tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-59816131922591428112024-03-13T02:56:57.052-07:00JK's Adventure Page...Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger152125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5981613192259142811.post-47573615514095875902015-06-07T07:06:00.000-07:002015-06-07T07:13:31.063-07:00 The other day while sitting with a friend, he began questioning me about my adventures on foot. I began trying to find the words of describing a beautiful place I had been , when he interrupted me. He asked, "Does anything bad ever happen to you out there?" I thought for a second, then with a bit of a chuckle, I replied.<br />
"Well,, I have had contracted Guardia and other water born illnesses several times. I once fell down a snow chute just three before completing and busting up my tailbone and tore all the skin off both elbows and arms. I cracked myself in the head by a low lying branch, and woke up an hour later, not knowing where I was. I have walked on more blisters than I can count, some the size of golfballs, only to have them turn to infections because I could not stop walking. I have lost all of my toenails, most, multiple times. I have been cut, scraped and bruised almost daily. I have walked thousands of miles with bummed knees, swollen angles and feet, shin splints, torn muscles and ligaments, and had to eat advil like m&m's. I have been lost, hot, cold, thirsty, starved, or lonely, one of which, most of the time. Walked countless miles with ass rash or some other form of chafing. Been chased by dogs, bulls, bees and venomous snakes. Faced down bears, lions and drunks. I have been stopped by cops, detained by sheriffs, and held at gunpoint by crazy land owners. I have been yelled at by passing cars to get a life, job or haircut. Been told not to panhandle in front of the post office, or shower in the sprinklers. I have been kicked out of buffets for eating too much and hanging out into the meal change. I have lost my phone, maps, cash, credit cards, meds, hats, sunglasses, tent stakes and many other things that keep me walking safely." <br />
And then he interrupted me with, "WTF, why the hell do you do it?" And I thought once again and could only come up with' "Because its fun..." Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5981613192259142811.post-16122717943072025172015-04-18T18:11:00.000-07:002015-04-18T18:49:45.472-07:00 I just spent a better part of a week out on the PCT, hiking section A and B. I really had no plans other than just hopping onto the trail and hiking with a friend [super classy]. She had started at the Mexican Border and was in the beginning of her dream of hiking the entire PCT.<br />
I parked my truck at Barrel Springs and hiked South, knowing she was hiking North in the San Felipe Hills. It was not long before I saw her just below the High Point. We united and began hiking North. She seemed to be doing well and was very cheery. The sky was clear and the temperature was nice in cool. Considering we were in one of the warmest stretches in the entire trail, it was nice. We met up with some other hikers at Barrel Springs, ate some food and pushed onward. We ended up camping in a nice Oak grove. <br />
The next morning was very pleasant. We passed some very inquisitive cows, took pictures at Eagle Rock and talked a lot on our way into the Warner Springs Community Center. At the center we had breakfast, rummaged through the hiker boxes and I got a ride to Barrel Springs to retrieve my truck. We stopped by my favorite Oak Tree on the PCT and took some pictures. Later that evening we continued on and camped along Caliente Creek.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Zts5BC9LFE-X1Hv1UowirdRiJZK2U-jWrKiGrH4_B1Ki3xwuXbsYXYeYkjyfmPHjOs-0ufbV-hsYdPBV8-0K3Xtt9M0Jr3uq_jh4cf6UFn_fyCTg8xgm4JkBfgin-51a-06b7ecmiKA/s1600/FullSizeRender+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Zts5BC9LFE-X1Hv1UowirdRiJZK2U-jWrKiGrH4_B1Ki3xwuXbsYXYeYkjyfmPHjOs-0ufbV-hsYdPBV8-0K3Xtt9M0Jr3uq_jh4cf6UFn_fyCTg8xgm4JkBfgin-51a-06b7ecmiKA/s1600/FullSizeRender+copy.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div> The next morning I knew that it was time for me to move on and start hiking my happy pace. I told [SC] that I would be doing this, and she said that she figured so. I put in my head phones and began zoning out and crushed some miles. Before long I was coming over the high point and was shocked to see how much the area is beginning regrow after the last fire. I have always been concerned in that area, for it has been years since the fire and it just never seemed to regenerate. But it is finally starting to show promise.<br />
I saw lots of hikers along this stretch and eventually stopped at Mike Herrera's, where Kennedy Meadows Tom was holding down the fort. This was the first time in all the years that I took the time to actually walk to the home. In the past there was always a water cache at the road crossing, and no reason to go over to the water tanks or the house. Tom cooked some cheeseburgers, We exchanged some conversations and I made my way back out into the desert for some much needed miles.<br />
The temperature had warmed up, but it was short lived as the evening began to take fold. This stretch has always been among my favorites along Southern California. The Anza Desert is very much alive along the Tule Canyon Area. Upon reaching the Tule Tank, I showered and shaved under the water hose. I cleaned all my clothes as well as my socks and headed back out into the evening. The sun down was extraordinary.<br />
I walked into the night and had one of the best night hikes in a very long time. I ended up finding a secluded camp on a rock outcropping. The stars were remarkable and I laid awake for hours reminiscing of the many star lit nights I have had. Things were quite humbling and I eventually fell asleep to the sound of the distant coyotes and nearby owls.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5jwC44i02chUoE2FMSeSgM6hZqsFtaB2nH9q32fKQNuVf_hb_jvgMBy0ykHGQcWbAM17st7IwlSKR5J4CL45ZzXQkBA7TLCb_RBskI3utS85iBgEUMpCcynHtHvfzef7RBB4XPN2a6qU/s1600/IMG_7838.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5jwC44i02chUoE2FMSeSgM6hZqsFtaB2nH9q32fKQNuVf_hb_jvgMBy0ykHGQcWbAM17st7IwlSKR5J4CL45ZzXQkBA7TLCb_RBskI3utS85iBgEUMpCcynHtHvfzef7RBB4XPN2a6qU/s1600/IMG_7838.JPG" height="640" width="640" /></a>Upon the first hint of light, I was quickly dressed and heading for the Paradise Cafe. I was not surprised to find the Anza Cache fully stocked, and nicely organized. But I was completely surprised to find Mary's Cache a 100 feet off the trail. This cache had picnic benches, a small library, coolers full of soda and fruit, a separate box with food and a couple of seperate regesters. One regester in particular was her attempt to politically gather everyones opinion of caches. This is a nice oasis for the weary traveler, but putting so much comfort along a trail, just continues to bite away at our wilderness experience. But I drank a soda and pushed on to Paradise Cafe without leaving any negative words in her register. </div>I walked into Paradise Cafe in the late morning hours. I was greeted by several hikers, most getting ready to hitch around the fire closure and the others preparing to connect their footsteps from Mexico to Canada, by walking a shorter detour. I sat around there for a while and had a chicken salad. Super Classy showed up first from the people I saw from the previous day, and then one by one the others began to pour in. After a lengthy stay, I chugged down a chocolate shake, and headed back out into the afternoon sun. <br />
Not long after I was back on trail, I began to run into more of the previous hikers that I had already met. One by one I continued to cross paths with hikers.<br />
Back at Mary's cache, as the sun was going down, I began looking for a site to camp in, but the whole are looked like a toilet due to all the toilet paper lying around. I went ahead and pushed on to the famous rock cropping camp spots. Along the way, there was a tent set up in every wash and clearing. I was not surprised to find the rock cropping to be full of tents as well. I passed the Anza cache and found a spot up above off trail a bit.<br />
It was another great sunset, as well as a very dark and star lit night. It was not long before I heard the voices of others, another reminder of how many people are hiking the PCT.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmhDYIw1ibblG3syWnE_9Xfxb_TeUyWd_kY8d-BJFltm28-e-MBTaNMUjMLbmTGCUIMTK9u6j_cqB3Ji1RFwciz4PP4nAJMWV3aZkOqcv-t-eOGUn6FLMBPVNTww_ZBWxbdVaizam-u0w/s1600/FullSizeRender.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmhDYIw1ibblG3syWnE_9Xfxb_TeUyWd_kY8d-BJFltm28-e-MBTaNMUjMLbmTGCUIMTK9u6j_cqB3Ji1RFwciz4PP4nAJMWV3aZkOqcv-t-eOGUn6FLMBPVNTww_ZBWxbdVaizam-u0w/s640/FullSizeRender.jpg" /></a></div> The next morning I was up before dawn and passed several tents on my way int Tule Canyon. I saw a coyote, and a large white owl. The morning was cool for the first 7 miles to the Tule Tank. I greeted several late sleepers and took a shower under the hose again. One of the girls there, who was dressed in filthy white and tan desert clothes could not believe I would get soaked under the hose when the air was still cool. But, I just looked at her and said that she would end up with rashes and chafing if she did not start cleaning herself. She thought I was crazy and I departed laughing.<br />
After a pleasant but warm 10 mile climb up to Mikes house, I scooted into the shade for the most part of the rest of the day.I saw a couple repeat offenders, and my old business agent from my Union. He had retired and was now hiking the trail. He said he had been following my endeavors for years and was the biggest inspiration for his wife and he before their hike. His wife was now off trail, and he was living his dream alone. It was quite a humbling experience, and I hope to follow his progress.<br />
I left into the dark and night hiked to the edge of Warner Valley, where I had signal and caught up with communicating with my friends and down loaded pictures onto FB. The next morning I was back at my truck by 7am, and back at home surfing by 11am. The PCT is still an amazing place but it is changing rapidly, and I am very grateful to have hiked it when I did. I have no desire in thru-hiking her for a few more years. It really makes me want to hike the CDT before it gets like this in the near future. So next year, I think that is what I will do.<br />
Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5981613192259142811.post-83426212941076452112015-03-23T08:30:00.000-07:002015-04-18T18:11:19.823-07:00Living in your filth... The internet is a funny place. When you get on one of these hiking pages and begin discussing hiking related topics, you get a whole barrage of comments and statements. Some are meant to be in humor, others are 2nd and 3rd hand knowledge and a few are hard learned lessons from seasoned hikers. It is a wonder that any new hiker can absorb the correct info and make the correct decision.<br />
There is one issue I see with a lot of hikers, [and some being seasoned] that opens up an entire can of worms with their entire healthy existence while living on the trail. Not only that, they take this issue and bring it to town and push it on the patrons who know nothing of Long Distance Hiking. The issue is "Living in you own filth".<br />
