Detour

When I said before that I don't want this thing to end, I wasn't kidding. I had to come home to handle some business, but again, it was more of an excuse to see some of the people I love.  Another day, another day, just one more day. Two weeks off trail, and most of my friends thought I wouldn't be coming back. It sure was tempting, but it's going to take a broken leg to bump me off for good.

The Bay Area is my home and it would have been sacrilege to miss the Giants win the World Series on their wildcard rampage. YES YES YES! Thank you San Francisco, you make me so proud. And then there was my favorite holiday of all time, Halloween. What was I supposed to do? Dress up as a stinky hiker alone on the trail with no free candy? I don't thinks so. What about the big pro skater's 50th birthday bash down south? Another stop in Hollywood to see my best friend, Bianca. I did it... I sold a house in Tennessee, gained back 9 pounds, saw some of my favorite people in the world and feel like a million bucks.

Well, I'm back. Back and more excited than day one. I'm going to do it, ladies and gentleman. I'm going to complete this hike in my own silly little style. Are you ready Mexico? Because watch out, here I come!

Kennedy Meadows

This trip has been about new experiences. I've seen some beautiful lands in my life, but the PCT scenery is so breathtakingly unique. And it's not just the mountains, but the people, too. 

I'm a believer that life is far more entertaining if we have an open mindset. I can't imagine living confined to the limits of my comfort. Comfort used to be staying in bed all day watching shitty movies on Netflix and ordering in all my meals. Not cute.  I didn't know how to pitch a tent before I left, nor had I ever camped alone. Some four months later and I feel like an expert. I'm comfortable out here... More comfortable than at home. I know how to pee standing up, finally, and I can make some damn good food out of gas station supplies. I've made friends with bikers, truckers, nuns, travelers, locals, strangers, musicians, republicans, babies and dear. Sometimes you just got to leap... You'll be surprised at how many great photo ops these new experiences provide.

I've Never Been So HIGH

Mt. Whitney: 14,505 feet, highest summit in the contiguous United States of America.

We were the last to descend and for a moment I was able to say, there is no one in the US as high as me. Oh, it felt good. SO GOOD!

October 15th

Before I started the PCT, there was a specific date my life revolved around: climb over Forester Pass (highest point on trail) by October 15th to survive the Sierra snow. I've been racing towards this goal from day one, pushing on a few extra miles here and there, limiting my zero days, cutting the trail conversations short. Well, I did it. I climbed Forester 2 days ahead of schedule in my sports bra and hot pants. Sunny enough to enjoy lunch above 13,000 feet.

It was surreal. I worked so hard to get here, and once on top, I didn't want to let her go. I got that funny thought of what it would be like to die and immortalize the moment. Forester Pass is now a memory for me, tucked away deep down in my soul for those future work days I find myself red-eyed in front of an excel sheet wishing I was back up on top of the world.

My next goal is to make it to Mexico, but there is no date, no rush to touch the border. In fact, I want to drag out this trip as long as possible. I have no idea what the desert will be like in December, but I'm going to take my time. I'm not afraid of the snow anymore.

The closest I'll ever get to having lunch on the moon

Grasshoppers, Chapped Lips And A Whole Lot Of Pride

This is what you can expect to find on top of the world.

Mountain pass after breathtaking mountain pass. I felt it myself and listened to other hikers say the same, you climb up and over a pass in the Sierra and can't imagine anything competing with its beauty. But then you do it again and again and again... Each time more awestruck and confused in how this can be real.

Aint nothing wrong with a little snow

I'm ready for you

A hard life to live

Good morning, Glen Pass

Hello, Kearsarge Pass

So that's what you look like on top

Forester Pass, I've been waiting for you

Just joined the skinny club

On top of Mount Whitney

My commute home from work

Big Ol' Slice Of Humble Pie

hanging with the big dogs: ULA or bust!

I was on a mental high hiking down Muir Pass, but still sick to my stomach and utterly exhausted. It had been a few days since I'd seen another thru hiker on trail, and immediately recognized the presence of good company with two tarps pitched ahead of me. The three hikers invited me to join camp and man was I happy. Little did I know I would be sleeping next to the LEGENDS: Scott Williamson, Tattoo Joe and Hippie Long Stockings.

I can't begin to comprehend the amount of miles these Pro's have seen. For once, I was silent... listening in awe to all their stories and adventures... helicopter rescues, finding frozen bodies off trail, running for life out of the fire path, scars of proof. I aint seen nothing yet. They cooked me hot cocoa and supplied me with extra food. What kind of trail magic meets you days away from a town? I wanted to have them sign the energy bar wrapper, but was too shy to ask so mailed it home for the scrap book. I'll never forget that night. I realized how small I was in this big picture. These people are nuts... and I aspire to be like them one day.

La Luna Llena

Something clicked the other night. A grand shift in my understanding of what the hell I'm doing out here. My hiker moment. Its impossible to capture this feeling in words and photos, but its something I'll hold deep in my soul for eternity.

I started the Sierra sick and in a low morale. It was the first time I questioned whether or not I would be able to continue, now, moving closer to the highest passes on trail. I spoke with my mentor in my tiny Mammoth motel room and gained a world of confidence when he said, "You can fucking do this!" My miles were cut down to 10, maybe 15 a day and on antibiotics. No direct sunlight? At least my head and feet were covered.

