Next Steps and Questions Answered
The previous entry was my last for S. CA. I will return to the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) in early August to hike through the High Sierras, likely starting from Kennedy Meadows, south of Mount Whitney. I'll trek as long as the weather allows, hopefully through mid-October, and may make it as far north as Lake Tahoe. The High Sierras is the most scenic section of the PCT in CA so please plan on visiting this blog later in the year to see it for yourself.
Let me mention too that my trail name for this adventure is "Lorax." That's the character from the Dr. Seuss book by the same name who "speaks for the trees" and objects when they are all cut down. This trip showed me firsthand the beauty of the wildlands of S. CA and the many benefits of protecting them. We all need to "speak for the trees" and work to sustain our forests and wild nature around us.
I have also been asked about my daily routine and food. I set my alarm for 5 and am usually on the trail at first light at 6. This proved useful in the desert to get in hiking in the cooler hours; I'd then nap in the shade between 1 and 3 PM during the heavy heat and continue the walk as temperatures began to drop. I'd set up camp around 7, eat, watch the sunset and be asleep as dark fell.
Speaking of food -- in all my previous backpacks I'd cooked meals, usually hot oatmeal for breakfast and freeze-dry packages for dinner as well as soup and tea or coffee. This time I wanted to save the weight and bulk of a stove and cookware so I used dry food. I ate cereal for breakfast and for lunch had a mealbar made by Pemmican. I recommend them as filling, chewy and high in protein and carbohydrates. My favorite is the fruit and nut bar. For dinner I'd have one or two sports bars. After trying many kinds I settled on Clif bars. This was not gourmet dining but it maintained me just fine. It also meant that when I got to town that "real" food tasted fabulous.
Let me mention too that my trail name for this adventure is "Lorax." That's the character from the Dr. Seuss book by the same name who "speaks for the trees" and objects when they are all cut down. This trip showed me firsthand the beauty of the wildlands of S. CA and the many benefits of protecting them. We all need to "speak for the trees" and work to sustain our forests and wild nature around us.
I have also been asked about my daily routine and food. I set my alarm for 5 and am usually on the trail at first light at 6. This proved useful in the desert to get in hiking in the cooler hours; I'd then nap in the shade between 1 and 3 PM during the heavy heat and continue the walk as temperatures began to drop. I'd set up camp around 7, eat, watch the sunset and be asleep as dark fell.
Speaking of food -- in all my previous backpacks I'd cooked meals, usually hot oatmeal for breakfast and freeze-dry packages for dinner as well as soup and tea or coffee. This time I wanted to save the weight and bulk of a stove and cookware so I used dry food. I ate cereal for breakfast and for lunch had a mealbar made by Pemmican. I recommend them as filling, chewy and high in protein and carbohydrates. My favorite is the fruit and nut bar. For dinner I'd have one or two sports bars. After trying many kinds I settled on Clif bars. This was not gourmet dining but it maintained me just fine. It also meant that when I got to town that "real" food tasted fabulous.
posted by peterkirby at
8:43 AM
