Pictures from Bandy's camera

That (Bandy/Bander) is our family nick name for lander. I guess Charlie made it up? I don't know where it came from. She mailed the camera back to mom and dad because it was too heavy. So now we can all see a little bit of life through her lense.

Obviously these are from when she took a week off to sail... This is Jill's brother. We will just call him Pete. I can't remember his name. He took the girls in on his boat and treated them well. The Atkinson's are forever grateful for Jill and her family. Thank you pete for taken care of our bandy.

700 Miles!

Sierras, here I come! I walked into Kennedy Meadows 6/21 at 3:00pm and it feels GREAT. I visited Lake Isabella and had 50 miles until I got into KM. I did 3o miles one day and 20 the next. My legs and feet are extremely sore, but I'm taking a zero day and hope to feel 100% before I go into the Sierras.
My appetite is unsatisfiable. The first day in Lake Isabella I ate a bacon cheddar burger, double chocolate milkshake, a burger king whopper and chicken sandwich. The second day I ate a foot-long meatball sub from subway, medium fries, two double chocolate cookies, two pizza slices, bread sticks, and a chili hot dog with cheese (not to mention m&ms, even though I just mentioned them).
I could have eaten more...

Supposedly, in the Sierras, people are eating double what they normaly eat. So, I am going to have to pack more and carry some more food weight. Yum Yum Eat'em Up.

I MISS EVERYONE

SNOW snow go away

Jill and I are about to leave Big Bear hostel and it's snowing... about 2 inches. Hope we can see the trail. Ugh

Snowy Days

Wow, so much to catch up on, but the theme of this post is Fuller Ridge (elevation 8725). Fuller Ridge? That 5.3 mile stretch just after the city of Idyllwild? Yes, it should be a measly 12 miles on the PCT, maybe a little steep to get to it, but nothing too harsh. That is, unless it has snow on it and you do not have snow gear. Also, the trail is hidden under the snow so you have to do what you can with a map, compass, and good street smarts.

Therefore, Jill and I originally chose to take the road, 16 miles, to avoid sliding to an icy death. Then we met Picker, who hands out minty toothpicks on the trail. He lives in the Tahoe area and ski's ALL the time. He promised to show us safely to the other side of the ridge, teach us some navigating tricks, and have a great time doing it.

Basically, I slipped a bajillion times and slid all over the place. Thankfully there was no dramatic end to any of the falls because the snow was beginning to melt. It was just extremely frustrating, and I must confess, at times it was truly embarrassing. One time, I was walking across a rotten log and just rolled off on my back into the bushes. Jill loved that fall. I also told Jill to stop pointing and laughing at me another time. She was not pointing. We laugh about that, now.

We faced the snow with no crampons or ice axe. Crampons would have been greatly appreciated.

Can you borrow Navigation Skills?

Anyone who knows Lander, knows that she gets lost in her own neighborhood. This morning the girls knew they could make it to Idyl Wild by 11am. At 6 miles away, the trail and all the ground surrounding was covered with snow. Lander and Jill had to bust out their maps and compasses to find their way. They followed a stream, that ended up being the wrong stream, but eventually made it to their planned stop by 2pm. They ordered an 18inch pizza and ate the entire thing.
Lander felt like this week they did not pack enough food. They are learning from their mistakes and making great decisions. For example, Lander's feet are feeling much better and they brought cards this week and have been playing Nerks (is that what it's called?).
Her birthday is May 19th!!! Send her a shout out to Big Bear!
fyi, a couple got lost for two days trying to find Idyl Wild in the snow!
Prayer for Lander: Pray for her feet and her body as they hike 15 miles a day. Pray for them both because this next section to Big Bear is also covered with snow. Instead of taking the trail they are going to hike on the roads to Big Bear so they don't risk getting lost.
Pray that she feels celebrated and loved on her birthday!

