Saturday, January 31, 2015

A Sense of Discovery on Comb Ridge, Utah

After the Gossamer Gear Trail Ambassador trip, I set out with Jan for a few days of hiking and camping in southeastern Utah.  At the recommendation of Will and Janet, who were our guides for the GG trip, we headed to Comb Ridge near Blanding and Bluff, Utah.
Jan looking out from the top of Comb Ridge.
Comb Ridge is ideal for dayhiking because there are multiple short (<5 mile) hikes up to ruins or petroglyphs built 700 years ago by the Ancestral Puebloans.  Comb Ridge is composed of Navajo sandstone tilted at an angle so that the eastern slope is more gentle and provides access to the many bisecting canyons.  You can climb to the top and look out over the steep western face.  A 20 mile dirt road runs along Butler Wash parallels Comb Ridge. Trailhead elevations are between 4400-4800 feet, so there was no snow and little ice compared to what is found at higher elevations in Utah, making it an ideal destination in winter.
At a trailhead, with Comb Ridge in the distance.
In contrast to the more popular and well-established Ancestral Puebloan sites that I’ve previously visited like Mesa Verde, Hovenweep, and Chaco Canyon, our guidebook accurately described this whole area of Southeastern Utah as an “outdoor museum.”  Truly spectacular cliff dwellings and petroglyph panels were dispersed across the backcountry down mostly unmarked trails.  Visiting these lonely sites, especially in winter when there was no one else around, created a sense of discovery, adventure, and wonder.
The trail to Procession Panel is one of the better-marked routes and is a great place to develop your route-finding skills.
Hiking here is different.  Signs and trail markings are purposefully lacking to protect the archeological sites.  Trail descriptions are vague and don’t mention many smaller sites.  Parking areas may only have a generic BLM sign that only advise how protect the archeological sights, nothing about where to go or what is out there.  Numerous side trails made routefinding confusing especially where cows had torn up the trail and created multiple paths. All of this afforded a greater sense of adventure and deep satisfaction of discovery when we finally found a site.
Fishmouth Cave can be seen in the distance from the trailhead.  Now, you have to figure out how to get there!
Climbing to the top of Comb Ridge.
Desert varnish near Double Stack Ruin.
The excitement of finding a site tucked away in a cliff.
Our first night, we even “discovered” a petroglyph panel that wasn’t described in our guidebook.  After setting up camp down a dirt road, we decided to hike up to a high point to watch the sunset.  We shined our headlamps on a rock up there, and were amazed by incredible petroglyphs that we had no idea would be there.  We’d heard that there used to be more inhabitants in this region hundreds of years ago, and it really hit home just how many sites like this there must be around since we just stumbled across it.
"Discovering" petroglyphs that weren't in our guidebook.
I found I developed a stronger sense of the landscape when I had to navigate on my own around pour-offs and through boulder scrambles.  This is something that you don’t get by blinding following blazes with signs that point the way.  We had to think, to problem solve, to analyze.  Physically challenging terrain matched with mental engagement.  Because we also had to guess where the sites were, the reward was we developed an understanding of the exposure, rock formations, and features that made for suitable sites.  Having to search for sites made me feel like I gained a deeper respect for and connection with these ancient people.
Learning which cliffs and caves contain dwellings.

Seeing Tinajas made us think about the importance of water in this environment.
After Jan dropped me off in Cortez, CO, I met Still Waters and we returned to southeaster Utah to spend another two days visiting more sites.  Still Waters and I explored the northern part of Comb Ridge, and then went over to the northern section of Butler Wash.
Still Waters at my favorite sites, and by far the most difficult to find.
What incredible cliff dwellings- with intact roofs!
If you have an adventurous spirit, head out to Comb Ridge and the surrounding regions and explore for yourself.  You’re sure to be surprised and awed by what you find!
House on Fire Ruin in South Mule Canyon is just north of Comb Ridge.

See Jan's awesome Trip Report with lots more photos here.

For more information

A Hiking Guide to Cedar Mesa by Peter Francis Tassoni
Covers more hikes in the region but with shorter descriptions that allow you do more of your own routefinding.  Includes driving directions to trailheads and GPS coordinates of trailheads and key points.

