from coast to coast

We've had a fabulous past week traveling and visiting family from Briantree, Massachusetts to Encinitas, California. 

Our long train ride from Lynchburg to Boston area was uneventful.  We spent  a relaxing 4 days in Braintree with Moonshine's family, which consisted mostly of gorging and napping, and a little bit of walking and sightseeing.  Exciting news- Moonshine's mother and stepfather welcomed their first grandchildren into the world while we were visiting (twins, a boy and girl)...congratulations to the Crispins!

On Monday, we flew to San Diego (a gorgeous 6 hour flight with phenomenal views of the Rockies and the Grand Canyon), where we were greeted by Moonshine's Uncle Bruce and his very hospitable family. 
I am just awestruck by southern California!  The weather is normally a pleasant 70ish degrees (our visit was no exception), colorful blooming plants abound, the landscape is so beautiful and varied with sandy beaches, rocky bluffs, and mountains covered in chapparal.  Everything even smells amazing!  The Dugmores fed us well and drove us around their town of Encinitas.  I touched the pacific ocean for the first time ever!  We also had an opportunity to do a presentation about the PCT for Brian's cousins' boy scout troop (hello and thanks to troop 669!).  We stayed  up to watch the complete lunar eclipse/blood-red moon ( which meant we were awake for close to 24 hours!).  Many of you may know that we have an obsession with craft beer.  We were able to visit Stone Brewery in Escondido, which was very exciting, as Stone was pretty much both of our intros to craft beer.  Stone has an amazing brewpub with an expansive garden out back, where we sat and had a pint.  Thanks Dugmores for a great time!

Next stop...Southern Terminus of the Pacific Crest Trail!

and we're off...

 

Day 1 ~ Campo to Lake Morena  Campground, miles 0 - 19.6

I surprisingly got a great night of sleep before our start...I was exhausted and could've slept much longer.  I'm the type who's usually kept awake by excitement/anxiousness, tossing and turning into the night.  Moonshine experienced a bit of that.  Our ride to the border was about an hour and fifteen minutes...I was actually able to sleep most of the ride!  I was  emotionless until the southern Terminus monument came into view, when my stomach filled with what felt like thousands of tiny butterflies, fluttering about in my belly.  Several other hikers were there when we arrived, and they continued to trickle in as we got our things in order and took our standard starting photos at the monument.

The desert flora is just beautiful.  So many unfamiliar flowers, shrubs, and trees, and a few that are familiar (rosemary and sage).  We took pictures of many in hopes of Id-ing them later.  Everything is in bloom and smells so good, and it's definitely causing some allergy symptoms for me.  As for the fauna of the trail, we've seen several lizards.  Moonshine walked right by a baby rattlesnake without noticing it...I actually spotted it (moonshine is usually the wildlife spotter in the group); it didn't coil or rattle, we just walked on by. 

We felt great on the hike.  It was a relatively cool day, in the the 70s...but felt much hotter in the brutal SoCal sun.  We took several breaks where we could find shade.  We talked to a few other hikers, saw several hikers struggling with really heavy packs...people have already been ditching  things (huge jars of peanut butter and other items) on the side of the trail to lose pack weight.

We saw several border patrol agents, in vehicle and chopper.  We had one pretty difficult ascent....we saw a border patrol agent just prior to the climb...he told us that the climb would take approximately 42 minutes; we found his precise time estimate to be  pretty humorous.  We completed the climb in 45...guess he's seen a hiker or  2 complete it. 

There was no water on trail, which we planned on.  We carried plenty (6 liters each) and did not plan to come all the way to Lake Morena, but we were feeling pretty good so we went for it.  It was a super long day.  We rolled in to see soo many hikers here (probably 30, maybe more).  We chatted with a few while cooking dinner, and appointed a couple with trail names. 

A great day on the trail, we are so happy to be living this lifestyle again!  Thanks for reading. Until next time, take care!  And by the way, we plan to add pictures to this and all future posts once we have access to a computer.

