Radio Song

Heard on 90.3 KDVS out of Davis, CA:

Los Angeles-native Tom Russell's "American Rivers" from his 2009 album "Blood And Candle Smoke" on the Shout Factory label. Video. His voice was so experienced and the lyrics so detailed I thought it might be (to my ignorant ears) Waylon Jennings.

Notes on My Notes on the Record Setting PCT Trip

Some thoughts after the epic blog post below:

• Experience: As Adam says throughout his journal entries, Bink (also known as Scott Williamson) was invaluable for knowledge of the trail: (1) water sources and water management; (2) local color; (3) setting the pace; (4) sharing food; (5) shelter locations; (6) sharing gear; (7) best routes through sections/avoidance of problems (for example, avalanches); (8) relaxation points at swimming holes; (9) colorful stories; (10) interaction with locals; and I am sure many other things I am overlooking here.
  This is not to knock Adam; he assisted Scott throughout as well and Scott said he would not have made it without him. It goes both ways when both partners work as a team.
  
• Physical Preparation: The second trip was much easier for Adam because of the preparation. As I have read, getting to the trailhead is the hardest part, and I believe it. Their second longest day was 47.6 miles (!) on July 5. The longest day was the last day, for 51.2 miles, but they pushed through the night on that one to finish.
  
• Support Network: Both men had partners willing to support them through the trip. Forgotten PCT through hiker permit? A cell phone call and it's on its way.
  
• Gear Preparation: The resupplies were managed fantastically well. Shoes and socks wear out, different sections need different gear, and so forth. Bugs, especially, were noted frequently (DEET, anyone?). Other, lesser things, were helpful in a pinch: ear plugs for windy nights; eye drops for errantly sprayed DEET. Big ticket gear items helped consistently: Adam's bivy, shoes, and pack, for example.
• Food Preparation: Variety to break up the monotony seemed to be noted frequently. :o) Otherwise, the most noteworthy points involved gorging at businesses along the way. Other things were marks of experience: caffeine pills to stay perky in the heat;
  
• Water Management: One of the biggest challenges, it seemed to me. Run out of purified water and things spin out of control rapidly.
• Friendly Faces: Lots of folks on the trail out to help with trail magic and caches.
• Luck: Hard to quantify this; but it seems some things did just come down to luck. River crossings, trail magic/caches, fortuitous weather, run-ins with friends, speedy resupplies, and so forth.
• Perseverance: Injuries, illness, mental challenges ("90% of it is mental"), exhausting physical challenges--as Adam says, "I go from being my lowest mentally to my highest in one day; lack of will is transitory"
• Focus: there were a lot of hikers on the trail. This had pros and cons; because Scott was so well-known, lots of "happy jacking" went on. To a point, I sensed both hikers appreciated this, but there was a point when it became wearisome and a point for avoidance to meet their own personal goals.
• Goal: I sensed one of the things which kept them focused and helped them persevere was setting an epic goal. Knowing they were making it inspired them to keep going on to new heights. Things went well on this trip and they made it; things might have turned out differently, and several times almost did--falls; illnesses; run-ins with wildlife; and so forth.
• Passion: count the number of times Adam says "killer" ;o)
  

I might think of other things to add later....

Notes on Adam Bradley's Trail Journal Entries

Adam Bradley recorded his record-breaking 2009 Pacific Crest Trail trip here: http://www.trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?id=275700

Monday, June 08, 2009

• Trip begins from Campo
• Left at 12:00 p.m.
• Water on for a change (?) at Boulder Oaks
  

Tuesday, June 09, 2009

• Area of "exploding ordnance" o_O;;;
• Climbing up into the Lagunas
• Once on our descent off of the Lagunas the June "gloom" set in.
• "Water source had floating rodents and reptiles in it."

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

• Scissor's Crossing
• Third Gate
• San Felipes
• Got a perfect room, did laundry, packed packs for next section, showered, fed, hydrated and slept.

Thursday, June 11, 2009

• Left Warner Springs with 20 lbs food, 6 lbs of gear, and 8 lbs of water.
• Anza Cache
• I got my water situated (big carry out of here)
• Bink found a excellent spot with protection from the wind.