WOW Guides Utah Canyon Country by Kathy and Craig Copeland
Covers a broader geographic region with less depth but with more through descriptions (with more flowery language).

Visitor’s Center in Blanding, Utah- provides maps, brochures, and detailed information, also has free wifi.

Read more about a traverse of the Comb Ridge in this National Geographic article.
Find out what is beyond.

Gossamer Gear Trail Ambassador Trip to Moab, Utah

In mid-January, I went on my first Gossamer Gear Trail Ambassador trip to Moab, Utah.  A group of about twenty hikers, backpackers, and leaders in the trail community spent four days hiking, hanging out, and learning from one another. 
Will picked out some incredible hikes for us, and led us through stunningly gorgeous scenery like the Syncline Loop at Upheaval Dome in Island in the Sky, Canyonlands National Park.
Descent into Upheaval Dome, Canyonlands.
I’ve been a Trail Ambassador for about a year and a half, but this was my first Gossamer Gear event.  It was also the first time I’d hiked with any of these folks, though I’d met a few of them briefly while I was on (and off) the PCT.  Going into it, I was nervous about what it’d be like to hike with “famous” hikers and hikers who have inspired me over the years, like Disco, of the Trail Show podcast, and Trinity, who hiked the length of South America.  What I learned (for the umpteenth time) was that connections happen easily on the trail, and those of us who are passionate about the outdoors have much in common.
OMG look that’s me hanging out with this great group of people!  So happy and excited!
I really enjoyed that there was a diversity of people who were all committed to building the trail community.  There were thru hikers, weekend-warriors, and section hikers, writers and bloggers and educators and organizers.  I think is really awesome to have so many of the various types of people that contribute to our community represented.
Jabba (Left) is an incredible photographer, a US Marine Corp veteran, and triple crowner. Dan (right) leads hiking trips for a meetup group in Pennsylvania and is a fellow hammock hanger. 
Grant (left), President of Gossamer Gear, hiking with Josh “Bobcat” Stacy and Liz “Snorkel” Thomas.
Janet (left) is incredibly knowledgeable about lightweight backpacking in the southeast and I had a blast hiking with her.  Guthook (right) developed the awesome trail apps that I used on the PCT and it was great finally meeting him.
Anish set the 2013 self-supported speed record for the PCT.  I didn’t think I’d have anything in common with such an incredible athlete, but turns out she also has reynold's syndrome (which is something I've struggled with because it gives me really cold and numb hands). It was really sweet talking to her about how she manages (she’s got a huge down puffy jacket and electric gloves which had me drooling).
Barefoot Jake (behind the camera) taped videos of everyone talking about their pack.
I'd only met Bearclaw briefly on the PCT last year, but she’s got an incredible spirit and optimism, and I can’t wait to follow her adventures on the CDT this year.
One really helpful thing for me was having conversations about leading trips with Allison, Jan, and Dan.  I don’t usually get to talk to other hike leaders from different hiking groups around the country, so it was fun to trade stories and tips with them.
Allison coordinates the Trail Ambassadors, is an organizer for Northeast Peak Baggers in New England, and is just as enthusiastic and fun-loving as could be.
Jan (left) got her trail name "Beekeeper" because of her ability to coordinate and lead trips.  Christy (right) inspired me with her positive attitude and great sense of humor. 
Disco of the Trail Show (left) and Dan (sporting his pink hat and awesome Purple Rain skirt) hike to Corona Arch.
 The most memorable conversations for me were about trails, places and regions.  I love to watch people light up when they talk about their past trips and dreams for future trails.  At one point someone asked Tomo (who has an ultralight backpacking gear store in Japan) if he’d done a particular trail and without missing a beat he replied “Not yet!”  That really optimized the can-do, optimistic hiking spirit.  In contrast to making excuses about why you haven’t done a particular trail, it shows an openness to new adventures and opportunities.  A trait that was shared among many in this group.

