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Hi everyone,

Well, Evan and I are both headed home now. Our PCT adventure is on hiatus until next year. I left the trail in Lone Pine and Evan hiked for one more week (doing 25+ days everyday!) and made it to Mammoth Lakes and Reds Meadows. The Sierras brought tons of water sources, afternoon thunderstorms, bear tracks, and incredibly picturesque views. Next year we will hopefully do the Mt. Whitney to Mt. Shasta section, but unfortunately now we have to get back to work and save up!

I'll post pictures from our last few weeks on the trail in the next couple of days. Right now we are both trying our hardest to find jobs and a home in Asheville, NC. Once we get settled, we'll keep on training by doing weekend backpacking trips in the mountains of North Carolina. I'll post pictures of those trips too. Thank you all for your support, and I will update you as our exploits in the outdoors continue!

Kennedy Meadows

Hi everyone,

It has been so long since I last got a chance to post that I don't know where to begin. When Evan and I were first in Tehachapi, we took a day to rest and then got back on the trail at Tehachapi Willow Road. About 8 miles from there the trail crosses Highway 58 which can take you back into town. We camped about 2 miles from that road the day we left town and in the morning we had made it about 3 miles past the highway before I started to feel super nauseated. I had unknowingly eaten some wheat in town and I knew that as soon as I started feeling sick, it would stick around for a few days. Considering that we were headed into a minimum of 90 miles to any town, campsite or other people, as well as some of our longest waterless sections, we decided it would be best to head back into town. Evan and I spent a few days at my parents house, water skiing and eating plenty of food. Oh, and taking showers. We decided to take advantage of the opportunity to let some snow melt in the Sierras. From my parents house we headed to a Buddhist peach farm in Lake Hughes. After a few days of weeding in exchange for food, we decided to head back to the trail. So, about a week and a half later, we left from Highway 58 and set up camp a few miles out. However, as soon as our alarm went off in the morning, Evan woke up with an ear ache.

Once again, we headed back into town and a wonderful trail angel named Duana not only picked us up, but proceeded to let us stay in her air conditioned trailer, gave us beer and movies while Evan tried every home remedy possible. After 4 days he was all better and we headed back to trail. Finally on our third try we made it out of Tehachapi and into the official start of the Sierras.

Over the last 150 miles, the trail passed through pines, back to desert and up again. We saw more climbing than we had previously, which hopefully helped to prepare us for the big mountains we'll see pretty soon (namely Mt. Whitney 14,505 - highest point in the continental US!). We also saw some of the HOTTEST days we have seen yet. We saw a couple of Mountain Lion tracks, which made us move quickly, and a few days later some bear tracks. In the middle of one night, Evan sat up and started playing his guitar, which I thought was a very inconsiderate way to cope with insomnia. As it turns out, he had smelt a bear near our camp and successfully scared it away.

We have also seen our first glances of the big mountains. I'm pretty sure I saw Mt. Whitney several days ago - it looked like a peak-shaped cloud above all of the other mountains. Since we arrived here this afternoon, we have heard that the snow is looking pretty good - apparently only a couple of patches between here and Whitney. I have heard of several cases of HAPE (high altitude pulmonary edema) - basically high altitude sickness categorized by fluid in the lungs. It's pretty serious, but knowing the symptoms and having the Spot accessible, means that if it happens, we can call for help. Evan and I have both been above 14,000 feet before, but we returned the same day to 4,000 feet. This time we will only be returning to 10,000 and the next day we will go back up to 13,000. Oy it's gonna be tough, but we're drinking plenty of water to help prepare for it.

More news when we get to Independence in about 10 days. We'll let you know how much snow we see!

Change of schedule

Hi all,

Apparently the snow in the Sierras is worse than we had expected. In order to keep the trail fun and safe, Evan and I will be taking an additional 10 days off on a peach farm. We'll start hiking again on July 7th. Here is a revised schedule in case anyone wants to send us letters.

7/17
Kennedy Meadows General Store (via Postal Mail)
PO Box 3A5
Inyokern, CA 93527

7/22
General Delivery
Independence, CA 93526

8/3
General Delivery
Mammoth Lakes, CA 93546

Restin' Up

Because of the snow in the Sierras, Evan and I decided to take a week or so to visit my parents, rest, eat and let some other hikers define the trail for us. The more people walk through ahead of us, the easier it will be to find the trail.

