Hike With Care

Some Thoughts on the Thru-Hiking Community

                I am shocked at how many thru-hikers eat poorly and seem to have little regard towards their impact on the world at large. What we buy and use on the trail has a direct impact on our environment that we cherish and the lives of people all over the world. From the minerals mined for our electronics to the foods we shop for and where we shop for them,  all impact the earth and the lives of others in some way, sometimes a very big way. Unfortunately, the world we live in now is run by money and capitalism, so where we spend our dollar has become our loudest voice and vehicle for social change. 

              I think Amy and I fell short of doing everything we possibly could to make our thru-hike a sustainable adventure with as little impact on the environment as we could. We also could have put more effort into the research of the products we buy to make sure the materials and labor used were from a caring and sustainable place. Though I recognize that we didn't do everything in a sustainable manner, I do think what we have done thus far is important and is making a difference. We can use our money to propel positive actions around the world by buying local, fair trade, organic, and sustainable products. Also looking into the companies that we buy from to see where they source their materials and what their values are. 

              

              All these things matter so much and I would think that the people who love the wilderness so much that they want to walk through it for 6 moths would want to be a part of this extremely important movement. I am only writing these thoughts as a concern for the greater community and to possibly raise the awareness around what we support with our dollar as we hike the trail. I am in no way trying to pass judgment on anyone for the choices they have made to make their hike possible, I am simply encouraging us all to take an honest look at how we are impacting the world and raise our awareness of how we can make a difference. I love this community of people and I believe we all really care.....Buy right ya'll! WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE!!

Anxiety, Excitement, Love, Gratitude, Spirit

                 Every shift is getting longer and longer. It is getting to be very challenging to stay present at work and not stuck in a PCT daydream all day. My job is very emotionally demanding and I am doing my best to give as much of my intention and attention to my clients as I can. At Second Nature Cascades we use a wonderful tool called the "I feel statement", which is a tool to help understand our emotions and our beliefs surrounding them. In practice we call the "I fell statement" a "check-in" and recently I realized that a lot of my check-ins in the last couple shifts have been of anxiety.

                When I am not actively focusing on remaining in the present moment, my thoughts wonder to places of worry. I worry about the 'what ifs' on the trail and the fact that I am a broke ass mother fucker! I worry about my partner or myself getting hurt on the trail and not being able to complete our thru-hike. I worry about fatigue and boredom. I worry about the after math of all the debt I am most likely going to acquire from hiking the trail with very little money in my bank. I worry about my fitness level and what others are doing to prepare that I am not. I worry about all my gadgets that I'm bringing and the reliability of my gear. I WORRY!

             Then I stop....I breathe...................In...............Out! Oh thats better. I let go of the 'what ifs' and the money concerns. I let go of it all and breathe. One of the sustained truths I have come to realize about life is that the less present you are right now and the more you worry about past and future events, the more likely you are to create those events or repeat the past. When we are thinking of the past or future we are mindlessly going through motions here in the present. When we mindlessly go through motions we are more likely to act upon impulse and habit. we are more likely to act upon that which has been troubling our thoughts. We are more likely to be guided by the ego instead of the heart. Although in the scope of eternity, the ego is a part of our ultimate awakening, it is still another tool to be shed before absolute realization. 

             It might sound simple, but it is a profound and challenging practice to remain in the present moment. Challenging only to let go of old habits, completely effortless once you are HERE! Billions upon billions of people have been trying to describe and refine this practice since the dawn of time....Meditation!...in all its forms, has an end goal of raising our awareness of now. Focusing our lens through which we perceive the world to a finer and finer scope until complete stillness in the present moment is achieved. Complete effortless action propelled by love! Free from ego! Complete awareness of the absolute miracle of NOW, the absolute beauty and magnificence of our current spiritual state and place in our physical and spiritual existence. 

            So, money concerns? It's all ok. I will do my best right now in the moment to save and create opportunities for myself, but whatever the outcome, I will not allow my financial standing to determine my happiness. I will find happiness and fulfillment in the irrational and remain detached from expectations as best as I can. The best way to find happiness is to be happy for no reason, for if there is a reason, it can be taken away. Also, a healthy practice of gratitude will create abundance in our lives. 

