PCT Completion Hike – Days 65 to 79

The phoenix must burn to emerge.
– Janet Fitch

From Shelter Cover, we continued hiking north, crossing Highway 58 before climbing along a fairly steep, long incline toward the Rosary Lakes area. This is a region that actually contains a series of three lakes, one feeding into the others. The views here were incredible and we had clear, fresh air to enjoy.

Hiking in Oregon during late July and early August, was a perfect time to be there. The temperatures were in the upper 70’s or low 80’s, we didn’t experience a lot of humidity and ripe huckleberries abound. With so many lakes and ponds, we managed to either have lunch or camp overnight almost entirely by water. At Maidu Lake, a mile off trail, the water was so warm that even Patti ventured in. There was also the most incredible number of half-inch sized frogs leaping and jumping all around the banks. It was hard not to step on the little guys. Other lakes we enjoyed were Bobby Lake, Charlton Pond, Taylor Lake, among many more.

I was fascinated by one section-hiker’s itinerary/strategy on hiking the trail. He drives a truck towing a trailer that carries his scooter. He drives to his planned end-point, drops off his scooter, then drives the truck to the trail head and leaves it there. He does his hike to his scooter and then rides that back to his truck. As section hikers ourselves, we spend a lot of time figuring out how to get to and from our trail heads. This guy had it down.

One of the greatest things about the Pacific Crest Trail is the help hikers receive from complete strangers. This often takes the form of a hitch into town or a water cache left for thirsty hikers through a dry area. More commonly, however, trail magic includes these folks hanging out near a trail head and providing fresh food and drinks to the hikers as they pass by. At Charlton Pond, Patti and I were greeted by Hannah and “Sparkles” who was a hiker herself. It was late in the day, almost dark, in fact. But as we approached we saw an eager Hannah waving her hand, chanting “You Who” at us. Next thing we know we’re eating pancakes with lots of squeeze butter and maple syrup, chips and salsa, candy and drinking nice cold local beer. We gorged ourselves after a long day of hiking before setting up camp on the banks of the pond. Then, in the morning, before moving on, we were walking by the area that Hannah and Sparkles were camped at, only to be offered fresh eggs and fruit. The generosity of these trail angels, and all trail angels, is a testimony of how good people can be – something we can easily forget living our lives day-to-day. Hannah and Sparkles provided magic for four solid days, hauling their supplies and food, including ice and cans of beer, into the forest, to more than 80 hikers by the time were leaving. Their generosity was amazing. They would not accept our donation to help with their costs. This was entirely on them.

The impact of fire, past and present, was visible as we moved on. Patti and I saw these areas in different lights. Patti saw the near-baron landscape, but pointed to the small flowers and sprouting green grass as a sign of beauty, remembering that life restores itself in these burn areas. And while I understand that, I was more pessimistic by seeing only the devastation that the fires produced. I was often frustrated by the number of miles we hiked through burn areas, regretting that we were missing what the fires destroyed. This yin/yang between us is good. It gives us something to talk about. In the meantime, however, smoke from the current fires from the region returned and dogged us for the next several days.

Soon after this, we met up with a hiker mentioned in an earlier post, Tequila John. We hiked together for a few days before parting ways, at least temporarily (or so we thought). But not before having a long, hard day walking into Olallie Lake. The three of us were so happy to finally get there at the end of the day, we celebrated with beer and a late dinner. The facility is within a National Forest and has a general store but no restaurant. So, dinner was still trail food. But we all enjoyed a late night before heading to bed. The next morning, we had an 8-mile climb we weren’t looking forward to. I think the beers and camaraderie from the night help us for the climb, even if the cost was in hours of sleep.

