Hiking the Pacific Crest Trail

Back in Seattle

2010-07-27T21:23:00.000-07:00

So, Tom and I are back in Seattle. We hitched a ride out of Crater Lake National Park and to Medford, a town in southern Oregon. From there we caught a bus to Eugene, a great city, where we spent a few days with one of Tom's good friends: Elan. We tubed down the Willamette River, ate a lot of delicious food, and explored the city. Then we caught another bus back up to Seattle. I am flying back east in about a week, but Tom and I are taking this time to visit Seattle's parks, and spend some time relaxing.

It is a big bummer that we weren't able to hike the whole PCT like we had planned, but we still got to experience a good chunk of it, and have a great adventure. This summer we have seen 3 national parks, hiked a lot of miles, and had a great time. I learned I don't like snowy cliffs, and we both learned how much our bodies can do, and deal with.

I am reliving my days from two months ago- except in reverse: unpacking, and un-planning this whole trip. We still have 5 huge Tupperware tubs full of food, stacked against the wall. It looks like we will be eating a whole lot of instant rice and oatmeal for the next 12 months (actually, I will be eating a whole lot of oatmeal, because Tom cant stand it now).

People keep asking us if we are going to try again this season, and the answer is: no, thanks. We have already planned and re-planned this trip twice (including packing 2 sets of resupply boxes and heading out on two trips, only to have to return home). We had a bunch of close, and rather scary, calls on this last trip, and we are enjoying our time sleeping in a real bed for the time being. Maybe another year, maybe another trail. Who knows.

Thank you to everyone who has supported us on this ridiculous adventure. We signed onto this realizing it would be a great adventure, but I never quite expected it to turn out like this. We are really happy with our decision not to continue, but it is still a pretty big let down. We never could have expected this crazy weather- and I guess it just wasn't our year.

July 13th- photos.

2010-07-24T16:45:00.000-07:00

Crater Lake National Park, Oregon.

Wizard Island, in Crater Lake.

We were given a bunch of fresh veggies- here is Tom cooking up some vegetable soup in camp.

Proof that we ate really well on the trail.

July 13th

2010-07-22T11:17:00.000-07:00

On the Rim of Crater Lake
1:06pm
Everyone here is foreign- there are very few American tourists. Tom and I hitchhiked up to the rim village with a nice older couple from Buffalo, New York. The lake is so blue, though. And we have been able to go to a bunch of ranger presentations about the geologic history of the area (previous volcano, which erupted, then collapsed, and became Crater Lake- over the course of thousands of years). Pretty awesome. We are sitting on the rim of the lake (about 1000 feet up from the water) and just taking in all of the views.

Mazama Village
7:44pm
Today was a great day. We hitched back down to the Mazama Village after a beautiful (although very sunny, and sunscreen-less) day. We got 2 rides from nice older couples- not at all who we expected to pick us up. But it was a great day. When we got back to Mazama we sat outside the store and just met tons of other hikers. We ran into two guys we had crossed paths with on day 3 on the trail. They had set out for a few days of simple hiking and had ran into too much snow, so have been jumping around and trying to find a snow-free trail. They said there is snow all the way up Oregon too, and then a lot more in Washington. But all of the hikers have reaffirmed by fear of snow- everyone is pulling out or jumping ahead- even Edelweis. She is going to hitch north and try from there. But at least we have a lot in common with everyone.

Tom got a trail name today from Edelweis: Van Gogh (so perfect).

In the tent
8:37pm
The mosquitoes are still horrible. So went spend most of our free time sitting out front of the store at a picnic table in the sun, sporadically buying more snacks. And everyone here is so chatty- we all have this national park in common, which is very neat. I have had great conversations the past few days about what we are doing, etc. People are very curious about the trail and hikers, and Tom and I wearing our beige suits. It is really nice to have indoor bathrooms, too. I was so tired of having to go poop in the woods while being swarmed with mosquitoes. It was horrible.

Today this couple was unpacking their cooler at a picnic table and offered us their leftover produce (they were this cute couple from rural Alaska). So for dinner we made this delicious veggie rice soup. Yum.

Today we said goodbye to Edelweis. She was hitching off into the sunset (actually, to Shelter Cove).

We are very, very sunburned. We made it on the trail without getting burned, being super careful with sunscreen. And then today we left camp without a second thought (it was so chilly, the sun wasn't even on our mind). And now we are going to pay for it. But right now we are heading to a ranger program about the winter in Crater Lake National Park.

July 12th

2010-07-22T10:54:00.000-07:00

Mazama Village Campground
4:11pm

Showering felt so nice- and it was a free shower, which made it feel even better. And clean clothing- mmm. Although there were even mosquitoes in the shower. I am so sick of these mosquitoes!!! I am hiding in the tent- again. We were so excited to get here because we figured it would be relatively mosquito free. But we were wrong. Our site is particularly infested because it is shady and there is still snow. But I think this was the dirtiest I have ever been. My hair was just one greasy, dusty, crunchy mass. It is actually not very clean now...even after shampooing twice.

Today while waiting in line to get a campsite, I met another PCT hiker. She is a French woman from the Alps, trailname: Edelweis. She is super intense though- she started in Campo, California (southern end of the PCT) and did the Sierra in May. MAY!! She was right behind us this whole section, and arrived at Mazama a few hours after us. She also isnt carrying a stove- she eats all of her food cold. I cant even imagine. After meeting her I have realized something important (or perhaps it has just been confirmed): I am not hardcore. I am not intense. I guess I am just not cut out to be a thruhiker.

I am pretty bummed about this whole scenario, though. All of this money, preparation and anticipation. And no one will ever understand how hard this week was, or what it was like. But I have weighed it over and over again- the pros and cons of continuing just for the sake of not giving up, versus ending this while keeping my wits about me and being true to myself. What is crazy is we were doing so well until that one snowy day, when we just fell apart. And once you start thinking about going home, there is no getting that out of your head.

July 12th

2010-07-21T17:33:00.000-07:00

Mazama Village, Crater Lake National Park
11:30 am

So, we made it to Mazama Village. But not without the trials and tribulations which have become typical for this trip. I was awoken around 1am by hooves pounding the ground around our tent, and a loud snorting. I was terrified and woke Tom up, but they quickly retreated into the woods. I had a hard time falling back asleep because I couldn't stop fearing death by wildlife. I was awoken again around 5am by two large deer grazing in the field we had put our tent in. Apparently the meadow that looked like a great tent site was also a popular deer (and elk) hangout. Our midnight visitor is believed to have been an elk, and the early morning friends were most likely also elk (hard to tell to my untrained, near-sighted eyes).

When we decided to exit the tent around 7:30, we realized how much dew had accumulated the night before (chilly night without a rain fly). Everything was wet- there was even water drops dangling inside the tent and coating our sleeping bags and gear. We got up and packed quickly, snacking on a cold breakfast to the best of our ability.

We hit the trail around 8 and logged some easy, quick miles along an old road. The guidebook had said we would follow an old road for a while, then climb up, and cross a forested section that would be very snow logged- which made us nervous. About an hour in we started to here traffic though, and emerged on a busy highway (which the guidebook didn't mention). We flagged down a car, which informed us that we had hit HW62, about 4 miles south of Mazama Village. Somehow we had gotten seriously off the PCT, but a road walk sounded like a refreshing change of routine- out of the snow and mosquitoes. It took us a bit over an hour, but we reached Mazama Village and are now sitting outside the store, waiting for our clothes to dry and for 1pm, when we can check into the campground. We are sitting in the shade where it is pretty cool, and feeling rather great. I just ate a string cheese and it was outrageously delicious. Tom just keeps running back into the store to get more snacks and Gatorade.

I still just cant believe this last week- hiking in 100 degree heat, having to wear long pants and a long sleeved shirt and bug net to ward off mosquitoes, and hiking through 10+ feet of snow. Add to that the fact that we couldn't rest in the shade because of the outrageous bugs, and in the evenings we just had to hole up in our tent to avoid them. The mosquitoes just made hiking frantic. And we were unable to eat enough to have energy to hike. Everything that could have gone wrong really did. But in retrospect it is already looking less horrible...

Things in this national park are very spread out, though. We are staying at the Mazama Village Campground, which actually isn't anywhere near Crater Lake (there is no camping with a view of the lake...and the only other campground in the park is still closed due to snow). The lake is 7 miles up the road, and there is no shuttle or transportation. 14 miles of road walking is not exactly what I hoped to do on our 0 day, but we cant NOT see the lake...

We are also weighing our options for getting out of here. There is technically no hitchhiking in national parks, so that means about 10 miles of walking before we can hitch somewhere (anywhere!).

Apparently Crater Lake gets a ton of snow each year- an average of 44 feet. All of the road signs are on very tall poles. And they keep the park open year round- they plow one road that goes up to the lake, but they let all of the others get snowed in and close. They also build the buildings here upside-down- they put the bedrooms on the first floor and the kitchen and living room on the second floor, so when there is 20 feet of snow on the ground, they still get some sunlight in the rooms that matter. This year was so snowy they just got the last road plowed and open on the 4th of July. Crazy.

July 11th

2010-07-21T16:48:00.000-07:00

Junction of Stewart Falls Trail and PCT (inside Crater Lake National Park)
6:30 pm
Weather: cooling off from another hot day, clear, breezy
Stuck in my head: "Mommy's alright, daddy's alright..."
Highlight of the day: Right now. And stew.

