Training and Prep

So we've got a blog.  What that means I'll try to figure out as we go.  Mostly it should provide a great way to keep all of the family, friends, and anyone else who cares to read, updated on our latest antics.  We have been busy busy and there is a lot to do before our estimated departure date ~ 19th of March, but we're slowly chipping away.

In the last post of Beth's she is sounding a little wishy washy on the bike ride back to Tahoe upon completion of the hike. To that I say,

"Do. Or do not. There is no try." - Master Yoda

Training
We've done a couple training rides on our brand new Ron Burgundy colored Surly Long Haul Disc Truckers, and its safe to say we're both pretty danged pumped on them.  We've logged about 60 mi and 5000' vert on them so far which is approximately equivalent to our day 1 ride out of Tahoe.  Sooooo, it's a start.  I hauled my trailer with about 35 lbs of gear, and Beth loaded her panniers full of chicken...yah, chicken.

It turns out climbing rope and the entirety of my bike tools along with about a gallon of water makes for a descent sized load that should be close to the weight I'll be pulling.  For our ride yesterday, Beth loaded her panniers with cans o' chicken amongst a plethora of layers and other such items.  We took a few moments on old myers grade yesterday to nerd out and document our touring rigs as they are thus far.

Action mock touring photo = most boring action photo ever taken

Unless you look as good as this girl!

Besides biking we've both been trying to get into some alright hiking condition so we can hit the trail...and not die.  Beth's been swimming at 6 am like an animal, and going on some runs.  Ive been running quite a lot since Ive been working in Jackson (CA), because there isn't much to do around those parts.  I put in an 18 miler mostly trail run the other day with Dahlia, and I can't get enough of it.  Still working on bottling just a fraction of what Dahlia's got because she makes it look a little too effortless.

Cool as a cucumber

FOOD
Beth mentioned we went to Winco last weekend which meant an expected 15 minute shopping trip to stock up on oatmeal pies and other junk food for our PCT boxes escalated into a two hour extravaganza of filling (and sometimes spilling) bags with dehydrated staples that will get us through the long trail days ahead.  Some of the aformentioned goods include; instant spuds, rice, beans, hummus, soup mixes, dried fruits, trail mixes, coconut, and my favorite find of the day, blueberry muffin mix (for camp deserts).  All the while the Winco sample lady fed us chocolate strawberries...which was awesome.  That's it for now, we're in the process of dehydrating lots of chicken and are gonna be making a bunch of meals today.

Winco is THE place to get backpacking food.

Speaks for itself

Life is about to get interesting

Crying at Work, high five!

I finally broke the news at work and gave four weeks notice.  It was very emotional for me.  I feel really lucky to have such a great job with such amazing people.  Its hard to leave a place that has given me so much opportunity, my first real job!  I REALLY hope I can land a job here again at some point in the future and that I don't forever regret leaving.  On the bright side, the amount of support I have received from my coworkers has been wonderful and very much appreciated, maybe I'm not making  a huge mistake after all!

I think half the reason I was so upset to break the news is that it made the trip so real. I have been having these moments were I have been hesitant to really prepare for the trip.  Clay had to give me a pep talk in Costco, I kept taking food out of the cart not fully ready to commit.  Quitting your job and leaving on a 900 mile bike ride followed by a 2,650 mile hike is pretty scary and all my emotions came flooding out of my eyeballs while giving my notice at work, perfect! 

I lifted a map of the PCT from the United States Forest Service PCT page and made some hideous and wildly inaccurate additions to simulate our bike route.

Route Talk

Pink is the PCT route. Blue is an estimate of our bike route.  The little yellow star is Lake Tahoe.  We will start in Tahoe around March 20th, bike out of the Sierra heading for the coast.  Once there, we will roughly follow Hwy 1 south along the coast to San Diego.

Clay is best man in a wedding in San Diego on April 17.  We will have a few days to prepare for our hike and recover from our wedding hangovers before starting the PCT on April 21st.

We hope to reach Canada by October. Depending on how we feel (if and) when we reach Canada and if we have any money or desire left, we will hop back on our bikes, which have magically transported to Vancouver. There are two bike routes through Washington, one on the coast which guarantees you will be soaked and miserable and one inland where it is likely to be soaked and miserable. Wishful thinking, I drew the inland line. I have no idea what will happen.  Only time will tell.

beth

This Trip is in Tents

Clay and I have some how decided to embark on a long trip. The plan is to bike from Lake Tahoe California, where we live, to San Diego, hike the Pacific Crest Trail from Mexico to Canada, then bike back.  Is it possible? I don't know! 

 

This is what we looked like in May 2014

There is much to do.

We started in late summer by replacing our backpacking gear with slightly lighter and far more expensive backpacking gear.  This winter I have been painfully slowly dehydrating food to send in packages to ourselves along the way.  

The food packages are for the hiking portion for the trip. While biking we will pass towns and stores daily and will be able to buy food. During the hike we plan on resupplying with food every 3-8 days using the postal service to receive packages that we should be making now.  Clay's dad has kindly offered to take over the very important and equally unpleasant task of taking our packages to the post office every 3-8 days.  Thank you! Sorry! 

Despite the fact that I have made nerd spreadsheets to organize food info, I have zero grasp on how much food 2 people need to ship themselves on the walk from Mexico to Canada.  I bet its a lot. 

In addition to buying months worth of food, I'm trying to be brilliant at work so they hire me back, buy and assemble bike parts (this sounds safe), prepare to move out of our home- actually i haven't started that yet, and trying to simultaneously get into shape while completing my hamburger training. Hamburger training is an effort to start the trip looking "healthy", as my mom would put it, so i can prolong looking like an escapee of a prisoner of war camp. 

This is what I look like February 2015.

In this photo I am displaying 1 of 2 full carts of the amazing, really really amazing, bulk food section at WinCo. I think my appearance in this photo also helps explain the presence nerd spreadsheets and also this blog.

Beth