Everyday life of a thru-hiker

Good morning!

I have already mentioned that thru-hiking is no holiday! To get this clear, I'll now describe a typical day on the PCT. 

The start of the day is by far the most difficult part. Not only because I'm a sleepyhead and hate alarm clocks but because in the morning you get painfully reminded of  the miles you have done the previous day. My entire success depends on the discipline to get up in time!

Standard breakfast… Pop Darts

In general, the first of three alarm clocks rings at 5:15! 15 minutes later I try to overcome the baser instincts and leave the toasty warm sleeping bag… often in freezing temperatures.

With completely stiff ankles and constant yawning I try to stow away all my gear in my backpack in right order. Simultaneously I enjoy a breakfast of two pieces of "Pop Darts" (I love them!) and try to get down at least a liter of water. Around 6:15 I'm ready to hike!

This source is truly on the way!

To get my mind going I collect my thoughts of the previous day as an audio diary on a small digital voice recorder.
After 3 hours on the trail I take a 30 minute break for a second breakfast… 1-2 granola bars + Nutella!!!
(I'm from Europe… I'll never eat peanut butter!!!)

Sawer "gravity" filter

It is advantageous to find some water source at every break you make.
Since I got my "squeeze-filter" transformed into a "gravity filter", I have my hands free for cooking and eating while the water is filtered automatically. In about 10 minutes I get at least 3 liters of delicious life-elixir!

After the second breakfast it's time to make some miles to earn lunch. I made some personal rules like 10 miles by 10 o'clock or "12 by 12" or if things are going well "15 by 13"… it all depends on the trail-profile of the day and my mood.

Lunch time!

Especially at the lunch break, it is useful to have some fresh water around since it is a one hour break and sometimes nice to clean up a bit.

Follow the trail!

In the afternoon there comes the mental battle. Including two more smaller breaks it is time to achieve the goal of the day with i have set in the morning.
There is always the desire to camp at an adequate water source because in the evening it is cooking time, the body demands an extra dose of water with electrolytes and you require some liquid for the following breakfast.

No camping spot in this forest :-(

Only in exceptional cases I want to end on a so-called "dry-camp" to with I have to carry up to 2 liters of additional water so I have enough till the next morning.

The characteristic of the PCT makes the search for a suitable campsite often quite difficult. A beautiful water source not always indicates a flat spot to sleep. The trail winds its way through rough terrain like old forests, steep slopes or rocky plateaus. As long as you don't prefer to sleep under the open sky which is called "cowboy camping", you need a usable space of at least 6x10 feet. 

A little  rocky… but quite OK!

If everything works well I have completed a marathon distance. Extremely tired but very satisfied I enjoy my dinner.
The evening is quick and unspectacular. Setting up the tent, cooking dinner, gooing to sleep! A "normal" day starts for me at 6 am and ends around  7 pm after a minimum of 12 hours of hiking.

As long as I have a camp for myself it takes me about an hour till I'm in my sleeping bag. I try to get at least 8 hours of sleep because that's what I can't offer my body to be fit again the following day.
Instead of a romantic sunsets I'm already asleep dreaming of ice cream, chocolate and pizza!

Happy Trails :-)

Fascination Thru-Hiking

Faszination Weitwandern

While preparing for my second great adventure in the U.S. I get increasingly asked the "why" question… "Why do you do this to yourself?"

So I will try to explain the fascination of long distance hiking if this is possible at all! 

Billy Goat

Many friends could not understand when I left for the Pacific Crest Trail last year and understand it even less now that I'm getting ready for the Continental Divide Trail.
I would have proven it to myself already! So why all the pain again?

One of the legende of the PCT - Billy Goat - has on this subject only one thing to say… "If you have to ask, then you'll never understand!"

If I want to answer the question completely practical I could use the following statements :

• The scenery is amazing!
• The feeling of freedom is indescribable!
• I'm in the best shape ever!
• I'm at peace with myself!

Of course the matter is more complex. Everyone has his own access to thru-hiking. For me it started with spinal disc problems. I became a coach potato and my doctor urgently called for more exercise!
So I bought Nordic-Walking-Poles and began to march through my home town of Graz. I started directly at the front door of my flat and where gone the whole day. I quickly noticed that hiking poles are totally useless in a city. I put them away but the pleasure for marching around remained.
I can still remember exactly the moment when it bothered me one day that I always went back home when it would be much more fun to keep on walking.
I was infected with long distance hiking!

One thing must be absolutely clear… Thru-hiking is not a holiday!
With distances beyond 1.000 miles we are talking about projects of several months. Assuming good preparation it is a perfectly predictable adventure! An adventure!
Who doesn't need some adventure this time!?!
My generation is unfortunately dominated by jobs where everyone is pushed to the limit every day.
It does't matter in what position or business you are working… almost everybody is on the verge of collapse. The amount of work required is not the problem, the low appreciation leads to frustration.
And so you end up with the same "why" question… "Why am I doing this to me?"

Long-distance hiking is a kind of escape from everyday life - that's absolutely right! But in some ways, every hobby is. The difference is that the hiker isn't looking for some quick thrill, he seeks for the charm of a simpler life.

Your life gets drastically simplified… hiking, eating, hiking, looking for water, hiking, sleeping!
As long as you have a properly calculated budget - that's it!
This has nothing to do with dropping out of the society we are living in. It's a controlled reduction!

You learn to appreciate the little things again. I'll never forget the moment when I suddenly found a picnic table for lunch after endless  days in dusty southern California. I have never been so happy about a table :-)
Not to mention the luxury of a shower!

As a solo hiker - like me - you are basically own your own all the time. Although a hiking-day comes quite close to a business-day (alarm clock way too early and scheduled breaks) there is one big difference about it… I'm my own boss! A very nice thing! There comes the point when you realize that practically every day is a marathon-distance and that you have no problem doing it again the following day. As you fall asleep your are just satisfied!

I could probably keep on writing forever without knowing whether one really understands me but I can only recommend to try it out at least take a multi-day tour. Unfortunately in Austria we have the "luxury problem" of a perfect system of mountain huts which you have to use. Despite the fact that you get serviced perfectly you will never reach the feeling of freedom when you end up every night in big sleeping hall like in a youth hostel.

My conclusion:

Thru hiking is a unique therapy against our modern life… just try it!

Happy Trails :-)

Progress in planning the CDT

The planning makes good progress and more and more details are set:

• Distance ~ 2.850mi (at least 180mi more than the PCT)
• Mexico ~ 640mi
• Colorado ~ 740mi
• Wyoming ~ 490mi
• Montana / Idaho ~ 980mi

• Time ~ 150 days (about 1 week longer than the PCT)
• Start: April 25th at Crazy Cook Monument / New Mexico
• Finish: First week of September at Waterton Lake / Canadada

• 25 resupply points are set (including various chiropractors!)

• Some alternative routes (especially in New Mexico)

The following map shows the details of the route!
(© Continental Divide Trail Coalition adapted by Banana Pants)