- I actually had to get used to sleeping in a bed again.
- Dane Cook is horrible. Why do you like him? He is not funny. America, again, why?
- Amtrak is only marginally better than Indian Railways. No, actually. But at least I could lay down in an Indian train. 45 hours Portland to Chicago. Montana is big.
- Hot Dog eating contests are easy to win if you're even remotely serious about it. Yes. Hats off to you Bergan.
- Cornfield America is everything I wanted it to be. Hello Wal-Mart.
- You're not allowed to wear shorts before 1630? Laugh.
- Jocks are real people.
- The Office (American) has grown on me a lot. But I still hold faithful to Gervais, despite Jenna Fischer.
- There is also French Canadian version of The Office. I. Know.
- Michigan's Upper Peninsula is pretty special.
- Breaking your jaw would suck. Sorry Paul.
- I still, still look the wrong way before/whilst crossing the road.
- Seattle is amazing. But it smells like oil. Chicago smells like fart.
- American cities are rather difficult to get lost in. Numbered streets are a way of life. Sydney, take note.
- I have developed a curious alley preference.
- Stairs. Always...
- Selena Gomez was one of the Barney kids.
- Zombieland! New number one in my "Zombie Movie Death" list.
- Pulling two random words out of a hat leads to some of mankind's proudest moments. Example one: Blanket. Sleeves. http://www.theslanket.com/ Example two: Burger. Grilledcheese. http://www.thefoodabides.com/2009/09/vortex-double-coronary-bypass.html
- The US Dollar hates me. And I hate it.
- I'm probably going to walk the Continental Divide Trail next year.
Monday, September 28, 2009
In the convenient form of point.
Things I have discovered since the PCT:
Yours to keep, absolutely free. Free. Free!
Weeks later...
Yeah, I lost all motivation to finish the journal. But it's done now.
2700 miles hiked.
110 days walking.
13 days doing nothing.
25 miles a day sort of...
Except that time I walked 50.
30 degrees Fahrenheit of sleeping bag (perfect).
20 brides trolled under.
17 battles with wind (all lost).
5 peaks bagged? (poor effort).
1 yellowjacket bite (sonofa).
1 tent eaten by ants.
1 bear (disappointing)
1 singing balloon.
1 ride in a police car.
1 time treating water (curses to you, guzzler).
0 Sasquatch (dammit!!).
0 mosquito's I hope to see in my remaining years.
Lost somewhere around 12 kilograms that I didn't know I had.
Sexy man legs, no arms left, awkward tan lines.
3.5 pairs of shoes, 12 pairs socks, 1 pair shorts with small hole, 1 shirt with a giant hole.
Not many showers.
12 hours of hitching.
Many periods of itching.
84,432,563,499 litres of ice-cream.
876,778 pizzas.
500 poptarts.
46 hours of nothing but Peanut M&M's.
3.5 pancakes.
2 massive failures.
1 thru. Done.
Best towns: Ashland, Sisters, Stehekin, Agua Dulce, Baring.
Best Pizza:
Stehekin Pastry Company
Vincenzo's, Agua Dulce
Papandreas, Sisters
Pacific Crest Pub and Hostel Cascade Locks
Pizza Factory
I've dropped at least 5,000 kilometres on foot since the beginning of November last year and more plane and car than I care to guess. Plenty more to go. Gabel is right- walking is still honest.
CDT 2010!
Yeah, I lost all motivation to finish the journal. But it's done now.
2700 miles hiked.
110 days walking.
13 days doing nothing.
25 miles a day sort of...
Except that time I walked 50.
30 degrees Fahrenheit of sleeping bag (perfect).
20 brides trolled under.
17 battles with wind (all lost).
5 peaks bagged? (poor effort).
1 yellowjacket bite (sonofa).
1 tent eaten by ants.
1 bear (disappointing)
1 singing balloon.
1 ride in a police car.
1 time treating water (curses to you, guzzler).
0 Sasquatch (dammit!!).
0 mosquito's I hope to see in my remaining years.