A little bird told me

Lander had a tiny visitor yesteday. She was resting on the ground, when all of the sudden a little hummingbird came to drop in on her. She said he got real close and just hovered by her. It was probably thoreau coming to cheer her on and encouraging her to pull out a pen and write lame poems. Jk. But it did seem to be a significant moment for Lander seeing that when I asked her if she wanted me to put anything on the blog and she told me about the bird.
This week they are maintaining 15 miles a day. They will gradually build up to 20 miles a day. Who knows, maybe more. Tomorrow they will reach Idylwild and then they start for Big Bear.

New Gear

Recap, Jay gave us his two-person tent and Jill and I are sending out tents back home. Why? Well, because we realized that we won't be hiking without the other and it's more efficient to share weight. Also, we are weenies when it comes to cold weather and two people in a tent is warmer than one person in a tent.

As for the foot factor, I got three pairs of smartwool socks and three liners (thin nylon socks). I'll probably have to replace the shoes more often, but I'll have a lot less blisters in these Nike running shoes.

During the storm, about ten days ago, the wind blew my hat away. It's not as helpful on a cactus as it is on my head, but nature thought otherwise. I would really like a UNC hat, but we'll see if I can wait it out long enough for mailing.

Hitch Hiking

This morning, Jill and I woke up at 6:30, packed, walked three miles to the highway 15 and held out our thumbs wishing for the best. Border Patrol got on his speaker and told us hitch hiking was illegal in the state of California and then proceeded to ask us what the "*!&%" we were thinking, as did several cars. I would say the further you are from the PCT, the more dangerous it is to hitch hike. We were 60 miles from the trail and no one is really aware of hikers. We looked like a pair of very stupid young ladies.

However, we got three rides from good hearted people. The first ride was a woman who said she'd give us a ride as long as we promised not to rob her, the second was from a Latino gentleman from Bakersfield, and the third was a younger man who was scared we would be picked up by pshycos and drove 35 miles out of his way.

Thank you for picking us up! I will never hitch hike as far away as we did from the PCT again. It honestly made me a bit nervous at points and the "you girls are idiots" looks start getting to you.

Week on the Boat

So, Jill's brother, Jay, drove us to Lake Elsinore where we settled down for the night in our new two person tent! It is so roomy and amazing. It's actally Jay's tent, but he let us borrow it for the next few monts, what a champ. He also let us sleep on his boat for the week, took us to dinner, and let us borrow his car. Don't worry, we only wrecked it twice and you can't see the damage...

The "dinner night" was a lot of fun. Mainly because Jill had an entire bottle of champagne poured all over her at the restaurant. The restaurant was a Korean barbeque place with AMAZING food and if you tell the server it's your friend's birthday you get sprayed with champagne. I'm glad it wasn't me!

I have a few pictures to load later when I have the right equipment. Sigh, one day soon I'll have access to a computer almost 24/7. Until then, I just hike to them.

I did lose my phone to the deep blue sea. It ate it right up and, yes, it did bounce. Twice, in fact and then it made a "bloop" sound into the water, never to be seen again.

The only down side to the boat was that the toilet has yet to be installed so we had to get off the boat and use the marina bathrooms any time we needed use the facilities. It was a bummer when you had to go in the middle of the night, but really can I complain? Vacation time!

Hit'n the trails

Lander is sleeping under the stars tonight and hitting the trails tomorrow with Jill. Pray for them as they make their way to the trail towards Canada, o Canada. Send her a poem or something.

Cell Away Lander

As Lander was 'sailing' she had an incident with her cell. Not to be confused with the sail. If you call her cell and someone answeres it is probably Ariel or King Tritan cause the girl has gone and thrown her cell into the ocean.
She claims she dropped the phone in the boat and it 'bounced' in to the deep blue sea. Do cell phones really 'bounce'?
Which reminds me of the time Uncle Bill dropped it keys into the ocean off his boat and Aunt Barbara had to drive all the way to the outterbanks to give him the spare key to his car.
feel free to post your own memories :)

Flowers

The flowers on the trail are amazing! I have never spent time in desert land, so the plant life is all new to me.

I only have a minute left on the internet, but here is one of our favorites! It's the beavertail cactus.