As for our physical safety and fitness....Take it as it comes. Stay present and accept pain as a beloved friend and teacher. 

            Boredom? "Everything is ceremony in the wild garden of childhood." - neruda. Live each moment with the awe of a child. We get so used to looking at the world as something we've seen already or something ordinary. Been there, done that. I am putting forth the intention of appreciation and fascination with this magical and mysterious world we have dreamed for ourselves. I truly am fascinated by the seemingly magical ways in which reality unfolds in front of our eyes. 

              My gear will fail....or it won't! Again, I will prepare as best as I can now and accept that I might have to deal with some things failing. I don't know how everything is going to work with my style and flow on the trail and I am open to figuring it out once I am out there. It's all a part of the adventure! 

I believe that a healthy spirit results in a healthy body, a healthy mind, and a healthy and fulfilling life. 

So what are some of the ways that Amy and I do prepare for the trail?

 Soaks, Floats, And Saunas!

The Sauna at the Everett Healing House is incredible! It feels like a hot sacred little hobbit hole. 

We did an hour float in a deprivation tank! They have 10 inches of water and hundreds of pounds of salt. The water is body temperature and is so salty that you float effortlessly. It is completely silent and completely dark. It was one of the most incredible meditations I have ever experienced. I lost myself completely. Time lost its meaning and my body faded away into a dream. All I was left with was the ocean's swell of my breath. Bliss!

Sunsets, Pie, And Smiles!

The Oregon desert and Sweedeedee Dessert!
Taking the moment to appreciate where I am at and stay present is what helps me prepare for the trail. My wonderful partner, Amy, is the perfect mirror that reflects the blessings in my life every day! She is encouraging, motivated, thoughtful, organized, and so so so inspiring. I am so incredibly grateful to have her by my side with each adventurous moment of this life!

Cook, dehydrate, measure, pack, vacuum seal... repeat

We have made some serious progress in the last week...

 

             

Yummy dinner, lentil tortilla soup!

Breakfast!

Seth was home from Tuesday to Monday the 3rd and during that time we got so much done!!! 

*We made all of our breakfast pouches, ALL 105 OF THEM!!

* Almost completed all of our dinner pouches! Seth made homemade pasta sauce that we need to dehydrate along with some meat. Once those are done, we will be able to finish the last few dinners!

* Bought our solar chargers and one extra battery

* Received our sleeping bags (!!!!)

* I bought a new down puffy jacket!

* Bought random things (that sure do add up...) pack towels, food containers, sleeping pad patch kit...

Grain/lentil/pasta base with dehydrated veggies and seasonings... Mostly used Simply Organics seasonings.

Really, the only big things left on our list are:

* Finish dinner pouches

* Receive our tent 

* Buy mosquito nets

* Buy a ground tarp

                            

                                       Bags full of dinner pouches! 

Making beef, chopping it and dehydrating it

We are excited to have all of our gear so we can figure out our base weight. Once again, the PCT class of 2014 Facebook page is making me nervous with the threads that talk about people's base weight being like 8 pounds or something nuts. 

THEN WE ARE DONE!! Or at least we think we are

We must always remember HYOH (HIKE YOUR OWN HIKE) or HOOH (HIKE OUR OWN HIKE)

"Training" in the City!

How do I find time to train for the PCT?! I don't even know where to begin, so I'm making baby steps. I have a pretty healthy fitness level currently but not sure that's enough for what I'm going to endure on the trail... So I'm doing what I can!!

On the "PCT Class of 2014" page on Facebook, some people seem to be doing a lot of training and it's making me nervous... but then the common PCT term HYOH - hike your own hike- pops in my head and I realize every thing is ok!

Portland has had some wacky weather lately. One day will be super windy, cloudy, and rainy and the next will be beautiful and sunny. 

I've been doing lots of yoga lately which will hopefully help prevent tight muscles after our long days. (We are also doing a yoga photo series on the trail, so stay tuned!!)

