies. Communication with the “civilized” world was limited at best to what we would call “hard copy” written correspondence that would take weeks…with good weather! Let us not forget the early pioneers of the PCT, particularly the YMCA Boy Scout Relay in the 1930’s and our friends who first hiked this trail in the 70’s. Their stuff was an “upgrade” from our true pioneers and yet nearly unconscionable to carry in this day in age of the “ultra-light” hiker. Several hundred pounds in the 1800’s whittled down to a measly 70lbs in the 70’s, and is now 20-30lbs max today. We applaud our forefathers and the technological advances in what we refer to as “gear”. We may even thank Paul’s oldest brother for his fine job surveying the Southern California route of the PCT when he worked for the US Forest Service…maybe, we’ll see.

Enough of waxing philosophical, there will be none of that in this blog. This is about a long time (for this day and age) married couple taking a really long walk. The awesome sights we see and the challenges/tests we face and endure, the people we meet, and the fun we have along the way. But wait there’s more…

We are not really land creatures. Most if not all of our outdoor experience is water related…if it involves water we’ve probably done it. Thus our challenge will be keeping our bodies (in particular our backs and for me my left knee) from quitting on us. For both of us our primary athletic training has involved swimming, which is a non weight-bearing activity and does not require a lot of “focus” (In college I used to practice math and physics theorems, write term papers and calculate split times all while face down in the water breathing every 5th stroke or so…Luckily I didn’t lead off on many sets, so all I had to do was leave 5 sec after the person in front of me, otherwise all that cerebral multi-tasking was out the window) In any event, swimming comes natural to us and as such does not require us to have to really “pay attention”. Walking however, requires A LOT of attention, as there are obstacles that can trip you, poke you, bite you, and worst case EAT you. And then there is the issue of gravity and for me heights. Needless to say this adventure will be challenging, but doable. We figure we have swum over 25 million yards each, which amounts to over 15,000 miles (and still growing) in our lifetime. Completed double-days and early morning workouts for as long as we can remember. Fallen asleep in our food, and woken up just in time to make it to the next workout. We figure if we can endure that type of yardage which requires infinite discipline (both mental and physical) walking 2650+ miles can be equated to another athletic endeavor/event, broken essentially into “sets” that will require similar discipline and tenacity. With that said, we will listen to our bodies, work through sore muscles and days we just don’t want to “train”, quell that little voice that sometimes creeps in and asks, ‘Are you sure you want to do this?’, and more importantly continually give thanks to The Lord above for the awesome opportunity we have been afforded to do the things we put our minds to…Just say’n.

So how does one organize for and leave on a long distance multiple month long 2650+ mile continuous backpacking adventure, ensure that their house, collegiate children, dog, two fish, new avocado tree, Jacuzzi, lawn and bills are taken care of and more importantly survive your absence?  Likewise how can you actually enjoy the adventure with the above mentioned concerns and responsibilities? Not sure, but we are doing our best to reign in Chaos. Luckily our friends tell us we have good responsible kids…and we do (those of you who are parents know what we’re talking about when we say our “friends tell us”), we have on-line and automatic bill pay, and AWESOME neighbors, friends and family who have offered to oversee and assist us in fulfilling this adventure.

We have enlisted the help of a friend of ours who will house/dog/fish sit till both kids are home for the summer from their respective colleges…and will pop in time to time during our absence for “spot audits”.

Our neighbors on both sides, as well as our friends Brian and Jody, will also be there to help coordinate the mailing of re-supply packages, and the handling of any “oh shits” our kids may encounter in our absence (illness, home and yard care/repair, car troubles, etc…).  Some have even entertained the thought of joining us, or at least meeting us on the trail from time to time.

We have one more major home project to complete, of which we may leave till we are back from this adventure seeing it’s taken this long to complete…what’s another 5 months right?