Patti and I wanted to attend PCT Days in Cascade Locks on the weekend of August 18. This is a big annual event put on by the Pacific Crest Trail Association. So, we hitched rides to Cascade Locks that Friday, leaving Tequila John at Frog Lake at Highway 26. We made plans to meet him back at Cascade Locks on the following Wednesday after he hikes into town there on Monday. He would take two days off while Patti and I would return to Frog Lake and hike back to Cascade Locks. As I type this it all seems overly complicated, but it all made perfect sense when the plans were made. PCT Days is a time to meet vendors and gear manufacturers, see what’s new in the areas of hiking and outdoor sports, and to network with and learn from some of the elite in the field. We were also able to meet with the PCTA’s Jack Haskell. We had lots of questions and concerns about the smoke and fire we were hearing about in Washington. We were only about 60 miles short from the state border and we had concerns. The news was not good. New fires erupted in several areas in the state, smoke was reportedly heavy. Some of the trail was closed. In fact the last 60 miles of trail, leading up to and including the Northern Terminus of the trail, was now closed with no walk-around yet established. Many hikers were moving on hoping for the best. But Jack made several good points about not moving forward. We now had a lot to think about. There at Cascade Locks, the air was clear. In fact, it was a beautifully sunny and warm weekend. So, it was hard to image the smoke up north being so bad. However, living in Southern California, we know all too well the realities, and that is that these fires produce such heavy and potentially toxic smoke that it’s never a good idea to be sucking that in.

If fire and smoke had not chased us off trail, any one of some other reason may have led to the same decision. We began to see earlier in July that we may not be keeping our schedule. And as days passed, then weeks, our chances to catch up were diminishing. We were pretty sure by mid-July that we may not make it and decided that if we in fact couldn’t make it, we might consider leaving all of Washington for next year. Our schedule was more to do with getting off trail by mid-September to reduce our risk of getting caught in an early snow fall. Also, previous nerve injury to my neck that causes a lot of pain in my shoulder had began flaring up back in June and was a factor throughout the completion hike, so there was that, too. The final straw that gave us the impetus to make a final decision was the smoke, however, and Jack’s suggestion to come back next year and finish it then. I called Tequila John to let him know. He was on his way to Cascade Locks as planned. He decided to also get off trail and for the same reasons. His back was injured and he was tired of the smoke. We made future plans to connect next year to finish the trail together. This was his second attempt at a thru-hike. Next year, we will simply pick up where we left off.

After PCT Days, we hitched back down to Highway 26 to start our way back to Cascade Locks. Patti and I both were sad and quiet that day, hiking out. Our hike was drawing to a close for this season. And I know that I at least, continued to question our decision. But Patti bounded on, trying to be positive which helped me, too. And the following morning, we both agreed that it was going to be a great day and we would take our time to finish the last 55 miles we had to do. We even took the time to have hot coffee before we got up out of the tent and enjoyed it leisurely before pushing off. We would be approaching Timberline Lodge, a famous National Historical Landmark hotel. We planned to stop by to take a few pictures.

Very soon after getting out of the tent and over the first ridgeline, I began to realize that the air quality was diminishing. Soon after that the smoke began to move in. And by the time we got to Timberline Lodge, visibility was reduced to about 100 yards. I wanted to take sometime to sit and post our decision to leave the trail to Instagram. This was my effort, I suppose, to get the process started and to accept this was what we were going to do. I posted a picture of the smoke and explained our decision. Our health is more important than the hike.

After taking a few pictures, we put our packs back on. We wandered out to the trail. We began to hike. Within a quarter mile, perhaps even less, Patti said she was getting a headache. And I finally had an epiphany: if we aren’t doing Washington because of smoke, why are we hiking to Cascade Locks in smoke? We looked at each other. We sadly agreed that this was stupid. And then we found our way back to the lodge. Our decision had been reached.

After a quick lunch and a few phone calls, and using a borrowed magic marker and cardboard we dug out of a recycling bin, we made two signs:

SMOKEY PCT HIKERS
TO
PORTLAND

PLEASE!

Within 4 hours we were in Portland, showered and eating a nice home cooked meal at my friend’s home. It was not an easy decision to leave the trail. And we continue to miss it even after two weeks.

Moving forward, we plan on getting back to the trail next July. We’ll need about six weeks to complete the last 550 miles we have remaining. We will be trying to connect with Tequila John. Hopefully we can all make that work. I’ll be posting more pictures to Instagram (Instagram.com/mcshap). And over the next several weeks, I’ll be updating our pedometer readings, gear list and will post additional thoughts on our hike.