When I first started ramping up my miles and hiking longer distances, I began to have new issues. I would get blisters, chafing, rashes, and basically have a miserable time trying to make my way up a trail. Once you figure out all the little things related to your gear, clothing and foot wear, there should be no reason that these things should happen.<br />
When a person does not rinse the sweat and salt off their entire body, what begins to happen is the dust and dirt begins to stick, and the rubbing of your clothing, pack, and shoes, begin to tear at your skin. Also a lot of sicknesses people are experiencing is because they simply do not rinse daily or bi-daily.<br />
I understand that the water can be cold, but it is a small price to pay when your back side is chafing or your pack is rubbing against your skin. I see this a lot. People get these insane rashes on their backs, and blame all sorts of things, but I know from hard earned miles that they have not rinsed their shirt, pack or skin.<br />
Keeping clean on trail can be hard, but if you take the time and suffer the cold, it becomes routine, and the health benefit from it is unsurpassed. Not to mention, the seasoned hikers in general, sorta laugh at your filthy existence on trail.<br />
Wearing colorful clothes helps for hiding the dirt, and light solid clothes show the dirt more, but in reality, water rinsing without soap will get you many days of cleanliness till you can finally hit a laundry mat. I also suggest wearing polyesters rather than nylon [accept for socks] because of the rinsing abilities, and the fact that the finer thread patterns do not hold the dirt so well.<br />
Then there are the socks. There are all these new socks with warrantees and promises, but they do not do justice when it comes to the whole hiking package. The simple Nylon Dress sock is my choice because of several reasons. But the most important reason is because of its suburb rinsing abilities. They are thin and if your feet can not handle the lightweight sock at first, just put on a second pair. Eventually your feet will toughen up and it will be more comfortable, due to the breathing abilities of the sock. You will be able to clean them easily and always have a fresh pair. They are lighter, more durable, and cheaper than any other option. But most importantly, if you keep your feet clean, the dirt will not sand your feet to the point of sores or blisters.<br />
I have a little system I do when I want to keep up my daily miles and not sit around cleaning my clothes. I like to wash myself in 3rds. I will stop at a water source, move down stream, and rinse my top half, bottom half or my feet. Considering I will most likely run into 3 water sources that day, I will just divide it up. If the water source is near non existent, I just use my water bottle to rinse.<br />
I have seen problems related to "living in your filth" on every hike, but I figured it out myself several years ago. Sometimes I still fail to keep clean, and almost always, something painful begins to occur. Especially in cold climates when the icy water is not feeling good. <br />
If this begins to make sense to you, this may also help: I suggest All your clothing is thin and easily dry able. It is especially important to be able to rinse your clothing, and dry it out on the back of your pack. This will also help keep some clothing dry while its raining, so that you can crawl into your bag at night with dry clothes. I would test all your clothing before you depart on your journey, by soaking them in water then ringing them out. If they are still soaked, try finding something comparable, that dries a bit faster.<br />
I like using thin running shorts, or sometimes stretch surf trunks. I also like a thin button up dress shirt, both being 100% polyester. I also like tech shirts for added warmth and quality fleece when hiking in colder climates. I never like garmets of any type that hold water rather than repel water..<br />
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Most hikers do not really care about this, but being a Male hiker who has hiked unknown trails to the public, cleanliness is very important to the public eye. Walking into a trailside restaurant or convenient store smelling and looking homeless, are bad for the entire thru-hiking community. It is not as bad in the towns where the majority of locals know what you are doing, but never the less, nobody wants to take their family out to dinner and be sat down next to a table full of thru-hikers.<br />
It does not take that much energy to clean yourself up as best as possible before you run into town. You will smell, look, and feel better.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5981613192259142811.post-83782957804918539322015-03-22T17:07:00.001-07:002015-03-22T17:08:17.862-07:00Back in the water!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDcnc978zEL755NPjV9y6jrfCCXVQ9m7vqPZ5o6DGZSFgaNkIM84nKesmwpEd_l7Nhib4x8CKkgtxvqozjVpmLg5n-PAq4Sslml38qvYfFOsvxl_QQpGkz-SyE2LUkPKOlAJ0JRQV6fMM/s1600/10501862_402988533211992_5734337995598770119_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDcnc978zEL755NPjV9y6jrfCCXVQ9m7vqPZ5o6DGZSFgaNkIM84nKesmwpEd_l7Nhib4x8CKkgtxvqozjVpmLg5n-PAq4Sslml38qvYfFOsvxl_QQpGkz-SyE2LUkPKOlAJ0JRQV6fMM/s1600/10501862_402988533211992_5734337995598770119_n.jpg" height="640" width="330" /></a></div>
I injured my knee 2 1/2 years ago and it was too severe to surf for the 1st 6 months of the injury. I was more focused on healing it enough to walk 3000 miles along the Continental Divide Trail. But as soon as I was done with the CDT, I ended up working in the Bay Area, and just lost all desires to surf. The knee injury is still prevalent, but not as severe. Also I have been doing Cross Fit exercises and P90X workouts as well. My weight has dropped and not only has my overall condition improved, but so has my knee.<br />
So for the past few weeks my first true love has been calling me home, and Yesterday March 21st, I took the longboard out and road some waves. It was like riding a bike and I can not find the words to explain the wonderful feeling I felt inside knowing I could still surf well. I also went out today [the next morning] and it was smaller but cleaner. I had a couple of really good waves. There is nothing quite like a good day of surfing to lift your spirits and touch your soul. I think that surfing led me to hiking, for the solace and living in nature are very similar. Not to mention the healthy lifestyle.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5981613192259142811.post-55430315606388869122015-03-22T14:19:00.001-07:002015-03-22T14:19:45.867-07:00Yosemite Run...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis_I1Di1wqN_yDyPVT47_A2YN0q1jyTU4hli_T1l1Ozv23OCbytCiNctKldGlgoSL_o5IyyiQxHHW4tZcztlu0gkfH_u4F2-Rbv2bWqirOMk_2FDScm_6r3UHFnZl2hW-WiYWGg6h1x-w/s1600/IMG_8078.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis_I1Di1wqN_yDyPVT47_A2YN0q1jyTU4hli_T1l1Ozv23OCbytCiNctKldGlgoSL_o5IyyiQxHHW4tZcztlu0gkfH_u4F2-Rbv2bWqirOMk_2FDScm_6r3UHFnZl2hW-WiYWGg6h1x-w/s1600/IMG_8078.JPG" height="466" width="640" /></a></div>
Now that I am in work mode, I have been focusing on staying in shape. So I have been in the gym after work and trail running as much as possible. Eating right though is most important and probably the hardest part. Not to mention I will soon be going in for a meniscus repair on April 30th. This bum knee has allowed me to hike, but not run long distances. I have not ran any Ultra Marathons in 2 1/2 years since I tore it. But anyways, I went for a 20 mile run with Catra in Yosemite up and over Yosemite Falls and atop North Dome, then down and out via Mirror lake.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh771joruVfXnEhHCvkJ6a4YRwxJLtiOL8QiRSfZi4nC80Mn3MDvw74MNCer5hd5J99YBwyGdA5zgrbFvGkK61XAFwVgAIXJ99jCb8pNyW-18qiY2GcwektmD1erLsSPCiOKLf1uKzBfEE/s1600/FullSizeRender+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh771joruVfXnEhHCvkJ6a4YRwxJLtiOL8QiRSfZi4nC80Mn3MDvw74MNCer5hd5J99YBwyGdA5zgrbFvGkK61XAFwVgAIXJ99jCb8pNyW-18qiY2GcwektmD1erLsSPCiOKLf1uKzBfEE/s1600/FullSizeRender+copy.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a> We had not even made into the park, before the ranger stopped us to tell us that he knew who Catra was. He said he read all about her in Runners World. And that is how it is to hang out with Catra. Not long after, we were greeted by fellow Ultra Runners, that joined in and ran the rest of the day with us. The weather was perfect and the falls were flowing nice. It was a great day in the park. My knee held up pretty good, and we continued meeting other people who knew who Catra was along the way. It sort of reminded me of hiking with Scott Williamson. It was pretty cool, and I surely did not mind taking extra breaks.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIL9XMbIVUcTapBmQIwZ3HI0Hr2H6RMOvLc5vH1mnJXH4TTpymlsrvXGNKZT_lS5B9RMFtAv7Z7IkOEJmJT3v7l5E-nI_b3tZB3VntqeM1HsbxDN7kWKeAIZMxkILi7mY9Cw4wb0Cxba8/s1600/IMG_7838.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIL9XMbIVUcTapBmQIwZ3HI0Hr2H6RMOvLc5vH1mnJXH4TTpymlsrvXGNKZT_lS5B9RMFtAv7Z7IkOEJmJT3v7l5E-nI_b3tZB3VntqeM1HsbxDN7kWKeAIZMxkILi7mY9Cw4wb0Cxba8/s1600/IMG_7838.JPG" height="640" width="640" /></a>We sure were a colorful bunch, and our conversations were great. But the day was just perfect, and I could not believe it was only mid March. We actually ran across a couple of small snow fields and the drinking water was great, [luckily, cause I dropped my water bottle from Yosemite Falls] yes I littered, But I bet someone picked it up for me. Doh....</div>
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We finished our run at Ahwahnee Lodge, where Mark told us a great story about a date he once took there! We supported trail trash everywhere with our pictures and went and had dinner in Curry Village. This unplanned spur of the moment trip was absolutely awesome! I hope we meet up and do it again.</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5981613192259142811.post-79796771758213274432015-03-22T11:35:00.000-07:002015-03-22T13:01:15.219-07:00Winter Road Trips<div>
I am in beginning stages of planning my next long haul across the country. Nothing is in concrete yet, but I am beginning to gather info, gear and supplies. One thing for sure though, I will be doing something a bit more extreme than any of my previous hikes, so I need to get the past 5 months Blogged, and begin again with my new adventure. </div>
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I will not be too detail about the past 5-6 months, but I will share enough to allow you all to understand why I have been too busy to catch up with these posts.</div>
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In the beginning of October, I hiked some cross country routes to an old family secret spot, high in the Sierra, with a good friend Hippie Longstockings. We took a nice cross country route, that no matter how many times I have done it, it is always a challenge. The weather was perfect, and we had a great time talking and laughing all the way to my cherished spot high in a secluded basin, nestled away from popular trails. We never saw a single soul all the way in.<br />
