The Long Walk Home: Day 1

Up at about 5 to pack my stuff. The sinus junk had gone away, and I was feeling better mentally. Pack was ready to go by 5:30, which was when breakfast started. Scout and Frodo provided it all again, and it was really tasty.

26 of us were starting from S&F's. It was a lot to organize, but they handled it with an ease born of lots of practice. At 6 we loaded into the cars and drove to the Southern Terminus. There was a lot of good energy, which helped alleviate some of my nervousness.

I made a fairly big mistake that first day. Last year I had 2 1.5-liter Smartwater bottles for water. I forgot they made them that big this year, and started with 2 1-liters. Since I only went through one bottle last year getting to Hauser Creek, I thought I would be fine.

I arrived at Hauser bone dry. Hauser was also bone dry, and I still needed water to cook dinner and breakfast, as well as make it the 5 miles to Lake Morena. I ended up going upstream over a half mile to see if some pools still had water in them. No dice. After getting back to camp, I got a bit of water from someone who had extra so I could make it 1.6 miles to a cistern that was for sure full. Luckily I had enough light left to do it. I was completely exhausted after that, though, so I just purified some water to drink, put up my tent, and went to bed.

I hiked most of the day with a German guy whose name I can't remember. Big surprise, as I am horrible with names. When we stopped at the stream at mile 4.4, he said it looked like a good spot for Second Breakfast. Hearing that, I commented that saying things like that would get him a Hobbit nickname. He said he was fine with that, so I said "OK Pippin" and called him that the rest of the day.

We saw two pretty big rattlesnakes when we got water after getting to Hauser, so that was interesting

Another Hiker creation

Another hiker who is staying here tonight embroidered patches in prep and handed them out. There were multiple colors.

It Begins

Landed in San Diego. Got picked up by Greywolf to head to Scout and Frodo's.

Lots of nervousness on my part. I am questioning my sanity, but I am not going to quit now. Going to give it at least a month (unless I get injured).

I hate plane travel. Always get a crick in my neck and some sinus crap. Usually a decent night's sleep clears most of that up, luckily.

So many people here at S&F's. Haven't been able to take it all in, yet. They have an amazing setup for the hikers. Big tents for people to sleep in. Pretty much everything a hiker might need is here, and what isn't is a short trip away.

I just got handed a little handmade charm from an Australian guy. He has a bunch, and they are trying to get them to Canada.

Scout and Frodo are going to feed us both dinner and breakfast on top of giving us a ride to the trailhead. They say they don't take donations, but apparently they don't turn down smoked salmon, so I am glad I brought that as a host gift.

Moved out/Notes on gear

Welp, all my stuff is out of my apartment and in storage except for what I need until I leave. Last day of my job was yesterday. This is happening.

My girlfriend came over last night, and she and my parents helped with the move out. We are going to go out dancing tonight. One last hurrah before I head out.

Gear
Some changes from last year and the reasons:

I went with the Hubba Hubba NX this year over the Mutha Hubba NX. 3-person down to a 2-person. The Hubba Hubba is also completely self-supporting and free-standing, and is easier for a single person to set up.

I also changed out my headlamp due to Petzl's new Hybrid system. The Accu Core battery pack has a built-in usb port so I can charge it off my solar charger/battery pack.

I changed out the battery back because my other one died.

Going with the Sawyer Squeeze this year over the Sawyer Mini. Better flow rate and a little more durable, from what I understand.

Gear List 2018

My Gear list this year is very similar to last year. The most major changes come from the fact that it is just me this year, so smaller items.

Pack:
REI Flash 65

Tent:
MSR Hubba Hubba NX w/footprint

Rain Gear:
Marmot Super Mica
ULA Rain Kilt
REI Duck's Back

Insulation:
Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer
Smartwool Lightweight Base Layer (top and bottom)
Mountain Hardwear Dome Perignon

Extra clothes:
Prana Stretch Zion Shorts
Columbia Sportswear Shirt (forget the model)
Injinji socks x2
Some free wool socks I got as swag for sleeping in
Exofficio boxer briefs
Sea to Summit eVent compression sack

Sleep System:
REI Igneo 17
Sea to Summit Ultralight Insulated Pad
Cocoon Mummy Liner - Silk
Sea to Summit Ultralight pillow - Regular size

Cook system:
Snow peak Gigapower stove
Snow peak Titanium cookwear (I think the 900 model)

Electronics:
RavPower 15000mAh Solar Charger/Battery Pack
Petzl Actik Hybrid headlamp
InReach PLB
Generic, lightweight USB to wall socket converter

Other:
REI First Aid Kit
Sawyer Squeeze
Misc hygiene stuff
Rope to hang food
HydraPak 4L Water bladder (for the desert)

T -7 days and counting

It feels really weird to be packing up my life again. I have most of my stuff packed to go into storage at this point, and am trying to figure out about my furniture.

Food packing is... daunting. trying to plan more than a section in advance is hard. I would be going a lot more free-from and only getting a bit shipped, but I still have all this food leftover from last year's attempt, so I'm trying to use a bunch of it.

I have pretty much all my gear. Now it is just time to corral it from the places it has ended up from using it over the past year. I should have a final gear list and picture either tomorrow or Friday.

Saturday is move-out day. Then I stay with my parents until I fly out on Tues, and start the hike on Wednesday.

This year, I am crashing with Scout and Frodo for the night. They are two of the most famous trail angels down there, and generously offer up their home to a LOT of people each night during the season. They also provide/arrange rides for the people to the southern terminus. I feel blessed that I got a spot with them.

16 days til attempt number two

After a strange, but good, year, I am attempting the PCT again.

A brief synopsis of the past 11 months:
Dog's pads healed up just fine (I know everyone cares more about the dog than anything else :) ) I got a couple industry certifications in my field. My girlfriend moved to the other side of the state for a job. I got a job in my field. It was on this side of the state. Spent a bunch of weekends with either my girlfriend or I traveling to see each other. Paid off all my debts! Saved up enough money to attempt the trail again! Girlfriend decided she wouldn't be able to attempt the trail this year, due to both her big kid job and her mental health issues.

So, this year, I'm flying solo. Making a few changes based on the changed situation and some more research. Pretty much all the food my girlfriend dehydrated for last year's attempt is still around, so I'll be shipping more food than I had planned, originally, for one.

Gear-wise, had a few things fail that I needed to replace, and some that are just being swapped out. My battery pack/solar charger went kaput, so I got a new one. It has a bigger capacity than the old one. Thinking about replacing my headlamp with one of the new Petzl ones, since they have a rechargeable battery option. The battery has a USB port built into it, which is cool and convenient. No need to carry an extra charging unit, and I can use the battery pack if I need to. Lighter tent, too, since it's just me. Wanted something decently durable, so I didn't go as light as some do: MSR Hubba Hubba.

I have some other items to consider. I will post a final gear list before I leave. I will also post as I swap things out on the trail, with a final breakdown afterward, as that is what I've found most helpful in deciding what I need to bring.