PCT 2014

Israel National Trail Offline Maps

2016-05-17T21:54:00.001-07:00

Lets get it straight - I have never thru-hiked the entire Israel National Trail (INT). I started it in September 2008, and did almost half of it (The northern half. The easy half), before quitting. I still hope on finishing my hike someday, either by hiking from Eilat to Arad (should take ~3 weeks), or by doing the whole thing from the beginning again.

The INT is ~1000Km long (~620 miles), and goes from the northern tip of Israel (near Kibbutz Dan), towards the Kinneret (Sea of Galilee), westwards to Mt. Carmel and the Mediterranean sea, south along the Israeli shoreline towards Tel Aviv, and then back east almost reaching Jerusalem (It's close enough to allow hopping over into the city). Further south it enters the dreaded desert section, which contains long and hard stretches without any natural water sources, crosses many beautiful areas like the Small, Big and Ramon Craters, and finally reaches the southern most city in Israel - Eilat, by the Red Sea.

A great source of information about the INT can be found in its Wiki page. There's a Trail Angels list, a list of Services along the trail, and a list of Water Sources in the Desert, all in English. There is also a lot of up-to-date information at the Israel National Trail Forum, including a discount to a good guide book in English.

Unlike long trails in the US, there are no fixed water caches in the desert part of the trail, so be sure to understand that the "Water Cache" entries in the Water Sources list are only popular suggestions for places that people normally use for their own water caches. They do not contain any publicly available water, and caching water there would take time and/or money. It is possible to hike the trail without any caches, but it will require some detours to nearby settlements, and some 2-day water carries. Please do not go into the desert section without considering the options, and knowing what you are going into.

I have created an offline map file along the trail, using data from OpenStreetMaps (OSM), and the Hiking Map Rules of the Israel Hiking Map. I changed the rendering rules to use the English place name labels (where available), so that the map will be more useful for hikers from abroad.

This map sample displays Hebrew labels, and is here to show you the quality of the map before downloading. There is an English version of that map available to download at the end of this post.

You can get an updated gpx file of the entire trail using this link. This uses a simple app I wrote that exports an OSM relation to a gpx file directly from their servers. That link uses relationId 282071, which is the Id of the INT, but you can substitute it with any other relationId you might be interested in, if you want to download an updated gpx of some other trail.

Disclaimer

Here are the files:

English

BCNav (534MB)
Orux (534MB)

Hebrew

BCNav (533MB)
Orux (533MB)

A detailed walk-through on how to use these files with Backcountry Navigator or Orux Maps can be found here.

Share and enjoy!

Continental Divide Trail Maps and Data

2016-03-07T01:19:00.000-08:00

I have been playing around with CDT data over the weekend, and figured out I'd share what I made so that other people can use and enjoy it.

I had used several sources for my files -

Bear Creek Survey 2016 GPX files
Jonathan Ley 2014 GPX files
Continental Divide Trail Coalition Interactive Map KML file (Which includes water sources and trailheads layers from BCS)

I have imported all the data into Google Earth KML format, cleaned it up (removed Timestamp data, fixed some line styles), and split it all up to separate files for each state/layer/source. I then made some compilation files.

I have made a separate file for each state, to make it easier to use on mobile apps - New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming and Montana. I have also created a single file for the whole trail.

I have also kept separate files for every state/source/layer combination, so you can also mix and match anything you'd like, from my Google Drive folder.

I have also used my Offline Map File Generator (OMFG) to generate offline map files for the CDT using USA Topo Maps source (Copyright:© 2013 National Geographic Society, i-cubed) for both Backcountry Navigator and Orux Maps (Both for Android).

This map shows the trail layer (with alternates), using the same map tile data I used for creating the offline files, so you can zoom in and out, and see what you will get on your Android phone. The main difference is that the offline files contain only the trail corridor, to keep the file size manageable.

Disclaimer

All the data was used "as-is", and I do not take responsibility for its correctness. Please use your judgment when navigating along the trail (or anywhere else). Any errors or omissions I made in the process of compiling the files are my own. The "Water Report" layer from the CDTC source is not updated, so do not count on the reports found there while hiking the trail. Visit the Water Report page for up-to-date information.

Here are the files:

BCNav (842MB)
Orux (877MB)
A detailed walk-through on how to use these files with Backcountry Navigator or Orux Maps can be found here.

Share and enjoy!

Te Araroa Offline Map Files

2015-10-31T00:01:00.000-07:00

A while ago a friend of mine asked for some help in getting maps for his upcoming Te Araroa hike, on his smart phone. I decided to create an offline map file for his use, and I am now sharing it with anyone else who might be interested.

I started out by researching the services offered by Landcare Research, and ended up using their TMS Tile servers for the Topo Base Map and a Text layer on top of it, to create a useful map of the trail. I wanted to use my own little app (OMFG) to download the tiles and create the offline map file, but unfortunately it can not handle creating a single map file from two tile sources (topo + text). So I ended up using the excellent MOBAC app, after making some minor code improvements.
On smaller zoom levels, the map seems a bit empty, but at the zoom levels most people would normally navigate (13-15), it shows all the elevation contours, streams and rivers, roads and place names. It seems like a good map to have handy, on such a long trail.

I later bumped into a post on Facebook that directed me to this site. The site offers offline maps for what I assume is the whole of New Zealand, in two separate files. One for each Island. Each file is around 1GB in size. That’s pretty big, though it’s still very useful. I looked at the data source for those maps, and found the Land Information New Zealand web site and web services, which offered a different set of map tiles than the ones I used for my first file. This time, I was able to use my own app to create an offline map file that uses their Topo250 data for zoom levels of 0-11, and the Topo50 data for zoom levels of 12-15 (I chose the grid-less option, to remove some clutter from the map).

Here is a view on the data I used for my files. You can switch between the two sources by hovering over that blue button at the top right of the map. Notice that this interactive map will show all of New Zealand, so you can zoom in and out anywhere you’d like, on either island. But the offline files only contain the trail corridor itself (and ~1.5Km around it). You can switch the layers to see the difference in the maps themselves. Make sure you check out the higher zoom levels, to really decide which one you prefer.
In my opinion, the LINZ map looks a bit better than the Landcare one, but If I had to chose, I’d take both of them with me, and alternate according to my needs. Each file is 478MB, so I was able to get a good size for the entire TA.
The only thing that is bothering me with those maps, is that in lower zoom levels (check out around 8-11), the trail corridor seems a bit too narrow. I thought about maybe adding the whole of New Zealand at those levels, just to get a better understanding of your whereabouts in comparison to places a bit further away from you. If there is a need for such an improvement, I can give it a shot. Don’t hesitate to ask.

DISCLAIMER:

Please double check that the files contain all the mapping data you might need while on the trail. Mistakes might have been made (and probably were made) during the file's creation, so don't rely only on them on your hike. Have backup maps in case your phone's power run out, or the files don't contain a required section. Use your own judgement.

Here are the files:

Both versions follow the trail corridor defined by the TeAraroaTrail_asTrack.gpx file from here. I am sure you can use the other versions on that site, as they should all follow the same route.
Land Information (BCNav) (474MB)
Landcare Research (BCNav) (472MB)
Land Information (Orux) (474MB)
Landcare Research (Orux) (390MB)
A detailed walk-through on how to use these files with Backcountry Navigator or Orux Maps can be found here.

My Resupply Strategy

2015-02-02T04:21:00.000-08:00

I started writing a full account of my resupply stops along the trail, with comments about the selection and variety different places had. The list grew longer, and I think that most of this information can be found on Yogi's excellent book. It was also not very interesting.
Instead, I'll just post about the different locations I mailed myself packages, which will make it all shorter and to the point.

For residents of the US (= the majority of hikers), a friend/family member who can ship packages along the trail might be an option. I preferred to rely just on myself along the trail. In general, I tried avoiding sending myself packages whenever I could. Most trail towns had decent resupply options, and I only sent packages when (I thought) I had to.

So, here is a list of places I bought food in bulk, and mailed it to myself further up the trail:

My Bounce Box, and first package to Ziggy and The Bear

San Diego

In San Diego I bought some food, and sent it ahead to Warner Springs (mile 109.5) and Ziggy and The Bear (mile 210.8). In retrospect, I think there is no need for a package in Warner Springs - the community center had a reasonable selection over there, with the prices being a bit higher than normal stores. I would have definitely managed to buy what I needed, If I didn't have a package waiting for me there.

At Ziggy and The Bear it might be a bit harder to bu food, though it is possible to get some basic stuff from them (if available), or try to hitch out to a supermarket if all else fails. Still, a package there was very helpful.

Agua Dulce (mile 454.5)

At Agua Dulce's Hiker Heaven (which seems to be closed next year. UPDATE: re-opened for 2016), I joined the shuttle heading out to REI and WalMart, and bought supplies for the Sierras. I sent out a package to Kennedy Meadows (mile 702.2), Vermillion Valley Resort (mile 878.8) and Toulumne Meadows (mile 942.5).

The package at Kennedy Meadows was helpful (though it costs $5 to get it from the store, if I remember correctly), but the store does have plenty of hiker supply selection. The price is high over there, but I believe it is possible to rely on it, and skip the package.

The VVR package is similar. The store does have some selection, though it seemed like it has fewer items, and the prices are steeper even in comparison to KM. The price of getting a package there was $20, so maybe with the cost of sending it (~$17) it would be more cost-efficient to just buy stuff there. Having the next stop (Mammoth Lakes) only 1.5 days later, makes it easier to make do with whatever they have in the store.

The Toulumne Meadows package was not there when we got to the store, and was waiting for us down in Yosemite Valley. Luckily, we were going to the valley anyway. The general store had plenty of resupply options, and so did the stores down in Curry Village and the Housekeeping Village. So there's no special need to send a package over there anyway.

To conclude - All 3 packages from Agua Dulce can be skipped, if you don't mind paying a bit extra for your resupply, and maybe have a smaller selection to choose from.

South Lake Tahoe (mile 1092.94)

From Tahoe, we've made packages to Sierra City (mile 1197.6) and Old Station (mile 1377.6).

The small store in Sierra City might be enough for resupply, but the selection is not too impressive. Same goes for the store in Old Station. Both places might work out for you, but having the packages was a bit easier for us.

Ashland (mile 1727)

From Ashland, I bought supplies for most of Oregon, sending my packaged to Mazama Village (mile 1829.3), Shelter Cove (mile 1912.7) and Timberline Lodge (mile 2106.3).

In Mazama Village, the store has some options, but I was happy I had my package, since there weren't that many vegetarian meals around. Same goes for Shelter Cove (I had a toaster oven pizza there for dinner). Timberline Lodge didn't have any resupply store around it (Though the AYCE buffet was filling and tasty). So all in all, I was happy I had those packages.

Cascade Locks (mile 2155)

At my final major stop, I got a (very helpful) ride with Rock Ocean, and bought my Washington supplies at the Walmart and Safeway in Hood River. The Walmart sucked, by the way. Safeway was much much better.

I made packages to Trout Lake (mile 2237.5), White Pass (mile 2303), Snoqualamie Pass (mile 2402), The Dinsmores (mile 2476), and Stehekin (mile 2580.2). A lot of packages, for a lot of money (~$17 * 5 + 1 bounce box).

The small store in Trout Lake might have been enough for me, and I haven't really checked the offerings at the gas station in Snoqualamie Pass, but having those packages did make everything simpler.

Bounce Box

I used a bounce box along the trail, mostly to ship ahead items I might need further down the trail, and map pages I didn't want to carry with me. I sent it ahead many times, until I finally gave it up in Ashland. I did send a smaller box from there to Bend, and then to Cascade Locks, and to Seattle. Almost everywhere I had the box shipped to, I opened it, and then payed to have it shipped ahead, so it wasn't very cost-effective (I think I bumped it for free only once, in Wrightwood).