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After camping along the lake, we made our way down to the John Muir Trail to meet up with my good friend Scott Williamson. Now we were a trio, and the conversations went all day long as we made our way North. We met several South Bound PCT hikers, and because we were carrying so much food, we began Trail Angeling along the way. Especially Scott, for he was really carrying a lot of food. One hiker we met [Bloody Mary], will always stick out in my mind. She was a young vibrant girl that was about as cute as can be. I was stoked for her and her journey. And it was not the last we would see of [Bloody Mary].</div>
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We eventually made our way out of the Sierra, and all three of visited Sugar Momma Patty Cakes home in Mammoth, for a shower and great conversations. The next morning, we all split in different directions, accept for hippie and I, who continued down highway 395 for some Hot Springs adventuring. We really became pretty good friends, talking about trails, and adventures. I knew then that we would be hanging out some more, cause we just have too much in common and really like the same things.</div>
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As soon as I arrived home in Huntington Beach, I was starving for some more hiking, so I took off again, this time solo on the PCT. I entered at windy gap [mile 400ish] and hiked south. Since I was alone, my pace was fast and my hiking times were long, [16hours+] I did not stay anywhere, just motored my way along to Idywild, where I exited at the trail closure. I did stop at Ziggy and the Bears for the first time in all these years. I never stopped in Anza where they use to host hikers, in all my PCT travels. It was just too far off trail. But their new place is right on trail, and in a great place to get out of the conditions. I met Trail Angel Tiff, who picked me up and took me to her home where I finally showered. I waited for Hippie to come retrieve me. </div>
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A few days later Hippie and I took off again for another road trip, and headed up the 395. It was really cold, so we decided to go to Death Valley where it would be warmer. Hippie has a great truck for car camping and she really has it set up well. She calls it princess camping, and I would have to agree, cause she is one organized individual. Her Truck is named Melissa, and she would end up hauling me 14 thousand miles in the next few months. </div>
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We really had a great time in Death Valley and also made our way to Ash Meadows Reserve. This place is absolutely amazing. It has so much water pouring out of the ground, that there actually use to be a lot of agriculture there at one time. But people realized that this was an unique ecosystem and turned it backwards into the place it once was before.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe5EmBiUwDgdX77DqAqc8tdTRsVczecEaogknai3RT8YT5PTPUgBCYtR80TaI8dWkMGlImE6XJs8u1-M05NQogkoQXkw9zosDam9Sidg8t-8hyphenhyphenWGK6V0ZTrEtk7GdSQnoTWMUkkrn1ykc/s1600/IMG_6239.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe5EmBiUwDgdX77DqAqc8tdTRsVczecEaogknai3RT8YT5PTPUgBCYtR80TaI8dWkMGlImE6XJs8u1-M05NQogkoQXkw9zosDam9Sidg8t-8hyphenhyphenWGK6V0ZTrEtk7GdSQnoTWMUkkrn1ykc/s1600/IMG_6239.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
We spent most of the day just going from one spring to another, and then drove right into a path of big horn sheep. It was one of my favorite places in the Death Vally region that I have seen. We ended up back in Death Valley where we were blessed by a wonderful sunset and a great night of warm camping. Not until we stopped for poses on the Dante's Peak Trailhead.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhebRLbVDx_jdWtKSYLHdzVlP59DmkzF0AgRn3elQFPrLuzI12hiIiqEOUur5yfIE6z_PfUSI2n4cxo9DW3t6SrtPwV8Jtp_pzW2qX6yIAlM8m_y71MuruvE9Iy1sCCiVhILOzVVTDNXI/s1600/IMG_6252.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhebRLbVDx_jdWtKSYLHdzVlP59DmkzF0AgRn3elQFPrLuzI12hiIiqEOUur5yfIE6z_PfUSI2n4cxo9DW3t6SrtPwV8Jtp_pzW2qX6yIAlM8m_y71MuruvE9Iy1sCCiVhILOzVVTDNXI/s1600/IMG_6252.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
Well you would think that Hippie and I had enough fun to last the common person a year, but no, we were right back at it. My job had got pushed back a bit, so we hit the road again. This Time though, we took "Hot Tub".</div>
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Hot tub, and I really hit it off. I had already hiked the CDT, and she was really interested in doing it this year, [and yes, she is currently in planning stages, and almost ready to start]. But before we got too far, I got Melissa stuck in the middle of the desert. I thought Hippie was going to kill me, but she was actually pretty cool about it. We got her out though, and we were off for our first hike [Turtle Head, outside Vegas]. This use to be my training climb when I worked in Vegas, and I was stoked to take them here.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBwAMg3U8ca0wBDiCBzIP2sm7aBZYTgp-rb4oNDgC_ITdlHpJFcZKQ-Zj2JkvvZOAS6mNLYyD4p7ERwn8grzTCT2q3jsYa46b_4Zvhd0oP28tCM4e8n4Lp-KXVhgryAgKhRBxg-Dm2sXA/s1600/IMG_5752.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBwAMg3U8ca0wBDiCBzIP2sm7aBZYTgp-rb4oNDgC_ITdlHpJFcZKQ-Zj2JkvvZOAS6mNLYyD4p7ERwn8grzTCT2q3jsYa46b_4Zvhd0oP28tCM4e8n4Lp-KXVhgryAgKhRBxg-Dm2sXA/s1600/IMG_5752.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a>As you can see, we were a colorful trio, and the fun did not stop there, because Zion was just around the corner. We hiked two separate trails in Zion, both very beautiful. We took so many pictures, and really had a awesome time. We saw a lot of the Southwest as well.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsgeznyeMNakSKok4PNecXfSFkL-VPXecGB0F1qs95FesGyBZkq4GL5vVM0P2P5tdRwxOFxz0GOqw9_o87PiXpF_3u-Oj1a5OrnV5kXRk2CmokRy3DV5X0cGuFBWKAJAdr7u8K3dIFvFg/s1600/IMG_5775.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsgeznyeMNakSKok4PNecXfSFkL-VPXecGB0F1qs95FesGyBZkq4GL5vVM0P2P5tdRwxOFxz0GOqw9_o87PiXpF_3u-Oj1a5OrnV5kXRk2CmokRy3DV5X0cGuFBWKAJAdr7u8K3dIFvFg/s1600/IMG_5775.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a>From Zion, we were on our way to the Grand Canyon. We went through the Navajo Nation and really had a pleasant road trip. We camped outside the park, and were up early for or longest hike down into the canyon and along side the Colorado River. For me, this was the best part of the trip. I just love the Grand Canyon. It is such an amazing place. And Hot Tub really is a strong hiker. You would think that would be it. Right? No, instead we all three went and hiked Hippies Training Hill, making our trip into hiking in 4 separate states.</div>
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For the next few weeks, I had some business to take care of in the Bay Area, but sure as heck I was back to San Diego to head out on a scouting trip to plan a hike around the Salton Sea. Hippie and I began a drive around but never completed it. I still would like to do that some day, but it is not high on my list. Hippie and I were both busy around the Holidays, but we did squeeze some hiking out and around San Diego, and some on the PCT, where we did a night hike with "Bloody Mary", in section A. We hiked around Eagle Rock, and camped at Barrel Springs, where we saw her off for the last part of "Bloody Mary's" adventure.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilsEszIPrv5o9Yt_Loe4hqskw7CLfwgpMfCfe-3NAezRRuUL8gUXER0OrVvS6YFBv7sXdIqtehLmOUdNCQYzvThYuI-TZV6W2t2d9ROkpPf5T89D6l76RGkrghk_Z8YFobrRfdY6wusrk/s1600/IMG_6364.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilsEszIPrv5o9Yt_Loe4hqskw7CLfwgpMfCfe-3NAezRRuUL8gUXER0OrVvS6YFBv7sXdIqtehLmOUdNCQYzvThYuI-TZV6W2t2d9ROkpPf5T89D6l76RGkrghk_Z8YFobrRfdY6wusrk/s1600/IMG_6364.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
For the next few weeks, I was back and forth at work, Hippie was planning for her next adventure, hiking the SDTCT, from where I would meet them and help out all the hikers and get them back to their cars at the completion of their trip. It was actually amazing to see how many people actually came out for the hike and participated. I met some new friends and we were soon off on a short Thru-Hike.<br />
We decided to Drive Melissa 3000 miles to hike 250 miles, from Oklahoma to Little Rock Arkansas. This time we would take Sara "BloodBank" Fry. And what an amazing tough lady Bloodbank is. We had something really in common, and I have not been around anyone since I had this experience, so we could not stop talking about it. The CDT!!!!! We would go on for Hours and Hours. I could see the fire in this young lady's eyes. We were so alive! I am so sorry Hippie for driving you nuts, but the CDT is both our passions.<br />
We first went to the petrified forest, and were soon beginning to hit a big storm. The weather just got worse and worse. And we eventually had to get Melissa off the road and wait out the storm near the Texas Border in New Mexico.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNd21eBMEiS8f_yJJMmob7MKoNpCbOaFulr2tCFOyHl9_DvAjJf68CytBppeUvmYD1DezJ4ad59ohyk43kzYd085tm0y-bWxkT-Afj9oYtygA9CvygqekYvJ-Ju9YVJ9LJaXswcSOf2dY/s1600/IMG_6701.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNd21eBMEiS8f_yJJMmob7MKoNpCbOaFulr2tCFOyHl9_DvAjJf68CytBppeUvmYD1DezJ4ad59ohyk43kzYd085tm0y-bWxkT-Afj9oYtygA9CvygqekYvJ-Ju9YVJ9LJaXswcSOf2dY/s1600/IMG_6701.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a>As you can see, it was cold that night and we were not too sure what we had gotten ourselves into. But we pushed on and shortly after entering into Texas, we were out of snow and moving back to normal speeds. But short comings did not stop there. 50 miles from trails start, Melissa, needed a new water pump, but just like her own reliable self, she finally came to rest at a local repair shop. Some would think we were lucky, but I believe that Melissa has a living and breathing soul, cause it all worked out just great. We would hitch from here to the trailhead, while the Mechanics would watch her for the next 8 days. </div>
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And so we were off again, this time hiking the Ouachita Trail. The Ouachita Trail was a very quiet trail. We did not see anyone for the first 105 miles, and even then it was brief. There were shelters roughly every 10 miles, and they were either new or in great condition. The water was plentiful and the trail was well marked. This trail deserves a whole page within its self, but I can not get too deeply into it. I am really glad to have done it, and the local people are wonderful. I highly suggest this to be a great winters hike. There are not many views, but the serenity is exceptional.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4bOc1w2nfqB-uU1VW8rISdcJuePZhJTgPim5qIZE_6vcJLEuP-h_4EY2c5mPnCQi7rZf2oSXRGER1BsZSUJDAuz1BIYfl5fDTo6GCrkBBbY77vLojab5j_xg_SLaUi38eiuP7wGcw_Pg/s1600/IMG_6949.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4bOc1w2nfqB-uU1VW8rISdcJuePZhJTgPim5qIZE_6vcJLEuP-h_4EY2c5mPnCQi7rZf2oSXRGER1BsZSUJDAuz1BIYfl5fDTo6GCrkBBbY77vLojab5j_xg_SLaUi38eiuP7wGcw_Pg/s1600/IMG_6949.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a>The terrain is a lot like the AT, but the resupply can be difficult if you were a guy hitch hiking alone. Being with girls really helped with resupply. No body really knows much about the trail or anything about Thruhikers. Like I said, this hike really deserves its own write up, so I might do one on a later date.</div>
