We both slept well all night and were up early after over nine hours of sleep. The huckleberries I picked yesterday went really well with granola this morning. We were on the trail by eight, and although Lauren was still sick, she felt better.
The day got better and better the further North we went. Goat Rocks Wilderness is amazing. Reminds me of the Sierras and Beartooths. Out of nowhere, we began seeing the Labor Day hikers. Hundreds of them around here. All very friendly. One of them said the forecast is great for the next nine days. I am super excited for that.
We camped very early, around 430, after about 19 miles. We are unsure where the next campsite is, and Lauren needs more rest. Plus, this site has amazing views and near a waterfall. I got my water out of a waterfall to drink. Who can say they did that today.
We are planning to get up very early so we can enjoy the sunrise while hiking on the knifes edge. I am stoked, but unsure that Lauren understands how cold it may be at six in the morning up here!
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
9/1/12
Another hard day. Lauren was feeling exhausted all day. This head cold has really gotten her down. We started late today, around 830. Our latest on trail start yet. By noon we only had eight miles in. Very discouraging for both of us. It was such a pretty day too, I wish we were both feeling good.
This trail has been really tough for Lauren, it seems like there is just one problem after the next. I really hope she can kick this cold soon and feel good.
The terrain was very easy today, mostly gradual downhill. But we had to rest often. Stopped early with 18 miles in. I was honestly frusterated, really wanted to hike a little later. But I also know this is really hard for her, and wish I could help more. While Lauren napped in camp, I picked huckleberries. It really calmed me down and helped relax me. I picked nearly a quart in just over an hour.
I have honestly come to my senses and havee learned that I need to get my heart rate pumping for a good amount of time every single day, or I am anxious and irretible. Lauren noticed this when we first started dating. She tells me to go for a bike ride when I am in a bad mood. Its crazy though, even on the trail its still true. I did not work hard today. After picking huckleberries I ran fast for 20 minutes. Not very long, but it sure felt good.
I made a twinkie hucckleberry mix and heated it in my pot, it was so good. I keep feeding Lauren tea, hoping that helps. My good friend Danielle sent me tons of teas, so we are enjoying that!
I really hope we are both feeling good tomorrow. Goat Rocks wilderness is supposed to rock.
This trail has been really tough for Lauren, it seems like there is just one problem after the next. I really hope she can kick this cold soon and feel good.
The terrain was very easy today, mostly gradual downhill. But we had to rest often. Stopped early with 18 miles in. I was honestly frusterated, really wanted to hike a little later. But I also know this is really hard for her, and wish I could help more. While Lauren napped in camp, I picked huckleberries. It really calmed me down and helped relax me. I picked nearly a quart in just over an hour.
I have honestly come to my senses and havee learned that I need to get my heart rate pumping for a good amount of time every single day, or I am anxious and irretible. Lauren noticed this when we first started dating. She tells me to go for a bike ride when I am in a bad mood. Its crazy though, even on the trail its still true. I did not work hard today. After picking huckleberries I ran fast for 20 minutes. Not very long, but it sure felt good.
I made a twinkie hucckleberry mix and heated it in my pot, it was so good. I keep feeding Lauren tea, hoping that helps. My good friend Danielle sent me tons of teas, so we are enjoying that!
I really hope we are both feeling good tomorrow. Goat Rocks wilderness is supposed to rock.
8/31/12
Lauren woke up with a cold this morning. Some coughing and a sore throat. Not sure where she got it, but hoping its not a rough one. The miles went by so slowly as she was really dragging. We had each other convinced that going into Trout Lake for a night off was a good idea. I called every hotel in town when I got a signal. No rooms anywhere. I became content with the idea of camping early though, and taking the day slowly. So thats what we did.
We hiked apart for a bunch of the day. When I got to road 23, I found amazing trail magic. A family whose daughters are hiking the trail, brought tons of goodies. There was cookies, sodas, beer, veggies, fruit, and chips. I felt completely spoiled. Before the family left, they gave me a bunch of stuff to give to Lauren, who had not shown up yet. She was very excited to get the fresh veggies and fruit.
