Time to run

It's been about nine weeks since we finished hiking the Pacific Crest Trail. I've used that time to do a little running in an attempt to stay in shape. Adrian has taken "a little running" to another level.

Adrian participated today in the Tucson Marathon and ran the 26.2-mile distance in 3 hours 19 minutes. That's 15 minutes better than his last marathon in Appleton, Wis.

Here's where it gets good. This is one of two "training" runs for a 50-mile run he's wants to try in March.

I don't get it. We hiked the same trail. All 2,663 miles. I can run maybe 5 miles in a stretch. Adrian is running marathons.

If you could do it all over again ...

We've been asked a lot of 'What would you change/do differently?' questions from future thru-hikers, friends and family since our return from the Pacific Crest Trail.

And what better way to address this semi-constant question then through our blog. The question varies a bit, but the root is the same: Would you do anything differently if you were to hike the Pacific Crest Trail again?

1.) Go lighter. This is easier said than done. We already had pretty light packs - 11- to 12-pound base weight - but I think there were a couple of items that could have stayed home.

2.) More cowboy camping. Our tarp tent would still be with us throughout the trail. I would have packed some Tyvek as a ground cloth and camped underneath the stars more often.

3.) Cathole preparedness. I have come to the conclusion that a trowel is essential, especially north of the desert. The ground is rooty, rocky and harder north of Kennedy Meadows General Store, mile 700ish.

4.) A few more food drops. We SHOULD HAVE shipped to Snoqualmie Pass, White Pass and Skykomish in Washington. I will have a post listing all of our food and data drops soon. Just be sure to add the ones I listed above, especially Snoqualmie. Super overpriced food.

5.) To bounce or not to bounce? Our bounce bucket, which held extra first-aid stuff, batteries, vitamins etc., etc., was incredibly helpful in the beginning. It lost its usefulness somewhere in Oregon and I should have shipped it home from Ashland, Ore.

6.) The first day. We had way too much crap with us for the first 100 miles to Warner Springs section. I would only carry enough food to get to Mount Laguna General Store. The store had plenty of food and good variety.

Voting for vagabonds

It can be tough voting if you've been in the woods for five months. Think of all of those hundreds of stories about Obama, McCain and even Hilary earlier this summer that we missed. How can I possibly make an educated decision about the candidates?
When I reentered society I thought, should I start from the beginning? Or simply pick up today's newspaper and forget about any relevant news stories that came out this summer?

As a journalist and news junkie I went back. But I seriously doubt if this is typical vagabond behavior. For one, it's not really realistic. Who has that much time? Oh yeah, I do.

During my search of the political archives, I stumbled upon these news gems. I know I am much more informed about issues now that I've read stories about Las Vegas strippers dressing up like Palin and how numberology proves that Obama is not the anti-Christ.

This is what happens when presidential hopefuls kick off their campaigns 20 months before the actual election. The news hole must be filled!

In celebration of Election Day - the first one in 10 years that I haven't been working as a reporter - I have posted a few more fun and weird political stories.

• Focus on Family Action pulling a video from its Web Site that asked people to pray for rain "of biblical proportions" during the Democratic convention
  
  
• New york Daily News hires a Palin look-alike to walk the street of NYC
  
  
• Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez offers talks with "black man" in the White House

I also would be remiss to not offer up some interesting political stories from my friend, blogger and reporter Rob Mentzer. Here's his blog: http://amillionmonkeys.blogspot.com/

Or go to his pre-election links on his blog at the Wausau Daily Herald, his day job.

Finally, this has nothing to do with the presidential election, but any political ad that compares a candidate to R. Kelly is brilliant.

Here are some other odd political ads. And by odd, I mean really bad.

It's a wrap! Sort of

It's been six weeks since we finished the Pacific Crest Trail, so I guess it's over. It's no longer appropriate to camp in my mother-in-law's yard.

Our vagabonding ways must come to an end.

And hey, what better time to be out there looking for a job, right? It's not as if there's an economic meltdown occurring.