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Well all good things must come to an end. I am now back to work in the Bay Area. But sice my friends were hiking in Death Valley to get there 2015 ugly sticker, I thought I would join them. So here I went again, after work on a Friday, heading south for a 3 day weekend in Death Valley. Sugar Momma Patty Cakes, Dip, Hippie, and I all have birthdays, and so we would celebrate our birthdays together. </div>
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This was the beginning of a yearly hike that I hope we all can continue to make. We are all hiking family and I hope that we reunite yearly. We all earned our stickers and we had a lot of fun. I know this has another blogs worth of stories within itself, but I can not find the words to express things correctly. But basically, this was my wild and crazy 5 months, I thank all of you who joined me, and especially you Hippie! We saw a lot of this country in a short time.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5981613192259142811.post-49280119339443582832015-02-10T20:56:00.000-08:002015-02-10T20:56:14.320-08:00ALDHAWEST Triple Crown Awards<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Immediately after completing the Colorado Trail, I rushed out to Seattle to join ALDHA west organization in celebrating this years Triple Crown Awards. It was an amazing turn out and and such and honor to join my family of Triple Crowners for the largest assembly to date. I especially liked seeing Sunshine [now only 14 yrs old] as she received hers. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1qquQmh7dbTiThEI1qEaUsZJ-DToBKrCXjPAndLjZs2_C54Qg-WIP59D98Pfrq0rwV9b4E5hvle_WuphQu_E0KKe3jnegGP7I5mQsNfWI3up-CXgnjd7H4xklS0kKpLy8tI9VLwHpKfM/s1600/IMG_5363.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1qquQmh7dbTiThEI1qEaUsZJ-DToBKrCXjPAndLjZs2_C54Qg-WIP59D98Pfrq0rwV9b4E5hvle_WuphQu_E0KKe3jnegGP7I5mQsNfWI3up-CXgnjd7H4xklS0kKpLy8tI9VLwHpKfM/s1600/IMG_5363.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
I also had the pleasure of being present as Meadow Ed received the Trail Angel Award. Ed and I go way back, from my early days on the PCT. I first met Ed at Kennedy Meadows in 2001 while I was section hiking, and we have been pals ever since. It was sorta funny explaining to everyone that Ed use to leave water caches in old whiskey bottles.<br />
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I also got the pleasure of seeing my old class of 2013 from the CDT. We all shared stories and memories about when we met or how we missed each other on our travels.<br />
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I also spent some time with all the celebrity hikers and PCTA's Jack Haskel, doing a little hippie day care. He has the tie die down. I think he use to do that as his old job.<br />
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Afterwards I was voted onto the Board and am now part of the only organization that represents long distance hikers and the trails of the west. Being part of this is an honor and will save more about this in a future post.<br />
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The weekend was a success, and I am glad I made my way to the ceremony.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5981613192259142811.post-19858430137313961662015-02-10T19:48:00.002-08:002015-02-10T19:48:21.348-08:00Colorado Trail<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
I know this was a long time coming, but I finally have the time to catch up. This past September, I went and hiked the Colorado Trail. I already hiked over half of it while on my 2013 thru-hike of the CDT, but I was still excited to head back out to Colorado and hike it. So I contacted Matt Signore, and he and Yogi met me at the airport in Denver. From there we drove to Durango and hiked the trail Northbound.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8hn2NcEIJG1PUZrHtdcxTVPKxCDxHXlShbRUfGom6P_lE7HwQAEU4yjcEeiwka_VUbjKcbV2vEV1MspJoXResX5MwiknuKeEJTk1O9dedS158dyzWdmSgmFxt_kUIW6Gbhv1DJiBZPOo/s1600/IMG_4826.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8hn2NcEIJG1PUZrHtdcxTVPKxCDxHXlShbRUfGom6P_lE7HwQAEU4yjcEeiwka_VUbjKcbV2vEV1MspJoXResX5MwiknuKeEJTk1O9dedS158dyzWdmSgmFxt_kUIW6Gbhv1DJiBZPOo/s1600/IMG_4826.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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Matt and I started together, but we both seemed to just float into our own hikes. We started off with nice weather, but it soon turned to rain.<br />
I got a great chance to try out a new Yama Mountain Gear Cirraform. It worked flawless. It was easy to set up, super light, and with plenty of room. I was very impressed and glad I brought something a bit more solid than a tarp.<br />
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On the 3rd morning, Matt blew past my camp before light and I was quick on his heels in attempt to catch up. We were both on our way up our second high mountain pass, when I could hear Matt talking to someone up ahead. Soon I could see, what I thought was a stuffed dummy up on the pass. It looked human, but, It was to white and blown up to be human. But I could still hear Matt talking up on the pass. Soon as I got close, it was obvious that there was a human body lying on top of the pass, motionless. As I got closer, it appeared that a hiker had sat back and died on the trail, and Matt was talking to Search and Rescue on the phone.<br />
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This really put a bummer mood into things, but we both just pushed on after Matt was done on the phone. There was nothing we could do, and we had not had enough food or water to stick around.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwrjn5V3leNOA8YE8aEcNWCx9jstpqeU5264Lmq-1OdoAAmOmP-DWah89VRgxBFMFHyV6pwX7pKLOXLssDO_UMXD5-KExFk_OxGtBPmsvts4e-Z3_Vw_QV2PcSf_rzaKT2p5Tjzynyb2o/s1600/IMG_5202.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwrjn5V3leNOA8YE8aEcNWCx9jstpqeU5264Lmq-1OdoAAmOmP-DWah89VRgxBFMFHyV6pwX7pKLOXLssDO_UMXD5-KExFk_OxGtBPmsvts4e-Z3_Vw_QV2PcSf_rzaKT2p5Tjzynyb2o/s1600/IMG_5202.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a> For the next few days Matt and I played leap frog on a rainy trail, and made our way to Lake City for resupply. The following day we head back out into nice sunny sky's. It was there that Matt and I parted ways for the remainder of the trip. I had decided to hike up San Luis Peak, a 14r, that is right off the trail. Although climbing the peak only took a couple of hours, I could never catch Matt after that. I continued on into Salida, and stayed a night at the Hostile and decided to hike the new high route that had been completed, since my previous years hike. This was a treat, for the high route was incredible. The trail was perfect and winded its way on a untouched portion of the divide. Soon I was in Twin Lakes, where I then decided to climb Elbert and Massive, both 14rs. This was another highlight of my trip as I climbed them both in a day, camping on Massive.</div>
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After that I made a mad dash to Breckenridge for my last resupply. I dodged a bit of rain, and had excellent weather to the finish.</div>
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The Colorado Trail was a nice hike, and I thank Yogi, and Matt for setting me up with the CT book. I also thank them for getting me to the trail. I highly suggest 4 weeks minimal for this trip, for it is not one to be rushed. The towns are great, resupply is easy and the trail is a A+.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5981613192259142811.post-88734246865265180872015-01-15T19:49:00.001-08:002015-01-15T19:49:02.997-08:00Blog NeglectionIf anyone has been waiting for my next post, I apologize. I have been running all over the place, hiking, working, road tripping and running. I kept meaning to get back to blogging, but things began to pile up so, that I just had no desire to tackle it.<br />
Now I am heading back out to do some more hikes and I am so far behind. I will start with my Colorado Trail run down, then on to my Sierra trips and PCT sections. I also sold my boat am looking into my next venture and much more. So I promise to catch up soon.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5981613192259142811.post-55588208157618451302014-08-30T21:46:00.001-07:002014-08-30T21:49:32.551-07:00Coming out of Hibernation... Since my previous post, I have completed quite a bit of the Bay Area Rim Trail, have done quite a bit of sailing and have focused on completing a series of jobs. Probably the most significant thing I did was the South Lake to North Lake loop in the High Sierra over 4th of July weekend.<br />
On the Bay Area Rim Trail, I have completed San Francisco County and Marin County. All in which I have done twice because of working out of the car. I really like doing it this way due to spending more time in the area and hitting alternate routes on the return to the vehicle.<br />
While sailing, I have done quite a bit of work to my vessel, and am really getting to know my way around her. I have had some crazy experiences with extreme conditions and have become quite comfortable navigating through the condition.<br />
The North Lake to South Lake loop was just a 57 mile speed hike/run over 3 high sierra passes in a single push. I have become quite comfortable doing 2 day runs without sleep over the past few years, so I was not pressured into doing it faster or actually running myself into exhaustion. What ended up happening was my relaxed pace gave me a bit of extra energy towards the end and I set a personal best by 4 hours, making it back to my vehicle in under 24 hours. I saw 4 people I knew in the middle of nowhere, and actually spent quite a bit of time on 3 separate occasions. But the weather was perfect, and the bugs only came out for an hour or so in the evening. I did flair up my bad knee a bit, but I just stretched it out, and it turned out to not be so bad.<br />
So now I have completed my jobs and am 2 days out from starting a series of shorter thru-hikes for the rest of the year. I only have a short 3 week job sometime in October/November. During this time I plan on starting off with hiking the Colorado Trail [CT] with a friend for starts. Our plan is quite simple. [we have no plan] It should be or get cold, so we are packing to be able to push through whatever the weather gives us. We are planning on hitting several 14'ers, and visiting some special places along the route. The CT is some 485 miles and we plan on just doing it in about 3 weeks. After that, I am going to the ALDHA-west gathering, then back home to Huntington Beach for some surfing and reassessing as well as figuring when my short job starts. My plans from there will be adjusted. I hope to do some New Mexico and a Arizona Trail thru-hike from there.<br />
