More walking, before more walking

Has anyone ever done those couch to 5k training programs?

I haven't, but do try to get out and exercise daily, usually by walking on the hill behind our house. There's a loop of 3 miles with 500 ft elevation gain so it's a good way to wake up and get ready for the day or to wind down after a stressful day at work.  

As a new years resolution I had decided to keep track of the miles walked daily, not including walking around during the day to get from the car to the office or around town, just recreational miles. This is what I came up with to keep track:

Hoping to have the time and motivation to get the purple line that is April to break 120 miles.

The first three months were relatively similar, and the miles walked probably most closely correlated to the weather.  But this month the miles are accumulating faster and it all started on Saturday April 6th when we went out on a 12 mile hike on the Finger Lakes Trail and came up with the idea that we might be able to hike the PCT this summer.  This idea has become a goal and since setting the goal, I've been more motivated to get out for a walk as a way to physically and mentally prepare for the trip.  With another week left in the month, I'm looking forward to seeing how many miles tick away.

  

Maybe you don't have any interest in running a 5k either, but what goals are you setting for yourself?

Back out to the PCT

Here's the back story on this year's hike.  In the days leading up to May 10th, 2009 Garrett and I packed all our belongings from our small University of Delaware grad student apartment and drove them to Virginia in a Uhaul where we stored them in my parents' two-car garage.

On May 10th we flew from Richmond to San Diego and arrived that evening at the southern end of the Pacific Crest Trail.  

Mile 0 on the PCT - Mexico/US Border Fence in the background

(Anna fell asleep trying to upload pictures... so I'll wrap this up.)

And then, we hiked North!

 

 



We learned to rest wherever we could find shade during heat of the day.  (113F at 11:30 below)






We learned the scarcity of water in the Southern California Deserts and appreciated water caches provided by kind people known as trail angels.

And we learned to appreciate coming across a stream once in a while.

We were lucky enough to meet great people and make some friends along the way.

Bluebird, Monolog & Todd

Bamboo Bob, Papa Smurf & Buster

Heaps

Tori & Tom

Monolog, Heaps, Shadow & Buster

Bink & Krudmeister

There were a handful of interesting wildlife encounters (sorry, wasn't fast enough to get a picture of the three bears in the middle of the desert)

Lots of small lizards

Lots of horned lizards

Not as many, but more than enough Rattlesnakes

Kittens! (just these two)

and an occasional California Mountain Cow

We were able to see some novel scenery for a couple of East Coasters

Barren high desert

Trail cut into steep rock slides high in the San Jacinto Mtns.

The Mesa Windfarm

Mountains made of sand

The Mojave Desert

Crossing the Mojave at dawn

And we learned you shouldn't wear a skirt while riding a bicycle.

 

After her bicycle accident in Aqua Dulce (PCT Mile 454), we took two weeks off staying at the Saufley's and then hiked another 200 miles while Anna "recovered" with two broken ribs and a broken wrist. At Walker Pass (PCT Mile 653) we decided to skip the High Sierra section known for being the most remote and challenging section to reduce some of the risk of continuing to hike while recuperating.  Ultimately Anna wasn't able to heal after we skipped up to Northern CA and she re-broke at least one of the two ribs while on trail ending the trip in 2009 near Lake Tahoe.

So... we'll pick up at Walker Pass this year and do our best to make it to Canada at a 26 miles/day pace, a bit faster than previous trips, but however far we get will be a lot closer to completion of the trail.

Looking forward to what is in store this summer, and hope you'll become a follower of this blog.

Let's go for a walk.

Please follow along as we hike from Walker Pass, CA (Mile 653 of the PCT) toward Canada this summer.  

You may be wondering:

- What is the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT); where is it, and how long will it take?

- Are you serious, haven't you already walked far enough?

- Why go all the way to California to go hiking?

- Why start at Walker Pass? 

- Are you going to be hiking with a group?

- What do you carry with you to be able to travel and live in the wilderness?

- Do you think you'll see a bigfoot?

- Bigfoot isn't real, that's a ridiculous question: why did I bring that up?

All will be addressed shortly, but please follow us using one of the options on the right.