Resupply strategy #2

You can find a link to a move intensive resupply spreadsheet at the bottom of this post. Simply copy and paste it into your browser to view the results of countless hours of research, figuring, and planning. It includes the mailing address of the location where I will be next, along with the amount of food and calories it will require to reach the next town. This adventure begins in two weeks. Keep a close eye here for more frequent updates as I pull the loose ends together!

https://spreadsheets.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AoZg_wNBbT6YdGdDMFhOTHZpYUxod0JYR2FXYm5OU2c&hl=en_US&authkey=CPv3j_cF

One last trip out before setting off in two weeks and Kathryn came with me! We hiked a total of 25 miles over 3 days, and climbed 6000 ft. The trail was rather overgrown past the saddle, but we encountered no major difficulties.

Food #1

How much food does it take to walk 1000 miles? 5,000 calories every day, for 38 days, comes out to roughly 200,000 calories. This is what 200,000 calories of hiking food looks like. There are 4 bags of oats, three bags of trail mix, craisins, raisins, blueberries, cashews, almonds, walnuts, quinoa, honey, dried plums, and granola. It's 12 bags of spaghetti, three boxes of crackers and mashed potatoes, 20 pounds of rice, 5 pounds of jerky, 24 bags of ramen, 10 boxes of macaroni and cheese, and 5 pounds of chocolate chips. This is it, what will take me from the Canadian border to the Californian border on foot, 1/3 of the way to Mexico. Organizing this into daily rations is the next task, which fortunately can wait another week. My first shipment needs to be mailed out to Stehekin, Washington on June 8th.

People have recently been asking me what I'll be doing after graduation. I'd like to dedicate this post to them. After the looks of confusion, I explain what the PCT is, and then the questions come flying in. So you're going to hike 2600 miles? By yourself? Aren't you scared? Then the realization hits, they understand that after graduation they'll be moving back in with their parents, and pursue a menial job for minimum wage. I really enjoy watching their faces change from "holy shit you're crazy!" to "Oh my God, I'm so jealous! I wish I had the audacity to do something like this." To all those people, Yes I'm actually going to do this, by myself, and no I am not scared.

Packed vs. Unpacked

In an attempt to organize and better categorize everything I will need for this hike, I laid everything out on my floor. It doesn't look like much, but that's it, everything necessary to walk from Canada to Mexico in one shot. Included are my kitchen, sleeping system, clothes, maps, and electronics. Much of these items were gifts, and I want to thank everyone who has helped me thus far in this venture.

Menu

I know it's been a while since I've put anything up here, but I've been doing a lot of outside research and reading. Here's what I have come up with for a menu for this 4 month odyssey of mine. The plan is to just mix and match from this list so I don't get bored with eating the same thing for 4 months straight.

Breakfast - oatmeal, granola, pop-tarts, shredded wheat, powdered mild, almonds, pastries, blueberries, bagels

Snacks - granola bars, trail mix, peanuts, dried fruit, fig newtons, candy, peanut butter, string cheese, crackers, wheat thins, tortillas, salami, jerky

Dinner - rice, instant mashed potatos, pasta, mac n cheese, top ramen, tuna, soup, cous-cous, quinoi, beans, stuffing

Drinks (because mountain fresh water does get old) - hot chocolate, tang, gatorade

JMT 2009 video