At Lake Morena

Enjoying warm food and good company. Will head out to hike the first 20 miles tomorrow!

Heading out!!

Hey all,

There is so much I've been wanting to post and just haven't had the time so I'll write a bit here and add some photos later.

First, I wanted to say Thank You and good-bye to all my co-workers at Partners In Care. You all gave me a wonderful send-off and it's still a little weird that it's a weekday and I'm not sitting at my desk chatting with everyone. Take care of each other and we'll all go out for a drink when I get back.

Over the last few days, I've flown down to California, spent time with friends and family, and worked hard to get my pack as light as possible.

As of right now, with a full pack and a weeks worth of food, I'm at 40lbs. I'll be adding between 8.8lbs and 13.2lbs of water while hiking in the desert. So, a max pack weight of 53.2 lbs! Think I'll be doing some trimming while at the kickoff party. :-D

And today the folks and I are packing up and heading down to Lake Morena. I'll be hiking the first 20 miles tomorrow, then spending the next two days getting to meet and hang out with 275 other thru-hikers. A HUGE thank you to the organizers of the ADZPCTKO (Annual Day Zero PCT Kick Off) for giving us hikers an opportunity to get to meet each other as well as previous year hikers, future hikers, Trail Angles, and vendors who all want to help all this years hikers have a successful journey.

But before I leave, I want to give three cheers to everyone who has supported me and the JDRF. Whether via donations, encouragement, support, or all three, this hike would not be possible without all of you.

And so, I dedicate the first 20 miles to all of you. Each step will be supported by your thoughts, prayers, and overall amazingness.  Your words of encouragement will be the "wind at my back". Your caring will keep me calm and focused.

Thank you all and happy hiking!

Meet JDRF Bacon...

Juliana's aunt (and my roommate) made me a JDRF mascot...JDRF Bacon! She even documented JDRF Bacon's training for the Really, Really, Really Long Hike for the Cure! Watch. Laugh. Share!

And to learn more about Bacon...go to What Do Bacon Do?. You can even make your OWN Bacon!

Jacob

My cousin Jacob has Type 1 Diabetes so I asked him a bunch of questions about his diagnosis and living with T1D.

Me: Who has gone above and beyond to help you that you want to give a public 'Thank you' to? Jacob: His name is Rob Yates. He helped me when I was down. His wife had diabetes also before she passed and he shared how God helped her. He helped me answer questions like “Why me God?” Me: What is the one question you get the most when you tell folks you have Type 1? Jacob: What is the difference between type 2 and 1? Me: What question just makes you want to smack someone? Jacob: What are you not allowed to eat? Me: How have you handled the diagnosis and all the comes with it? From the first shot to today? Jacob: I take it as it is. I try to manage as best I can and treat every mishap as a learning experience Me: What do you want people to know about living with Type 1? Jacob: I can eat anything I want too, I just have to make sure I have the correct insulin coverage for it. Me: What is the funniest story/joke/etc. you have about Type 1? Jacob: What not to say to the parent of a Type 1 child. (Video) Me: What support have you received from JDRF and other organizations? Jacob: How to manage with sickness etc....basically advice Me: What one piece of advice would you give to parents of newly diagnosed kids? Jacob: Depending on the kids' age, do not be over protective and emphatic. Try to not make the them feel different, the disease is just another part of their life.

Juliana

My friends niece. Juliana is a vivacious 2nd grader who was 4 years old when she was diagnosed with T1D (Type 1 Diabetes).

Her family put together this video to share what it's like living with T1D.

Please help us find a cure for Juliana and everyone living with T1D. Make your donation today.

The "Competition"

My friends niece. Juliana is one of the amazing kids that inspired me to make the JDRF the focus of my fundraising.

For the last four years, Juliana and her family have joined thousands of others in the annual Beat the Bridge to Beat Diabetes fundraiser. They have raised over $35,000 to help the JDRF find a cure for Type 1 Diabetes (T1D).

On May 20th, when I'll be passing the 300 mile mark on my hike, Team Juliana will be taking their own strides to help the JDRF.

Of course I want to meet my goal of raising $2,650, but the ultimate goal is to raise as much money as possible so one day a cure can be found for Juliana and everyone with T1D.

Please make your donation today.

Team Juliana - Beat the Bridge

Tent!

A special thanks to Eli, PCT class of 2013, who sold me a sparkly new Big Agnes 1 person tent!

I'll add photos of when I have it set up, but couldn't resist taking this photo of Mavis soaking up some Seattle sunshine next to my packed tent.

8 gallons of mixed fruit puree.
14.5 lbs of apple sauce.
11 lbs of silken tofu.
25 bananas.

Toss in a blender and end up with around 76 lbs of fruit blend waiting to be dehydrated into fruit leather.

JDRF Countdown

COUNTDOWN is the best way to learn more about JDRF's progress towards better treatments and a cure for type 1 diabetes.

The current issues features articles on Glucose-responsive insulins, Protection for islet cells, Low Blood Sugar fire drills, and holiday tips from one of JDRF's celebrity chefs, Sam Talbot.

Read. Learn. Share.

I know this isn't facebook...

but had to share anyway.  Here are two bald eagles I saw on my morning walk to my bus.