Luckily, this gave us the opportunity to upload a bunch of our pictures - here is the link to the album on facebook: PCT

In a couple of days we will take the bus back down to Tehachapi. Then we will have 150 more miles of desert and grasslands as we climb up to Kennedy Meadows. Then 200 miles of snow! Should be an adventure. We'll update you the next chance we get.

Long Time

Hi everyone,



I'm sorry it has been so long since we posted - although we have had the opportunity to stay at several trail angel's houses, internet access has been somewhat limited since Big Bear.



Over the last couple of weeks, Evan and I have experienced more snow, and spent the last two days in the Mojave Desert. Coming out of Big Bear, the next stop were some natural hot springs. We arrived there the morning after a long day and enjoyed a good soak. It was the beginning of Memorial Day weekend, so there were tons of people there, and less clothes. We spent an hour or two jumping into the cold creek and back into the hot springs before pushing on a few more miles.



A day and a half after the hot springs came the famous "Cajon Pass" - a dreamland of McDonald's, Del Taco and Subway. Hikers had talked about Big Mac's and fries since our starting point in Campo. We got there on Memorial Day morning, starving and I was a little dissapointed that there were almost no wheat-free options. Evan put down several sausage mcmuffins and I enjoyed a morning mcflurry. It had been heating up for a few days and, after a little discussion, we decided to stay a night at the Best Western, which offered a hiker rate. Unfortunately the washing machine was broken, so we washed everything in the bathtub and dried it. A wonderful day of showers, air conditioning and tv. Ahh.



From Cajon Pass, we began the first of two detours due to fire and endangered species (some special frog). The first detour followed a few jeep roads, which are much more steep than the trail normally is. After the jeep roads, it merged onto a paved road which it followed for several miles into a shooting range and back up a jeep road to finally meet the official trail again. Unfortunately, walking on pavement is not only boring, it can really take a toll on your body. Evan's achilles tendon started to bother him there, and it still acts up from time to time.



After getting back on the trail, we climbed up and up into the pines again. My favorite sections of the trail so far have been after a big climb - leaving the desert behind you round a corner and suddenly there it is: the scent of pines and thinner air. The next afternoon we reached Inspiration Point, where we caught a ride into Wrightwood. Such a hiker-friendly town! We re-supplied at the grocery store and spent a few hours talking with other hikers at the local coffee shop (free coffee for thru-hikers!). That evening we got back on the trail and camped at the summit trailhead for Mt. Baden-Powell. Early in the morning we climbed the steep switchbacks, which gave way to steep snow. We reached the summit at 12pm and enjoyed the views - mountains on one side and desert on the other. At a little over 9,000 feet this is the highest we have climbed so far (although that will change once we reach Mt. Whitney in a few weeks).

Leaving the summit, we learned an important lesson: never leave the ridge line. Following footprints when the trail was snow-covered, we made the mistake of descending onto the north face, which forced us to spend several hours bushwacking acrost snow and scree shoots until we reached what we thought was Islip Saddle. From that point, we followed a trail only to discover that this was in fact Dawson's Saddle (not on our map) - a boyscouts trail rather than the PCT. Oy Vey. Once we reached a road crossing we got a ride back into Wrightwood, where we enjoyed a good nights sleep and a smoothie for breakfast from a local trail angel.

The section from Islip Saddle into Agua Dulce has also been re-routed (approx. 50 miles of jeep roads and highways). Since Evan's ankle is still sore and since we didn't want to be hit by a car, we decided to skip that section and were offered a ride to Agua Dulce in a fellow thru-hiker's RV. In Agua Dulce, we stayed at Hiker Heaven - where Jeff and Donna Saufley put up 50 hikers at a time on cots in their yard. It was amazing. 24 miles from there Teri and Joe Anderson house hikers in their endless Narnia-inspired backyard. 40 miles from there is Hikertown - a somewhat eerie hiker hostel composed of recycled hollywood sets and wind. We picked up our tent (finally a house on the trail!), Evan's new pack and a set of fiddle strings there, before trucking the next 40 miles along the CA Aqueduct and through the Mojave to our current location: Tehachapi, CA. We really lucked out with the wind and lower temperatures for what is otherwise an unbearably hot section of trail. Here in town we are going to rest for a couple of days, heal up Evan's achilles tendon and pray that the snow in the Sierras melt. From here it is 150 miles to Kennedy Meadows, and another 200 snow-covered miles from there to another town.

We miss you all! Think good thoughts for the Sierras!

More snow . . .