9,000 feet, 10,000 feet, 11,000 feet... Heading towards Muir Pass, I decided to camp at Evolution Lake, a beautiful freezing mountain bowl just above the tree line. All rock and sand, I couldn't pitch my tent. I didn't want to. It was going to be cold, but I didn't care. I wanted to be under the bright sleepless moon and feel it all. She held me tight that night, wrapped up in the sun's reflection. It wasn't about me anymore. Ego dissolved and I was connected to the grand oneness of it all. This is what I signed up for. This is why I left my job and loved ones behind. This is it.

I woke up to a white sleeping bag covered in frost. BEAUTIFUL. An hour later and it was time to tan while I waited for the bag to dry out. I sat there for hours, thinking of all the beautiful people in my life, all the special memories I've been so lucky to share with others, and also, grateful to have this time alone to help me grow.

It's a white swimsuit, I tell you

Season's Changing

As Henrik says, a marathon a day keeps the snow away. 

People are telling me that it's off season, but I don't see anything off about it. The trail is empty and the temperature is dropping but what a wonderful time to hike. From green to yellow to red, I'm chasing the colors of autumn. With just one more week of this beautiful weather, and I think I'll be able to complete the Sierra in one piece.

Oh, I really don't want this to end.

Counting Them Calories

Ever wonder what us long distance hikers eat out on the trail? Well, here's a quick glimpse at this week's menu. Let me note here that I'm not (yet) carrying a stove and I'm currently hiking through the high Sierra which requires me to store all of this in a bear canister (thanks Ryan! Some good karma's heading your way). I've been sick for the past week and haven't been consuming nearly enough. It was hard shopping for this next leg feeling nauseous looking down the aisles. I'll have to pack out a few more fatty additions, but you get the gist. The general rule is something like two lbs of food and upwards of 6,000 calories per day.

• 2 loaves of Dave's Killer Bread
• 3 pounds of extra sharp cheddar cheese
• 24 peanut crunch and white chocolate macadamia Clif Bars and 5 peanut butter Powerbars
• 1 pound of oriental snack mix
• 2 avocados and a giant peach
• 5 packs of assorted jerky
• 1 bag of chia seeds
• 9 packs of assorted fruit n cream instant oatmeal 
• 3 bags of Idahoan instant mashed potatoes
• 1 bag of dried cherries
• 3 bags of tuna/salmon and 2 bags of Newman's salad dressing to spice it up a notch
• 4 dehydrated dinners (I've accumulated along the trail)
• 3 power gel goo shots and 7 energy shot blocks
• 6 packets of Starbucks tea refreshers and several other water enhancers 
• CANDY: 5 Abba Zaba's, 2 giant Airhead bars, pack of sour gummy worms, sour eggs, Haribo raspberries, a handful of Jolly Ranchers, Hi-chews and Werther's Originals... And my all time favorite, 2 packs of sour Jelly Belly's

Who Forgot To Tell Me About The Wind???

I've never struggled so much as I did when returning to trail. It might have had something to do with the altitude, bear canister weight addition, and being homesick, but this was tough... and I mean TOUGH! I was utterly exhausted. I took my first ever morning nap after hiking just 3.5 miles. The worst part was that my appetite dissolved. The thought of food made me nauseous. I knew I needed the calories not just for energy, but to also lighten the unbearable weight of my pack, but I could only stomach a cliff bar and a few spoonfuls of granola a day. 

A storm was approaching. The wind was relentless. It sounded as though someone was holding a microphone up to the sky and blasting the bass on high. I had one more pass to hike over before I would descend to the Highway 108. I struggled to reach the top, when I realized I might be in trouble. The wind picked up and knocked me to the ground four times. I felt like I was skydiving, with my cheeks blown back to make a distorted joker face; snot and drool strewn about. I had to fight for each step. It was getting dark and there was no shelter in sight. An open faced barren cliff decent into total darkness. I put on every layer of clothing and made a run for it with my headlamp guiding the way.

The trail formed a small ditch near a stream so I decided to take refuge. Stars lined the sky and there wasn't room to pitch the tent so I thought I could make it through the night by cowboy camping. Wrong again. I woke up covered in snow near midnight. I pulled out my tent and wiggled my sleeping bag and pack into a little cocoon. I woke up with sheets of ice on my bag and on top of the makeshift bivy. I did not feel good. This was not fun. It took me several hours to muster enough energy and pack out. About ten minutes down the trail, I met an angel of a man on a short day hike. He offered me a ride before I had time to ask.

Because it was so early in the morning, we decided to make a little road trip through Yosemite. We stopped in Tuolumne Meadows, (which was my next planned resupply stop) and learned that they would be closing for the season the day before I was expected to arrive. Very helpful information. Even better, both roads entering the park were closed for the weekend, too. I would have been stranded! My new friend took me to the clinic and offered me his home to wait out the snow. What luck! 

I'm still shaken up over that storm as I now enter the High Sierra. It's cold out here, and I am about to climb even higher. Mother Nature is stronger than me and she has her own itinerary. I hope I can make it, but I've started to get concerned. This is what I signed up for... with all it's beauty so comes the struggle. Please send me some strength and positivity, because in all honesty, I've lost my momentum. Only a few hundred miles left of the scary stuff and then I'll be in Southern California. Wish me luck, because here I come!!!