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.