This whole trip is just one uncomfortable situation after another- being really uncomfortable and having to figure out 1) why, and 2) how to fix it. Today was a very long day- we logged 15 looooong, slow miles. The first 9 miles were fine, but the second 6 just dragged on and on, with fear of impassible snow lurking around every corner. We started off around 8:30 and pounded out 7 miles by lunch, stopping at the junction of a spring we were planning on visiting before a 15 mile waterless stretch. There was a handwritten note warning that the spring was hard to find and really snow flowing, so we look advantage of all of the snow piles and filled our water bottles to let it melt. We had been planning to jump onto the Stewart Falls Trail to visit (and camp by) the falls (and get another water source) as well as avoid some high elevation (with the chance of impassible snow fields). But it would add 4+ miles, so we decided to stay on the PCT. After lunch we spent a while in a burn area (from a wildfire) then entered the "Oregon Desert". Eventually we came to a junction that had us really confused for a while at to which trail was the PCT. We found it though (after briefly following the other one) and then started on the longest 6 mile stretch I have ever encountered- Tom was really dragging and having trouble catching his breath, there was constant snow and blow downs, and we were really climbing (gaining more than 1000 feet in elevation). It felt like we weren't making progress, and we had to take constant breaks (but we did get some beautiful views from the mountain ridge). Finally we reached a sign indicating we were entering Crater Lake National Park, then pushed on about 1.5 miles further, where we collapsed in an open meadow, set up our tent, and cooked some stew (it was sooooo delicious, and for the first time in days we were starving and able to eat).

The temperature is also dropping, and theres a great breeze. And the mosquitoes haven't found us yet (we are in the sun) so we are actually able to sit outside and enjoy ourselves. It feels really good to know we are only about 5 miles from Mazama Village- our goal for this section, and our resupply box (as well as "civilization"). I am tired of being scared all of the time- worried about what is waiting around the curve in the trail- whether it be bears or snow. Physically, I feel pretty good (besides the calorie deficiency). It feels good to know what my body can do. I wake up every morning really stiff and sore, with my feet hurting. But after some stretching, ibuprofen (vitamin I) and 20 minutes of walking, I feel great. Climbing today felt really great.

The best thing about this trip has been the fact that I am with Tom. We have had to practice patience and compassion and I love him now more than ever before. The trail really forces you to be honest- if you are tired or hurting, you really need to let it be known, and that has been good for us. It is also nice for us to share tasks and a common goal, and being able to help each other when we are feeling horrible.

We have run out of toilet paper and are now using sudoku pages. Sudoku has been really great on this trip- it provides us with hours of entertainment while we are hiding from bugs in our tent, it is a great fire starter to get our stove going, and now it has acquired another use.

Tom is looking really beat up. He is very excited to roll into Mazama Village tomorrow. All he has been talking about is sitting on a bench and drinking Gatorade.

Tom and I are about the third people to cross this section of the PCT this year. I feel very remote and isolated out here. I wouldn't recommend this section to people for another week or two. Crazy year with these temperatures and all of this snow.

July 10th: photos.

2010-07-17T22:11:00.000-07:00

(The 2nd to last photo is looking back at what he just hiked across- whoa)

July 10th

2010-07-17T22:05:00.000-07:00

Honeymoon Creek- 7:35pm
Weather: sunny, and starting to cool off a bit (was triply digits again today)

Today was the hardest day I have ever had in my life. Tom and I got a slow, late start this morning and were really feeling each mile. About 3 miles in, Tom collapsed and we took a long break before I coaxed him to continue. A combination of calorie deficiency, heat, bugs, dehydration and altitude was really beating us down. But we pushed on to the Snow Lakes Trail, where we took a short detour for lunch by a lake. That's when I just started to fall apart, though. I cried for a while out of frustration at being unable to eat and general physical pain and mental exhaustion. But we pulled ourselves together and after lunch we started our constant climb up to Devils Peak. I actually felt great physically, although I could feel the effects of altitude on my breathing. Once we reached 6500 feet, however, the snow really started. We lost the trail a number of times, but thankfully (luckily) Dennis was a few hours ahead of us and we could rely on his footprints to lead the way. At times his footprints were very faint though, and the PCT is often little more than a sparse footpath, so it took quite a bit of navigating and guessing to get us along. Eventually we got into some snowy, open bowls, so we grabbed our microspikes and ice axes. The snow was very soft, though, and I lost my footing twice, sliding 50 feet down the mountain and having to self-arrest myself. I got stuck in a rocky hole, and had lost my trekking pole part of the way down. Thankfully Tom was there to help gather my gear, and talk me through climbing back up. That's when I got really scared, because I realized the actual danger of it all. I had read about self-arresting and snow fields, and all of the dangers we would encounter on the trail, but now they were real- and imminent.

We were out of the deep snow for a few miles, constantly gaining elevation and traversing the ridge of the mountain, but then we turned a corner and were confronted with 10+ feet of snow, as far as we could see, entirely covering where the trail should have been. We put on our gear, and took our time (I was terrified, but I put on a brave face- I wasn't about to yield to Tom's suggestion of returning to HW140). We spent the next hour traversing the very steep slopes of Lucifer's Peak, making our way towards the summit of (aptly named) Devils Peak. Below us was thousands of feet of open, snowy slopes- and nothing to catch us if we fell. The trail was entirely covered, but we followed Dennis' faint footprints along the snowfield, double checking each of our steps for safety. Finally we reached a snow-free saddle between the two peaks, and crossed over to the north side of Devils Peak, where we were once again confronted with feet and feet of unending snow. Our guidebook advised us to glissade down (slide down on our butts, using our ice axes to control our speed and direction) and then find the trail in the woods at the base of the bowl. So we spotted Dennis' footprints and kept them in our site as we slid down the mountain. At this point though, even a partly controlled butt slide was terrifying to me, and gravity wanted me to follow the fall line (and go super fast) instead of Dennis' tracks. I ended up in a few tree wells, righted myself, and slid again (Tom, meanwhile, was loving this part...). We made it pretty far down the mountain, then realized we hadn't seen any tracks in a while. We spent a good 30 minutes tromping around a snowy bowl, looking for the faintest sign that somebody had been there before us. Eventually we located the trail again, but by this time I was in such pain- I had rolled my ankles countless times in the snow, we had been postholing for hours, my knuckles were raw from gripping my ice ax against the snow, and I had shooting pains in my left foot. The next 4 miles into camped dragged on and on. By the time we got to Honeymoon Creek, our destination for the night, we were so thoroughly whooped- mentally and physically. It had taken us 10 hours to log 12 miles. Our feet were soaked through, our guidebook and maps were soggy, and our feet hurt more than we thought was possible.

I am really proud of us- because we made it through today- but I just cant get over how terrifying it was. I said I only wanted to do this until it wasn't fun anymore, and I reached (well, surpassed) that point today. When I saw those 10 foot tall snowbanks on the ridge of Lucifer's Peak, I decided I had had enough. I cant imagine reliving this day over and over again, and that's exactly what this trip would be. It really scares me when I think about where we would be without Dennis' tracks- we never would have made it over the pass without his guiding footprints- and that terrifies me. And to think there are so many more passes ahead- higher elevation and further north. No thank you. Watching Tom fall, and falling myself, was so scary...just knowing we are way out here and so many things can go wrong.

But today I did earn my trail name: Tracker.

July 9th

2010-07-17T21:37:00.000-07:00

Sky Lakes Trail by Deer Lake- 4pm
Weather: Hot! Pretty sunny with partly cloudy skies
Stuck in my head: "Take me home tonight" (ooooh, classic rock)

What a(nother) day. Tom and I slept pretty well in our very uneven, improvised campsite, with the constant buzzing of mosquitoes all night long. We were up early though, and donned our mosquito getup (baggy beige clothing from head to toe- nothing exposed) and hit the trail by 7. About 4 miles in (4 horrible, mosquito-filled miles) we encountered another northbound hiker- named Dennis. It was nice to add another body to our hiking team, and we instantly had plenty to talk about (like how bad the mosquitoes were). We spent the day hiking through thick mosquitoes and 95 degree heat, taking breaks whenever the swarms let up (which usually meant in the direct sunlight, where it was very, very hot). We were feeling pretty beat up, but decided to push on for a 13 mile day. The last two miles hurt badly, and were so buggy, but we made it to Deer Lake, .5 miles off the PCT (Dennis is camping here tonight, also). We threw down our tent and jumped inside (we seem to be making a habit of spending more than half our day hiding in the tent) until we heard Dennis splashing in the lake. He said it was fairly bug free, so we washed ourselves and some clothing. Then we realized we were severly hungry, so we cooked up some mashed potatoes and gravy in the bug-free sunlight. Today we realized that this outrageous heat (coupled with our physical exersion, and most likely other things as well) is making food seem inedible. We only ate a bit over 1000 calories yesterday, and thats about all we have had today, also. We are forcing ourselves to eat, choking down all that we can, but we just gag and feel nauseous. We are starting to feel the affect of our calorie deficiency, also, so hopefully the heat breaks soon and solves this issue.

Our tent is full of mosquito carcasses. Everytime we have to leave or enter the tent, we have to do it as quickly as possible and without letting too many bugs inside. Then we have to quickly kill all of the ones that did get inside. The bodies are starting to pile up, and its thoroughly disgusting.

July 8th: photos.

2010-07-17T21:15:00.000-07:00

Tom, hiking through the volcanic rock fields.

Volcanic rock- everywhere.

Gorgeous views of Mount McLaughlin.

Seeking refuge in the tent.

This is what happens to chocolate-containing trailmix on a triple digit degree day.

The bug bites...

Only 900 miles? Alright!

