Post PCT

I've been back in Kalispell for a few weeks now trying to adjust to normal life. I've been volunteering at Evergreen Fire Department and applying for jobs at the hospital. I'm also going back to school to get my EMT and ultimately, my paramedic. More importantly, Amber and I are like peas and carrots, joined at the hip. We've been hiking/fly-fishing, waterskiing, tubing, rafting, kayaking, peak bagging and bear scouting! We're such dorks but this girl rocks my world :)

Godspeed!

Well, another snipet of my life has come to a close. This sojourn on the Pacific Crest Trail brought me through an experience that words and pictures cannot describe. Here's my feeble attempt with pictures from the start and end. Through the countless hours of pain, I learned that trusting God is paramount. It was an overriding theme of my trek in that everyday was an adventure to embrace; venturing forth into the unknown. My hope and desire was to glorify the Lord as I walked in faith. Praise God for His freedom. Godspeed to those who never stop exploring.

7/13. well, i'm not the only one to finish their trek near donner pass...don't worry, i ate trail food

7/16. my week of giving back by shuttling hikers

7/12. my nubs

7/11. here's to you bro!

7/10.

7/9. a lil black jack

7/7. the nipple. aka, a mountain...

7/6. foot problems

7/5. trail and company

7/4. 1000mi. baby!

7/2.

7/1. love my mom

6/30. thousand island lake

6/29. reds meadow

6/28. silver pass. my hair looks ridiculous!

6/26. muir trail ranch

6/25. not a bad 26th birfday

6/24.

6/23. my toy

6/22. glen pass

6/21. highest point on the pct at 13,200 ft.

6/20.

6/19. atop mt. whitney with my bro and dad

6/18. back on track after an amazing week with amber!

Those are Some Good Lookin' Mountains

This is at Minaret Vista outside of Mammoth Lakes, CA. I took a bus up to Reno to surprise Amber at the airport. I spent the night on a bench and thankfully, security didn't bother me despite me hugging my pack with an iceaxe. It has been amazing spending time with Amber and we just picked up right where we left off. It feels great to have a week off from the trail and this picture is just before we went to Devil's Postpile and Rainbow Falls.

6/7. sierras baby!

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6/5.

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6/3. kennedy meadows

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6/2. mini-wilson takes the lead again!

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6/1. boy do i look bright eyed and bushy tailed

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5/31. trail magic

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4/30.

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4/29. i love it when people cut your head off in the frame!

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5/26. ok, so you can't really see the hundreds down the hill...

5/25. what a blessing

Mojave

5/24. hikertown

5/23. rough night

5/22. casa de luna

5/18. biggest freakin' pinecones

5/17. passing the torch

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5/19. vasquez rocks

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Rattle Rattle

This is my favorite picture of the trip so far. Enough said.

Baden-Powell

Atop this famous peak with Irish(middle and yes, he's Irish) and Brit(and yes, he's British). It doesn't seem like it but we had to cut steps in the snow for the last 800ft. You can see the Mojave floor behind us. The views were incredible up here.

A Little Shade

Here we are trying to get out of the heat of the day for about 3 hours. Left to Right, that's Brit, Chunks and Water Buffalo. This was back in the San Felipe Mtns. Finally was able to upload a few nice photos.

5/15. rough life

5/14. mt. baden-powell

5/14. trail angel at wrightwood

5/12. one day you're at the golden arches, the next you're up here!

5/11. gluttony at its best!

5/10. finally received my trail name- lion heart!

5/9. deep creek foot soak!

5/8. rejoicing in pain

5/7. do not watch if large blisters gross you out! i almost didn't post this but oh well...

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5/7. 10 percent of the trail completed!

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5/5. god is so amazing, another great day in his creation!

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5/4. here's to you mister bramante!

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5/3. pct horseshoe!

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4/2. rough ride up black mtn. rd.

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5/2. two new friends

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5/1. stuck in idyllwild due to fire. a lil burger grilling!

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4/30. grinding away

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4/29. mmm... snack break!

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Day 7. 4/28 mini-wilson: so tyler did a decent job of getting me to warner springs, 1st resupply at mile 110! tyler complained a bit too much and is finally taking care of me, properly nestled amongst a summer sausage :)

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day 6. 4/27. Here pit viper here...

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Day 6 4/27 early morn

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Day 5. 4/26 scissors crossing baby!

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Day 4. feeling the heat!

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Day 3. mini-wilson makes his debut! btw, the knee is feeling better.

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Thanks chany for the backpackers pantry!

