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.

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

timing is everything

Day 110, Mile 1988.5---Last night was loud, bright, and wet. Unusual things for my nights on the PCT thus far. I managed to stay relatively dry in my tent throughout the night, and things only got damp in the morning as i packed up. The mosquitoes were not as bad by mid-day. It was real nice to take off the sauna suit and not get eaten alive as i walked. For the majority of the day the clouds kept their distance and seemed fairly un-threatening. That changed by 3:30ish and we were basically chased by a thunderstorm or two for the last few hours of the day. We saw a lot of people on the trail today and i can see why. The Three Sisters Wilderness Area was very beautiful and full of running water, big mountains, and open meadows. All these things people seem to enjoy a lot. Earlier in the day i had broached the idea of possibly hitching in on hwy 242 this evening 17 miles ahead of schedule. Icebag and i deliberated a couple different times throughout the day and finally decided it was a good idea. The thunderstorms for me were a big incentive to get in with a roof over my head. Walking on lava fields for the next 5+ miles with thunder and lightning didn't sound all that appealing. I may not be the adventurous guy i sometimes think and others think i am. Although Icebag and i are getting kind of tired of one another we decided a zero couldn't be a bad thing for either one of us. So we waited on hwy 242 and got nothing. There were three other hikers there who had just gotten back from Sisters . They told us this guy had just offered them a ride so we caught up with him and sure enough he would take us. It was just in the nick as the rain really started coming down. The guy (Terry) was on business and said he was actually going all the way into Bend. Although our boxes are in Sisters, my mom set us up to stay with family friends the Krumdiecks in Bend. We ended up hanging out with Terry for a while and we got to eat at the Deschutes Brewing Company. They are famous on the trail for creating Mirror Pond ale i liked a couple of their others as well. It was great conversation and a great meal. Probably another one of the best burgers of my life, and the beer was amazing too. After we finished even as late as it was, Ken (Mr. Krumdieck) picked us up and brought us home. And home is where i am now, so comfortable, so nice, so appreciated. Once again i should take advantage of this bed, a bed, and sleep. Joy(Mrs. Krumdieck) mentioned what we might be having for breakfast in the morning and i am already hungry, or maybe just excited, both. Thought of the day; i wonder if there isn't a pill that you could take to repel mosquitoes because the pharma corporations have too much vested in medications for diseases like malaria and dysentery. Song of the day; not really a song just - leyyft, leyyft, leyft right leyft - and repeat.


JWC on the PCT

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Sounds like a good zero, Jess!

Mom and Dad said...

I think Mr. and Mrs K deserve the title of the Bend trail angels! They certainly came to yours and Icebags rescue, and on short notice too. My thought of the day; friends along the trail....it's all good
(As you can read my dear boy you're a much deeper thinker than your Mom!)
love you, xoxoxoxo

Anonymous said...

Found a cadence for you I thought you might enjoy along the trail!

Momma, momma, can't you see
what the Army's done to me
Momma, momma, can't you see
what the Army's done to me

I used to date a beauty queen
Now I hug my M-16
I used to date a beauty queen
Now I hug my M-16

Momma, momma, can't you see
what the Army's done to me
Momma, momma, can't you see
what the Army's done to me

I used to drive a Chevrolet
Now I'm walking all the way
I used to drive a Chevrolet
Now I'm walking all the way

Momma, momma, can't you see
what the Army's done to me
Momma, momma, can't you see
what the Army's done to me