July 8th

2010-07-17T21:04:00.000-07:00

On a minor ridge, somewhere on the PCT- 9:30am
Weather: Gorgeous! Blue skies, about 80, and sunny (but its gonna get hot)
Stuck in my head: Outkast (why?)

Tom and I were making great time this morning when we realized we had left our Spot Emergency Device back at the shelter we slept at last night. We had set it out this morning to send our "ok" message to the families, and had entirely forgotten about it. Total whoops. Tom just ditched his pack and started running back the way we came...so I am just waiting in this huge volcanic boulder field, in the shade of a tree and away from mosquitoes.

This minor set-back sucks. We are still getting our routine down and getting the hang of this. Our mornings take pretty long- with waking up, breakfast, dishes, getting water, treating blisters, stretching, packing up camp, and applying sunscreen and bug spray. Whooh. This morning was a bit easier because we didn't have to pack up a tent (although neither of us slept too well in the shelter last night- due to hard wooden beds and very active mice). The mosquitoes have also been getting progressively worse as we hike north- and today the are pretty nasty. But they are pushing us to hike faster! We are feeling pretty good (except for a sore hip flexor on me and some lil' blisters on the both of us). We are going to do at least 10 miles today- hopefully closer to 15 (supposedly theres a lake 15 miles in).

Junction to Mount McLaughlin Trail- 7:00pm
(Joint journal entry by Tom & Jenna)
In our heads: "Carry on my wayward son" (we found a great classic rock station on the radio today)
Weather: Breezy, 70, sprinkling. Thick with bugs.

Today we seem to have exhausted the good luck we have encountered the previous two days. After Tom got back from his 8 mile jog, he was exhausted, while Jenna was rested and ready to go. But she was a great leader and kept Tom's spirits up- setting a good pace and pushing on. It took us 4 hours to cover 6 miles- the lava rock, undulating landscape was never ending- and while the guidebook made it looks like easy miles (generally losing elevation) we climbed and descended thousands of feet. We finally reached HW140- exhausted (although the lava landscape was our favorite hiking so far- beautiful views of Mount McLaughlin, cool landscape, and a nice sunny, breezy day- although hot). Oh yea, and Jenna bent her trekking pole in the process of falling. A bit of work has set it back to almost straight, but that really knocked us down (simply knowing that our gear is mortal).

When we reached HW140 we rested a bit by a roaring "Cascade Canal" and equally roaring mosquitoes. We sought refuge in the sun and called our parents on the cell phone. It was so nice to hear their voices- its amazing how quickly you feel very far away and isolated. We were feeling okay, so we decided to push on .3 miles to a camp at a trail head. Once we entered the woods, however, the mosquitoes swarmed like we have never seen before. We reached the trail head quickly (because we were trying to outrun the bugs) but Tom just screamed "KEEP GOING!" because the moment we slowed our pace, the mosquitoes were instantly covering every inch of our bodies. We couldn't get enough DEET on us, and we just kept hoping a sunny spot was around the next turn, offering some sort of refuge. But the sunny spot never came. The next 4 miles were a constant uphill climb, gaining 1000 feet in elevation- and some of the worst moments of our lives. It seemed every mosquito in the forest bumped up against us- we were constantly swatting at ourselves, and the constant cloud that had formed around us. We covered the 4 miles in about 1.5 hours- we were practically jogging and we never took a break. We started to honestly feel insane, and since we couldn't stop, all we could do was cry out in exhaustion and discomfort. Tom was considering returning to HW140 and going home, while Jenna just wanted to submit- lay down and let them have her. Our immediate goal was Frye Lake, a .25 spur trail off the PCT (which the guide book referred to as "unmaintained"). But the forest was never ending, and eventually we reached the junction of the PCT and Mount McLaughlin Trail, at which point we realized we had gone too far. In sheer desperation, we threw down our tent about a foot off the trail and jumped inside to escape the incessant buzzing. When we got in the tent, Jenna looked at Tom for the first time in hours and miles and noticed the defeated look on his face, punctuated by the dead mosquito plastered to his forehead and surrounded by a patch of smeared, dried blood.

We are too exhausted and beat up to eat anything real, or do anything much. We were so dirty it took 5 wet wipes to get us clean. Our shoes look years old- instead of merely days: Tom's La Sportivas have become "La Spoivas" (he lost the R & T). It feels great to be horizontal and in the tent, although all we can here is the constant buzzing coming from outside, and we are dreading having to leave the tent for any reason (the most common: using the bathroom, during which we cant help but be "exposed" to the blood suckers). This journey is starting to feel extremely daunting, although we aren't letting ourselves focus on the big picture, and we are practicing staying positive. We only need to cover 45 miles in the next 4 days- we really worked hard to get miles out of the way early, because we are going to be getting into snow soon. We are also hoping that 1) it doesn't rain tonight and 2) if it does, our stuff (and us) stay dry.

July 7th

2010-07-17T20:19:00.000-07:00

Journal entry by Jenna

Howard Lake, 12 noon
Weather: sunny and hot (85 in the shade)
Stuck in my head: old Beck

Tom and I got up at 6:30, had a cold breakfast and packed up camp. I slept like a rock last night, but when morning came I felt like I could have used a few more hours of sleep. We hit the trail and put in a nice, quick 8 miles before resting for lunch. We detoured to a lake where we rinsed our socks, and waded in to cool of a bit. This morning I rolled my ankle and fell on my knee (now it is scraped up and matches Tom's knee- he fell out of a pickup that gave us a ride yesterday). I am feeling pretty good, but I am starting to feel my feet. Our goal is 20 miles today- which means 12 more before sunset (a bit daunting).

South Brown Mountain Shelter, 8:07pm
Weather: cooling off a bit- practically comfortable

My feet are screaming, I am exhausted, and I cant seem to get enough food in me, but Tom and I just completed our first 20 mile day! I feel great (mentally, that is. Physically, I feel like I just hiked 20 miles). The pain started to kick in around mile 16, but we prevailed! And we are rewarded with a shelter- complete with wooden "beds", 4 walls, a well, and a wood stove (this is our second night on the trail, and the accomodations have been pretty cushy thus far).

I am very grateful for my am/fm radio, too- it really helped pass the time. Tom and I sang along a lot and enjoyed having something to focus on besides the miles (and we averaged a bit over 2 miles/hour). It's a good feeling knowing that today was one of the hardest days we are going to have until after Crater Lake (with combined heat, mileage, and pack weight). It was HOT today- 95 in the shade and if the sunshine wasnt blasting us, the mosquitos moved in. It was a great day in all though- I am really proud of us. We saw some mountain prairies, lots of forest (with huge pinecones!) and got some great views of Mount Shasta. We cooked up pasta for dinner and ended up making this huge pasta mass in the pot- partially burned to the bottom and surrounded by a thick, pudding-like mucus of starchy water (thats what happens when you dont add enough liquid to corn pasta). When I tried to drain it, everything wanted to move together. But it was delicious.

I have some major pinky toe blisters that have doubled the size of my toes, so I hope they cool down a bit overnight. I am nervous about how I will feel tomorrow, but my muscles are already starting to quiet down. We got so dirty and dusty today. Aparently the mesh on my shoes doesnt keep anything out (I am dealing with a case of super dirty toes).

July 6th- Hyatt Lake Campground, Oregon.

2010-07-17T18:21:00.000-07:00

Journal entry by Jenna.

4:36 pm
Weather: sunny, blue skies, 80 degrees, breezy
Stuck in my head: Doe a deer (we saw 5 deer today!)

It has been a long 24 hours. Last night at 7:00pm Tom and I boarded a Greyhound that took us to Portland. At 11:30 we caught another that took us to Medford, Oregon. It was an overnight bus, so we tossed and turned and tried to sleep. We got there at 6:30am, then caught a regional transit bus to Ashland, Oregon. I was nervous and kept having to pee and my stomach felt uneasy. It felt like we had so far to go beofre we could even start hiking. But we got into Ashland (cute town) and found a coffee shop (although a latte did not help my nerves). We had 17 miles to hitch hike to the trail head, so we headed outside and started walking the road with our thumbs up. We had some good luck though, and a very successful first hitch hiking experience (3 rides: and the third one with a PCTA employee, who took us right to the trailhead and told us about trail conditions).

Then our hike began- weaving through forests and mountain meadows at 5000 feet, constantly gaining a bit of elevation. We had an early lunch in a beautiful meadow surrounded by Oregon White Oak trees. By noon we had reached our goal of 6 miles and the Hyatt Lake Campground. We spent our afternoon swimming, relaxing and napping (we were really exhausted). I feel good, except for slightly sore feet. We were even able to take (free/hot) showers! Today was a gorgeous day and I am hoping for another tomorrow. And a good night's sleep- I am really tired.

SNOW!

2010-07-14T10:00:00.000-07:00

posted by JoAnn (Jenna's mom) - dictated over the phone

Tom and Jenna made it about 100 miles to Crater Lake National Park in triple digit heat, through swarms of bugs and through LOTS of snow (10+ feet). They are resting at Crater Lake and will probably travel around Oregon instead of continuing on. The snow conditions spooked them .... and other hikers have told them the conditions are worse up ahead. It was the hardest week of their lives.

Thanks everyone for following along. This has turned into more of a west coast hike than a PCT adventure.

We'll be posting pics and journal entries soon.

Leaving (again)

2010-07-05T11:47:00.000-07:00

Posted by Jenna.

