CANADA!!!!

Day 159, Mile 2669

Sorry for the delay in this final post, I procrastinated writing this for multiple reasons partially due to me wanting to come up with something profound to say and partly because I did not want to come to the realization that the journey from Mexico to Canada was over. This is all so bitter sweet. Standing at the Monument where the PCT meets the Canadian boarder was pretty surreal. I was so happy to have met my goal of thru hiking the entire PCT but somewhat sad to be done with the adventure. Sure I have missed a lot of things being on the trail like family, friends, modern conveniences, running water, porcelain toilets, coffee shops, fires, current events, and much more. But I will also miss the simplicity of life on the trail. For the last five months and five days my only worries were where to get water, where to sleep, going off trail for food resupply, one step in front of the other, and how many miles we made. I have met some many wonderful people on the trail and had tons of fantastic experiences. Of course there were hard times or times that just plain sucked like Milk Creek's 58 brushy, steep switchbacks but that is what it is all about right, the challenges and overcoming them.

Then there were the people... I know it may sound a bit cliche but I have a renewed faith in humanity. The support I got on the trail from perfect strangers and people back home was overwhelming. From the trail angels putting us up at their homes and offering a shower or day hikers giving part of their lunches, to surprise visits and inspiring words from friends, Supervisors with the Forest Service allowing us to have the time off, and of course family members meeting us along the way and helping with the resupply. It has all been so amazing to have that kind of support from so many people. So I thank everyone for all that you have done to help us get from Mexico to Canada!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And I can't forget Cookie for being my partner in crime on this entire trip. Even though it was my conjured up idea and dream for over 15 years he dropped everything to come along on this crazy journey. It was incredibly difficult and I am sure there were times he wanted to quit but I have to hand it to him for sticking with it and supporting me throughout the entire hike! Thank you Cookie I am so glad you came along!!!! 

Snoqualmie Pass

Day 145, Mile 2402

Beautiful views, Huckleberries, and Family and Friends! This last section has been great! Going through the Goat Rocks Wilderness and Rainier NP was fantastic. Mt Rainier was right there in my face in all it splendor. I have also been seeing tons of elk and hearing them bugle morning and night. The huckleberries have been abundant around here too. It has been hard to pass the tons of huckleberry bushing with the berries plump and juicy. I don't think there has been a day that I haven't had purple fingers and mouth.

 The weather has been getting pretty cold at night and in the morning. Frost on the ground quite a bit lately. Waking up in the dark and cold now has made it hard to get out of the sleeping bag. Now it is a race to the boarder before the bad weather comes in. But I am optimistic that it will hold out. If not I still feel pretty lucky for the great weather I have had most the way.

We got another wonderful surprise hiking down to the pass yesterday. Gator's long time friend, Garret hiked up to meet us and took Gator (Cookie) to Wenatchee. I think it made Gator's trip and will help him get the rest of the way to Canada. My Mom also met up with me and I got to hang out and spend some quality time.

Next stop Stevens Pass. Thinking we will be there mid day Sunday. It is getting harder to make our miles though due to shorter days and steeper terrain but the boarder is in sight now.

Chinook Pass

Day 141, Mile 2341 Things have been going wonderfully! Besides the amazing views and cool areas we have been going through we have also had so much support through Oregon and Washington! Just got to visit with my Mom and Mike at White Pass and had a surprise visit on the trail today from my friend Dan. Seeing and hearing from friends and family along the way has been great and is making time fly by. Only a few hundred miles to go now. And for the people that have mentioned coming to visit at the up coming spots, here is our tenative schedule (give or take a day). Text me if planning to come and I'll let u you know when we get close. Snoqualmie Pass 9/5, Stevens Pass 9/9, Stehiken 9/14, Canada 9/19. Thanks again you guys are the best!

WASHINGTON

Day 136, Mile 2237 Home sweet home! Just over 400 miles to go. It seams like it is going fast now. Once again I had the privilege of meeting family and friends at my last resupply. Carla was there to help us say farewell to Oregon and our friends Amy and Jonathan welcomed us to Washington. And of course we were well taken care of. We also enjoyed hiking with Amy for the next four day and 80 miles, time flew. But we sent her off with some pretty sore and blistered feet (sorry Amy). Next stop White Pass. See you all soon.

