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 :)

PCT Kickoff Recap

Night graciously gives way to day; birds cheerfully sing their sweet tunes, as a hiker drowsily transitions to an awakened reality, knowing exactly what has to be done that day. This is a typical morning for a backpacker.

My alarm blared at 5:30 A.M., I opened my eyes and knew the plan for the day. Except, I was not in my tent, I was in bed, at home. The Annual Day Zero Pacific Crest Trail Kick Off (ADZPCTKO) was underway at Lake Morena Campground and I had to be there! Los Angeles traffic and a three-hour (one way) commute were no match for my intention for the day.

Lake Morena

As I drove down the road into the Lake Morena day visitor area, passing the sea of tents, I got the chills and proclaimed out loud to myself, "I am home!"

tent city

This time around, I wanted to mingle with as many people as possible during my short visit. In an effort to keep this post relatively concise, below is a snippet of the people I met & presentations I attended.

Billy Goat

Billy Goat is a PCT rock star!! This man is almost 70 years old but has the legs of someone in his twenties. He has hiked the PCT 5 times in recent years.

Strider, a 1977 PCT alum, coordinates this wonderful event. His love affair with the PCT is over 30 years old and is as alive as ever.

Shutterbug is a petit woman who hiked, filmed and helped make the PCT movie 'Six Million Steps: A Journey Inward.' I chatted with her for about 10 minutes about trail life, filming the trail and camera equipment. She had a smile painted on her pale white face the entire time as she recalled her experiences on the trail. Great gal.

The last person I had the pleasure of meeting was Condor, a very personable hiker who received lots of media attention last year for his wonderful trail journals and videos. He recommended a few hikes in the Angeles National Forest I check out. Great guy.

Checked my phone, it was almost noon. I collected my belongings and made a beeline for the pavilion. Klarity is a fun yoga instructor who thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail in 2010. She didn't just talk about how yoga helped her stay injury free, she showed us! And, yours truly took part in a 40-minute practice! So great.

hiking meets yoga...finally!

In the Q & A that followed, she recommended an exercise to prevent shin splints. "Write each letter of the alphabet in CAPS with each foot," she said. Thank you Klarity!

Bigfoot

Not ready to leave just yet, I decided to stay for Bigfoot's presentation on avoiding overuse injuries. Bigfoot - an engineer in his 'normal' life - closed with this great statement that stuck with me. "The gear stuff is fun," he said, "but this [knowing how to avoid injuries] is important." Another reminder to not lose sight of the big picture! Thank you Bigfoot!

After six hours of pure delight, sadly, I had to leave. it was a very short trip indeed, but no regrets here. Yes I wish I could stay longer, but that'll have to wait 'til next year, when I kick off my own PCT journey!

It was a pleasure mingling with so many wonderful people. I thank those who organize this spectacular event and wish all the best to this year's thru'ers.

Bearth-Day Weekend

Many people know that Sunday, April 22nd is Earth Day. Lesser known amongst the masses is that Saturday, April 21, 2012, marks the 174th birthday of the self labeled "poetico, trampo, geologist, botanist, ornithologist, naturalist [and conservationist]," John Muir.

John Muir circa 1872

Everyone has been impacted by John Muir's conservation efforts no matter the extent of his or her relationship with nature. As Edward Abbey once said, simply knowing that wild spaces still exist gives me great joy - even if I never get to see most of those places.

These words ring very true for me because my relationship with nature is very intimate. But for most people, their relationship with nature is rather dormant. The beauty of nature is that it does not care about one's relationship to it because a piece of every person's heart naturally resides in nature - it's the way we all are.

Therefore, when those who aren't served a regular dose of nature venture out into wild places, they are greeted with open arms. Nature offers them a respite from city life by recharging their souls and awakening their humanness. You see, "when nature surrounds you, when quiet and solitude is the order of the day, it is easier to hear one's deep internal voices." ~Jamie Simons. Then, perhaps it will become possible for one's heart to re-connect and be one with nature.

(Left) Postage Stamp, 1964. (Right) Postage Stamp, 1998

That intimate connection with our natural world provides us with a very nurturing and safe feeling. When people reap the multitude of benefits nature has to offer again and again, I am certain they will want to preserve nature because when we love something, we naturally want to protect it!