So, here we go: hiking the PCT 2.0. Tonight at 7, Tom and I are leaving on a Greyhound bus. We will arrive in Medford, Oregon around 6am, then take a regional transit bus to Ashland, Oregon. We are hoping to get to the trail head and be able to put in a few miles before crashing for the night. But this is the re-beginning of our journey, and we are really psyched. We just bought an AM/FM radio to help pass the time. We were kind of blown away by it though- we figured since they have the technology to make an IPod so tiny, an AM/FM radio should be about the size of an eraser. In reality, it is about the size of a deck of cards. I am still very pleased and excited.

We have been checking snow reports and it is looking good. Most areas, according to snowtel and the Pacific Crest Trail Association website are snow free, but there still seems to be a bit of snow above 7000 feet. We are carrying our ice axes and instep crampons for the beginning of the trip, until we get our bearings and are comfortable with the conditions.

We have all of our resupply boxes packed- about 2 for each resupply point, and they are all stacked and organized in Tom's garage, ready for his mom to ship to us along the way (thanks Betsy!).

We have been able to get our pack weights down with a little work, as well. Our base weights are now 15 pounds, which feels pretty good. Right now we are loaded up with 6 days worth of food, though, and 2 liters of water each...so they are resting around 30 pounds at the moment (but that will go down as soon as we eat our first snack!)

Wish us luck, and we will see you all in September. We will have sporadic internet along the trail, so I will post updates and photos whenever possible. Thanks for all of your support!!

our new itinerary.

2010-06-29T15:30:00.000-07:00

JENNA & TOM HIKE THE PCT- RESUPPLY ITINERARY

ARRIVAL DATE	RESUPPLY POINT	MILES/DAYS FROM LAST	ADDRESS (C/O General Delivery, unless otherwise stated)
7.7 (weds)	Ashland, Oregon		Ashland, Oregon 97520
7.12 (mon)	Crater Lake	105.4/6	C/O Mazama Village Store PO Box 158 Crater Lake, OR 97604
7.18 (sun)	Shelter Cove Resort/Cascade Summit	79.6/4.3	UPS ONLY C/O Shelter Cove Resort West Odell Lake Rd Highway 58 Crescent Lake, OR 97425
7.24 (sat)	Big Lake Youth Camp	77.1/4.8	C/O Big Lake Youth Camp 13100 Highway 20 Sisters, OR 97759
8.1 (sun)	Cascade Locks	155.7/7.	Cascade Locks, OR 97014
8.8 (sun)	Trout Lake, Washington	82.9/5.5	Trout Lake, WA 98650
8.8 (sun)	Mount Adams Zen Center
8.13 (fri)	White Pass (Naches)	65.2/4	C/O White Pass Rural Branch PO, Kracker Barrel Store 48851 US HW 12 Naches, WA 98937
8.20 (fri)	Snoqualmie Pass	98.6/5.5
8.26 (thurs)	Skykomish (Stevens Pass)	74.5/5	Skykomish, WA 98288
9.2 (thurs)	Stehekin	97.8/6	Stehekin, WA 98852
9.9 (thurs)	Manning Park, Canada	88.8/5.1

everything is bigger in the west.

2010-06-26T11:46:00.000-07:00

The view from Cape Alava

The view from Sand Point.

Tom and I just got back from a whirlwind road trip around the Olympic Peninsula. We took a ferry from Seattle onto the peninsula, then drove the northern section to Port Angeles, where we got a camping permit for the Olympic National Park. Then we headed west to Lake Ozette where we hiked on a nice trail to the shore- Cape Alava, the western-most point in the contiguous United States. It was absolutely gorgeous. We walked the beach, set up camp, made some dinner and sat on driftwood, watching the tide come in and listening to tons of sea lions on a nearby island. The next day we hiked down the shore to Sand Point. It was a slow hike, in some pretty soft sand and over some pretty big fallen trees.

It was really sunny, and we got pretty burned faces (woops). We set up camp at Sand Point, did some beach walks, and encountered perhaps the largest bird I have ever seen in my life (I maintain that we dont have these huge, mystery, mutant birds on the east coast). The next day we hiked out early (completing the equalateral triangle), and stopped at a little diner in a nearby town for breakfast (during our few days in the national park we saw otters, elk, deer, eagles, and many sea creatures). Then we headed back into the Olympic National Park, to see the Hoh Rainforest (a temperate rainforest). We did some hikes and explored the mossy area, then continued our trip down the western coast, eventually heading back inland.

We got to drive through the town of Forks, as well. A small, rather economically depressed old logging town, it has recently been rocketed to fame by its inclusion in the highly popular Twilight book series. It has turned into a tourist destination for teenage girls the world over- and aparently there are more than 200 visitors each day (what they do there, I still dont quite grasp). But the whole town has taken advantage of this monetary oportunity (even things that dont make sense...like a small handwritten sign on the side of the road advertising "Twilight Firewood").

The view from Tom's beach house in Lakebay, Washington. A gorgeous day with a great view of Mount Rainier.

It was a great trip though, and we just got back to Lakebay, Washington...where Tom has a beach house on the Puget Sound. Today we took the kayaks out, and enjoyed the first day we have been above 75 degrees since we have been out here (actually, the first day above 75 degrees since September 23rd, 2009).

I'm sure it was the right decision, but that doesn't mean it doesn't totally suck.

2010-06-17T19:53:00.000-07:00

So, we are back in Seattle, and it has started to sink in that we are not going to thru-hike the PCT this season. Which is a total bummer. We have been thinking about it and planning for it for such a long time, and while no one could have foreseen this crazy, horrible spring weather, we still cant help but feel like failures. At this point, however, we are just excited to get back onto the trail, and walk. We have our new itinerary mostly finished, and today we packed our new resupply boxes (now we have about twice as much food as we need, though). And while its nice to be in Seattle, its not where we want to be right now; so we are a bit irritable, waiting for the snow to melt so we can head out again.

It is really turning into quite an adventure though- and I guess we have never been known to do things traditionally and by the book, so this was probably expected. We are thinking of hiking around Mount Rainier and then on the Olympic Peninsula once we get back from this trek. We will see how everything pans out, but God knows we have enough food to hole up in the woods for quite a few months before we go hungry.

2010-06-15T12:43:00.000-07:00

Rainy Pass, Washington.

Pizza on the trail!

Stehekin, Washington, on Lake Chelan (the 3rd deepend lake in the country)

Entertaining ourselves in camp.

The PCT trail register, at the Stehekin Post Office

Tom, taking a dip in Lake Chelan, off the coast of the city of Chelan, Washington.

bad news & major change of plans

2010-06-15T10:29:00.000-07:00

We are not even a week into our trip, and its already an adventure.

"Heavy late spring snowfall last week combined with expected sunshine and warm weather at high elevations will create the very dangerous conditions this weekend, especially in terrain above 8,000 feet on volcanoes. Hikers should particularly avoid Mt. Hood, Mt. Rainier, Mt. Adams, Mt. St. Helens, Glacier Peak and Mt. Baker. “It is dangerous now, but we expect it to get worse this weekend with the warm temperatures and highest freezing levels since last summer,” said Kenny Kramer, avalanche meteorologis"

We have hit an impass: less than 5 days in we have had to pull out and reconsider our plans. When we got this news about the impending weather, we decided it would be foolish to endanger ourselves and try to push through. Our other choices were to wait a week (or more) in Stehekin until the snow level went down, but we really didn't have enough food and that would cut a few weeks from our itinerary, making us have to hustle to get through the Sierra before more snow. After a day of public transportation and getting acquainted with eastern Washington, we are back in Seattle. We are really bummed that we have had to abandon our thru-hiking goals, but we are going to salvage as much of this trip, and the hiking season, as possible. Our current idea is to bus south to Northern California, and then hike north to Canada. This has a few positive aspects: we will get to read the guide books as they are written (for northbounders), we will get to see Washington in its prime season, and hopefully we will avoid a lot of the snow.

Our first few days on the trail were really great, though- we headed out from Rainy Pass on Saturday morning, on a beautiful, sunny day. We started out in a bit of snow, but after about a mile we were hiking on solid ground. We hiked 15 miles to the Bridge Creek Campground and it was a luxurious first night: bear box, outhouse, river and picnic table! Then we coasted the 5 miles into Stehekin on Sunday, catching a ride into the Landing with some nice National Park workers. They warned us of the high snow levels around the Hemlock Camp region (where we were heading the next day), but we shrugged it off. Then we caught a glimpse of the weather report: snow for the next three days above 5000 feet. We were slotted to spend the next week hiking around 6000 feet, so this really made us worry. After some serious talks and phone calls, we decided to pull out and reconsider. While we are starting to feel better about our decision to re-plan, we are also feeling rather foolish.

These recent events mean we will need to re-do our itinerary, and our resupply boxes. Hopefully it will be a bit easier the second time around, hah.

Would you like to send us something on the trail?