On second thought ... Maybe now is not the time to stop roaming. Maybe it's just the beginning for us.

We should probably wrap up our Pacific Crest Trail stuff before I start talking about a new adventure. I received a number of e-mails or comments from people who followed our trail journal or blog. There were lots of questions about the trail. I'll answer them as best I can over the next few days. Each post will try and address a different question so people can focus on one subject at a time or skip it all together.

For example, I got a lot of questions about pooping, which is sort of odd because it's pretty straightforward. But hey, I'm here to help, so keep your eyes on the blog for a post on pooping in the wild.

September 25, 2008 Pacific Crest Trail

Destination: Manning Park Lodge, B.C.
Miles: 15

Adrian: We've finished the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail! It's over. Done. Complete.

Last night it rained the hardest it has the whole trip. On and off, it came down all night. Fortunately, we were camped on nice grass (there were mule deer grazing around us for part of the night), with a good incline and natural trenching for proper drainage. Because the site was perfect, we were perfectly dry. The morning dawned partly cloudy and the sun came out for the 7-mile hike to the border. Camped nearby were Caterpillar, Landshark, and Jesse. Hoffa and Clearwater were ahead about 3 miles and would wait for us to finish together according to plan.

As we worked our way to the monument, the pine forest gave way to a thin strip of clear-cut signaling the border. We stepped off trail and there it was below us, the northern terminus of the PCT. I tried to take a picture but the camera took a crapper. No worries though, Hoffa has a camera that uses the same memory card.

A few more switchbacks and we were there. The group whooped and yelled with the excitement that only long distance hikers can at the end of a journey. We drank some whiskey and popped open the mini champagne bottles our family sent us. Jesse had a cigar and Jack Daniels and a few party poppers. As Doc would say, "a good time was had by all".

The last 8 miles to the road went quick and we dispatched the last 1,000 foot climb in style...effortlessly.

Just before reaching the road, nature demanded I spend a minute off trail. After finishing that business, I heard my Mom yelling congrats. I sped along the last 100 meters and the saw her, Tanya, Cormac and the two girls. Hoffa's mom and dad were there too. I thought I might cry at the end but I was too happy for that. How nice it was to have family at the end...thanks you guys! We opened a Perrier-Jouet bottle of champagne Tanya treated us, Jesse, Hoffa, Caterpillar, Landshark. Hiker heaven!

Thanks for following our journal. It's been a great trip and I hope you've enjoyed the journey as much as we have. We'll be posting a few more entries in the next couple days to record our final thoughts, do some gear reviews and give some advice for prospective through-hikers. I'll also give updates at months 6 and 12 to document re-entry into real life after the hike.

I'm sad this adventure has come to an end, but they all must sooner or later, however, new ones are already brewing on the horizon.

Kirsten: So it ends. Just like that - coming down a switchback - the PCT and my five-month adventure is over. As we approached the northern terminus and our friends started their celebratory whoops, I exhaled. That's what I mustered, one long breath. I welled up and almost cried. I tried to think of something really profound. Nothing materialized and I never broke down into a weeping, hugging mass with Adrian and our friends. I stood and breathed.

The atmosphere swirling around me was decidedly euphoric. I stood there for a minute and let the nearly simultaneous waves of joy, fear and relief wash over me. Finally the cheering and laughter snapped me back and I joined the group in photos and toasts. I can't say whether a thru-hiker should finish alone or with friends. Maybe I would have been more emotional if I had been on my own. I sort of think my reaction would have been the same regardless of who was or wasn't there.

Any cerebral moments were immediately cut short when Adrian trotted back to the group sans clothing and only bright neon orange briefs and a matching sweatband. This was the end-of-the-border outfit my brother Rob and his girlfriend, Natalie, sent us. I received a white unitard and orange sweatband. Classy.

When we finally packed up our things and made it the eight miles to Manning Park, our family was there waiting for us. Adrian's mom, sister, her husband and their two children were at the trailhead - champagne and treats in tow - along with Hoffa's parents. This was overwhelming and I was relieved to have Clearwater and Jesse around to share some of the familial limelight.