Lynn Shapiro

PCT Completion Hike – Days 31 to 47

We first saw the smoke climbing out of Castle Crag. It seemed it was coming from the Southeast but we couldn’t be sure. The sky was clear and blue. But by the time we got to the top of the first climb we could see more smoke and could tell the fire was large.

Today, we have found our way to Yreka, California, a small town just south of Ashland, Oregon. Our path here was neither clear nor direct. It’s the result of many decisions and changed minds. The Hendrix Fire in lower Oregon is now playing a significant role in our decision that brought us here and our plans moving forward.

From Castle Crag to Etna our hike was spectacular. As we saw last year when we were hiking this area, Mt. Shasta loomed big in the distance while we literally hiked around its base until finally moving north of it. We saw water sources sprout up seemingly everywhere. We enjoyed water so cold it made my teeth hurt. Some of the terrain was easy and flat. Some of it was rocky and hard, and on a ridge, requiring stretches of walks into early evening, making for 12-hour days.

However, as we wove our way further toward Oregon, the smoke from the fire was growing more imposing and darker in color. The smoke no longer was that of a distant fire. The fire was north of us and we were walking into it.

The PCT closed in two areas ahead of us which we learned about via other hikers we saw on trail and finally also in Etna, a planned stop to resupply. In Etna, we had WiFi and were able to get the latest news, trail conditions and to make plans to avoid the trail closures. With all the available information we decided to get a ride from the owner of Wildwood Crossing in Etna, a small coffee shop, who offered a ride the next morning, to Ashland, Oregon above the fires. But by the end of day, we learned one of the closures was reopened and we decided to hike at least to Seiad Valley, our next resupply point 5 days up trail. That would keep us moving and we could figure it out then.

I began feeling nausea 2 days ago. And a headache has come and gone since. Both Patti and I have scratchy throats from the smoke. As we descended into Seiad Valley, the entire valley was covered by smoke.

Transportation options out of Seiad Valley are limited to a bus on Tuesdays and Fridays, or hitchhiking. We figured we’d pick up our resupply box from the post office on Monday and catch the bus to Ashland on Tuesday. Once we arrived and had lunch at the cafe, it was still early afternoon and Patti had the idea to try and hitch out right away. We could leave instructions for our resupply box at the post office to be bounced up to Crater Lake. Patti made a quick sign, we stuck out our thumbs, we got picked up within a few minutes and were on our way to Yreka.

The skip up to Ashland tomorrow will hopefully get us above the fire and smoke danger. And it also keeps us on track and on schedule for a mid-September finish in Canada. While we agonized making the decision to skip this 60-miles of trail, we know deep down we need to be watchful of our own health and safety.

Other than the excitement of the fire and smoke, the hike continues to be all we could hope it to be. We have been working on stretching out our days to get in more miles. We still struggle to get our average over 15 miles per day. But we discussed that we both feel stronger and healthier than ever before. So, we believe we can move the needle more toward 18 or 20 per day, especially in Oregon which is less mountainous than California. Our weight loss continues but has slowed. We have found some better and more nutritious foods. But opportunity is rare to do this, limited to resupply stops with good stores. We have enjoyed meeting and spending time with other hikers from all over the world. The scenery and views have been spectacular, smoke-shrouded panoramas aside.

Let me tell you how remarkable some of the people have been. There was “Indy,” a trail angel who set up shop of salads and sandwiches at Carson Pass. Gary from Florida along with his 17 year old son passed us up solid fast about a mile before the next tentsite but held the last available room for us and made plans to sleep, literally, on the trail. Riser from Portland gave us a flask when he heard ours had broken. Cathy, Jim and Bob did magic and made incredible sandwiches. We got a hitch in and out of Tahoe and Seiad Valley. We were offered the ride mentioned above by the coffee shop owner. One guy gave us a fuel canister because ours ran out. There are endless instances of people doing remarkable things out on the trail. And the remarkable feat of hiking the miles is only part of that.

We’ve had minor scrapes, bruises, cuts and falls. Nothing serious. Patti’s right hand swelled up a few weeks ago after a bite got irritated. I battled kidney stones – a chronic condition – passing 4 before getting on trail at Castle Crag. Ear congestion. Daily aches and pains. Barely more.

Pictures posted to Instagram within the hour. Instagram.com/mcshap

More soon.