2010-06-11T14:37:00.000-07:00

Posted by Jenna

We are really excited about this hike- we cant wait to walk for long hours, sleep in our tent, and eat our vegan, gluten-free camp food. But the truth is, not all of it is going to be fantastic. There are going to be some days where we would much rather be sitting on our couch and watching a movie, than trekking 20 miles in the driving rain. I am sure that a few weeks into this adventure, even the little luxuries in life (like toilet paper and sour patch kids) will seem fantastic. If you want to make our lives a little better, you can send us a care package on the trail. Quite honestly, it would be so wonderful. If you are interested, here are a few guidelines (because mailing things can be confusing, and we really want to make sure we get your treats!):

Check our itinerary for the dates we will be hitting each town. The addresses are located on the itinerary as well (send it C/O General Delivery, unless otherwise stated).
Here is the proper format for mailing us a package:

Tom Wheeler & Jenna Catsos
C/O General Delivery
Post Office
Town, State
Zip Code

PLEASE HOLD FOR PACIFIC CREST TRAIL HIKER
Pick-Up Date: _______

Check with the post office about how long it will take an item to get to us. General delivery is pretty great- they will hold something for 10 days. Make sure it gets to us by the date on the itinerary, or else we will hike away without your goodies.
Please send anything via Priority Mail- according to all of our sources, it is the most reliable way to send things.
The best places to send some goodies would be to trail angels- they have personal addresses, and they will hold it indefinitely. These would be to:

The Dinsmores- in Skykomish
The Saufleys- in Agua Dulce

You should probably avoid sending anything to Vermillion Valley Ranch (they have too many rules for packages)
By now you are probably so discouraged- even if you were considering sending something, you have totally changed your mind. Just take a deep breath...and picture our smiling faces when we open your package : )
Please keep in mind: anything you send us, we will have to carry. We would definitely appreciate a nice letter, or some little edible treats (at least we can carry those in our tummies, instead of on our backs).

Thank you so much everyone for all of your support. We will be in touch.

ITINERARY (final)

2010-06-09T15:18:00.001-07:00

SECTION	REST DAYS	MILES/DAY	DISTANCE (mi)	DAYS	ARRIVE	LEAVE
Rainy Pass, WA					6.12	6.12
Rainy Pass to Stehekin	1	10.6	19.7	2	6.14 (mon)	6.15 (tues)
Stehekin to Skykomish	1	12.3	97.8	8.0	6.22 (tues)	6.24 (thurs)
Skykomish to Snoqualmie Pass	1	17.2	74.5	4.3	6.28 (mon)	6.30 (weds)
Snoqualmie Pass to White Pass		18.1	98.6	5.5	7.5 (mon)	7.6 (tues)
White Pass to Trout Lake		17.8	65.2	3.7	7.9 (fri)	7.10 (sat)
Trout Lake to Cascade Locks, OR	1	18.1	82.9	4.6	7.14 (weds)	7.16 (fri)
Cascade Locks to Big Lake Youth Camp		21.6	155.7	7.2	7.23 (fri)	7.23 (fri)
Big Lake Youth Camp to Sisters	1	20.8	11.4	0.5	7.23 (fri)	7.25 (sun)
Sisters to Crater Lake Post Office		22.4	156.7	7.0	7.31 (sat)	8.1 (sun)
Crater Lake Post Office to Ashland	1	22.9	105.4	4.6	8.5 (thurs)	8.7 (sat)
Ashland to Seiad Valley, CA		22.0	64.5	2.9	8.9 (mon)	8.10 (tues)
Seiad Valley to Etna	1	20	56	3	8.12 (thurs)	8.14 (sat)
Etna to Castella		22	100	4.5	8.18 (weds)	8.19 (thurs)
Castella to Old Station		18.3	128.8	7.0	8.25 (weds)	8.26 (thurs)
Old Station to Belden	1	22.5	88.4	3.9	8.29 (sun)	8.31 (mon)
Belden to Sierra City		21.2	91.7	4.3	9.4 (sat)	9.4 (sat)
Sierra City to Echo Lake Resort	1	17.6	102.1	5.7	9.10 (fri)	9.12 (sun)
Echo Lake Resort to Sonora Pass		17.7	76.2	4.3	9.16 (thurs)	9.17 (fri)
Sonora Pass to Tuolumne Meadows	2	17.4	76.4	4.4	9.21 (tues)	9.24 (fri)
Tuolumne Meadows to Vermillion Valley Resort		21.6	65.5	3.0	9.26 (sun)	9.27 (mon)
Vermillion Valley Resort to Lone Pine	1	16.9	132.3	7.8	10.5 (tues)	10.7 (thurs)
Lone Pine to Onyx		18.2	91.2	5.0	10.11 (mon)	10.12 (tues)
Onyx to Mojave		18.4	92.7	5.0	10.16 (sat)	10.16 (sun)
Mojave to Agua Dulce	2	18.2	100.2	5.5	10.22 (fri)	10.24 (sun)
Agua Dulce to Wrightwood		16.9	89.0	5.3	10.29 (fri)	10.29 (fri)
Wrightwood to Big Bear City	1	18.5	89.6	4.8	11.3 (weds)	11.5 (fri)
Big Bear City to Idylwild		17.6	96.1	5.5	11.10 (weds)	11.11 (thurs)
Idylwild to Warner Springs		18.6	69.6	3.7	11.14 (sun)	11.15 (mon)
Warner Springs to Campo		26.8	110.6	4.1	11.19 (fri)

RESUPPLY ITINERARY (final)

2010-06-09T15:08:00.001-07:00

DATE	RESUPPLY POINT	MILES /DAYS FROM LAST	DETOUR	MAIL DROP	ADDRESS
6.14 (mon)	Stehekin	19.7/2	10.6 mi ($10 bus)	X	Post Office Stehekin, WA 98852
6.22 (tues)	Skykomish- Stevens Pass	97.8/8	14 mi HH	X	Dinsmore's River Haven Tom Wheeler & Jenna PO Box 374 Skykomish, WA 98288
6.28 (mon)	Snoqualmie Pass	74.5/4.3	.5 mi walk
7.5 (mon)	White Pass	98.6/5.5	.75 mi walk	X	C/O White Pass Rural Branch PO at the Kracker Barrel Store 48851 US Highway 12 Naches, WA 98937
7.9 (fri)	Trout Lake	65.2/3.7	13 (22) mi HH	X	Post Office Trout Lake, WA 98650
7.14 (weds)	Cascade Locks, OR	82.9/4.6	.5 mi walk	X	Post Office Cascade Locks, OR 97014
7.23 (fri)	Big Lake Youth Camp	155.7/7.2	.7 mi walk
7.23 (fri)	Sisters	11.4/.5	15 mi HH	X	Post Office Sisters, OR 97759
7.31 (sat)	Crater Lake	156.7/7	4 mi W (HH illegal)	X	C/O Crater Lake Camp Store Mazama Village Crater Lake, OR 97604
8.5 (thurs)	Ashland	105.4/4.6	11 mi HH	X	Post Office Ashland, OR 97520
8.9 (mon)	Seiad Valley, CA	64.5/2.9	On trail	X	Post Office Seiad Valley, CA 96086
8.12 (thurs)	Etna	56.8/3.3	10.5 mi HH		Post Office Etna, CA 96027
8.18 (weds)	Castella	156.6/7.1	2.5 mi W/HH	X	Post Office Castella, CA 96017
8.25 (weds)	Old Station	128.8/7	.5 mi walk	X	Post Office Old Station, CA 96071
8.29 (sun)	Belden	88.4/3.9	On trail	X	Post Office Belden, CA 95915
9.4 (sat)	Sierra City	91.7/4.3	1.5 mi walk	X	Post Office Sierra City, CA 96125
	Soda Spring		2 mi HH
9.10 (fri)	Echo Lake Resort	102.1/5.7	On trail	X	Post Office Echo Lake, CA 95721
9.16 (thurs)	Sonora Pass/Bridgeport	76.2/4.3	30 mi HH	X	Post Office Bridgeport, CA 93517
9.21 (tues)	Tuolumne Meadows	76.4/4.4	.75 mi walk	X	Tuolumne Meadows Yosemite NP, CA 95389
9.26 (thurs)	Vermillion Valley Resort	65.5/3	1 mi walk (use ferry)	UPS	Vermillion Valley Resort C/O Rancheria Garage 62311 Huntington Lake Road Lakeshore, CA 93634
10.5 (tues)	Lone Pine	132.3/7.8	2.1 mi w + 22.8 mi HH	X	Post Office Lone Pine, CA 93545
10.11 (mon)	Onyx/ Walker Pass	91.2/5	17.6 mi HH	X	Post Office Onyx, CA 93255
10.16 (sat)	Mojave	92.7/5	12 mi HH	X	Post Office Mojave, CA 93501
10.22 (fri)	Aqua Dulce	100.2/5.5	On trail	X	C/O The Saufley's 11861 Darling Road Agua Dulce, CA 91390
10.29 (fri)	Wrightwood	89/5.3	In: 5 mi HH	X	C/O Mountain Hardware PO Box 398 Wrightwood, CA 92397
11.3 (weds)	Big Bear City	89.6/4.8	5 mi HH	X	Post Office Big Bear City, CA 92314
11.10 (weds)	Idyllwild	96.1/5.5	2.5 mi walk + 2.6 mi HH	X	Post Office Idyllwild, CA 92549
11.14 (sun)	Warner Springs	69.6/3.7	1.3 mi walk	X	Post Office Warner Springs, CA 92086
11.19 (fri)	Campo	110.6/4.1	.5 mi walk

Last Remarks Before Bravely Going Into That Great Wilderness (or something)

2010-06-09T14:56:00.000-07:00

Hello!

Greetings from beautiful Seattle, Washington. Yesterday we fired up the bushbuddy stove for a test run (success!), tried out new gear, set up the tent and practiced bearbagging. I think we are ready. All resupply boxes are packed and we are set for Saturday. This has been the longest week of my life waiting to leave. Saturday can't come soon enough.

The weather looks good for the send off and the snow is quickly melting in the Cascades. Rainy Pass, where we are starting, currently has 18 inches of snow (according to Snotel) so we will have a little postholing to do (but not too much). If you are interested in the trail route, check out this googlemap.

We also talked with my second-cousin (is that my dad's cousin?) today. She hiked the PCT in '81 and it only made Jenna and I more excited to go. She also gave us a great book about a couple that hiked the PCT (THANK YOU!).