For the box itself, I used a 5 gallon plastic bucket I bought at the Walmart in San Diego.
This is a quick rundown of all the places I had the box shipped to, in case anybody wonders:

San Diego → Idyllwild → Big Bear City → Hiker Heaven → Kennedy Meadows → Lone Pine → Mammoth Lakes → South Lake Tahoe → Quincy → Mt. Shasta City → Ashland → Bend → Cascade Locks → Seattle

PCT Offline Maps

2015-01-10T13:38:00.000-08:00

Before hiking the PCT, I got hold of a very nice and comfortable file containing all the maps along the PCT. I got it from a friend, and I don't know how he got it, but it was very helpful indeed, especially when I used it along with BackCountry Navigator and the GPX files from Halfmile's site.
The past week, I've been fiddling around with creating a similar file myself, so I can freely post it over here, and distribute it to anyone who might want it. This post might get a bit too technical, so if you are here is just for the file,

It's in here (637Mb)

(Download on your home computer, or via Wi-Fi) Here's how to use the file as a map source in BackCountry Navigator:

Copy it into your Android phone, under the bcnav\atlases folder (not sure exactly on how to do it on iPhone, but I assume it can be done).
Inside BackCountry Navigator, tap on the "Layers" icon at the top
Tap on "More Map Sources..."
Tap on "Use Mobile Atlas" and select the file.

You will now have good quality topographical maps all along the trail, from Mexico to Canada. All you have to do now, is import the GPX files from Halfmile's site, and see the trail, side trails and waypoints, directly on the map.

And now, to the technical bits -
At first, I looked around the internet for the source of the file I originally had. I quickly found OpenStreetMap and OpenCycleMap as available map tile resources (though they do not freely allow bulk download of tiles). The OpenCycleMap project does show elevation lines, and would be appropriate for navigation while hiking.
I needed to go over the whole trail (a collection of lat/long coordinates), and for each such coordinate, download the appropriate map tiles, on different zoom levels (zoom level 0 is the entire world. zoom level 15 is a very well detailed map of about 4.7 meters per pixel, or 5.2 yards per pixel). Since the trail is continuous, many coordinates will appear on the same tile, so I'll only have to download tiles I haven't downloaded before.
Searching some more on the internet, I found the excellent free application Mobile Atlas Creator (MOBAC), which is doing exactly what I was looking for - it can take in data from GPX files (but not Google Earth KML/KMZ), select a map source, and pick all the needed tiles to download from the source. Then, it can create an Atlas, for different navigation applications. It already has a setting for BackCountry Navigator sqlite format, which was just what I was looking for. But if anybody here needs the offline file for a different mapping application, I will gladly help with creating it as well.
I had one major problem with using MOBAC - it did not contain the tile server source I was looking for.
Searching around some more, I ran into CalTopo, another nice site which allows different tiling servers to be displayed inside the browser. I finally found the source I was looking for, while looking around in their different options. It was ArcGIS USA Topo Maps. Success!
That was the bit where I started writing my own code, and putting up a simple application that reads a KML/KMZ file, calculates all the tiles it needs to download, and downloads it all from a selected map source. I had fun writing this app, and I think I will still improve upon it. But two days ago I realized I can just add this map source to use in MOBAC, and it deal with the entire downloading and packaging the result for me.
So yesterday and today I did just that. I let MOBAC do the heavy lifting. Another annoying thing in MOBAC is that it only lets you select tiles along a single track every time, so I downloaded the code, and changed it a bit to allow adding multiple tracks at the same time. It made making the Atlas much easier.
I kept getting a huge Atlas as a result, though. My original file was ~500Mb, and I kept getting files that were more around 4000Mb. That's quite a big difference. I kept fighting with it today, until I finally realized that MOBAC was downloading the tiles as JPG files from the tile server, and then converts them into PNG files, which increases their size (And not their quality). After realizing that, I've finally been able to create this file here, for the enjoyment of every future PCT hiker!
I will make similar files for other trails as well (AT, CDT, JMT, for start. And also the INT and some trails in Europe, but with different map sources). I will also gladly help anyone needing those files to be in different output format, for other mobile navigation apps. Don't hesitate to ask!

Useful (and not so useful) Android apps for the trail

2015-01-03T06:12:00.000-08:00

A long time before I started my hike, I decided I'll carry my Nexus 4 phone with me on the trail. I knew it will come in handy both as a phone, to keep in touch with my family, and as a way to access the internet.
While my specific phone is not the most recommended model for the task (It's battery is really not up for the challenge), I did enjoy it for many different uses and scenarios. Here is a list of the apps I used on the trail, along with a few that were disappointing or just weren't used that much.

Amazon Kindle / NOOK

I personally did not read any eBooks on the trail, but for anybody who thinks about carrying a Kindle or NOOK device with him, this is a better option, in my opinion. The screen is smaller, and the battery life is not as good, but it does the trick.

Audible / NOOK Audiobooks

I really got into listening to audio books on the trail. And Audible offer a free first month, in which you can just get 1 free book. Good deal.
Usually before long climbs, I'd put on the book I'm currently listening to. I must admit - the 2nd book I took was total crap. But it still helped me during long days.
Just make sure you do cancel your account after downloading your book - they are very persistent with their "are you sure?" dialogs, and I managed to miss it and ended up paying for one extra month. The base price is ~$15, but I got an offer of ~$7.5 for several month, in my (finally successful) cancellation process. Also a good deal.
I never tried NOOK Audiobooks, but I would guess it's quite similar to Audible.

BackCountry Navigator TOPO GPS

Now we are in the big league - this is one of the most useful apps I had. While the link directs to the trial version (I think it's good for a week), the full version does cost a bit (I think it's $15. Is it $15?). I had file that contained full topo maps of the entire PCT corridor, for offline use (I'll post it in my next post). That, along with Halfmile's GPX file was all I actually needed to hike the trail and stay on it. After getting a GPS fix, I could immediately see where I was in relation to the trail. It was really helpful in the High Sierra passes, where Idan led Yair and me safely down snow covered trails. There are other, similar apps, such as Orux Maps, which might also do the trick. Highly recommended, either way.

Blogaway for Android (Blogger)

I used this app for most of the way, just to write my blog posts from the trail. After starting with the official Blogger app (next in line), I found this app to be much much better. It still had plenty of bugs and errors.
I'd usually write my blog posts in the evening, with no cell service around. At first, I assumed the app will remember the time and location of where I created the drafts, and keep this data for when it actually uploaded it to my blog, when I got into town. I found out it was not the case, and at first I had many mismatched blog entries, with wrong dates and locations. I discovered I should "schedule" each draft I'm writing, to the current date of writing it (effectively scheduling it to the past), so that the upload later would post it with the correct date.
Many times, while in town, on cell service, or some local Wi-Fi, I had to kept trying again and again to upload my posts. It would fail uploading a bit too much for my taste. I also had many occurrences of missing uploaded photos. But it was still better than the official app -

Blogger

A terrible, terrible app. Don't go near it. This app is not maintained and is buggy as hell. No solution to writing posts while being offline, uploading posts sometimes result in broken images, trying to edit current posts causes the app to crash. Completely useless. Stay away.

DropBox

I used DropBox to backup all of my photos from along the trail. I had it set to automatically sync every photo on my phone up to my Pictures folder, and occasionally had my wife back home copy it all outside, to free up some space. The photos I took along the trail are one of the few things I always worried about loosing (and I lost about a week in the Sierras.. damnit), and being able to backup them on the go was very nice.
I also used DropBox to get an audio book from my wide (The Brothers Karamazov, in case you were wondering). That was also very simple and nice.

Facebook

I guess there's no need to introduce Facebook. It was just a good way to keep up to date with recent changes and information on the trail, as well as a nice way to keep in touch with friends and family. It's useful, occasionaly.

Google+

While it hadn't really caught on as a social network, I still used it to backup my photos as well, as a backup to the DropBox one. It's just as simple as DropBox, and it's just one more place where my photos were kept safe.

Google Camera

A nice camera app from Google. It does the trick, same as most other stock or non-stock camera apps for Android. I really liked the Photosphere option, and I took such spheres in the high passes of the Sierras, but that needs some matching hardware, and I think it won't be available on every Android phone. Anyway - I used a separate pocket camera for most of my photos, and rarely resorted to using my phone. I still think this camera app is nice, though.

Google Drive

Google Drive, along with its accompanying apps of Docs and ;Sheets, was helpful to keep the various pdf and documents on my phone, even with no data reception at all. In Southern California, I kept the Water Report available for offline view on my device, and only had to occasionally let it automatically update itself when in towns. I also had my PCT Planning spreadsheet handy, even though I was not following my plans to the letter. It was handy many times.

Google Play Music

As a music app, this one is nothing special. It has all the normal bells and whistles, like searching for a specific artist or album, and shuffling the results.
The basic, and free, service it offers, is the ability to easily upload all your music library back home (up to 20,000 songs) to the Google cloud, and then listen to it using the app, from wherever you are. A data connection is necessary when listening to new songs, but it automatically keeps songs on your device, for offline listening later, and you can also select albums and songs to be actively downloaded to your phone.
I also really like the paid service, currently called Google Play Music All Access, but it is actually the same service as the newer YouTube Music Key, which allows you to add any song or album in the Google Catalog into your album, to listen to while online, and to download for offline use. So basically - limitless music access. Awesome.
Every few weeks, when I got into town, I cleared the music cache on my phone, and started selecting a new and eclectic music selection for my next section. Towards the end, I selected many albums I've never listened to before, by artists I heard about, but never actually got to know. It was very nice, having the option to easily get so much content like this.

Google Voice

Using Google Voice, as someone coming from Israel, it was much easier for me to switch between T-Mobile and AT&T, while keeping the same Google Voice number so that people could reach me. It took me some time to figure out how to do that, but it is a nice trick.
I also used it extensively to call to Israel, while paying for a non-international plan on StraightTalk. With the introduction of the Hangouts Dialer, every Wi-Fi access point becomes a way to call the outside world (you'd be surprised how many places have Wi-Fi but no decent AT&T cell service), and currently, Voice calls to many US phones is also free. So it's worth it.

GPS Status & Toolbox

This app is a nice one to have when trying to get a GPS fix, as it tells you how many sattelites are currently visible to your phone, and you can get mad and annoyed at your phone, staring at the screen, and waiting for it to finally get a fix. It is also very useful in that it can automatically download AGPS data (Assisted GPS data), when you have cell service and a data connection, that greatly speeds up getting a fix. It is recommended downloading this data whenever you can, so that in those far out places you try to get a fix you will have the most recently available data.

Halfmile's PCT

Another must have app. Or at least, one at the top 3 I used on the trail. While using BCNav and my offline maps is all one needs to keep on trail, I rarely actually had to use it (and eat up my battery on getting a GPS fix) - I just used Halfmile's app instead. I was worried the lack of a map view in the app would be annoying, but I can now say it contains everything that a hiker needs. Knowing where you are, and how far it is to any other location on the trail. Simple and elegant. I also really liked the cumulative elevation gain and loss info between locations (even though they are not always accurate), and have it used extensively to plan ahead my next section or sections. An amazing app, and I'm sure the 2015 edition will be even better and more accurate, after Halfmile himself logged the entire PCT this year. Thanks again to Halfmile and White Jeep for their hard work on making this app available.

Hangouts & Hangouts Dialer

I mostly just used Hangouts to keep in touch with my family back home. I like it better than WhatsApp, but I guess they both work similarly. It's just a simple and easy way to keep up with people. The Dialer add on though, is quite awesome. It only came out when I finished the trail, but it was very handy on the bus ride from Manning Park to Vancouver - I had no data plan for Canada, but the bus had free Wi-Fi, so I was able to use the Dialer and my Google Voice account to call Israeli cell phones easily. It worked like a charm. If it were available for me all though the trail, I might have skipped getting a phone plan entirely, and only relied on Wi-Fi access to call home. Maybe not. But it's a very nice feature.