Trail Mentality

After much discussion, Jill and I have decided to enjoy the trail as much as possible and do only what the trail gives us. We are going to maintain a laid back mentality and take breaks when needed.

At first, this week off seemed like a weak decision, but I've realized that it's the best we could have made. If we truly want to finish the trail or do as much as possible, we have to take care of what is important. Simple enough, right? For some reason the right thing always seems to be the tough decision, or I'm in a dramatic mood and everything is the end of the world as I know it.

A friend from college, Kara, found a journal she wrote in from third grade. One page read, "I sense my death is upon me. Give my teddy bear to Brad."

It's funny how dramatic we are when we are young, and then how dramatic I find myself being at age 23!

Blisters

In my first 110 miles of the PCT I had the pleasure of welcoming 11 blisters. What a blast. Especially when starting the trail, everyone is giving all sorts of advice and tid bits at what should and/or should not be done.

However, so far in my experience, the best care has been gauze and duct tape.

Ideally, you stop the blister before it happens. If you sense a blister coming along it's called a "hot spot" and you can use mole skin to prevent it. Lots of experienced hikers suggest washing your socks twice a day and letting your feet cool everytime you take a break. This means every time you come across a stream take off your shoes and let your feet enjoy the water.

There are several possible causes to my blisters and blisters in general. Three main reasons for me were heat, shoes, and socks. Yes, I confess, I wore cotton socks for two days and had only one pair of smartwool awesome socks. There's a famous saying on the trail that is "death by cotton" because it holds in all the moisture and just ruins your feet.

In order to protect your feet from heat in the desert, one can get thin 100% nylon socks and wear breathable running shoes.

I will have smartwool and 100% nylon socks, asics running shoes, and will be stopping an obnoxious amount of times to give my feet rest.

Tom, a trail angel who hiked the trail a few years ago, also explained the importance of keeping the feet raised when sitting or sleeping. Some hikers put a towel on the wall near the head of the bed for their feet at night so they don't get the wall dirty. While camping, you can use your pack at night for a foot rest while you sleep.

Tom also said the best blister care, which I have only tried on one blister and it seemed to work as well, is relieving the blister (make sure EVERYTHING is sanitized) then putting lamolin (breastfeeding ointment) and lambs wool over the blister and covering it with athletic tape. The main idea is to relieve the blister and help it dry out.

On the trail, you have to take the best care of your feet possible. An infection caused by a blister can get into your blood stream if you are not careful and put you off the trail for a good bit.

Week(ish) Off

Yes, I decided to take a week off. My feet are a wreck and the best way to heal is to give them some time off the trail. Therefore, I am staying on Jill's brother's sail boat. Her brother's name is Jay and he bought the boat about three weeks ago.

We took the boat, 27 feet long, out yesterday and had a blissful time sailing around Long Beach in LA county. Believe it.

Jill and I rolled into Warner Springs knowing there had to be a few changes. First off, Jill's sleeping bag is old and is not keeping her warm at night. Secondly, my feet are a mess and I need new shoes.

So, Jill is currently looking up ultralight sleeping bags and we will both probably buy liners and I'm going to hit up a running shoe store in the next few days.

Jay came to the rescue and is letting us sleep on his boat AND use his car. Do not worry, we have the hook up.

Poor Landa

You know the disney cartoon movie Peter Pan when the father trips and crashes into Nana? And all the kids and mother run over and say, "Poor Nana." Well our "poor Landa" is taking a few more days off this week to let her feet heal. But how is she taking them off? She is staying on a sail boat in Santa Barbara! She got to go sailing yesterday. Apparently, her and Jill are almost naturals when it comes to sailing.
(Uncle Bill is dying of jealousy right now.)
When she finds internet she will post more stuff. That might even be today!
Everyone post something that will make her smile!

Warner Springs, Lander has arrived

(this picture is to show that is stinking cold where lander is!)

