Prep #9 - Data torture

Tearing apart money. Well that was a weird feeling.

Am I evening going to use this stuff?

Oh, what am I talking about. I'm talking about the process of tearing my YOGI HANDBOOK, GUIDEBOOKS and DATA BOOK into sections for lighter travel. I offered my frugal wallet-mind relief that if I didn't read all this material it was a worthy insurance policy.

Sad news is that my 26 old eyes may have to bring their glasses if I want to read on this hike. I didn't take my glasses four years ago on my AT hike.

I am focusing my energies next on nutrition. How to I best replenish energy after 20 miles of desert hiking? How can I keep variety in my diet when resupply grocery stores are modest sized and often in culinary conservative areas?
caseyonpct.blogspot.com
I am created for happiness and joy; To deny myself joy & peace is to deny God's gift and therefore deny the giver.

Prep #8 -- Bob's Red Mill

SUPPORT: Thanks to Bob's Red Mill for donating 160 servings of 10-GRAIN CEREAL. I have enjoyed this cereal on past adventures. I am excited to have a bulk of my breakfasts on the trail be so highly nutritious as Bob's 10-GRAIN CEREAL. One of my greatest efforts for this PCT hike will be to eat healthier and more mindfully then I did on my AT thru-hike in 2004. As trail breakfasts go Bob's 10-GRAIN CEREAL is one of the best options: Low travel weight, great taste, nutritious, and easily adaptable for variety (honey, molasses, dried fruit, etc.) and cooks easily with just water.

To explain this donors contribution let me tell a bit of my efforts. In addition to asking everyone to donated to Al Forthan Scholarship Fund, I wrote letters to some of my favorite product manufacturers. I thought I might get some in-kind gifts and allow myself to focus more on Hiking for Recovery (H4R). I have a few more letters out there and I'll see how things wrap up i in the end. I am very grateful for everyone contribution to my two loves. Change (i.e. the work of the MRC and Al Forthan Scholarship Fund) and the Outdoors.

Fundraising: I recently have expanded my fundraising efforts. Part of the reason I'm fundraising is to connect people. Simply having a financial goal doesn't necessarily encourage a large quantity of donors. So now in addition to my $1.00 per mile goal, I'm hoping to get one donor per day. That is approximately 150 donors one for each of day of my five months I plan to be on the PCT. (Tell your friends quickly)

Personal: The weekend of 2/8-10 took me to Chicago on a last minute trip (4.5hour drive) to visit my roommate from JVC in Portland as he was visiting the Windy City. Bernie decided to travel back to Ohio with me and spend the week travelling NW OHIO and SE MI. I didn't get much work done on the PCT planning. However I had a delightful time reconnecting with my beloved friend.

Prep #7 -- What about the PCT?

Next week's post: Highlights I look forward e.g. potential 30 mile side trip to summit Mt.Adams in WA. and small towns such as Stehekin on Lake Chelan in WA.

Overview of hike
To fit into a weather window which considers water supply in the deserts of s. California, snow melt in the Sierra Range and first snows of fall in the Northern Cascades (WA), I have approximately 5 months to hike the entire distance of the PCT. Sometimes this windows makes me a bit nervous. Can I pull the miles? Will my body be agreeable with the demands necessary to meet this schedule?

Leaving the Mexico Border near Campo,CA and heading north in late April. My daily mileage will hang near 20 + to get from water supply to water supply and I need to carry 6L with me between caches. For those who don't hike, 6L is a burden of 12 lbs. and approximately 4 more L than I've carried on other trips (because refilling more often was an option).

Along the distance of the trail, I will hitch into small towns to resupply with food, clean up and refuel (gorging to make up for an on trail calorie deficit). These resupply points are at different distances through-out my planned hike. Approximatly every 4-5 days, I'll pick up new food and fuel. In some towns, I'll rest my weary mind and body in a real bed and shower more than once. YEH. (when I hike the AT, showering was the pleasure I enjoyed most in town).

Repeating this process 25-30 times and I've cover 150 days of travel and the entire trail. The US border meets Canada along the PCT in the Middle of nowhere, so I'll hike an additional 8+ miles to a small town and bus to Vancouver, B.C. Then bus to Seattle and make my way to somewhere else.

Overview of the Pacific Crest Trail (2650 +miles)
The following information was taken from
The Pacific Crest Trail Association

More information about PCT in: Southern CA, Central CA, Northern CA, Oregon, Washington

"Zigzagging its way from Mexico to Canada through California, Oregon and Washington the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) boasts the greatest elevation changes of any of America's National Scenic Trails, allowing it to pass through six out of seven of North America's ecozones including high and low desert, old-growth forest and artic-alpine country. Indeed, the PCT is a trail of diversity and extremes. From scorching desert valleys in Southern California to rain forests in the Pacific Northwest, the PCT offers hikers and equestrians a unique, varied experience. (pcta.org)"

"Over the past decade the PCT has become a favorite target of thru-hikers and thru-riders (the hearty souls who attempt to hike or ride an entire long-distance trail in one "season"). Each year, in fact, an average of 300 hikers attempt to cover the full length of the PCT (thru-riders are more rare but increasing in number). Thousands of other hikers and equestrians enjoy this national treasure each year, some traveling only a few miles in the course of a day hike. (pcta.org)"

"offers the best of the West - the Mojave Desert, the Sierra Nevada and Mt. Whitney, Yosemite National Park, Marble Mountain and the Russian Wilderness in Northern California, the volcanoes of the Cascades including Mt. Shasta and Mt. Hood, Crater Lake, Columbia River Gorge, Mt. Rainier, and the remote Northern Cascades. (pcta.org)"

prep #6 --LaraBar

LARABAR

I am grateful for the gift that LARABAR made to my hike endeavor. When I shared with them my hiking dream and fundraising goal they sent me a gift pack of 32 various flavors of LARABAR and a tee shirt.

