Good/Bad News

I apologize in advanced that we have not been in touch the past few weeks via blog, Facebook, or phone. I have some good news and some bad news that I have to share. Lets start with the bad news: We are home. Yes, as in back in Connecticut....(AND THE PUNCHLINE IS :O....) Unfortunately, I am not joking. Basically Michael's foot injury became debilitating so we had to hike out the last week of May (the 25th I think??) So now that I've knocked you all off you all off your feet I'll tell you the good news! We do have all intentions to get back on trail in a few weeks! That is all permitting we can heal Michael's, and save more money as well. But our hearts are there -more so than you could even imagine- so we are going to do everything possible to make getting back on trail a reality. 


If you are wondering why it's taken so long to tell all of you that we're home it's because we are heartbroken. Simply put, no exaggeration. Even though the circumstances were out of our control, we both feel as though we let you all down. I can't put into words how supportive, loving, and excited everyone was for our adventure, and now that it's in limbo it's a terrible feeling. I wouldn't expect any of you to make us feel un accomplished of course, I know better...my friends and loved ones support every decision we make...but it doesn't make it any easier. 


It's funny, because before we started I had all these premonitions of what exactly the trail meant to me. I thought I knew but I truly had no idea. And even just that one month we were out there I got a good tasting of it. It was putting myself out there, completely out of my comfort zone, building confidence/knowledge/friendships...and most importantly myself. I can only treat others as well as I value myself. It's easy for me to be loving and caring of others..that was just in my nature from birth...but I've learned that to truly be selfless, to truly care and love for others, you must love yourself first. Of course that's not the first time any of us have heard that but it's the first time in my life I've understood it's true meaning. That alone has made everything worth it. 


For *some* people it's hard, or even impossible to understand how thru hiking can have such an impact on the makeup of ones self; like the ones who ask me 'why I'd want to camp everyday' or 'how could I have fun' doing something like this always intrigue me. The best way I can describe it for you is first, stop thinking of it as a hike. Second, abolish the word hike from your thought process, because at the end of the day that really has nothing to do with it! It's just the catalyst for all the personal changes it summons. Trail life, ::sigh::, it's about personal growth, life experience, adjustably/''learning to be comfortable in uncomfortable situations,'' as Bikram says/, the opening up of ones mind and heart, proving to yourself that materialistic objects don't matter! Simplicity is bliss. Love, food, water, shelter, health... and yourself. Those are the things that matter in life. That's the true American dream. These fundamentals are too often walked away from in our society that's hypnotized by money, possessions, beauty, and status. My advice...just STOP. They don't matter. None of those things matter! They say only those who lose it all know the true value of life. And they are right. Fortunately, Michael and I suffered no loss, we made ourselves homeless and jobless by choice, and yet we gained so much. If you think it's easy for me to right this you are wrong. What do I know, a 20 year old girl who was raised from a loving family, how could I possibly know about hardships and value of life. Well you may be surprised that I have been through a lot in my short lifetime, and I am proud to say I've always believed myself to have an old soul. I am far from perfect and I too have been caught up on putting too much emphasis and value on the wrong things. But now I believe to have a much greater understanding on what makes me happy. I am not saying for any of you to sell your homes and run away to the trail. But there certainty is a lot to be said for it's mysterious ways of opening up your eyes to see just a little bit clearer. And I can vouch for that. So, to answer your question, yes. The trail was everything we dreamed it would be, and more. 


Now on a lighter note, the physical trail itself was beautiful and untamed. Picture a dirt path 12'' in diameter running along mountainous ridge lines, fields of grass and wheat, hot red clay/sand, through epic pine groves, over snow and run offs, and then back to sandy desert again...and you have the PCT. Not to mention the excessive amounts of switchbacks it takes over mountain passes. A common joke is that if you're 1 mile away from your destination via how the bird flies (straight-line) it'll take you 20 miles of PCT to get there. Like I've mentioned before it was originally an equestrian trail which is why it never goes above and 8% grade.


We have a million stories to tell you, but this entry was more just to let you know we're home...for the time being. I'll be getting in touch with you all shortly :)


-Felecia

Ziggy and The Bear

20 days into the hike we are at mile 210. We would be a lot further along if I had not gotten sick back in Julian, but that's all fine and well, we'll make up for it.

