Swimming on the John Muir Trail

Last year, on two separate occasions, I really wished I knew how to swim. The first was at Kibbie Lake in Yosemite. Kibbie Lake is a beautiful, warm lake perfect for swimming. But I hung around near the shore while my friends lapped the lake and raved about the views on the other side.

Stunning Kibbie Lake

The second instance was during my 5 day trip from Onion Valley to Mt. Whitney. The group swam at Kearsarge Lakes and at Guitar Lake, while I just took photos. 

My friends taking a dip in frigid Guitar Lake

This year however, I want to swim whenever I camp at a lake or when I take a lunch break near one. And I will have ample opportunity to do so as this section of the Sierra Nevada mountains is riddled with stunning lakes. 

So many opportunities to swim

Helping me achieve this goal is my cousin, who has graciously volunteered her time to teach me to swim. It's slow going because a) the last time I swam to the deep end of a pool I was 14 years old; and b) because I seriously lack coordination; and c) yoga. 

You see, I've been practicing yoga for a little over 1 1/2 years now. Breath work and breathing techniques are essential to the practice - especially breathing through my nose. I have learned this skill very well. 

Unfortunately, when swimming, I have to forget this practice and breathe ONLY through my mouth! It's the hardest lesson for me to grasp thus far. I'm drinking gallons of water through my nose every time I'm in that pool. 

Practicing breathing through my mouth only.

As with any other skill, I'm confident that with more practice, I will learn this technique and be able to switch from breathing through my nose to breathing only through my mouth at will. 

I have less than 40 days to become completely comfortable in the water. Since time is of the essence, I've decided to do less yoga and hike less in order to focus more on swimming - which is also great exercise in itself. 

I'm confident my coordination and breathing will improve with every lesson.

Stay tuned...

________________________________________________________________________

P.S. On a very sad note (and all the more reason I want to become very comfortable in the water) - a man attempting a thru-hike of the Application Trail drowned in a pond just two weeks ago! It truly is very sad and my heartfelt condolences go out to his loved ones, but it goes to show that extracurricular activities (such as swimming after a long day of hiking and off trail scrambles to bag peaks) account for many injuries - and worse - sustained in the backcountry. 

It was not my intention to end this post on a low note; however, I share this story to hold myself accountable to all of you.

Bottom line - if I don't feel I'm ready to swim in a lake by the time I step foot on the John Muir Trail, I simply won't. 

Birthday Backpack Trip

There's no other way I'd prefer to celebrate my birthday than to wake up in a tent, in the middle of the woods, next to friends whose company I thoroughly enjoy!

I was very fortunate to do just that over the weekend to celebrate my 29th birthday. 

We trekked to West Fork Campground in the Angeles National Forest and were greeted by blue skies, warm temperatures, wildflowers, flowing rivers and mozzies. 

Eric & Joy eastbound on the Gabrielino National Recreation Trail

beautiful flowers

West Fork San Gabriel River provided great views and cold, tasty water 

picturesque West Fork Campground

LOVE making a fire!

For dinner, my awesome friends prepared wheat berry salad, and grilled veggies which we ate with rice and peanut sauce. So good! Thanks Joy! 

They even hauled in a cake & candles for me to celebrate my b-day properly! I know, I'm blessed with great friends!!

My awesome birthday cake

Around 10:30 P.M., we called it a night and crawled into our tents, falling asleep to the symphony of frogs and other wildlife.

It was so warm I didn't get to test out my new down socks. Guess I have to plan another backpacking trip :))

The next morning, we lounged about, made another fire, took tons of photos, and enjoyed an awesome breakfast of potato potpourri & fake bacon (we don't eat meat). Thanks Eric! 

Many thanks to Eric for sawing wood and sustaining our fires! 

left to right: Eric, Joy, me

It was noon by the time we finally left camp.

We had to hike back up to the trailhead 5.5 miles and 2000 ft away. Did I mention we had to go UP? 

In hindsight we should have gotten a much earlier start as the temperature hovered around 80 - 85 degrees during our climb out of the canyon.

 resting in the shade

beautiful shady stretch of trail

We made it to our car in 3 hours, grateful to be done with it.

We capped our trip with a delicious meal at La Cabanita Mexican Restaurant in Montrose. 

I can't thank my friends Eric & Joy enough for making my birthday so memorable and wonder-full.

Thanks guys, you rock!

Staying In The Moment

I can't believe that in just under two months, I will travel one of the grandest, most majestic footpaths in the world!

The anticipation is overwhelming, but rest assured, there's lots for me to do that snaps me back into the here and now every time I begin to fantasize about the trail.

Speaking of the trail, I've decided to do no more research about trail conditions and the like.

I'm done with it.

While I appreciate John Ladd and other kind folks for constantly providing updates about the blowdowns from the freakish wind storm last November, it doesn't apply to me as I don't start my trek until August.

Lots can change from now til then.

Besides, I'm having too much fun preparing for this trip. Call me crazy but I enjoy buying gear, food and other knick-knacks, figuring out which items will go into which resupply box, trying to predict what meal I'd want to eat each day (impossible I know, but hey - I get a kick out of it), and training for the hike.

Everything I mentioned above keeps me in the present moment. It's great!