It's going to take me a few days before I realize what I did. It's an accomplishment for sure. At least that's what everyone keeps telling me. I don't really feel successful though. Certificates and awards would seem silly and out of place at this moment.

If you want to talk about achievements and success, it was the moment I left what was safe and secure and took my first step on the PCT. If I had quit after that first day I wouldn't have felt like a total failure. It was in that moment of true risk - not bungee jumping risk - I mean leaving-what-you-know- and-trying something-that-you-will- most-likely-fail-at-risk, when I tasted freedom for the first time in my life.

In that moment the PCT didn't seem so impossible anymore. Nothing did.

September 24, 2008 Pacific Crest Trail

Destination: Hopkins Lake, Pasayten Wilderness
Miles: 26.3

Adrian: Marathon day! Rainy today.

Kirsten: We camped last night on our own and ended up spending the entire day alone as well. As much as I like our friends, it seemed fitting for today to be more solitary. Hiking as a group is usually a lot of fun, but I've found I need a break every few days. This is an odd development for me because I tend to be pretty social back in the non-trail world. I've developed a protectiveness lately over my time alone on the trail, which I can't really explain. I think it may be related to how free I feel when it's just Adrian and me. There are no group discussions on where to camp etc., we stop and rest, eat and camp when we happen upon the perfect moment or spot. Anyway, it was good to be alone and then run into Landshark, Caterpillar and Jesse at our intended camp. Tomorrow we'll finish together.

The weather couldn't seem to decide what it wanted to do changing from snow to partly cloudy skies to a spitting rain throughout the day. We've been blessed with good weather throughout Washington and so I can't really complain now. Well I can. I'm going to try not to.

I am struggling to pinpoint exactly how I feel with only one day remaining. For one of the few times in my life, I am at a loss for words. This trail has become my life. And my life these days is about walking, eating and sleeping. Oh, and many hours of thinking. You might think I spent a lot of time mulling the world's problems around in my mind. It would be far more accurate to say I spent a lot of time thinking about food and my past. The strangest memories would suddenly hit me and then I'd spend the rest of the morning or afternoon reminiscing about that moment. I thought a lot about my grandmother, Mama, who died in 2002. This was a long time ago, I know. Still, from time-to-time she would slip into my thoughts and I'd find myself bringing her up-to-date on the day. I had many horrific and tragic daydreams as well picturing something happening to Adrian or one of my siblings or in many cases, to myself. What would I do? How would I feel? Would I crawl under the warm blanket of depression or would I rise above it and somehow do something brilliant to help myself and other family survive the loss?

I rarely had control over what I thought about on any given day. Actually it would be more accurate to say, I gave up trying to control what popped into my head somewhere in the first 200 miles. Tomorrow should be interesting. God, who knows what will be swimming around up in my noggin in those last few miles.

September 23, 2008 Pacific Crest Trail

Destination: Road 500, Pasayten Wilderness
Miles: 28.5

Adrian: We left the house and got a ride back up the pass at 7 a.m. We had wonderful views of the Early Winter Spires and Liberty Bell.

The day started with a 2,000-foot climb through snow up to Cutthrout Pass. It was cold but the views were awesome. Big granite spires covered in the season's first significant snow.

We hiked a big day today to try and outrun a predicted rain event coming on Wednesday around 11 a.m. Big mountains dominated the landscape as we climbed more than 5,000 feet.

Kirsten: Before I write anything about today I'd like to take a moment to give a little advice. If your spouse or girlfriend/boyfriend is walking along and trips on a root or say a crack in a sidewalk, do not exclaim as they are laying face down "You should really be careful" or this one "You're going to hurt yourself if you're not careful." This is what Adrian said to me as I laid face down in the dirt today. This was a poor choice. Call it bad timing. Whatever. Just don't say what he did cuz it didn't go over very well.