One of the things I want to do is hike from Silver City, to Grants on the official CDT since I took the original CDT route through the Gila River. I want to complete all alternates in the next year or so, before I make it out for another thru-hike of the CDT.<br />
The good thing about the CT hike is I will not be in any kind of hurry, and I plan on journaling the entire time. I will put up my journals when I make it back home.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5981613192259142811.post-86456497254385378402014-05-03T22:46:00.004-07:002014-05-03T22:46:54.806-07:00Bay Area Rim Trail<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I have been eating up a lot of trail on the Peninsula lately. In doing so I ran across a nice section of trail that was marked as the Bay Area Rim Trail. So I began to investigate it and found it was much longer than I ever dreamed of.<br />
So I got the guide book and maps and came up with a master plan:<br />
1st of all it is 550+ miles long, with over 400 miles of completed trail. The rest is either undeveloped routes and or can be connected by roads. Most all of it is less than a hour from my boat, or work.<br />
My plan is this, I will begin at the golden gate one day soon after work and run out what ever miles I can at the time. I will then begin choosing either clockwise or counter clockwise, depending on various factors that apply for the moment. Another words I will be doing two hikes, working from the center with the ultimate goal of meeting somewhere in the middle.<br />
I am in no hurry to complete it, and will surely be yo-yoing a lot of it because of working solo out of a car. I will also be taking advantage of public transportation and rides from friends. I am very interested in other runners/fast hikers who are interested in adding another car into the picture. I will surely be doing a few over nights eventually. If anyone is interested, PM me.<br />
There are several alternate routes. I plan on doing them as well just to get the most out of the project.<br />
Anyways, this is what I am up to, and I will begin posting soon, with the updates.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5981613192259142811.post-71172003038007069102014-03-04T19:08:00.003-08:002014-03-04T19:08:44.083-08:00Last Update before the Maiden Voyage! <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Things have come together quite well. I am months ahead of my master plan, and living nearly full time on my boat now. There are still quite a few projects that I have not finished and even more that I have not started. But in all reality, she is sea worthy and with a few more weeks of work, I could take her anywhere around the world.<br />
As far as my sailing capabilities, I have learned a whole lot, and have been become pretty confident. It is sort of funny how I got myself all into this, but I am pretty much self taught. Every time I take her out, I come back with a bit more knowledge, and seek out information in peculiar ways. For instance, I had a problem with some rigging issues. I just came back to port after a day of trying to figure it out on my own and looked over to a similar boat next to me, and saw how I was suppose to be running my lines.<br />
You tube is also a huge help. If I put anything sailboat related into search, there are enough videos on it to last all night. Books sort of suck, and I feel sorry for the people who are self taught from books. The illustrations and words do not compare to actual video.<br />
As far as major projects that are left, I have several. One big one is all the 12 volt accessory wiring. I have all the 12 volt, except the engine harness disconnected. The main reason is because everything is out dated and needs to be upgraded. I plan to incorporate solar and wind generation, to eventually be able to run off the grid and the engine.<br />
Also, I need to work on all the water tanks and sinks. Its all there, but I just haven't got to it. It will be nice to use the sinks properly.<br />
Then there is the front hatch. It is trashed and needs to be completely rebuilt. I will be doing this soon, cause it is the only thing that makes the vessel look like an eye sore. <br />
I need to work on the wench cover. It is trashed.<br />
Then there are lots of little minor day projects to be tackled. But she is very comfortable right now, and when I am done with the big things, I will put away the tools and she will become more spacious.<br />
I am currently planning a weekend sail to one of the islands in front of San Francisco, to anchor at night in front of the lights.<br />
Also, I will soon be applying her new name...... Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5981613192259142811.post-5940136859856764482014-01-13T18:14:00.000-08:002014-01-13T18:58:23.129-08:00Trip to Grand Marina Boat Yard<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyMWLbJCsr_obvCn1Z6OsHAFdvLoEIKk4EgUYz2bc-NyVmIIbDK6s6J2Q9XLqTueMz9CLX7krIDTHtuIC9UtaJBFIyRtspr3abSxado0BJ_5OJT2dVQeQ0uJEjuZUG2yfi9yYsdrcbaBM/s1600/Untitledouykhvg.m4v" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyMWLbJCsr_obvCn1Z6OsHAFdvLoEIKk4EgUYz2bc-NyVmIIbDK6s6J2Q9XLqTueMz9CLX7krIDTHtuIC9UtaJBFIyRtspr3abSxado0BJ_5OJT2dVQeQ0uJEjuZUG2yfi9yYsdrcbaBM/s1600/Untitledouykhvg.m4v" /></a>Since my last post, I have been getting her ready for a haul out. The problem is, the closest haul out is Alameda Marina, all the way across the San Francisco Bay. For people who do not know the Bay Area, this is quite a distance. Across the Bay, is even a longer distance for a novice [at best] sailor like myself. So I did my best in doing the prep work, such as engine maintenance and check list items, and woke up early on Sunday morning and motored her out of the slip. </div>
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As soon as I cleared the Marina, I turned off the engine and threw up the sails. It was not long before I was making my way on a 1-2 knot winds, heading out towards the deep water of the shipping lanes. I knew there was a few areas to watch out for, one being a smily face ball that had shallow rocks underneath. To my surprise, this section of the bay is actually quite shallow, and I have 6 ft of draft to watch out for.<br />
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It did not take too long before I was out into the deep water of the shipping lanes. The only problem now was I was heading into a strong head wind, that was coming directly from my final destination. So I began tacking back and forth, for what seamed like eternity in order to gain just the slightest bit of distance. But I just did my best to figure out what was working best, and after a few hours, I began to get a better feel of it.<br />
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Soon the ocean was choppy as the wind began to accelerate. Not only that, there were small swells and every now and then a small wave would catch her bow at the right time and break over her and I. Things began to get faster, my hands were soon hurting from pulling line and switching the main sail from side to side. But eventually I figured out how to trim the sails and ride the wind. I was hauling ass and things were were looking pretty good.<br />
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As I approached the City of San Francisco, there were large tankers spread across the Bay. Things were really put into perspective now, for I had markers to go by. I could really see my speed, and measure my distance quite well. Eventually though I made the turn up the Oakland Estuary, and turned with the wind towards Alameda.<br />
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Once inside the channel, the water was calm, and was choked with weekend warriors. It seemed that every person who owned a boat in the Bay Area, was in that calm channel. I felt like I had just had battle with Mother Nature, and was now calmly drifting up the channel.<br />
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I eventually found the Boat Yard, and docked her along side of another sailor and his new boat that he had sailed their a couple of months earlier. I got a lucky ride back to San Francisco, where I caught a train back to Redwood City, and then to my truck. I had sea legs for a couple of hours and felt a mix of shock and awe.<br />
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I called at 8am the next morning, and they already had her out and were pressure washing her. At 2pm, I stopped by nervous of some possible bad news of her condition. But I was blessed to see her with her first coat of fresh paint. She had no blisters or anything else worthy of fixing on her hull. Tomorrow, they will do some driveshaft repacking and valves. Because she had such a great bill of health, I am paying for a new wax job, cause she needs it. The guys at the Grand Marina Boat Yard are great and are very helpful.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5981613192259142811.post-78903693173556997102014-01-07T20:44:00.000-08:002014-01-07T20:44:15.514-08:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Things have been going forward on my vessel. But not quite as trouble free as I would have liked. It always seems that as soon as I move a step forward, something causes me to go two steps back.<br />
Ok, thats probably an over statement, but sometimes it feels that way. I have gotten her in good enough shape though, to make her voyage across the bay to Dry Dock. There she will be lifted out of the water, surveyed, bottom paint, and anything else that needs to be attended to.<br />
Right now I believe that she is going to need some driveshaft work, and possibly a inlet valve or two replaced. Also, she will surely need all her zinc replaces.<br />
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After return to dock, she will need a complete rewiring. mainly due to outdated lights, fuses, and switches. I am good at electrical, so that is a easy upgrade that will not cost much, and can be done at my own time. I will also need to attend to some rusted bulkheads, which are more dirty work than anything, but will need attending before they get worse.<br />
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Besides that everything else will be cosmetic work that can be done while I have free time. At this point, I plan to clean her up, get her back to a healthy state, and sail her around the bay for the next few years while I work and live here. I will put here up for sale as well for profit only once I have her in perfect turn key condition. Meanwhile though, she is a handful, and been a great project so far.<br />
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Last Sunday, I took her out for the first tour out in the bay. She handled perfectly. There was little wind, but she caught and held on and was surprisingly fast. Most sailboats were motoring around, but she just cruised on by. I was a bit leery about docking such a large vessel, but I actually put her to rest perfectly, like a I actually knew what I was doing. It was not easy to pull her in slowly and accurately enough not to hit the dock. I had to be able to jump away from the wheel and grab the lines, and tie her up, by myself. She is heavy, and hard to physically maneuver, so manipulating every move is vital. I pulled it off very well, and I am bit proud of that.<br />
