Gadgets

My brother Neil bought me this awesome satellite communicator and tracking device. I definitely feel more secure having this on me as my movements can be tracked back home and I'll have an uninterrupted signal at all times. This will come in handy for updating my friends and family on my progress and also sending a distress signal if I am injured, lost or in danger. Check it out at http://www.inreachdelorme.com/ I'll also have my iPhone4 with me for general communication and for a backup camera.I'll also be able to update my blog on my phone which will enable me to keep it current as I go. With it I'll need the charger cable which I can hook up to either a wall socket when I hike down into a town, or to my solar panel charger. My solar panel charger is an Opteka 6000mAh.

So cool! I've tested it at home and it works perfectly! I'll be able to charge my phone as I walk if I attach it to the top of my backpack. My camera is A waterproof/ shockproof/ freeze and dust proof Fujifilm XP which can aldo take video, and I invested in a GoPro Hero3+ with a veiwing screen... Now I have a week to learn how to use it! Also a charger cable for the GoPro and charger plug for the Fujifilm. The headlamp runs off batteries and the compass is good quality, except I'm a novice at using one!

The Final Countdown

The last 3 months leading up towards my "Thru Hike" along the Pacific Crest Trail have been extremely dynamic and eventful.There is nothing quite like attending an incredible tango festival on your home island to kick start the fun and adventure. The Hawaii Paradise Tango Festival 2014 was absolutely fantastic! For me it included 4 nights and 3 days of non-stop tango including night time dance sessions called "milongas" and all day workshops given by some of the best tango instructors around from Honolulu, San Francisco, Buenos Aires, Berlin, Japan and Colombia to name a few of the destinations that the diverse group of instructors came from. My Argentine Tango skills were definitely elevated and I had so much fun with friends and fellow tango dancers.

 Following that I received an offer on my home, so am in the process of selling up.I quit my job and am going to put my downsized worldly possessions into storage, leaving me basically without an address, so the PCT will officially be my home for as long as it takes to complete it. I've been spending time with friends and finding time to dance tango, kayak, stand up paddle board (SUP), hike and run and yes before I hit the wilderness with nothing but a backpack and tent on my back and some freeze dried food pouches and protein bars for sustainance.I had a bit of a sideswipe when I recently fell and severely sprained my left hand and wrist whilst dancing the "Chacerera" at tango, so had to wear a brace and was in considerable pain while it healed.

 I also had my first tattoo done which came out really well and is very symbolic for me. The design being two owl feathers representing my animal spirit guardian and two children, the colors of the beadwork on the design are also meaningful to my life, blue symbolizing the ocean and tranquility an red symbolizing the earth and passion. As the adventure of life continues, I am experiencing an incredible lightness of being. This being the Year of the Horse, and me being born in the Year of the Fire Horse, I have the feeling of freedom equivilent to that of a wild mustang. 

 In terms of preparation for my wilderness adventure, I have prepared my mail resupply boxes and have them labelled and ready to send. 

Last minute supplies I plan to buy at REI in San Diego are the bear spray as well as the fuel canister for my Jetboil cooker. Preparing for this hike and buying all the ultralight gear,provisions, food and contents of the resupply boxes is an expensive endeavor and I am glad that I have purchased things slowly over at least a year leading up to the hike. It is also slowly starting to dawn on me that I am about to embark on quite a gnarly quest. I've been putting that part of my thinking process on hold up until now.I am not going to lie about the fact that I feel quite scared about the prospect of living on a trail in the wilderness for half a year. In fact it terrifies me at times which I think is fairly healthy, as I realize that it's not all going to be a fun walk in the park nor a casual "picnic.My backpack has also suddenly become a lot heavier with the last minute items I've added.I'm going to post an entry on my gadgets, so I'll mention those on that post.I have been packing and repacking and trying to see what I think I need and don't need but the weight of the pack keeps going up, not down!

I also got my trail amulet which I'm stoked about! It'll be one of my little pleasures on the trail to wear it. Jokingly I like to say "If you don't do it in style then don't bother doing it at all" and another one of my favorites is "Go big or go home". Next stop San Diego coming up soon. I shall fly across the Pacific Ocean and embark upon the adventure of a lifetime.

So what's in my re-supply boxes??

Every resupply box has slightly different contents but all are basically the same. Here are the contents of one of my boxes and I'll be receiving one approximately every 200 miles.