Friday, June 12, 2009

• Climbed Desert Divide
• Bluesuited (?) on 20 oz of water - hanging on by a thread to Tahquitz Creek
• More "June Gloom"
• Crossed Pine to Palms highway
• Forgot PCT thru hiker permit (so did Bink)
  
• Fobes Saddle
• Recovered well here with electrolytes, vitamins and non processed food.
• The Onion chooses to abort trip ("bonked on the climb up Desert Divide and was punching out at Idylwild")

Saturday, June 13, 2009

• Long descent down Fuller Ridge
• Under I-10
• Mesa Windfarm
• Whitewater Creek
• Scrapes up right knee collecting water
  

Sunday, June 14, 2009

• Mount San Gorgonio
• Big Bear
• No trail magic this year at Onyx Summit (missing those Jones Colas!)
• Doble Trail Camp
• Water was on
• Slept in bivy

Monday, June 15, 2009

• Rocking out to my mp3
• Holcomb Creek
• Hiker asking for lighter; half-nude female hiker
• hot springs
• Lots of rodents

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

• Silverwood Lake
• Cajon Pass
• Tacoes
• Break over (?) at a group camp before Cleghorn Ridge
• Dr. Bronner's
  
• Room at the Best Western
• 6 fish tacos and 6 carne asadas for Wednesday
• Would not honor Del Taco coupon (;o)) but "hot sauce packets to make it to well past Forester Pass on my beans"
• Cleaned up, did laundry, packed pack and got a good rest.
• Swelled ankles from processed foods?
  

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

• Under the I-8
• Meth freak wandering around o_O;;
• Visitors center so didn't need to drop off the ridge for water.
  
• Ate all my tacos.
• Camp in a old burn (cold)
  

Thursday, June 18, 2009

• Rave (music) was audible all night
• Watered up at the pipe spring
• Water over at the Boy Scout camp
• Miles are coming easier than last year; more consistent, less "red-lining"
• Pushed hard in the evening to get miles
• Under the pine trees in thick duff

Friday, June 19, 2009

• Todd at North Fork Ranger Station
• Hiked under umbrellas to Agua Dulce (treated like royalty)
• Jacob Nahin did a video interview with us when we stopped for Vincentos (?) pizza
• Nice visit with Donna and Jeff Saufley
• Descent to Soledad
• New water source here that Tatu Joe shared with Bink last year
• Climb up out of here and all the zig zagging the trail did about killed me
• Bobcat or mt lion calling

Saturday, June 20, 2009

• Andersons Oasis: water, sodas and tea. Ate some more pizza.
• San Francisquito Canyon Road
• 2nd Mountain Dew
• Water tank
• Dead squirrel floated by in the water (?)

Sunday, June 21, 2009

• Fed like kings at Hiker Town
• No pants or mid layers yet, so cold
• Richard and Roberta Skaggs: donuts, chocolate, soda, bean salad, other veggies
• Bob Mayon: steaks and pork chops; more soda and some fudge to eat before we left
• Packing packs, getting a much needed shower and playing with a really cool kitten.
• Left over deer innards from poachers
• LA Aquaduct
• Scenes from childhood shared
• New shoes and new socks in this drop
• Clump of junipers to tuck up under (windbreak)
  

Monday, June 22, 2009

• Lot of time under umbrella
• Black bear at dusk
• Water at Tyler Horse Canyon (unlike "last year's debacle")
• Fire and off-road vehicle (ORV) use
• Trail trashed; another reason SoCal trail sucks (urban)
  
• Water at Tiger Tank
• Took my first caffeine pill today (50 mg) due to heat-induced heat
  
• Windmill section after the Tehachapi-Willow Springs Road
• Detective Williams and a Creasote bush
• Super duffy camp
• Personal story from Bink
  

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

• Golden Oak Spring to Robin Bird Spring on 2 liters of water
• Water at Robin Bird Spring
• "bluesuited it" (?)
• Bink's Italian-water spritzer bottle
• Missed a piped spring
• Cache
• Dry wash here for camp
• Last of the Mojave
  

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

• Most of day under umbrellas
• Bird Spring Pass
• Water cache
• Another cache here at the turnoff to yellowjacket spring
• Walker Pass; water has been off here for years (!)
  
• Instead bombed way down to a new spring
• Joshua Tree
• Camped a little early

Thursday, June 25, 2009

• Hawkeye visit: (1) benefits on his hikes too for Telluride Adaptive Sports; (2) filling us in on some of the folks ahead whose company he enjoyed; (3) Helped me raise about 900$ for the AZT;
• Camped 3 miles shy of Kennedy Meadows store; do not open until 9:00 a.m.
  