Back on the trail again and it looks like we made the right decision. The sky was blue and the temperature slowly rose throughout the day. Most importantly, the weather was not obstructing the views of Mount Hardy and a number of other North Cascade peaks.


Cutthroat Pass was snow-covered - maybe four inches or so - and the scene got me thinking about ski season. Maybe the job search will have to wait.


Our pace was quick today and we rested only briefly as we rushed to make it as far as possible. The weather is supposed to turn to rain and even snow and we want to get over Hart's Pass early tomorrow.

Adrian is doing better. I think he may have giardia. He feels weak sometimes and poops a lot. Sorry for the info, but hey this is what's happening. It's not too bad and his condition won't keep him from finishing. It's life after the trail that may be more difficult for him.

September 22, 2008 Pacific Crest Trail

Destination: Mazama, WA., near Winthrop, WA.
Miles: 0

Adrian: I woke up early with the sound of freezing rain hitting the tarp, no worries though, it soon turned to snow. What a bummer! Then I noticed the wet spot inside the tarp under my pillow, which is also my clothing bag.

We all broke camp and piled our stuff into the bathroom to assess the situation. My clothing and sleeping bag were dry, so I was safe. So was Danger Prone. The weather was looking pretty bad, still snowing quite hard, so we took the ride down to Mazama, a town 12 miles to the east.

On the way down to town we ran across a motorist who rolled his Subaru on the pass, thankfully he was OK. He had a place near Mazama so we gave him a ride to it and he offered us a place to stay to wait out the weather. Strangers helping strangers...magical.

Tomorrow the weather looks better but then it gets bad again till the end. Oh well, looks like Washington is not letting us off the hook quite yet. We leave for the pass at 7 a.m., and the final push, come hell or high water, for the Canadian border.

Stay tuned, this might yet get interesting...

Kirsten: This has been the weirdest day yet on the trail. It started out with an early morning mouse wake-up call and is ending with a night in a Mazama cabin.


We woke up to rain turning to slush. It wasn't stopping, at least not anytime soon. So we packed up and put our stuff in the bathrooms nearby. The trail angels from the night before sort of gathered around and they told us their plans to leave. Some of us in the group had wet gear, namely sleeping bags, and we all started discussing a hitch into Mazama or Winthrop. The trail angels, of course, offered us a ride and decided to go in two shifts.

As we drove out to the highway we all spotted this guy waving us down with jeans, a cotton sweatshirt and a small backpack. He asked for a ride and Catch 23 said yes, "But this round is full, I'll be going down to Mazama again." That's when he mentioned a rollover accident. Adrian quickly jumped out and over the next 30 minutes Catch 23, Hoffa, Caterpillar and myself heard how Reid had hit some slush, spun out and rolled three times into a ditch. I saw the car and I'm not entirely sure how he managed to walk away unscathed.

As we told him about the storm and our plans to stay at the Mazama Inn, he countered. He insisted we stay at his place because, he argued several cars had passed without stopping to help. We hesitated at first, namely because this guy had just narrowly missed an untimely death. He pressed and we finally accepted.

Reid went to the hospital and was completely checked over. He’s fine. Meanwhile, all seven of us were in his house. We tried to stay busy without actually touching anything. So some napped, others read, Hoffa and I took on the ultimate mind numbing challenge: to complete a 1,000-piece Thomas Kincaid puzzle.

Later we bought and cooked Reid dinner. He spent much of night returning phone calls to concerned friends. It is safe to say that his day was slightly weirder than mine.

September 21, 2008 Pacific Crest Trail

Destination: Rainy Pass
Miles: 20

Adrian: We slept our last hotel night together with Moonpie and Clearwater. No major snoring so things went well.

My condition hasn't improved much, but I do have more energy and no chills.

We took the 8 a.m. bus to High Bridge Trailhead via the bakery for breakfast and lunch resupply. Saying goodbye to Moonpie for the last time really started to make me realize we are near the end.