Even just being on the trail this past few weeks I can already see how this type of lifestyle can be addicting. I was aware beforehand, but now actually being on the trail your eyes get opened to this entire long distance hiker community of sorts. Almost a small town feel where everyone knows everyone from some other hike or other. You also realize very quickly that attempting a thru-hike does not make you extreme by any means. There are always people faster than you, have a lighter pack, and far more experienced. We met this one guy Ron or ''ipod'' who has triple crowned two times! That means he thru-hiked the Appalacian Trail, Pacific Crest Trail, and the Continental Divide Trail...TWICE. He has also done tons of other hikes all over the world. And there are tons of people like that on the trail. It's hard feeling like a ''newbie'' at first but 99.9% of the people we've met have been really nice! Which brings me to trail angels Ziggy and The Bear! Talk about nice people!...So yesterday was a ''Nero Day'' which means Michael and I were going to be doing nearly 0 miles. The day before we had almost come down 8,000 feet from the top of Mt. San Jacinto. We only had 9 miles to hike out before we came to trail angles Ziggy and the Bears house. PIECE OF CAKE. Well, it would have been if it wasn't 106+ degrees outside, and if we hadn't been walking in sand. Needless to say by the time we got to Ziggy's we were burning up! They immedietly had us sign in, took a picture for the PCT class yearbook they make, and had us sit down and relax for our epsom salt foot bath. Ziggy explained that dinner was at 6:30 for salad, and icecream and cake were to be served after...but only if we finished the salad! :) She had a few simple easy rules to follow while on there property, but other than that you are welcome to feel right at home and use there internet/computers, sift through hiker boxes, re-supply on food/fuel/misc (with a small donation), wash your clothes/self in the sink, use the port a potty, and relax in the three tents they have for the hikers in there backyard. I'm not sure if that seems like a lot to you, but let me tell you for a hiker that is everything.

It amazes me that these people do this out of the kindness of there hearts! They even moved from there house in Anza to Whitewater to be closer to the PCT! It really goes to show that there are still kind generous people out there and makes you want to be a better person as well.

We stayed the night at Ziggy's and are now currently waiting for hiker Monty to come pick us up. We arranged that we would take Monty's car up to Big Bear where Michael and I need to take a week off trail. His foot is still bothering him, we think it's a strained tendon so rather than hike and make it worse we're going to let it heal for a week and get back on trail from there :)

-Felecia

Sick on the trail

I've learned a few things the past couple days. One- don't ever order Itailian food on the West Coast if you are from the East Coast unless you want to be dissapointed. Two- the kindness of strangers is the greatest gift. And thirdly- DO NOT GET SICK ON THE TRAIL. You can say that three times! Ay dios mio.

It started on the trail Thursday. Coming out both ends and such. Like I mentioned in the previous post we got a ride to Julian from Scissors Crossing from Kevin "The Hawk". GREAT GUY. We figured my flu like symptoms would go away on there own so we'd just stay the night in Julian. Boy were we wrong. Everyday got worse for me. Fever, cold swets, lose of appetite, nausea/ vomiting, diahrea, headache/dizzyness and THE WORST intestinal cramping. Michael was the greatest in home doctor anyone could ask for,but it was apparent last night into this morning that I needed medical attention asap.

Kim and Damian, two employees of the Julian Lodge, GENEROUSLY offered us a ride to the hospital 40 MILES away! I couldn't believe it. After relentlessly calling the "24 hr taxi" with no answer they were a God send! (**if you ever looking for a place to stay in Julian try this place out! The employees and management go above and beyond for their customers in sooo many ways...especially for hikers!!)

The doctor took samples but we wont be sure of the results for about a week. Most likely it's Giardia or Crypto. Could have gotten either a million different ways. Bad water being the biggest offender for Giardia...but we'll never know for sure. I have the antibiotic and feel better already. He also gave me a smooth muscle relaxer for my intestinal cramping (which was my huggest issue...picture being stabbed in the stomach and you'll begin to get the picture)

As for Michael, he's starting to feel on the sick side. We're hoping it's from the lack of sleep and stress but we'll see. We can't get back on the trail until we know we are both well. Staying in Julian is getting far too expensive even with hiker discounts so we're going to try and find a trail angel and go that route. And then get back on the trail asap.All these shenanigans have made for a laughable streak of bad luck...but we are trying our best to stay optimistic.
Could definitely use your encouragement!

