My PCT Appendix

I’m still adding information to my fifth and final PCT journal, which I first blogged about here. Truthfully, I think I’ll be adding to this journal for a good amount of time still to come.  I’ve got information in my head that I just have to get down on paper before the memories fade to oblivion:  Campsites, packing lists, songs I heard, trail conditions, favorite foods… the sort of info I look forward to reading when I’m much, much older is sitting in my head, waiting to be added to the “appendix.”

This page below is from the section on my campsites of the PCT.  The watercolor, pen & ink sketch is of a campsite I named “Camp Sneaky Deer,” a small meadow in Kerrick Canyon (Yosemite NP).  I named it after a deer tried to sneak up on me while I slept to lick the salt off of my hanging clothes.

I was curious on how much of the PCT I actually skipped. The answer surprised me!  Half of a mile here, ten miles there, and before I knew it, I had detoured nearly 150 PCT miles!  However, for the most part, I stuck to a personal guideline: if the detour is equal to or greater than the PCT section I’m straying from, I’m OK with that.  I hiked about 220 non-PCT miles on my journey.

I finalized all of the data I collected on my trek.  The red represents adjusted mileage that I miscalculated while on the trail (Usually only a few tenths of a mile off.)  Have you ever thought it was a Friday when it was actually a Thursday?  Yeah, I did this for NINE DAYS.  The section in yellow is the time I spent not realizing I was a day behind.

“100 Hikes 2012″ Journal

In November, I was hoping to get an early start on my resolutions for 2012.  I was planning on upgrading my 2009 goals and hiking 100 times & 700 miles in 2012.  But life takes unexpected turns and after a family health emergency, I changed plans. I’m beginning to think that my journals are like jazz music: open to experimentation and inspiration. I suppose that’s why I don’t have “rules” for my journals but rather just “guidelines.” I don’t want to limit myself in how I capture my journeys. Experimentation in journal keeping has lead me to new ways of keeping them.    In this hiking journal for the new year, I put down my standard black ballpoint pen and started using a Pigma Micron ink pen.  I also began experimenting with color while on the trail. On the page below, I used watercolor pencils and Pigma Micron pens to make the pages a little more interesting for me to create.

I learned quickly that it is difficult to write with Pigma Micron pens while on the trail, so I switched to mechanical pencil.  On this hike, I wrote and sketched using 2H grade graphite. For the image on the right page, I sketched it in pencil, then used my Watercolor Pencil Palette and Pigma Micron pens to add detail. I also incorporated white gouache paint, another first for me.

I went back to using my trusted Papermate black ballpoint pen for a camping trip in February.

A pencil I brought along came in handy when I saw a summit marker on Mt. Diablo. I took a rubbing of the marker for my journal.

I used my 2012 Hikes journal to start hashing out my goals for the year. Among the goals, and now well documented on my blog, is my upcoming Sierra Trek 2012. The page below shows some preliminary route ideas and possible resupply locations. I also began using a heavier graphite in my pencil. The 3B grade works a lot better for me than the 2H. Even though it smudges easily, it’s darker markings are easier to see on the cream-colored pages.

I’ve always had an obsession with maps, but only recently have I begun to really enjoy making my own. Here’s one I made during a hike along the Deschutes River here in Bend, Oregon.

“Sierra Trek 2012″ Journal

For the first time, my main hiking journal is a large Moleskine rather than the pocket-sized version. Lucky for me, I’m a big guy and the large book still fits nicely in my breast pocket. I just started using this journal, mainly adding information I think I’ll need on my long hike. Instead of photocopying a ton of nature field guides, I decided to sketch some of the info in the journal, making it easier to reference on the trail.

This page below is a start of the common butterflies found in the Sierra, painted using my color pencil palette. I’m not done with the page but I wanted to scan it to show you the rippling of the pages, a common effect caused by painting in the Moleskine Plain Notebooks (both large and small). My style of painting uses very little water, making it possible to use watercolors in this type of journal without it bleeding through the page, but the rippling of the page still occurs. Thankfully, after a few days of drying, the ripples will go away. (As you can see in the other watercolor pages in this post). I’ll finish this page soon and rescan it, showing you how the ripples had faded away over time.