• First 700 miles behind me! "For me, the hike really begins now"
  

Friday, June 26, 2009

• Resupply at Kennedy Meadows in three hours
• Happy to be in the Sierras! Slept in.
• Kennedy Meadows: packed, swapped out some gear, mailed some home, showered, fed, laundered and shopped
• Left with huge packs
• Nice little duffy camp. A few mosquitoes but nothing bad

Saturday, June 27, 2009

• Up early today as we are keen to get miles before Forester and before snow
• Heavy packs
• Toilet rock
• Rock Creek: wild onions (killer in cold beans)
• Camped above 10,000 ft here

Sunday, June 28, 2009

• Swimming in streams before sunset ("cleansing my chi")
• Bighorn Plateu: stunning
• "Bear box bingo": smoked salmon; Split up salmon and made little wraps out of them with cheese and onions. Killer.
• First patches of snow just below the base of Forester
• North side: quickest, most direct to snow free trail
• Kearsarge Pass junction: doosy of a climb
  
• Glenn Pass
• Golden Gate of the sierras
• Why bear barrels are crammed into the bear box?

Monday, June 29, 2009

• Passes, dealing with snow, being careful
• Bink not feeling well
• Mather
• "Ranger trap": Miles the ranger; Just wanted to make sure permits were good.
• Good swimming hole in the evening; knees felt killer after
• Good camp shy of Helen Lake
• Good to be sleeping at altitude every night to get acclimated

Tuesday, June 30, 2009

• Travelled on snow for three hours crossing Muir Pass
• First cloudburst
• Bink again not feeling superb
• Got to wear my Mtn Laurel Designs Poncho for the 1st time. Killer
• Bink found a jacket on Muir Pass which he gave to the ranger down in Evolution Basin; got 6 candy bars/ clif bars
• Caffeine pill again
• Paite Pass trail junction
• Selden Pass
• Skip the expensive MTR: Place gets ridiculous mail drop wise and getting tired of hearing how bad thru hikers are (ie I guess PCT hikers bail down to here out of food quite a bit but not me so I don't need to pay 50$ bones to listen to someone bad mouth hikers... that is my job!)
• Nice lake to dip in below Selden
• Decent ford of Bear Creek
• Mosquitoes
• Slowed by fords and snow
  

Wednesday, July 01, 2009

• Bink found us a direct route down with all the snow cover
• Cell reception near Mammoth
• "Ate my most expensive meal yet (Red's) and the waitress was blown away by how much food we consumed there. I could here the cook asking her if it was all for one person."
• Picked up resupply and walked down to campground to repack and shower in the hot spring showers.
• Camp at Devils Postpile

Thursday, July 02, 2009

• BLTs for breakfast from Red's
  
• Donahue Pass
• Tuolumne Meadows
• Backpacker camp
• Bear boxes were full there but some nice climber guys in the search & rescue camp let us use theirs.
• Charging up the high line trail
• Threaded my way thru PCT section hikers
• Happy jacking
• "On the way down of Donahue bink pointed a place out where kenny and him observed a avalanche early season."
• Lyell store
  
• "Just interested in shoveling food in my face and cleaning up and getting horizontal as my left knee has been bothering me."

Friday, July 03, 2009

• Sore left knee
• Made it to camp in a stupor and took a couple of ibuprofen for the knees
• Damp meadows
• Non stop it all day today
• Seavey Pass: one of Bink's favorite swimming holes
• boo-boo: visit at Seavey; first female I have seen hiking alone
• River crossings: missed brunt of run-off
• Last climb: rampaged by mosquitoes
• Of all days on trail this was the toughest

Saturday, July 04, 2009

• Jack Main canyon: worst mosquitoes yet
• Kennedy canyon: mosquitoes let up
• Pulled ahead of David Horton's pace
• Having difficulty mentally: bugs
• Bink found us a killer spot on the pass to rest and eat
• A few snowfields to cross
• Bink led us directly off the top of Sonora Pass so glissading (?) down was fun
• I go from being my lowest mentally to my highest in one day; lack of will is transitory
  

Sunday, July 05, 2009

• Hiker first thing on trail taking a crap right on trail; no cat-hole
• Break from the bugs
• Wolf Creek Pass: almost got lost; recovered
• Asa
• Bink wearing Adam's leftover shoes
• Found dipping off spot
• Ebbets Pass
• Funny interactions with section- and thru-hikers: "One guy told bink he would never catch me, another guy asked if we where in a race"
• "You don't realize how fast your moving on your own until you pass someone laboring under a tower of power"
• Blue Lakes Road: horrendous bugs just shy of it
  

Monday, July 06, 2009

• Shelly surprised us at Carson today
• Feeling better with knee
• Bink not feeling to well again
• Echo: resupplies; visiting
• Asked for autographs at Echo
• wallowing out of here on deli sandwiches etc
• Bink showed me a killer spot to throw down at up on Dicks that I never knew was there.

