Flextrek 37-Trillion

I just had to post this. Enjoy!

Documenting Your Hike via a Geo-Diary

In preparation for my hike on the Continental Divide Trail (CDT), I have been trying to figure out how to put together a geo-diary of my hike. Ultimately what I would like to do is put something together in Google Earth (everyone should have Google Earth downloaded on their computers!) that would have the path I followed for my CDT hike. I want to post pictures and notes on this map, and make it an interactive experience for friends and family who will be following me on my hike. However, I have had a hard time trying to figure out how to remotely upload GPS information when I find myself in town taking a zero day.

Today, I discovered EveryTrail.com, which has the answer to my problem. EveryTrail allows one to upload GPS information to their site, which can be imported into Google Maps and Google Earth. BINGO! They also provide capability for one to plug a map widget into a blog, which will display an interactive map of one's journey along with pictures and notes. One can also go to EveryTrail's site to check out a trip. Here's a link to see what it looks like. Cool eh?

Before I get too excited, I certainly need to try all this out before I do this blindly on the CDT. First things first: get a cable that I can pug into my Garmin eTrex Vista GPS. I have an older serial port cable that's not going to work on my Mac - I need to check and see if I can get a cable that has a USB connection. Second, I have to relearn how to use my GPS. It's been so long (2003) since I've used it. I have a VHS tape that teaches one to use a GPS, but the last time I tried running it, I could not get the VCR player I unearthed working right. By the way, check out this video before throwing out that old VCR.

I may try out the widget on this site before I throw it on my soon-to-be-built CDT blog - yes, I will be doing a separate blog for the CDT. Anyway, look for the EveryTrail widget on this site, perhaps starting today. Perhaps I can record my hike to Best Buy to see if they have the cable I need for my GPS. I think I can still remember to enter waypoints!

PCT Monument at Southern Terminus Restored

Props to Brian "Panama" Gill for restoring the weathered PCT monument at the southern terminus.  In an e-mail sent to Greg "Strider" Hummel , Panama wrote:

"I Brian Gill 'Panama' dedicate the restoration of the pacific crest trail monument to all hikers and lovers of this trail. On 2-2-09 at 8:30 am I attempted to bring back to life our beloved so cal pct monument with great success in spite of the fact it looked close to being replaced. I scraped all loose and peeling paint. Patched all cracks, holes and damaged areas. Primed all exposed and patched areas then applying two full coats of paint. Had one or two large patches I had to short cut with expandable foam as I ran out patch and caulking. Will return on kick off to remove a few temp patches then touch up. Monument will then receive one full coat of water proofing, angle brackets and looking into a new register box with a sign "please don't stand on monument'. Still have to get the ok on that."

Among thru-hikers, this monument is probably the most photographed place on the Pacific Crest Trail, which means that for this year's hikers, they will get a photo of the monument in as tip-top shape as it is going to get.  I will say that it is going to be hard to keep people from jumping on top of it!  Perhaps a sign might deter hikers from piling on top of it.

Below are before and after pictures that Panama sent along.  Enjoy!

Before

After

Homemade Energy Bars

I have been making homemade energy bars lately. I got recipe off the web, and I modified it a bit to include some other ingredients that I like. I made my first batch on Saturday, and I dehydrated them for a day. Today, I tried my first bar, and I thought it tasted great. I made a second batch tonight, and I thought I'd write my recipe here:

1-cup Peanut Butter
1-cup Honey
1-cup Powdered Milk
1-cup Oats (finely chopped)
1/4-cup Raisins
1/4-cup Chopped Coconut
4-Tbsp. Wheat Germ
2-Tbsp. Flax Meal
2-Tbsp Molasses

Mix Ingredients together in a large bowl and shape into a bar with hands. Put into a dehydrator for about 8-hours. Let cool, and wrap for later hiking trips.

Boots or Trail Runners???

Shoes! Yes, shoes! I like to think that they are my gear item of the week. Truthfully, I have been pondering them for the last month.

I thought that I would start out wearing the Aku boots that I won at Trail Days back in 2001. Those boots are in good shape, since I hardly wear them. However, I think back to my Appalachian Trail hike and the time when I walked in a driving rain storm towards Hanover, NH with a pair of sloshy, heavy, water-logged Asolo hiking boots. How miserable it was to wear those "waterproof" pieces of crap that practically doubled in weight from all the water they absorbed. I tried to dry them out by stuffing newspaper in them and setting them in a sunny spot for a day, but I think all I did was create a hot, steamy culture inside the boots, suitable for the proliferation of jungle rot organisms. Needless to say, I switched to a lighter Merrill hiking boot, which did really well on the AT. Still, I yearned for fleet feet. Enter the trail running shoe.