Gear
I’ve noticed that the more time I have for planning a long-distance hike, the more I think about upgrading my gear. I’ve replaced my long-trusted yet terribly-dilapidated North Face Vector 22 tent with an REI Quarter Dome T2.  Gone is my broken Gregory Baltoro 70, which I replaced with a newer model, the Gregory Baltoro 65. Thanks to their 1-year guarantee, I’ve got a new pair of KEEN Targhee II Mid but I’m hoping to wear the KEEN Pyrenees on my trek, as soon as KEEN gets a size 16 in stock.

What to pack is a battle between Wants and Needs. I need to have essential items such as food, shelter, and clothing, but do I need to have a camera? A journal? Art supplies? An mp3 player? Hard decisions have to be made on what I am to carry on my back for so many miles over tough terrain. Lucky for me, I was built like an ox and can carry heavier loads than most, but every ounce takes a little more energy to carry, which could potentially lead to less enjoyment, more pain, and injuries. Even now, with two months until my departure, I’ve laid out all the items I want and/or need for my hike and have begun inspecting each one, pondering how important it is for the trip. Some items are not being questioned: I am carrying a journal, that is certain. I’m definitely carrying a camera as well.  Art supplies, such as my ultra-light watercolor pencil palette, for painting while on the trek?  It’s still on the chopping block.

Knowing I’m carrying a journal, a camera, and other heavier “wants,” I’m cutting down on any other ounce of weight that I can. I removed the spool of dental floss from its bulky dispenser, sharpened writing pencils down to nubs, and purchased travel-sized toiletries such as toothpaste and sunscreen.  I hope to do a hike here soon with my loaded backpack, including 5 liters of water and 6-7 days of food, to see how it feels.

Resupply
Then there are items I’ve decided not to carry all the time, such as repair parts, replacement gear, MICROspikes, and extra journals.  These are items I know I will eventually need, but the question is: when will I need them? I’ve worked out a schedule of where and when I’ll be detouring to civilization to resupply with food and other items, but my concern now is sending the right gear to the right resupply stop. Luckily, I’ll be hitting Kennedy Meadows, the gateway to the High Sierra, in the first week of my trek.  There I will be able to give myself a shakedown,  or re-evaluating my gear, getting rid of extra weight, and sending home items I’ve decided aren’t worth carrying.

Permits

I spend a day in February investigating my permit situation. I was on the phone for hours, talking to rangers in Wilderness Permit offices, explaining my route and asking which permits I needed to cover my trip. I talked with Sequoia National Forest Wilderness Office for a permit, who directed me to Inyo National Forest Whitney office, who directed me to the Bishop Permit Office, who directed me back to the Sequoia National Forest! But I got it all straightened out, and I was issued a permit. Despite the fact that I’m entering so many forests, climbing Mount Whitney, and camping in three national parks, all I need is a permit issued through the agency where I enter the Sierra (the Golden Trout Wilderness) and that free permit will be recognized by all other agencies I visit. It’s a big relief to have figured out this aspect of my journey!

Training

I hope to get into shape by hiking as much as possible prior to my departure.  “Sierra Trek 2012″ is my big goal for the year, but my first goal is to hike 170 trail miles before I depart on May 30th. I should be averaging about 2.4 miles a day to hit that goal, but I’ve been behind since the start.  As of today (April 7), I’ve hiked 42.4 miles since I started this goal on March 13th.  I should have hiked  58.1 miles by now to be on schedule.  Thankfully, the weather is getting better here in Central Oregon and I should be able to get out more often. I hope to get in a few overnight backpacking trips as well, which should push up my mileage quickly.  At this point, I have no doubt that I will be able to reach my goal of 150 trail miles by May 30th.

Here are a few photos from that day:

This has been a long time coming, but here’s part two of three of my favorite photos from my 2011 PCT trek. Part one can be found here. I really started getting into a stride as I reached mile 500 on the Pacific Crest Trail, but this next 500-mile section tested me like nothing in my life has tested me before.  I hiked 22 miles in a day through the seemingly shadeless High Desert, summited Mt. Whitney, and was humbled by the natural forces always at work in the Sierra Nevada.  There were more than a few times that I wanted to quit and go home.  But I continued northwards, pushing my limits, and finding many moments of bliss along the way. Here are the photos. Enjoy!