Evan and I slept in a bed for the first time in 18 days last night. It was simply amazing . . . running water, laundry, and coffee at the Big Bear Hostel.

When we left Idyllwild, we took a re-route up a jeep road to avoid tons of snow and an indiscernible trail on Fuller's Ridge. When our detour met back up with the trail, we did 15 miles of switchbacks back down to a the windy valley surrounding West Palm Springs, CA. I don't think any of the hiker's got a good night's sleep in that valley - between the high winds and Interstate 10 - but we did manage to get some McDonald's fries and burgers, which was a special treat.

The next morning, we walked past a junkyard and through a wind farm, leaving civilization inch-by-inch as we entered the San Bernardino mountains. It was fairly windy all day, and sooo hot we had to spend an hour or two resting under some trees, but that night we had the most beautiful camp right by a fast creek and a bunch of other hikers.

In the morning, Evan and I felt little drops of rain blowing from clouds that were still hidden by surrounding mountains. The trail crossed and re-crossed the creek probably 20 times (not an exaggeration!), and the clouds started to roll over the ridges bringing intermittent hail, then intermittent snow, then a white-out snowstorm that lasted for several hours. By about 1pm we set up camp and built a fire to dry off our soaking clothes and warm up. Within a couple of hours the snow had stopped (or paused, I thought), and we packed up to push on to a shelter 20 miles from our original campsite. Along with 5 other hikers we made just before dark, built a fire in the fire place and settled in for a pretty cold night at 8,000 feet.

Monday morning brought sunshine and a very visible trail. About six miles in we came to a road crossing and hurried into Big Bear City straight to the all you can eat buffet at Sizzler's. Although it was pretty cold the last couple of days, it has been nothing short of an adventure. This afternoon we will head back out and push on to Wrightwood in another 100 miles. We hear there is a re-route there due to a forest fire, so we'll let you know how that turns out!

Evan and I have limited time here in Idyllwild, and so much to tell you all about. Since we left Julian, the most notable aspect of our hike was the lack of water. Until we reached mile 150, there were back-to-back waterless sections. If it weren't for the kindness of Trail Angels, who hike or truck out scores of gallons of potable water, I'm not sure what we would do. In the middle of many of these 20+ mile sections, there are usually caches with fresh, cool water, and registers where we can read up on where our hiker friends are at.

We stopped into Anza, CA to resupply and take a rest day at the local campground. The 28-mile section between Anza and Idyllwild (from highway 74 to Devil's Slide) was by far the most beautiful and epic two days we have seen yet. We climbed past boulders, large conifers up to Apache Peak and the high San Jacinto Mountains. Fog poured into and around the peaks and hawks flying next to us created shadows on the slopes. The climbs were steep but well worth it. We spent Monday night camped by Fobes Spring, where we met Bacon and Meander, two hikers who started April 15th. They had had to return to this section later in the season because it was impassable in late April. They were planning to attempt Fuller's Ridge (just past Idyllwild), which is the topic of all hiker conversation these days - do you really need an ice axe?, is it passable?, did someone really freeze to death up there two years ago?. Evan and I had assumed that the descriptions in our guidebook and water report were exagerrated.

The water report told us that the last 2 miles leading up to Devil's Slide (a spur trail leading down to town, and an escape route before Fuller's Ridge), were entirely snow-covered and that crampons and an ice axe were highly recommended. After days of heat, water warnings and rattle snakes, that was pretty hard to believe until we turned the corner onto the north face. We followed footprings in the snow and trailmarkers on the trees for about half a mile until the footsteps dissapeared. Or scattered. Suffice it to say we weren't the first ones to get lost up there. After about two hours of wandering, studying the guidebooks and climbing onto rocks to look for the trail, Evan found it. We created some carns and arrows with sticks to help the next people through. But sure enough 10 minutes later the trail dissappeared again. After bushwacking about a mile, we miraculously re-found the trail and booked it down to town for a delicious and well-earned mexican dinner and a margarita.

Here in Idyllwild there are a ton of injured and tired hikers all hanging out together. Tomorrow we will take a re-route with a few of our friends, avoiding Fuller's Ridge and on toward the Sierra's. Hoping they melt soon!

The Desert is Dry

Sitting in the public library of Julian, CA it's hard to sum up the last week. When we arrived in San Diego, Evan and I got picked up at the airport by Girlscout, a former thru-hiker and Trail Angel. He let us stay at his house, drove us to the trail head in the morning, and gave us a copy of the water report - amazingly helpful out here where most natural water sources are dry.