The trail gained 3,200 feet of elevation in 20 miles, not bad. We did it in 9 hours taking our time. The weather was mostly cloudy early on and then rainy for the rest of the day. It was cold when we approached Rainy Pass and saw the trail magic at the trailhead parking.

Smoke rose from the wet fire they had built and then we saw the tarp and beer. Past PCT hikers Catch-23, Crazy Legs, and friends were set-up there cooking hotdogs and otherwise feeding hikers, who at this time numbered just us. It was great and hung out for a while until the rain chased us into our tents behind the bathrooms.

It rained all night...

Kirsten: OK. I knew it was only a matter of time before it rained. I mean, it is Washington. It doesn't mean I hadn't hoped for sunny and warm. In spite of all of our wishes the rain is here. And it's not that warm, summer rain. It's a cold and steady rain that only occasionally wanes to a drizzle.

The miles came easy enough and Adrian seems to be feeling better. I'm thinking a lot about the next few days and have spent considerable time mentally crossing my fingers.


Our day ended on a fabulous note with the trail angels Catch 23, Scavenger and Crazy Legs as well as Desiree. They made us hot dogs and handed us juice, beer and wine in between bites. They received some trail magic at this spot back in 2000 and thought it would be fun to "pay it forward." And that they did.

The weather, however, hasn't been as cooperative. The rain continues and the temperature is expected drop in the next 24 to 48 hours. I am nervous.

September 20, 2008 Pacific Crest Trail

Destination: Stehekin Lodge
Miles: 0

Adrian: Last zero day of the trip in the town stop of the trail! I spent pretty much the whole day on a couch watching college football and feeling crappy. I don't know what the cause is, but symptoms range from achy muscles, upset stomach and everyone’s favorite, "the runs."

We all ate dinner together to celebrate Moonpie's birthday, albeit a day early. My appetite was weak but I did manage to get down a salad.

Shortly after finishing the meal I went to bed early. I hope tomorrow is better than today.

Walk good...

Kirsten: I am antsy. I am anxious. I just want to be outta here and hiking on the trail. The weather has been perfect, so perfect that I think it's all going to end soon. Like tomorrow.

By the way, I have proven my psychic abilities once again ... most are hung-over today.

I am happy to be at Moonpie's birthday party though. We didn't think we'd be here for it so it's one good reason for our extended stay. We're staying at the Lodge, which is located along Lake Chelan. At the Lodge there is a general store, restaurant and the hotel rooms - all with a lake cabin exterior.

I should be fair, Stehekin is beautiful and if I wasn't four days from Canada I would love to hang around here. Tomorrow we're out and hopefully in Manning Park on Thursday.

September 19, 2008 Pacific Crest Trail

Destination: Stehekin, WA., The Landing
Miles: 9

Adrian: We made it to Stehekin!!! This is such a major milestone that all sorts of thoughts are racing in my mind. Two years of planning and just under five months of hiking have brought us here, some 80 miles from the U.S.A./Canada border. We are poised to finish!

You have to take a National Park shuttle from the PCT trailhead 5 miles to town. Along the way we stopped at 300-foot Rainbow Falls, and a world-class bakery called the Stehekin Pastry Company...wunderbar! We stopped at the Lodge right next to he ferry landing. You see, Stehekin is only accessible via plane, boat and of course hiking, but you have to be crazy to hike here because its about 100 miles
from the nearest accessible pass.
The town sits on 60-mile long Lake Chelan and is within the boundary of North Cascade National Park - our 7th of the trip.

Kirsten: I was convinced I was going to hurt myself these last few miles to Stehekin. As we reached the bus stop, I finally relaxed and started to revel in our achievement.

We are here - the final town before the border. This town, which is really a small compilation of buildings set along Lake Chelan, is amazing. I'm already thinking of when I can return. The bus pulled into our stop and as various hikers stepped off we saw Don't Panic and Nick. They reached Stehekin the night before - as I suspected they would - and will likely reach the border two days before us. We said our goodbyes and piled on the bus headed towards this milestone of town stops.