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Day 2

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Praise god! i can't believe i'm here

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Rock n roll baby!

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Oakland transfer! one step closer baby

G'd mornin mates!

Adventure Buddy

There's this certain girl and me near McDonald Creek (Glacier NP) on a snowshoe trip up to Apgar Lookout! It was a blast except the trip was aborted about half-way due to a blister. I won't mention the injured other than PCT'ers don't complain about blisters :) Amber has been my adventure buddy for the past few months and I'm going to miss her. However, she will join for a small stint in the Sierras which should be awesome.

Countdown. on the way to seattle!

The Final CDA Prep Day

A great day in the rugged Idahoan backwoods! This was at English Point, a small hiking area around Hayden Lake with several small trail loops. So I looped and looped...and... looped again for about 8 miles until I was dizzy and had named a few trees. If I had to do loops for 2,650mi., I would probably shoot myself. You know, I'm really glad the PCT goes from point A to B! Just one week and I'll be baking in that desert heat :)

Nit Picky

Separating all the gear and getting everything weighed down to the ounce. Trying to wean myself of any and all 'irrational exuberance.' Thus, removing tags and cutting the handle off my toothbrush. I swore I would never be that kind of hiker, but here I am, looking at a little too much weight. My base weight(everything minus food/water) is 17lbs. 15oz. I'm trying to figure out how to drop 2-3lbs. If I strap my fleece/sleeping pad to my trekking poles, I could get it down to 15lbs. I love the ingenuity/creativity or just plain craziness of backpackers!

This is j dawg. he's taking over the directing at kcfw while im out on the trail. yeah bro, he rocks

Hiking Buddy

So, here's a pix of my best friend Ryan and me at Hayden Lake. He's trying to be some kind of ferocious tiger....grrrr, look at those teeth! It's not really necessary, I just thought it was funny. Anyhoo, Ryan's going to join me for a 6-day journey from Snoqualmie Pass to Stevens Pass, WA. Ryan and I have been on several other backpacking trips including the Adirondacks, Glacier and Banff National Parks. Ryan's a great guy to hike with for several reasons, but mainly, he's just freakin' hilarious.

All broken in and ready to go!

This is 1/3 of my itinerary!

I'm Baby Stepping

C'mon, gimme gimme gimme; I need, I need... Dang, I love "What About Bob?" So, I finished my itinerary for the PCT which means I have a very good idea of where I'll be camping each night and the number of days between resupply points. Now, I have to go back through and figure out which resupply points need drop boxes and hence; how much food to mail for the next section. I'll also be mailing a bounce box from point to point, in case I have too much food and just want to send it forward. It's coming together and it's time for a little hike this morning. Peace

Health Update

So, the chiropractor has really helped out my hip and back. I still have a little popping in the sternum but for the most part, I've been out hiking about 3mi./day with my pack on. The baby gaiters were broken in yesterday while hiking up Lonepine with Amber. I'm slackin on the endurance and right now, I think she's more qualified for this hike than me. All in all, things are starting to pick up pace and I fly to San Diego, April 21st. There's a host family that will pick me up at the airport, feed me, take me to REI, stay the night and then shuttle me to the trailhead! How awesome is that?--PCT'ers are crazy but there are some good ones out there.

On a side note, I've been volunteering as a fireman at Evergreen for the past 2 months. It's awesome and I've gotten to go on a few fire/medical calls. The people there are great to work with and we've done some training and here's a pix to prove I can don that kevlar suit!

baby gaiters...

Test

The swan range on a beautiful training day

A Few Changes

So, I bought 5 pairs of shoes and now my wardrobe is complete. If the trip ends early, I'll be set for 4 years worth of shoes! I got the North Face Arnuvas for the desert section and the Ultra 103's XCR for the rest of the trip. The problem is that I ordered 2 pair online from a place in Alabama. I was psyched to open the box today only to find out that they shipped two different pairs. I haven't decided to keep the oddball pair (NF Hedgehogs) yet but they might work.

A few weeks ago, my brother came over from Seattle and we had an awesome time. We went skiing and it was great. Brought back memories of us as little guys doing race league. On one particular run in Hellroaring Basin, I decided to show my bro what Montana skiing is all about and turned my tips down a wicked steep line. I don't remember much except my body was strewn like a limp noodle down the run. A real humbling experience but I did hurt my hip on that little stunt and it still is giving me trouble. I gotta be honest and say I'm a little nervous because of the hike coming up and my hip still popping and doing weird stuff. Hopefully, it will clear up soon.

Dang, i love this video posting

And more planning