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Anyways, I am now planning the voyage across the bay. I have a small check list to take care of this week. I need to watch the weather, but hopefully it all works out and she makes it to Dry Dock this Sunday.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5981613192259142811.post-91048009616768297602013-12-14T20:41:00.003-08:002013-12-14T20:54:22.986-08:00The work has begun.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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In the few weeks that I have owned the boat, I have spent a lot of time cleaning it. The owner before me was a sailor, and not living aboard. So he had many extra sails, rope, life vest etc... So first I had to empty it of most of its contents and began scrubbing.<br />
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The kitchen came complete with everything to cook, but I have not had the time to begin going through this quite yet. The stove looks new, and he said the fridge works great, but I have not confirmed that as of yet. I have not even looked into the water, its tanks, toilet, or sinks.<br />
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I did however begin a cleaning regiment. I started in the bedroom area, and emptied it. First I went through the compartments, finding more rope, a bozeman chair, a nice mini vacuum, and a crispy $100 bill.<br />
I then scrubbed the walls with bleach, oiled all the wood, vacuumed the mattresses, put new sheets, added pillows and put about 10" of comforters. The bedroom is super comfortable. There is 110 power, and a old 1970's style light fixture. That will have to be changed. It has a large hatch to air out and stare at the stars at night.<br />
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Looking out from the bedroom, you have a head to the right and cabinet dressers to the left. There are 2 beds to the left, and two beds to the right. Pass the kitchen, and captains chair, there are two more beds for the crew. One on each side of the engine compartment.<br />
I have been cleaning a bit more on the ceilings, walls and wood. But things came to a hault as I had a electrical problem.<br />
One morning I borrowed a battery to jump my truck, and upon returning it to the boat, the 110 did not work. I ended up rewiring everything from the plug in to the switches, finding that the only thing that is wrong is somewhere between the battery charger, batteries and switch. That will be my next project.<br />
Two good things happened due to the rewire. One is, I learned a lot about the function of the vessel, due to crawling around and locating and replacing wire. The other is, I found lots of things that I did not know about.<br />
I am still on cleaning and organizing mode, but here is a list of items I need to do before I move it to a dry dock for bottom paint and surveying. I am sure there will be some added things to fix, and or needed maintenance.<br />
Go through plumbing, learn bilge pumps, change oil in engine and do all maintenance, Go through engine wiring and fix charger, scrub top deck and grease all winches.<br />
The plan will be to have my friend who is a experienced sailor, to help me sail it to the haul out across the Bay. I hope to do this before Feb 1st.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5981613192259142811.post-60249807994762566332013-11-29T11:28:00.001-08:002013-11-29T11:28:49.066-08:00<br />
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I have had a amazing amount of interest in my last post, so here is a picture of the sister boat, that is up for sale in Portland. It is a very good deal if someone is interested. Some pictures of the boat show a bit more wear than mine, but the interior is definately cleaner. I am gutting my interior, and refinishing all of it, and redesigning some of it. I will never sleep as many as 8, so I will change a couple of the beds to storage. </div>
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I did not take any pictures of mine, but will surely do this, the next few weeks. I plan to record the entire process, from beginning of demo to her maiden voyage. I plan to do this in 4-6 months. This will include: </div>
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#1 Emptying the entire boat of the contents and taking inventory of them</div>
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#2 Taking out all removable interior parts.</div>
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#3 Bleaching and cleaning of the entire inside</div>
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#4 Making sure all mechanical systems are sound</div>
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#5 Sanding and refinishing all interior</div>
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#6 Taking vessel to boat yard, for haul out, complete survey, bottom paint </div>
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#7 Complete rigging tune-up</div>
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#8 Electronic upgrade</div>
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#9 Change her name </div>
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#10 Maiden voyage</div>
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As you can see, I am on the 10 step program. I am sure there will be setbacks, unknown issues, and some headaches. But I am ready to start on Sunday with project #1!</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5981613192259142811.post-29133018342800226312013-11-28T21:37:00.001-08:002013-11-28T21:37:25.697-08:00It All Starts With a Dream!Even as a small boy, I had this same dream. It would come and go throughout my life, but it was always the same Dream. The Dream seamed to fit right into my surfing lifestyle, traveling and living harmoniously on the ocean. The things I have learned while walking across the country a few times, have given me the courage to follow this Dream. <div>
I realize things of great monitory value, do not bring me happiness. I enjoy observation of Nature, and spending quality times with good people, wether it be friends or family. I always dreamed of free or inexpensive travel. A vacation to me is not a cruise ship, or a fancy hotel. In fact I do not feel comfortable in these places. I enjoy creating with my hands, making my utilities, and doing so with little to no impact on the earth or others.</div>
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For many years, I have Dreamed of buying a sailing yacht, large enough for friends or family, and gear, but small enough to be managed independently. Times just never seamed to work out though. I have always been so busy, or strapped down to life in general.</div>
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But finally things just came together. I have purchased a 37ft offshore racer sailing boat. It fits to everything I need. It was made in 1974, which means it is solid fiberglass construction. It has nealy a 12ft beam, which means it is roomy inside. It sleeps 8 comfortably. Vessels of the same model have circumnavigated the world, so it comes from a great design. And although I have not yet have had it surveyed, I got it cheap enough to not make it a risky business deal. </div>
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Upon my decision, a hiking pal of mine, John, suggested that I blog my journey on this new lifestyle I am leaping into. He said that a lot of people might be interested in my Dream.</div>
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So I guess I will start off in the beginning.</div>
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I am a water person, I love surfing, free diving[snorkeling] and observation of the sea and its creatures. I do not like loud boats and scuba diving, for they are not harmonious with the ocean. I like Islands and their mountains, valleys and natural habitats. I have always had a dream of sailing to these islands and climbing their peaks. I use to sit in the ocean, while surfing watching the sailboats in curiosity. I am not yet a sailor! Yet I have been a boat owner, and am a quick learner when it interest me. I have a focused drive that has guided me to a rewarding and unique life.</div>
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The fact that I will eventually be able to live on this boat, means cheap rent and less bills. I have no plans of being over with my thru-hiking lifestyle, but actually the opposite. </div>
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So my future post to this Blog might be interesting, for I am starting off at ground zero, where the Dream has finally took root. My life has once again gotten exciting, so I hope to entertain. For Better or Worse, here we go! <div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5981613192259142811.post-12371519614426616482013-10-05T10:55:00.004-07:002013-10-06T06:01:28.573-07:00ALDHA west <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Before planning for the CDT, I thought that hiking the trail was just part of the Triple Crown. I really did not conceive the entire concept for which the Triple Crown really meant. Soon into the planning stages though, I soon realized that the CDT was a project all of its own. Like the AT was so different than the PCT, the CDT was so different of both the others.<br />
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Soon I was deep into my hike and things became a bit more realistic. The CDT was a GRAND Adventure, and those who tackle it are rewarded substantially with something more humbling than a award can give. It was a sense of great accomplishment.<br />
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And that is what part of the Triple Crown Award came to be for me. It was not bragging rights or a look at me moment. It was becoming part of a family. Something that I missed in my quest for the highly sought after plaque.<br />
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For me, getting on the trail, and continuing a thru-hike has always been hard, not because of physical or mental fatigue, but because I had a family at home, who needed me. My friends and co-workers sometimes could never understand, as well as a lot of my family members. But what a lot of people missed, was how I improved with each endeavor.<br />
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It was at the moment of being given my Award, that I realized I was being accepted into a new family, one that I have known for quite some time, but really had not understood. They understood me, my passions, and greeted me with open arms.<br />
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The weekend was great! I brought my youngest daughter Aaren, and was reunited with many trail pals. I met up with a few, whom we been watching each other from a far, but the biggest moment for me was Scott Williamson, giving a brief history of our friendship, and speaking on my behalf while I received my Award. He has always been such a good friend and I was honored.<br />