Panasonic Image App

Not very recommended, unless you have a matching Panasonic camera with Wi-Fi access. But once I got my new camera and started using it, it was much easier for me to transfer the photos from my camera to my phone, and from there, using DropBox and Google+, backed up in the cloud.
The app itself is not exceptionally good, only allowing up to 10 photos to be transferred between the camera and the phone in each batch. It's quite a pain, when you've got 150+ photos you need to send over. But at least I had a way of getting those photos.

PCTHYOH

A simple app that allows you to cache many different PCT resources, including Halfmile's maps, the Water Report, and other such resources. I never actually used it, but I met some hikers who really liked it.

Guthook's PCT Guide / Guthook's Tour of the PCT

While being "faithful" to the Halfmile's app, many other hikers I've met used Guthook's guides on the trail. They cost ~$6 per section (5 sections for the entire PCT), but they seem to be worth it. The data, at least during 2014, was probably a bit more accurate, with more water sources and camp sites available on Guthook's. I would imagine the 2015 versions will be more similar in that regard.
The Tour of the PCT app is free, and is meant to be used for planning the PCT in advance. For a full data set inside the app though, it does require an in app purchase of several dollars.

Better Diary

I only discovered this app recently, and have never actually used it, so this is just a suggestion.
Before the trail, I mostly wanted a blogging platform/app for my own uses, so I will be able to remember my time on the trail. The benefit of letting the world know of my adventures was a nice bonus, but not the main thing I was looking for. Recently, I found this nice diary app, which seems to be doing just what I was looking for - It allows you to easily write daily posts, automatically adding the location (and current weather - I guess this won't work as well with no data service). You can also share your diary with other people, making it into a simple blogging platform, at least for close friends and family.
I don't know how well it all works while being offline, but I would definitely recommend giving it a try.

Confessions of a Thru-Hiker

2014-12-28T08:00:00.000-08:00

I started my hike in an attempt to hike the entire PCT. Being the anal person that I am, I meant to do it all, without skipping a single step. Yes, I am one of those stupid purists who gets a ride into town from one side of the highway, then gets back to that same side on the next day, to hike on from the exact same spot.
However, after a while I gave up. I wasn't enjoying the trail that much, and I had thoughts about quitting. When the opportunity arrived, I decided I don't care that much for the trail anymore, and I should just do whatever I want to, instead of forcing myself into following stupid rules, for no logical reason at all. So I started skipping.
I wasn't skipping whole giant sections, hitch hiking up and down the trail. Not that there's anything wrong about it. But I occasionally let myself off easily. I admit.
After the Sierras, when I decided (again) that I want to keep on, and hike the entire trail, I decided I'd try to go "pure" again. I knew it doesn't matter. It never did, actually. All that matters is whatever I felt matters. Being pure now won't change me being not-pure before, nor should it. I just decided again I wanted to try it.
I started making lists in my head, about all the different miles I had skipped. I figured maybe somehow I'll do them again someday. I don't expect I will, now. But I wanted to write down all the trail miles I haven't walked, with the reasons/excuses I gave myself every time. Some are better than others.

I got up all the way to the closure

162.64-178.00 (Cedar Spring Trail to Tahquitz Peak Trail) - The famous ;Mountain Fire Closure. The trail is closed between those two locations, though most hikers get off the trail at Highway 74 (mile 151.86), and either hitch into Idyllwild, or road walk all the way there on the highway. From there most climb up to San Jacinto on the Devils Slide Trail on mile 179.40. I hiked on north from Highway 74 with the intention of getting down the side south-western side of the mountain at the Cedar Springs Trail junction, and then road walk on the highway up to Idyllwild, and climb through Tahquitz Peak back to the PCT. My plans got foiled when I twisted my ankle right before I got to the highway, and I hitched into town, rested there for two days, rested two more days at the ADZPCTKO, and then got a ride back to Idyllwild and limped up to Tahquitz Peak. I entertained a thought of getting back to the road walk, on my way back from the Kick Off, but at the end I decided I would skip that boring and dangerous section.
252.06-266.04 (Onyx Summit to Highway 18) - I took a zero day at Ziggy and The Bear, feeling really light headed and not up to hiking, and Idan went on without me. We were supposed to meet again in Big Bear, in 4 days. After hiking two days alone, and feeling really depressed and done with the trail, I suddenly came upon Onyx Summit. I was surprised to see a road leading to Big Bear, and even though I planned on hiking ~6 more miles, and then reaching town on the next day, I changed my plans and headed into town from there. I had cell service, and talking to Idan I realized he was already zeroing in town, and would leave tomorrow. So if I'd take another day, I'll have to keep on hiking alone. I spent a boring and lonely evening in Big Bear Lake, and met up with Idan and headed out from the next road crossing on the next morning.
386.25-398.19 (Islip Saddle to Highway 2, 6th crossing) - This one was around the Endangered Species Closure. The official trail is closed from mile 390.30 (Eagles Roost) to mile 394.30 (Burkhart Trail), but the official detour starts here, at 386.32, and goes around for 20.22 miles (instead of 8 miles on the trail), all the way to Burkhart Trail. There is also an old alternate, that loops right around the actual closer, and is only 5.44 miles.
When we got to the road crossing right before the official detour, we were planning on hitching back into Wrightwood (After spending the previous night there), and have already called a local trail angel that will let us crash at his place for the night. Our plans weren't met with success, as we were trying to hitch on that deserted road for ever, and nobody stopped for us. Finally, as the sun went down, we made camp at the rest area over there, and crashed.

4 happy hikers, after cheating the trail a bit

The next morning, we wanted to at least get a ride to the end of the closure (thus skipping both the official, 1 day extra, alternate, and the old alternate). We didn't have any hitching luck in the morning as well, until we saw Kyle and Snail Trainer coming down to the road. They spent the previous night at Little Jimmy Campground, and met a weekend hiker named Barbara, who agreed on taking them around the closure. We joined in on the ride happily. Very quickly we got convinced to hitching all the way to the next road crossing at 398.19, instead of getting of at Buckhorn Exit, and hiking an additional 2.16 miles just to get back on the trail. As a consequence, when we finally crossed the 400 miles marker, I didn't feel like it was much of an accomplishment.
454.50-456.65 (Exit for Hiker Heaven to Unpaved Road) - After spending a nice zero day at Hiker Heaven, we took our time on heading out of there. I think we left a bit later in the morning, but still before noon. Donna arranged for a ride to the trail, just to save us the short walk down the hill. But again - we were quickly persuaded to ride all the way down to where the trail finally leaves the paved roads around Agua Dulce. This was a bit pointless, but I don't think we missed any special sights on that road walk, and I was already in a "whatever" kind mood about being a purist or even completing the trail. So - "whatever".

A schematic map of the Powerhouse Fire Detour

478.23-517.59 (San Francisquito Canyon Road to Highway 138) - This not-so-little skip was around the Powerhouse Fire Closure, which starts at mile 487.23 and ends at mile 517.59 (Or maybe at mile 510.95 on Pine Canyon Road - some people who did the road walk got back on trail over here). Walking the road around the closure is a long, 20.3 mile, walk (or a 19.2 mile walk to Pine Canyon Road, and another 6.64 back on the PCT, up to Highway 138). So we just skipped it.

Hitching a ride into Hiker Town

558.51-566.44 (Tehachapi Willow Springs Road to Highway 58) - This one was one of the most pointless skips I've made. No special reason to do it, other than how easy and inviting it was. We went into Tehachapi on the first road crossing (Willow Springs Road), zeroed there for a day, and headed out to the second road crossing (Highway 58). Thus - saving us about 8 miles of trail I'll never get to see again... Stupid of me.
766.33-767.00 (Whitney Spur Trail to John Muir Trail) - This is a short little bit we skipped, because we left the PCT and headed up towards Whitney on one trail, and then later got back to the PCT while hiking the the JMT from Whitney, which was a tiny bit further north on trail. I don't really consider this to be much of a skip.

View back towards Bullfrog Lake, from Kearsarge Pass

788.47-789.08 (Bullfrog Lake Trail to Onion Valley Trail) - Another tiny bit. We hiked out towards Kearsarge Pass and into Lone Pine on one trail and got back on another one, thus skipping another 0.5 of PCT.

The Devil's Postpile

907.24-909.02 (Devils Postpile Alternate) - After leaving Mammoth Lakes through Red's Meadows, the trail goes by the famous Devil's Postpile. It's the same distance on the PCT and on the alternate, and I figured I might as well see it, since I'm that close. So we took it. It was nice enough.
909.02-922.92 (JMT Alternate) - Right after getting back to the PCT from the Devil's Postpile alternate, the PCT and JMT split for a short section. Here, also, both alternates are almost the same distance, but the JMT section is supposed to have some nicer hikes around lakes, and is generally considered more beautiful. I wouldn't know - I just hiked the JMT. It was a nice enough section, and we had a lovely day.
940.84-942.50 (Tuolumne Campground Trail to Highway 120) - Since we were planning on heading down to Yosemite Valley, to finish up the JMT with Yair, we cut over to the Tuolumne Meadows campground when we reached the intersection. Two days later, when we took the bus up from the valley, and back to the store, we kept on hiking from the highway.

I think it was worth the detour...

1831.54-1843.62 (Crater Lake Alternate) - I don't think there is any PCT hiker who doesn't hike along the Crater Lake Rim Trail. So I don't really need an excuse here. It's the de-facto PCT. So much so, that the mileage marks on this detour, and further up the trail, take into consideration hiking on the Rim Trail, and not hiking on the official, equestrian trail.

This wasn't that impressive, in my opinion. I kinda reminded me of Amicalola Falls, near the start of the AT.

2117.22-2119.33 (Ramona Falls Alternate) - Another tiny alternate, that goes by Ramona Falls. The distance is identical to the official PCT, and I think the trail was changed here to bypass the falls, mostly because of equestrian hikers. I figured that since I'm going to hike the Eagle Creek Alternate on the following day, I can be just as "unpure" on this day, and see some more nice falls. I wasn't too impressed with the falls, at the end.

And the famous Tunnel Falls

2138.06-2154.70 (Eagle Creek Alternate) - Another de-facto PCT. Going down towards Cascade Locks (And the Oregon/Washington border) on the Eagle Creek Alternate is what "everybody" does. The giant waterfalls are very special, and give a nice touch to the trail, before entering the final state. Don't miss it.
In total, I didn't hike over 144.03 miles of the trail, which is %5.41. If I only include sections I hitched around (as opposed to hiking on alternates), I skipped 90.72 miles (%3.41). Maybe I'll come and stitch it all up, some day...

My Post Hike Gear Review (Pt. 3 - Misc)

2014-12-25T07:28:00.000-08:00

(My complete gear list)

Trekking Poles - Gossamer Gear LT4s/Leki Quantum

I started my hike with a pair of Gossamer Gear LT4s trekking poles. They are made of carbon fiber, and are very light indeed. I was worried that the lack of shock absorbing will bother me, but I quickly got used to them, and they've been very useful on the trail.

