Friday, May 29, 2015

Friday, May 29, 2015

The theme for today is to reduce my pack weight! As each day goes by, I seem to be adding more and more stuff to carry, or I remember something that I've forgotten to pack, and it's really adding up! A heavy pack will be lead to a 'less-than-happy camper,' as they say. So I've decided that I need to leave some things behind. Do I really need 4 pair of socks? Can I find a lighter container than the original container, to help reduce the weight? I didn't need the Advil bottle, as I was able to put them in a small zip-lock bag.
 
Here's another example ... I have a brand of toothpaste that I really like, and I had already packed the tube, but it's a large tube that was almost full (6.5 oz.), and I know I won't use the entire tube on this trip. I have a couple of smaller tubes of toothpaste (.85 oz.) that I got from my dentist, but I don't like the flavor at all. The simple solution to my problem was to empty out the smaller tube, and then re-fill it with the brand that I like. This seems like a lot of work, but it saved me about 1/4 pound (or more), and it also doesn't take up as much space in my pack. Every little bit helps.
 
I've also been going through some of my photos, and I'm cleaning some of my chips so I can take lots of pictures on this trip. I found this shot from 2012, and I thought I'd share it with you here.
 

In just a few more days, I'll be leaving Idaho for my big hike, and I'm getting very excited!

Thursday, May 28, 2015

Thursday, May 28, 2015

I've been busy getting my back-pack pulled together with all my gear. I'm feeling like I'm taking too much stuff this time, and I know my pack will be very heavy. It's already around 30 lbs, but that includes some of the food that I'll be taking along. The good news is that there is lot of water in the Northern Oregon Section of the PCT where I'll be starting, so I won't be worried about water and I won't have to carry a lot of water during the day. Most of the time, I'll be camping near water as well.
 
One problem that I seem to have, as the days pass by, is I keep thinking of additional 'stuff' that I need to take. Mose of it is fairly light, but when you add it all together, the sum of it all is HEAVY. I usually don't carry any rope, but I thought that I should be better with my food and hang it from a tree. The rope only weighs less than a pound, but it still adds up.
 
Today, I went for about a 3 mile hike with my loaded pack, just to make sure it is going to work OK. This is often called a "shake down" hike.
 
 
 
I went to Hull's Gulch, which is located at the end of 8th Street near Boise. It was a beautiful morning for hiking.

 
 
I still have not secured transportation to Hood River, Oregon. There's a Greyhound bus that leaves Tuesday evening for $60 one-way. The problem is that it arrives in Hood River at 4:00 a.m.! There's also a bus that leaves Boise on Wednesday Morning, and gets to Hood River in the afternoon ... same price. That one sounds better to me.
 
I've posted an advertisement on Craig's List asking for a ride to Hood River, and I can probably get a ride for around $30 - $40. I'll wait to see if I get any responses before I buy a ticket on Greyhound.
 
And there's always the option of just hitch-hiking. I've had fairly decent luck getting rides between Boise and Portland in the past, and you can be sure that there will be plenty of travelers going that direction. I even started building some good Karma ... the other day while driving on I-84 between Boise and Meridian, there was a young guy walking with a gas can in his hand, so I stopped and gave him a ride to the gas station. I even offered to give him a ride back to his car. Some people call this "paying it forward."
 
Wednesday will be here so quickly now!
 
 


Wednesday, May 27, 2015

Wednesday, May 27,2015

I've been packing some boxes of food and supplies to mail ahead. One will go to Timberline Lodge at Mt. Hood, and the other will go to Cascade Locks. I'm using the Flat Rate Medium box from the post office. It was just under $13 each to mail the boxes, and it will cost another $5 at Timberline Lodge to pick up my box, but at least I'll be getting exactly what I want in terms of the food selection, and I don't have to hitch into Government Camp (or walk) to get to the post office. And if I get to Timberline Lodge on a weekend, I can still get my box, whereas I'd have to wait until Monday at the post office.


I also sent away for my Canada Entry Permit ... if I make it all the way to Canada, I plan to continue on in to the town of Hope, then make my way to Vancouver, BC for a visit before heading back to Idaho.
 

Tuesday, May 26, 2015

Tuesday May 26, 2015

It's official! I've retired from Valley Regional Transit, and I'm about to pick-up where I left off the Pacific Crest Trail in 2008. I'm planning to catch a ride to Hood River, Oregon on Wednesday, June 3 to visit my son, Kyle Ocean, then make my way to the Olallie Lake Resort and start hiking North on the PCT to Timothy Lake, Timberline Lodge, Eagle Creek, Cascade Locks, and on towards White Pass - Highway 12 in Washington. That should be about 250 miles or so of hiking.

In 2008, I caught a ride from Olallie Lake Resort up to Timothy Lake, hiked a bit, and then skipped ahead again to Cascade Locks for a trail event. When the event was over, I  tried to hike back to Sisters, going up the Eagle Creek Trail to Mt. Hood. That's were it started to snow on me, so I caught a bus back to Sisters.

Starting at Ollalie Lake Resort will be the best way to get all the miles I missed in 2008 ... besides, this is an easy section to hike as there is not a lot of climbing, except the climb up to Timberline Lodge.

In mid-July, I want to be back in Idaho for a family campout, and I also want to be in Salem, Oregon by August 7, 2015 for my 40th High School Reunion from North Salem High School. But other than that, I'll be on the trail!

Keep checking this webpage, as I'm planning on up-dating it with stories and photos of my trip.