Total blisters: 11
Lander and Jill made it to Warner Springs saturday. They hiked 20 miles thursday, 18 friday, and 10 on saturday. The weather has been rainy and there is still snow on the ground. Not what I expected to hear at all. I will do some weather research, but I am pretty sure that this isn't typical for this time of the year.

Zero Day

Lander and Jill took their first zero day today. This means that they intentionally didn't hike at all today. It is like on survivor when they win a day of luxury and get to eat outback. Here is part of the story of how it came to be a zero day. The weather has been rough. They hiked and slept in the wind and rain. Lander tried to create a poncho cover for her pack and herself but the wind kept blowing it off. After a long day of walking they thought they would get a good nights rest. But the wind was so loud it kept them up all night long. Wednesday they knew they couldn't keep going like this. They hiked 18 miles to get to a motel and pigged out on pizza. They slept in this morning and found a local place to eat apple pie and a big lunch. Afterwards another random guy gave them a ride to the trail and told them a good 'non windy' spot to sleep tonight.
She sounded rested on the phone and well fed :) She was in good spirits. So my question today is, can we take zero days? how many are we allowed to take?

Pray for Lander

Lander's leg is hurting. Maybe it's her IT band? She left a message asking for hiking socks today. I really don't like not hearing from her. but all we can do is pray for her and Jill. She will be in Warner Springs in 3+ days.

4 Blisters and Counting

Lander called yesterday. Her feet are sore. She wasn't sure how far they had hiked- maybe 16 miles? Her phone battery was dying so I am thinking we won't hear from her for a few more days. She is journaling so she doesn't forget to post things.
If you have any questions just comment and she can answer them. Send her some encouraging words.

First Day!!!

Lander finally started the PCT today! She and Jill hiked 20 miles today. Lander has the blisters to prove it. Now to the question everyone is asking, did Lander fall a lot today? Sorry follks, no good Lander falling stories. The 'Stumbler' as she she should be named, used her hiking poles today. They started at the beginning of the PCT and ended at the official kick off (makes no sense, I know). Lander said there are around 500 people at the kick off tonight and there is free grub.
Please post more trail name ideas for lander.

Trail Names

On the trail, all thru-hikers get a trail name. This includes Appalachain trail hikers, Continental Divide hikers, and just avid hikers. The name can come from something really funny the person did, a hobby or interest of the person, something they talk about all the time, or any multitude of places.

I apologize for the names and descriptions not being in order for the picture!


A few I've met: Kiwi and Moa, whose team name is "the flying Kiwis"- two gentlemen from New Zealand who chose their names because the two birds are flightless birds found in New Zealand. Well, the Moa is now extinct, but Moa the hiker still lives (kiwi is at the very end of the table and Moa is fourth on right)





Slim Jim- Zac Finley, the friend I joined for 30 miles received his trail name for eating slim Jims up and down the trail (fourth on left)





The Bag Lady- a woman who hiked the Appalachain trail, where she received this name. She explained to us that the name came from her loving to cycle and saying she could just live off her bike and sleep under bridges like a bag lady (third on left).

Bacon- a man who loves bacon and talks about it all the time (front left).





Jasmine- Her real name, she does not yet have a trail name... what will it be??? (beside Bacon on his left)





Mango- Tennessee man who loves Jimmy Buffet (second on right)





Yellowstone- woman who loves yellowstone and has worked there for years (far right corner in back)





Shroomer- a man who loves mushrooms and could talk about them for hours, as well as eat them (first on right)





Skyward- A woman, hiking with Yellowstone, whose last name is Sky and her partner's name is Ward and she put them together for the lovely name of skyward (far left corner in back)

Li'l Bit- ME! I got the name just sitting on the trail for a little bit and eating for a little bit (third on right)

Mail a Letter

Lander will be checking mail at the post office in Warner Springs in 7-9 days. do you want to write her and jill? here's how:
here is what you write on the envelope:

Hold for PCT Hiker Lander Atkinson
ETA: April 30
Warner Springs, CA 92086

and in the top left corner put your name and address. the stamp goes in the top right corner.