-Felecia

Mile 0-77.6

I feel like I am in some sort of time warp. Days are not measured by work scedules or school, but by milage and water sources. At the kick off party @ Lake Morena we had a water briefing with some Pacific Crest Trail Association members. Although we will not need to worry about snow this year (the sierra nevadas only got 30 something % if its average snowfall...it makes it a really rough first 700 miles of desert. Theres not much snow run off, river beds and streams that were once reliable are now bone dry. It definitely makes for an interesting hike knowing you may not get a chance to re up on water for 30 miles. And let me tell you water is HEAVY! It's a completely different way of life out here. So much of it has still yet to sink in.

A week ago today we started the trail. It feels like forever ago already. Partially because the landscape out here is like nothing we have ever seen before. One second you're on a ridge of a mountain with panoramic views of other 6,000-12,000 ft mountains, and and the next thing you know your coming into pine grove valley, and just when you think you're completely off the mountain youre right back to hiking back up it- except this time over red clay at your feet and cactus and aloe plants surrounding you.

Everyone was right when they said you can't think of it as "Mexico to Canada" everyday. WAY TOO DAUNTING. Right now we are in a small touristy town by the name of Julian somewhere in the Anza-borrego desert. Getting much needed rest. Yesterday and today have been rough on me...I think I got a 24 hr stomach bug or something. That coupled with 90 degree heat...it just wasn't safe or smart staying out in the desert today. After a failed 45 mins of trying to get a hitch we had given up. Michael got to close for comfort with a rattlesnake and then out if nowhere a car pulls over. It was Kevin...he had just gotten off the trail to attend his daughters graduation. Real nice guy. He drove us to Julian and we all got free lunch at Moms Pies just for being hikers! So nice!

Mount Laguna

We made it to Mt Laguna yesterday, and are taking a 0 today. The hikewas beautiful!  We saw another rattler, a deer in the middle of nowhere and the lizzards were everywhere!  There were a couple of water sources along the way which was nice, so we didnt have to carry much. 
Tomorrow we want to be on trail at 5:30am so we have plenty of time to do the 33 miles in 2 days to get to Julian.  Everything is beautiful and so different.  The internet connection here is a little weak, but we will try to upload some photos by the end of the day. 
Mike

AND WE'RE OFF!!!

WOW! after all the planning and hard work, i find myself sitting here in bed on the last night before we leave utterly exhausted and unable to sleep.  its all coming together and this amazing journey is going to happen.  After all the hard work, late nights of research, hours on end of planning, and re-planning, its come down to two flights, and a ride to the trail head.  Thats all that stands between us and the trail.  I'm not too sure any of this has really set in yet.  We have said our good-byes packed all of our gear and are as ready for this adventure of a lifetime.  but it still doesn't seem real, were hiking from the Mexican border to the Canadian border.  On the maps were going anywhere from four inches to three feet, and in reality its 2600+ miles, like i said, it hasn't set in yet.  We're looking forward to the ups and downs, and the unknowns the trail has to throw at us, and hope you all enjoy following us on our journey of a lifetime.

This is probably the first and last entry I will make before we start the trail late Thursday, or first light on Friday.

-Mike

Packing and Mail drops

Michael and our baby 'Tiny' looking through our gear list

Anyone who knows me knows that I'm really really good at procrastinating :). I'd like to think I work well under pressure, and seeing as though Michael and I never really thought this day would come (we couldn't possibly be that lucky...) we saved packing our packs and organizing our few mail drops until now! Don't try this at home, haha!


So, of course yesterday was Murphy's Law. Anything that could go wrong, did. We stopped by EMS to get a couple of last minute things, and figured for the heck of it we'd try and solve my blister problem once and for all. I've been sized, and re sized, gotten the ''best'' socks, tried lacing strategies, you name it, and I still get bad blisters every time I hike. 