PCT Completion Hike – Days 12 to 30

Checking in after completing our first 400-plus miles of our PCT completion hike. We have now been on trail for 30 days and are well more than half done with the entire trail. Our latest adventures took us from Sierra City, where we last left word, to Tuolumne Meadows in Yosemite National Park. We have lots of stories, have learned a lot of lessons and have posted a lot of pictures on Instagram, too.

Now that we are a month into this, we are starting to see some of the differences between how we used to hike sections and how we are now hiking the remainder of the trail in its entirety. Planning is simplified to some degree. We no longer have to figure out transportation to each trailhead for each segment, for instance. But it’s more complicated in other ways, such as having a viable and successful resupply plan. There are other considerations, too. Being out on trail for an entire month has brought new dynamics to the hike. It’s no longer a mere physical task, though it is still that, for sure. But I’m finding the hike now just as much mental as physical. So, this brings in new dimension, as well. Patti mentioned the other day how she wakes up each morning and at first a thought sweeps over her about how hard this hike is. Soon enough, that fades and the wonder of the day takes over. For me, I find myself thinking about the hugeness of the world around me, and seem to seek a space in it where I make sense of what that means.

We are still decoding our new normal, trying to figure out what works, what doesn’t and how things might work better. We look for efficiencies everyday and we continue to dial in what works best for us. We continue to struggle getting our daily mileage over 15-miles. We have done many days over that figure, just not consistently. In order to match our goal to be done with the hike by September 15, we see each day at least a small part of that probability diminish.

We had a string of equipment breakdowns. Much of our gear is old or just not doing what we need. So, we have spent the last couple of days researching, finding and acquiring new gear as needed. This includes new shoes for both of us, a new pack for Lynn, a new water filtration system, new rain poncho for Patti. These items all either completely gave out on this latest outing, or wore out after normal use. We also needed to call for a replacement tent as the brand-new one we used only for 40 days or so, started breaking at the poles and screen. It was very stressful while on trail seeing each of these items break over a period of just a few days. Still more than 70 miles out from any stopping point, we could do nothing but rely on duct tape and employ a world of patience until we could take care of these problems once off trail.

Another major issue we are working to resolve is our weight loss. Patti has lost 8-pounds and I have lost 14. According to a calorie-burn calculator I found online Patti and I are likely burning around 5000 calories per day of hiking, well more than we can take in. So, we are constantly fighting weight loss and keeping up our energy. To this end, we are looking for better and more calorie-filled foods along with rich proteins. As an example, Cliff Bar Protein Builder bars carry 400-plus calories. Compared to the Nature Valley brand bars we were using, we more than doubled the calorie counts for our breakfasts by making this one change alone.

As we headed south on the trail, we saw and met many of this year’s thru-hikers. At first, we saw what one hiker described as the “elite” – those that hiked the Sierra Nevada Mountains as they approached it. We also met many people who jumped ahead of the Sierra Nevada and bounced back to the Sierra once the snow had mostly melted. Then, we started seeing hikers who started later in the season, finished the Sierra but did so only after the winter season had all but ended. Either way, Patti and I both hold a lot of respect for thru-hikers, no matter how they do it. It’s a great accomplishment ether way.

About Pace

Patti is 5’1”. I’m 5’11”. We did some testing (we have plenty of time :)) and found that for every 100 strides I make, Patti has to make 140 strides to cover the same distance, a remarkable difference. This has led to a lot of our time on trail spent separately. No matter how I try to modify my pace to match Patti’s, I gain speed over time and end up well ahead of her. If Patti tries to keep pace with me, she wears out and then falls behind, then, too. She does carry more endurance though and can hike beyond my stopping point. We are still working on how to make things work but right now we spend a lot of our time on trail hiking alone.

We will continue updating our progress as we are able. We don’t often have service. But when we do, I’ll update our progress.

As always, thanks for following along. Pictures on Instagram

Lynn Shapiro

 

 

The Countdown

We are traveling ever closer to the trail. In Arizona now, Interstate 10, westbound, it’s early and we plan a full day of driving. The destination: Redding, California. There, we will get just one last day to prepare our packs, and get the van ready for long-term storage. We will catch a bus heading to Chester. And there, at mile 1331 of the Pacific Crest Trail at Highway 136, Patti and I will step foot on trail.