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While I thought that completing the CDT and receiving a Triple Crown was what it was all about, I now have a humble appreciation in being part of such a wonderful trail family...<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5981613192259142811.post-35132218061336919872013-09-08T19:49:00.002-07:002013-09-08T19:51:21.077-07:00Why I do not use Polycryo.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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One of the things that caught me unguarded on the CDT, was all the thorns. From Crazy Cook to Burro Mountain [150 miles], it seemed that just about every plant had some kind of thorn, to protect itself from herbivores. Even the grass had stickers.<br />
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The main problem for me was, I brought Polycryo plastic sheeting for ground clothe. And what a mistake that was. I found myself duct taping it so much, that it had more duck tape than plastic, by the time I had it replaced. I had used Polycryo on the PCT, AT, and FT, with pretty good luck, but never again will I use it on the CDT.<br />
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Because I left so late, it was ungodly hot at times in Southern New Mexico. Several times a day, I would just hop from shade to shade. But the only problem was, trying to use my torn up Polycryo Ground Clothe to rest on. I was miserable, and had to duct tape it up every time I pulled it out. Once you get minor little pin pricks, it just spreads quickly.<br />
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So good old Tyvek is what I replaced it with. It is just so much stronger, and you can pull it out a dozen times a day, without the fear of it deteriorating. Another good thing about Tyvek, was you can make a sign for hitch hiking into town and back to the trail. In fact, on my next hike, I will send Tyvek along with every shoe drop [500 miles]. I will also pre draw every town on it as well as a "BACK TO TRAIL".<br />
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I would only use Polycryo on short hikes from now on, and never again on a thru-hike. Durability is just too important.<br />
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Also, from a couple of careless walks through the brush, I tore the mesh on my pack. I sewed them up, thanks to my trusty sewing kit, I always carry. But, as soon as I passed the low deserts of New Mexico, I had no more problems with that.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5981613192259142811.post-68553857658912850812013-09-05T16:07:00.000-07:002013-09-05T16:12:54.825-07:00Starting Date?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This year, I started on May 24th from Crazy Cook with 3 other hikers. If I had things to do over with, I would have left at least 2 weeks earlier, and this is why.<br />
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Actually, I will be hiking the trail again in the next few years [if I am lucky enough to put it together]. And if I decide to go North Bound, I will depart in mid to late April for a couple of reasons.<br />
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First and foremost, when it is hot on the CDT in southern New Mexico, the water carries are heavy and long. All 4 of us were departing from pretty much every water source with 2 gallons. This became counter productive. We spent a lot of time resting our sore shoulders in the little shade we could find. The umbrellas are still a must, but as you can see by the picture above, there is not much shade for the 1st 150 miles. Although I hiked New Mexico in 3 weeks, it really was not worth the agony, dealing with the extreme heat.<br />
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The next reason I would leave earlier, is the fact that it would have been nice to spend some more time in town, and a few less miles during typical days. There were a couple stops that I just blew right through, and wish I would of stayed longer. Also New Mexico has a few places along the trail that are historical sites that deserve a longer visit. But one of the most important reasons would be to remain strong and mentally prepare myself for alls to come.<br />
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Now because I already hiked it late, and saw little snow in the Southern San Juans, I would like to experience a early snow season there. I have hiked the Sierra a few times in early season, and there is nothing like it, but what I saw in the San Juans, left over from a late snow fall, made me want to experience the snow and its melt off.<br />
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Also, there are the fires! I believe as far as fires go, its just a gamble. The later you leave, the more chances you are going to have them. They are beginning to be part of the trail experience these recent years. I was the very last person to make it through the Fire in Southern Colorado this year, and everyone behind me had to either skip, flip, or hitch around it. This is not my first fire hiking out west, but believe it when I say it was the largest. For me, there is no flipping, skipping, or hitching. When my footsteps are stopped for any reason, my trip is over and will have to begin another year. For me Thru-hiking is more than just doing all the trail, its about connecting footsteps continuously from beginning to end. I respect others decisions, but that is mine. So avoiding the fires is a big plus to starting early.<br />
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Next is the quality of the water sources. I noticed that some of the water sources were not only drying up, but polluted by people. You could see the oily residue on the surface, and when you do not treat, who knows the filth you are subjecting yourself to. So cleaner water, especially in New Mexico would be a big plus.<br />
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Now, there would surely be a down side to all this. One would be, carrying more cold weather gear, as well as snow gear. But in reality, it is a lot lighter than the heavy water carries. Also the possibility of foul weather in New Mexico. And probably the hardest thing to deal with, for me, would be the fact that you would not see very many people. The CDT is a lonely trail, and in general, people will leave early May and finish early to mid September. So leaving before, and staying ahead would be a lonely hike. I would not want to complete after Labor Day for work purposes, but if someone who wanted to spend a lot of time on the trail, mid September is about as late as I would want to be in Glacier National Park. Any later, and you are gambling your completion.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5981613192259142811.post-79604562157884510532013-09-05T11:40:00.002-07:002013-09-05T12:58:52.033-07:00Navigating the CDT<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Things are changing rapidly on the CDT, when it comes to navigation. But if I knew what I know now, I would have done things a bit different. But before I go into what I would have done, I will explain a bit of history on the CDT.<br />
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First there was Jim Wolf, who created, turn by turn guide books. These were basically what everyone used until recent times.<br />
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Then came Jonathen Ley, whom created a map set that he put on CD, that he took from US Topos. For 10 years or so, he has provided a caption on each map page that had important information regarding things such as water, alternate routes, resupply and much more. He drew in the trail, and its alternates, relatively accurate and it became the way of choice, by most everyone who hiked the CDT. <br />
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Then came Jerry Brown, who was hired by the Forest Service to map out the CDT with a GPS. The Forest Service dictated where the trail is, where it is planned, whether or not it is actually there. Jerry provided the Way Points, and created a map set, in book form that he sells for roughly $200 [for all four states]. Jerry also sells a Way Point card for $20, that has all the Way Points that match his maps.<br />
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Now if you wanted to hike the so called "official route" that the FS provided Jerry, you would really do fine with a GPS, his card, and his map books.<br />
But, for me, and most everyone who has hiked the CDT, the so called "official route" is nothing more than the words that call it that. The spirit of the CDT, is the fact that you have a choice of routes, and the freedom to hike them.<br />
This year there were a couple of hikers who thought they were being purist, by hiking this so called "official route". No offense to them, but really if they thought it was something more than their choice of route, more power to them, but they are in a world of their own. Every year the route will change, and until there is a actual trail, 100% of the way and a corridor is set aside and protected, there is no official route.<br />
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Now Jerry's Maps, and Way Points are very accurate, as far staying on this route. And this route is the preferred route for more than 80% of the trail. So for me, I would use his Maps again, as well as his mini SD card, for the Way Points.<br />
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Jonathen Ley maps are also very resourceful. I knew right off the bat that I was going to venture off the beaten path, and experience sites and such. JL maps provided the information I needed to do this. I also knew I would return some day, so I was keeping a mental log, where I would go next time.<br />
In the beginning [New Mexico], the info that JL provided, was crucial. I left late, and a lot of water sources were dry. JL maps and captions provided that much needed info, while the JB maps would say "water" at a dry creek bed, not just a few times, but many times.<br />
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When it came to the first real big route choice, [Black Mountains, or Gila River], I needed the JL maps to take the Gila. This is where the FS directs the trail, onto the actual divide [Black Mountain Route], but with no consideration to the needs of hikers [water]. There are very long stretches [60+ miles] that have no water. I was not going to plan water caching like those who did it. The Gila was my choice, for more reasons than just water. So having the JL maps was and would still be a must for me.<br />
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Now, this is how the trail goes the entire way. JL maps provide info for a lot of excellent alternates, such as peak bagging, side trips, historic areas and much much more. JB maps provide Way Points for accurate pin pointing where you are, and where you want to be when you are on that particular route.<br />