While I appreciate the importance of Earth Day, I believe more awareness can be raised if we combine Earth Day with John Muir's birthday to care for our home - Planet Earth - over a weekend celebration. All of us will suffer if our wild places diminish; therefore honoring one of the pioneers of the preservation movement should also be a day everyone in the world acknowledges and celebrates.

John Muir's Birthday + Earth Day = Greater Awareness

Whether you become motivated to consume less energy in your home, drive less or simply go for a hike, make time this weekend to take care of our planet and yourself - there aren't any others like either of them!

"I only went out for a walk and finally concluded to stay out till sundown, for going out, I found, was really going in." ~John Muir

John Muir Trail Food: Part Deux

A demanding schedule has hindered my cooking time as of late, which has translated into very little time to experiment with dinners. This week, I finally made time, prepped a few simple dishes and tossed ’em into the dehydrator.

Before I get to those, I’d like to mention that my previous experiments were a success!! Even after 21 days in ziplock bags, the lentils and black beans look and taste great!

A day after I made the lentils and black beans, I made rice noodles with olive oil, mushrooms, asparagus, dried dill, salt and a pinch of cayenne pepper. After 20 days, the rice noodles look good and taste even better. I think I will be eating quite well on the trail after all :)

Ok, back to my current experiments. The first meal I prepared this time around was macaroni salad. I used curly (spiral shaped) macaroni, vegenaise (vegan mayo), celery, bok choy, garlic, cilantro, curly parsley and dill. Can you say YUMMMMMMY?? After about 8 hours in the dehydrator at 135 degrees, I removed the dried salad and placed it into a ziploc bag. I tell ya – if this dish doesn’t spoil (and I don’t think it will), I may be the only person to reek of garlic on the trail :))

The second meal I prepared was rice – made with olive oil, curry powder, turmeric, cayenne pepper and a dash of salt – with a side dish consisting of eggplants, carrots, onions, garlic and parsley. The rice dish was in the dehydrator with the macaroni salad so it too dried for 8 hours. In all honesty, these meals taste better when dehydrated than they do just after I make them. Or it might just be that I get hungry at night (I turned the dehydrator off at 10pm).

I’m not sure about the caloric content of these meals in relation to their weight, but I'm almost certain that the ratio is close to 100(calories):1(ounce). Although eating calorically dense, hearty meals on the trail is most important to me, it is more important to consume nutritionally dense and tasty meals. I’m willing to lug a few extra ounces of food per day on the trail and look forward to dinnertime than stick to the ratio religiously and languish each time I open my bear canister.

Please don’t hesitate to comment! I would love to hear your thoughts, observations and even suggestions for recipes that work for you!

Bon appétit 

Culinary Experiments

In an effort to eat yummy, nourishing food on the trail, I've decided to make my own dinners! 

Tasty freeze-dried or dehydrated meals are difficult to come by if you are a vegetarian - like myself. Also, the astronomical amounts of sodium found in most of the pre-packaged foods is a bit much for me. I know, I know, I need to replenish my electrolytes, but rest assured, my diet provides plenty. 

Nesco FD-75PR Dehydrator

I will use my Nesco Dehydrator to experiment since I have a lot of time 'til I hit the trail. My plan is to place generous portions of my dinners in the dehydrator, let them - well - dehydrate, transfer the food into ziplock bags and let them sit in a shelf for about a month at room temperature. None of the food should spoil, but I'd prefer to be sure now than be surprised at camp after a 16 mile day! 

So far, I've experimented with two of my favorite dishes: black bean spread with grilled onions and seasonings, and yellow lentils with grilled onions and spices. 

Ready for the dehydrator

Black beans (like most legumes) are high in calories, fiber, carbohydrates and protein. I prepare the beans with olive oil which adds more calories and fat (and also has anti-inflammatory properties). 

Yellow lentils are also high in calories, fiber, carbohydrates and protein. The lentils are prepared with olive oil too. 

                     

                          finished product - black beans

finished product - lentils

My plan is to mix the above dishes with either rice, mashed potatoes, buckwheat, noodles (rice noodles are in the dehydrator as we speak), quinoa or couscous to make generous portions of end-of-the-day savory goodness. Many experiments to follow - check back soon.