I approached LARABAR for support because I have really enjoyed their product's quality and taste. Having spent seven months on end supplementing my three main meals along the Appalachian Trail with 3-5 energy bars a day, I know it's very important to put quality food in for fuel. LARABARs are delicious and nutritious. As I hike I'll be burning 4000+ cal. a day, so getting food in it unadulterated form (like raw foods in LARABAR) means healthier and greater bang per oz.

Thanks LARABAR

Prep # 5 -- What about Casey?

Well, I'm quirky. I'm industrious and I like long walks (less on beaches more in the woods - HA). On a more practical note, I awoke nearly every morning for 18.5 years in NW OHIO at my parents home. I honed my skills as a plumber under Master Plumber Tony (my dad). I went to college to learn and my studies didn't infer with this goal. I drifted from a Music major to and Economics major, completing college with that as a BA and minors in math and music. My favorite theme of college was that most people didn't know I was econ. major, especially each new class. Many of my peers and acquaintances thought I was computer science (I was doing some research getting press), religion (I was involved in various groups), philosophy (I think and talk a length), music or other. Only my closest friends could correctly bubble in my area of focus (plus the 6 other econ majors).

I chose to graduate early to hike the Appalachian Trail in 2004. (more on my outdoor experience in another post). The AT experience was immense. I'm not certain I've ever been as depressed a the half way point. Sure I had joyful moments, but pain some times crystallizes in my mind. Then again, I did want to leave nearly every day for the last 440 miles. Oh, well. I stuck with it, meet wonderful people and had my life changed.

Now four years later, I have language to understand the results of my hike. See before hiking, I was sometimes called a "robot," or heartless, even a relative of Spock or Commander Data and worse. But the winter after the AT, I teared up to Jerry McGuire on television. Yep, my rational mind had ran out of fuel to chew on during my 7 month hike and my heart filled in the gaps, finally getting some space to breath.

The fall of 2005 I joined the Jesuit Volunteer Corp (JVC) . I moved to Seattle, WA. to spend time with individuals most of society ignores, the homeless. I signed up for additional year, and was placed in Portland, OR. My second year in JVC, is when I worked at the Men's Residential Center and learned about the Al Forthan Scholarship Fund.

August 2007 my service year ended and I road-tripped back to Ohio. Three weeks later, I entered a 6-week silent meditation retreat with the Insight Meditation Society. Again, my heart-mind has changed forever as I spent time in great stillness listening to my God. I was on retreat when serendipity placed the notion to raise funds specially for Al Scholarship. In all actuality, I'd find it more convenient to not raise money at all. However, I listen and respond to the movement of my God's Spirit and this is what's going on for me now. Bummer -- obedience (note: in Latin, obedience root is Listening-- sweet huh!!?!?).

Six days of discernment (Jesuit Style- fool) prayer, and I decided to prepare for the PCT hike 2008. I'm excited for now. I find it easy to be excited when I'm not actually 'experiencing' my questions but only researching them. Certainly the first few days, weeks, miles and months on the trail will be trying my nerves. "did I bring enough, too much. Why am I doing this...." "shut up mind, relax and have fun." " you know you're not going to do that..."
Hopefully my lessons from the AT won't direct too much of my decisions. Number one lesson: POOR DECISIONS MAKE BETTER STORIES

Prep #4 -- Promising News

Fundraising -- I've talked with someone at JVC:NW and they are considering HIKING FOR RECOVERY as an article in their newsletter with 4000+ recipients. I'm grateful and excited about the potential to share my story and the work of the MRC with so many.

I've sent out my first round of request to manufacturers and friends / family. A few companies have already contacted me with further questions, again promising news.

Hiking Prep-- I spent an evening with my Aunt Lydia discussing sewing technique. I'll be trying to put together a vest from sewing kit purchased at Thru-hiker.com. Depending on my vest project's results, I've been day dreaming of making my own down jacket.

Single digit temperatures and blistering wind in NW OHIO have caused me to redirect my training program to Yoga. I'm confident that keeping limber is as important as keeping strong (I had been running 4x a week since January 1st).

This week will be light on PCT research and slow with taking necessary steps to put all that needs to be done into order. I have my first sermon to research, pray about and produce for this coming Sunday. This sermon work has me grateful, fearful and humbled.

Much love.

Prep #3 -- Post Marked 1/14

Fundraising: This morning I was very excited to work on my new video. My video explains 'Hiking for Recovery' and has posted for those interested. In addition, with the kind help of Julia P. (FJV and MRC employee) finished my request letters for donors, and potential sponsors. I was emboldened from Leah from JVC:NW that Hiking for Recovery will be published in the next newsletter which will reach 4000+ peoples. And Leah and I are working on connecting our two sites. Leah really was pleased to hear how my JVC experience is still informing my current decisions.

Preparations: I picked up some road maps from AAA. I've started the tedious work of tracing a PCT trail on to these maps so my mom has a wall map to follow my journey.