So, the assistant manager (who is the best by the way) asked me to lace my shoes for him to see if I was doing anything wrong. WELP, with one little tug the lacing system broke! Not the shoe lace, but the actual holds. My shoes were instant garbage. My favorite pair, the ones that were perfectly broken in to start our hike, gone. After a small panic attack things slowly came together. Michael (the assit manager) continued to try and solve the problem. ''What about trying half a size smaller?'' he asked. Dumb founded that no other ''foot specialist'' nor I thought to go smaller we tried it. And so far we think it worked! Michael kindly warranted my shoes, and now I've got some new kicks for the hike! woohooo! Obviously there's no time so brake them in before Friday, so I'm practically sleeping in these babies until we hit the trail. 


As if that weren't enough trauma for one day, Michael accidentally dropped my $2,600 computer- that has all our pictures on it, and most importantly OUR GEAR LIST, how we could pack without it, I don't know! When the screen showed up blank I think we both died a little. This time Michael called up an old buddy from work, and wa-lah, he fixed it!!!!!!After all that, I think we got the brake we deserved.

We got our boxes together!!!

Kennedy Meadows! Snow gear and homemade COOKIES!!

Address: Kennedy Meadows General Store, 96740 Beach Meadow Road, Inyokern, CA 93527

*If you want to send us anything here (food, food, and more food) let us know

Anything we may or may not want send out.

SHOES! We'll go through about 6 pairs each. 

-Felecia

So long, farewell...

Friends Chelsey and Tim 

My friend Lee and I

I've spent so much time in the past 7 months of planning focusing on getting the right gear, having enough money saved up, and the trail itself that I didn't even think of the day I'd have to say goodbye to everyone!!


Last Saturday Michael and I had our going away party with our friends, yesterday my soon to be ex employer through me a surprise party (thank you by the way!!!), tonight we're having a small farewell dinner with our closest friends, and tomorrow is our family dinner! Ay yi yi! That's a lot of food, hugs, & tears!
Saying goodbye has not only reminded me how many great people we have in our lives, but has almost refreshed my sense of excitement! Not that I haven't been excited this entire time, 
don't get me wrong. But just knowing that we have soooo much love and support from friends, loved ones, and complete strangers has given me a little more sense of pride in what we're doing. There were brief moments where I questioned if what we were doing was selfish, but now I have no doubt that it's the complete opposite. Not only are we bettering ourselves as a result of the hike but we're doing this for the people that can't. And when we're tired/hungry/sore and cranky we will remember how extremely blessed we are to even have the opportunity to be doing this. In the grand scheme of things out of the 8 billion people that live in this world we are just two of a few thousand that have done what we're doing. BILLIONS VS. THOUSANDS. What?

Michael and myself with the PCT map :D

*** I would also like to give a special thanks to everyone who has gone out of their way and written us thoughtful letters/cards/given us food packages/first aid kits/ etc. It means the world to us!!!!! We couldn't ask for better friends. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts!


-Felecia

Ready or not

Me and my 15 degree 900 fill Feathered Friends bag

Ready or not, we have 13 more days until we fly out to Huntington Beach, and 15 days until we are on the trail. UNREAL! It feels like just yesterday I was saying ''T-6 months, guys!'' ...and subsequently getting funny looks from my friends, haha. But all the waiting will soon be worth it, unless the anticipation kills me, which I really wouldn't doubt. I've had butterflies in my tummy for at least a week now, and I don't see them going away anytime soon :) 

-Felecia

Q&A

The following are just a few of the questions I've frequently been asked when explaining our plans to thru-hike:


Q:''Will there be any bears? Mountain lions? What if they attack you?!?''
A: Yes, there will be plenty of bears, mountain lions, coyotes, snakes, scorpions, marmots, black flies, maybe even BIG FOOT ;), etc!  We are going into there domain after all. And if they attack? Well, I suppose anything is possible. Although, we're going to take the proper measures to avoid any nasty encounters (bear bags, leave no trace, etc). And in the unfortunate circumstance that still doesn't work, well my personal philosophy on life is that what's meant to happen will happen. I am by no means looking for trouble, but if I happens, well that's out of my hands. 