Timberline

Day 130,  Mile 2107

This last section has definately had its ups and downs. Once out of Bend we hit the lava fields right away. They are pretty neat to see but not very friendly to the feet. Next came the old burn scars and sand which is also a bit of a challenge to walk in for miles on end. Then the Waterfall 2 Fire reroute! Ugg! Due to a fire next to Mt. Jefferson that closed parts of the trail, we got rerouted off 10 miles of the PCT to take a 20 mile detour. The hiking made me appreciate the PCT trail maintanence that much more. We ended up walking out one side trail which was like walking a river bed, to a gravel road, onto a paved road, and then back on another side trail that was just as bad as the first! Dang that  hurt a bit. But now I am finding out it could of been worse and that since we have passed that section there is now a 30-40 mile reroute. Ok I won't complain and just hope that there are no more fires close to the PCT north of us.

After the reroute the trail has been excellent! One of the best maintained sections and pretty flat at times. We even were able to get a 28.5 mile day in. I am now at the base of Mt. Hood and what a spectacular sight. Also had the luck of having my Dad and brother, Luka come up to Timberline for a visit and a picnic. Oh how I have been spoiled! Back on the trail this morning and then two more days to Washington! Crazy!

Bend

Mile 1989, Day 123

Just about 11 miles from 2000 and 3/4 of the way done! And to celebrate...Sushi in Bend! Actually had a few other things to do here but that was on the list. Just got done hiking by the Sisters Mts. and it was beautiful! Terrain has been great with the exception of some tricky lava fields and we even had a 26.2 mile day (for all you marathon runners, Ashley, Raili, and LaRae). It was wonderful to spend some time and meet up with Carla, Haz No Horse, and Sister at Willamette pass. Cookie and I got spoiled!

This next section I am kinda get worried about the up coming hike by Mt Jefferson. They are closing part of the PCT and putting up a detour that potentially will be getting longer once we get there in a few days. I was really looking forward to this specific part for some time so hope it isn't too much of a reroute! A few more lava fields to cross as well so going may be slow and may loose some days. Other than that things are going great and still having a fantastic time! Thanks to all for keeping tabs on us!

Lake Tahoe

Day 73, Mile 1094

This last section has had its ups and downs. Passing the 1000 mile point has definitely been one of the high points of the whole hike! I can't believe I have hiked that far! So far it has been quite the adventure. And of course you can't have an adventure without a few obstacles. This section it was the wind, mosquitoes, and some illness. The mosquitoes are just annoying but the wind and being sick will slow you down out on the trail. So not a lot of time to hang in town which also means I don't have much time on the blog. Have to head back out to the trail to make some miles.

Crater Lake

Day 115, Mile 1830

So far the terrain in Oregon has been great yet we still haven't been able to get ahead. Due to being sick and some nagging injuries we are slowly making our way. We decided to take our sixth zero today since it has been a while since we have had a day off. We also got a chance to hang with some fam and friends. Always great to see some familiar faces! Thanks Dad, Carla, Colton, Dakota, and Bre and Ian for the fantastic visit! We will be getting back on the trail tomorrow morning. I guess this next section has a waterless stretch of about 26 miles, so should be interesting.

OREGON!

Day 108, Mile 1732

YES! FINALLY! Made it to Oregon at mile 1698 and it only took three and a half months to hike the entire length of California.

Etna

Day 102, Mile 606

The last 100 miles have be beautiful! I have been up on the ridges getting all the wonderful views of Mt Shasta, alpine lakes, and huge rock walls. I have to admit for the last couple weeks I felt like I was just trudging along down in the trees with only a few peaks of the hills here and there. But there is just something about being up high on the ridge tops that motivates me and keeps me going. I think I needed the lower sections in the trees though just so I can appreciate what I am seeing now. Sometimes I would just get in the mode where I put my head down watching the trail trying to make miles and not looking up enough to really take it all in. But you don't want to do that around the Castle Crags and the Russian Wilderness!

Gator and I have been putting on the miles the last few days. We wanted to get into Etna a little earlier so we could spend some time in town getting all our resupply stuff done and maybe even relax a couple hours. Which would be nice considering we did 72 miles in 3 days. Hope to start getting between 20 and 25 miles a day now (if the terrain is in our favor), so we can get done in time and maybe even have a few days off to recoup before going back to work.

