PCT 2nd Attempt

Butter and Eggs; Common Toadflax on the CDT

Last spring I was unable to continue my PCT thru-hike due to injury, illness and circumstance. I won't detail all my problems here. If your interested, check out my Trail Journals entries. I've spent the last six months trying to decide if I want a 2nd attempt in the spring. During that time, I've been improving my conditioning with the idea of PCT take two. I was able to hike a couple 14er's this summer and a short section of the Continental Divide Trail where I took this wildflower photo.

I've started a new journal at Trail Journals for a 2011 PCT hike. My gear is updated and I talk a bit about minor gear changes and strategies. So, I'm planning for the hike, but won't make a decision until early March.

Journaling the Trail

It's almost time to start my hike. I'm making last minute preparations, getting everything in order for the trip. On my AT hike, I carried a journal that I recorded a brief synopsis of my days. This hike, I plan to journal online at Trail Journals. Hopefully I'll be able to post many photos and journal in a bit more detail, mainly for myself, family, and friends.

I begin hiking on April 18th, but my journal will probably lag behind by a couple weeks. I'm not sure how often I will have access to a computer. I already have a few posts on my preparation for the hike, and my gear list. You should check out other hiker's journals. I'm sure many of them will be much more entertaining.

Slash and Hack

My nephew was visiting during spring break, and we decided we needed some wooden swords. So, I whipped a couple up out of some pine I had laying around. They were pretty beat up by the end of the week, but were really fun to use. They fit in really well with the movie we saw this week, How to Train Your Dragon, which was really fun. Next on the list are a couple of wooden shields, which will probably have to wait until after my hike.

Cure for Trail Boredom

Most of the time, the trail is interesting and challenging and requires most of your attention. But, sometimes it can be incredibly boring and monotonous. When your hiking ten or twelve hours a day, every day, there are times when you need something to occupy your mind. About a month into my thru-hike of the Appalchian Trail, I picked up a small am/fm radio. Most of the time, reception was terrible, but it did help a bit. I was always looking for the news or anything on NPR, rather than music. Next time around, on the PCT, I want something more dependable and interesting.

I'm taking an mp3 player this time with a good selection of music. I'd like something portable that I can put in my bounce box with extra mp3's. I was thinking about taking some audio book mp3's, and then realized that when I hit a town with a computer, (library or place I'm staying), I can download podcasts. I have a few that I listen to on a fairly regular basis. By listing them here with links, I don't have to try to remember them or carry a list with me. Here are some I'm thinking about:

/Filmcast
DWO Whocast
NPR podcast directory
Hatecast
The Doctor Who Podcast
The Oodcast
Nerdist
Crazy Sexy Geeks
Podcast Alley
ODEO

A note on the photo: borrowed from backpack45.com, a website with some great PCT information.

Cedar Fence

Finished just in time for the first snows (three times before Halloween). I like the Japanese feel of the design that I modified from a photo I saw. It's 75' of rough cedar with stainless steel fasteners. I hand dug all 15 post holes 40" down to get below the frost line, which is probably overkill. I put the posts on about 4" of crushed stone, followed by about 2" more of crushed stone, then concrete for the remaining 34". I used lag bolts in the posts to give the concrete something to grab onto.

Tent Upgrade

I just purchased a Big Agnes - Fly Creek UL1 tent for the PCT. Lighter weight than my Particle 13 (4 lbs.) from North Face, the Fly Creek tent weighs only 2 lbs. 2 oz., a savings of almost 2 pounds. You can tell the materials are thinner on this tent. I hope it holds up as well as the Particle 13, which is still in great shape after 2,175 miles. I think the bulk of the weight savings are from the pole configuration. I did switch out the aluminium tent stakes for titainium and eliminated the guylines. I'm also pleased that Big Agnes is using DAC's new green anodizing process on their tent poles.

Most people carry a tarp on the PCT, but I really like the bug protection you get from a tent. Maybe someday I'll start using a tarp on shorter trips, but for a long distance hike, a tent makes more sense to me.

A Good Night's Sleep

When I hiked the AT in 2006, I started out with a Marmot Atom sleeping bag. It was a down bag rated to 40° and weighing only 1 lb. My strategy was to use a bag liner to increase the temperature range and carry it the whole way. After a couple really cold nights in Georgia,  I was re-thinking the plan. I ended up getting a warmer bag and sending the Atom home. I purchased a synthetic bag made by North Face, the Cat's Meow, weighing in at 2 lbs. 10 oz. and rated to 20°. It was much warmer and really heavy. I did switch back to the Atom for the summer and then back to the Cat's Meow before I hit the White Mountains in New Hampshire.

I just bought a Super Stretch Down Hugger #1 Short from Mont-Bell, for the PCT. It has 800 fill down (better quality than 600 fill down), and is rated to 15°. So, it's warmer than the Cat's Meow and only weighs 2 lbs. 3 oz. The nights on the PCT are supposed to be cold, so I plan to use the same bag the whole way. This bag has elastic built in to allow it to move with your body, allowing more comfort and reducing the amount of dead air space your body needs to heat.

I was considering Mont-Bell's new Spiral Down Hugger that would be 3 oz. lighter. It has some of the stretching properties as the Super Stretch, but I decided 3 oz. was worth the difference in comfort. I think a good night's rest is important on a long distance hike.