Pondering my next hike from atop Mt. Whitney (July, 2011)

GOAL # 1 – To hike 150 miles in the next 80 days

As much as I love hiking, this hike guy has been busy doing everything except hiking.  I had some family issues I needed to take care of for the last few months, but now I’m ready.  It’s time to get back my hiking legs, and fast!  I’ve got until June 1st to get back into shape.  So from now until then – 80 days – I’ll be on a trail somewhere.  I’m going to implement my rules from my 2010 goals with some slight modifications:

1. A “hike” must be mostly off of paved surfaces. There will be no “hikes” to the grocery store. The only exception is if a “trail” is a paved footpath or a forest road.
2. A weekend hike must be at least 3 miles long in order for the mileage to apply to this goal. We weekday hike must be at least 2 miles long.
3. The hike must be documented online in the form of photos and/or video. Distances will be measured by my GPS (if possible) or by estimations based on maps.

So maybe you’re asking, “Why June 1st? What’s happening on June 1st?“  The answer is in my next goal:

Overview of the SHR

GOAL # 2 – Thru-hike the Sierra High Route.

The Sierra High Route (SHR) is a 195-mile trek through the high country of the Sierra Nevada in California.  Only a small portion of the route follows any defined trails. Whereas the nearby John Muir Trail traverses over 11 passes, the SHR hits 33. I suspect that the hike is going to kick my butt, but I’m hoping that I will preserver.  I think I’m really pushing my mental limitations on this one, folks.  Despite the fact that I did so many miles on the Pacific Crest Trail last season, I have a feeling that this relatively short hike will be much more difficult.

GOAL #3 – Spend 50 days in the Sierra Nevada.

I fell in love with the Range of Light last year and I hate long-distance relationships.  I’m going to follow my heart and spend time strengthening my relationship with the mountains.  I don’t know how long it will take me to complete the SHR, but I know it will be a lot less than fifty days. I’m planning to hike much more than the 195-mile SHR on my big journey.  My tentative plan is to start my hike on the PCT at Walker Pass near Lake Isabella, CA, hike north on the PCT for about 100 miles in order to properly acclimate to the high elevations, summit Mt. Whitney, then head west to Road’s End in Kings Canyon National Park.  From there, I start the SHR heading north.

GOAL #4 – Get a job!

This might be the most difficult goal of 2012.  I certainly didn’t have much luck in 2011!

So there they are.  It’s been said. Now it’s time to do. I’ll update with my progress. Stay tuned!

I was completely taken aback by the popularity of my little video, Condor’s PCT Adventure in 3 Minutes (below). As of today, the video has been viewed nearly 40,000 times. It has been featured on some of my favorite websites: REI, Sierra Daily, Hiking In Finland, Pete Thomas Outdoors, and Rick McCharles’ BestHike.com. I’ve also discovered international discussions about the video, but only have an idea of what they say since the sites are in Hungarian, French-Canadian, and German. I’ve also discovered some excellent websites thanks in part to the viral spotlight cast on my video.

When I made the video, I wanted to keep it short. Any longer than a few minutes and I knew I’d lose viewer’s interest. I figured that not everyone watching the video would make it to the end and wanted to reward those who did. Based on viewer statistics, only about 64% of you stuck around to the end to see me dance like, well, like a mountain man who spent a little too long in the woods. More proof:

All of the feedback I’ve received about my video has been positive. It gives me great satisfaction that it has inspired people to get outdoors. I’ve been doing my best to promote the outdoor lifestyle for years and had no idea that this video would do so much towards that cause. Thank you for everyone for your messages of support. If you would like to chat about the outdoors or learn more about what I’m up to, feel free to joint the discussion on my Facebook public profile.

Some of you have asked me for a closer look at some of the 300+ photos I used to make my video. I can’t imagine being able to appreciate the scenery as it sped past at about 215 images per minute, so I’ve uploaded all the photos onto Flickr for you to peruse. Keep in mind that I never intended these images to be viewed for more than a split second, so you might see small tweaks I’ve made to a handful of the images (like background cloning or corner distortions) in order to fill the frame while still aligning my eyes in every frame. Click here or on the image below to be taken to my Flickr set.