Seth's family was in town the other weekend, and it happened to be really nasty out the whole time. We did some walking up near Forest Park and one rainy morning, Seth and I went on a run with his brothers dog. Really the dog, Rio, pulled me for 6.5 miles but I felt great... the next day, not so much! Now I'm incorporating more running into my weekly routine. 

The top picture and this amazing picture of the Portland Waterfront was taken on Sunday during a wonderful bike ride with my two amazing friends, Abby and Chelsea. We rode along the waterfront, down to Sellwood and back, about 18 miles or so. Biking is one of my favorite things to do when it's nice out here. There are so many beautiful paths and its a fun way to get a little exercise! 

I nanny a couple times a week so I've been having the kids walk with me. The pictures below were taken about a week ago on a beautiful day that felt like spring. It's nice to be able to walk the kids but really it ends with me carrying two 2 year olds half the way... I guess that's great for strength training. 

It feels so nice to have most of our gear figured out and be almost all done with our food purchasing, now we need to package it.  

I've already started having really weird, anxious dreams about the journey. Apparently last night I woke up and told Seth, "I just bought a blue hat for $10"... I'm obviously way too consumed with our gear purchases that seem endless. :)

Humboldt Adventures

Humboldt Adventures

                   
                      I have had some wonderful time for reflection here in Humboldt and I have been blessed with the time and space to adventure on my feet as well as on my bike. I rode my bike to the trailhead where I wandered around the logging road trails up off Jacoby Creek all afternoon. I spent a lot of time exploring these logging roads and trails when I used to live here. Brought back lot of good memories. I rode around Arcata and then rode home. Great day! 

Here are some more small adventures in "training" for the thru-hike! 

 

THIS TREE!

Sunset over the bay!

Crazy Old Victorian house. Arcata, CA

Another Beautiful house I would not mind living in at all.

I found one of my dream homes on my ride. It has a wrap around sun room! Beautiful redwood house.

                     So after my knee trouble on the Lost Coast I came home yesterday and put some Deep Blue Rub on my knee (similar to icy hot), it felt great. After the effects of the cream wore off I went about my day and forgot it ever happened. I went to sleep last night and woke up at 4 am because my knee felt as if it was being burned by an over heated battery or something. At first I thought I had left my computer charger under the covers and it was overheating and burning my knee. I ripped off the covers and felt my knee and nothing was there. It was still burning, but there was nothing I could do...or at least nothing I was willing to do at that hour. So I faded back into the dream world where I had an incredible dream. I dreamed that the spirit of the owl blessed me with a burn on my knee. In the dream the burn was in the shape of a talon.....an Owl talon. I was very confused in the dream, but at the same time I knew that this was important and I felt blessed to have had such a beautiful burn on my skin. 

                     I work at a wilderness therapy program where last week we had our clients pick random cards from a deck of medicine cards. When the deck came to me I picked an inverted OWL! Here are some excerpts from the book that describes the medicine cards. "Owl medicine is symbolically associated with clairvoyance, astral projection, and magic, both black and white. Owl is called Night Eagle on several medicine wheels used by Amerindian teachers. Traditionally, Owl sits in the East, the place of illumination. Since time immemorial, humanity has been afraid of the night, the dark, and the unseen - waiting fearfully for the first crack of morning light. Conversely, night is Owl's friend." And if the owl is upside-down: "If you have Owl upside-down in your cards, you have been greatly deceived by either yourself or another. Perhaps witch-craft or black magic is being used against you,
or maybe you are using witchcraft or sorcery to aid you when you should be praying and
asking the Great Spirit for guidance. The message is to befriend the darkness inside
yourself. Look deeply, and soon the bright light of dawn will illuminate you. Then ask
yourself what you are in the dark about. How and by whom are you being deceived? Are
you being greatly deceived, or just slightly deceived? Owl tells you to keep an eye on
your property and your loved ones. Remember that Owl is always asking, "Who?""  