We’ve traveled a long distance since March 23 when we left Encinitas. We have both left our jobs. We left our home in the hands of a property manager. We sold nearly everything we own. Commitments required a swing around family and friends in the midwest. We moved through 14 states, put more than 9000 miles on our new van. We’ve been in sleet, snow and a blizzard, rain and humid, hot, sticky sun. We hiked these months as many trails as we could find, using this time to physically prepare for the 90-day hike we will soon begin. Our feet walked the hollowed ground of the Ozark Trail. We also visited Beale Street in Memphis, the Civil Right Museum in Jackson and cooled our feet in the waters of the Gulf Course. Now, the trail is just ahead of us.

Our hiking the PCT started as section hikes. Often just afternoons, we would go out to those sections that were nearest our home. But as those sections got completed, our hikes took us further away and that began lengthening our hikes. Soon, we did five days, then a couple of 10-day hikes. Last year, we did 175 miles in the course of 15-days. We have now completed 1100 miles of the PCT. We have 1550-miles left to complete it. We will hike these miles in a single shot.

I’m not sure that I am prepared to hike the remaining 1550 miles as a “thru-huke.” Patti and I have spoken often that our previous section hikes were always encumbered by time restrictions and other limitations. These would kind of taint the experience of hiking and diminish the thrill of completing a challenge. There was always something holding us back, pulling us back, to the realities of our lives.

I believe that hiking 1550 miles will be as much a mental thing as it will be physical. We were asked the other day if we were “ready” for the trail. We answered with only the physical component in mind: we wish we had more training hikes in, but we feel ready and excited. But mentally, I’m still getting my head wrapped around the enormity of what we’re planning to do. I expect this experience will teach me. I suspect I will be humbled. I look to embrace it. I want to feel and see it. I want to taste it.

Starting next Wednesday, I will begin posting short updates of our progress as we weave ourselves up the PCT corridor to Canada. I will likely post some pictures here on the blog. But more pictures of our travels will be posted to our Instagram account at: www.instagram.com/mcshap We encourage you to also visit our page there as most of our better photos are posted on that platform.

Patti and I both sincerely appreciate those of you who follow along and for all of your support.

Cheers!

Lynn

What Takes 5 Years To Go 1100 Miles & 4 Months To Go 1500? How We Plan to Finish the PCT This Year

When we started hiking small sections of the 2650-mile Pacific Crest Trail back in 2012, we told people we were on the 10-year plan. We figured the most we could ever get done any given year would be only 150 miles on average. So, we weren’t really sure when we might actually get to the northern terminus at the Canadian Border.

Mt. Shasta from the south on Castella to Chester hike, summer 2017.

One of the frustrations of being section hikers is the length of time we spend planning each segment. It’s not always cool to leave your car someplace for two weeks. So, we work hard to find good on and off access points to the trail. We also are captive to the clock, needing always to get back to our jobs. This, of course, plays a huge part in how many days we can stay on trail each outing. And all of this limits the number of miles we get in each year. Once we do get back on trail, we need three or four days to get into our groove, adjust to the altitude, etc. And by the time we start to really feel like we have finally connected with the trail, it’s time to chase off back to the “real world” – a reality, as I’ve written in the past, that is real only if we make it so.

Found this deer grazing in a meadow on our Castella to Chester hike last summer, 2017.

We are excited to announce…

…our decision to get back on trail in June. This time, instead of our usual two-weeks, we’ll be taking an extended leave to hike the remaining 1550 miles of the trail, taking us likely into October. We’ll soon start to share posts on our planning, preparation and schedule. We plan to keep up the blog during the hike, posting directly from the trail when possible.

We are also very excited to introduce Sweet Dreams Outdoors. We’ve partnered with Sweet Dreams to bring you reviews of new products and provide discounts on select gear  offered exclusively to our readers. Stay tuned for more details. Patti and I are both very excited to be part of the Sweet Dreams Outdoors team. Most of what they offer is recommended by staff members. The site features a lot of innovative products and the prices are really fair. It will be a blast to test and review new items as they become available.