They did work, for a good 2/3 of the trail

The biggest problem I had with the poles was theie locking mechanism. It seems simple enough, and it almost never failed on me while hiking, but whenever I wanted to adjust the length (every evening at camp, to extend them so that my tent would be wide enough, and every morning, to retract them back to hiking length), I had to fight with the mechanism, twisting and turning, pushing and pulling. It was a real pain in the ass, and I finally gave up and ordered 4 tent stakes, so I could set up my tent without fiddling with the poles. That solved that problem, but it was still annoying.
Another problem I had with them - the tips are wearing down really fast. I contacted GG support when I was in Lake Isabella (Mile 561) and ordered tips to Lone Pine (Mile 788), where I replaced one tip. I replaced a second tip in Quincy (Mile 1269), and another in Ashland (Mile 1726). All the while, Idan was still using the original tips he used from the start, and they were just starting to show some wear.
Coming out of Lone Pine, I managed to snap one pole's lower section while post holing. Admittedly, while stumbling through the snow I stepped on the pole. But it did snap easily. I had to order a replacement to Mammoth Lakes (Mile 906). Coming out of Ashland, I just had a little stumble over a root on the trail (I didn't even fall to the ground), and again I snapped a pole. I was thinking of buying another section (GG offer no warranty on the poles), but then I snapped the second pole on the following day (This time I did end up flat on the ground). Luckily - I had one snapped lower section, and one snapped upper section. So together I still had a full pole to carry me all the way to Cascade Locks (Mile 2155). Coming down into Cascade Locks on the Eagle Creek (steep) alternate, I finally snapped my pole again. No GG poles for me in Washington!

But then they snapped. Notice two broken sections, out of the four.

I left the one intact pole section I still had at the Cascade Locks Post Office (I hope someone found it useful), and bought a pair of cheap and heavy Leki Quantum poles. It took me a long while to get used to the weight difference, and I never quite liked them. But they did the trick for the remaining 520 miles of trail. And they were also very easy to extend and retract, so I even used them for my tent for a couple of nights.
Next time I'll just buy a pair of Black Diamond carbon fiber poles, like Idan had. They seemed light enough, but much sturdier than my GG.

Stove - SnowPeak Titanium LiteMax

A long time ago I bought a Caldera F-Keg system, and used it for short trips in Israel, and for my Israeli National Trail attempt. I really liked it simplicity, and I enjoyed cooking on alcohol. I never cared much for the time it takes to boil water. I don't mind waiting a few more minutes.
But, my plans had to change - because of the drought in California there were many rumors about which camp stove is permitted on the trail. There were some people claiming that alcohol stove is still legal, but I figured I'll give gas stoves a try.
I found the LiteMax at a sale in Sierra Trading Post for ~$37, so I grabbed it. Idan had an identical stove, and pretty quickly we figured out we can boil enough water for both of us on a single stove every evening, so we just carried one of them until we split up. The stove worked very well, and got the water to a boil fast enough for me. Though seeing other people using JetBoil I admit they were much faster. As I said - it was never an issue for me.
I was planning to switch to my alcohol stove when I enter Oregon, but when I got there I decided I'd stick with what worked out so well for me. So I used the LiteMax for the entire trail.
At the end, several of the tiny screws were a bit loose (one was missing). An email to SnowPeak, and they just sent me a small envelope with brand new little screws. That's all I needed. Good customer service!

Pot - Evernew Ultra-Light 0.75Liter

Even though I ordered the 0.75l Pasta Pot (or is it 0.7l? I'm not sure) from Trail Designs, I got the 0.6l Pot instead. I was afraid it won't be enough for me, and Trail Designs replaced it for me without a problem. In retrospect, I think the 0.6l one would have been enough as well.

Stove + Pot + broken GG poles. The best method to get the tips off.

The pot can easily fit a small gas canister, including my LiteMax stove and a small lighter. It held enough water for me to boil for lunch. I guess that's all I need in a pot. I never cooked in it (Except for instant mashed potatoes, if you call that cooking, once or twice), so I also never had to clean it. It did the trick.

Spork - Sea to Summit Alpha Light long spoon

I have a couple of Light My Fire sporks back home, but the first thing I noticed when I landed in San Diego was that I forgot them behind. So I bought a long spoon at REI. I was very happy with it being a bit extra long than normal sporks/spoons, as it allowed me to easily eat directly out of the Knorr bag I was having for lunch that day. It was also nice having a flat ending, to easily scrape the bottom of the meal. I never felt like I needed a fork or a spork instead.

Hydration - Platypus Big Zip 3L/Smart Water bottles

I have the older model of the Big Zip (without that Low Profile thingie), but I really enjoyed it on the trail. I find drinking from a tube much easier than having to pull out a water bottle, and put it back in the side pocket afterwards.
I carried the platypus inside my backpack, using the hydration port to pull out the hose, but in the Sierras I had my bear canister taking up too much space inside, so I moved the water bag to the outside mesh pocket. It was much more comfortable for me there, so I kept on carrying it on the outside from that point on.
I had the bag freeze on me once in the Sierras, at the morning before climbing up Whitney. It wasn't that bad - the ice thawed quickly enough, and the most annoying bit was the frozen hose, but the biggest issue was that it caused a small tear in the bag, and it was leaking slightly all the way to Lone Pine (about 3 more days). In Lone Pine I tried replacing the bag, but I couldn't get in touch with Cascade Designs in office hours, so I ended up putting a Compeed sticker over the tiny hole, and it held out fantastically all the way to Canada.
I bought two 1 Liter Smart Water bottles down in San Diego, right before starting the trail. I chose Smart Water because I heard the bottles last long, and they fit my Sawyer Mini filter. I used them all the way to Tehachapi, where I replaced one bottle with a 1.5 Liter bottle. A bit later I ditched that one also, and from the Sierras I only carried one 1 Liter bottle on me (along with the 3 Liter Platypus).

The bottle held out very well, and I actually carried the same one all the way to Canada. I still had a hard time finally throwing it to the bottle recycling bin back home in Tel Aviv, a few weeks after I got back home. But that was just me being overly attached to my gear. While the threads did get a bit dirty, and needed the occasional cleaning in hotel rooms along the way, the rest of the bottle was in perfect shape and didn't leak or burst. I was very happy with it.

Water Filter - Sawyer Mini/Aqua Mira

I bought the Sawyer Mini filter right before starting the trail, hearing many good things about it. I really liked its compact design and weight. I never used the little hose, and the packaged 16oz squeeze bag was also very unhelpful. It's almost impossible to fill the bag up from a stream, and I found it much simpler to just fill up one Smart Water bottle and squeeze it into another one.
Quickly enough I lost one of the rubber bands that should keep the filter from dripping from around the threads, so I had to squeeze the bottle and make sure the drops don't get into the "clean water" reservoir.
A bit later, we started using Aqua Mira to clean our waters as an extra step after filtering them. It was just before entering the Sierras, and Idan insisted that the water there might be a boot polluted, and filtering might not be enough. After about two days of this dual-filtering, I just gave up and started just using the chemical treatment, and not filtering at all - most water sources seemed so good, I didn't feel any need for further filtering.
As the hike went on, and I got complacent, I slowly started skipping the purifying bit on more and more water sources, until I also ditched the Aqua Mira drops completely. I just drank all the water directly, and never had any problems. I can not recommend this method at all to anyone else. It is probably the most stupid path to chose. But it worked for me.

Gloves - some unknown brand/Sea to Summit Eclipse Paddling Gloves

On my third day out, I bought a pair of sun gloves at Dave Super's gear store in Mt. Laguna. I just bought the cheaper brand gloves over there, but I really liked them. They were light and airy, with an actual hole at the palm of my hand, and cut-off fingers. They were very comfortable, and lasted almost half way up to South Lake Tahoe (mile 1093).

Old vs. New

In Lake of the Sky Outfitters I bought a new pair of sun gloves, this time going for the Sea to Summit pair. I didn't like that pair as much, especially the hard leather bit on the palm side, which was not comfortable, and a bit too hot sometimes. They were also a bit harder to take off. I recently found out it's made out of fake leather, which is a comfort. They did hold up nicely all the way to the end, and worked well in protecting my hands from the sun.

Camp Shoes - cheap flip flops

I just carried a pair of cheap, simple, flip flops I had for hiking for several years. The right flip tore up right after leaving Tahoe, but I managed to carry it all the way, with the help of some duct tape emergency field repair. It worked. I actually carried them back home to Israel, and threw them to the trash bin next to my house.

Towel - PackTowl UltraLite

Not very handy at all. I thought I'd carry it in case I want to dry off after a quick shower someplace, but almost every place that had a shower, had a normal towel I can borrow. I think I actually used it to dry myself off less than 5 times. I did use it occasionally to dry the inner walls of my tent in the morning, after a damp night. That was useful, at least.

Headlamp - Petzl Zipka 2

I have an older model of the Zipka (called Zipka 2, oddly enough), that has a red colored LED in addition to the standard white one. I really liked the red option for rummaging around my tent at night, or a quick excursion to the woods in the dark. The batteries do last a long time, especially since I didn't use the headlamp that much (probably an average of ~1 minute every night). I didn't night hike on the trail. I just made sure to keep it next to me, when I went to sleep each night. In case I'd need it.

Knife - Victorinox Tourist

I think I had this model. At least - I had the same tool set on mine. Anyway, I didn't use it much. The big knife was nice to cut cheese (I learned the hard way that this is a euphemism to farting), and cutting open my care packages. The small scissors were also nice to have occasionally. I could have easily managed with a smaller version (And even considered buying one, but then thought $25 is too much for such a minor weight difference), or even without any knife at all.

Solar Charger - sCharger-5

I bought the sCharger-5 along with the "Emergency Kit", mostly just for the included external battery. I have the older model of the panel, so I drilled holes in the corners myself, in order to secure it to my backpack while walking. I didn't really use the charger on the trail much, using the external battery (next section) during most sections.
Only in the two long sections of the Sierras (each one was 7 days between towns/electricity) we really had to use the panels. After I realized I am carrying it on my back and never actually using it, I sent it away, and kept on relying on the external battery.

External Battery - Lepow Moonstone 6000/Anker 2nd Gen Astro

I started my hike with the Lepow battery I got from Suntactics. It has 4 LEDs that show the current state of the battery. After several weeks on the trail, I noticed that the LEDs go from 4 (full charge), down to 2, and then the battery appears dead. As if it can only contain half the charge. Once I got to South Lake Tahoe I emailed Lepow and asked them about a replacement. In Mt. Shasta I realized I should contact Suntactics, as they were the re-sellers of the battery I got (Lepow didn't even know who I am talking about), and they (Suntactics) immediately agreed to send me a replacement battery to Etna (It was really easy - just a web chat away with Suntactics customer support).
Sadly, the battery I got in Etna had the exact same problem - LEDs going down 4->3->0. I just went into Amazon, and ordered an Anker battery. It's a brand and model I saw other hikers use, and it was smell and lightweight enough for my tastes.
The Anker worked perfectly. Helping me keep my phone with enough power for 4-5 days between towns, and that's on top of an old phone, with crummy battery. So I was happy.

Camera - Panasonic TZ20/TZ40

I started my hike with the TZ20, a bit of an older model from Panasonic. I mostly liked the GPS feature, allowing me to keep track of where I took every picture. It is sometimes annoying, when I pull the camera out and turn it on, and have to wait for the GPS to get a fix. Sometimes I had to wait for several minutes, though most times it would get a fix in less than 20 seconds.
I also really liked the X20 zoom I had, which allowed me to take nice photos of distant mountain tops (I rarely used the full X20, but it did give plenty of room to play with). I never really played with the different camera options, just shooting on "auto" all the time.
The camera got a bit wet right after the half way point near Chester, and stopped working. I sent it to some lab from Mt. Shasta, but they sent me a repair quote of ~$160, so I told them to just send the camera to my home base, and later just bought a newer camera from B&H, to Ashland. One side effect is that I don't have many good photos of Northern California. Oh well.
The new camera was just a more updated model. Same GPS functionality, but this one also has Wi-Fi. The Wi-Fi option is a bit sketchy - you can't transfer more than 10 photos to your phone at a time, so whenever I reached town, I'd copy them in small batches. It was annoying, but at least it was much easier than before. Now that I'm home, I tried setting up auto transfer from the camera to my home computer, I still couldn't get it to work. It's very buggy and not well documented.
But the camera itself does feel a bit better than the previous model. Now with X30 zoom, there's even a bit more zoom to play with. I still shoot on "auto", and I am happy with the results.