One evening, Sirena, who is a community liaison for the Arizona Trail, gave a presentation on the AZT that had many of us inspired to, many of us add the AZT on our “not yet” done trails but ones we hope to explore soon.
Sirena (left) and Tomo (right).
It was truly wonderful for this opportunity to connect with this great group of hikers and I sure hope to see some of them out on the trail again someday.
More Trail Ambassadors checking out the Ancestral Puebloan graineries in Canyonlands National Park.
Read reports from the other participants about their experiences in Moab:

Dan Bortz
Jan's Jaunts
One Who Cannot
Guthook Hikes
Sirena's Wanderings
Barefoot Jake
Trail To Summit
Lady on a Rock








Tuesday, January 13, 2015

How to have a successful hike

It’s not about planning.  It’s not about food.  It’s not about gear.  Sorry.  Those of you who are planning a thru hike of the PCT might want to click on those links if you want to be directed to blog posts that I’ve already written about tangible things to do to prepare for your hike.  In contrast, this other stuff is not so easy, especially for someone who, like me, organizes everything with spreadsheets and to-do lists.  But it is valuable to examine what it means to have a successful hike.  My hope is that some things I’ve learned could help you.

What I thought before:
I used to buy into the myth that a successful hike on the PCT meant hiking all the way from Mexico to Canada in a single year.   I really should have known better.  I am aware that not everyone thinks this way.  Some people still take HYOH to heart, but this is rare.  Being immersed in backpacking culture, it was hard to not believe that messages around me that said:

    - Faster meant better.
    - Keep going no matter what.
    - Thru hikers were superior to section hikers.

I idolized thru hikers.  I wanted to be like the strong women whose trail journals I’d read.  I saw how thru hikers proclaimed their daily mileages- success quantified in a way I could understand and measure myself against.  I wanted to be successful just like them.
I wanted to be just like this badass PCT hiker- strong & confident.  Wait... who is that? Looks kinda familiar...
What actually happened on my PCT hike was this:
I got a stress fracture that forced me to step back from my hike.  That stress fracture was a powerful teacher.  When I finally got back on the trail after my foot healed, I had lost a lot of strength in my foot and I could no longer physically do the number of miles I had been.  That meant I couldn’t complete the PCT in one year.  According to what I though before, I was an “unsuccessful thru hiker.”  I could have just given up and tried again for a “real thru” the following year.  Instead I changed my mindset.  Hiking the PCT wasn’t a sports event.  It was not a race where I could DNF.  I was freed from measuring the worth of my hike by the number of miles that I accomplished.

The first 2 miles back on the PCT after my stress fracture were full of so much joy and wonder, that I knew that the miles weren’t what mattered to me.  But what did matter?  I struggled with finding something to replace the satisfaction I used to feel for doing miles and to redefine what I was doing out there.  My second day back on the trail, I wrote:

"If I took a good photo, would that make my hike more meaningful?  What about if I saw a cool flower?  Learned some new skill?  Swam more?  Stopped at more vistas?  Or had some insightful realization?  Those things are so much harder to measure and put a finger on than miles per day displayed with pride at the top of a blog post.  Do badass hikers take the time to sit and watch every moment of a sunrise or sunset?  How will I tell if I’m really having a meaningful experience out here?" -from my blog on 8/25/2014
I captured this sunrise in a photo AND got to go for a swim in that lake.  Is that enough to make my day meaningful?

Look I found a flower.  Is this photo good enough?  Do I need to find one without brown spots on the petals?  Would that be better?
That was the crux of the problem- to find meaning in my hike.  I couldn’t just copy what everyone else was doing.  Success was something that couldn't be quantified.  I was forced to re-prioritize my hike on my own terms.  I had to find happiness and joy from within.  I discovered (as my friend SlowBro puts is), that “the journey is the reward.”

This turned out to be a pretty profound way to live.  It meant I was out there to live each moment fully.  It meant I was in it for the experience, not to achieve anything.
Does that mean I can just sit here and watch the sunset?  I don't have to make more miles tonight?
What about these clouds?  Is it enough to simply watch them float by?
I think I'm catching on: time to go for a swim and then wiggle my toes in the soft grass.
In all seriousness, coming to this realization was not easy.  Success is something that is so important in our culture.  We are taught at a young age how important it is to get good grades, to win, and to achieve.  It turns out there are actually two definitions of success: (1) achieving high social status and (2) achieving one's goals.  It helps to examine each of these in turn. 