Despite feeling sick, she wanted to power on. So we climbed 2800 feet out of the valley to the base of Mt. Adams. This place is really sweet, I am loving it here. This is another volcanic mountain that sticks up out of nowhere. We found a sweet campsite with an amazing view of the mountain. It is going to be a chilly night. The wind is howling through here like a freight train.
22 miles today. Lauren is amazing hiking that far with a cold. Not many people even exercize with a cold, let alone climb mountains.
My parents sent me a great care package to Cascade Locks. Tons of cookies and snacks. My favorite part was a 30 day supply of quotes. They are all inspiring. My mother put a lot of time into this, and I feel very lucky to have such loving and supporting parents.
Lauren's (and my) friend Andrea also sent lots of goodies which caught up to us at Cascade Locks. The beer was amazing, and Lauren even let me have a peice of chocolate! Thank you!
If anyone else would like to send something, we would love it! Cookies, gummy worms, trail mix, or anything else edible would be appreciated. My favorite thing is personal notes and good sunday comics. Our last stop on the trail is Stehekin, Washington. If you would like to send something, please send it via the US postal service by September 8th, to Andrew Rivers or Lauren Balcken, C/O General Delivery, Stehekin, WA 98852. Write on the package, please hold for PCT hikers, ETA 9/17/12. Again, nothing is expected, but everything, including guest book entries on here, are appreciated!
We hiked apart for a bunch of the day. When I got to road 23, I found amazing trail magic. A family whose daughters are hiking the trail, brought tons of goodies. There was cookies, sodas, beer, veggies, fruit, and chips. I felt completely spoiled. Before the family left, they gave me a bunch of stuff to give to Lauren, who had not shown up yet. She was very excited to get the fresh veggies and fruit.
Despite feeling sick, she wanted to power on. So we climbed 2800 feet out of the valley to the base of Mt. Adams. This place is really sweet, I am loving it here. This is another volcanic mountain that sticks up out of nowhere. We found a sweet campsite with an amazing view of the mountain. It is going to be a chilly night. The wind is howling through here like a freight train.
22 miles today. Lauren is amazing hiking that far with a cold. Not many people even exercize with a cold, let alone climb mountains.
My parents sent me a great care package to Cascade Locks. Tons of cookies and snacks. My favorite part was a 30 day supply of quotes. They are all inspiring. My mother put a lot of time into this, and I feel very lucky to have such loving and supporting parents.
Lauren's (and my) friend Andrea also sent lots of goodies which caught up to us at Cascade Locks. The beer was amazing, and Lauren even let me have a peice of chocolate! Thank you!
If anyone else would like to send something, we would love it! Cookies, gummy worms, trail mix, or anything else edible would be appreciated. My favorite thing is personal notes and good sunday comics. Our last stop on the trail is Stehekin, Washington. If you would like to send something, please send it via the US postal service by September 8th, to Andrew Rivers or Lauren Balcken, C/O General Delivery, Stehekin, WA 98852. Write on the package, please hold for PCT hikers, ETA 9/17/12. Again, nothing is expected, but everything, including guest book entries on here, are appreciated!
8/30/12
The morning was cool. The sky was completely blue, amazing weather. It made me eager to hike. When we were telling our friends Obie and Val about this crazy hike, they thought we were a tad crazy for putting ourselves in the Cascades in September. The weather can change with the snap of your fingers, and we will likely get snow at some point. So every day we have blue skies and good weather, I will be feeling a bit eager to pump out some miles.
We did just that today. 26 miles before 630 pm. The terrain was pretty, but nothing spectacular, a lot of little lakes and a ton of people. That was just a little reminder that we are approaching Memorial Day weekend. The woods may get a little crazy over the next few days.
I took several amazing breaks in the sun today. It felt so good. Funny how much you appreciate the sun once its started to get colder out.