Wish us luck. We will post here whenever we can.

Happy trails (to us!),
Tom and Jenna

An update through photos:

2010-06-06T12:16:00.000-07:00

So many priority mail boxes!! We have been hording them from the post office, and are now about half-way packed with resupplies.

Tom- dehydrating tons of apples! We also did about 9 pounds of kiwi, some more tomato sauce, corn, mixed vegetables, strawberries and blueberries. I think we are now retiring the dehydrator until after the hike.

Is it time to panic yet?

2010-06-03T11:24:00.000-07:00

I think we are finally done shopping for food for the trip. One whole room in Tom's house is full of boxes of food. We have re-packaged everything into individual meals and servings and now they are sorted by meal type, waiting to be put into priority mailboxes and shipped along the trail.

This whole experience is already outrageous, and I haven't even set foot on the PCT. I don't stress out easily, but the past week has been a bit tense, and intense. There is just so much to do- between shopping and packaging and figuring out mailing addresses. And the idea that if we get an address wrong, or mail a package too late, or something (anything) happens to it, we will be very hungry for a few days...is slightly stressful. I lost sleep last night fretting the unknown. Tom and I have just been working our butts off (we are dehydrating a batch of kiwis right now) and are starting to burn out. We are practicing focusing on the positive aspects of situations.

But this is planning on steroids. I have never had to be so organized and well planned before. It makes me feel like I have no flexibility, which makes me start to panic. But we are accomplishing a lot and are practically ready to leave (good thing, because we bumped our leaving date up to the 12th). Today we mailed our first resupply box, to Stehekin Washington (actually, turned out to be 2 boxes, with 8 days worth of food). That's another thing- turns out priority mailboxes are a bit small than we anticipated- so we will need to mail 2 to a lot of resupplies. But we are taking it all in stride...

The hiking is going to be a breeze compared to all of this planning. My brain is tired from so much thinking. I have been getting really overwhelmed lately, trying to figure out how many dinners we would need and how many Ziploc bags we would use in 6 days. Yea (I will have to apologize to my high school math teachers who argued that I really would use those formulas).

So we have a lot of resupply package packing to do. And we are going to head to Tom's beach house in Lakebay Washington to do some hiking and practice bear bagging and cook up some meals on our stove. And relax.

we made it to the west coast.

2010-05-22T18:06:00.000-07:00

Tom and I arrived in Seattle late last Wednesday night, and are now all settled in. We did a gear run to REI today to take advantage of their huge sale for our last minute items, but immediately regretted it because there were far too many people there.

The last few days have been really productive in trail planning and purchasing as well. I read all of Yogi's Planning Guide, and feel like I am about to burst with knowledge and tips. Tom and I have also started the incredible undertaking of putting together our resupply boxes. Most PCT hikers buy their food in towns along the trail, but because Tom and I have such restricting diets, we would be living on peanut butter and...toothpicks, if we tried this method. So, instead, we have to buy all of the food we are going to want for the next 5 months, box it up in priority mailboxes, and enlist Tom's wonderful mother to ship these to us along the way.

This is incredibly overwhelming, though. Not only is this everything we are going to eat for the next 5 months, but we will also be consuming 5000+ calories a day- each. This is a ton of food. Today I almost had a breakdown sitting in the middle of piles and piles of non-perishable food, and trying to figure out what we could eat everyday to equal enough calories. 5000+ calories is an unfathomable amount of food for me right now.

So far we have gone to PCC (a local coop) and Sams Club (where we dropped over $400), but we still havent made a dent in our shopping. It is a fun experiencing tossing tons of each item into the basket, and just being able to grocery shop in excess (but not have to feel bad about it, because it necessary).

We are also continuously reevaluating our itinerary. (Now Tom is writing. Jenna is working on the itinerary as I type).

Back to the topic of a 5,000 calorie day. Though I pride myself on being a powerful and intimidating eater (I often wish that there was such a thing as a vegan competitive eater, but unfortunately, most eating contests seem to revolve around meat/cheese foods and not delicious things like cauliflower or indian dhals), I don't think I can possibly eat all 5,000 calories. Just thinking about it makes my jaw hurt. I read about somebody in Yogi's book that started at about 180 lbs (which is a few pounds lighter than I am), and went down to ~150 by halfway through through the trail. Despite all our efforts on getting as many calories as possible, I think it is highly likely that I will come back from the hike as a pile of skin and bones.

On the food we currently have bought/dehydrated:
I would guess that we have approximately 1/5 of our total food purchased. We have half our breakfasts (six boxes of 55-count instant oatmeal), 3 huge boxes of minute rice, tons of cliff bars/granola bars/other energy bars, lots of vitamin-I(buprofen), drink powders, ingredients for gorp, and lots, lots more. We even brought back about 10 pounds of granola bars from the east coast (it was a luggage packing nightmare, but we got a great deal on them!)

Jenna and I are also busy dehydrating. Currently, the dehydrator is humming with zucchini chips and (formerly frozen) corn. The zucchini chips are great! We are excited to munch them with some fantastic foods hummus for lunch. The first batch we dusted with garlic salt, which in retrospect was a mistake. It, for some reason, made the zucchini taste like fish. Gross. The unflavored zucchini chips however are awesome! They taste great and have a great crunch.

We are off (to steal packets of honey from Starbucks). Sorry for the discombobulated post, but we have a lot on our minds.

<3 Tom and Jenna

Our Itinerary

2010-05-18T11:31:00.001-07:00

SECTION	MILES/ DAY	FEET/ DAY	DISTANCE (mi)	ELEVATION GAIN (ft)	DAYS	ARRIVAL
Manning Park, BC, Canada						6-13
Manning Park to Stehekin, WA	10.6	1255	88.8	10523	8.4	6-22
Stehekin to Skykomish	12.3	2410	97.8	19180	8.0	7-01
Skykomish to Snoqualmie	17.2	2867	74.5	12390	4.3	7-06
Snoqualmie to White Pass	18.1	1908	98.6	10400	5.5	7-12
White Pass to Trout Lake	17.8	2162	65.2	7901	3.7	7-15
Trout Lake to Cascade Locks, OR	18.1	1914	82.9	8771	4.6	7-21
Cascade Locks to BLYC	21.6	2733	155.7	19715	7.2	7-28
BLYC to Sisters	20.8	3327	11.4	1820	0.5	7-30
Sisters to Crater Lake Post Office	22.4	2069	156.7	14466	7.0	8-06
Crater Lake Post Office to Ashland	22.9	1662	105.4	7644	4.6	8-11
Ashland to Seiad Valley, CA	22.0	2429	64.5	7133	2.9	8-15
Seiad Valley to Castella	22.2	2276	156.6	16088	7.1	8-23
Castella to Old Station	18.3	1692	128.8	11907	7.0	8-30
Old Station to Belden	22.5	2031	88.4	7995	3.9	9-04
Belden to Sierra City	21.2	3075	91.7	13326	4.3	9-09
Sierra City to Soda Springs	17.6	2379	41.4	5590	2.3	9-12
Soda Springs to Echo Lake Resort	17.7	2293	60.7	7860	3.4	9-15
Echo Lake Resort to Sonora Pass	17.7	2288	76.2	9841	4.3	9-20
Sonora Pass to Tuolumne Meadows	17.4	2562	76.4	11225	4.4	9-26
Tuolumne Meadows to Vermillion Valley Resort	21.6	2753	65.5	8365	3.0	9-30
Vermillion Valley Resort to Lone Pine	16.9	3100	132.3	24266	7.8	10-08
Lone Pine to Onyx	18.2	1844	91.2	9261	5.0	10-13
Onyx to Tehachapi	18.4	1579	92.7	7946	5.0	10-18
Tehachapi to Agua Dulce	18.2	1783	100.2	9807	5.5	10-25
Agua Dulce to Wrightwood	16.9	3071	89.0	16148	5.3	10-31
Wrightwood to Big Bear City	18.5	1468	89.6	7100	4.8	11-05
Big Bear City to Idylwild	17.6	2407	96.1	13147	5.5	11-11
Idylwild to Warner Springs	18.6	1378	69.6	5151	3.7	11-15
Warner Springs to Campo	26.8	2145	110.6	8860	4.1	11-19

planning mode!

2010-05-18T11:28:00.000-07:00

Posted by Jenna.

Tom and I are in final planning mode, and today we finalized our itinerary, and our resupply points. We are going to start out at a (hopefully) reasonable pace, and then increase our mileage as we get in better shape. We dont want to start out too cavalier, tough, or ambitious. This morning I also finished another great PCT book: The Pacific Crest Trail, A Hiker's Companion, by Karen Berger and Daniel R. Smith. It outlines the entire trail, and I have spent the past month "translating" it into a southbound version to take with us on our hike. She said something great, that I have really been thinking a lot about lately,

"The only way to get ready to hike a long trail is to hike a long trail."

So, while all of our running and training and whatnot will hopefully help, the first few weeks are going to be difficult.

It's coming!

2010-05-11T14:14:00.000-07:00

Posted by Jenna

I have been PCT shopping focused lately- trying to pick up the last few things needed for the trip. Today I got very excited about a great sale on granola bars, haha.

I saw our countdown the other day and kind of freaked out- only about 30 days left! My mind is consumed with planning- thinking about caloric intake, trail food, and resupplies. The other day I got a fantastic card from my mom's good friend Joanne, who graciously made a donation to the "Help Jenna Not Starve on the PCT" fund. Then my best friend Lindy bought Tom and I a great supply of individually packaged jam, which absolutely rocks. Things are looking up on the food front!