Q.''You're bringing a gun, right?!''
A. No. That would be way too much of a liability. We are going to be sharing the trail with other hikers, and we do not want that responsibility...God forbid it got stolen, misfired, lost, broken. Just, no.''


Q.''Are you guys going to hunt for your food?''
A. Luckily, no. Every 4-10 days we will be hitchhiking (yes, I said hitchhiking...) about 30 miles to the nearest ''Trail town'' where we re-supply on food, toiletries, and anything else we need. OOOH..wait...In some areas we will be able to fish! YUMM!


Q.''Are you training?''
A. Yes and No. Mentally, we are beyond prepared. At this point it's torture waiting for the day we board the plane, haha. Physically, we are fit and already active on a daily basis. Between trail running, rock climbing, and day hikes I'm not worried that we will be fine. Obviously will be sore, but we're going to start off slow, and get our ''hiker legs'' from there. I never understood why some hikers want to do 30-50 mile days. We've put way too much into this to have to fly by. 


Q.''Are you bringing deodorant, perfume, shampoo, blowdryers?''
A. No way, Jose. There's absolutely no point. We are going to be smelly and dirty hikers. That's just all part of the fun! :) ''


Q.''When do you shower?"
A. In towns.


Q.''Are you afraid?''
A. Absolutely not. Excited, anxious, and happy is more like it!!! I don't anticipate the trip will be nothing but flowers and butterflies, there will be low points of course. Feet covered in blisters, sore muscles, missing my family, etc...but that will only account for a small percentage of my mindset. WE'RE DOING THIS BECAUSE WE WANT TO. And I'll be damned if we don't embrace it's glory.


Q. ''You're going with a BIG group right?''
A. No, just me and my boyfriend to start. We're going to meet a lot of great people along the way, and most likely will fall into a group of hikers that have the same tempo and that we enjoy being around. But as for doing the trip with my boyfriend, I wouldn't want to have this experience with anyone else. He is my best friend, and I can't wait to spend 5 whole months with him day in and day out :) 


& my all time favorite... 
Q.''Why would you want to do that?''
HMMMmmmMM. For this question I am going to insert a passage that I wrote a few months ago...


A. I had a conversation with a gentlemen the other day that really irked me. Most people automatically assume that I'm enrolled in college because of my age. Which I find a little disconcerting simply because I try not to assume anything about anybody. I've learned first impressions are usually wrong (in my experiences at least) and by automatically passing judgments on others because of there age, looks, education, etc. you really put yourself at a disadvantage to meeting some really wonderful people. Anyways, this member at the fitness club I work at asked me if I was in school. When I told him no, and of my plans to through hike, he practically rolled his eyes at me and said in a rude tone, ''I'm not even going to go there.'' Well, I knew where he was going with it and did not let the conversation end there. I asked him his opinion, as to which he responded that I would never go back to school if I don't go NOW, and that the hike was a waste of valuable time. What bothered me most about what he said was something that I’m finding more and more common. People seem to think that there’s this certain path to success that one must take, other wise they will never amount to anything. It goes something like this: Graduate High School, go to college, get a career, buy a house, get married, have kids, retire, and die. That path may be fulfilling for some people, but not me. Sure, I want to have a family one day and be successful, but not in the way or order that people like him think. If I have the opportunity to see the world in a way that most people could only dream of, be in the best shape of my life, have no concern for the mundane- only survival, meet life long friends, and have more life experiences in 6 months than I have had in my 20 years, than I am not foolish. Rather, I am doing something I love, and am going to have a life changing experience as a result of it. Success and a fulfilling life are not measured by how many degrees you have on your wall, it’s putting yourself out there in this beautiful world and seeing, breathing, living, learning through nature, people, different cultures, your friends and loved ones, that truly matters. For me, anyway. But, for the most part, when I tell people of my plans, people are supportive and in awe of the feat I have taken upon myself. It’s that support and love that’s going to get me through life happily. If any family members of through hikers are reading this, or anyone who has hopes to hike but is having doubts, please just open your minds. What we’re planning on doing is not foolish just because it’s not the typical path. Everybody thru-hikes for there own reasons. Whatever they may be, they are invaluable. I’m going to leave you with a quote my yoga instructor recites at the end of each class, it goes, ‘’No judgment. No attachment. Let go, just breathe. Namaste.’’