Currently we are working on completing our meal packaging for distribution into resupply boxes. We’ve done two week trips, but coordinating 5 months worth of logistics is quite daunting. Looking at other people’s current and previous PCT thru-hikers blogs is helpful and at the same time intimidating. Have we ordered enough dehydrated food? Will we pack enough calories? Have we approximated our re-supply box pick up dates and locations correctly? When will we really need new socks, underwear, shirts, shoes, toothpaste, our micro spikes, duct tape, moleskin, KT tape, toilet paper, G2, Via coffee, the list goes on and on. Then comes the decision of what do we really NEED to carry with us besides food and water. Are there things we think we need but in fact do/will not? We suspect so, and most likely will learn to truly define our actual needs, fairly quickly I hope. With that being said, I (Dee) tend to over pack (an actual understatement) as I like having the ability to cover and account for any and all possible situations and needs, but then that would require a UHaul trailer and that is NOT practical. While I am not incapable of carrying a 70 lbs pack, to do so would be silly. Decisions. Decisions.

Even though we are finally getting some much needed rain, California’s current drought conditions may require us to cache water in strategic locations, as we don’t want to rely on the numerous “trail angels” (nor should we) to ensure our proper hydration, especially seeing that we are leaving nearly a month ahead of the “herd” that will set off on the PCT from the southern terminus near Campo, California in late April after the Annual Day Zero Pacific Crest Trail Kick Off (ADZPCTKO) at lake Morena…and if we in fact don’t need all the water we’ve cached, then all the better for the “herd”.

We have been taking some trial runs with the Delorme InReach SE, and are deciding whether we are going to carry Halfmile’s maps in “hard copy” or “electronic version”. Maybe both. We kind of like having the ability to hold maps in our grubby little hands, however being able to enlarge them for our “over 50” eyes for more thorough perusal in the field electronically via “smart phone”, as well as reducing items to carry would be nice too. Week one on the PCT may help with the decision.

My husband and I have been planning this “hike” (2650 miles and then some…) for going on 5 years now.  (Thank you PBS for the inspiration) Things are lined up and we are preparing to launch ourselves onto the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) sometime in late March or very early April 2014.   Most of our gear is purchased…and tested for the most part . Once it’s all confirmed we’ll post our list for those who may be interested.  The food “thing” or rather our resupply strategy is evolving and starting come together (more on that in a later post).  We are probably fitter than we’ve been in nearly 10 years…lighter too. I’m gonna chalk that up to retirement and the jettisoning of stupid work related stress, as well as a significant change in eating habits.  As special shout out to OC Spine and Physical Medicine (Dr. Ryan) and especially Dr. Karen Bloch and Erika Figge (soon to be Dr. Figge) at Complete Koncepts for putting our battered and well used/abused bodies/spines back together again.  Playing outside full throttle all these years has not been without consequence, yet totally worth every memory and experience…maybe not so much the injuries though.

We are expecting this trek to take 5 months or so and are looking forward to the challenge and adventure.  Many of our family and friends believe us to be crazy, but then that is nothing new.  What a blessing to:

1. Be healthy enough to embark on such an adventure.

2. Have the means  with which to finance it

3. Have the time to thru-hike the PCT

4. Have the support of our family and friends…even if some think us crazy.

Our expectation is to hike the PCT in its entirety via a continuous thru-hike…Mexico to Canada.  We have no illusions that this will be easy, or even that we will enjoy all parts of the journey, but then nothing worth having or doing, ever is.  On our thru-hike of the Tahoe Rim Trail (165 miles seemingly uphill ALL ways) this last summer, we coined the term “2 more miles…” or “2 miles…” as the answer and strategies for all questions and challenges.  For example;  When should take a break?  How much further to the next water source.  How far back did we miss the turn? When should we stop and set up camp?  When did that blister happen?  How long have I been walking with a gapping hole in the front of my pants?  We should be able to talk to each other again in… The answer to every and all inquiries seemed always to be or involve “2 miles”.  Hence the name of our blog, “2 more miles”.  When things get tough we will always have 2 miles…and you can do anything for 2 miles.