Adrian and I have a room overlooking the lake and we're already contemplating another night. For now we're focused on helping Lorenzo celebrate his 59th birthday along with the rest of the Fun Train Express.

Moonpie will hopefully arrive tomorrow. We all had dinner at the Lodge's restaurant and later had cake, champagne and wine. I predict hangovers tomorrow.

September 18, 2008 Pacific Crest Trail

N/A

September 17, 2008 Pacific Crest Trail

Destination: Dolly Camp, Vista Ridge
Miles: 20

Adrian: We finally caught Doc! We actually caught up to him at White Pass at the Cracker Barrel Store, but I wanted to mention this because hiking with Doc and especially Lorenzo reminds me of what it was like hiking with my father years ago. I don't have many regrets since my father passed away but I really do wish he and I could have done more backpacking and climbing together. It's something we both loved to do. At least he's with me in spirit. It's strange, but if I hike behind Lorenzo from a fair distance and can only make out his big backpack, blue button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up showing slender, brown, slightly hairy arms, he almost looks like my Dad. It's funny the things you think of on such a long trail.

Today we hiked 20 miles and it felt like 30. I think the overall elevation we climbed today was about 5,200 feet including about 3,000 feet of descent. Glacier Peak is the dominant mountain around here and is the namesake of the wilderness that we are now hiking through. The landscape consists of spruce and other conifers along with brilliant red ground cover in the form of blueberry shrubs. The fall colors are really starting to pop.

Due to the large snow pack from last winter, the berries are late this year and almost absent in the lower elevations. Why am I telling you this? Because bears need berries for food and they normally would be in lower elevations eating them. However, now they are seeking berries higher up and that's why we saw two today about 30 yards from the trail. We've heard from hunters the bears are all around and today we finally saw some. They were quite large and perfectly content munching away on sweet berries while we watched and took pictures. They look pretty cute from far away.

We're currently hiking with and around Landshark, Caterpillar, Hoffa, Clearwater, Jesse, Don't Panic, Nathan, High Octane, Lorenzo and Bill (a thru-hiker we just met today). We are camped at a nice site high on a ridge with awesome views to the north and east, which should afford us a great sunrise. In camp are Lorenzo and Bill. It's dark out and there is a brilliant, huge, orange moon rising.

Walk good...

Kirsten: I am torn these days. Torn between happiness and a deep sadness to be finishing. Three weeks ago I was ready to be done. Today - after completing one of my toughest days of hiking on the PCT - I'm not so sure.

Here's the tricky part. I can't hike forever. Well, I could. But I can't recreate my PCT 2008 thru-hike. Even if I came back next year and the year after that it would never be like this one. Maybe it would be better. It would certainly be different. I guess I finally understand why some people thru-hike year after year.

The Fun Train Express or Hoffa's Mob, as Don't Panic recently deemed us, is beginning to break up. Don't Panic and Nick are way ahead and I expect they'll get to Stehekin late Thursday. Tonight we're camping about 0.7 mile north of Hoffa, Clearwater, Jesse, Landshark and Caterpillar. Lorenzo is with us and High Octane and Nathan are probably two miles ahead. Moonpie is a whole day behind us. I expect we'll spend time with everyone in Stehekin with the exception of Don't Panic and Nick, who seem to be gunning for the border.

September 16, 2008 Pacific Crest Trail

Destination: Baekos R., Glacier Peak Wilderness
Miles: 25

Adrian: I rested well last night after taking four Advil to take away the nagging pain of the injury. The good thing is that it feels better this morning and after a few miles warm up, it actually felt almost not so bad. I took a pain pill and did the miles.

We are camped with Hoffa near a creek that has a tremendous amount of huge fallen trees no doubt caused by a catastrophic flood. I hope there's not a occurrence tonight!

The views of Glacier Peak have been phenomenal. It's a volcano and has great symmetry and peak power creating a dramatic scene. Large glaciers tumble down all facets of the peak and create fast flowing, powerful, milky rivers. The rivers appear milky due to all the silt release from the glacier above. These rivers offer sub-standard drinking water but don't panic as there are many tributaries that provide clear, cold agua.

