Getting the news that I cannot be medically cleared for Peace Corp was very disappointing. I knew all along that it was a possibility, so was not caught completely off guard. And, with the delays of the last two years, I’d been making plans for some other adventures. As I waited for the Peace Corps verdict, I knew that whatever happened, it was going to be a whirlwind.

In the end, the whirlwind has me gearing up for an extended backpacking trip – the Washington section of the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT)! The total length is just over 500 miles, although I’ll be skipping the last section to get to a family wedding.

Company

I have a friend that I do most of my backpacking with. Unfortunately, she can’t join me for the whole trip. Instead, she and another friend are going do the second half, so I’ll have company for those sections. I’m looking forward to that, as those sections are more isolated. She’s also going to join me for the first leg, which will be a nice kick off to the whole adventure.

I’m talking to a couple of other folks about joining me for a leg along the way. If they can’t do it, I’m ready to do the rest alone. The PCT is the superhighway of hiking trails, so while I won’t be traveling with someone, I won’t be totally alone. In fact, I’m looking forward to getting to know some other hikers.

Food

Food, food, and more food. My backpacking buddy and I joke that we hike so we can eat.

One of the challenges on a longer hike is getting enough calories of quality food. I could eat nothing but chocolate and coconut oil, but ewww… I mean I love chocolate and all, but still…

I’ll need two to three times the calories I need in everyday life. I’m shooting for a minimum of 3000 calories a day – it’s a lot of food. I also want the food to be nutritious and tasty. And, I have some food sensitivities. So, I won’t be buying a lot of prepared freeze-dried meals; besides, they are expensive.

So, you ask, what am I going to eat? Here’s one generic meal plan – the point of snacks is to have something ready to eat every hour or two or nibble on while walking. I’ve found that I do best if I slowly drip the calories in as I need the energy.

Breakfast (700 calories)

• Chia pudding (chia seeds, powdered freeze-dried blueberries, coconut milk powder)
• Peanut butter hot cocoa (coconut milk powder, cocoa, peanut powder, sugar)

Morning snacks (670 calories)

• Nut bar
• Roasted garbanzos
• Smoothie

Lunch (440 calories)

• Pesto quinoa salad (quinoa, basil, garlic powder, kale flakes, dried tomatoes, packet of salmon or chicken
• Dried fruit

Afternoon snacks (930 calories)

• Meat bar
• Trail mix
• Chocolate bar (yum!)

Dinner (560 calories)

• Quinoa chicken w/ squash (quinoa, chicken, freeze-dried squash, dried tomato, coconut milk powder, spices)
• Dessert – mango rice pudding (rice, freeze-dried powdered mango, dried mango, coconut milk powder)

Stages

Of course, I can’t carry all the food I need for the six weeks at once, so I will be resupplying along the way, every week or so, emphasis on the “or so.”

There are some points where I can mail myself a box and the receiver will hold it for me to pick up as I pass through. Easy peasy. Some of them are right near the trail, some require more logistics to get into town. At these resupplies, I can also avail myself of things like outlets (charging electronics), showers, grocery stores, and restaurants – salads and hamburgers!

There are two places where I want to resupply that don’t have a nearby place to send a package, so I need to make some other arrangements – i.e., talk friends into meeting me on some forest road at some prearranged date and time. That’s still in the works, and might get combined with them joining me for a leg.

One step at a time

So, that’s the current plan… I’m taking it one step at a time. The point of this adventure is to get outside, away from the everyday, and let my mind and body wander. I’m giving myself total permission to change things up however suits my evolving desires and needs. I’m not trying to prove anything to anyone, especially myself. I’m making a point of reminding myself of this regularly.

Photo

Today’s photo is no great photography, but a very realistic shot of the food boxes I’ve started laying out for each leg. I’m running out of boxes of the right size, but I’m sure Amazon will bring me more in the next day or two. 😉