Smartphone - Google Nexus 4

I took my phone from Israel with me for the hike. Being a GSM phone I knew it would work well with AT&T and T-Mobile networks in the USA. I managed to get an unactivated T-Mobile sim card beforehand, and when I landed I activated it on a pre-paid plan for $30/month for calls+data.
Pretty soon I discovered that I didn't have a lot of reception on the trail, especially compared to AT&T reception. I decided to switch to Straight Talk, an MVO that operates over AT&T network and offers a prepaid monthly option as well. for $45 I Got unlimited national minutes, and 3GB of data. I also used Google Voice to call home (international), so having national only minutes didn't bother me. The reception was all right throught most of the first half of the trail. Up in Oregon I had a bit less, and almost no reception in Washington. Verizon has much better reception up there, but they are not compatible with my Israeli phone, so they were not an option for me.
I used many different Android apps on the trail, on which I'll elaborate further in a future post. But having a smart phone was definitely a good call for me. It was very handy and useful, and I'd highly recommend it.

My Post Hike Gear Review (Pt. 2 - Clothing)

2014-12-19T06:53:00.002-08:00

(My complete gear list)

Hiking Shirt - Columbia Silver Ridge Long Sleeve Shirt

I think I wore that shirt every single day for my entire trip. So it's 152 days on trail, adding a couple of days before I started, down in San Diego. That's pretty impressive.
On the trail, I always wore long sleeves. I don't recall a single time I folded the sleeves up. Even in the hot desert, it was never too hot for me. This way, I also didn't use any sun tan lotion for most of my hike - with arms and legs covered, and having a buff over my neck, I only rarely put some on my face. That was a big bonus, as putting on sun tan lotion is always a pain.
The material is very light and feels nice against my skin, and it dries quickly. The shirt was of excellent quality - I didn't have a single tear or seam falling apart. The only indication it was used constantly for 5 months is the way the color faded a bit. I would definitely wear a similar Columbia shirt for my next hike.

Hiking Pants - Columbia Silver Ridge Cargo Pants

Same as the shirt - Wore the same pair of pants throughout the trip, and I don't have any complaints about them. No tears, no seams falling apart. The only problem was my weight loss - I had to pull the belt really tight, and somehow manage the excess material around my waist so it won't bother me too much. I should have bought a smaller pair somewhere half way through, but I wanted to hike in the same pair for as much as I could. I'm silly that way.

Same clothes for the entire trip. They held up very well.

Boxers - Exofficio Give-N-Go

I had two pairs of those boxers, and I switched between them all along the trail. I admit I was not switching every day... It all depended on when the next laundry is expected, and how hot and uncomfortable I felt with the pair I was currently wearing. Through most days, they worked just fine, though I did have the occasional chafing and raw spots here and there.

Hat - Columbia Bora Bora hat

And here's the hat.

A very nice and comfortable hat. I think I can count on one hand the amount of days I didn't wear it (some rainy days up in Washington). Even in the blistering heat, I was never always comfortable with it over my head, with the small mesh allowing some wind to chill my head.
It took me well over 2 months to figure out I don't need the annoying string attached to it. I used to just put it behind my head (and not under my chin), figuring I might use it in some very windy conditions. But after hiking over half the trail without actually needing it, I finally cut it. The elastic cord around the head worked just fine for keeping the hat in place.

Beanie - ZPacks Micro Fleece Hat

I started without any beanie, and quickly discovered I am losing a lot of heat from my exposed head, during the night (My quilt doesn't have a hood). I bought the ZPacks hat at the ADZPCTKO for $10, and it did the trick. Warm enough for all the nights on the trail, and I also hiked with it a couple of times. Great value.

The Ghost Whisperer Anorak

Wind Shirt - Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer Anorak

The link above is to the hooded jacket, but I had an older version, with no hood, and only half zip in the front.
I carried it with me for rain and wind protection in the first third of the trail, up to Kennedy Meadows. I figured I wouldn't have many rainy days in the Southern California desert, and I was right. I remember maybe 2 days of actual rain, and I probably put it on while hiking maybe twice more to protect me from some cold winds. It did the trick.
I now carry it with me every day, just in case a sudden rain will catch me unprepared. The minimal weight makes it very comfortable as a last resort.

Rain Jacket - Marmot PreCip

A great rain jacket, which I keep on using since my days on the AT, 12 years ago. In 2008 I bought a new jacket, since my old jacket was peeling on the inside, but I've used it since 2008 and on the PCT, and it performed wonderfully. I had just a few rainy days on the trail, and I really liked all the different venting options the PreCip offers to deal with different temperatures and rain types.
In the hot and rainy days of Northern California I sometimes took off my hiking shirt completely, and just put on the jacket. I admit - it doesn't really feel comfortable against the skin. But with the pit zips open, and the front zip also only part way closed, there was enough ventilation to prevent too much sweating, and enough protection at the top to prevent getting wet by the rain.

And here is the infamous PreCip

In the cold rainy days of Washington I used to close it all tightly around me. But it was still easy enough to open up the Velcro at the cuffs, to allow some air inside, or open the pit zips again a bit later, when the rain wasn't as strong, and sweat was starting to build up. It really does fit many different rainy scenarios.
I also used it in camp, at the evening, when it was not cold enough to put on my insulating jacket. And last but not least - even in the coldest nights, when I put on everything else to keep me warm, I'd keep the PreCip crammed inside its own pocket, and used it as a pillow.

Jacket - Mountain Hardwear Thermostatic Hooded Jacket

I was really happy with this jacket. Even at the desert, the nights were chilly enough for me, so I used it in camp on many evenings. It also performed well as a pillow, when I wasn't using the hood to keep my head warm. In some colder nights I wrapped the empty sleeves around my neck and shoulders. I think I Actually wore it during the night only once or twice.
Their down jacket is even lighter, but I figured I carried enough dead geese, and the synthetic insulation will hold better in case it gets wet.

Base Layer - Columbia/Marmot

I wore the base layer on most nights in my tent, and they kept me warm enough through most of them. On the colder evenings I'd put them on right when I got to camp.
I can't find the exact Marmot base layer pants I have, but both the pants and the shirt are nothing special. I think most light-weight warm-ish base layers would function similarly.

Socks - IceBreaker/Injinji

I started with two pairs of IceBreaker Hike+ socks, which worked just fine up to Wrightwood (Mile 369). They started having holes in them, so I ordered a three pack of Injinji's toe socks to there. It took a short while to adjust to the different feeling, but after a while they felt natural, and my feet didn't have any more serious blisters. I switched between the Trail and Run and whatever else models of Injinji, getting new socks in Lone Pine (Mile 788) and Belden (Mile 1289). I think the 3 pairs from Belden lasted all the way to the end. Impressive.

Shoes - Merrell Moab Ventilator

I started the trail with a pair of Merrells I used in Israel, and also hiked around the Mont Blanc with them. They were still in pretty good shape (~150 miles on them, I'd guess). I had some blisters at the beginning

New shoes and socks

My Post Hike Gear Review (The Big Three + 1)

2014-12-08T22:08:00.001-08:00

(My complete gear list) I think it's about time I'd post some of my thoughts about the gear I used on the trail. I am quite happy about my initial gear selection. Most of my gear held on for my entire trip, with a few exceptions. I also ditched a few items I decided were not worth the weight.
Without further ado, here is my gear review:

Backpack - ZPacks Arc Blast 60L

Enjoying the view towards what should have been Alta Mountain.

The pack had plenty of room inside for all of my gear. In the Sierras I carried the BearVault 500, and it fit in easily. I had to strap my tent on the outside of the pack during that time, but it was still comfortable enough.
The Cuben Fiber worked perfectly for rain protection. I didn't have a lot of rainy days on trail, and only got completely soaked twice. On both times, though, all of my gear remained totally dry inside my pack. I never carried a rain cover, or inside liner. There was no need.
The belt pouch didn't have the best closing mechanism - at the beginning I had a tiny clip, which I couldn't close with one hand. I switched it to a Velcro version at the Kick Off, and it wasn't much better - The Velcro stopped working after a short time, and at the end I just used a rubber band to keep the pouch closed during the rain. The pouch was deep enough for me to leave it open most of the time, without worrying that anything falls out of it.
The Velcro at the top of the pack also stopped working after a while, but I was still able to close it tightly enough using the clip, so it didn't bother me much.
I know some hikers like to keep adjusting the straps and lift loaders after putting the pack back on. The straps are not easily pulled or released on the shoulder straps, or load lifters, but it didn't bother me much. I just found a setting that worked well for me, and didn't adjust the straps much for most of the trail.
The medium size belt I got was a bit too big for me, especially after losing 35 pounds on the trail, but it was still functional when pulled all the way tight around my hips.
All in all, I am very pleased with the pack. At the end of the trail it still performed well, and showed just minor wear. I have sent it back to ZPacks, and they repaired everything free of charge, and sent it back to me. Great customer service.

Sleeping Bag - ZPacks

I bought the 20 degrees quilt option, with only adjustable straps at the bottom (no zippers). I was a bit cold at the beginning of the trail, but it was mostly because of my sleeping mat (more on that later...). I also got the 850 fill water resistant down (I see they offer it in 900 fill now). I am not sure how much it would have helped in a crisis, but I just kept it packed inside its Cuben Fiber stuff sack, and it remained dry during my entire hike.
On the first few days, I could feel the heat escape through my head. I started sleeping with my down jacket hoodie on (usually without putting on the jacket), and later used my fleece beanie. That did the trick. On cold-ish nights I used both the beanie and the hoodie, and even wrapped the jacket's sleeves around my neck for extra insulation. In the really cold nights, I wore the jacket, of course.
I tried using the straps both directly under me (and over the sleeping mat), and also around the sleeping mat itself. The quilt was way too tight when wrapped around the mat, and it also felt less warm that way. At the end, during the cold nights I had in Washington, I just closed the quilt tightly around me, and it worked out fine and kept me warm.

Tent - Tarptent Rainbow

My tent is a bit old (Bought around 2008), so it is a tiny bit different from the newer Rainbow model. But it's basically the same.

Everything I ever needed for my hike.

Before the trail, I used to set it up as a freestanding tent, using my trekking poles at both ends, and only using two stakes to secure the sides to the ground. I used it that way up until Kennedy Meadows (Mile 702), and it withstood some very windy and stormy nights with no major problems (As long as I was inside the tent, it remained on the ground).
I had a small tear in the Velcro used to secure the trekking pole to the tent (The new model have a different mechanism there), and Henry Shires fixed it for me at the Kick Off. He also sent me a replacement pole section for a section that seemed like it was going to snap soon. I had another pole that seemed just as bad later on, but it held out until the end.
Another problem I had with the tent was with the zippers - the netting zippers stopped working one after the other, and the one on the outer fly as well. The outer one wasn't very important to me, since the Velcro over there did the trick. But the netting zippers were very annoying. At first, I tried cleaning the zippers with some oil, and using a pair of pliers on the sliders, and it worked for a short while. When I got to VVR it kinda gave up, and I emailed TarpTent and got them to send me extra zippers to Toulumne Meadows. But before getting there, while resting in Mammoth Lakes, I went over to an awesome local seamstress that replaced one zipper for me, and kept me going with it all the way to Burney.
In Burney, after a terrible night with effectively no bug netting at all, I finally tried using the sliders I got in the mail, along with zipper stoppers I found at the local seamstress shop, and replaced both zippers on the netting. This time it all held all the way to the end. I think in Bend I finally fixed the rain fly zipper as well.
My trekking poles' mechanism was not very comfortable to adjust, and every evening I had to fight both of my poles just to extend them a bit, and then once more in the morning. Before entering the Sierras I gave up on setting up the tent in the free standing style, ordered 4 Easton stakes, and used them for the rest of my hike. It was worth it, for sure.
Many people worry about condensation inside tents, especially in single-walled tents such as TarpTents and ZPacks. What I liked best about my Rainbow was its size - even on damp and wet nights, when it was covered in dew, both outside and inside, my gear would never touch the inner walls, and would not get wet. In the morning, I would just pack my sleeping bag and mattress while inside the tent, move everything outside, and then try to dry as much as I can on the inside of the tent, using my camp towel. I would then just pack the tent, and only unpack it in the evening, on the next camp site. I never bothered spreading it to dry at noon, or had my sleeping bag get wet during the night, or any of those water/condensation related problems.
In conclusion, it was a great tent, and I was very happy with it. I highly recommend it.