From Wainwright The Biography by Hunter Davies:

“Give me a map to look at, and I am content. Give me a map of country I know, and I am comforted: I live my travels over again, step by step, I recall the journeys I have made; half-forgotten incidents spring vividly to mind, and again I can suffer and rejoice at experiences which are once more made very real. Old maps are old friends, understood only by the man with whom they have travelled the miles. Nobody could read my maps as I do. Lend a book to a friend and he can enjoy it and miss nothing of its story: lend him a map, and he cannot even begin to read the tale it has to tell. For maps are personal things which books are not. The appeal of an old map is to the memory; an old map spread across my knees closes my eyes. The older, the more tattered it is, the greater my affection for it. I recall our adventures together in storm and sunshine; an occasion, perhaps, when it slipped from my pocket and I searched my tracks anxiously, as for a lost companion, until it was found; an occasion, perhaps, when the mist was thick and instinct and the map urged different ways, and I followed the map and came to a safe ground again. Ah yes, maps are grand companions.”

~ AW Wainwright

My watercolor pencil palette!

I find that using watercolor pencils rather than watercolor pans allow me more control over the amount of color I add to my journals. I also love the simplicity and minimalistic aspect of applying color using just a drop or two of water from a water brush mixed into the tip of a watercolor pencil. Before I implemented this palette, I would whittle a long groove into the tip of a watercolor pencil in order to expose more of the colored lead. I would rarely apply a watercolor pencil directly to paper, but rather dab a water pen onto the pencil, then onto the page.

Here’s what you needed for this project:

1. 5×7″ picture frame
2. Beacon Quick Grip All-Purpose Permanent Adhesive
3. Exacto knife
4. Balsa wood
5. Sandpaper
6. Xacto X75300 Precision Razor Saw Set
7. Watercolor Pencil set (Palette will hold up to 96 colors)

To start, I went down to my local frame seller (Rite Aid, Michael’s, Target, ect.) and found a solid frame that looked like it could take some bangs and hits out in the field. I chose a 5×7″ frame, but you could probably use a 4×6″ frame just as well for this project. Just make sure that it is deep enough to hold a pencil (1/2 inch deep will do). I looked for a frame with some shelf damage and convinced the the store to sell it to me at a discount. At home, I removed the guts of the frame (the glass, cardboard, and leg) and replaced it with a 5×7″ cut piece of balsa wood. (You can find balsa wood at most local hobby stores.) In a well ventilated area, I glued in the wood using Quick Grip All-Purpose Permanent Adhesive and let it set for a few hours.

While the glue set, I cut my Prismacolor pencils down to size. I took my well-used set of pencils and cut off their heads. For those of you following along in making your own palette and you’re starting with a new set of unsharpened pencils, can skip this step.

Headless pencils.

I then cut off two 12mm sections of each pencil. Why two, you ask? I figured that since I took the time to do this project, I’d spend a little more time making a backup set. Here’s what all 100 cut pieces look like resting in the frame. I laid them in at this stage just to figure out how many pieces would fit comfortably in each row (the answer in my case is 24).

I then whittled each 12mm piece to expose the pigmented lead center. I also exposed a bit of the raw wood on the opposite end to write down the watercolor pencil number. In this photo is Prismacolor’s “Dark Green”

And here are the rest:

After whittling all the pieces, I organized them by color out of the palette, laid down a few rows of glue in the pallete, then placed each whittled pencil, aligning them carefully. The Beacon adhesive takes a while to cement, so if you make a mistake, you have a few minutes to move around the pencils.

Since I only have about 50 colors in my set (all I really need), I removed a row to make room for misc. art supplies (pens, graphite pencils, brushes, etc.) I also made sure that the color end of the pencil was facing away from its neighboring color. This will help keep your colors separated when you add water to the palette. The top row is 24 duplicate colors, the colors I use the most in the field.

Don’t throw out the remaining shaft of pencil that you didn’t cut! It is still useful as a pencil or as stock for when you need to replace a depleted color in your palette.

I originally envisioned a hinged lid – and I bought the supplies to make one – but I travel with this palette in a freezer bag, which does a fine job in protecting the palette.

Have any questions? Feel free to post them below!

