One Way Ticket to Somewhere

  How do you prepare your body for a hike that goes on for (my goal) 160 days? Running, day hiking, short backpacking trips come to mind, along with chemical substances that are outlawed by most countries as well as the Olympic Committee. With barely a month left before my start date of April 25, answering this question is becoming more urgent.   Thinking hard about physical exercise at Mt. Hood To get things started I went on a one night backpacking trip to the Pacific coast with my friend Brenda. This was mainly to practice setting up my new tent, trying out my new cooking gear, as well as tasting some of my dehydrated food.  New tent is working well The ski season was still in full swing at that time, so instead of planning longer hikes or backpacking trips I went on two weeklong ski trips. While this definitely improved my leg strength, skiing didn’t do much for my hiking endurance. It was a lot of fun though! Skiing above the clouds in Whistler  I’m writing this...

One thing that I definitely did not look forward to is leaving my home. Not only do I dislike moving, I really love my little townhouse in Ballard, a lively neighborhood of Seattle. It’s the first home I ever purchased and I’ve lived there for 14 years. It’s the first place in Seattle that felt like home to me. It’s where my daughter Lilli had her start in the US, first going to Ballard High and later to Seattle Central and finally the University of Washington. We had parties here, celebrated victories, recovered from setbacks. It was our safe haven during the lockdown phase of the pandemic. The list goes on, but I think you got my point. This one was truly hard. Mount Rainier Alas, Lilli moved out over a year ago and the house is really to big for me alone. Still, I didn’t consider moving until I had a pressing reason like my impending PCT start date. I did not consider selling as I wanted to keep the option to return to live here if I wanted to. I thought about get a roommate for the...

What am I going to need for five months in the wilderness to keep me alive and comfy? Which indulgences can I afford to bring and still be able to carry my backpack comfortably for an average of around 20 miles per day? I learned from my shorter trips that it's key to have comfortable footwear and a backpack that is easy to carry. It's just as important to have a sleep system that allows for a good night's rest to restore your energy and enthusiasm for the trail ahead. Of course there are many items you need for a trek like the PCT. In this post I want to concentrate on my choices for backpack, tent and footwear. Winter Hike In The Teanaway So, where to start? My main source of information are the experiences I made during PCT section hikes and other backpacking trips. I was able to test and fine tune most of my equipment over the years and learned what I need and what I can live without for some time. Even with this background I knew that I needed to make a few changes. Mo...

In my last post I explained my overall strategy for food supply on the PCT. Working on the dinner plan has been a very tasty experience, as it includes cooking a wide variety of foods and then trying them before and after dehydration.  Chris thinking about dinner near Alaska Lake. This doesn't always go according to plan. Last week, for example, my friend Cheryl gave me a batch of masala that her mom prepared, along with a recipe for chicken. It was absolutely amazing! I devoured most of it immediately and ate all that remained the following day. There was nothing left to dehydrate and I decided that it was simply too good to take on the trail. The subtlety and depth of the dish would likely be lost.  Cheryl's mom makes the best masala. This week I finally cooked and dehydrated the last batch of dinners for my trip. This is the culmination of several months worth of work, as I had already started this process in October. First I was cooking small amounts for tasting and fine t...

Food on the trail is probably the most complex topic I have encountered while preparing for the hike. Of course the gear (tent, sleep system,...) is very important, but once I decided what I needed to bring, this issue was more or less solved. After all, the tent won't become stale or rancid (although it might smell that way after a while...) and I probably will not get bored sleeping on the same mat every night. Eating the same dinner every evening is a different story. I actually like to cook and really enjoy eating good food. Of course I know that I will have to make compromises on the trail, but I want to eat as well as I can. Apart from diversity, the sheer amount of food needed can seem overwhelming. Most sources estimate that a thru-hiker burns about 4000 to 6000 calories a day! Goat Lake Near PCT Section H Last not least, I want to minimize the weight I have to carry and need to re-supply fairly regularly. The PCT meanders through some pretty remote areas, for example in th...

Most people start their thru-hike at the Southern Terminus of the PCT. There are actually far more aspiring hikers than permits, so you literally have to win the lottery to get one! Sunset At Sheep Lake, PCT Section H Before I could even enter the lottery, I had to decide my start date and also make a prediction how long the whole trek would take me. So, how did I decide when I should start? The trail starts in the desert at the US border with Mexico and hiking early in the year would help avoiding the stifling heat. On the other hand, after crossing the roughly 700 mile long desert areas, the High Sierra awaits where snowy passes and flooding rivers can become huge obstacles if you enter the high country too early. Goat Rocks, PCT Section H I went back to the NOAA precipitation and temperature prediction maps from my last post and also researched previous entry dates into the High Sierra. I found that in a normal snow year most hikers started flocking into the high country be...

Once I made the decision to thru-hike the PCT, I just wanted to relax for a little bit. After all, I just changed my plans for the future, well, completely. The next set of important decisions was already knocking on my door though. Where do I want to start, at the northern terminal or the southern. And when? Decisions, decisions... Maximizing potential time on the trail was a priority for me, as I like to take many pictures and interesting side trips. If you plan a traditional hike rather than a winter adventure, the limiting factor for trail time is snow. First and foremost in the Sierra Nevada in California, where the snow levels have to recede to a reasonable level before you can cross. But also in the Cascades, my stomping grounds, where I know from first hand experience how long the snow can linger. Just two summers ago I attempted a weeklong PCT Section J hike from Snoqualmie Pass to Stevens Pass with my friend Chris in mid-July, but had to turn around on the second day as the s...