We are camped at Surprise Lakes. Our surprise was the number of folks picking huckleberries around here. Tons of them. With buckets to throw their berries into. They say its a low crop year, but I have found hundreds of them without trying today. I wonder how many it takes to fill a five gallon bucket though...
We did just that today. 26 miles before 630 pm. The terrain was pretty, but nothing spectacular, a lot of little lakes and a ton of people. That was just a little reminder that we are approaching Memorial Day weekend. The woods may get a little crazy over the next few days.
I took several amazing breaks in the sun today. It felt so good. Funny how much you appreciate the sun once its started to get colder out.
We are camped at Surprise Lakes. Our surprise was the number of folks picking huckleberries around here. Tons of them. With buckets to throw their berries into. They say its a low crop year, but I have found hundreds of them without trying today. I wonder how many it takes to fill a five gallon bucket though...
8/29/12
Sure the packs were heavy after four days without them. But my feet feel 100 times better than they did a week ago. It also felt good to be fattened up again after being spoiled with great food from Lauren's parents. We left them this morning after a large breakfast which was followed by cookies and non-powdered milk.
With 5 days of food on my back though, it was slow moving this morning. We managed to hike over 25 miles today though. It did feel good to hike over some large hills today. I think that the heavy weighted packs may bother Lauren more than myself. She seems to hurt a bit more than I do with the weight, which is okay, we still made good miles and had fun today.
It is strange to see clouds in the sky. Today we hardly saw the sun at all. I think this is just how Washington may be! It is also super green here. So much new sruff to look at. We are camped with a guy who picked some Lobster Mushrooms today. Super tasty. They charge $40 a pound for them at Whole Foods, and they grow right along this trail. May have to find some in the future.
I have been thinking about life after trail lately. Not looking forward to it. We will likely be done in three weeks. Then I have to find a job, a place to live, and start school once again. Though I am happy to contribute to society, I am not ready to be done hiking right now. Can I do both?
With 5 days of food on my back though, it was slow moving this morning. We managed to hike over 25 miles today though. It did feel good to hike over some large hills today. I think that the heavy weighted packs may bother Lauren more than myself. She seems to hurt a bit more than I do with the weight, which is okay, we still made good miles and had fun today.
It is strange to see clouds in the sky. Today we hardly saw the sun at all. I think this is just how Washington may be! It is also super green here. So much new sruff to look at. We are camped with a guy who picked some Lobster Mushrooms today. Super tasty. They charge $40 a pound for them at Whole Foods, and they grow right along this trail. May have to find some in the future.
I have been thinking about life after trail lately. Not looking forward to it. We will likely be done in three weeks. Then I have to find a job, a place to live, and start school once again. Though I am happy to contribute to society, I am not ready to be done hiking right now. Can I do both?
8/28/12
Today we finally left town. We took the easy route out of town and had Lauren's parents slack-pack us up the trail 20 miles. It made the climb out of Cascade Locks much more enjoyable.
We made excellent time and finished our 20 mile hike in about 6 hours. It felt really good to be hiking again today. Lauren's parents spoiled us again at the road junction. We are camped with them and they made us a great dinner for us and gave us a couple beers. Lauren helped me get rid of a couple pounds of food weight. Some stuff I had carried for over 300 miles. Smooshed/balled up Sunbelt NutraGrain bars. I can't eat them, but am often to stubborn to throw away food. But my parents sent me some amazing homemade cookies to Cascade Locks. I would rather carry good tasting snacks than something that I would never eat.
Tomorrow we will walk with fully loaded packs. North towards Canada. Less than 500 miles to go. Very exciting.
We made excellent time and finished our 20 mile hike in about 6 hours. It felt really good to be hiking again today. Lauren's parents spoiled us again at the road junction. We are camped with them and they made us a great dinner for us and gave us a couple beers. Lauren helped me get rid of a couple pounds of food weight. Some stuff I had carried for over 300 miles. Smooshed/balled up Sunbelt NutraGrain bars. I can't eat them, but am often to stubborn to throw away food. But my parents sent me some amazing homemade cookies to Cascade Locks. I would rather carry good tasting snacks than something that I would never eat.