Old Station

Day 90, Mile 1377

We are now just past half way! In another two to three weeks we'll be in Oregon. It was great to get to spend some time with the fam in Sierra City and Portola along the way, what a morale booster! To top it all off Train brought us some cookies n cream ice cream, oreos cookies, donuts, and sodas at the trail junction by Chester. Of course I ate a bunch of everything and even was able to hike another ten miles uphill. Surprised I didn't get sick after that though. So midway celebrations have been great, but now its back to making some miles. The next few are supposed to be hot with little water and shade again so hoping to cruz through.

Sierra City

Day 79, Mile 1197

This last section I have been trying to make some miles and stay on task to meet up with family. Besides Gator, it has been a while since I have seen the familiar face of someone I haven't met hiking. So it will be such a great morale booster for being close to the halfway point. Hmmmm, I have hiked almost 1200 miles and I am still over 100 miles short of the halfway point. But technically I am in Northern California now and looking forward to Oregon and Washington.

Gator and I ended up hiking about 100 miles in 5 days which is a pretty good pace for us. I am hoping to continue that pace since we are now through the hard part of the Sierra's. But so many unexpected things come up on the trail that it is hard sometimes to keep a steady pace. The other day I was hiking down from some rocky switchbacks by Donner Pass at the end of the day and ready to be done even though we still were going to try and hike another couple miles before setting up camp when I heard Train shout "trail magic"! Right then I knew we were not going any farther that night. Ok so Train is our friend we met in Big Bear and have been hanging out with on and off and trail magic is when you get something wonderfully unexpected on the trail. This time it was a neat couple from Tennesse that did the Appalachian Trail last year and wanted to pay forward some of the trail magic they got hiking. So they had come across the country in their camper and parked there at Donner Pass to make hot meals and offer rides or whatever else they could do to help out the hikers. Wow! It was great! So there was a handfull of hikers just sitting around a camper at Donner pass telling thier stories while listening to Frost (another hiker we know) play the Ukulele. How could anyone pass that up?

Sorry about spelling, spell checker wasn't working.

Mammoth Lakes

Day 62, Mile 903

This last section was a tough one but the views were worth it! It seemed just about every day we had a pass to climb up to. Most of the passes were around 10,000 to 12,000 ft and of course you would drop between 3,000 to 4,000 ft after each one so tons of up and down. There was one day where we were going down a ton of rocky steep switchbacks for most the day which takes a tole on the knees and feet. I think at one point Gator was questioning what he was doing and whether he wanted to continue beating himself up. But after taking it easy and icing the feet and knees in the cold streams he was feeling a lot better. Since then the trail has gotten better with less steep rocky steps which makes things more enjoyable.

For the last 150 miles or so the PCT and JMT (John Muir Trail) have intersected. I believe we will be on the JMT for about another 50 miles. This has been my favorite part of the trail so far. As I heard someone say to a guy who was just hiking the JMT they referred to it as "Cherry Picking" the best parts of the hike. So if you were to have limited time this would definitely be a section to do! Hard due to elevation gains and losses and altitude but well worth it!

Now I am in Mammoth Lakes and enjoying the local coffee shops and some time of feeling like a real person. Last night I even went to the movies. It is funny though when you are in town how people just automatically look at you and know you are a thru hiker or "hiker trash" (as most thru hikers refer to each other). Maybe it is the way you have dirt all over your clothes or smell or are just out looking for a deal so you can save money. Well time to head back out to the trail. Miss you all and thanks for keeping tabs on me!

Independence

Day 52, Mile 790

Can I just say WOW! This last section I just hiked through has been quite spectacular! No words can really do justice. I was just surrounded by breath taking panoramic view after panoramic view. First hiking up Mt. Whitney the highest mountain in the lower 48 at 14,505 ft in elevation and then going through Forester Pass the highest point on the PCT at 13,000 plus. The elevation defiantly got to me and slowed me down but I didn't mind cause the views kept me going. I'd say going through Forester Pass was the best though! Just continual towering mountains, waterfalls, lakes, rivers, and tons of granite rock!

I am getting ready to head back out on the trail but I ended up taking a bit of time in town to resupply and buy a couple items at the outdoor store in Bishop. I am now on my third pair of shoes, I have already worn out two pairs (which seems pretty typical). Also sending some weight back home, the ice axe seems to be a bit of unneeded weight, not much snow in the Sierras I guess. So it has just been hanging off my pack making me look hard core.

Gator is doing pretty well in the higher elevations and it seems tables have turn. Whenever we are over 11,000 he starts cruising and I start dragging.