As the 377 photos and 11 videos parade by at 215 beats per minute, keep an eye out for a few Easter eggs: a bloody nose, a pair of broken sunglasses, my parents (twice), two fly fishermen, a movie theater marque, a rainbow, a “buckle up” joke, a famous date shake from Hadley’s, the leg of a fake human skeleton, and my 3-year old niece sleeping.

And here’s what 1000 photos looks like!

The lyrics from Disney’s The Jungle Book provides good advice for thru hikers. When I stripped down my bag to just the necessities to summit Mount Whitney as a side trip off of my Pacific Crest Trail journey, I couldn’t believe how much faster I could hike. I was hopping and skipping up the steep switchbacks of Whitney’s west side, practically running circles around a troop of Boy Scouts that were weighed down by their heavy packs. Of course, some thru hikers ONLY carry 10-12 pounds of gear for their PCT thru-hikes, and they ran circles around me. Other than my side trip to Whitney, I was by no means an “ultra light” backpacker. I carried a 3.3 pound 2-man tent, a 3.3 pound sleeping bag, and enough electronics to open a Radio Shack on the trail.

The point of this blog is to tell you about five items I was so happy to have had on the trail. They aren’t life saving, but very handy nonetheless. There was never a time I thought, “Boy, I can’t believe I brought these. What a bunch of dead weight!” Au contraire! These items made my thru hike more enjoyable every day I had them.

1 – A Journal
I’m a huge advocate for keeping a written account while on the trail. I’m not talking a blog over at trailXX that you update via e-mail. I’m talking about a physical book or notepad that is carried and written in while on the trail. As far back as history records, adventurers kept a journal. Captain Louis Merriwhether was famous for his diligent work in his journal. His words and sketches increased our knowledge in geography, history, and biology. You might not create such an important journal on your long hike, but the act of writing down what you did, what you saw, how you felt, and who you were with will help make your journey a long-lasting memory.
I like the Moleskine Plain Notebook Pocket for their size, sturdy design, and protective cardboard-bound cover.

2 – A Head Net
Many potential thru hikers worry about encountering rattlesnakes, bears, and mountain lions. Well, those aren’t worth your time worrying about. PCT Alumni will tell tales of the BUGS they encountered on their hike more than any 4-legged animal encounter. Swarms of biting flies, air thick with mosquitoes, and small gnats that look like flying periods jabbing you in the retinas. These annoyances can be controlled by a simple head net, keeping these pesky bugs a safe distance from your face and out of your eyes. Best of all, it weighs practically nothing. The Sea to Summit Insect Shield Mosquito Head Net weighs 1.3 ounces and is sold at REI.

Take a break near the San Andres Rift Zone meant dealing with HUNDREDS of biting flies. I was bit twice in my hand as I took this video.

3 – A Good Spork
Surprised to find this item on my list? After weeks and months of hiking, you appreciate the small things. Spend some time shopping around for a good spork. Make sure the handle is long, especially if you’re going to be using a JetBoil. Having a long, sturdy spork will get you through cooking dinner without any burned knuckles or finger tips.


I went with the Guyot Desings – “The Utensils” and left the spatula half of the set at home.

4 – Gaiters
Gaiters are cloth that wrap around your ankles, helping keep dirt, pebbles, and sticks out of your socks and footwear. Like journals, even early explorers wore gaiter-like protection. Heck, even Luke Skywalker wrapped cloth around his legs while on Tatooine to keep his feet free of debris. Clean socks last longer. Clean feet allow you to hike further. I used running gaiters for most of the trip, which even helped keep water out of my boot while fording shallow streams. I wore snow gaiters in parts of the Sierras, which helped keep my feet dry. And like the head net, gaiters weigh practically nothing.

I went through a few pairs of gaiters, but the one’s that lasted the longest were these REI Trail Running Gaiters.

5 – Extra Shoe Laces
A broken shoe lace can lead to blisters faster than you think. I had a boot lace break and decided to hike another 1/2 mile before stopping to replace it. In that short amount of time, I started getting a blister! A broken lace means that your footwear is going to rub against your foot in unusual ways, leading to blisters. Think your laces are indestructible? All the more reason to carry extra! A shoelace can also be used to tie up a tarp, attach a sleeping bag or ground mat to a backpack, or even an emergency splint or sling in case of an injury.

Notice the blue lace on the right boot.

Do you think I missed an item? Let me know by leaving a comment below!