Down to the Wire

The countdown is on, and I’m busy wrapping up my life in Seattle.  My parents flew down from Anchorage for the weekend, and they helped me move out of my apartment and put my belongings in storage.  For the next week and a half, I’ll be staying with various friends and house/cat-sitting.  It’s really nice being able to relax and spend so much time with friends now that most of my preparations are finished.  Special thanks go to Heidi and Shamus for giving me a permanent address and a home for my car while I’m on the trail. 

I’ve made a few last minute gear changes.  My parents were kind enough to buy me a new camera which runs on AA batteries, so I’ll be able to leave my camera charger and spare camera batteries behind.  I think this will save about half a pound of weight.  I’ve also switched up my water treatment system.  I’d been planning to use bleach to treat my water per Red Cross instructions but just decided to invest in the Sawyer Squeeze Filter System.  The Sawyer Squeeze is super light, and it will allow me to drink my water immediately, unlike the bleach which has a minimum 30 minute treatment time.  Also, I should be able to store water in the Sawyer Squeeze pouch which will reduce the number of water bottles I have to carry.  My only concern is whether the pouch is durable enough, but I can always change to bleach if it’s not working once I’m on the trail. 

My last day at work is going to be Monday, the 23^rd, and I’ll be flying down to San Diego on Wednesday, the 25^th.  When I arrive in San Diego, Scout and Frodo, two famous trail angels, will be picking me up at the airport, giving me (and other hikers) a place to stay for the night, and then driving us to the southern terminus early Thursday morning.  From there, I’ll have a 20 mile first day to the Kick-off Party in Lake Morena.      

A side note about trail angels…. Trail angels are amazing people who help hikers along the way.  They make our trips possible (and so much more fun!) by stocking water caches in the desert and providing rides, showers, meals, places to stay, trail magic (random acts of kindness along the trail), and so much more.  People living in communities near the PCT go so far out of their way to help thru-hikers succeed.  I’ve read countless blogs where hikers have said over and over how their faith in humanity was totally restored on the trail.  It really is incredible, and I’m excited to be part of this big family.

Have a great day!  Thanks for all the positive thoughts!