Kennedy Meadows

Day 45, Mile 704

I have finally arrived at The Kennedy Meadows, which is the big resupply before hitting the Sierras! KM is a small little town nestled in the foothills of the Sierras. It is beautiful here and gives me a small taste of what kind of panoramic sights are to come. So what better place to take a zero day (day off) to relax, recoup, and get organized with some of the extra food and gear I will have to take for this next section. Hoping since there will be more water options now and I will not have to carry as much, that will make up for some of the added gear weight (ice axe, micro spikes, ect).

I will also admit that this last section from Tehachapi to KM was brutal due to high winds so the extra day is a welcome break. Over the last week I have been pushing through these high winds and at times if I was caught off guard I would be almost knocked off my feet. I felt like I was in a boxing ring with my hands tied behind my back. There is nothing you can do but take it. You can yell at the wind but as I found out that does no good either. Someone told me they heard there were wind gusts recorded up to 80 mph. Let me tell you, not so fun in the desert! Although I welcomed the cooler temperatures (until it snowed on me one night), the sand blasted in my face kinda sucked. There was one night I tried to set up the tent to keep out of the wind and blowing dirt but within minutes it was fully collapsed by the wind. This was no wimpy 2 pole tent either. So I just took refuge behind a couple Joshua trees, threw out my sleeping bag, fastened it tight over my head and called it good for the night. Ugg, didn't get much sleep though! Luckily winds have died down as of late but I am sure some of those ridges up in the Sierras will have more of the same to offer but at least it will come with some amazing views.

Gator is also doing well but definitely ready for a break. At times he gets a little burned out but we have only had 4 days off since we started so completely understandable. But he is looking forward to hitting the higher elevations and hiking up Mt. Whitney.

All else is going great and really looking forward to the next 200 miles of remote wilderness!!

Tehachapi

Day 36, Mile 558

This last section I went through was pretty hot! I guess it should be since it goes through some of the Mojave desert. Water has been hard to come by and it was pretty common to have to go 15 to 20 miles before you hit another water source. So that means carrying over 10 lbs of water which I am finding out makes a big difference in my progress. This next section will probably be more of the same then I am gonna be out of the desert for the most part. The desert and So Cal has been beautiful and all but I am ready for some new scenery and a little cooler weather. Man I can't imagine going through all these past sections in a few weeks when the bulk of the hikers go through, most of the water sources will be dried up.

One of the places I ended up stopping for water a few days ago was this trail angels house called Hiker Town. My timing couldn't have been any better since when I showed up the people living there were having a BBQ with the Mayor of Lancaster and Gator and I ended up being the token hikers, pictures and all. The funny thing was as I was hiking on the trail the day before I was dreaming of BBQ chicken, baked beans, and potato salad, and guess what they were serving, all that and more! It was amazing and as I was stuffing my face with all this food the people were coming up asking us all these questions. Now here was my deli ma...you are starving for real food and can't wait to eat but you are trying to be polite by not answering these questions with your mouth full, I ate anyway. Hiker Town was actually pretty cool. It looked like an old western Hollywood set with all the different buildings lined up next to each other (saloon, city hall, etc) and you could stay the night in the little buildings if you wanted too. I didn't stay even though it was tempting but I did get a nice meal, shower, and most important... water.

Now I am in Tehachapi and just finished a few errands of getting supplies for the next section. I will relax tonight and head to the Post Office tomorrow to get my resupply box since today is Sunday and PO is not open. After that back on the trail.

Agua Dulce

Day 30, Mile 455

Sorry it has been so long since my last post but between technical difficulties with my phone, getting service, and losing my last entry before posting in Wrightwood, lets just say it has been interesting trying to post a blog lately. Anyway now to the good stuff.

So since Wrightwood just under 100 miles ago I have passed the 400 mile mark! It is amazing to think that I have walked 400 miles in 4 weeks. I have also hit a elevation high on the trail of 9399 at Mt Baden Powell. I even stood on a 1ft tall rock at the top so I could make it an even 9400. But that is not gonna be the highest point over all. I am hoping to take a 16 mile detour off the PCT when I get to the Sierra's to hike up Mt. Whitney. But if not Forester Pass also in the Sierra's will be the highest point on the PCT which is somewhere over 13,000 ft. Nice!

