Some of you may remember me. Some may even recall me previously asking if anyone wanted to go backpacking in Oregon.
Well, my knees won't last forever - I'm 46 and if I'm going to use them I best get on with it. So I had been thinking about the 'glory days' of my teens, when I went backpacking or camping nearly every month for 7 years in the Boy Scouts. The pinnacle backpacking trip was when I was about 14 and we hiked the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) from Dee Wright Observatory south to Waldo Lake. I believe it was about 61 miles over 6 days, including a summit of the Middle Sister.
It was me, two other boys, the Scoutmaster, and a 60+ year old man that out-hiked us all (and the Scoutmaster was a marine). I did it as a 100 lb beanpole of a kid, and I carried 70's era gear on an external frame pack. It was brutal for a kid my size to carry 1/3 my own weight with not even a hip belt, but it was one of the most wonderful experiences of my life.
I decided recently that I would like to reprise that trip, some 30-odd years later. But as I started planning, I could not find my old map from the trip. I checked in with the only other person who went that I know is still alive, and he couldn't find his either. I discovered that there are good reasons to deviate from the original itinerary anyway. To avoid mosquitoes I will go a tad later in the season (early August). That changes what water is available, which alters where I should camp. I don't plan to summit the Middle Sister this time. Once I realized this was going to be a new hike over old ground, I decided to extend it as well. I will now hike from Dee Wright, all the way to Hwy 58 (McKenzie Pass to Willamette Pass), which is 75.5 miles and is known as Oregon Section E of the PCT. Suddenly I'm a section hiker.
Here is a kmz file that shows my route in Google Earth. I'll be south-bound: http://www.zear.net/ORSecE.kmz Assuming you trust me, and that you have Google Earth installed, just save this locally and double-click the file - it will take you there automatically.
I already have most of the gear. Until this year I hadn't gone more than 5 miles in a day in 20 years, but I have been backpacking for years. I have a closet full of backpacks, tents, hammocks and down bags. I have all the tech I need too, including a great GPS, multiple stove choices, etc. I'm not new to backpacking. But I am making changes to the list of what I carry.
I am out of shape. I should be about 140 lbs, but I'm around 170. And I'm getting old. I'm soft. I often do just one brutal trip a year with no physical prep really. But I don't think I'll be able to just gut it out for 75 miles, so I need to get back into decent shape. It will do me a lot of good.
Since I want to shape up and also need to do some shakedown of new equipment, I have decided to go on a good hike at least once a month until the 'big trip'. Winter is wet and cold here. This will be fun (already has been TBH).
I'm also changing my diet to be more healthy, engaging in regular cardio, and I plan to do some miles on my wife's treadmill with a full pack weight.
TL;DR: I'm getting ready for a big backpacking trip. In this thread I will post video and images from my training hikes and from the 'big trip'.
Well, my knees won't last forever - I'm 46 and if I'm going to use them I best get on with it. So I had been thinking about the 'glory days' of my teens, when I went backpacking or camping nearly every month for 7 years in the Boy Scouts. The pinnacle backpacking trip was when I was about 14 and we hiked the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) from Dee Wright Observatory south to Waldo Lake. I believe it was about 61 miles over 6 days, including a summit of the Middle Sister.
It was me, two other boys, the Scoutmaster, and a 60+ year old man that out-hiked us all (and the Scoutmaster was a marine). I did it as a 100 lb beanpole of a kid, and I carried 70's era gear on an external frame pack. It was brutal for a kid my size to carry 1/3 my own weight with not even a hip belt, but it was one of the most wonderful experiences of my life.
I decided recently that I would like to reprise that trip, some 30-odd years later. But as I started planning, I could not find my old map from the trip. I checked in with the only other person who went that I know is still alive, and he couldn't find his either. I discovered that there are good reasons to deviate from the original itinerary anyway. To avoid mosquitoes I will go a tad later in the season (early August). That changes what water is available, which alters where I should camp. I don't plan to summit the Middle Sister this time. Once I realized this was going to be a new hike over old ground, I decided to extend it as well. I will now hike from Dee Wright, all the way to Hwy 58 (McKenzie Pass to Willamette Pass), which is 75.5 miles and is known as Oregon Section E of the PCT. Suddenly I'm a section hiker.
Here is a kmz file that shows my route in Google Earth. I'll be south-bound: http://www.zear.net/ORSecE.kmz Assuming you trust me, and that you have Google Earth installed, just save this locally and double-click the file - it will take you there automatically.
I already have most of the gear. Until this year I hadn't gone more than 5 miles in a day in 20 years, but I have been backpacking for years. I have a closet full of backpacks, tents, hammocks and down bags. I have all the tech I need too, including a great GPS, multiple stove choices, etc. I'm not new to backpacking. But I am making changes to the list of what I carry.
I am out of shape. I should be about 140 lbs, but I'm around 170. And I'm getting old. I'm soft. I often do just one brutal trip a year with no physical prep really. But I don't think I'll be able to just gut it out for 75 miles, so I need to get back into decent shape. It will do me a lot of good.
Since I want to shape up and also need to do some shakedown of new equipment, I have decided to go on a good hike at least once a month until the 'big trip'. Winter is wet and cold here. This will be fun (already has been TBH).
I'm also changing my diet to be more healthy, engaging in regular cardio, and I plan to do some miles on my wife's treadmill with a full pack weight.
TL;DR: I'm getting ready for a big backpacking trip. In this thread I will post video and images from my training hikes and from the 'big trip'.