Sleeping Mat - Therm-a-Rest Neo-Air X-Lite small/reg

I started my hike with an older Neo-Air, size small. I bought the small one because I used a small inflatable foam mattress back on the AT, and it worked well for me back then. But the Neo-Air was not as good this time.
At the beginning of the trail I had plenty of cold nights, and I thought that's just the way it's going to be. But pretty soon I was wearing everything I had during the night, and wrapping my jacket around my feet (which felt the coldest during the night). After entering the Sierra's, and realizing both Idan and Yair are much warmer during the night, Yair finally suggested that maybe my mattress is not good enough. The theory was that because I have a sharp drop from the mattress, just under my knees, and because I was sleeping in a quilt, which is open underneath me, cold air is entering freely into the bag during the night.
That first week out of Kennedy Meadows I stuffed unused rain gear under me, around that hole between the mat and the quilt, and it seemed to improve my sleep temperature. When we got to Lone Pine I just bought a brand new normal sized Neo-Air, weighing at 450gr (~80 more than the small), and only a bit larger.
Since then, I was quite happy with sleep system. I am sure I had some pretty cold nights further on the trail, but I only remember one more night of "wearing everything I have", and most nights I was warm enough inside my quilt.
Regarding the comfort level of the Neo-Air - it's awesome. I twist and turn through the night anyway, but the mattress worked fine when sleeping on the side, as well as on my back.
Many people complain about the rustling noise these mattresses make. It never bothered me. Not the noise coming out of my own mattress, nor the ones from nearby hikers (And many others do use the Neo-Air).

Into Manning Park and beyond

2014-09-30T22:06:00.000-07:00

It was cold at night. Not the coldest it has ever been so far, but cold enough. My sleep was as usual - not sound. But I'm used to it by now. When the alarm went off at 5:00 I was relieved to finally start my final day of hiking.
Last night I learned that the bus to Vancouver doesn't go through Making Park at 11:15, but instead goes by there at 10:10. So I needed an early start to get there even earlier than I thought.
I also forgot to do two things at the monument - I forgot to drop the stone I got at Big Bear, around mile 266, on the lowest time I had on the trail. I also forgot to have a photo by the monument with the letters I received from the 7th graders, in the care package Idan and I got from Helen. It was time to do those two things in the morning.
It was still completely dark outside, and the tent was damp. I didn't mind. I won't be sleeping in it anytime soon. I packed up quickly, because Lighthouse wanted to move out for his 30 miles day as fast as he can. We walked together to the monument, and got the photo with the letters. My camera decided it was the proper time to have no battery, so we used Lighthouse's phone instead. I also left the stone inside the monument.
We hugged and went our separate ways, and Lighthouse started his long journey back to Hart's Pass, while got back to the campsite to finish folding my wet tent and head out myself. I finally left camp at 6:00. Early enough.
My fingers got really cold at first, while I was hiking in the darkness with my headlamp. I held my hiking poles under my arm and put my hands in my pockets. That helped, though it slowed me down. Eventually it got a bit warmer, so I started hiking normally.
I found it strange that the signs still called this trail the pct. Right at the campsite where I slept, there was a sign with an arrow pointing south, to "Monument 78", and another arrow pointing north to the "PCT". The Canadians got it all wrong.

The Canadians got it backwards

The trail climbed up for a few miles, to the next campsite, and finally reached a dirt road and started the long descent down to the park. It was mostly an easy walk, and I got to the final section, of the paved road, just as Red Light got there. We walked together and reached the lodge at 8:45. Plenty of time before the bus comes.
We heard we needed to buy tickets for the bus online, so we hurried to the main building to get the Wi-Fi and to ask about it. We found out you can't buy tickets online so close to the arrival of the bus, and that we'd have to get on the bus, and pay at a later stop. OK. I did manage to sneak in a few Wi-Fi moments to send my wife a message I have finished the trail. That was the most important thing.
Idan walked into the lobby. He got here yesterday, and spent the night at the hostel. We both congratulated each other for the completion of our journey. I wanted to try and grab a quick shower at the hostel, so after asking around I went looking for it. I failed miserably, but a park employee stopped by with his car, and told me I could shower in the swimming pool for $5. He gave me a ride back to the lobby, and I finally got my shower. That was nice.
I still had 40 minutes left until the bus came, so I had the breakfast buffet at the restaurant. Eggs, hash browns and pancakes. I'm going to have to stop eating like this soon. The bus came around right on time, and I got on it, along with Idan, Darwin and Red Light. We had to leave an ID with the driver, until our next town stop, where we bought the tickets to Vancouver. Apparently, the Greyhound office over there is located inside a bowling alley.
After a long ride to Vancouver, a long wait at the bus station there, and another long ride to Seattle, I finally reached it at 22:15. It was tiring. Frank picked me up from the city, and into his and his wife’s Nancy house in Redwood, where I crashed for three nights. I later crashed for three more nights with Yulia, Dima and Nick in Bellevue, before finally taking off back to Israel on the 20th.
I toured around Seattle a bit in that week, just sight seeing the down town area on foot. I met up with Lighthouse for a couple of days, and also bumped into Rock Ocean, just as he was bringing in Ball Buster, Tick Tock, Slaughterhouse and Dewey from Hart’s Pass. We even had a short sailing in Elliot Bay.

Sailing in Elliot Bay

All in all I think I had plenty of relaxing time in Seattle to ease me back into society. I also had another week back home before getting back to work, so I currently don’t feel too weird or out of place back in the big city. In fact, I sometimes feel weird about how not weird it all is, like driving a car, or walking around Tel Aviv.

Back home after a very long trip

Day 155 - Hart's Pass to Monument 78

2014-09-13T20:31:00.000-07:00

What a long day it was.
We woke up at 5:30, and from then I tried not looking at the time. It was cold, but not nearly as child as yesterday's morning had been.
We left quickly, and filled our water at the small stream just north of Hart's Pass. Since we were not using the Halfmile app, we usually filled up whenever we came upon a stream. We knew we had enough water source throughout the day, so that 1 liter would be enough.
The trail was still chilly in the shade, and nice under the sun. We met many section hikers that told us we are "nearly there". They have been telling us that for two weeks. I was starting to disbelieve it.
We stopped for our second snack at a campsite just below what we thought was Woody Pass. Not using our apps and maps left us guessing. We thought this would be "the last climb", but apparently Woody Pass was the next pass, after some more serious climbing, and from there we still climbed about 1000 feet before finally starting our long down hill.
On the way down we meet Shrek, the trail angel from Cascade Locks, and later Legend. The were just sectioning this bit of trail, from Hart's Pass to the border, in five days. Shrek mentioned some switchbacks right before reaching the monument, and hiking down the trail, every step hurts the soles of my feet, I kept looking around for them.
We finally started hiking down the switchbacks, and saw some people standing around. We figured that was it, and I took Lighthouse's phone to make a video of him reaching the end, for the German Television documentary he will be on.
At the monument we meet Darwin, Shadow and Pollack. Shadow headed on later, to have an easier day into Manning Park tomorrow. Pollack came in from the park, waiting for his friends to finish the trail. He broke his foot down in Oregon a while ago. We both did our photo shoots, and sat around for a bit. We left to set up camp at the nearby campsite just when Red Light strolled in.
At the campsite we all had dinner together and had a nice chat, before going to sleep for the last time inside a tent, on an inflatable mattress, in child weather...
Tomorrow I'll have to get up even earlier than today, in order to do 8.6 miles before 10:10, when the bus leaves Manning Park. I hope I'll make or, but if not, no worries. I'll just spend the night there and do nothing.

The sun rises right on the top of that mountain

Just a little panorama

A view back to Holman Pass

Hopkins Lake

And... Almost done

Day 154 - cs2603 to Hart's Pass

2014-09-12T20:42:00.000-07:00

Wow, last night was cold! I ended up sleeping with two pairs of socks, and my hiking pants over my long johns. And my tent's inside was all covered in frost in the morning.
For the second time on the trail, I made hot oatmeal for breakfast, and we took our time packing up. My fingers and tires were still numb when we headed out, and only after about 20 minutes they felt good again.
After we got to the sunny side of the ridge, it was all very nice and pleasant. Most of today's trail wasn't too hard, except for one tough climb with many switchbacks in the middle of the day. From there it was easier ridge walking all the way into Hart's Pass.
We got here and met Rock Ocean. He is hanging around to make one final shuttle to Seattle, but chances are that he'll leave tomorrow, so it won't help Lighthouse. We also met Pod - a triple crowner from way back, who got around here to hike this section. They both started a fire, which helped when the cold started coming in after the sun came down. But so far it doesn't seem as child as yesterday, so I hope tomorrow morning will be better. Especially since we plan on waking up an hour earlier, at 5:30.
I thought about a special challenge for the last day - hiking with no knowledge of the time or checking out the trail apps and maps. I removed all the clocks from my phone. I will just walk on the trail as long as I can, and try not to take too many breaks until I reach the border. Lighthouse agreed to give it a shot as well.

A wide valley

Definitely getting closer (eh)

The sun was setting right behind that tree

Almost at Hart's Pass

Day 153 - Stehekin to cs2603

2014-09-11T19:28:00.000-07:00

We got up after a warm night, and went to the store to wait for the bus back to the trail. A few other hikers were around, getting breakfast at the restaurant. And I finally met Use It Up, who was also heading out to the trail with us. The others will probably leave later.
We had a short stop at the bakery on the way out, and I got another quiche, a cinnamon and pecan roll and a blueberry pie. Good breakfast. We also bought "power bagels", which are more like dense while wheat buns. We got most of our stuff from the "yesterday" shelf, but it was still good.
Out on the trail we met a load of hikers who were waiting for the bus in, like we did yesterday. I saw Cheese, Scorpion, Matt & Jerry, Buck-30 and Slaughterhouse. It was nice seeing them again, before the end.
On the trail, we still had plenty of climbs today. Nothing much in the views department. Just long ridge walks, and some forests.
The last 6 miles were all uphill, through Rainy Pass, which is the last highway the pct crosses, and over mile 2600, which wasn't marked anyway on the two. Or maybe I missed it.
We filled our water at the last water source according to Halfmile's app, and crossed many more little streams before we reached our campsite. There's also a little stream right here. Oh well.
The sun went behind some mountains several minutes after we started cooking dinner, and the temperatures dropped quickly. It's very cold in here now, and I'm wearing two pairs of socks and my puffy jacket to bed tonight. I hope the wine doesn't freeze on me.

