Chance09 - Pacific Crest Trail Journal - 2010
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Chris "Chance" dePolo
City: Nokesville
State: VA
Begins: May 1, 2010
Direction: Northbound
Daily Summary
Date: Thu, Nov 19th, 2009
Daily Distance: 0
Journal Stats
Entry Visits: 1,594
Journal Visits: 14,274
Guestbook Views: 441
Guestbook Entrys: 16
The Planning Has Already Started
Figured it was time for a new journal on here. I just ordered Yogi's PCT Handbook so i guess that makes it offical, time to start a new one. I've been working on my gearlist a lot lately too. Anything to keep my mind off how bored i am being stuck inside. I'm not 100% sure that this hike is the best thing for me to do, but i'm going forward with it anyways. It's certainly what I want, but still maybe not the best idea if I ever plan on properly fitting back into society. I'm having enough trouble settling in after the AT i can't imagine what it will be like after another 5 months in the wild.
That said i'm still having some doubts. This hike is going to be so different, i'm having trouble comming to terms with that in my head. When people ask wern't you scared/alone on the AT? I generally try not to laugh because i think at any one point i could have been in a town within a day or two if I really had to, not to mention there were always tons of people. The PCT is a little farther from civilization and generally has less people hiking it. If something were to happen to me in one of the many climates i've never experienced hiking in before, there's no easy way out. That being said I like to be prepared and feel that I generally do a good job of it, but preparedness is battling my desire to not carry a ton of stuff. I'm working on finding a medium that makes me comfortable, but without being able to go hike in a desert and try things out I feel I'm doing a very poor job of it. I guess what it comes down to is the fact that I would like some experience in the dessert or at 10,000 feet before heading out there, which isn't going to happen.
I've managed to get my base weight down to around 8 1/2 pounds for the start and it shouldn't be going up too much. I figure i'll be adding one to two pounds for a video camera and then another two for a bear cannister when it comes to that. I've been debating getting a Z pack and getting my base weight down to about 6 pounds but i think i'll take the comfort of my ULA circuit over the weight loss.