The first definition of success: status
In terms of achieving high social status, I’ve lived my life being goal-oriented and seeking validation of my accomplishments by others.  I wanted to show that I wasn’t just a slacker who was out there goofing off.  I was a serious hiker.
Working diligently on becoming a serious hiker.
But of course you probably already can see where this is going.  To find meaning in my hike, I had to realize that I was backpacking the PCT for me, not to prove anything to anyone else.  I had to learn to ignore these comments about “unsuccessful” thru hikes and dismantle the notion in my own mind of a backpacking hierarchy with thru hikers superior to section hikers. 

The second definition of success: achieving goals
The second definition of success is achieving one's goals.  I listed a few goals in this pre-hike blog post.  When I was writing my list before my hike, my wise friend said, "Write out those goals, but then take them and burn them.  Let them go."  I had no idea what she meant because I thought goals needed to be achieved.  But now I get what she was trying to tell me.  Goals may be limiting if they prevent us from seeing beyond them, or seeing exactly what is in front of us.  I learned not just to let go of my goals, but a few times, I even learned to live without goals.

One thing about goals is you can outgrow them.  Sometimes the goals you have at the start of the hike just aren’t important anymore.  I know other hikers who got off the trail, people who hiked over 900 miles on the PCT, when they came to realize the trail was not serving their needs anymore.  They had made important self-discoveries, learned valuable lessons already, and outgrown their need to be on the trail.

I also had goals that I clung to that turned out to be harmful.  One of my unwritten goals was to be a strong, bad-ass hiker.  I remembering thinking before I started that I would crawl my way to Canada if I was ever injured.  That being strong meant hiking through the pain.  The danger of thinking that was that I hiked on my stress fracture for 100 miles, through the snow and rocks of the Sierra, because I didn’t want to quit.  Sure, I proved I could deal with physical pain.  But I was taking the maximum dose of ibuprofen and still feeling like a knife was stabbing through my foot with every step.  So following through on that goal was causing incredible damage to my body and not allowing me to have any sort of meaningful or valuable hike.  I needed to let go of that goal.
This is me in the Sierra saying, "I'm going to keep icing my injured foot with snow and then I will hobble all the way to Canada.  Because I'm a tough thru hiker! GRRR!"
Another one of the goals that I wrote about before my hike was avoiding injury.  By that account, I failed.  I know people think that injuries are avoidable because I thought that myself when I started.  I am a planner so I like to believe that I have some control and can always plan my way through anything, but that’s just not true.  I found on the PCT that some things just happen.  Once I let go of my goal and the disappointment I felt, then I could see how much I had learned from my injury.
What?!?!  Isn't the answer to everything careful planning and calculations?
What it looked like for me to have a successful hike
What does it look like to have a meaningful hike?  It is completely up to you- that’s the beauty, that’s what’s also difficult to figure out.  250 miles after getting back to the trail after the stress fracture, I wrote:

“I’m completely free of the self-imposed constraints of a thru hike.  I don’t feel at all guilty of not doing a certain amount of miles every day.  Which means I can swim in as many lakes as I want, spend time taking photos, hike as much or as little as I want, and it’s all OK.  In the end, I know I won’t have the accomplishment of a thru hike, but now I think that is something that I don’t need right now.  I used to think that if I were a thru hiker it would mean that I had achieved success in hiking.  Now I aim for a colorful sunrise, for making a connection with a fellow hiker, for being observant.  I define my own priorities and sometimes I even throw out any goals and I just am.  Each day that I am on the trail, I win.”   -blog post from 9/19/2014
It was great to rest, and it was also great when my foot finally got strong enough that I could hike as many miles as I wanted.  I hiked 26 miles to get to this view so I could wake up and have a good sunrise for my birthday the next morning.  I call this a "win!"
I got to talk to inspirational hikers like this couple who were setting out to hike the Sierra High Route. Win!
I marveled at the wonder and beauty around me each day. Another example of living in the moment.  Win!
I saw a bobcat.  And a mountain lion.  Plus bears.  And some frogs.  Not that I set out with any intention to see any of this wildlife, but it was amazing to see all nontheless.  Win!
 It's not that I didn't plan anymore.  Just that I met each day with an open heart.
So… How do you have a successful hike?
If I could go back and give myself some pre-hike advice, it sure wouldn’t be to train harder or to plan more.  Instead, I would say:

