Category: Mental Prep

Day 26 – Mile 424 to Acton KOA

MM: 444.3 Trail Miles: 20 Miles Walked: 20.6 Today the trail continued the transition from Alpine forest to desert scrub. The views were mostly of the valleys that line Hwy 14, the Antelope Valley Freeway. View of Hwy 14 I hadn’t slept well and was hankering for a nap by 1000. At 1030, I stopped

Day 16 Part 2 – Extraordinary Hikers

Beyond my normal journal entry, I wanted to make note of two people we met on the trail today. Just as I was starting to struggle physically and mentally, desperately in need of my first day off, I would meet two extraordinary fellow hikers. The first was Signe. It was about 10am and she was

Day 16 Part 1 – Mile 256 to Cougar Crest Trailhead & Big Bear

MM: 277.7 Trail Miles: 21.5 Miles Walked: 23.9 It was 32 deg at 0530 when I awoke to hear Montreal Marc and Mommento packing up. I was warm, comfortable and just as importantly, hadn’t slid anywhere during the night – my thermarest, sleeping bag and body were on top of each other. I’d finally found

The Two Sides of Fear: Paralyzing or Inspiring

It took a while for me to announce publicly that I was going to thru-hike the PCT. Effectively hitting ‘pause’ on your career, your life and, in some ways, your relationships, is not a decision made lightly. So even though I’ve been planning to hike it for over 20 years, it wasn’t until recently that

How to become a thru-hiking expert without ever thru-hiking

One of the first things I bought when I decided to hike the PCT was a paperback book titled “Ultralight Backpackin’ Tips” by Mike Clelland. Two weeks later I bought a second book, “Long-Distance Hiking” by Dan Feldman, as well as a recipe book, “ Lipsmackin’ Backpackin’ “ by Christine and Tom Connors. I was embarrassed standing in the

Predictions & Wagers – What do you miss on a thru hike?

It goes without saying I will miss my family, home and friends while I’m on the trail. I’m going to miss my coworkers and job as well. That is all a given. The trail removes you from everyday life and relationships. It also removes most modern conveniences. That’s one mental aspect I’ve been thinking about