Test blog from phone

****Update****

Since blogger isn't letting me post a comment on my own blog, I'll just edit the original post. Take THAT blogger! :-P

Anyway, thanks all for the great suggestions. J - you know you are the one I'll be texting and such whenever I have reception. You can just string those together and post for me :-)

Liz - I guess I'm going to have to figure out how to journal on my phone while offline and then upload when I'm able. It has been added to my to-do list!

And if you need and/or want a hiking buddy, let me know. I like winter hiking and snowshoeing so let me know and we can figure out when/where to meet.

Cheers!
Kellie

****End of Update****

Hi all,

I'm just testing blogging via my phone. Although I have a qwerty keyboard on my phone, I'm not sure if this is going to be the best way to blog while on the trail. Does anyone have any suggestions?

Of course, since I have no intention of carrying a computer with me, this may be my only option. Ces't la vie!

Happy day everyone!

Congrats to PCT thru-hiker Wired

Over the last few months, I've been reading a blog by Erin (Trail name: Wired). She's from Portland and on September 23rd, reached Monument 78, the offical end of the 2,650 mile Pacific Crest Trail. She's the 5th female to finish the trail this season and the 2nd solo female.

Her daily account of life on the trail, the emotional highs and low, the good, the bad, and the magic that she experianced has kept me grounded while planning my own hike. Her words remind me that this isn't going to be a simple stroll through fields of wildflowers, but a daily test of my mental and physical strength and endurance.

You can read about her entire journey here: Erins PCT Journal

Congrat again Wired on accomplishing an amazing journey!

Lingo

As I research this hike, I find myself coming across, and now using, terms that I wouldn't know unless I was researching this hike.

• PCT - Pacific Crest Trail
• Trail names - a name traditionally bestowed upon you by another hiker while on the trail. Some names include: Billy Goat; The Gingerbread Man, and Wired.
• No Flips, No Skips - This means hiking the trail from beginning to end without skipping to another section and then coming back later to finish the section you skipped.
• Jardine-ites - Fans of Ray Jardine who wrote "The Pacific Crest Trail Hiker's Handbook" that challenged some long-held beliefs about long distance hiking. The main focus is on reducing pack weight to the bare-minimum.
• Thru-hiking - is the term used for hiking a long-distance trail from end to end.
• Slack-packing - Stashing your heavy pack and only carrying the basic necessities to cover any milage that was missed or skipped. Most folks don't slack-pack for more than a day.
• Trail Angels - Folks living near the PCT who help out hikers by giving them rides to town, letting them stay at their home (showers!), bring snacks and other goodies to the trail, and stocking water caches for thirsty hikers. These Angels are the heart of the PCT community.
• Trail Magic - That cosmic energy that brings goodness to hikers, be it an unexpected water source when you're almost out, a cooler of goodies left for PCT hikers, or a ride into a town when you expected to hike it. All those little moments of unexpected wonderfulness :-D

I'll add more as I go. If you know of any that I've missed, let me know in the comments!

Planning for the really, really, really long hike

The Pacific Crest Trail is all about firsts for me. My first long hike. My first multi-day camping. My first blog.

So far, the hardest thing about this hike is planning for it. It's a little overwhelming at times. I've spent hours reading about tents...the square footage, the height, the weight. Does it have a fly? Do you need a footprint? Can you sit up inside it? How does it handle condensation? How fast can it be set up or taken down? And on and on and on. And this is just one piece of gear!

And don't get me started on food! Most everyone in my life knows my love of not cooking. Now I get to pre-plan 180 days of meals that can be cooked on a teeny tiny camp stove. The upside is that I've already got one-pot cooking down to a science. :-D

Then there is the logistics of the hike. Like figuring out how long will it take me to get to the next re-supply point and time it so I don't arrive before my supply package does. And how often to mail a supply package. What gear am I going to need on which part of the hike. Since the PCT goes through six out of seven of North America's ecozones including high and low desert, old-growth forest and artic-alpine country, I have to be prepared for anything!

Thankfully, there are some great resources specifically for PCT hikers and I'm surrounded by amazing people who are already providing support and help! So while I may be hiking by myself, I won't be alone.

To all those who's first words after I told you what I'm going to do was "How can I help?", thank you. Thank you SO very much!

Test Blog

This is a test. This is only a test. If this was a real blog, it would have some informative content and maybe a photo or two.