Tomorrow we will walk with fully loaded packs. North towards Canada. Less than 500 miles to go. Very exciting.
Sunday, August 26, 2012
8/24/12
I always get worked up when I plan big days. I think I can do it, but not completely sure. My feet were sore, but I was not willing to give up my chance to try to break 40 miles for my first time. So I woke up at 430 AM and started walking by 5. It was really hard to get outside of the tent because it was so cold! But I also felt great. I slept great the night before and was ready to walk northwardly.
It was good to be out in the cold for the first time, before the sun was even up. Hiking by headlamp can be a little bit confusing though. The trail was very confusing too. It did not match up with my map. For over an hour, I thought I was walking the wrong direction. There was no PCT markers and the trail I was on, was definitely not shown as the PCT on the map. But I didn't see the PCT turn off anywhere, so I continued onward.
Eventually the sun came up and announced that it was going to be a beautiful day. A PCT junction also showed up, and I was making great miles. I danced along down the trail, enjoying the freedom to go at my own pace. I made great time all day.
I had made 24 miles before noon. The Eagle Creek Trail was amazing. I could not ask for a better way to spend a 40 mile day. Wildflowers, views of Mt. Adams, Rainier, and others. Then the Eagle Creek Trail with water feature after water feature. The trail actually goes right under a waterfall. I even went for a swim in one of the hundreds of amazing swimming holes. I had 2 personal waterfalls to myself.
I made it to the trailhead at about 4 PM. I texted Lauren's parents when I had a signal. Didn't expect them to be in the area until tomorrow. But they were in Hood River, about 20 miles away! I walked the last 2 miles into town to confirm my 41 mile day and met her parents at the Pacific Crest Brew Pub! After a couple of beers and a couple of dinners I am exhausted. Though I honestly think I could walk more if I needed/wanted to. 50 miles will happen someday, but not today. Not tomorrow or any other time soon either! Great day! We are camped at the KOA and the train is about 100 feet from where we are sleeping. ! Could be an interesting night, but I am very thankful to have Lauren's parents here supporting us and treating us for a couple days.
It was good to be out in the cold for the first time, before the sun was even up. Hiking by headlamp can be a little bit confusing though. The trail was very confusing too. It did not match up with my map. For over an hour, I thought I was walking the wrong direction. There was no PCT markers and the trail I was on, was definitely not shown as the PCT on the map. But I didn't see the PCT turn off anywhere, so I continued onward.
Eventually the sun came up and announced that it was going to be a beautiful day. A PCT junction also showed up, and I was making great miles. I danced along down the trail, enjoying the freedom to go at my own pace. I made great time all day.
I had made 24 miles before noon. The Eagle Creek Trail was amazing. I could not ask for a better way to spend a 40 mile day. Wildflowers, views of Mt. Adams, Rainier, and others. Then the Eagle Creek Trail with water feature after water feature. The trail actually goes right under a waterfall. I even went for a swim in one of the hundreds of amazing swimming holes. I had 2 personal waterfalls to myself.
I made it to the trailhead at about 4 PM. I texted Lauren's parents when I had a signal. Didn't expect them to be in the area until tomorrow. But they were in Hood River, about 20 miles away! I walked the last 2 miles into town to confirm my 41 mile day and met her parents at the Pacific Crest Brew Pub! After a couple of beers and a couple of dinners I am exhausted. Though I honestly think I could walk more if I needed/wanted to. 50 miles will happen someday, but not today. Not tomorrow or any other time soon either! Great day! We are camped at the KOA and the train is about 100 feet from where we are sleeping. ! Could be an interesting night, but I am very thankful to have Lauren's parents here supporting us and treating us for a couple days.
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