My first solo backpack and my last trip with a 30 lb pack

Blogging Lesson #1: I can't wait too long to blog about a trip. My memory is worse than I thought. I'm sorry in advance if this entry is a bit sparse.

A few weeks ago I decided to get out and explore an area called the LT Murray Wildlife Area. I had heard about this little area east of Ellensburg a few times, but I couldn't find much information about it online. I was looking for a good place to take my first solo 3-day backpacking trip and after going to REI with no luck and spending hours online, I found this map that made me even more excited.

How amazing is this? Miles and miles of interconnected dirt roads to explore and dispersed camping anywhere you like.

This trip was a pretty big adventure for me. I had been feeling overwhelmed with all of the breakup-related and new things going on in my life, so the idea of being alone for a few days was too much to resist. A friend from work -Janet, you are the best!- let me borrow a car and Saturday morning I set off.

The trail started in Robinson Canyon...

What is going on here? 

I quickly tired of the gentle grade through the canyon and decided to test out my orienteering skills by climbing up the side of the canyon to find another connecting road.

After hiking in large circles for about 15 miles, I was ready to take a break. It had been cloudy for most of the afternoon, so when the sun finally broke I was more than ready to rest and read some lesbian fiction (my favorite genre).

And make dinner...

Fancy set-up, eh?

After refueling both emotionally (thanks to Jeanette Winterson) and physically (thanks to Hormel), I got back on the trail. I had already backpacked pretty far, so I decided to start moving back towards the car to find a camping spot for the night. Having overestimated my orienteering skills, I eventually got lost and had to bushwhack my way down the side of a canyon.

That evening I camped, ate more chili, read more Winterson, and planned my route for the following day. I set out early in the morning and planned to make it at least another 15 miles that day. Unfortunately, the weather got worse and I got stuck in my tiny tent for 5 hours waiting out the rain. I had finished my book the previous evening and had nothing to do but nap, eat, and watch the ants crawl across my tent.

Finally the rain broke just in time for me to spend the next 3 hours looking for a camping site before it got dark. I was feeling a bit let-down because I couldn't hike as far as I had wanted and loneliness had started to set in while I was stuck in my tent. I almost hiked back to the car and went home early, but I decided to stick it out for the night and look for a camp site.

As I was walking, I rounded a corner and saw a small hill leading up to my left. I was curious to see if the top of the hill would give me a good view of Ellensburg, so I decided to check it out. Once I got to the top I knew that this had to be my campsite. The view was incredible.

There's my giant backpack and that's without my tent or sleeping bag attached to the outside.

This picture pretty much sums up the reason why I backpack. Can you see the rainbow?

Overall, this was a great trip. I wish I remembered more details and could relate them to you now. It was refreshing to be out here with only my thoughts for company.

Next time I will blog either on the trail or immediately after getting home. Lesson learned.

Rob

Ultralight backpacking

While there's no official weight that constitutes ultralight (UL), there is a general consensus that your base pack weight (BPW) should be between 9 and 11 lbs. BPW includes your pack and all necessary equipment for your hike, but excludes food, water, fuel, and the clothing that you are wearing. If your BPW is between 11 and 20 lbs, it's considered lightweight backpacking and if it's less than 9 lbs, it's either super ultralight (SUL) or extreme ultralight (XUL).

I'm going to try and take a picture of the base pack I'm starting with, but it generally ranges from 17-25 pounds, depending on the length of my trip. Going UL will be expensive, time consuming (I could research equipment all day), and will probably frighten my dad, but I'm motivated to go UL for a few reasons.

• I love backpacking and the lighter my load, the further I can go.
• I don't mind sleeping on hard ground or smelling badly.
• I don't need a nice tent, just something to protect me from evil spiders.
• I have slight minimalist tendencies, so the idea of leaving unnecessary things behind gives me an added thrill and sense of freedom.
• I'm obsessed with Microsoft Excel and it's a fun excuse to make countless new spreadsheets.
• My boyfriend just broke up with me and it's a great distraction!

There you go. This begins the journey from my big backpack to my new UL lifestyle. Wish me luck!

Rob

It begins!

Double happy . . . is the man to whom lofty mountaintops are within reach, for the lights that shine there illuminate all that lies below.”

—John Muir 

I've been dreaming about the Pacific Crest Trail for a few years. At first these dreams focused on hiking the trail in segments at different times in my life, taking off for a few days here and there. Then I decided that If I was going to truly experience the adventure and solitude of the Pacific Crest Trail, I would need to commit at least a few weeks. After going back and forth with my supervisors at work, I agreed to take 5 weeks off in order hike a section of the Pacific Crest Trail from Central to Northern California in August of 2014.

One night, after a few hours of researching the gear that I would need for my 5-week trip, I had the most incredible dream. I can't remember all of the details, but i remember waking up more inspired than I had been before. It was in those waking moments, where everything seemed possible, that I realized that there was nothing stopping me from hiking the entire Pacific Crest Trail. I realized that I have time to save money, train, and adequately prepare myself, and that I'm physically, mentally, and emotionally capable of making this journey in its entirety. 

So that's what I'm doing.

Thank you all who have already started supporting me, doubting me, worrying about me, and questioning me about my hike. You have taught me so much about my level of determination and you are all continually pushing me closer and closer to April 2014, when my dad will drop my off near Campo, California to start my trip on the Mexican border.

Rob

...358 days and counting...