12 boxes

Never in my life did I think that 12 boxes would cause so much distress.

I stuffed 12 boxes (approximately 50 days worth) with nutritious, calorie dense, vegetarian, mostly homemade meals...and it was EXHAUSTING and STRESSFUL.  Perhaps I wasn't the most methodical while preparing these boxes.  I pretty much didn't have a plan.  This lead to a positive outcome of lots of variety within the boxes.  The negative: buying and preparing and buying and preparing, lots of trips to the grocery store, and counting and recounting.  Then thinking that I had all of the breakfasts that I needed, and realizing I had only half as many.  Then pulling out my eyelashes due to stress.  And sleepless nights.  And an increased electric bill from constantly running the food dehydrator.  BUT -- we will be well fed.  We will eat veggies.  It will be worth it.

50 days of food...and I'm spent

But look at me now...they are done!!  (commence celebrating!) We have packed about 50 days worth of food into these 12 boxes.  This will constitute about 1/3 of the food that we will consume on the trail.  These boxes will be mailed to pre-determined locations at specific times, so that we may pick them up along the way.  The other 2/3 of our food will be purchased at grocery stores along the way.  This is typically referred to as a hybrid method of resupply.  Some people have all of their trail food sent to them along the way (I seriously pity those who have to do this x 3).  Some people only buy food as they go.  We chose a hybrid method, because we wanted to be sure to have access to more nutritious foods.  Also, some resupply locations are known to have a poor selection or to be very expensive. Unfortunately, we did not have the time and/or money to sample all of the meals prior to packing them up.  We're hoping they'll be delicious because: 1. What have I ever cooked that wasn't? 2.  We will be starving, so anything should taste great...if these aren't edible, we have a huge problem.  We'll let you know how they turn out, and maybe post some recipes in the future if we find any of the meals to be extra tasty!

12 boxes ready to go!

goodbye familiarity, hello adventure

As I type, we leave familiarity behind in our rearview.   We worked our final work shifts yesterday, and less than 24 hours later, we're leaving the Outer Banks.  I am surprisingly  emotionless as we set out on our adventure.  (OK...then we missed our exit, then I had to stop blogging to help navigate).


car packed...leaving the Outer Banks.  Jed looks deceptively OK with it (he cried almost the whole ride)

(...4 days later)
We have been saying lots of "goodbyes" (to the wonderful students that I have come to know and love and learn so much from).  We've been saying "see ya in 6 months" to family and friends.  And our kitty....we'll say goodbye in the morning, and I'm really distraught about it (though he is in good hands).  We've been having lots of "last time for 6 months" moments...last walk on the beach, last time at our favorite bar with our favorite bartenders with half price beers, last time we'll wear our wedding bands, last meal at our favorite restaurant, last time driving over the big bridge, last time driving.  A couple of  real "lasts": last time unlocking the doors of Manteo High School, last time goofing off, bedazzling house arrest anklets at the Alternative School, last day of my dream job.

hike up Crabtree Falls with
some of our very favorites...
Weston, Katy, and Penny. 
We love y'all!

So here we are, 4 days later; we are nearing completion of the first leg of our travels.  We've been visiting with family and friends in Lynchburg, Virginia.  What better send-off could a guy and gal ask for?  Surrounded by our family and family-like friends, devouring mass amounts of delicious foods and tasty beverages (hey-we gotta get it while we can!).  And FINALLYYYYYY...our 12 resupply boxes are complete: overstuffed, addressed, ready to go...
SHEWWWW (that was a HUGE sigh of relief). 





Visiting Granny - an inspiration
of a lady at 90 years old!

Tomorrow, we'll begin the second leg of our trip: a 12.5 hour train ride to Boston, where we'll face some more "last time for a while" moments.  The adventure ahead remains very surreal.  Each step we take is a step in a less normal and less familiar direction.  Before we know it, we'll take a step (or 6 million) into the complete unknown.  It's not hit me yet....and it may not before it's over.  Stay tuned, folks. 

