The “fever ‘n sore throat ‘n cough thing” that is making the rounds here has gotten to Bill “White Beard”.  He’s had to take time off from training for the trail in order to recover (quickly, we hope!)   So I (Monty) went on another “hike alone” day at Annadel State Park near Santa Rosa, CA.  Annadel is a great park to practice for the PCT.  It has lots of hills, rough trails, creeks, a lake, deer and other critters, and AWESOME views.  The oak trees are just beginning to leaf out, and the willow trees’ new leaves are just enough to create a sort of green misty effect.  Since it hasn’t rained for a few days, the trails are drying out a bit, which is nice–less mud to deal with.

I ate lunch at a place called Buck Meadow, and talked with another hiker named Dan.  He said he’s only done the PCT by Lake Tahoe, and that in July,  he meets one PCT thruhiker after another.  Wow!  That’s a lot of hikers!   We talked about the snow in the Sierras this year.   Everyone we know who has friends/family who live up there are saying that this is a WEIRD year, snow-wise.  Some places are way below normal (they’ve been getting rain instead of snow) and other places are ABOVE normal.   I am not sure what this translates into for thruhikers (us!) who arrive in late May and  early June.  

At any rate, I am very encouraged that so far our plan of training hikes with steadily increasing pack weight is definitely paying off.  My feet are clearly getting tougher on their sides and soles.  Here’s what Bill and I have concluded regarding feet and knees on the PCT…

1)  Blisters–you can totally avoid these by making sure your shoes are BIG enough, and that you have toughened up your feet by carrying weight in training hikes.   Bill had awful blisters on our first hike because he didn’t realize how much his feet would swell up in the heat of the desert, plus just the stress of hiking over 20 miles a day on rough terrain.   I would say that your shoes need to be at MINIMUM at least a size larger than normal (and even that is taking a risk of not being enough).  A size and a half larger at least is better.    I also recommend WrightSocks–they are very helpful in preventing blisters.  Bill also says that if you find yourself out in the middle of nowhere with a set of nasty blisters because your feet swelled up so much, one quick ‘n simple solution is TAKE OUT the inserts from your shoes!   He was hiking with a friend of ours on the John Muir Trail, and the friend got awful blisters from his feet swelling.  White Beard persuaded him to take the inserts out of his shoes, and in short order, the friend’s feet healed up and were fine.

Just in case, bring along some bandaids and tape in case you do get a few blisters.   And keep in mind that Ray Jardine was right when he said if your blisters get too bad,  take a zero day and let your feet get lots of air and sunshine.   The blisters will heal up amazingly fast.   When we got to Agua Dulce in 2005,  Bill’s blisters were so bad that he was starting to talk about giving up the whole hike.   But a zero day of rest at Hiker Heaven plus Donna Saufley’s epsom salts soak had his feet healed up amazingly in a short time.

2) Shoes and socks–Bill and I wear trail running shoes.  Every shoe company uses a different last to shape their shoes.  Find one that works with YOUR unique feet.  Some lasts are straight, some are curved.   You might want to consult a sports podiatrist for advice on which brands would work best with your feet.  I personally wear Vasques.  Bill is still experimenting.   

 Then you have other considerations, also.   I tend to pronate, so I look for shoes with pronation control.   The PCT is very rough, so you need shoes with forefoot plate protection or you will have very sore feet!  You also need to decide whether you will get Goretex linings or not.   Shoes with Goretex will keep your feet nice and clean, but on the downside, the Goretex makes the shoe heavier.   I had Goretex shoes in 2005, and it was wonderful to have clean feet at the end of each day (while Bill’s feet were filthy and he had to wash them every night),  but I have decided that the lighter weight of non-Goretex shoes is going to win out this time.  I find that REI has very helpful charts which compare the various shoes they carry as to these and other factors. 

A final thing to consider about shoes is whether or not you need to wear orthotics/Superfeet inserts.  For me (I am bunion-prone), these are a MUST.   Basically, if you have any knee or feet problems, get orthotics!!   But be sure they are the kind that can go through creek crossings, snow, mud, etc.   They should be lightweight, washable and tough.  I got mine from one of the best sports podiatrists on the West Coast,  Dr. Dave Hannaford, in San Rafael, CA.  He is awesome! (He was recommended to me by “Red Leader”, a guy who teaches backpacking classes, and who often attends ADZPCTKO.)

I know some people do like to hike in sandals, but due to the roughness of the PCT (lots of rocks, sticks & obstacles) I like the protection that shoes give me.  Even with shoes on,  my feet took a beating.   Up in the North Cascades,  Bill’s feet hurt so much that he could hardly walk, just from the roughness of the trail.

