how PCT prep hijacked my brain and wrecked my spare room

Four years ago this time, we had just set out on the adventure of a lifetime: a  thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail.  We were young, not too long out of college, and apparently pretty damn care free.  Reflecting on those weeks and months leading up to our big adventure, most of our time was spent at our favorite watering hole, pounding pints, stuffing our faces with bar food, and making fuzzy memories with our friends, with which we would soon part ways.

Fast forward to now, and my, oh my...how things (or we, or I?) have changed.  For the past several months, I have been incessantly preparing for our upcoming hike on the Pacific Crest Trail.  Here's a quick glimpse into a regular day of my current life...don't be jealous.

This is the ex-spare room turned PCT staging area.  After clearing a path to the sewing machine, I began putting the final touches on Moonshine's backpack.

My life revolves around lists: in my purse, on the coffee table, on the desk, by the bedside (for when I awaken with some profound thought or task), in my head.  EVERYWHERE, there are lists.  Lists of things to do, things to buy, recipes and meal ideas, resupply points, tidbits of information about the trail I'd like to not forget, and the list goes on....

Our training regimen prior to the Appalachian Trail included lots of pint glass and chicken tender curls (I was at my largest ever when I departed for the trail).  My point of view was that on trail, I would not have access to my favorite delights, and I was going to lose a lot of weight anyway, so why not?  I have taken a different approach for the PCT, because my methodology for the AT did not make the first few weeks of the hike too pleasant.  I have actually been trying (pretty unsuccessfully) to lose a few pounds. Since most hikers obsess over ounces when it comes to items in their pack (true story, and I am guilty), then why would one start the trail with 10 extra pounds around the waist?  I am participating in an aerobics class through the local community college: three 1-hour classes per week, and I think it's been very beneficial, as the classes provide a full body workout. We have been doing training hikes weekly with about 20 pound packs, walking anywhere from 8-12 miles through a dune-filled maritime forest, or on the beach.  I'm feeling pretty darn good about my physical condition at this point -- I'll let Moonshine speak for himself.

When I'm not working up a sweat, I'm shopping for and shuffling through trail food.  Our food strategy on the Appalachian Trail was simple: we bought as we went, ALWAYS.  For the PCT, we are preparing about 1/3 of our meals ahead of time (about 50 days worth), to be mailed to specified locations.  We ate complete junk on the Appalachian Trail (candy bars, little debbies, pop-tarts, lipton sides, all day, every day); consequently, we felt like junk.  Thru-hikers will burn 5,000-6,000 calories daily - so we need to consume a lot.  I am finding it pretty difficult to assemble nutritious, lightweight meals that are calorie dense, but I am getting there.  I am busy dehydrating veggies and beans and sauces, soups, and other concoctions.  We live in a pretty remote area - no health food stores, no bulk stores, no Trader Joe's - that has also presented a challenge. I think our shift in food mentality to a more quality-based strategy will vastly improve our well-being on the PCT.

 

Let's get excited about BARS!

And then there's the gear.  I have been obsessing over gear, pack weight, and clothing choices. By this point, most everything is nailed down.  In preparing for the Appalachian Trail, I just bought the stuff and went with it; I didn't buy 5 pairs of shorts on 5 separate occasions and return them all, still in search of the perfect pair of shorts (I still haven't found the perfect pair).  Back to that whole rural area thing, there's nowhere to buy backpacking gear (also, we live on the coast).  I've never been to the desert, I've never hiked at elevations over 10,000 feet - even though I've read and researched, I really feel like I don't know what to expect.  It's like every little detail is the biggest deal ever.  I want everything to be perfect, but in reality, I know it will not be.  Things will not go as planned, gear and clothing will fail and tear; it's all going to be alright (just please, remind me that when it actually happens).

We actually have an itinerary!  That word didn't exist in our vocabulary during AT preparations.  The window of opportunity to complete a PCT thru-hike is much shorter than that of the AT.  Additionally, as I mentioned, we are having packages shipped to us on the trail.  SO we needed to establish some sort of timeline (it's pretty loose and flexible), but it took some work (Craig's PCT Planner was a very helpful tool).

Resupply bags

Anyway, I think I've rambled enough by now.  If it appears to my friends and family that I have dropped off the face of the earth, hopefully this has provided some insight.  I didn't really prepare for the AT.  I am consumed by preparing for the PCT, and have had many near-sleepless nights because of it.  Maybe it's because I'm older and more responsible, or more of a worrier.  Maybe it's because I am intimidated and/or afraid.  I do believe I have some control issues.  Maybe everyone else prepping for the Trail is having this same experience?  It's all good though, I am just considering it all as part of the journey.  It gives me some sense of purpose, and a feeling of accomplishment at the end of each day.

Happy prepping, people.
And even happier trails!