Pacific Crest Trail Information

There's a lot to learn about the Pacific Crest Trail if you are interested. The PCT Data Book totals the mileage of the trail at 2,663.5 miles. The trail runs from Mexico to Canada, winding through three states: California, Oregon, and Washington. The trail covers terrain fron the desert in Southern California, to the mountains of the High Sierra in Central California, to the Cascades in far Northern California, and continuing through Oregon and Washington (data book).

The PCT was authorized by Congress in 1968 and thousands of hikers enjoy the trail each year. You can read some fun facts on the official website as well. One fun fact is that fewer people have thru-hiked the Pacific Crest Trail than climbed Mt. Everest!

I am planning to thru-hike the trail, but tons of things can get in the way of this happening. Some trail-stoppers would be weather, physical pains, family emergencies, or running out of money.

At this point in time there is already about a 60 mile stretch of the trail that is closed because of fire damage from 2008. The stretch is the beginning of the Northern California section known as section N in the data book. They are not planning to open up this section until mid September. It takes time and money to travel back to that one spot and hike the section. When things like this happen, usually, the pcta re-routes the trail for hikers, but this has yet to happen. We'll just see if it happens before I get to that section.

NOTE: The Pacific Crest Trail was not officially completed until 1993 (cited). The Appalachain Trail was completed in 1938. This means that a lot less work has been done on the trail and extremely few, perhaps six, shelters on the trail overall. The Appalachain Trail has over 250 shelters.

Food- Vegetarian backpacking

I have been a vegetarian for two years and hope to maintain my diet on the trail. I do eat eggs and fish, so I am an octo-ovo vegetarian.

At first, I packed lots of trail mix, dried fruit, crackers, and oatmeal. However, these first 30 trial miles I realized how heavy trail mix truly is and have decided to widen my horizen. I will be carrying Ramen noodles and either buying the shrimp flavoring or just seasoning the noodles with my own little mixture.

I definitely recommend any hiker to bring an array of spices. There are several ways to save little packets or store different ones in tackle box compartments. A little salt and red pepper can go a long long way.

There are all sorts of $1 to $2 pasta packets of broccoli cheddar, teriyaki noodles, and vegetarian flavors galore if you have the right eye. Protein can be found in peanut butter (aka a hiker's cocaine) and protein bars. I like to carry a bag of nutella as well.

Basically, for the Pacific Crest Trail, there are two ways to get food: you can mail it to yourself along the trail; or you can buy it at grocery stores in the towns along the way. There are two stops that I will mail food to and the rest I will be buying from stores. You can crunch numbers to see which is cheaper for yourself, but convenience beat "cheap" out for Jill and I. One guy did the math and said mailing was just a bit cheaper, but it can be a lot of leg work.

In the towns, depending on the amount of money I have at the time, you can eat whatever you want. Since hikers burn so many calories per day, you really cannot eat enough food so candy bars and fattening goodies are a plus.

What I Carry

I carry my:
Osprey pack
six moons design tent
two underwear
two socks
two running shorts
two nike sports bras
leggings
One short sleeve running shirt
One longsleeve breath easy shirt
poncho
first aid kit (motrin, band-aids, moleskin, the whole she-bang)
compass
sleeping pad (thermorest zlite)
iodine
journal
trekking poles
camel back(3 liters), Julia Marie Hartsell water bottle (1 liter)
REI lightweight down sleeping bag, 20 degrees
North Face trail shoes
Nifty Outdoor Research hat with sun block bandana like coverage (mary mac loves it)
Chapstick, toilet paper, deodorant, tuthbrush with mini toothpaste
Book- first book is Madame Bovary
50 spf sun block
Cell phone - at&t right now and service has been fairly consistent
glasses/contacts
sunglasses (bright blue with peace signs on the side)
Jet boil stove- really neat so far
REI lightweight down jacket
And of course, food and water

Slight Delay and Tom the Grace Guy

Jill called me today and told me she wouldn't be able to get to the kickoff until Saturday, a day later than planned. I immidiately switched into frustrated "bia" mode. I'm ready to start the trail and where her reasons are good ones, I had a pity party for myself. I was about to hitch a ride to the kickoff and camp out when we heard four guys had a room they were not going to use. The weather is terrible, so Zac and I figured it wouldn't hurt to ask about it. He told us to meet him in the office in ten minutes. We met him, he gave us the room for FREE and some firewood. What?!