A mushroom that resembles a golf ball

Another broken bridge over Bridge Creek

Passing through Rainy Pass

Day 152 - Campsite near pct mile 2577 to Stehekin

2014-09-10T21:09:00.000-07:00

It is always nice to hear the rain drops on my tent, while I am cozy and warm inside. Or wasn't even much of a rain, and there were no winds where we were.
We got up at 6:00, and the rain was all over. By the time we finished eating and packing, the skies were blue and clear of all rain clouds. It was going to be a very nice day.
We hiked the easy hour we had left, to High Bridge Ranger Station, and got there easily at 8:00. Sitting in the sun, we waited for the 9:00 shuttle down into Stehekin.
Lighthouse suddenly asked me if his permit to enter Canada is all he needed in order to actually cross the border. Well, checking his I noticed it is not signed. You are supposed to print it, fill it up and send it to some office in Canada. Lighthouse missed the sending it out bit. It seems he will have to hike back from the border to Harts Pass, instead of getting into Canada. That's 30 miles instead of 9. Bummer.
A somewhat stoned ranger came by and gave us some information about the ranch and landing area. We got more accurate and useful information from the bus driver, when it came.
She told us we can reserve dinner at the ranch, and that they will cover our shuttle fee from the landing to their place and back, so we did just that when we had a short break near the ranch.
Next came the bakery - I only bought a quiche, a cheese and mushroom croissant and a cinnamon roll. Lighthouse got at least three more things in there.
Then, we had a short break at the farm. We tasted the lahssi and cheese, but I ended up buying some cherry tomatoes and a nectarine. They were both delicious.
We finally reached the Stehekin landing at about 10:00. After picking our packages from the post office, we got our free permit for the campsite and set our tents. Lighthouse's package wasn't very good, and he needed some extra food that he luckily found at the store's hiker box later.
We went back to the store in the afternoon, and I wanted to buy some wine to carry with me to the border. I picked a 0.5 liter boxed wine from the fridge and bought it, but later Lighthouse told me it was white wine, and I wanted a red. I asked the lady at the store if they have any red, and she said they just ran out on those. But then she offered me a 3 liter box they got by mistake. She offered it to me at twice the price of the 0.5 liter box, and gave me a bottle of water for free, so I can fill it up and carry out only 0.5 liter anyway. Now I just had to find somebody to help me drink the remaining 2.5 liters.
Lighthouse was not drinking alcohol, and Banjo was not into wine. A bit later we saw the Canadian brothers, Luke and Justin, come around, but they weren't into it as well. Luckily, the bus also brought over Tick Tock, Dewey, Ball Buster and Sizzler, and they helped a bit. At the end I gave the remaining wine to Amy, who worked at the store, and earlier had given us loads of ramen noodles and a bottle of coke.
It was just then, that I made the best decision I had ever made on the trail - I went back to my tent to drop off the wine and some other stuff, before we go to dinner. It was only a 2 minute walk, but on the way back to the store I finally saw bears! I saw a big one, probably a momma bear, carrying a fish between her teeth right next to a house on the lake's beach, and two bear cubs taking her. They went behind the house and crossed the road ahead of me, and then climbed up through the forest on the other side. The people in the house also saw them. It was awesome. I'm so happy I finally saw bears on the pct.
Lighthouse and I almost missed our bus to the dinner at the ranch, but the bus driver came over and called us. Dinner was tasty enough, and I was full afterwards. But apparently the price didn't include the ride back, so we had to pay for that also on the bill, which was annoying. At least they had Wi-Fi at the ranch, and I got to send some messages back home.
Back at the landing, we talked with Ball Buster some more before going to sleep. All the other hikers are camped at the spill over campsite near the visitor center, and only us two are at the normal site.

The sea plane taking of Chelan Lake

Justin, Sizzler and Ball Buster

Tick Tock, Lighthouse, Banjo, Luke and Dewey

Lighthouse playing with the auto blur feature on his camera phone

Lighthouse and Banjo. And 3 liters of wine.

Day 151 - Campsite near pct mile 2551 to campsite near pct mile 2577

2014-09-09T18:02:00.000-07:00

After a surprisingly warm night, we started to pack out when Banjo passed us. He was trying to go all the way to High Bridge, 28 miles further. If he'd get there by 18:00, he will be able to get the shuttle into Stehekin. If not, he'd camp there until tomorrow morning.
We left camp at 7:20, and immediately saw a much better campsite less than a mile away. Oh well. The trail started with a climb of about 2000 feet, and later another shorter climb.
From that point, though, it was mostly easy down hill for the rest of the day. We hiked down the valley, and then just followed the South Fork Agnus Creek down and down.
We wanted to get as close as we can to High Bridge, so we can easily get there tomorrow in time for the 9:00 shuttle. Taking a break at the campsite in Swamp Creek, we filled some water and headed out to do about 5 more miles.
Lighthouse took the lead and hiked fast. We headed out at 16:00, and wanted to hike until about 17:30. He decided he'd make the most of it and really hurried. I tried keeping up for the first hour, but afterwards have up and just kept hiking at my usual pace. He'd stop somewhere eventually, and I'll get there at the end.
He stopped just under 3 miles from the bridge, right near a little stream, with a small flat spot where we can squeeze in both of our tents. Tomorrow morning we'll just walk the remaining distance and get into Stehekin for a long day of rest before the final push.

Another broken bridge

Day 150 - Glacier Creek to campsite near pct mile 2551

2014-09-08T18:01:00.000-07:00

Wow. The third hard day in a row. Today we've hiked almost as much as yesterday, with almost as much climbing, and much more down hill. It was tiring.
In the beginning of the day we had a climb up to Fire Creek Pass, and then started hiking down, stopping for a nice break at Mica Lake. The trail went further down, all the way to Milk Creek before starting a brutal climb of 2500 feet.
We had another break up on the chilly ridge. I double checked the food I have left, and discovered I have an extra Clif Bar, and two extra oatmeal packets. One packet was eaten on the spot.
The trail down started horribly, with a narrow path, which was a bit lower than the surrounding shrubs. My shoes kept bumping into each other, and the trail itself wasn't flat, which made for even harder walking. I was cursing the switchbacks down with every step, until we finally got back into the woods, and the two got better.
It didn't get much better with all the fallen trees we had to hike over or around. But we made it.
We had another short stop just by Vista Creek, after the down hill was mostly over, and then continued on some easy trail towards the Suiattle River. Once there, we crossed the bridge, and had a look at the campsite in the middle of two noisy streams. Seems like it'll be hard to camp there. We were aiming at a spot about 1.5 miles further.
While hiking on, and again climbing up, I was trying to recall if that spot was a campsite, or just a water source on Halfmile's app. It was just a water source - a stream of water flowing down the ridge. We filled up and went ahead to try and find a campsite for the night.
Luckily, after less than 0.5 miles we found a reasonable spot, and set camp. Lighthouse have me an extra dinner he had, so I had my usual Knorr meal, and a dinner of Mac & Cheese as well. I gave him two extra tortillas I suddenly discovered I had.
We saw a southbounder just before dark. He was flip flopping, not sure from where, and was heading down to the Suiattle River for the night.

Mica Lake

I don't know what it means

That was a big tree stump

True bridge over the Suiattle River

Day 149 - wacs2498 to Glacier Creek

2014-09-07T20:28:00.000-07:00

This is definitely the hardest section in Washington. The original plan today was to complete the two miles we didn't do yesterday, and then do about 23 more, with a lot of climbing in between.
Most climbs today weren't as steep as yesterday's, but they were still "up". The weather was excellent, and we met many weekend hikers, including two hunters out looking for a bear. I am on the bear's side.
We met Two Bad Dogs, a couple who hiked the trail last year, and got snowed in around here in mid September. They ended up taking an alternate that got them to the Canadian border, but not at the official PCT monument. So this year they came back to stitch up some sections they had to walk around last year, and to hike again some sections they did not get to see at all, while hiking through them in blizzards and snow last time.
We finally reached our original destination at 16:20, a muddy creek with a broken bridge over it. Lighthouse was talking about doing 2 more miles for a while, even though they were all climbing up. We figured we can do it, and push a bit more on the next couple of days, in order to get to the Stehekin shuttle by 9:15. So we climbed these 1500 feet at the end of day. It wasn't fun.
We found an OK campsite just before Glacier Creek, and settled in for the night. I'm laying a bit slanted now, but I only have to sleep here for one night, so I don't care.

2500 miles down

Itsy bitsy spider

And a marmot stalking us

Lighthouse stretching

The broken bridge

Day 148 - Stevens Pass to wacs2498

2014-09-06T20:47:00.000-07:00

That was a long and hard day.
After getting up and getting my stuff packed at the Dinsmores, I went to the restaurant across the tracks with everyone else. I got the breakfast burrito, like Copper Tone recommend yesterday. It took a long time for the food to finally get to the table, though, and by the time we got back to the hostel it was already 10:00.
In the mean time Mrs Dinsmore got everyone rides back to the trail. I got a ride with her, along with Lighthouse and Slacker. We finally reached the pass at 11:00, said our goodbyes to Copper Tone, which won't be waiting at the next road crossing in Rainy Pass, and Lighthouse and I headed out.
The trail started deceptively easy, but after about a mile the climbing started. I think we have made about three big climbs today, each was pretty steep at times.
We kept running into day hikers, and Lighthouse was too nice to them, so they all chatted for too long. We also ran into a trail maintenance crew that have us tiny whiskey bottles and fresh apples. I was talking to one of them who plans to thru hike the trail next year. Hope he manages to get it rolling.
More ups and downs later, we figured out we will not be making the planned 24 miles, after such a late start. But there was a campsite about 2.5 before we can stop at.
At about 17:00 we started the final 4 mile stretch to there, with quite a climb, and then a long downhill to the creek. The only good think were all the blueberries along the trail, even though they slowed us down.
Right before reaching camp, Seamstress caught up to us. We got here together. It's s very nice, clear grassy spot, next to a flowing stream.

Glacier Peak

Just a bit of trail

Day 147 - Campsite near pct mile 2452 to Stevens Pass

2014-09-05T21:37:00.000-07:00

I got up at 6:30, and already almost everyone else was gone. Banjo was still inside his hammock when I left an hour later.
The trail had nice ups and downs today. Some of the ups had a bit of steep switchbacks, bit most of the times they ended quickly. The weather was great, and the views were very good. We got a glimpse of Glacier Peak, which we'd see more on the coming days.
I made a short break up on Piper Pass, and then headed down. I was surprised to see Banjo down in the valley. Apparently he took a wrong turn somewhere, and then walked down a big stone pile down to the valley.
I carried on, climbing another steep pass, and caught up with Tick Tock, Dewey and Ball Buster. I stopped for lunch and they left, and then Banjo came along. We hiked the rest of the day together.
About 2 miles before the highway we caught everyone again, along with Slacker. Down at parking area we had our final encounter with Copper Tone, and I got ice cream.
Hitching down to Skykomish was a pain. At the end a couple of section hikers we met earlier on the trailer went out of their way and took us down, and we met up with the others at the Cascadia Inn diner for dinner.
Another hitch into Baring finally got us to the Dinsmores, where we've met a lot of other hikers. Cheese is here - I haven't seen him since Tehachapi, and Elijah, which I probably last seen in Idlewild. Lighthouse is here - he managed to get his sleeping mat, luckily.

Is that Glacier Peak?

Trying to hitch down from Stevens Pass, with Banjo and Slacker

A healthy dinner at the Cascadia Inn

Don't get too excited. I'm just wearing loaner clothes while doing laundry.