Tuesday, July 07, 2009

• A few mosquitos
• Michelle at Barker Pass: goodies to trail magic
• Two Shoes: another thru-hiker
• Charge over to Roller Pass
• Bink was being happy jacked pretty hard

Wednesday, July 08, 2009

• Thru hikers either urinating or defecating right in the middle of the trail early am
• Jackson Meadow Reservoir
• LA-TI-DA: PCTA volunteer
• Bink: funny Sierra City stories
• Sweets Falls: Michelle and Shelly
• Blown
• Ate some killer food here in our kitchenette and got most of our drops packed up

Thursday, July 09, 2009

• Slept in; blown
  
• Choice to either race to Belden, then Burney Falls. Or sleep in and do the roll in first thing in the am routine to these two resupplies.
• Sierra Buttes
• Bink has the water in this section dialed so that helped with keeping the packs light.
• Camp most quiet and still of all
• Stars

Friday, July 10, 2009

• Pretty long break and dip
• passed by a thru
• trail crew: recognized bink from San Jacinto early on our walk
• No detours for us down to Bucks Lake
• yellow jackets nest
• ridgewalking along the rim
• crashing in the middle of the trail just above the overgrown descent to Belden; just out of reach of the bugs
• "It is amazing the trail was getting so much attention back south of us and this section has been overgrown for several years now. You can hardly see your feet."

Saturday, July 11, 2009

• Rave coming from Belden; video of space tripper dude in the tye dye blanket
• Belden resturaunt: ate two breakfasts
• Not much to purchase in the store. bink did pick up some killer shades.
• Thru's at creek crossings
• AT hikers: gave nutella and graham crackers
• new tropical island gaiters
• nice to be going thru here without the stress of fire closures
• water at Carter Meadows

Sunday, July 12, 2009

• New record at the halfway point: 34 days, 18 hours, 47 minutes, 2 seconds (fastest time, supported or unsupported).
• "Someone had tore up the register from last year so my name and like 3 others who made it thru no longer in there." :o(
• Water at Soldier spring: remnants of some thru hikers camp
• Trail magic at 36: sodas
• Drakesbad
• LINT: was actually there near Drakesbad and saw them
• Slipped by large group of hikers
• Swarmed by bugs and walking in all of our windgear to avoid the bites.

Monday, July 13, 2009

• coldest night/ morning of the whole trip
• freezing nights: you recover better and sleep more sound; also keeps bugs down
  
• only morning we hiked with all our clothes
• Hat Creek
• Old Station store for sandwiches and other treats
• "Bink ran HJ central out front while I took a quick shower and shave"
• Volcanic dust here is hell on my socks, feet and shoes
• Sandy Mann: killer brownies
• struggled across the rim
• pretty substandard camp in the middle of the trail
• No duff because of lava flow
• Bink had picked up a cowboy hat @ Old Station hiker box (?)
  
• ants

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

• Burney Falls
• Adam pulled the plug here last year
• Camp store: manager was very helpful this year
• hiker box: only salty foods
• yogurt
• can be slim pickins in this store if you are behind a herd of thru's
• Picked up new shoes; quick bath/laundry/shave; no shower
• Rock creek: bink up to his neck in cool water under the bridge
• Picked up 6 day carry in
• many of the springs are now signed
• Camped on trail; mild bugs
  

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

• McCloud River
• conifers
• "Bink pointed out a fire that was started back in 2006 by a hiker (which I don't think the hiker was ever aware of how much trouble it caused even though they left a note with their name on it in the middle of the fire and how they attempted to put out the fire they started. many pct thrus end up setting portions of the trail on fire which creates shadeless sections for future thrus)"
• Bink: spill; ended up throwing his pack up over his head; badly hurt his foot.
• blue suiting it over to a spring on the face of Grizzly Peak
• Caffeine because falling asleep while walking
• dip in Buck Creek and McCloud River
  
• Spill, but OK
• Trough Creek
• laid out ontop of my bivy due to heat
  

Thursday, July 16, 2009

• Castella
• downhill to I-5
• Slim
• nice dip in one of the creeks below Castle Crags
• Found some trekking poles; no good
• conifers to throw down in thick duff
• short day, but no real camping past this point
• blown out from heat, climb
  

Friday, July 17, 2009

• Psyched to be getting into the wilderness areas
• Beautiful spring
• thru's: I didn't let on who we where and made out like we where section hikers; one was on a rant about skippers
• folks hiking up from a road crossing to an overused lake
• springs before the road where killer
• Bink: had hard time restraining himself when he saw a fisherman lugging a cooler. He was thinking there might be some ice cold sodas in there
• First long views; 2006 had fires
• smoked long distance runners
• traverses
• creek with killer swimming right before camp
• real funny folks cruising in a jeep and listened to camp kids screaming up at the lake above us

