‘It was the week before the walk

It was the week before the walk when the whole house WAS MOVING!!! Whoever wrote that Christmas poem was definitely not a hiker filled with excitement and anticipation for his start date. The countdown to Campo has begun and last-minute preparation is in full swing.

There is much to do

Moving was difficult. My storage unit was full to the brim and even then, my ever-patient dog, Mica, was squished (safely) in the back seat on our way to my family’s house in San Diego. The last thing to arrive in the car was my beloved 4-foot-tall NatGeo PCT map that has inspired me for the past few years, aptly hanging in direct view of my living room couch. Luckily, I kept this up until the morning I left, taking it down in what seemed like the perfect goodbye to the place I’ve called home for so long. The plan is to post this map on a cork board for my family to pin, following my progress north.

I felt immensely relieved to have completed the move and shifted my attention solely to preparing for the trail.

Since I arrived in San Diego, I have been practicing yoga. Hot yoga and long walks with Mica around the neighborhood seem to be the perfect combination to train in the desert heat and introduce a slight reduction. Not to mention the desperate need for some calm and relaxation amidst the aforementioned pre-hike jitters.

Last weekend, I convinced my family to come with me to our local REI to buy a new gas canister. Our closest REI turns out to be the obligatory stop before arriving at the terminal. In the back of the store there is a log book and a map hanging to mark his hometown. We were surprised by the number of people who come from all over the world to hike! It was surreal to write my name in a logbook for the first time among many others on this trip.

Then we went to the supermarket to buy food for the first leg and my next resupply. Committing to this hike, I expected my friends and family to ask a lot of what and why questions surrounding the PCT. To my surprise, there haven’t been many questions other than what I’ll eat along the way. So, for inquiring minds, here’s what’s on the menu for my first week on the trail:

• Breakfast
  • Café Bustelo Instant Coffee
  • Kodiak Peak Protein Oats and Nuts
• Lunch/Snacks
  • Cliff-building bars
  • Constructed puff pastry bars
  • Mixed Nuts
  • Chicken Bone Broth
  • Lemon-lime electrolytes
  • Nerd Bundle/Nerd String Bundles (duh)
  • Gummy Bear Packs
• Dinner
  • Good marinara pasta to take away with chicken fingers
  • Chicken flavored ramen
  • Filled Walking Tamales, Black Beans and Rice with Cilantro
  • “Trail Sushi” (Seaweed snack, instant sticky rice, tuna packet and soy sauce)

I wasn’t ready to consume instant potatoes and peanut butter tortillas yet…

so little time

I can’t believe the next time I write it will be my first day on the PCT. It’s happening! I’m off to snuggle with my dog, wrap up pending work tasks before my leave starts, have happy hour goodbyes with friends, and enjoy the last few moments of family time before heading to the trail…

We talk from the field!!!

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