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.

Sunday, July 27, 2008

I am getting spoiled rotten



Day 84, Mile 1377.7---Today i awoke to find that i was still alive. Despite waking up a few times during the night thinking there might be, there was no bear. I hiked the 8 miles to Old Station and i found along the way that i had just enough water to get me all the way here without having to stop and fill up. Picked up my package at the PO and soon after got a ride to the house of the Heitman's. They are the local trail angels, and their place is sweet, awesome, amazing, good. I ate through half of my resupply box throughout the afternoon, but it was OK cause the parentos over did it a little. Got another shower (2nd day in a row...whaaaaat) and washed my clothes, also read an article on BillyGoat and the PCT. We had a communal dinner in the works and everybody pitched in to some degree. I churned the homemade ice cream. It was the most work my arms have seen on the trail, i hope i am sore tomorrow. Dinner was fantastic and very filling. The ice cream i labored over was delicious. It was made with half a liter of Squirt, half a liter of Green Tea Ginger Ale, and two cans of sweetened condensed milk. I had no idea that would turn into ice cream in the maker, but it did, and it was good. After dinner i went into the kitchen to help wash dishes. Turns out that they are very green around here and they re-use their ziplock bags. So my job was to wash out the ziplock bags with soap and hot water and then hang them out to dry. Have you ever tried washing Sloppy Joe grease out of a gallon ziplock bag? Don't try, it doesn't go well. By the time i was finished (as good as they were gonna get anyway) my hands were both pruned and moisturized with grease. They smell good though. Anyway the rest of the night folks played music and talked. I called mí madre and ended up getting an update on Max. Turns out he is back at the parents house. Trail life wasn't for him; he has got bandaged feet and an antibiotics schedule now. I am sure he will be back in good form soon in their care, and with Leo(their other dog) taunting him daily. Alright its late, i gotta hit the sack so i can wake up in time for french toast... yeah its sooo tough out here. Thought of the day; its a small world on a big planet. Song of the day; sittin on the dawk uh the bayyyy wahatchin the tiihehide rolllll awayyyay - somebody. Craving of the day; Rice Krispy treats with either a layer through the middle of fresh mango, or chopped up bits of dried(the good kind from Costco) or fresh maybe cut up and folded into the mix before its put in the pan to set.

JWC on the PCT

2 comments:

Mom and Dad said...

And your song of the day artist is...................Otis Redding singing "Sittin On The Dock Of The Bay"

ark said...

Jesse...I have never had Rice Krispy Treats with mangos in
them. Sounds really good!
Strange...but good. I love good
food, and all your food stories
are wonderful for me!!!
Love...Andrea