On Thursday I am heading up to Vermont to spend a few days with Tom before he graduates on Saturday. We are heading back to Massachusetts on Sunday, and then we fly out to Seattle on Wednesday. Oh my!

My parents left this morning for a two week teaching tour down south, so I said goodbye to them (don't worry mom- I will survive!) I still haven't quite come to terms with the fact that this is really happening...

great pct map

2010-05-06T13:56:00.000-07:00

Yup, thats the trail. I came across this map and thought it was a great representation of what we will be doing (although it makes it looks pretty small).

low snow year- great sobo season

2010-05-06T13:54:00.000-07:00

Posted by Jenna.

I have just spent the past hour trying to pull up some information about weather conditions. Yea, pretty dull. But what I have found is that it has been a low snow year in Washington (I just hope that doesn't mean the same thing to them as "sunny day"). This is great news for southbound hikers (like ourselves) because it will allow us to start earlier in the season without being stuck in snow for weeks. Also, the creeks are high in southern California, so it looks like we wont have much trouble finding water in the fall.

I have also been finalizing my packing list, but its really hard to know what kind of weather we will be encountering. There is a bunch of literature on the northbound PCT hike, and what those folks will be finding along the way. But no one can really tell me what temperatures we will be hitting or other weather patterns for the areas we will be in.

I did find a few people who are also doing southbound hikes this season. Actually, quite a bunch. I think its going to be an unusually high sobo season because of the optimal weather.

Stove Options

2010-04-28T16:23:00.000-07:00

Posted by Tom

Jenna alluded to the stove debate in the last post, so I will review the options that are available to us.

1). We could use a multi-fuel stove that can burn white gas/gasoline. This is what our friend Rob P. did last year in his Sobo try and he thought that there was adequate fuel available. The cons are these stoves are by far the heaviest (some nearing two pounds), and gasoline is a dirty fuel.

2). Most through hikers use a alcohol stove. These stoves have three benefits, they are light, they are uncomplicated (nothing to go wrong), and they are cheap (the cost of a catfood can). However, I am concerned about fuel availability. You can burn this fuel additive that is sold in stores called "Heet." Heet is essentially wood alcohol (methanol, not like the stuff you drink, ethanol). While Heet is available in some stores, it is not universally available. This would mean that we would have to either carry lots of it (which I am disinclined to due for weight issues), or mail it ahead to ourselves. You can legally mail fuel, although it must travel by ground which is both slow and not available for some of our resupplies (Stehekin, all mail is flown in).

3). Canister stoves are relatively cheap (the stoves, not the fuel), and super easy to use. On a tired day, we could roll into camp and quickly heat up water. They are somewhat idiotproof (thankfully), they have a high heat output and the stoves are adjustable, a.k.a. you can simmer. The downsides: you would have to rely on resupplies because the fuel would largely be unavailable in town and the fuel would likely be the most expensive option.

4). Lastly there is the woodstove. Not like the big heavy cast iron thing that some people use to heat their homes, but small, relatively lightweight (under 1 lb) aluminum/titanium cookstoves. Their are many disadvantages to a woodstove. They might not be totally legal in Wilderness Areas (as collecting the fuel is prohibited, not the woodstove). There are concerns about finding fuel above the tree line or in deserts. There is the problem of inclement weather.

But woodstoves are also appitizing for many other reasons. Fuel is virtually everywhere (if you are not above tree line or in a desert). The fuel is free, or the cost of a Bic lighter. The hippy in me loves this, it is a carbon NEGATIVE fuel source. The residual carbon in the ash, if buried, would be sequestered into the soil. That is cool.

Lastly, I like the aesthetic. Campfires, even if it is a dinky woodstove fed by twigs, is a romantic notion. It seems right that in an excursion into wilderness, that a woodfire heat my food.

Right now I am leaning toward woodstove, Jenna toward canister. Either way, we would buck the usual trend of thru-hikers to use alcohol stoves. We both like to be trend-setters.

the wise words of rob

2010-04-28T09:30:00.000-07:00

Posted by Jenna (are you noticing a trend here?)

Our friend, Rob Pudner, hiked the northern part of the PCT last summer. He is the only person I have directly talked to that has hiked (at least part of) the trail (and southbound, nonetheless). When I was up in Vermont the other week I was full of questions. Thankfully he put up with me, and here is some of his great advice:

Don't bring literature- you wont read it. (Lots of sources advise in bringing that book you have just never been able to get through before, because you will have all the time in the world. But the truth is, if you didn't want to read it before, you definitely wont want to read it by flashlight in your tent...)
Sacrifice those few ounces of weight for a good sleeping pad (both Rob and the most recent Backpacker Magazine Gear Guide recommend the Therm-a-rest Z-Lite)
You wont need gators. You will get soaking wet no matter what you are wearing, you might as well just embrace it.
Carry 3 pairs of wool socks at all time. That way, you can be wearing one, have a (theoretically) dry pair in your pack, and be drying out the wet pair on your pack while you hike...and keep the rotation going.
Bring all the layers of clothing you have been considering. The beginning of the hike is chilly...and bring a 15 degree bag so you stay toasty at night.
Hanging water filters are the bomb- invest in one!
Vitamins are a very good idea.
Bring your cell phone!

We are really in the final stretch of planning now. We are still researching a few gear items (like a wood-burning stove, a hanging filter, and a 2qt. pot). And I still have a few unanswered questions (like: what is the best way to transport water for filtering and showers, what is the best way to carry peanut butter, and so we need a pack cover?) But other than that...we are almost ready!

now we've got to do it...

2010-04-28T09:18:00.000-07:00

...because we bought our plane tickets. We found some very affordable flights to Seattle on May 19th (shortly after Tom's graduation). When we get there, we will have about a month to get our food all figured out and boxed up before hitting the trail.

I spent this past weekend at the Young Alum Event at Green Mountain College. Everyone wanted to know when we were leaving (actually, a lot of people thought we had already done it...) and it seems that every single person knows someone (who knows someone) who has hiked (at least some of) the Pacific Crest Trail. There were lots of jokes about what we were going to eat, and lots of questions about mileage and if we were excited. As it gets closer and closer, I am getting nervous and a bit scared. When so many people are interested in what I am doing it makes me anxious. But I have been doing a whole lot of educational reading in my copious amounts of spare time lately, and I am learning all sorts of exciting things about resupply points, planning our itinerary, bears, and gear. Very, very exciting...

are you worried about us?

2010-04-18T10:35:00.000-07:00

Posted by Jenna.

A few weeks ago I went to my uncle's house to celebrate Easter with my extended family. The day went much like all holidays with my mother's side of the family. That is, until the conversation turned to my upcoming hike. This was the first time I had been around my whole family since I had decided to hike the trail, and they were worried, to say the least. They wanted me to bring a gun, a GPS unit, and wanted to know how we would go to the bathroom, where we would sleep, and much more. I mentioned shipping resupply boxes with food, which prompted them to ask how far I would be from "civilization". My answer of: "no more than 5 days or so" did not put them at ease.

They think Tom and I are utterly crazy for wanting to do this. While they were outwardly worried and skeptical, I know a lot of other people are more reserved with their thoughts (both mine and Tom's mothers, for example). Then today, I stumbled on a nice article about another PCT hiker's worried mother. So, if you are worried about mine and Tom's wellbeing, here are some tips to put your mind at ease:

Check out the Pacific Crest Trail Association website (www.pcta.org). There you can learn more about the trail, including the route, terrain, weather conditions, and read other hiker's journals.
You can even call the PCTA with specific questions, concerns, or to hear about weather conditions. (916) 349-2109
Talk to as many experts as possible: avid hikers, park rangers, PCTA staff, salespeople at outdoors stores. The more opinions you hear, the better you will be able to understand the big picture. And many once you realize we arent the only people doing this, you will be less likely to question our sanity...
Follow our blog once we head out on the trail! We will post journal entries and updates as often as possible- including some breathtaking photos.

The bottom line is: the more you know about the trail, the less scary our excursion will seem. All of this information will help you see that the trail is well marked, rattlesnake bites and bear attacks are rare and easily avoided, and we will be carrying very detailed maps and guide books. Perhaps after all of your researching, you will want to join us on the trail.

so, we are hiking south...

2010-04-18T06:28:00.000-07:00

Posted by Jenna.

We have previously explain that we are hiking the PCT south, but I just wanted to talk a little more about this. 90% of PCT hikers head north, from Mexico and Canada, and they leave in the very early spring. The timing is what made Tom and I decide to hike southbound: he is not graduating until May, which means we wont be able to leave until after that. I didn't really think anything of it, until recently. The Pacific Crest Trail Association advises heading north because, "you are more apt to successfully negotiate the snow, runoff, dryness and heat, and early winter storm windows this way". Great.

But that isn't even where the difficulties end. Since we are among the minority, there has never been a PCT guide book written in the perspective of a southbounder. This means we have to read all of our books backwards and inversely (when they say we go up, we are really going down). I am currently "translating" The Pacific Crest Trail: A Hikers Companion, by Karen Berger and Daniel R. Smith, into a more comprehensible guide for me and Tom.

One thing that I find really interesting, though, is that we are literally going to pass (and meet) 90% of thru-hikers. And it is mostly going to happen in Oregon, because of the timing. One book I read advised that Oregon is going to be very slow and you just need to keep your head down and keep going, because everyone will want to question you about what is ahead (behind for you) and know about the trail in Washington. Right now I find it very intriguing that we will run into all of those people, but lets see how I am liking it mid-way through Oregon.