Lately I have slowed down a bit from my desired mileage. I am still about a day behind but that is not much in the whole grand scheme of things. I have had to make a couple detours to go around some burned areas (Station Fire a few years ago). Since there is only a couple approved spots to camp due to this fire and water has been hard to come by it has made progress a little slow. There is also the dreaded Poodle Dog brush. Which is a plant that thrives in burned areas that is supposed to be worse than poison oak. So that was interesting trying to zig zag through on the trail. I actually bought a cheap painter suit in Wrightwood to put on just in case it was unavoidable in areas. Luckily I could avoid most of it by walking around or pushing it out of the way with my trekking pole so I didn't have to wear it. I heard a story that some guys leg swelled up for 2 months so no thanks I will avoid that like the plague.

Other than that I have either seen or heard more Lions (not mt lions, we are talking Africa lions) than I have seen bears. No really! Ok so a couple weeks ago I walked by a place that takes care of Hollywood animals and there were cages holding lions and tigers and bears. And last night I stayed at a KOA that was next to this zoo facility that takes care of Micheal Jacksons lions. Imagine my surprise in the middle of the night when I was awaken from a dead sleep and I heard some loud preditorial ROAR and had no idea what it was. And of course I just sunk down farther in my sleeping bag hoping it would go away. Found out the next morning what it actually was.

But overall things are going good and even though it is hard and the feet never seem to stop hurting I am loving every minute of it. I think Gator is coming around too.



 

Big Bear Lake

Day 18, Mile 266

Yesterday I did 24 miles. I think in the past 3 days I have gone from 9000ft elevation down to 3200ft and then back up to 9000ft. Tons of up and down that takes a pretty good toll on the feet and knees. So since Big Bear Lake seems like such a fine place to hang out I am thinking 2 days off here will be what is needed. I am a little worried about taking this much time off but hoping that by Friday morning I will be fresh again and ready to put on some more miles. Although I have had a few long days of 20+ miles here and there I have also had some hard uphill days where I only have done around 15 or less. I would like to get to the point where I can do 17 to 20 miles or more every day so I can stay on schedule. But it is all about timing too. Don't want to get to Kennedy Meadows too early either because that is the beginning of the Sierras and then you have lots of snow and high river crossings to contend with (don't worry mom). The longer you wait the easier it will be going through there but if you wait too long then finishing the trail in time becomes a concern.

So it seems I have gotten a trail name. The group of about 5 now some of whom I have started the trail with, have been now calling me "Chief" or "Chief Wenatchee". I think partly because I am the one that keeps trying to keep Chad and I on track so we don't take too long of breaks or don't end the day too soon without getting the miles (I like to call it motivation). And what sealed the deal is when they called me that in front of someone outside of the group named Scalpel, he said he thought it fit because he could see it in the eyes. hmmm I wonder if I should be offended. Oh well I guess I will go with it, it is all in fun. My fire crew back in Chelan would probably agree with that name anyway, they sometimes call me mom probably for the same reasons. 

Side note: One thing I would like to highlight on my blog is my fund raiser. It is for the American Cancer Society. Please don't feel obligated to donate but if you feel you can give a little then the link to my hiking fund raiser is on the right side of my blog page. There have been people close to me that have been effected by cancer and this is my way of trying to give back.      (Love you Mom)

Ziggy and the Bear's

Day 14, Mile 210

Just made it to trail angels Ziggy and the Bear's place. Wow what a set up! They have a tent to hang out in, bathrooms, sinks, foot bath, food, treats, and tons more all set up right outside their house for PCT hikers going thru. Tonight there are about 10 or so hikers camping out here. Very nice! Hiked about 20 miles and lost about 7000 ft in elevation today (poor knees). Yesterday hiked mostly in snow so it was slow going, only made it about 11 miles. Tomorrow back up in the hills.

Just want to say thanks so much for all your comments! It is so nice to get some words of encouragement. And no I don't have a trail name yet which may be a good thing cause some of them get pretty bad.

Idyllwild

Day 12, Mile 179

So after putting in two long 20+ mile days in a row and what seemed like mostly uphill I decided it is time to take a zero day. Zero day meaning no miles added or in other words rest day. But I have been walking around Idyllwild most the day so that has to account for a few mile but luckily I didn't have to carry my pack. Most of the running around entailed Post Office resupply box, laundry, misc odds and ends, and of course some fresh food. The wonderful thing about being on the trail is you can eat whatever you want with no guilt, in fact you lose weight. MMM Food!