   - Quit striving for (someone else's definition of) success. 
   - Be authentically yourself and accept yourself for who you are.  

   - The journey is the reward.

Here are some suggestions for avoiding the mental traps I fell into:

(1) Don’t believe the nonsense that thru hikers are superior to a section hikers.  The beauty of backpacking is that there are so many wonderful ways of doing it.  Respect the record-setters and thru hikers because they really are incredible.  But also celebrate the section hiker that tackles the trail over the course of her lifetime.  Seek out and talk to the weekenders that may explore parts of the trail that run through their backyards over the entire season.  If you are lucky, you may also find a few of those wonderful hikers that set off on their own routes off-the-beaten path.  Remember- the important thing is to get out on the trail.

(2)  Define your own hike.  If you want to do an end to end hike, then go for it by all means.  But realize that there are other paths.  Flip-flops, chunk hikes, section hikes, routes, multiple trails, continuous or not.  Get creative!  It’s all arbitrary anyway.

(3) Redefine your goals as you go and acknowledge that sometimes goals change over the course of your hike.  Burn your list of goals.  Allow yourself to grow and learn.  Be curious about everything.   Discover what brings you joy.
And if all else fails, then get up early and watch another sunrise.
Further reading

The Hoofist- Great hikes I have never done (and don’t care about)

PMags- Hike My Hike- Damn it!

Semi-Rad- The Hierarchy of Camping

Halfway to Anywhere- The Thru-hiker Superiority Complex 

Zen Habits- The best goal is no goal

The Minimalist- Moving beyond goals

Monday, January 12, 2015

Dayhike with the Trail Dames, and more PCT reflections

Waiting for everyone to arrive at the trailhead the morning of our Trail Dames dayhike, I go through my pre-trip checklists yet again.  The skies are brilliant blue but the temperature is around 18 degrees and rhododendron leaves are curled up tight against the cold.  It is winter, and I know it pays to be extra careful.
Icicles along Martin Creek.
I think about the list of who is on this trip, the strengths of the other hike leaders, and how many first time hikers we are taking out.  The hike is one I’ve done more than any other- the Bartram Trail north to Martin Creek Falls in Georgia- but still, I review all the road crossing and side trails that could be used in case of an emergency.  I have extra gear in my pack- space blanket, handwarmers, extra gloves, first aid kit, and even a stove (yes, even though I go stoveless while backpacking, I do have one for winter dayhikes).  We’ve provided pre-trip advice about winter hiking but I think about what to go over before the hike.  Satisfied with the preparations, I breathe in the crisp air and exhale slowly.

There is another list that automatically flashes through my mind when it is this cold- a list of memorable trips where people have gotten sick, hypothermic, or been exhausted.  Trips that I’ve analyzed, and from which I’ve learned valuable lessons.  I used to be horrified when things would go wrong on the trail, but I try to remember that only when I made mistakes or experience problems and learn from them, can I grow.