2010-04-14T11:36:00.000-07:00

Posted by: Jenna.

Tom and I are both back on the east coast again! He flew into NYC last Monday, and we spent the week bouncing around Brooklyn and Manhattan, then came back through Massachusetts and headed up to Vermont. Yesterday Tom defended his Honors Thesis (about animal standing and the laws surrounding animals...I think) and now he is all done with his undergraduate studies! It was really nice to be back in Vermont for a bit and to be on campus and see old friends. A lot of people kept asking how our hike had been, though. So I figured I should clarify: we haven't started hiking yet. We are still preparing (and preparing, and preparing) and we are still planning on heading out on the trail starting on June 13th. We started this blog way in advance to chronicle the preparations and everything leading up to the trip. A hike of this length takes months of planning and training, before you even start the actual hiking. But the beginning is drawing close. While I was in Vermont I got to talk to our friend Rob, who hiked a bunch of the trail last summer. I just wanted to know everything (especially gear related things), and I think I quickly got annoying. But he said we dont need gators, and gave us some great advice about sleeping pads, ice axes, hiking in snow, and bear cannisters (I will share later). We also talked a lot about clothing choices, and while those things do vary a bit by gender, it was very helpful.

Now I am back in Massachusetts wrapping up some web design work before heading back up to Vermont to keep Tom company in between now and graduation (May 15th). We also need to start looking for plane tickets...

Food Dehydrating

2010-03-30T22:47:00.000-07:00

posted by tom

Asparagus dries beautifully!

I have been doing a fair bit of dehydrating. I bought a dehydrator around the start of February, and have had some good success. So far I have dehydrated:

5 pounds of bananas
25 pounds or so of potatoes (which is more work than other stuff because you have to blanche the taters).
10 pounds of apples
4 pounds of tofu
3 pounds or so of broccoli
6 pounds of asparagus
1+ gallons of pasta sauce
8 cups? of cooked red lentils (this was one of the most stressful. As lentils do not take very long to cook, I think I am just going to lug a bit more fuel than try to do these again).

I can't figure out how to spin the picture, but this is me with some "pasta sauce fruit leather." Yum?

things you dont think about until you will be living in the woods:

2010-03-30T12:44:00.000-07:00

Posted by: Jenna

Both Tom and I wear contacts to see and it has become so second nature, I never really think about it anymore. But I started planning out this hike and realized I wouldnt want to be sticking my grubby hands in my eyes every night, or carrying a heavy container of saline solution. So I decided I ought to hike with my glasses on. However, my glasses are thick-framed and heavy, and not the most hiking-savvy item. So I made a trip to my eye doctor, found out my eyesight had worstened (great), and tried on new frames (for my designated "hiking glasses"). I also decided to kill two birds with one great pair of glasses by getting transition lenses (they transition to tinted sunglasses when it is bright out, and back to regular glasses when it is cloudy or dark). I have gone on two hikes in my new glasses, and they are highly practical. They are not, however, the most stylish- but I keep reminding myself I will be in the woods. They look great as regular glasses, but a bit goofy as the sunglasses. Honestly, they make me look a bit like an old man.

Tom also made a trip to his eye doctor (bi-coastal optometrist visits), and ended up with a pair of glasses, and a pair of prescription sunglasses (Ray-Bans, nonetheless. There is no question about who will be more stylish for those 2,700 miles). Now we will both be able to see the trail, each other, and the amazing views. Which checks another thing off of our to-do list.

what to eat:

2010-03-29T07:56:00.000-07:00

Posted by Jenna.

I have been doing a lot of reading and researching about nutrition and what to eat when you are expending a ton of energy. The other day at the gym I stumbled on an old issue of Backpacker (October 2009) that had a great article about eating for energy. So, here is my mini book report:

7am: Replenish glycogen stores which dip low overnight with a complex carb-heavy meal. Oatmeal with powdered milk, or granola with nuts and fruit.
10am: Get a quick burst of fuel from a snack containing simple sugars. Raisins, honey gorp, or granola bars.
12pm: Eat a balance of complex and simple carbs, and protein. Peanut butter and jelly and pretzels, or an energy bar.
2pm: Fuel yourself for the final push of the day: eat slow burning healthy fats with a dash of protein. Gorp with chocolate, nuts and fruit, cheese and crackers.
4pm: Drink a lot, and keep fueling. Energy bars, pretzels and peanut butter.
6pm: Eat 6-8 ounces of lean protein, grains, and healthy fats. Lentils, pasta, dried veggies, and protein.
8pm: Drink water (or a hot drink) before bed, so you are hydrated and ready for the morning.

Microspikes are amazing.

2010-03-25T11:38:00.000-07:00

My good friend, Lindy, and I hiked up Catamount (my local ski area) today. Since the ski season is about finished in the Northeast, we were the only ones on the mountain, but we still had plenty of snow to practice on. We both strapped on our microspikes and headed up the mountain with our trekking poles and ice axes, and it was a lot of fun.

But now I am going to praise MicoSpikes for a little while: they are fantastic. We walked up ice, porous spring snow, mud, and everything in between, and we didnt slip once. They gave us confidence, especially descending, because we knew that when we put our foot down somewhere, that is where it would remain. If you ever find yourself out in the snow in the winter, I would highly recommend a pair of these. They stretch right over any boot (we put ours on while standing at the bottom of the hill), and they are both serious and casual. I believe they may prove to be one of the best pieces of gear on this hike. They are worth their weight in gold (you can also strap them to your pack when they are not on your feet to double as a "bear bell".)

Now that the ski season is over, however, I am devoting more of my time to hiking. And Tom is coming back east on April 5th, which is very exciting. Some more exciting news: I passed my Professional Ski Instructors of America Level 2 Skiing Exam (and written exam) this past week up at Mount Snow, in Vermont. I passed 3 out of 3 of the skiing sessions, and got a surprising 88% on the written exam. A great way to end the season.

my obsession with trail mix

2010-03-10T10:01:00.000-08:00

Post by Jenna.

I love trail mix. I could seriously sit and eat it all day, because there is so much variation that you never get bored. And thats probably a good thing, because it is going to be a staple of mine and Tom's diet on the trail. People suggest that you should have 2 cups of trail mix a day to snack on all of the time. The other day while riding up the chair lift, I started wondering how much trail mix that would really be for the whole trip.
Lets do some simple math (the best kind):

2 cups of trail mix
x
30 days a month
x
6 months
=
360 cups of trail mix (per person).

Thats a whole lot of peanuts and raisins.

Buy Bob's!

2010-02-26T22:21:00.000-08:00

Posted by Tom

Jenna mentioned earlier about Bob's Red Mill being a good gluten-free source. If you haven't heard, another good reason to buy Bob's Red Mill is that he is giving the company to his employees. Bob is older than dirt and is planning on retiring, and instead of selling it to some aweful company, is giving it away to the workers. So another good reason to buy Bob's Red Mill! Also, if you click on the link, he just looks like a sweet grandpa type.

the best cookie ever.

2010-02-25T12:39:00.000-08:00

Post by Jenna.

Betsy Wheeler introduced me to these cookies, and passed the recipe along to me.They are actually called Flourless Quick Peanut Butter Cookies, and are originally from Louie's Simple and Easy Cooking, by Louisiana Special Education Center, in Alexandria, LA. And they really are easy (with only 5 ingredients). Don't let the lack of flour turn you off- they are delicious for everyone (not just the gluten intolerant). Sadly, however, they are not vegan. But they pack very well for snacks and lunches on the trail.

1 cup peanut butter (chunky or creamy)
1 cup packed brown sugar (light or dark)
1 large egg
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (6 ounces)

Heat oven to 350 degrees.
In medium bowl, beat together the peanut butter, brown sugar, egg, and baking soda until the mixture is smooth and well blended. Stir in chips until evenly distributed.
Drop the dough by slightly rounded teaspoons onto an ungreased baking sheet, spacing the mounds about 2 inches apart.
Bake one baking sheet at a time in the 350 degree oven until the cookies are puffed and slightly brown, but still soft to the touch (about 10 minutes). Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.

I have found that different kinds of peanut butter will make an entirely different cookie. More oily kinds will make a flatter cookie, while dryer brands will make a chunkier cookie.

gluten free foods I love:

2010-02-24T08:21:00.000-08:00

Post by Jenna.

As Celiac's Disease becomes a more common affliction in America, gluten free companies are popping up all over the place. I live in a fairly rural area, yet all of my local grocery stores have specific gluten free sections with so many choices it is dizzying. I usually just eat non-gluten items and dont worry about substituting (or I bake my own), but every once in a while it's a great treat to get a loaf of gluten free bread, or some special crackers or cookies, and just feel like a normal person. So I figure I should compile a list of my favorite gluten free foods on the market today. And how is this related to hiking, you may ask? Well, I like to eat a lot while hiking...and I dont have the luxury of an oven on the trail. : )

I also get asked fairly often what a gluten free gal like me eats on a daily basis, so I am going to list some go-to grains and foods that are suitable for a gluten free diet:

Quinoa
Amaranth grain
Corn Pasta
Rice Noodles
Lentils
Gluten Free Oats
I also love to cook Indian food, and bake lots of cookies (the worlds most delicious peanut butter cookie recipe will be posted soon).
Granola (with gf oats)
And good ol' fresh fruits and veggies

In general, Bob's Red Mill is a great company that offers all types of gluten free (and regular) grains, flours, and baking mixes. It's also available in most general markets. Glutino is also a great company that makes reliably delicious foods (its always a gamble with gluten free stuff).