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Day 0, Trail Angel Bob

This is my last day of civilian life for a while (i.e. regular access to bathrooms, showers, clean drinking water, etc.). There is a fantastic trail angel in San Diego named Bob that has been hosting hikers every year since 1999 and shuttling them to the trailhead about an hour from his house. He promises an early departure so we can start hiking in the desert at first light.

This is Bob’s house. There are about 6 other hikers here and four of us are heading out tomorrow.

There’s a great view and even a pool!

But the best part of the stay has to be Millie the cuddly golden retriever.

A lot of people have asked me if I’m “nervous”. Not really 🙂 Even though I plan to be gone for 4+ months and will hopefully hike 2650+ miles, the only way to get ones head around a trip like this is to break it up into manageable chunks. It’s is essentially a series of 3-5 day backpacking trips between resupply points and I rarely think ahead more than the next resupply location or two. My first resupply is just two days in at the Mt. Laguna PO. Then 4 days after that at I will be in Warner Springs and then a couple more days to the town of Idyllwild for a shower and some laundry. Do that a couple dozen times and I’ll be in Canada!

Time to go to bed…we are heading out at 4:45 tomorrow for the trailhead at the Mexican border (Campo, CA).

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Arrival Day, San Diego Sunshine

A couple days in sunny San Diego is a great way to gently ease your way out of civilian life 🙂 The PCT starts about an hour’s drive east of the city near a town called Campo.

This is a screenshot as I flew into to San Diego. The red line is the PCT and the actual trail was clearly visible on the ground throughthe plane’s window.

Hotel Z where I stayed offers free cruiser bike rentals (the main reason I chose the hotel). Cruisin’ through around Balboa Park and the impressive topiaries near the Zoo.

The very impressive rose gardens in Balboa Park (photo doesn’t do it justice!)

California is so progressive (and funny)…love it!

The famous Hotel Del Coronado.

Sunset Cliffs in Ocean Beach with everyone getting set up to watch the sun go down. FYI, when you are not on a cruiser bike Lyft in SD is awesome…it’s $5-$10 to go almost anywhere in town!

The sunset 🌅

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Command Central

There’s always an endless list of things to do before one heads out of town for four months. I’ve been working away at that list for a couple months now and it reached a fever pitch over the weekend.

One of the last details was dropping off all my extra supplies and gear at Katy and Todd’s house, (who have graciously agreed to be my resupply command center) They will send me different things as I need them from gear and guidebooks to food and shoes. In order to remember everything I’ve left with them I’ve taken photos that i keep on my phone so I can always recall what’s available to be sent.
This is a picture of all my different shoe choices. I won’t use them all, but probably at least four pairs

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Trail Wisdom

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If a thru hike does nothing else, it gives you a lot of time to think. On any given day my thoughts would run the gamut from future life aspirations to the luxuries of a warm dry bed and a hot shower. But for whatever reason, I spent a lot of time thinking of the “Trail Wisdom” I’d learned through the benefit of my fellow hikers as well as the result of my own monkey-mind. This Trail Wisdom, whether a saying, proverb or mantra, did wonders to keep me both distracted and focused at the same time: distracted from discomfort yet focused on the end goal. If any of these can help my fellow hikers in some way it just might then justify the countless hours this nonsense was occupying my head…So in no particular order: Continue reading →

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Arcteryx Stradium Pants Review

Hiking in long pants has always been a struggle for me. While the morning might start out cool enough to warrant long pants as soon as I start going uphill I’m generating enough body heat I just want to strip down to my shorts.

The Holy Grail: Arcteryx Stradium Pants

But then I get to the top of the climb, which is often exposed and/or windy, and I immediately want to put my long pants back on. Other times the air temp might not justify long pants but I want to protect myself from vegetation and bugs (overgrown trail, poison ivy, mosquitos) or intense direct sun (the desert or reflecting off of snowfields)… but once again, there is still the overheating issue.

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Darn Tough Socks

What are the best socks for a thru hike?

Durability and Performance:
If there was ever a true test of a hiking sock’s durability, a 2200 mile thru hike surely qualifies.

I’ve tried many different hiking socks over the years with varying results. As most already know, anything made out of cotton is out…absorbs too much water and they take forever to dry. For many years I was big fan of Smartwool but they seem to wear out surprisingly quickly (especially for the price). So my sock of choice now is a brand called Darn Tough out of Vermont (but widely available). They are a wool blend which makes for a more durable sock…so much so that they have a lifetime guarantee…now that’s standing behind your product! Continue reading →

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Zpacks Hexamid Solo Plus Tent Review

Zpacks Hexamid Solo Plus Tent Review

In the summer of 2016 I completed a thru hike of the Appalachian Trail and my primary home for those 117 days was the Zpacks Hexamid Solo Plus. When I purchased the tent the goals were: ultralight weight (~18oz w/o stakes), use of a single trekking pole to set up, and I liked the idea of supporting a cottage industry that manufactures its products domestically.
Overall, I was very happy with the tent and it was well suited for the AT environment. Continue reading →