I saw people wearing trail runners on the AT, but I stuck with what I had. When it came time to plan for my PCT hike, all I heard about was how most hikers wear trail runners, so I thought I would give them a chance. I wore New Balance 805s and 806s for most of my hike (the first 750-miles I used two pairs of blown-out running shoes), and I loved them. Nary did I experience major foot problems, and they dried out a hell of a lot quicker than big, clunky boots. I was a convert to trail runners.

Beginning the CDT in the middle of June means that I will be slogging through snow, and from what I understand, a good deal of rain. A part of me says, go back to boots, at least for the northern portion of Montana, but I think back to my previous AT experience, and again I am resolved not to wear them. So I have decided on the New Balance trail runners again - as they say, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."

I picked up a pair of 811s at the New Balance store here in San Francisco. Since the 811s are last year's model, the salesman knocked $20 off the price. I also went to geardirect.com, where I found the even older 810s in my size for $56 a pair, which I thought was bargain, so I bought three pairs! Now I am all set for the shoes for the CDT, which means I can now ponder other details of my hike, like making my own food for the trail. Time to research energy bar recipes!

Fruit Leathers!!

In preparation of my CDT hike, I am making fruit leathers. Tonight, I found raspberries for $1.00 for a 6 oz. container and strawberries for $1.89/pound at the Haight Street Market.  I also had cranberries in my freezer, and an apple and a lime in my fruit basket.  Making fruit leathers is easy, so I am providing instructions for the raspberry fruit leather:

(2) 6 oz. containers of raspberries

1/3 cup of sugar

1/2 lime juice

1/3 cup of water

Combine ingredients in 1-quart saucepan.  Bring to a boil and simmer for about 10-minutes - stir occasionally.  Pour mixture in a blender and blend.  Pour mixture on parchment paper or plastic insert that came with your food dehydrator, and dehydrate for 7-8 hours or until it has a "leathery" texture.  Place leather on pizza pan and cut with pizza wheel.  Roll pieces in saran wrap and store in freezer until ready to use.

You can cook up any number of berries in the same manner.  I also added a half of an apple to my strawberries when I cooked them up, and in the past, I have added bananas, oranges, and pomegranates in other mixtures.

Try out fruit leathers for your next hike.  They really go a long way in making your hike a more enjoyable experience.

Back on Track!

I went hiking up to Point Reyes this past weekend with Stormy (PCT 2003), and it was perfect. What a relief it was to get out of San Francisco to be out in the wilderness! We were not hiking big miles, and some of our hiking was on the beach (California Coastal Trail in the future???), which was such a refreshing change from being on a narrow, undulating trail.

I had been in a dispute with my roommate for the last few weeks, since he owes me back rent. However, tonight we were able to come to an agreement and work out our differences. He paid me half of the rent for this month, and he has promised to pay the rest of what me owes me little by little. He says that he will have the rent for January for sure.

What a relief it is to get things resolved, because if I had tried to get into a legal battle with him, it would have cost both of us a lot of money, and perhaps jeopardized my plans to hike the CDT. So after tonight, I think I am back on track to hike for sure.

I have noticed that there are a few others who are committed to doing the CDT in 2009. It seems like most people are going northbound. Is there anything I can do to convince them to go southbound? Northbounders, if you are reading this, CHANGE YOUR MINDS!!! Well, I guess we all have to hike our own hike, and pursue our own journeys, but it would sure be nice to have a little company!

I am so dreaming about the trail, and getting out of the "real world" for a while. All the complexities of this "real world" are just too... complex! I yearn for the different complexities: weather, maildrops, distances between water, whether to hike up that ridge or not, etc. These complexities are really home for me.

I purchased a really nice Mountain Hardwear Cohesion rain jacket at REI for only $59! It used to be priced at $150, but somehow made its way to the clearance rack. I've never really had a good rain jacket, since I believe in wearing one only when I stop for a break to retain warmth. However, after reading Yogi's book on the CDT, I thought it might be a good idea to add a quality rain jacket to my arsenal. I also picked up some liner gloves and a few pairs of Smartwool socks. Shoe purchases are next.