As to socks, there are lots of opinions!   Personally,   I wear TWO layers of socks.  The inner one is a WrightSock, which does a GREAT job in keeping my feet happy and preventing blisters.  The outer one is a more soft and padded sock for cushioning.  I prefer what are called “half-crew” socks.  Crew socks are too long and heavy.   Quarter crews don’t protect my ankles very well.   But half-crews are great.   Wearing two socks protected my feet from both HOT and COLD.   On the trail, I carry 3 pairs of WrightSocks (one to wear, one to wash, and one that is dry and at least somewhat “clean”.   I only bring two pairs of half-crews.

Further foot/ankle protection comes from wearing gaiters.  These go a long way toward keeping your feet, shoes and socks clean and grit-free.  If you wear long pants as I do, they will also keep ticks off your legs.

3)  Foot problems–Bill battled with plantar fasciitis for a time along the PCT in 2005,  but he won the battle by getting some very lightweight “night splints” to wear.   Using these, plantar fasciitis will heal up quite quickly, and sure enough,  Bill was fine for the rest of the trail.   The other problem is that sometimes your feet just plain ACHE and hurt from heavy pack plus rough trail.   For that, we found it’s good whenever you take a break (we take 15 minutes, morning and afternoon, plus lunch break), it is good to lie down if you can, and drape your legs over your pack so that your feet are UP.   Take off your shoes if you have time, also.  If you lunch by a creek, soak your feet in the cold water.   And as a last resort, there’s always “vitamin I” (ibuprofen).

4) Knee problems–When we did the PCT in 2005,  I quickly discovered that I had a fairly bad knee problem.   About 10 years before, I had a knee infection in that knee, which weakened everything.   So by Warner Springs, my knee was seriously hurting.   I talked to one of the other hikers at the Warner Springs Resort, and she said, “You need a patella strap.  Here–you can borrow one of mine till you can get your own in Big Bear City.”   Wow!   She was right on!   You often see runners wearing these–they are simply a little padded strap that fastens with velcro.  You wear them just under your kneecap, and they support the kneecap, which ends the knee pain.   Eventually, my quadriceps muscles got so strong that they took over the job of supporting the kneecap, and I sent the patella straps home.   This time, I plan to bring a patella strap along for the first part of the PCT in case it turns out I need it for awhile.

Using trek poles as you hike is also a BIG help in preventing knee problems.   We met some older guys who were out backpacking, and they were singing the praises of their trek poles.   They said they’d had to give up backpacking because of knee problems, till they discovered trek poles!! 

The key to preventing knee problems, though, is STRONG quadriceps muscles.   You get these by bike riding and by going up and down hills.   So when you are training for the PCT, keep that in mind!

“March madness” is in full swing for us right now, but it isn’t basketball!    It’s our Awana Club involvement, with THREE big weekend events back-to-back.   By the time this is over, all the kids in our club, from the kindergarteners through the high schoolers, will have had a chance to compete with kids from other clubs both in the North Bay Area as well as all of northern California/Nevada.   So far we are doing VERY well, and I’m proud of our kids and how hard they have worked.  One of the great features of Awana is that NOTHING is ever just given to you.   Kids have to EARN every “perk”, every award, every privilege.  And once they catch on (and even more importantly, their PARENTS catch on!), they jump in with enthusiasm. 

Meanwhile, we are doing about 40 miles a week of hiking with packs over all sorts of terrain.  I am very pleased to see my feet are responding and starting to get tougher.   By the end of the PCT in 2005, I had unbelievably tough skin, especially on the balls of my feet.  When we were training in 2005, I kept getting blisters, and I actually began the trail at Campo carrying various “blister protection devices.”  But after awhile, I sent them all home, because I didn’t need them anymore.  In the entire time we were on the PCT, I only got two very small blisters, and they were easily fixed.   This time I do not expect to get any blisters.

White Beard and I have also been hashing out our resupply itinerary.  This has taken some discussion!!!  But here is what we’ve decided (I’ll list the locations and try to explain WHY we chose these and not some of the other ones)….

(One basic principle that guided us was “We hate hitch-hiking!”)

1) We plan to drive a rental car to San Diego, then take trolley & bus to Campo.  We will camp at Campo, then hike the PCT to Lake Morena the next day, which will probably be the Friday of the ADZPCTKO weekend.

2) We will attend ADZPCTKO till after dinner on Saturday, then head out.

3) WARNER SPRINGS will be the next stop.  We will skip Mt.Laguna (went to it in 2005,  and it’s really cute and pretty, but this time we’d rather just keep hiking).   We plan to enjoy the amenities at Warner this time–last time it was just a quick overnight stop.