***
I greet one of the first-time hikers and she shares her dreams of hiking the AT.  As we wait for the others to arrive, I tell how I got my start with Trail Dames, on a sunny crisp day like today, and how I’d gone on to hike part of the PCT this year.
First time hiker using poles.
Fortunately, despite the cold, there are no problems on this hike.  In fact, everyone has a wonderful time, and we were delighted by the incredible icicle formations along the streams and waterfalls.  We shed layers and put them on again, and my coleader keeps a great pace so that breaks weren’t too long that we’d get cold.
Taking a moment to listen to the quietness.
At lunch, I even got teased about how I had to take off my gloves to prepare my food when I told everyone to have meals that were already assembled and easy to eat with gloves on.  My pre-trip advice had been heard, even though I was an example of what not to do.
Lunch break under the hemlocks.
One of the first-time hikers tries out hiking poles and is a convert by the end of the trip.  After lunch, everyone shared what they like and dislike about their hiking poles, and offered her advice on where to buy poles.  Moments like this of spontaneous sharing and learning are true magic.
What a great group of Trail Dames! Photo by Diana.
***
When I got home after the dayhike, I saw that SlowBro (a friend that I hiked with on the Pacific Crest Trail last summer) had left a comment on my blog that brought tears to my eyes.  He wrote:

 "...it was so great to be able to hike with you, MeToo, and Blue Yonder out of Kennedy Meadows. And kudos for hiking back to KM with MeToo and me. No one could have faulted you for continuing North, but I think it speaks volumes about the kind of person you are and it helped the "professional me" more than you know. Should "our patient's" condition have worsened, the additional person to go for help could have made all the difference."

OMG what a compliment, and also what a coincidence- he referenced one of those memorable times when someone got sick that I'd just been thinking about that very morning when I’d been preparing for our Trail Dames hike.  It was when MeToo fainted and collapsed in the snow as on our second day out of Kennedy Meadows when we were heading into the High Sierra.  That incident was why I'd packed my stove that morning!
Back in May 2014, SlowBro (left) and Blue Yonder (right) care for MeToo on the PCT.
I will never forget how we covered MeToo in a space blanket and how SlowBro (a doctor) fixed him a hot drink as he assessed his condition.  How we turned around and hiked back to Kennedy Meadows together.  It was the second time I’d turned around with a friend that was sick, the first time being with Pathfinder when we were near Big Bear City.  At the time, I didn’t know anyone else on the PCT who’d turned around to stay with someone who was sick, and I’d done it TWICE.  

Clearly there was a lesson there I needed to learn.  What I learned was that I really take the Trail Dames motto to "never leave anyone behind” to heart.  Even if everyone around me has tons of experience, I still feel the need to do everything I can to help.  It was also a lesson in just how important it is to me to be part of a group of people in the backcountry who I can trust.  Teamwork, counting on one another, being there for one another- those are all things I value being part of and strive to build.

Even though I've been off the PCT for a few months, these experiences from the PCT continue to  inform how I do things like prepare for dayhikes with Trail Dames and they continue to teach me about who I am.

Sunday, January 4, 2015

Review of what I did to prepare for the PCT: physical and mental prep and skills

This is the time of year when many of the 2015 hikers are preparing for their long-distance hikes.  Last year, I had a tough time prioritizing my preparations for the PCT.  It was my first long-distance hike, and I was trying to figure out what I needed to do to transition from a weekend backpacker to long-distance hiker.  So much is written about gear and resupply, and I remember I found less information on physical and mental preparations, learning skills, and how to get help.

Here,  I describe what I did to get ready physically and mentally, and how I learned skills, what worked for me, and what I’d do different.
Feeling overwhelmed on a PCT training hike.
Other people did significantly less planning than me and were equally happy with their choice.  It really depends on the type of person you are- I am a Planner.  This article is intended for other planners as well- if that’s not you but you already have significant backpacking experience then don’t worry you’ll be fine when you get out there.

1. Physical preparations

What I did before the PCT:
My goal was to get in the “best shape of my life” before I set out on the PCT.  I’d already built up my fitness by hiking every weekend for about four years, increasing my mileage over that time.  I began more serious physical prep about 6 months prior to the hike.  During the week, I woke up every morning at 5 AM, and I carried my weight-filled backpack around the neighborhood (or local trails) for 1.5 to 3 hours.
Tire chains simulated the weight of extra food in my pack for training hikes.
I also went on weekend trips so I’d know I’d be comfortable doing back to back 20 mile days and 3,000 foot climbs.  Finally I cross trained by practicing aerial dance which strengthens my core and muscles in different ways.  Two weeks before my hike, I tapered my activity to avoid injury and give my body some rest.