Kirsten: The sunrise this morning may be the best I've seen on the trip. Maybe the sunrise was so sweet because Adrian's calf muscle appears to be OK. It's sore, but walk able.

The trail is certainly tougher than many parts of the PCT, but some how it seems easier than parts of Oregon. The scenery is amazing here and rivals the Sierras. I think I like it even more because of the lack of people. Everything here is wild and I wish I had more time here.

Adrian mentioned yesterday he couldn't imagine having to get off the trail. Today we met Rapunzel, who is getting off the trail because of a knee injury. She seemed to be handling it well. Much better than I would be. I'm crossing my fingers these days for two reasons: No injuries. No rain.

Please let us get through this unscathed.

September 15, 2008 Pacific Crest Trail

Destination: Pear Lake, Glacier Peak Wilderness
Miles: 19

Adrian: Never count your chickens before they hatch. It ain't over till it's over. A bird in hand is better than two in a bush. It's not over till the fat lady sings.

I suffered a serious pull of my right calf muscle while tripping over a log. We were night hiking out of an overly crowded campsite and I felt the calf tweak as I used my leg to stop my fall. I've never experienced this type of pain from a pulled muscle so I'm scared and not sure what to expect. Will I be able to finish? What would it be like to have to get off the trail so close to the end? Can I still do the hardest section on the PCT in this condition?

Kirsten found an awesome campsite on a large flat rock in a boulder field. Atop this rock we slept cowboy style with the bright full moon overhead. This will be our last full moon on the trail and it couldn't be more spectacular. I'm so happy to be here.

Let's hope the leg feels better by tomorrow. We've got some serious terrain coming up in the next 2 days.

Walk good...

Kirsten: I started the day with a four-hour cluster fuck of a voyage to buy groceries. A number of other hikers gave me a list of food items for their resupply since there were only so many seats in Jerry Dinsmore's truck. I was happy to help out my friends and the task was fairly simple. I made one serious error when I didn't grab something to nibble on at the store. By the time we returned I was completely out of sorts. My body doesn't function well without food and I'm embarrassed to say that I was a bit irrational and grumpy when I got back to the Dinsmores.

Nick and Don't Panic left before us and I was bummed at the time. I really didn't expect to see them again. But we ended up hiking more miles than we thought and it looks like we'll see them on the trail for at least one more day.

What started out as a fun night hike with Jesse, Landshark and Caterpillar ended up a catastrophe. We all had a great time on way into camp, especially when Jesse sang various Disney movie songs including Aladdin's "A Whole New World." The camping area was full so Adrian and I decided to continue. This is when everything got shitty. As Adrian said, he pulled his calf. I ran ahead to find a spot and when I would occasionally look back I could see him slowly limping up the trail. I'm worried. Adrian recovers incredibly quickly from injuries, so I'm hopeful. I do not want to have the "I'm getting off the trail discussion." Tonight I'll dream of a healed leg.

September 14, 2008 Pacific Crest Trail

Destination: Dinsmore's River Haven, Skykomish, WA.
Miles: 8

Adrian: The Dinsmore's have been putting hikers up at their pad in Skykomish and the place is great. Awesome hospitality and real personalities. The Skykomish River runs through the backyard creating the perfect mountain scenery.

There are many hikers here today, maybe 17 altogether. Sleeping in the same room, there tends to be some interesting sounds and smells occurring throughout the night, therefore, we slept downstairs in the workshop on the concrete floor.

Tomorrow we go grocery shopping for the 100-mile hike to Stehekin, our last town stop on the trail. It feels strange to be so close to finishing. I'm not sure where all the time and miles went as it feels like we just started yesterday. I'm not ready for the trail to be over, even though my feet surely are. They've just about had it and are very tender on the bottoms.