Lost somewhere around 12 kilograms that I didn't know I had.
Sexy man legs, no arms left, awkward tan lines.
3.5 pairs of shoes, 12 pairs socks, 1 pair shorts with small hole, 1 shirt with a giant hole.
Not many showers.
12 hours of hitching.
Many periods of itching.
84,432,563,499 litres of ice-cream.
876,778 pizzas.
500 poptarts.
46 hours of nothing but Peanut M&M's.
3.5 pancakes.
2 massive failures.
1 thru. Done.
Best towns: Ashland, Sisters, Stehekin, Agua Dulce, Baring.
Best Pizza:
Stehekin Pastry Company
Vincenzo's, Agua Dulce
Papandreas, Sisters
Pacific Crest Pub and Hostel Cascade Locks
Pizza Factory
I've dropped at least 5,000 kilometres on foot since the beginning of November last year and more plane and car than I care to guess. Plenty more to go. Gabel is right- walking is still honest.
CDT 2010!
Friday, September 25, 2009
The jingles of bells and Grizzley Bear.
DAY ONE-TWENTYTWO, September 8, 7.9 Miles
At mile 2663.5
Canada greeted me with blue skies and sunshine, first nice morning in quite a while. Eight bland, Canadian miles to the end, which was a little disappointing. There's no sign or anything, the trail just stops at a road. I guess I'm finished? Knowing I had to turn around, I wasn't exactly overcome with the satisfaction of completing the PCT. Besides, I wanted breakfast. Gantz was at the resort and we were soon joined by Reddy and Lenny for a final trail town feast. The still blue skies made it slightly easier to head back south and it was nice to see some of the amazing North Cascades scenery I missed yesterday. Got a wee bit more rain and a nice, windy last campsite below Woody Pass. Eighteen miles tomorrow and I'm done done. Yeah.
At mile 2663.5
Canada greeted me with blue skies and sunshine, first nice morning in quite a while. Eight bland, Canadian miles to the end, which was a little disappointing. There's no sign or anything, the trail just stops at a road. I guess I'm finished? Knowing I had to turn around, I wasn't exactly overcome with the satisfaction of completing the PCT. Besides, I wanted breakfast. Gantz was at the resort and we were soon joined by Reddy and Lenny for a final trail town feast. The still blue skies made it slightly easier to head back south and it was nice to see some of the amazing North Cascades scenery I missed yesterday. Got a wee bit more rain and a nice, windy last campsite below Woody Pass. Eighteen miles tomorrow and I'm done done. Yeah.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Then the man in grey appeared.
DAY ONE-TWENTYONE, September 7th, 37 Miles
At mile 2655.6
Woke to an inch of snow and as much as they tried, the skies never cleared. My plan was to get to within a mile or two of the border tonight but I came across Reddy about noonday (no yams, no sun) and we just kept walking. We both wanted nothing more than to finish and good company always helps the miles pass by. Misty clouds prevented us from seeing anything, although watching Reddy attempt to cross a log and fall almost completely into mud all of half a mile from the border was very special. Getting wet and muddy in the late evening after a freezing day when all your gear is wet has to be one of the most depressing ways to end a thru-hike. We hit the border a wee bit before 8pm. My camera decided, once again, that on was a command it refused to take. We shared some Champagne and looked at the register but it was not the sort of end-to-a-2600-mile-hike celebration you'd expect. Another half mile and a suitable campsite was found. So I'm done with the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail. I've walked from Mexico to Canada. Super. There's eight miles of trail in Canada known as simply the 'Pacific Crest Trail' that I have to complete tomorrow then I'm quite done (except that turn around and hike 40 miles back to my ride bit).