What worked:
Hauling my pack around in the dark, cold and rain turned out to be excellent mental training.  My training gave me excellent cardio and leg/back strength.

What I’d do different:
Focus more on training with a heavy pack.  Since I got into lightweight backpacking and only did weekend trips in the southeast, I wasn’t used to the weight of five days of food or carrying more than a liter or two of water.  Even though I did I calculate how heavy my pack would be that first day on the PCT (base weight + food + 6 L water), I only slowly built up to carrying more weight, and I never got to that full amount. 

I’ve wondered if I should have strengthened my feet more, but that problem didn’t manifest until 800 miles into my hike, so I doubt any more training would have prevented the stress fracture.

2. Learning skills

What I did before the PCT:
I wrote out a list of skills I though I would need for the PCT, and developed a plan to learn each of them in turn.  Because most of my backpacking had been in the southeast, the skills had to do with  the conditions I’d encounter on the PCT: snow skills including self arrest with an ice ax, hiking in the desert including carrying lots of water, and packing and carrying a bear canister with 6 days food.  I took a snow skills course with Stacy Boone of Step Outdoors, (read more about that here).  Stacy also included other key topics in the course including foot care, menu planning, and navigation.  Renee “Pathfinder” and I went on a trip to Arizona and Texas (including Guadalupe Mountain) where we practiced long water carries.  We also did a practice trip with our bear canisters.
Practicing self-arrest with an ice ax.  Photo by Stacy.
What worked:
I was so glad I took the time to learn these skills before going on the PCT.  Other people learn as they go, but I am the type of person that feels more safe and have a better time if I know I have the skills and training before I am in a situation.

The snow skills course with Stacy especially provided me with the skills and confidence to enter the High Sierra early, and see the beauty of the snow and experience the satisfaction and thrill of snow traverses.  I was so glad I had experience making kick steps, knew basics of how to read the snow from taking an avalanche awareness course, had discussed safety and decision making, and that I’d developed mental strategies to get over the passes.  Taking this snow course made my experience on the PCT much better (and safer), and Stacy is a positively awesome teacher.

I had a blast doing all my training courses and trips too.  I loved having an excuse to go on our Southwest tour, and I really enjoyed finding new skills to try, and having trips with a goal and purpose made them more challenging in a fun way.  It was also good mental preparation in pushing myself (like on my trip to Canyonlands) and in troubleshooting.  On the PCT, everything constantly changes, and it isn’t the specific skills that were needed so much as a generally being able to cope with being uncomfortable and being adaptable and flexible.

What I’d do different:
In retrospect, I might have learned enough of what I needed to know from more experienced hikers that I met and hiked with on the PCT, and from trial and error.  I hadn’t anticipated that I would find so many experienced backpackers out there who always seemed to show up just at the right time, and were happy to share their knowledge and were also very patient.  For example, MeToo taught me a lot about strategies to do the long water carries in the desert and how to plan for and find water.
In SoCal, MeToo describes a plan for the detour and where we will get water.
Matt "DoubleTap" Parker, who had experience in the Sierra, informally led a group of us over Forester Pass (highest point on the PCT).  He was a wealth of information and I know made it much safer for all of us.
DoubleTap gave a group of us help and encouragement over the snow.
Also, I was really fortunate to hike through the Sierra with Arizona who stuck with me especially through the descents down the passes.  In retrospect, I had no way of knowing I’d meet all these incredible people and I think I ended up being better prepared to learn from them because I had some background knowledge to build upon.  So, I wouldn’t have done any less preparation knowing what I know now.
I still felt scared coming down Glen Pass, but I knew what I needed to do to keep going.
3. Enlisting the help of support people and mentors
 
What I did before the PCT:
I talked with my resupply people (Still Waters and my parents) about expectations on how to communicate while I was on the trail and what it would be like to meet me on the trail.  I talked to them about how I'd be using my SPOT messenger.  I organized and labeled my gear and made up spreadsheets on how to send me resupply boxes and gave them a rough idea of how my timeline worked (more on that here). 