The weather is still perfect but we've been hearing forecasts of rain in about 3 days that couldn't come at a worse time. This next section of trail has the famous closed portion of trail in the Glacier Peak Wilderness. Even though we plan on doing the original PCT, we hear it is full of blown down old growth trees and scary stream crossings, all of which are much more serious and time consuming when wet.

Stay tuned, because tomorrow we blast off into Glacier Peak Wilderness!

Kirsten: Our morning hike to Steven's Pass went quickly and four of us - Adrian, Don't Panic, Clearwater and myself - were packed inside a 2-door Datsun 232 headed towards Skykomish by 10 a.m. When we reached the small town, Jerry Dinsmore pulled up in his GMC truck and we all piled in for the 1.5-mile journey to his home. The rest of the day was spent cleaning out our packs, showering, washing clothes and eating.

Adrian and I finally sat down and figured out our immediate post-trail plans. Adrian's family will meet us at Manning Park and then we'll all head to Vancouver. Adrian and I will take a train to Seattle and hang out for the day before heading off to San Francisco via plane. We plan on staying in the city for two days and then taking a flight to Tucson. Then it's off to Chicago for our friend, Sheila's wedding.

So our group, which some have jokingly deemed the Fun Train Express, will likely break up soon. I've mentioned this before, I know. I'm genuinely surprised it hasn't happened yet because some in the group are significantly faster. I would love to somehow reconnect with everyone for the finish, but know it's not likely. I've come to realize that's how relationships work out here. You meet someone and hike with them maybe a day or two. Or in some cases you hike through most of Oregon and Washington together. And there you'll both be sitting atop some pass or river, when one person gets up, maybe waves and says "Hey, see you down the trail tonight." Except you never see them again. No goodbyes or exchanges of emails. Just poof and they're out of your life. This is what's so great about the reunions that occasionally occur 1,000 miles later. But now, with only 200 miles left, those reunions become rare. If we don't catch Beautiful and Gorgeous in Stehekin, for example, we won't see them again until after the trail.

September 13, 2008 Pacific Crest Trail

Destination: Mig Lake, Alpine Lakes Wilderness
Miles: 23.5

Adrian: We climbed a lot today and after a full day of hiking, got into camp with plenty of time to cook and eat before dark. We're only hiking with Don't Panic right now, well for most of the time, so we are cranking off the miles and taking nice relaxed breaks. The fact that we only needed to do miles in the low 20s meant there was no pressure at work today.

To the north we can see big, snow-laden peaks that beckon us towards them - Glacier Peak stands out the most and is also the namesake of our next wilderness area.

I've seen an increase in marmots and pikas as of late and it makes me happy. Their whistles and chirps take the place of our iPods...thankfully. Pikas are faster and on the move while marmots tend to lounge in the sun on a flat rock.


It's the weekend, Saturday night, and we're camped at a lake that's only 4 miles from a trailhead. Yep, crowded with Seattleite campers up for the last backpack of the season. In our camp tonight is Lorenzo, the Brits, Clearwater, who made a surprise appearance after dark, and Don't Panic. Sharing our camp are two girls on a 2-night trip.

Tomorrow, to the Dinsmores...

Kirsten: The Alpine Wilderness area continues to impress and I'm enjoying myself despite the constant ups and downs. The views outweigh the switchbacks and keep me going even in the toughest terrain. I am a tad nervous about Glacier Peak Wilderness, specifically one of the river crossings. I've heard words like rushing water, giant log, scooting across. I don't particularly like the image I've conjured up in my mind.

Tomorrow we'll reach Stevens Pass and that means a hot meal and another milestone. The Dinsmores, trail angels living near Skykomish, open their home to hikers, so that's where we'll be. Our group may be reunited here and I'm looking forward to seeing everyone, at least one last time. With Stehekin - our final town stop - just 100 miles to north and visions of crossing the Canadian border swirling in our heads I can no longer predict if we'll finish with our friends. I wish, of course, that Beautiful and Gorgeous were with us as well. I think they're about two days ahead and I don't expect to catch them before the end. Cheers girls, I hope to see you soon.