4) PARADISE CAFE–we will stop and get our resupply box here rather than in Idylwild.  Getting to Idylwild is a pain.  You have to either hitch-hike or walk 4 miles down the Devil’s Slide trail, then another goodly ways into town.  Last time we were there,  we found the place was very pretty and the people very nice, but all places we could stay were totally full and we couldn’t even camp at the campgrounds, because they were all full, too.  We don’t want a rerun of that experience.

5) BIG BEAR CITY–This is one place we WILL hitch-hike to. Last time, we walked down Van Dusen Canyon Road.  Nobody would give us a ride, and it was pretty discouraging.  Finally, not too long before town, a couple gave us a ride on the back of their hay trailer.  But we’d already been passed up by so many cars that we vowed we’d never try Van Dusen again.   This time we will try hitching at the highway.  Other thruhikers have told us that they didn’t have much trouble hitching from there.   As to where to stay, last time we stayed with a trail angel we met at the post office.   Not sure where we will stay this time.

6) CAJON PASS–We resupply here rather than Wrightwood because getting to Wrightwood is a pain.  Last time we did the PCT, the trail to Wrightwood was totally covered with snow and there was a sign warning that it was dangerously icy and slippery, and to hitch-hike in at the highway instead.  Fortunately, we had already resupplied at Cajon Pass, so we didn’t care.  We have been to Wrightwood, and it is very cute and pretty, but we stick with Cajon because it’s right on the trail and it has TRAINS!   We love to watch trains, and there are plenty to watch at Cajon.

7) AGUA DULCE–Hiker Heaven!!!  We plan to take our first zero here,  to be able to relax for a day and hang out with all the other hikers.  Also, it’s a good place to get reports on what’s happening in the Sierras.

8)(Tentative–we are trying to find out if the place is still open) GIL’S COUNTRY STORE . We stopped here last time and had a blast.  Besides picking up our box, we enjoyed good food and fun conversations with the locals–and since they LIVE in the Mojave Desert, they are definitely “interesting” folks!

9) TEHACHAPI–This is an unavoidable hitch-hike, but worth going to.  It’s a very pretty place, with lots of trains going through.  We stayed at a motel that was very hiker-friendly.  The only downside to Tehachapi is that it’s very spread out.  The grocery store is WAY off in one direction and the post office is WAY off in the other direction.   Once you get to Tehachapi, there is a trail register that lists trail angels who will drive you back to the PCT.

10) KENNEDY MEADOWS–we really enjoyed our “nero” here in 2005, and left with clean clothes, clean selves, and HEEEEEAVY packs ready for the High Sierras. 

11) VERMILION VALLEY RESORT–Last time, we had a “nero” here. This time, depending on how tired we are and how low on food, we may either not stop at all, or we will just stop off and eat, scrounge through the hiker barrels, and then be on our way.   I guess you can say it will be more of a “pit stop” than a resupply.   We do not plan to send a box here this time (we did in 2005).

12) MAMMOTH LAKES–We plan to zero here, after leaving the PCT at Red’s Meadow.   We figure we will be pretty tired and hungry at this point!   We didn’t stop here in 2005, since we had already nero’ed  at VVR.

13) TUOLEMNE MEADOWS–This is where we hope and pray that the post office is open!!   If it isn’t, we’ll have to go all the way down to Yosemite Valley to get our box.   In 2005, we arrived here around lunchtime and by the time we finished eating, sorting out the stuff from our box, etc. it was late afternoon.  Knowing the “bear situation” in Yosemite, we opted to stay the night with our food safely stowed in a bear BOX at the campground before leaving early next morning.

14) ECHO LAKE–This is a very pretty place. Last time we hitched down to South Lake Tahoe from here.   This time, we will just stop and eat and get our box and go.

15) POOH CORNER–We have never been to the Person’s place at Donner Lake, and it sounded great, so this time we decided we’d check it out!

16) SIERRA CITY–A wonderful town; a bit of a detour off the trail, but well worth it.   The restaurants in Sierra City are AWESOME, and the people are very friendly to hikers.   You can camp by the church lawn for free.  (Don’t camp ON the lawn, or you’ll get well-watered when the sprinklers come on at midnight!)

17) BELDEN–Last time, we picked up our box at the post office, and that was kind of an “experience”.  But this time we are going to try Little Haven.