At mile 2655.6
Woke to an inch of snow and as much as they tried, the skies never cleared. My plan was to get to within a mile or two of the border tonight but I came across Reddy about noonday (no yams, no sun) and we just kept walking. We both wanted nothing more than to finish and good company always helps the miles pass by. Misty clouds prevented us from seeing anything, although watching Reddy attempt to cross a log and fall almost completely into mud all of half a mile from the border was very special. Getting wet and muddy in the late evening after a freezing day when all your gear is wet has to be one of the most depressing ways to end a thru-hike. We hit the border a wee bit before 8pm. My camera decided, once again, that on was a command it refused to take. We shared some Champagne and looked at the register but it was not the sort of end-to-a-2600-mile-hike celebration you'd expect. Another half mile and a suitable campsite was found. So I'm done with the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail. I've walked from Mexico to Canada. Super. There's eight miles of trail in Canada known as simply the 'Pacific Crest Trail' that I have to complete tomorrow then I'm quite done (except that turn around and hike 40 miles back to my ride bit).
I want a packet of M&M's that's mostly brown.
DAY ONE-TWENTY, September 6, 30.9 Miles
At mile 2618.6
And it started raining when I got to Rainy pass. Yes, Washington. Hilarious. Hung out in the trail head toilet (sorry, bathroom), watching the rain, feeling frustrated with this continuously awful weather. There was a brief break as I made my way up Cutthroat Pass and the clouds lifted to reveal an icing sugar dusting of snow above 6000ft. Can't keep that smile off my face. Snowed most of the day at that elevation. Found Gunner and Eric (my ride to Seattle and excellent dudes) at a nice campsite. Currently warm and dry inside my tent.
At mile 2618.6
And it started raining when I got to Rainy pass. Yes, Washington. Hilarious. Hung out in the trail head toilet (sorry, bathroom), watching the rain, feeling frustrated with this continuously awful weather. There was a brief break as I made my way up Cutthroat Pass and the clouds lifted to reveal an icing sugar dusting of snow above 6000ft. Can't keep that smile off my face. Snowed most of the day at that elevation. Found Gunner and Eric (my ride to Seattle and excellent dudes) at a nice campsite. Currently warm and dry inside my tent.
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Mystery powders of the hiker box world U.N.I.T.E.
DAY ONE-NINETEEN, September 5, 13.6 Miles
At mile 2587.7
Hung around Stehekin all morning in the drizzly drizzle. It's a pretty great place and a nice last trail-town, perhaps would have been better if a few more thrus were around but that's what you get for being here early September. Walked up to the Bakery and enjoyed the best pizza on the trail amongst other things, carrying out some treats too. Hiked till it was dark, it stopped raining, except when the sky was blue. Then, in true Washington style, it rained on me. Baffling. At a nice campsite on Bridge Creek with some very ballsy mice for company. The Cinnamon Roll from the Bakery is one of man's finest achievements.
At mile 2587.7
Hung around Stehekin all morning in the drizzly drizzle. It's a pretty great place and a nice last trail-town, perhaps would have been better if a few more thrus were around but that's what you get for being here early September. Walked up to the Bakery and enjoyed the best pizza on the trail amongst other things, carrying out some treats too. Hiked till it was dark, it stopped raining, except when the sky was blue. Then, in true Washington style, it rained on me. Baffling. At a nice campsite on Bridge Creek with some very ballsy mice for company. The Cinnamon Roll from the Bakery is one of man's finest achievements.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
He drove past, looking hard as he could. And I believed it. He was listening to Lou Bega.
DAY ONE-EIGHTEEN, September 4, 19.4 Miles
at mile 2574.1
Apparently I did something to my knee yesterday, jumping over a tree I guess. It hurts a wee bit. Downhill all the way to Stehekin Road, dang. Stehekin is pretty great, you can only get here by foot (and a shuttle bus takes you the remaining 11 miles to town) or ferry on Lake Chelan, or fly I guess. It has a cool, isolated feel and the best Bakery on trail. I have a ride to Seattle from Hart's Pass. This means I don't have to walk all the way back here, it works. Let me explain, the trail ends on the border, there is nothing there (no border security or official crossing), most hikers continue to finish in Manning Park, 8 miles north, in Canada. The nearest civilisation. Entering Canada affects my Visas, it's complicated and probably unnecessary, but makes sense to me, I'm not going to 'officially' enter Canada. I was going to hike back South to Stehekin after I'm done, Hart's Pass saves me 50 miles and is a sure ride. Of course.