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Now for the dirt... JL maps are not as accurate as JB maps [as far as where the trail is for most parts]. But JL will tell you where the most desirable route is, with his red route. JB will direct you into a bush whacking, swamp walking disaster, from time to time, because he does not show where the trail has not been built yet. That can be a real bummer, when your trying to make town before the PO closes for the weekend, or you are low on food and or water. So the best thing to do, is just compare the red route, to the JB maps, each morning so you do not find yourself in these situations.<br />
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As far as a GPS, I was really happy with the Garmin Etrex 20. It is light, small, and cheap. I also walked all of New Mexico, with one set of batteries. I would use a lanyard and put it in my shirt pocket. I loss mine this year, and was lucky to receive it, 300 miles later, by another hiker who found it. So the lanyard would have prevented this. I would put the Garmin 100k maps in the device. I would put all alternates and Red Routes on SD cards, as well as the JB mini SD.<br />
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I would also use the JB maps in entire for most of all my routes, as well as carry the JL maps, printed double sided, on 11x17 size paper. I also would carry the Data Pages that Beacon made and put up on the internet [free]. Most of the time, I just used his pages and my GPS all day.<br />
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The one thing I would do different, is have all the JL maps put in my smart phone with all the info.<br />
Besides all this, I would carry Yogi's Handbook, with pictures of important pages in my phone.<br />
With all of this info, you can change your mind with routes, resupply and anything else that comes up [like wild fires].<br />
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I had this happen twice. I began to fall behind schedule, and had to take the Anaconda Route. I also did not have a passport in my last box, so I had to take the Chief Mountain Route.<br />
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Because of all the info I carried, I did many side trips, and saw a lot of things that I would not have, if I just had JB maps. But, because I had the JB maps, and SD card, as well as the data pages Beacon made, I was able to have a relatively quick pace, with navigational ease. The week or so I had without my GPS was much slower and harder. <br />
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Another related note: I was in the PCT community, when the guide books were the only source of info. I watched it go from a relitively unmarked trail, with low quality maps, to the easy to follow, well mapped trail it is today. I saw several new map and data people come and go.<br />
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The CDT is on its way to becoming this kind of trail. I saw many, many miles of new trail and signage. Eventually it will be 100% done, and a lot of these alternates will be a thing of the past. With this thought in mind, the so called "official route" will be altered as well, to accommodate the needs of the Forest Service, private, and public lands. It is inevitable, as we gain a set aside corridor.<br />
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Just like the PCT, the CDT will eventually have another form of Navigation, Such as Half Mile's for the PCT. As more and more people hike the trail, there will become more and more info, free, and or built on donations. Although I would not want to, because I like data, several people are hiking with nothing more than the JL maps and info on their smart phone.<br />
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Next year we will see a lot more people using the JL maps and data on smart phones. The phone of choice would be the Samson Galaxy due to being able to access the GPS while on airplane mode. <br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5981613192259142811.post-61864618942116468572013-09-04T20:16:00.000-07:002013-09-05T15:08:17.475-07:00Why I do not treat my water.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Here is a topic that a lot of people will disagree with, but never the less, I think it is a very worthy subject. I never treated any water on the CDT. In fact I never treated water on the AT, or PCT. One thing for sure though, is the CDT has some of the worse water sources I have encountered on any of my long distance hikes.<br />
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Some people will say I am immune to water born illnesses, but in all reality, I have a system I live by, and so far it seems to work. What I see, is a lot of people pumping their filters, and or adding poisonous chemicals to their water, and waiting to drink it some time later. They therefore carry extra water, due to not wanting to pump again or wait for their chemicals to kill off what ever they fear is in their water.<br />
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First and foremost, I always try to retrieve the water from the highest {uphill} point in which to retrieve. People usually pollute the source, closest to the trail. I am also careful to pick the best source, when there are multiple sources. Second, I start this process on day one, so that I begin to adapt to my environment, and try to start in moderation, such as drinking town water as much as possible. I also study my maps, attempting to plan my sources, as I proceed. I change my water bottles at every town!!!<br />
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My philosophy is this, people make themselves sick, by not being clean, and or sharing with others. People also can adapt to different environments, and that people who get sick from water, get sick from sudden and extreme changes. It is like you see, when going to other countries and such. The natives are fine, its just the visitor that gets sick. I also think that ingesting small amounts of toxic poisons in your treated water is far worse than possibly getting sick on the trail.<br />
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The Cure. Before every hike I go see my doctor and ask for some antibiotics for my travels. I explain the possibilities, and have never been turned down for receiving medicines. I also carry anti diarrhea medicines, like Imodium AD. It works the best.<br />
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On one of my first long hikes, I got sick. In fact I got real sick. But what made me "real" sick was dehydration. I learned a lot that year. I learned it was not the water, but those unsanitary places we sometimes stay, or maybe one of those things we touched after one of those hikers, that never cleans. I also learned how to stay clean. But most importantly, I learned the hard way, that you can reverse the effects of sickness, by a simple pill. When you get diarrhea, you need to stop it!!! Imodium will do that, and will stop your body from getting into severe dehydration. While the Imodium is doing its job, it is time to take a antibiotic.<br />
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If I begin to have loud growling in my stomach, and am passing gas excessively, I then wait for a loose stool. If I am now convinced it is some kind of ingested sickness, I pop 2 Imodium ADs. I wait till nighttime, and I eat 1/2 a dose of antibiotic. I wake up and eat the other 1/2. If I continue to have diarrhea, I continue that pattern. Thru-hiking and thru-hikers will shake illnesses fast, for we have become extraordinary machines. I have not had to use this formula in a while, but it works. I learned some of it the hard way, but was also taught by another hiker. The most important thing is stop the diarrhea.<br />
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Like I said, I did not get sick in any way this year. I owe it to my practices, which include being clean as I can, and avoiding unnecessary contact with others. I soon became part of my environment. I just think it is a shame to see people putting chemicals into their body, and buying into the filter company's propaganda. Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5981613192259142811.post-24354005811508294262013-09-02T11:12:00.003-07:002013-09-02T11:12:42.532-07:00CDT COMPLETE!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The Continental Divide was quite the adventure! Now that it is over, and I am now sitting comfortably at home, I do have quite a bit to share. But to make things simple for now, all my other hikes were only journeys while, the Continental Divide was a adventure.<br />
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I will be cleaning up all my previous post as well as adding pictures, but more importantly, I will be converting everything over to my web site due to my future planned endeavors.<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5981613192259142811.post-78426569891581967952013-08-28T17:40:00.000-07:002013-08-28T17:41:01.528-07:00Benchmark to East GlacierImmediately entering the Bob Marshall Wilderness we were encountering Grizzly Warning posters due to a Grizzly feeding on horse remains. I was by myself and ended up camping with the section hiker who loaned us the keys to his truck to resupply Optimist and Stopwatch.
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<br>The next day I had to do a detour around another forest fire. The route was amazing at first and went into a remote canyon in the middle of the Bob Marshall. Later the route got old as it was mostly under the trees.
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<br>Eventually the others caught up and we were a foursome again. We saw a dead moose in a creek that was obviously being devoured by a grizzly,due to tha large scat present. Needless to say we did not stick around and see anymore.
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<br>I saw some wolves chasing down a heard of elk, but the bulls seemed unconcerned.
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<br>Any ways I am in Many Glacier, and will finish tomorrow. I will have more time to add to this later, cheers.....
<br>Sent from my iPhoneUnknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5981613192259142811.post-20464594304902726422013-08-28T17:12:00.001-07:002013-08-28T17:12:57.520-07:00Helena to BenchmarkWe are back to the original 4 now. Optimist, Stopwatch, Raisins and I, hiked out of Helena together. For the most part, things were still the same though.
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<br>The beginning of this stretch was hot and water was a little farther apart. Most water was from cow troughs, but fed by springs.
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<br>Nearing the Bob Marshall Wilderness, we began seeing signs of Grizzly Bear. We also ran into Beacon, whom gave us a fire update. There was also a very large fire to the southwest, nowhere near the trail, but still producing quite a bit of smoke.
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<br>Once we arrived in Benchmark, we found that Optimist and Stopwatches resupply box was missing. A kind hiker named Dave have us his keys to drive to Augusta for supply's. it was a 30 mile drive on a long dirt road.
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<br>Almost done and will add more later
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<br>Sent from my iPhoneUnknownnoreply@blogger.com