Our first day out was scorching hot. We hiked 20 miles from the border to Lake Morena. It was beautiful, relatively flat and easy hiking until we got to the 10 mile point (which I had thought was the 15 mile point - fatal mistake). Then it got really hot. We saw our first rattler on a jeep road, continued past a creek in the hottest part of the day up a 1000 foot climb only to cross two more rattlers mating and quite possibly the longest five miles of my life. I was soooo tired. Luckily the Lake Morena campground has beer and ice cream. We also met a couple of other hikers we camped with the next night.

Day two we cut the heat by jumping in a creek with all of our clothes on - air conditioning for the next hour or so. That night we camped with A-Frame and Gnar from Eugene, OR. I also saw more poison oak than I thought could possibly grow in one place.

Day three we only did about ten miles, took a long nap and had a big meal in the little mountain town of Laguna, CA. And as it turns out, taking a day to rest makes a huge difference because I have been feeling so much stronger and more energetic since then.

Day 4 we did 20 miles again, making it through our first waterless section to a cache in the middle of nowhere. It's frustrating that we end up carrying so much more water than we really need on the offchance that one of the caches in the guidebook is not stocked. We could get by with 2 liters easily, but if it's not there, we'll need 5 each to last us 2 days. Day 4 was pretty windy and so far it hasn't changed. On Day 5 we hiked 10 miles into town to restock on food and fuel and ended up staying the night both to avoid the storm and to hang out with about 10 hikers who had decided the same. The storm seems so be passing, as we head out this afternoon, but we'll be keeping our fingers crossed.

Thinking of all of you while we hike!

This is it!

Evan and I are making the final adjustments to our packs, wrapping gorilla tape around our trekking poles, printing up boarding passes, saying good-bye to showers and fresh vegetables. The grand adventure is upon us! From this moment on, we will be available by phone and e-mail when we come to town to re-supply. If you want to send us letters or cold beer, check our schedule. Until then - peace, love, and hikin'!

Linville Gorge Trip

The last couple of months have flown by as Evan and I finished our season at Eldora Mtn. Resort and packed up to leave Colorado. We have spent the last two weeks visiting with Evan's family and exploring the lush landscape of North Carolina. We went backpacking in the Linville Gorge - so incredibly green and exuberant compared to the Rocky Mountains.

The view from Babel Tower.

After a long, steep hike down the Cabin Trail, we set up our soon-to-be home for the first time.

Kitchen - with tons of running water.

360º Views from Hawksbill

More news and pictures to come - this week Evan and I are going to climb Mount Mitchell and test out all of our equipment and pack weight for The Trail.

Resupply Points

Here is a list of our maildrops, which should give you some idea of our schedule.

5/20 1. General Delivery

Big Bear City, CA 92314

(909) 659.1969

6/3 2. Hikertown c/o Richard Skaggs

26803 W Ave. C-15

Lancaster, CA 93536

661.724.0086

6/25 3. General Delivery

Stehekin, WA 98852

(509) 682.2625

7/18 4. General Delivery

Cascade Locks, OR 97014

(541) 374.5026

7/27 5. Bend, OR

8/11 6. General Delivery

Ashland, OR 97520

(541) 552.1622

8/23 7. Dunsmuir, CA

9/4 8. General Delivery

Belden, CA 95915

(530) 283.0951

9/22 9. General Delivery

Tuolumne Meadows

Yosemite N.P. CA 95389

(209) 372.8429

Let us know if you would like to join us for a section!

Our first donation!

Hey guys,

Evan and I had a sweet surprise when we walked to the post office last night. We received our first donation - thanks Aunt Madeleine and Uncle Joe!! This will greatly help the Partnership for the National Trails System to improve the PCT, and it will help Evan and I to buy one of the water blatters that will keep us hydrated through the sweltering Mohave.
In other news, Evan put together our approximate timeline which we will soon be posting. Those of you who are interested in hiking with us for a day or meeting up with us in a nearby town such as Bend, Shasta, Seattle, let us know!

More to come, Jocelyn and Evan

Footwear

One of the most important pieces of equipment Evan and I will bring with us are our shoes. Imagine - what is going to support your feet, which will support your ankles, knees, back, and everything that you carry on it - for 20+ miles a day, day after day after day. It's a big decision. There is quite a debate over support versus maneuverability when it comes to backpacking footwear. I had intended, early on, to go with a pair of beautiful leather Asolo boots, but if I'm being honest, that decision was based almost entirely on aesthetics. I thought that Evan was crazy when he told me he was going to wear a pair of cheap tennis shoes from walmart, beginning with the pair he has already worn to the ground.