When we offered to pay he asked if we knew the meaning of grace. Hence the name, Tom the Grace Guy.

Sigh.
Humbled.
Moments like that give you a real good wake up call. A lesson in grace will take you a long way.

First PCT Experience

On April 18, 2010 I met up with my friend Zac Finley at Scissor's Crossing, which is 77.6 miles into the trail. I meet up with Jill on Friday, April 22 and thought it wouldn't hurt to warm my legs up a bit by hiking with a Yellowstone buddy.

Zac started on April 13 from the very beginning of the trail in Campo, CA. He walked about 17 miles in the heat to meet me at Scissor's Crossing so we hiked about .2 miles to a bridge and camped under it.

While waiting for Zac at the Crossing I hung out at the water cache with Axzilla and Sandman (not Stan Man, woops). An older couple in red truck driving on S2 pulled over for just enough time to wish us look and hand us a few beers. I saved my beer for Zac who, I believe, much appreciated the brewski.

So, it's my first night on the trail and I have to confess, my tent was brand spanking new and I'd never set it up. Zac has the same tent and showed me a few tricks of the trade. I snuggled in with my pack so dew wouldn't get my stuff wet and said good night to my neighbor.

All the sudden I feel something wet under me. The camel back "straw" tube had snuck in between my body and the sleeping pad and leaked everywhere. I had made a nice little waterbed for my self.

Thankfully, I did not get my trail name from that experience.

I'm getting kicked of the computer at Warner Springs. Don't worry, there will be more fun stories to come.

Introduction- Why and How I got into this

Summer 2009 I worked in Yellowstone National Park as a cook/hostess and decided I wanted to see a lot more of the West! My friend Jill Osborne, who talked me into working that summer, introduced me to the idea of the Pacific Crest Trail. We both decided to make it happen in the summer 2010. I graduated from UNC-CH in December 2009, worked in St. Louis until April, spent some time with family, and now I'm hitting the trail.

I have to send a shout out to the Staples family and the Balogh's family in St. Louis who were so welcoming and really made me feel at home in a big city! I did not see half the stuff in St. Louis as I could or should have while I was there. There was so much to see and I must say, lots of good food. I worked as a server at Bar Louie in the Central West End and had a blast (I recommend the nachos). Also, if you are in St. Louis, stop by Bar Italia and meet the owners who are all brothers from Ethiopia. The food and company in that restaurant are superb.

So, after St. Louis I spent a week in Birmingham with my cousin Mary Laslie and her family, a week in Texas with my sister Mary Mac and her family, and then a few days in St. Louis with my friend Amy.

Spending time with family was AMAZING. I left feeling so refreshed and encouraged for my adventure... and then I got on a greyhound bus.

Honestly, it was not so bad. I rode on the bus for a total of 34 hours. The first bus I was on had a leak near the emergency exit on the roof which, of course, I was lucky enough to sit beside. We found out about the leak when it started raining 4 hours into the ride. Thankfully, the seat beside me was soaking wet and I stayed dry. This same bus broke down in the beautiful state of Arizona and we hiked to the nearest TA travel center to party from 8 am until 11:30am. I arrived safe and sound in San Diego at 12:45am. What a blast.

I really cannot complain. The next day I ate tons of pizza for lunch, chilled on the beach, and ate a wonderful Mexican meal for dinner (shout out to Amy and her bf for such a wonderful night). I also dyed my hair for the first time. Yes, I ruined the shirt I was wearing and a little hand towel. That stuff is smelly and messy, but my hair is back to dark brown. Just the way I like it.

By the way, I watched Fantastic Mr Fox while I was in San Diego and I highly recommend it to everyone.

I'll be blogging and I'll put pictures up as soon as I can!