The last couple days have been a push. I was approaching over 8000ft and concerned about a incoming storm that was supposed to bring a bunch of snow. So I hurried through the last section so I didn't have to fight the snow too much but sounds like the next section will be covered in snow anyway. May be slow going the next 30 miles, lots of post holing. Other than that still been meeting lots of people. Most with their trail names already. There are some pretty funny ones out there. Usually they get them if they do something stupid or have a certain personality trait. Like Soda cause he likes pop or Cookie cause he talks about cookies a lot (that is Chad by the way, how fitting and I wasn't the one who named him).

Derek

Happy Birthday Brother! Love You Phone not working but internet does so thought this would get the message to you. Call you when I can.

Warner Springs

Day 7, Mile 109

Yes! Passed 100 miles! Wow and I earned every step. It is hot down here! Water stops are definitely something to pay attention to. If you pass one up your next water opportunity may be another 25 miles or so. Thank goodness for trail angels though. I have been packing enough water to get me through to the known water supplies but sometimes if your lucky you will come across a cache of water out in the middle of now where (that someone has hiked in) that makes it just a little more comfortable to get to the next creek. There was even a cache of soda at one point and was very welcome after hiking half the day in the blazing heat. The last couple days I have had to get up around 4am to beat the heat and then nap in the afternoon during the heat of the day and then get a few more miles in the evening. 
The views and terrain have been spectacular, and might I add not very flat. I am finding the desert very interesting with all the different cactus and flowers. As far as wildlife I have ran across a few rabbits, lizards, birds (even a turkey), a few gardener snakes, and some cows. Haven't seen any rattle snakes yet but heard some other people talking about seeing them. 
I have found the people on the trail very friendly. The last 4 days or so I have been hiking with a couple folks that started around the same time I did. John, trail name Carrot from Ohio and Seth from Cali have joined Chad and I. We usually meet up around breaks or camp. Eventually they may go their separate ways but for now they have been good company as we all go the same pace.
Well gonna hang out in Warner Springs for the rest of the day to nurse some sore muscles and enjoy the hospitality of the local community center that set up some amenities for the hikers. (Burgers, pop, small supply store, Internet, and a hose outside to wash up) Yeah!
Side note: If you zoom into my spot map close enough you can see the actual pct route and not just a straight line between points.

Laguna

Day 3, Mile 43
Already southern California has exceeded my expectations. I thought it would be all desert like and flat and not a lot to see. But it has been beautiful and green with all kind of flowers in bloom and lots of rolling terrain and mountains. Today we got up to 6000 ft. So far we have run into quite a few people on the trail. Some more than once and you start to get to know who is going the same pace as you play leap frog between breaks and camps. Its pretty cool to get to know everyone and talk about where they are from and what their plans are. I have also been surprised by how many people I have ran into from other countries. So far besides a few sore muscles and just trying to get used to the heat, things are going great!! Having tons of fun!

One Way ticket to San Diego

Today Gator and I head to San Diego and then onto Campo tomorrow (the southern most part of the PCT on the Mexico boarder). From there all we have to do is start hiking north! Wow the last couple weeks have gone by so fast just trying to get everything ready. I have barely had a moment to sit and take it all in. But now I feel like I have had the huge weight of preparation and logistics planning taken off my shoulders. I will be putting a different kind of weight on my shoulders, about 40lbs worth. I am so excited to get started! Sounds like the weather has been pretty rought with snow, rain, and high winds lately. But the outlook for the next week looks good. Perfect timing!
Well thanks to all for your help in getting me this far with planning, logistics, supply boxes, transportation, technological support (David with map updates), and much more. Look forward to keeping you posted on our travels.

Less than two weeks

Less than two weeks and I will begin my trek. I have been approved to take five and a half months off from work, packed all my food boxes, and have most of my gear ready. Only a few loose ends to tie up here and there and I will be off.
With Scout (cat) and McKinley (dog) in good hands while I am gone I can breathe a little easier. Thanks Mom, Dad and Carla! And of course the Sullivan's with Sunny (Gator's dog).
I think Gator and I are both pretty anxious to get started. Initially our biggest worry was how much snow the Sierra's were gonna have and getting going too early. But it seems that the snow pack in California is lower than average and by far better than last years record snow pack. So hopefully the earlier start date of April 15 will give us an advantage and some time to adjust to the 20 miles a day pace. Most people start the end of April after the big "kick off party". I'm not sure I would be into starting a hike like a runner out of the gates with 300+ hikers. So I think I will be opting out of the kick off start date. But none the less I can't wait! Time to get this show on the road!