As always, thanks for reading.  Much love, and Happy Trails!

black bear waddle

Soo as we promised ourselves, we've been hiking more.  Over the weekend, we headed over to the mainland for a change in scenery: the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge, where we hiked 14.5 miles on a gravel road (I'm telling you...the options are limited in these parts!).  Anyway, it was quiet and beautiful and great, and it toughened up my feet a bit, I think.  It was a gorgeous day and we didn't hear any gunfire, and really only saw a few cars roll through. 

Believe it or not, this area (mainland Outer Banks/Dare County) has the largest concentration of black bears on the East Coast.  We were really disappointed that we didn't see any bears while hiking, but we saw plenty of bear scat and tracks.  We decided to drive the route after we had hiked it, to confirm our mileage and have one last look for a bear.  Well whatya know, we saw two fatty bears who appear to have been eating well this winter!

Here's a glimpse of this big 'ole cutie waddling around and munching out...enjoy!

shakedown, wake-up

Overconfidence,  presumptuousness, egotism; call it what you will, but it is, perhaps, a thru-hikers worst enemy.  Lesson learned last weekend, as we both ate a large serving of humble pie. We completed our first (and possibly only) shakedown hike before the real deal.  A shakedown hike is a  practice hike, during which a hiker tests out his system, works out all of the kinks, ensures that gear selections are on point and the body is up to par.  We packed our packs just as we would have if we were setting out on the PCT, and drove 3 hours south to the Neusiok Trail (this is the closest proximity trail where backcountry camping is permitted).  The Neusiok Trail is a 20.4 mile trail on the coast of NC; therefore it is relatively flat, and extremely wet.  We intended to hike the trail out and back in 2 days, totaling about 41 miles; we thought that we would sail right through.  I must include the fact that we have not been on a backpacking trip in about 2 years.





one of the more scenic sections of the hike

After a Friday night including some adult beverages for Moonshine and a less than desirable night of sleep for me, it's no wonder we got a bit of a late start; we arrived at the trailhead around 10:30.  We hiked about 19.5 miles on day 1, which was less than we intended, but we were happy with the day's progress, considering we hit the trail so late in the morning.  We were dragging ass, though, and our bodies were telling us to stop long before we actually did.  We loaded up with ibuprofen, setup our Tarptent Double Rainbow, cooked dinner, and hit the hay.

Day 2, we got an early start.  I had a great night's sleep, while Moonshine was kept awake by the pleasant sound of pistol-fire.  My feet were feeling tender; through my Merrell minimalist shoes, my tootsies felt every rock and root.  The 5 mile road walk did not help matters, and the condition of my feet continuously deteriorated.  Other than that, and the aches and pains that we expected, everything was all good.  Unfortunately my feet caused us to abort mission after about 12.5 miles on day 2.



neat longleaf pines

I won't bore you with the remainder of details of our weekend, which we termed a reality check hike, rather than a shakedown hike.


Here are some things we learned on our reality check hike:
-We are not necessarily in "trail shape".  We plan to amp up our training regimen. (And I renege my statement made in last post regarding my excellent physical condition.)
-We will probably not be making it to Lake Morena on day 1 of our PCT hike, which was our original plan (at mile marker 19.4, and likely the first water source on the trail)
-Minimalist shoes are not OK for thru-hiking.  Therefore, I need to buy some new shoes.
-Our packs could stand to be lightened.  We're working on trimming down our base weights by making some minor gear modifications (base weight = weight of pack contents less consumables [fuel, food, water])
-Backpacking is more enjoyable when one is not traipsing through scenery-lacking bogs and over roads with piles of shotgun shells on the shoulders, accompanied by the sounds of gunfire.

Off to do some much needed hiking...
Thanks for reading, happy (gunfire-less) trails to you!

PS-Moonshine's backpack didn't fall apart (yet)!

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!