at mile 2574.1
Apparently I did something to my knee yesterday, jumping over a tree I guess. It hurts a wee bit. Downhill all the way to Stehekin Road, dang. Stehekin is pretty great, you can only get here by foot (and a shuttle bus takes you the remaining 11 miles to town) or ferry on Lake Chelan, or fly I guess. It has a cool, isolated feel and the best Bakery on trail. I have a ride to Seattle from Hart's Pass. This means I don't have to walk all the way back here, it works. Let me explain, the trail ends on the border, there is nothing there (no border security or official crossing), most hikers continue to finish in Manning Park, 8 miles north, in Canada. The nearest civilisation. Entering Canada affects my Visas, it's complicated and probably unnecessary, but makes sense to me, I'm not going to 'officially' enter Canada. I was going to hike back South to Stehekin after I'm done, Hart's Pass saves me 50 miles and is a sure ride. Of course.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
If that happens again, I swear...
DAY ONE-SEVENTEEN, September 3, 22.3 Miles
At mile 2554.7
And then the water came from the sky. All night and all morning. Perfect. Slippery, washed out and overgrown trail, dodgy river crossings and loads of blowdowns. Add rain, rainy rain. Down to Milk Creek, where the Forest Service are currently rebuilding the trail that was completely annihilated in 2003 (it will likely be washed out again within a few years, that fighting a losing battle thing). The former bridge is in many pieces, one of which saved me from having to ford, that would have been fun. The climb out was long, switchbacky, wet, slow and cold. I gave up, and decided I would camp at the next flat spot I came to that wasn't a giant puddle (current time: 10am). Luckily the next site was 2.5 miles down into the next valley and by then the rain had all but stopped. The blowdowns weren't bad enough to slow me down too much, but the Suiattle River, wow. It's also currently bridgeless, making it most definitely the biggest ford on the trail. Luckily there is a tree over it, two actually. One upstream, nice and wide, walkable, over a narrow bit of the river. And another, quarter mile slog downstream, narrow and springy and awkward and where the river is fairly wide. Guess which one I took because I couldn't see the other one. No fun at the beaches this summer. Took me half an hour to cross and get back to the trail, that I then couldn't find. So I went straight up the hill, hoping to find a switchback, and almost didn't. Finally through the hard stuff. Everything is moist.
When I woke up this morning, the first thought that entered my mind was "I'm going to fall over today", and yes. Yes I did.
At mile 2554.7
And then the water came from the sky. All night and all morning. Perfect. Slippery, washed out and overgrown trail, dodgy river crossings and loads of blowdowns. Add rain, rainy rain. Down to Milk Creek, where the Forest Service are currently rebuilding the trail that was completely annihilated in 2003 (it will likely be washed out again within a few years, that fighting a losing battle thing). The former bridge is in many pieces, one of which saved me from having to ford, that would have been fun. The climb out was long, switchbacky, wet, slow and cold. I gave up, and decided I would camp at the next flat spot I came to that wasn't a giant puddle (current time: 10am). Luckily the next site was 2.5 miles down into the next valley and by then the rain had all but stopped. The blowdowns weren't bad enough to slow me down too much, but the Suiattle River, wow. It's also currently bridgeless, making it most definitely the biggest ford on the trail. Luckily there is a tree over it, two actually. One upstream, nice and wide, walkable, over a narrow bit of the river. And another, quarter mile slog downstream, narrow and springy and awkward and where the river is fairly wide. Guess which one I took because I couldn't see the other one. No fun at the beaches this summer. Took me half an hour to cross and get back to the trail, that I then couldn't find. So I went straight up the hill, hoping to find a switchback, and almost didn't. Finally through the hard stuff. Everything is moist.
When I woke up this morning, the first thought that entered my mind was "I'm going to fall over today", and yes. Yes I did.
Hey, remember when Shannon Noll wanted to fight Wil Anderson?