9 dehydrated dinners

1 big bag granola and a small one for breakfasts

14 energy bars of various descriptions and tastes.

6 packets of nuts/ trail mix

8 sachets of nut butter for fat/calories

3 sachets of protein powder

5 sesame seed snacks

1 vegan jerquee

3 sachets soup mix

4 sachets gatorade powder and 1 Hawaiian ice tea mix for flavor and calories to add to water

1 tube NUUN electrolyte replacement

Wet wipes

Garbage bag

1 small toothpadte

1 bottle hand sanitizer

Water purification tabs

Razor

This should keep me going for at least 10 days! Every 500 miles I'll have a new pair of trail running shoes shipped to me and I'll have my map/trail guide books shipped to Tuolumne Meadows and Ashland, Oregon, so that I don't have to hike with lots of heavy books.Other items which I'll need sporadically are things like extra batteries, campsuds (a biodegradable all use soap), zam-buk (herbal ointment good for everything from chafe to insect bites), hemp facial moisturizer, sunblock and other random treats.

A Vision Quest and a Walkabout

The most frequently asked question I've had regarding my desire to walk a 2650mile/4200km continuous wilderness trail, probably taking 5 months to complete with the bare basics is: "Why would you want to do such a thing?" The most obvious and simple answer I can give, quoting an awe inspiring adventurer of the 1920's, George Mallory, is : "Because it's there." That is the simple beauty of it! An unspoilt narrow footpath exists from the south of the United States on the Mexican border and continues, uninterrupted all the way through mind blowing, breathtaking natural beauty along the spine of the mountain ranges through California, Oregon and Washington, into Canada....I mean, wow, who wouldn't want to take such a magnificent journey?

 There is however obviously a lot more to it. An important aspect to mention is physical conditioning. After 5 years of completing many marathons, ultra marathons, trail runs and an extreme adventure race, I am fit, I know what I'm capable of both mentally, emotionally and physically and I don't want to put off until a later date what I can do now. Life does not necessarily guarantee us another day, week or year, so I'm going to seize the day, seize the moment and pursue my dream while I can and while I'm able to. "Carpe Diem" has always been one of my favorite motto's and I want to look back on my life without regrets and without wishing "if only I had done that then."

 Then there is "The Journey". Aside from the physical journey, these extreme outdoor experiences in nature are also spiritual journeys and self development journeys as experienced in many different cultures around the world and throughout history. There is the "Vision Quest" experienced in some Native American cultures, a journey into the wilderness without distraction to find a more meaningful purpose to one's life and a deeper understanding to one's existence. During this rite of passage, the individual spends many nights secluded out in the wilderness which provides time for deep introspection and communion with the other unseen forces and energies that we are distracted from in daily life. Often a guardian animal or force of nature will become a guide to the experience. I have already experienced this in my extreme ultra running on the Hawaiian Islands, where I became aware of my "Aumakua" or Hawaiian animal guardian in the form of an owl or "Pueo".The aumakua appeared to me on many occasions when I was either in danger, hurt and struggling or isolated in the night along a strange lonely road. It occurred too many times at these significant moments for it to be a co-incidence and so now I know that my animal guide is the owl. The Australian Aborgines go on a "Walkabout" for as long as six months into the wilderness as a rite of passage into the next phase of life. There are many more examples from history, religion and spiritual writings that refer to the value of undertaking such a life changing challenge. So this may certainly be a part of the experience as well. It'll be interesting to read my blog at the end of it all and find out what I gained from the walkabout along the PCT.

"Time out" might also be another good reason. After 25 plus years of non stop working as a nurse doing long hours and exhausting shifts, I am finally allowing myself to take some serious time out. All I have to do each day is wake up and walk, then pitch my tent when I get tired. The simplicity sounds very appealing, although comfort and adequate food will be lacking and of course it has taken a lot of forethought and preparation to allow me the luxury of taking the time out to do it. Experiencing the natural beauty of the western mountain ranges of North America is another big draw card. I'll be traversing through a desert (the Mojave), along mountain ranges (the Sierra Nevada's and Cascades),and through some of the most pristine parts of this side of the country that will leave me in awe, no doubt. I'm sure the feeling of gratitude that one has had the opportunity to experience the gift of life and the splendors of our planet will accompany me on many parts of the trail.