Rice...before, during, and after

Here's a look at rice in the three phases of dehydrating it. Buying it, cooking it, and dehydrating it.

Food win!

I'm finding that dehydrating food is more time consuming and a little more stressful than I imagined.

Not only do I have to dehydrate the food, I had to test recipes, rehydrate and taste the foods, and determine if it's something I can eat for months.

The upside is that I'm a repetitive eater. I've been known to eat the same thing for lunch every day for months on end so I'm not worried about that part of the food planning.

So...here are a few "wins" for me:

• Pumpkin bark - super yummy! It's just pumpkin, maple syrup, and pumpkin pie spice. I did add silken tofu for protein. Just dump it all in a blender, spread it on the trays and dehydrate until dry.



• Fruit leather - Oh the drama with this! I tried about 4 different "recipes" before I got this right. I tried adding in some ingredients that I don't normally like, but was hoping the other fruits would cover the taste. Yeah, didn't happen. So I went with what I like. Straw, black, blue, and rasp berries, apple sauce, tofu, and a banana. It tastes amazing and I can really see eating this every day!



• Rice - the simplest thing ever! I made the rice with salt and pepper, dehydrate and it's SO yummy. Even without anything else on it. I can eat this plain it's that good.



• Apples - I was dubbed the "The Honeycrisp Lady" by a checker at my local supermarket I bought so many. Pounds and pounds and pounds of them. I sliced them thin, dehydrated them until crisp, and learned the hard way to not test them when they were done. I would try one and eat them ALL. The flavor is amazing and these are going to be my treat on the trail.

Now I just have to dehydrate, dehydrate, and dehydrate some more to ensure I have enough food to last for 5 months!

I'm permitted!

My PCT hiking permit!

Get out and explore because...

So much to do...

I made a "to do" list of what needs to get done before I head out in April. I think the photo below best expresses what I really want to do when I look at that list:



Mavis's way of dealing with a long "to do" list

Ha!



Click on the photo to make it larger





Maps, eyes, and potatoes...

I got my maps!! I ordered Half Mile's maps from GISI which has an AWESOME deal for PCT hikers.  You can get their contact info from the link above. Beautiful full color, two sided, and mine all mine!

A perfect pair: Half Mile maps and Yogi's Town guide, together and ready to lead me on my journey.

I resolved my contact issue. I wasn't sure how to handle wearing contacts on the PCT but Ginny at Roosevelt Vision in Seattle checked, measured, tested, and re-measured my eyes to make sure daily contacts were my best option. I just got my order today and am so excited this item has been checked off my to-do list.

And finally...I made my first batch of potatoe bark! It's super yummy even when dried.

Tomato Sauce Leather

This is my first try at making tomato sauce leather...


Blend...





 











Pour...



Spread evenly and dehydrate!

So much to say...

So much to share but I have to make this quick...I have apples to prepare for dehydrating! :-D

What I've been reading: The Pacific Crest Trailside Reader.
     This two volume set explores "the people, places, and history of the 2600-mile Pacific Crest Trail...and brings together short excerpts from classic works of regional writing and boot-tested stories from the trail."

     I was lucky to attend the book reading and got to meet Rees Hughes (Editor and contributor), Linda "Blue Butterfly" Bakkar (contributor), Tom "Bullfrog" Griffin (contributor), and Robert Birkby (contributor). I also got to meet Marmot who had just finished her 2011 through hike! The stories run from poignant, to scary, to downright hysterical! If you are an armchair hiker, these are the books for you!

Beefing up my mad skills:
     Last weekend I attended a wilderness first aid course taught by WMI (Wilderness Medicine Institute) and NOLS (National Outdoor Leadership School) Check 'em out... http://www.nols.edu/wmi/

The two day course covered everything from how to assess a patient to making splints to cleaning and protecting various wounds. We learned about hypothermia, heat illness, altitude sickness, and how to wrap an injured ankle.

There was in class lecture and practical application. I'm sure the shoppers at REI were wondering what was up with all the folks lying around the landscape with fake bruises on their heads waiting to be "rescued". We also got some weird looks because it was raining and snowing during our outdoor practical training. Thank goodness for gortex!

So I'm feeling much more solid in my first aid training and will be carrying my certification with me to show off. :-)

Getting down with my chaturanga dandasana self:
     I'm so lucky to get to work with Katy Tavog who is helping me get my yoga on. I did yoga with her before my first climb on Mt. Rainier but not on my second climb and boy did I notice a difference. The first time around, I felt so fluid in my movement, strong, and stable. The second climb each step down felt rigid, stiff, clumsy even.

     With this history, I knew I couldn't hit the trail without working with Katy first. Right now she's helping me remember the moves and build up my strength. Next will be a strong workout to tighten my core and loosen my limbs, and finally, she'll send me packing with a pre and post hike routine to keep me strong and mobile for the 5 months on the trail.

     Check out her blog at http://feelyourfeetyoga.com/ and if you want a private yoga instruction, hop over to my resource page and contact Katy directly.

That's the highlights for these past few weeks.

Cheers everyone!

Cards!

I got my cards done! Special thanks to my Cousin Chloe who took my wandering thoughts about a design and turned them into awesomeness!

Do you want some cards of awesomeness? Give me a holler and I'll send some to ya!