However, as I started to research what other thru-hikers had chosen, the answers varied from teva sandals to cloth boots to trail runners. The most convincing argument I came across was that of Ray Jardine - ultralight backpacker extraordinaire. This man, who is known for climbing the first ever 5.12 and the first 5.13, has hiked the PCT 3 times, as well as the comparative Appalachian Trail and Continental Divide Trail. In his book "Trail Life", he argues the many benefits of trail runners for long distance hikes. Here are a few of his points:

1. The "myth" of ankle support: Ray argues that we do not need stiff leather boots to protect our ankles, but that this system actually prevents our ankles from gaining the mobility and strength they were designed to have, and that it is important to develop this before hiking.

2. He also states that, while it is always important to be conscious of obstacles and foot placement, by wearing more lightweight shoes, we are naturally more aware and therefore protect ourselves from injury.

3. Finally, Jardine stresses the importance of lightweight shoes. Every time that you lift your foot to take a step, you are lifting the shoes that you are wearing. Over thousands of steps, a 3lbs. pair of boots adds up. However, if you are lifting merely ounces with each step, you will hike the same distance and feel less fatigue.

The only downside to trail runners, as far as I can tell, is that, while hiking in snow, you don't have the stiff toe necessary to kick in steps on steep terrain. Haven't quite figured out what I'm gonna do the first few weeks in the cascades yet - let me know if you have any suggestions.

Refining Plans

The last few weeks have been very busy, but it is beginning to feel like everything is coming together. First of all, Evan and I have decided on our route. There are pluses and minuses to traveling Northbound, as well as to Southbounding, and through most of our discussions, I was leaning toward the overwhelmingly more popular (and therefore more predictable) Mexico-Canada, but Evan was very much taken with the idea of beginning in Manning Park and ending south of San Diego. Here are some of the differences:

If you go Northbound:

- You run the risk of encountering either a little or a lot of snow in the Sierras.

- You will hit the Cascades during their world-famous rainy season, and may end up hiking a month or more drenched (which means everything will be heavier).

- The desert will be hot, but in May and June, it will have the most water of the whole year.

If you Southbound:

- Your first few weeks will be snow-covered, but the Sierras will be dry by the time you reach them.

- The desert will be cool, but after the summer's heat, there will be little water.

- Harder descents - When the glaciers created the mountains of North America, the southern side was graded more sharply. This means that, although your ascents will be less steep, climbing back down will be harder on your knees.

- No one southbounds, or at least almost no one. If you begin the trail on June 21st at the northern terminus, you may not see another human being until you reach the Sierras in August or September. You can look at that as good or bad. Or neither.

Evan and I have decided to take the best of both worlds and flip flop. We will begin in early May at the Southern Terminus and hike until we reach Mount Whitney. Then we will travel by way of train, car or plane to Manning Park and hike Southbound until we reach, and summit Mount Whitney. This route will give us a chance to warm up and stretch our legs in the desert, while it has the most water. Then we will enjoy the Pacific Northwest and the High Sierra in their most favorable seasons.

Welcome

Mount Whitney, California

This summer, Evan Franklin and I will be hiking from Canada to Mexico along the west coast of the US of A. We will pass through the Cascade mountains of Washington and Oregon, the Sierra Nevadas of California, Mount Whitney, the highest peak in the continental United States, and the Mohave Desert. The trail is 2,650 miles long and we will be walking every step of it, sleeping under the stars and breathing in the sweet mountain, desert and coastal air along the way.

Aside from the aesthetic wonder and the personal challenge of 5 months on The Trail, Evan and I are also hiking to make these trails more accessible to everyone. We will be performing trail maintenance in certain sections, abiding by the ethics of Leave No Trace, and raising funds for the Partnership for the National Trails System. This is where friends, family, and future nature lovers can help. Over the next 3 months, Evan and I will be collecting donations for the PNTS. 80-85% of donations will go directly to the organization, improving and maintaining scenic trails throughout the US, and the remaining 15-20% will help Evan and I to

complete the trail by financing a portion of our mail drops and food.



Through this blog, we will post our trail journals and pictures whenever possible. We will also update friends, family and anyone interested about our sponsorship progress.

Sonora Pass, California