So in conclusion, there are many reasons to embark upon such a journey and I'm sure each reason will be experienced at different moments along the journey. Thank you, the reader, for accompanying me on this amazing adventure.I hope to share all the epic moments with you as well as the miserable moments which will make it a real experience, the way life is...Aloha!

My Aumakua or animal spirit guardian, the Pueo (owl)

So what's in my backpack for a 2,650 mile/4264km hike?

~ ultralight ULA Backpack
~ultralight Thermarest Ridgerest sleeping mat
~ ULA ultralight down sleeping bag
~ waterproof stuff sack for sleeping bag and sleeping clothes
~ smart wool sleeping clothes (thermal top and pants, sleeping socks, sleeping beanie, sleeping underwear)
~ space blanket x2
~ silk sack (to slip into inside the sleeping bag to make it 10 degrees F warmer)
~ 8 days supply of food : x8 dehydrated backpacking meals; x8 bars of various descriptions; large bag of muesli; hot chocolate x8; nut butter sachet's x8; trail mix (yes, I'm going to starve)
~ Big Agnes one (wo)man tent
~ Golite trekking umbrella (for sun and rain)
~ Ultralight trowel for digging toilet holes
~ Toiletry bag
~ Frogg Toggs (rain gear)
~ Clothes stuff sack with 2 pairs of extra socks; underwear; ultralight fleece top; ultralight down jacket; long sleeve running top; insect net; gaiters
~ Jetboil stove and fuel canister
~ water bladder
~ ultralight towel
~ compass
~ Katadyn water filter and water purification tabs
~ First Aide kit
(not pictured are the clothes that I start my hike in : skort and shirt; socks, trail runners; sunhat and glasses, as well as iphone, camera, solar panel charger, small video camera and Black Diamond trekking poles) 

So far this is what I'll be carrying to survive the trail. Laid out on the tarp it seems impossible to fit in, but remarkably it does. Dry weight is 10.2kg/ 22.44 lbs





ENDING 2013 ON A GOOD NOTE

Since completing my series of Prolotherapy injections, my life has improved dramatically. I am no longer in chronic pain and I have been able to go out there and run again, granted not elite fast, but definitely steady.
I ended 2013 with 4 races in 2 months which really makes me feel satisfied with my increasing fitness level again.
HMSA 30k, Val Nolasco 21k, Xterra World Champs trail 21k and the Honolulu Marathon 42k, all on the island of Oahu. I love living here, there are so many fit and dynamic people and there's always a race, fun run or training run somewhere.
 My overall sense of health and well being has skyrocketed, as well as my physical state of fitness and endurance and let's not leave out the calm zen like state of mind one gets from all of the above. I completed the Honolulu Marathon yesterday, came home and immediately signed up for the North Shore Marathon next year. I want to stay marathon fit for my big adventure coming up next year, in combination with a lot of hiking with elevation and increasingly heavier loads in my backpack.
 Bring on 2014!

I joined the PCT Association

This weekend I joined the Pacific Crest Trail Association. It is one way of paying it forward for my wilderness home on the trail for 5 months next year. The trail is maintained by this amazing organization who also put out a wealth of information about the trail and how to survive on it.

From their website I found the following information:

Fun Facts about things I have to look forward to:
California section:1,698.8 miles/ 2734km
Oregon section: 456.8miles/ 735.15km
Washington section: 499.8 miles/ 804.35km...
Total elevation gain: 314,711 ft/ 95924 m
Climbs: 60 major mountain passes
Descends into: 19 major canyons
Passes: 1000 lakes and tarns, 3 national monuments, 7 national parks,24 national forests and 33 federally mandated wildernesses
Travelling at a pace of 20miles/32km per day will take me 134 days of hiking to complete the entire trail.

I've almost purchased all my gear and I'm doing a lot of research regarding food and resupply along the trail. I've pretty much decided to only have 10 resupply boxes mailed to post offices en route and the rest of the time I'm going to buy supplies in towns that I can hike down to. This supports the local economy and allows more freedom in terms of movement (the boxes are only held for 2 weeks and I might be hiking faster or slower than anticipated) and I might also not even want the food i pack into them beforehand. According to the information out there this is definitely  a reasonable plan to follow.
More updates coming on what I'm packing into my resupply boxes and what my gear consists of the closer I get to actually leaving. Stay tuned!