DAY ONE-SIXTEEN, September 2, 32.2 Miles
At mile 2532.4
Plenty of Washington ups and downs but was well worth it. The view from Red Pass is pretty special, the North Cascades and south all the way back to a ghostly Rainier. Blue skies all day and very quiet in these parts. The trail has been re-cut and bridges replaced through some sections, the hard stuff is supposed to come tomorrow but I only need to do 20ish miles. No problem. Ended the day up and over Fire Pass as the sun was setting. Exactly. Camped below Mica Lake in a meadow filled with Blueberries. That's asking for Bear and con-den-say-shon problems but I am a man. When I say that all I do out here is sleep, eat and hike, I'm not even exaggerating a little bit (so how does he journal???). Magic.
At mile 2532.4
Plenty of Washington ups and downs but was well worth it. The view from Red Pass is pretty special, the North Cascades and south all the way back to a ghostly Rainier. Blue skies all day and very quiet in these parts. The trail has been re-cut and bridges replaced through some sections, the hard stuff is supposed to come tomorrow but I only need to do 20ish miles. No problem. Ended the day up and over Fire Pass as the sun was setting. Exactly. Camped below Mica Lake in a meadow filled with Blueberries. That's asking for Bear and con-den-say-shon problems but I am a man. When I say that all I do out here is sleep, eat and hike, I'm not even exaggerating a little bit (so how does he journal???). Magic.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Oh!
I'm done, it's September 12.
I'll finish this when I can and give a Springer-style final thought. But it's hard to motivate myself.
I ruined the will-he-or-won't-he-finish.
Sorry. Slackline?
!!!!!
I'll finish this when I can and give a Springer-style final thought. But it's hard to motivate myself.
I ruined the will-he-or-won't-he-finish.
Sorry. Slackline?
!!!!!
That's because I know better.
DAY ONE-FIFTEEN, September! 1, 23.9 Miles
At mile 2500.2
Quite enjoyed my time at the Dinsmores and the nothing-but-a-store-town of Baring (best pancakes on trail, without doubt), but I must onward! Got a hitch pretty quick with Super Dave and back on via the best trail head treats so far. Rain seemed inevitable all day, and sure enough it came. Sampled Blueberries for the first time in a while. Amazing. Why did I not do this earlier?!? No more shall I be disappointed by inconsistent Huckleberries. Nice cloudy views of Glacier Peak and friends. I've given myself a wee bit more time in this section, storms in 2003 and 2006 in the Glacier Peak area tore the trail apart. There is an official USFS reroute that nobody takes, the old PCT is passable, just a little challenging thanks to some washouts and interesting river crossings (real crossings, die-if-you-fall-in-crossings). As usual there are varying reports on the trail conditions, the amount of trees down over the trail (trail work has been minimal, bridges are the priority and funding, USFS bureaucracy etc etc blah crap) and the difficulty of some of the fords. We shall see. Usual PCT crap. I'm sure it won't be too bad.
At mile 2500.2
Quite enjoyed my time at the Dinsmores and the nothing-but-a-store-town of Baring (best pancakes on trail, without doubt), but I must onward! Got a hitch pretty quick with Super Dave and back on via the best trail head treats so far. Rain seemed inevitable all day, and sure enough it came. Sampled Blueberries for the first time in a while. Amazing. Why did I not do this earlier?!? No more shall I be disappointed by inconsistent Huckleberries. Nice cloudy views of Glacier Peak and friends. I've given myself a wee bit more time in this section, storms in 2003 and 2006 in the Glacier Peak area tore the trail apart. There is an official USFS reroute that nobody takes, the old PCT is passable, just a little challenging thanks to some washouts and interesting river crossings (real crossings, die-if-you-fall-in-crossings). As usual there are varying reports on the trail conditions, the amount of trees down over the trail (trail work has been minimal, bridges are the priority and funding, USFS bureaucracy etc etc blah crap) and the difficulty of some of the fords. We shall see. Usual PCT crap. I'm sure it won't be too bad.
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