                    Owl's medicine is the medicine of wisdom, silence, and the seer of truth. The owl is the wise elder of the forest who observes all that tries to be hidden. Owl sees the lies we tell ourselves and others and gently reminds us of a brighter path of honesty and integrity. In the dream I was going to get a tattoo of an owl talon and I got into a very heated debate over science and spirit with my family, something I have been joyously and lightheartedly discussing with many people in my life recently. It was a beautiful dance between the intellect and the heart. Owl says to honor intuition and in my life right now I cannot sense that anyone is trying to deceive me. I may need to look a little more honestly at my own self-deceptions to understand the lesson Owl is trying to teach me. It looks as though Owl has some lessons for me on the trail and I can't wait to learn.......I also need to start designing my owl tattoo hahaha......

Flight booked!!

Today we purchased our flight to San Diegooooo!!! 

We leave Portland at 7:05am on April 15th (day before Amy's mom's birthday!!)

We will spend some time with our friend, Morgan, and then continue on our way down to Mexico on the 16th or 17th.

Hopefully we will have time to kick back on the beach, share a beer or two with friends and relax!!!

I'm ( a little) nervous. 

More "Training"

Lost Coast Adventures!

"Not all who wander are LOST"-J.R.R. Tolkien

My good friend, DJ and I started off in the rugged mountains of the King Range and descended upon the Lost Coast Trail. The grade was steep, the views were spectacular and the silence was loud. Our bones are strong, spirits high, and wits sharp as we make our way back to the source....the expansive pacific ocean.

                 When we reached the beach we decided to walk down to the next drainage to set up camp. We busted a fire using our bow drilling kits and proceeded to spend the rest of the night discussing the infinite. A wood cache was discovered and we built our fire into a giant furnace, throwing each "supporting cast member" on the flames in praise of their outstanding role in our play. "Here's a good piece a stick!" We performed for Sasquatch, watching us from his invisible perch; it was a drama of a giant pulling a small fellow out of his miniature world and stretching him into an expansive existence. Shadow theater. Orion kept watch on us all night as he strolled through his cosmic patrol. Vibratory utterances were expressed in a multitude of frequencies as we tried to agree on our subjective truths. So many beautiful ideas were thrown onto our fire! The ocean's roars, the fire's crack, and stream's trickle were welcomed guests in the conversation. All vibration, all eternity. 

            

                It was a short trip full of very large lessons. On the hike down to the beach I experienced a lot of pain in my right knee. At first I was very upset that my 26 year old knees were giving me trouble, but then a new approach came to me. Instead of resisting the pain I allowed it to lead me down the trail, the pain became my teacher. I learned that I need to practice more yoga and that pain is a friend trying to show me a better way. I am now even more encouraged to have a regular practice of yoga on the PCT and look forward to walking with an old friend to see what other lessons it has to teach me.

              Other lessons were learned as well, like what our needs truly are as humans. I didn't eat the entire time I was on that trip except for a couple pieces of chocolate. I felt great! It was only a 2 day journey, but we were expending a lot of energy each day. I discovered food to be less of a concern when the spirit is fattened by the meatier frequencies of a raised awareness. We discovered our abilities in shadow theater and our fluency in the tongue of the ocean's roar. So many magical metaphors can be found when we stand on that thin sandy line between ocean and land. Past, future, present; source, sustenance, and flesh, all beautiful tools used to evolve as beings of light. I take this medicine and reflect it back to you!

Wish I took more pictures.........

Soaking up the sun!

We're ready to make our breakfast bags of goodness but first, we are soaking our nuts before dehydrating them. 

Soaking nuts neutralizes the phytic acids and enzyme inhibitors that are naturally present in them. It also activates beneficial enzymes and increases the vitamin content, this all makes it easier for your stomach to digest them and absorb all of the nutrients. Many thru-hikers have stomach problems while on the trail because the diet can be so different than their normal diet, we are taking a few extra steps to help keep our digestion and stomachs happy!

After soaking the nuts, we will dehydrate them and then chop them up and but a couple tablespoons in each breakfast bag. Yummmmm