I also enlisted the help of support people.  I made up lists for them of phone numbers and other important information, and put this and my itinerary on a google doc.  I arranged for my friend Brenda to store my car in her garage, and Susan stored my other belongings.  Kellye and Janet took in my mail, and did things like make sure my car registration got renewed. 

I (informally) enlisted a handful of experienced backpacker to act as my mentors, and I identified specialized people to answer particular questions.  It was sort of like how when I was a PhD student, I choose committee members that I respected, looked up to, and trusted to help me in different areas.  For example, my friend JJ (and fellow Gossamer Gear Trail Ambassador) helped me with my gear and even subcontracted out to get the help of her friend Amanda to answer questions she didn’t know about the Sierra and desert.  Through Hammock Forums, I found Jim (PITA) who answered my countless email questions about bring a hammock on the PCT and about maps (more on that here).  I found other mentors to help me with food/ resupply planning, electronics, and my physical prep.

What worked:
All my support people were AWESOME!  I had no trouble with resupply boxes or logistics.  My resupply people seemed to enjoy being part of my journey too.

I was so glad I had mentors!  They were helpful because they knew my background and personality, and they were people that I looked up to so I valued their advice and perspective.  When I had the stress fracture or ran into trouble on the trail, they provided incredible support as well.  I got a lot of information about the PCT from blogs, Yogi’s book, facebook, and other websites, but my mentors could help me sort through the information and help me decide what would work for me.  They also helped me realize that I knew way more than I gave myself credit for, and the quality of their knowledge and advice was much higher than any other source.

What I’d do different:
I wish I could figure out how to show the people that helped me out just how much their support meant to me and how wonderful they are.  I cannot thank them enough and should figure out some way to repay them but I have no idea how I could possibly do this.

4. Mental preparation

What I did before the PCT:
I defined my goals and reasons for doing a long distance hike.  I wrote about this in my blog here.  I also read and reflected on my values and put my personal philosophy into words both on this blog and in writings that I will probably never publish.

I got a lot of experience being physically uncomfortable, which turned out to be good mental preparation.  I did trips where I was cold, wet, tired, and sore (like this one).
Getting experience being cold and wet, and still maintaining my positive outlook.
What worked:
I was glad I established my goals and examined my reasons for doing a long distance hike before I got on the trail.  Developing a regular writing practice put me in touch with my priorities.  When I was on the trail, I never wavered in knowing that I was on the right course for me.  My heart was always in it and I could maintain that awareness and appreciation.  There wasn't anywhere I’d rather be than in the trail.

It was great that I never had any expectation that I would be comfortable on the trail.  I already knew that wasn’t what backpacking is about, so that allowed me to maintain my positive outlook during my hike.

What I’d do different:
I wasn't mentally prepared for my injury that would take me off trail- I think that's why I kept hiking on the injury for 100 miles.  I knew how to hike with physical pain but I wasn’t prepared for getting off the trail and I wasn’t prepared for “failure” in not completing a thru hike.  It took me much longer to heal from the stress fracture mentally and to come to terms with my injury.  However, I don't know how I would have prepared for this.
Nothing had prepared me for the mental pain of having to get off the trail due to my injury.
In the end, I learned valuable lessons from my stress fracture, and when I got back on the trail and hiked another 550 miles, I learned so much about life and hiking, and when I look back on the whole thing, I wouldn't change my experience for anything else.

I also could have done more to ask other hikers about their backpacking philosophies and how those influenced their hike, and how they changed over the course of their thrus.  On the other hand, during my hike I was able to ask this of many of the hikers I met, and I feel like I have developed a better understanding through those personal interactions than I ever could have any other way.

Overall:
I really enjoyed preparing for my trip on the PCT.  I learned nearly as much before my hike as while I was on it.  Having the goal of hiking the PCT allowed me to work harder on many things I’d been wanting to do for a while, and was time very well spent.

If you want to read more about my preparations for the PCT, check out my PCT 2014 page where I have all the links to my posts about "Before the hike."

Good luck to the Class of 2015, and remember to enjoy the time before you hit the trail- it can be a wonderful and fulfilling time in its own right!