Some thoughts before departure...

  • I am still not a vet, doctor, lawyer, dog trainer, cia agent, fbi agent or a navy seal so...walk
  • I am doing this for the challenge of course, and I hope to gain a confidence that comes with this type of endeavor. But also I hope to gain some new knowledge about the world and the truths that reside in it.
  • Am I walking to "find myself"? Or just to take a walk. You decide...and you'll probably be right.
  • I'm not in the best shape of my life, but I do have a lot of new great gear so....
  • After living with my parents the last 2 years, it makes perfect sense to walk 2650 miles - alone.
  • Yes there will be bears, cougars, rattlesnakes and scorpions both imagined and real along the way. I'm definitely more worried about those imagined.
  • Am I scared? Not as of yet, more of just a constantly increasing anticipation. But check back with me on the 3rd night in the desert.
  • I tried to keep my pack fairly light, but I definitely would not call it ultralight. Somehow when I added up all my ultralight gear and put it in my ultralight pack, I ended up with just slightly heavy.
  • My biggest concern for this trip is that I get too hungry somewhere along the way, my brain goes awol as it usually does when I get hungry and subsequently you never hear from me again...I'll try to eat frequently.
  • I am not Christopher McCandless. This is not Into the Wild.

Thursday, May 15, 2008

Coon Creek Creepy Cabin

Day 14, Mile 246.3 - Today i hiked from 730am to 730pm and only made 20 miles. I do not know why. It could be that i wanted to quit most of the day, it could be because i had to climb from 3500ish feet to 8030ft, it could be because i stopped to filter water twice, i dunno. But my target was the "Coon Creek Group Camp" and i am here now so i guess i shouldn't be complaining. Last night the wind and i were still on bad terms, and from the sound of the tin roof and creaking boards there will be no reconciliation tonight. I should explain, there are some abandoned cabins up here with no windows or doors just the holes where they used to be. In the "main cabin" i cooked my dinner and i chose to sleep in one of the smaller cabins with a flat concrete floor. Problem is there happens to be a hole under one window in the wall and that seems to be the side the wind favors... awesome. Shouldn't be too bad, the thermometer says 40 and i was too hot at times last night. Today was uneventful other then some pretty great views. I can see Palm Desert from my "window" in the cabin. OK its getting too cold to have my hands out of the sleeping bag, gotta go. Thought of the day; If the madness is true, follow not where it may go, but where you want it to lead. -don't ask me, i have no idea, it just came out of nowhere today all in one sentence and into my mind, doesn't make sense to me yet. Man its freeeeezing! Goodnight


JWC on the PCT

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