-Felecia

Let's talk about ...WEIGHT

Every hiker fears it...
Every hiker obsesses over it...
And every hiker has it....
What am I rambling about?
WEIGHT, OF COURSE! 
Base weight to be exact. 


For those of you who are unfamiliar, base weight is the term coined for the weight of your full pack and all gear included, except for perishables such as food and water. That's everything...tent, sleeping bag, sleeping pad, toiletries, extra clothing, mess kit, electronics (if any), etc. The average thru-hiker base weight is anywhere from 6-15 lbs.

Just to get an idea of what all those items look like listed, take a look at our gear list below:

KEY: Pink indicates gear we will have on us at ALL TIMES

Blue is gear sent to Kennedy Meadows

Red is gear used in the desert 

Orange is gear picked up along the trail

If you haven't already guessed, to the majority of hikers, ''EVERY OUNCE COUNTS!''. Some take this more literally than others, this breed of hikers are called ''Ultra Lighter's''.


You may think it's frivolous at first. Silly hikers, I mean we're only talking OUNCES here, right?! Wrong. Ounces, although small, add up to POUNDS (and too quickly if I mad add). And these pounds are going to be on your back everyday, all day, for 2,650 miles of hiking over varied terrain. 


Now, to be fair we do not carry ALL of our gear at one time. For example, gear used solely in the Sierra's i.e. micro spikes, ice axes, heavier thermals, head net, etc. are all on stand by at home until we need them. The general rule of thumb is that cold gear items such as these be sent to a town by the name of Kennedy Meadows, CA which marks the beginning of the Sierra Nevada's.


But, for the most part anything and everything we will need (necessary items are up for debate depending on personal preference) will be with us at all times.


Michael and I did not take the Ultra Lighter route. Instead, we tried to buy top of the line gear which 9 out of 10 times came in the lightest materials on the market today. The biggest down fall in a strategy such as this is that generally the lighter the gear, the more expensive it is. It didn't help that we purchased from some of the more higher end outfitters, either. But, Michael and I are both alike in the fact that we would rather pay more for an item initially that's going to do it's job efficiently and last us a very long time, rather than skimp on price and sacrifice efficiency and durability. 


At the moment our base weights are weighing in at about 10 lbs each. That will probably change as we work out the kinks in our packing. Once food and water is added a thru-hikers total pack weight can reach up to 40-50lbs. GULP!!!


-Felecia

The PCT- What is it?

The Pacific Crest Trail - What is it?

To sum it up nicely, The Pacific Crest Trail is a 2,650 mile continuous foot path that runs from Campo, CA (the border of Mexico and CA) to Manning Park, British Columbia. It passes through California, Oregon, Washington, to the Canadian border.

It climbs 60 major mountain passes...

Descends into 19 major canyons....

Ambles past more than 1,000 lakes and tarns...

Traverses 3 national monuments...

7 national parks...

24 national forests...

& 33 mandated wildernesses...'' 

-pcta.org

WHAT A MOUTHFUL!!!

Every year a few hundred people attempt to thru hike the PCT. If you aren't familiar, ''thru hiking'' is when one hikes a long distance trail from beginning to end. Which is exactly what Michael and I plan to do for the next five months.

So, you may be asking yourself what is the PCT to Michael and I? To be honest, neither of us know quite yet. We have been tediously planning this trip for the past 7 months (we'll get into more depth about that later...) buying gear, saving for trip expenses, spending hours day dreaming of life on the trail, and yet, we wont know how the trail effects us until we're out there. 

It always gives me a good chuckle when people ask why on earth would we want to hike everyday for five months? Deprive ourselves of creature comforts, by choice!? What these people don't take into consideration is that it's so much more than ''just hiking.'' This trip will change us both in ways we can't yet understand. I have a few expectations of course, ... spiritual growth, mental/physical discipline, adventure, meeting life long friends, etc.  But I am at peace in knowing that the PCT will throw things at me that I can not predict. 

Michael and I are fit, young, and full of life. We're eager to see what trail life has to hold for us, and we hope you enjoy following along for the ride!


-Felecia