Day 146 - Lemah Meadow to campsite near pct mile 2452

2014-09-04T20:26:00.000-07:00

I don't really know why I did such a long day. I had my plan all laid out to finish my hike at the 15th, and that plan included an easy day today, a bit harder tomorrow, and then only 5 miles into highway 20 and a day of resting at the Dinsmores.
Instead, I did a really long day today, just so I can get to the highway tomorrow after noon, sleep at the Dinsmores and head out on the next day. So I'll be done one day earlier, I guess.
The morning was really cold, and my tent was damp inside. I dried as much as I could with the towel, and started hiking with Lighthouse at 7:30. We had a climb ahead of us first thing in the morning, and our feet and palms were frozen. But after some hiking we warmed up.
The skies were finally clear, and on top of the ridge we got some sun. We had a nice breakfast break, and Lighthouse dried his stuff in the sunlight. I was too lazy to spread my tent.
We hiked on, covering another 7 miles. Lighthouse was planning on making an even bigger day than me, so he can sort out some business he has in Seattle. So he just had a short break and headed out. Banjo caught up to us, and I hiked the second half of the day with him.
Climbing up from Waptus River we met some southbounders that Banjo knew from Oregon. They flip flopped from Sisters up to the border and started hiking south. We learned from them that the spot we were hoping to camp at didn't have any good sites, but a bit further on we can find some. Oh well.
We hiked on and over another ridge, and reached Deep Lake. That was the spot I originally planned on staying on. Sizzler will be coming here tonight, since he needs to get to Skykomish only on Saturday morning, to get his package from the post office. We had some 7 more miles to do.
Another climb up a ridge, near Cathedral Rock, and then a long hike down to fording a creek that goes into Hyas Lake. We filled our water there, and started climbing up, looking for a spot to camp.
We found a half decent site about 0.7 miles later. I managed to set my tent on a not too slanted spot, and Banjo hung his hammock between two trees.
After we both finished dinner, other hikers started appearing. We were very surprised, since we have hiked almost 30 miles to get here, but Dewey, Tick Tock and Ball Buster came from the alternate, which means they did a bit less than us. What really surprised us was that Seamstress did hike the official pct, and did about 35 miles today. Crazy.

Cathedral Rock

Creek fording. We remained dry.

Day 145 - Snoqualamie Pass to Lemah Meadow

2014-09-03T20:11:00.000-07:00

After a very good night's sleep, I got up at 6:00 and packed my stuff. Dima was up as well, and was ready to get me back up to the trail by 7:00.
I said goodbye to Yulia and Nick, and we started our drive to the pass. The weather was grim and cold outside, and as we neared the pass it was also raining a bit. We got to the pass at 8:00, and it was not raining there, but set me like it might at any moment. I said goodbye to Dima and thanked him. I am sure getting up at 6:00 and driving for two hours in the morning was not his favorite pass time, so thanks again for the going out of your way to help me.
At the pass, I met Lighthouse. We went over to the diner and met a lot of other hikers who zeroed at the pass, or came in last night. Nobody was rushing out in this miserable weather.
After a short while we went out, at around 8:45. The climb started immediately on the other side of the interstate. We had half of our daily climb, about 3000 feet, in the first 7 miles. We were a bit slow getting there, but with the cold weather and the fog we only made a short snack stop there. We couldn't see any views so far.
Hiking further on, we had an 11 miles of waterless stretch. Only there was water everywhere, gushing out on every little creek. I'm sure yesterday's rains helped a bit.
We ran into Sizzler, who started hiking from the pass at about 8:00. We were talking about how far we'd go today - there is a campsite 21 miles from the pass, which is a bit too close, and another at 28 miles, after another tough climb. That's a bit too far and hard. In between - the steep climb which probably didn't offer any camp spots. We agreed we'd aim for a short day.
Lighthouse and I were still hiking not too fast, but we didn't care on such a short day. The day started clearing a bit, and we got some nice views, for a change. We also met some hikers doing short sections, mostly trying to get their gear dry from yesterday's storm.
Near the end of the day, we crossed Lemah Creek, which once had a bridge that was washed off recently. We just went through the water with it shoes. I how they'll dry tomorrow. Shortly after we reached a big campsite, and set up our tents and made dinner.
After a while Sizzler and Banjo came over as well. I thought more hikers will come around. Maybe a few took the shorter alternate, that also goes by some hot springs.

Lighthouse and I enjoy the views

The bridge is gone. We had to ford through the water.

Day 144 - zero day in Bellevue

2014-09-02T19:52:00.000-07:00

Today I had a long day of rest and relaxation. Just what I needed before I had out to the cold.
The plan was to get a ride back up to Snoqualamie Pass tonight, but my generous hosts, Yulia and Dima, offered to take me up there tomorrow morning. So it was a full zero down in Bellevue.
During the day I mostly just used Yulia's computer to update my blog, downloaded new music to my phone, copied "Three Men In A Boat" audio book and a lecture series titled "How to Listen and Understand Great Music, 3rd Edition". I always wanted that elusive 3rd edition...
I only left the house once, just to get my tortillas, bagels and cheese for the next section. Apart from that I did nothing, except relaxing and eating. And that felt good.
I even had a nap in the afternoon, while outside a loud thunderstorm was making noise. Seems like a good day to zero in.
After dinner I tasted some strengthen wine, I think it was called Marcella, And retired to sleep early for a change. Tomorrow it should clear up a bit. Just in time for my hike onwards.

Onyx. Such a cute cat

Day 143 - wa2379 to Snoqualmie Pass

2014-09-01T12:39:00.000-07:00

Dew on some mushrooms

Lizard Lake

Snoqualamie Pass

I woke up in the middle night, and heard some noises coming from the direction of the spring. It sounded a bit like an animal barking. Sizzler later told me it might have been coyotes. Maybe. It was strange. I kept trying to figure out if the barks are getting closer to my tent, and getting ready to go outside and make some noise to scare them away. But they remained far off at the spring, and I drowsed back to sleep.
In the morning, I yet again snoozed my alarm clock from 6:00 to 6:30. I did notice that my tent was covered in dew, inside and out, so I was dreaming about wiping off the water with my towel, in those last 30 minutes. When I finally got up, I did just that - the best use I have found for my camp towel, no doubt.
Heading out, I was happy to see the fog lift, and get some actual sunshine. I made a snack stop under some power lines, in the morning sun. I also got some good cell reception and called home. A good way to start my day.
I passed a section hiker a bit later on. At first I just said "hello" and moved on, but I stopped to take a photo of a big collection of mushrooms near the trail, and he caught up to me and started talking to me. It took a while before I managed to get away and keep on marching fast towards Snoqualamie Pass.
I met Sizzler just at a nice little waterfall, as he was heading out. I sat there and had my 2nd Clif Bar. I had another bar and a bagel left for the rest of the day, but I figured out I would be able to eat something as soon as I get to the pass, so I wolfed down the last Clif Bar on the spot, as well. The bagel will do for the rest of the day.
Further on, I passed Sizzler again, and had some steep climbs around the watershed area, the brings water to Seattle. I started seeing many day hikers, that came in from a dirt road a bit up the trail. Sizzler and I kept leap frogging each other, until we reached some creek where we planned to take a break. I had my final bagel, and was literally left with no food in my backpack. not even a single m.
Hiking on, a couple of day hikers were walking along with Sizzler and chatting with him. I hiked with them a few minutes, before increasing the pace and moving faster. Just before Ollalie creek there were tons of huckleberries along the trail. I finally stopped and each a bunch, and also tried collecting some in a ziplock, to bring with me down to Bellvue.
I started hearing the noises of the I-90, a bit like a rolling river, from afar. After a short walk along a dirt road, I could actually see the interstate from above. But it was still 4 miles away on the trail. And the trail actually climbed up, where we all knew it should just get down to the road!
After hiking along a little pond, I was happy to see the Snoqualamie Pass Lodge, and the entire rest area, from above. I kept on hiking on the trail, and did not take the shortcut route down along the ski slope, just because I'm anal like this. But it was a good thing - as I was nearing the road to the Chevron store, I saw a man standing and smoking by his car. As I moved closer, he asked me if I was a PCT hiker, and I replied that I was. He then asked me if I am Noam, which took me by surprise. I thought that I'd get to the pass at around 16:00 (which was, indeed, the time), and then I'll call Yulia, and her husband, Dima, would drive up here and pick me up in the evening. I didn't think he'd be waiting for me here. Good thing I arrived just on time.
We drove over to the Chevron, to pick up my package, and I said hello to all the hikers hanging around - Juneau, Rimshot & Kit, Luna, Slaughterhouse, Sizzler, Banjo, and probably some more I didn't notice, and then started the drive down to Bellvue.
It wasn't a short drive, and it was at the end of Labor Day Weekend, but luckily, the bad weather had probably scared away many of the weekend hikers, so the roads were all clear on the way down. We stopped at a park in Bellvue, and picked up Yulia and Nick. It was strange finally meeting Yulia. She said she checked, and we have "met" online about 15 years ago. It was in the days when the internet was made out of gray pages, and we were both frequenting "The David Bowie Page" (later renamed to TeenageWildlife) and writing on the Guest Book there. Ancient history.
Yulia made some great falafel, and I had it in a pita. mm... I love falafel. We stayed and talked until real people midnight, which is much later than hiker midnight, and it was very nice.

Day 142 - Urich Camp to wa2379

2014-08-31T18:21:00.000-07:00

Phew, last night was tough. All three of us were tented inside the hut, up in the loft. And it was very hot up there. The trail maintainers kept the stove on, and all the heat came up to make a dry sauna around us.
Sizzler was the first to break. He took off his tent, and set it up outside on the porch. I was already napping, when Slaughterhouse got up and went to the porch as well, without her tent.
I tried setting my sleeping pad outside of my tent, thinking it will be significantly less hot without it. It was the same terrible, searing, dry heat. So I also got up, took my quilt, pad and improvised pillow, climbed down from the loft, and went to the porch.
Outside it was cold, and the porch was already crowded with Sizzler's tent and Slaughterhouse on the floor. I managed to squeeze in, just blocking the door to the hut, which opened directly on me. But once under my quilt, it quickly got warm enough, and I slept well.
I did wake up twice to sit while the inhabitants of the hut opened the door, so they could step outside to take a piss. But other than that it was a good spot.
In the morning, I got up and decided I'd get back up to the loft for a quick nap, if I could handle the heat. But when I got up I noticed it was already 6:30, so it's time to start packing anyway.
Sizzler and Slaughterhouse also got up a minute later, and we packed our stuff quickly at the loft, then went back to the porch to have breakfast. All the trail maintainers were still asleep by the time we left, so I couldn't thank anybody again for their hard work.
The weather was much like yesterday, all foggy and cold. For the first half of the day I couldn't see any views, except from an occasional quick window in the fog, which showed me some green hills on the other side of some valley.
After a while, the fog lifted, or maybe I just entered the one valley which wasn't all covered. The skies were still overcast, so I didn't get much sun today, but at least I started seeing nice views again.
I had a ton of huckleberries today, every time passing more and more clusters of bushes. Some of the berries were huge, but even the smaller ones were tasty. I was going for the "fill my hand with berries and chug them all" technique, as opposed to the "from bush to mouth" one. But it's all good.
I almost didn't need to fill up any water, because the cold weather made me drink less. I finally came to the spring with the "spongy ground", I was hoping to camp by. At first I completely missed it, bit then I decided to check Halfmile's app, and discovered it was already 0.05 miles behind me. Good thing I checked.
Going back a bit, I noticed there is no chance of camping there. It was all slanted and wet. Not exactly muddy, but not good for camping. I filled up water for dry camping, then headed out. I figured there is a dirt road about a mile further, and I might find a spot by it.
Going on a few minutes, I just found a nice spot over here, on some old, overgrown dirt road. There is a tree in the middle of the road, so no fear of being run over by anyone at night.
Just before making dinner, Slaughterhouse passed by. She said she is going to do a few more miles today. Sizzler went by shortly after, going further as well. I'll see them both tomorrow at Snoqualamie Pass.

Urich hut, with Sizzler and Slaughterhouse

Before

After

Eating a big load of huckleberries