Focusing my awareness on the tasks at hand keeps me calm and relaxed; whereas worrying about trail conditions - and other stuff I have no control over - makes me anxious and tense.

The John Muir Trail, this trip, isn't the culmination of the skills I've learned and practiced the last few years or anything of that sort.

It's an unfolding of the process that is my life.

So too are the 'chores' I have to do to get 'out there.'

In the last week, I've enthusiastically savored every moment I've spent planing.

There's a joy that has come over me that I can't explain, but its wonderful.

Ursack Update

Unless a miracle occurs, we will not be able to use any Ursack products in areas that require bear canisters this year.

Ursack S29

The agency that will test the Ursack doesn't have a protocol in place yet. And even if it did and the Ursack passed, it's no guarantee that Yosemite National Park or other agencies would automatically allow the use of Ursacks. 

Bummer... 

but there's always a bright side. 

Yes they're heavier & bulkier, but bear canisters require less effort to store at night after a long days hike, make great seats and ... ok that's all I got. 

Oh ya - here's something - it's one less item I don't have to shell out more $$ for before my hike :) 

Resupply buckets at Muir Trail Ranch

I can use the savings to cover shipping and storage costs of my resupply packages (which will cost about $150). YIKES!! 

I plan to resupply 3 times to keep my pack weight down, but I'm rethinking this after having done the calculations yesterday...ah planning.

Memorial Day Weekend Shakedown Hike

I spent Memorial Day weekend exploring my backyard. No, I didn't pitch a tent at home, I went to the Angeles National Forest for 3 days and 2 nights.

I gotta tell ya, my backyard is even more awesome than I thought! Walking just under 30 miles in 3 days, I was treated to waterfalls, streams and rivers, wildflowers, cabins, clean air and great company!

Big Santa Anita Canyon

You can check out more pictures from my trip here.

This trek gave me the opportunity to test drive some new gear too.

My new Leki Voyager trekking poles are great. Got em on sale & they seem to be quite durable. They got caught a few times between rocks and bent in positions they shouldn't have but they survived.

Gotta be more careful.

I had also purchased an air mattress recently which I was very eager to try out.

Let me tell ya, my tailbone and bony butt have never been happier!

The REI Stratus is a great air pad - a bit narrow as my arms hang off to the sides but I still love it. Besides, its regular sized counterparts are all the same width.

I'm dirty and hungry, so gotta go eat & shower (not sure in which order yet). Hope your long weekend was just as wonder-full and fun, if not more so.

Happy Trails
Andy

JMT Wind Storm Update

The winter of 2010 - 2011 gifted the Sierra Nevada mountain range with 230% more snow than average. When we traversed Forester Pass in July 2011, we did so in 5 - 6 feet of snow. This year, I will be faced with another challenge.

While snow shouldn't be much of a factor, the freakish wind storm that ripped through parts of the Inyo National Forest (and neighboring forests) last November may present new hurdles - literally. In some areas, winds upwards of 150 mph were recorded. The picture below shows the aftermath of the storm. 

The trail is under there somewhere

The latest reports from the Inyo National Forest show that at least a 17 mile stretch of the John Muir trail was affected. 

Adding hurdles to my training routine might be a good idea given the obstacle course that may be waiting for me come August. Clean up efforts are already underway so I'm hoping that most of the debris blocking the trails will be removed before the summer backpacking season. 

A HUGE thank you goes out to the Forest Service and every person involved in the daunting task of clearing the debris. Your efforts are greatly appreciated! 

If you, or anyone you know can aid with the clean up effort, please visit http://www.trailprojects.com/pct2-01.html and http://www.pcta.org/help/volunteer.asp to volunteer. A trail clean up project is scheduled for June 30 - July 7. Thank you.

P.S. - If you can recommend exercises I can do that will help me leap over these downed trees with a full pack, I'm all ears :)

Three Months To Go

My excitement level for this hike has tripled in the last week. The energy and encouragement from other hikers at the PCT Kickoff really amped me up.

And, my countdown timer is down into double digits! That means in just over three months time, I'll take my picture at the mileage sign at Happy Isles and point to the very bottom of the sign! I'm getting fired up just thinking about it.

A few people have asked me recently how I train for the John Muir Trail. As you may have guessed from the name of my journal, I hike and practice yoga.

I hike between 3 - 7 miles twice during the week, and try to squeeze in a 10 - 15 mile hike on the weekends with a semi-loaded pack. I supplement my hiking with yoga - the perfect cross training activity because it keeps me strong and aligned.

I LOVE yoga and prefer it over running, lifting weights, and climbing stairs because I have done all those things in the past and none of them come close to the benefits of yoga.

Yoga provides me with a great workout, while simultaneously relaxing my body and mind - just like hiking and backpacking. If you've never practiced yoga, you may find it hard to believe that I sweat as much on my mat in 90 minutes as I did when I ran my half marathon. You'll also be surprised how fast your heart can thump inside your chest with such minimal movement. It still surprises me.

Enough about yoga, let's talk backpacking. Although I will use much of my existing gear on the JMT and therefore don't require any shakedown hikes, I'd like to spend a night or two in the backcountry on at least two separate occasions prior to my hike.

Why? Because it's fun and I can! Besides, the mountains have been calling for a while now and those calls are turning into screams because they have gone unanswered for too long. Must silence the voices :)