18) OLD STATION–The postmistress here will phone Georgi Heitman when you pick up your box, and next thing you know, you are in another “hiker heaven” with the Heitmans!  We had planned to just pick up our box and keep going in 2005, but we met so many people who said, “You HAVE to stay with Dennis and Georgi” that we  reconsidered.  And we are glad we did!

19) BURNEY FALLS STATE PARK–We don’t plan to stay here, just pick up our box and go.   But the staff are very friendly and helpful to hikers!

20) CASTELLA (AMMIRATI’S MARKET)–Last time, we picked up at the post office.  Glad the store takes boxes now!   We bought a bunch of  food at the store and took it over to the State Park next door, where we spent the night and got all cleaned up and had a great meal. 

21) ETNA–In 2005, we were not planning to go to Etna, but a snowstorm forced us down off the trail.  We ended up staying at the Hiker Hut, and enjoyed fantastic food in town till the storm had died down enough for us to return to the PCT.   This time, we are PLANNING to go to Etna!   Superfriendly town, supernice people!

22) SEIAD VALLEY–How can any thruhiker bypass a chance at the famous pancakes here?  White Beard and I were very conservative, and ordered ONE pancake each.   We could barely finish them!   You can camp at the RV park next door.  We didn’t stay at Seiad–just picked up our box, ate a pancake & milkshake and headed on.

23) HYATT LAKE RESORT–We bypass Ashland; it’s too much of a hassle to get there, and we’ve been to Ashland before anyway, many times, so it’s “no big deal” to us.   Instead, we go straight to Hyatt Lake, where you can get a shower,  food and friendly conversation.  We even got to spend the night for free, in the campground.

24) CRATER LAKE (MAZAMA VILLAGE)–We plan to pick up our box at the Mazama Village Store instead of the post office.  ( Getting to the post office is a major pain.)  The Village has everything a thruhiker could want–resupply, laundry, showers, an all-you-can-eat buffet, and a campground (even cabins, if you want to be more civilized).

25) SHELTER COVE RESORT–This is a very pretty, friendly place.  You can get your box, go for a swim, eat, etc.   For us in 2005 and again in 2010, it will be a “pit stop”, not even a nero.   We try to buy enough stuff at the store to make them glad they held our box for us!

26) BIG LAKE YOUTH CAMP–This place is beautiful!   We hung out at the beach and relaxed for a whole day.  For very little money you get big, delicious vegetarian meals, plus free laundry.  If there’s room, you can stay in a cabin–if not, you go off and camp in the woods by the lake.   We love it here, because we like to hang out with Christian folks.   Fear not–if you come here,  nobody will “bug you about religion”–they will just do their best to be helpful and kind in every way they can..

27) TIMBERLINE LODGE–for us, this is a “pit stop” where we just get our box, eat, and go.   But it is a really fun place!

28) CASCADE LOCKS–We plan to take a zero here, in order to visit with family from Portland.  There are some really good restaurants here.

29) STABLER’S COUNTRY STORE–We didn’t stop here in 2005, since it’s only a day and a half into the trail, but we have learned that in Washington State, you are in RUGGED hiking, and anything you can do to save weight in your pack is good.  Stabler’s is only a half mile off the trail.

30)WHITE PASS (KRACKER BARREL)–We stopped here in 2005, and ate and ate and ate.  They also have a laundry, but no showers.  We washed our clothes, then decided it would be nice to take a break, so hitched into Packwood for the night.  Next day, it was a nightmare trying to get back to the PCT.   So this time, we will just resupply, eat, wash clothes and head out.

31) SNOQUALMIE PASS (SUMMIT INN)–Last time, we sent our box to the post office.  Not good.   The post office is a closet in the gas station, and it’s only open for 2 hours a day.  So we are sending our box to the Summit Inn this time.   Snoqualmie has a great restaurant, and it’s a good place to rest up for a night before tackling the next tough part of the trail.

32) STEHEKIN–Notice that we didn’t schedule Skykomish as a resupply.  We didn’t plan on going there in 2005, either, but ended up making the trip down the hill because we needed more food, and we were very tired.   The Dinsmores have moved, and are now 24 miles from the PCT, so you have to hitch-hike to and from their house.    We do not plan to try that again unless we are desperate.   So we will just tackle the long, long hike from Snoqualmie all the way to Stehekin.   Once in Stehekin, you have options.   Last time, we stayed at the Ranch owned by the Courtneys.  It’s not cheap, but it was awesome!  This time, we have not decided where to stay in Stehekin.  We love the beauty of Lake Chelan, so staying in town is very appealing.

33)  MANNING PARK–We come in here to wash up, change clothes, eat a bit, and catch the bus for Abbottsford.   From Abbottsford, we walk back into the USA.