Saturday, July 18, 2009

• Treed a bear
• "Nobo (northbound?) today who filled us in on many of the folks still ahead. It is funny that most of these folks off the front have their shit together compared to the folks in the middle and off the back. Most are travelling light as well and solo for that matter. Most are doing their own thing to trying to stay out of the drama of the herd. Funny stories comparing notes with the nobo."
• Bink: bonking before Etna summit; dizzy; worst this has happened in a while
  
• fun charging hard in the pm in the cooler temps

Sunday, July 19, 2009

• The Marbles: killer
• killer springs again
• guard station
• Red Buttes
• Bink: showed me a spring I walked by in 2006 I never knew was there; Nice spot to clean feet and water up under the shade of a big conifer
• dip in Greider Creek (similar to Rogue River)

Monday, July 20, 2009

• picked up some big rocks as the locals that live along this national scenic trail in this area like to let the aggressive dogs run loose and terrorize hikers
• charged at by a doberman, but just yelling and charging back at him scared the hell out of him
• Klamath (town)
• Breakfast
  
• bald eagle down fishing on the Klamath
• owner of the RV park a little fired up by waking him up so early for our packages
• Killer water at Rattlesnake spring
• cow infested camp (hunter's camp?)
  

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

• Crossed into Oregon
• New speed record for the state of California: 42 days, 18 hours, 27 minutes, 45 seconds (unsupported)
  
• section hikers camped right in the middle of the forest road here (good luck not to get driven over at night?)
• trail magic
• crossing I-5
• huge smoke plume next to Shasta
• Bink: showed me another spring I didn't know existed

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

• Hyatt Lake: shopped a little and picked up our resupply; quick shower
  
• Hyatt Lake Resort owner super nice; opened the pizza place just to give us ice cream, for being through-hikers
• Lava flows
• mosquitos at camp
• cleaned up in creek
  

Thursday, July 23, 2009

• Billy Goat: nice chat
• Up out of bugs
• Funny weekend warriors: Asked me about something off the PCT which I of course have no idea about.
• Lots of blowdowns (?) to climb over or around in here too.
• "There is a group ahead of us who is messing with billy goat by leaving signs (sticks with sharpee on them) that say things like, have you seen billy goat? We know exactly who is in front of us and we know there shoe tread."
• Dropped back down into bugs
• Bink, tatu: had bad snow here last year.
• snow bath (?); good on the sore muscles
• big elk

Friday, July 24, 2009

• Road runner
• camp store where we had to wait a hour
• got our package, did laundry, shopped, showered and resupplied. Hit up the buffet. Was amazed bink found time to write like 5 postcards.
• Crater Lake rim: light bugs
• "always a highlight having walked from mexico to see the lake and walk along the rim."
• "detoured over to the new gift shop area to top off water as we had like a 24 mile dry stretch coming up. I ate another ice cream bar up here."
• "...fading fast so we had to dip into our skurk pills and get skurked up."
• funny notes for the 3 hikers we had caught
• Bink: hauls a lot of trash off the trail even when attempting a speed record
• Thielsen Creek: mosquitoes
• traded bink some tortillas for some of his smoked herring

Saturday, July 25, 2009

• 3AM: I heard a hiker going plodding by
• Bink: typical surge hiker/ "zero hero" (?)
• "peices of napkin with the hikers splits on it at the road crossings. We figured we where no in the middle of the three hikers we had been trailing"
• bluesuiting it today and I was very happy when Bink shared some water with me at the last road crossing.
• snowmelt lake
• another silly sign left by the surge hiker for billy goat; chucked it
• lamoid let his dog come at me and I told him to get his dog under control
• Mastered the backcountry shave
• Had to skurk up again
• horrendous bugs; lake to clean up at
• never saw surge hiker
  

Sunday, July 26, 2009

• No more notes
• Bink: has been feeding me his leftovers since mexico
• Bugs for whole day
• Swimming at Island Lake (warm)
  
• sleeping in my bivy completely zipped in; couldn't make it without it
  

Monday, July 27, 2009

• Three Sisters
• Wind kept off bugs
• "I started to become aware of the fact that the closer we got to Canada the farther it seemed."
• "There is a spring on the descent to Mackenzie Pass that is too cool. It is in pumice rock and it bubbles up from the ground. The pumice rocks tumble and float in the current. Pretty neat to look at and some very sweet water."
• Highway crossing
  
• rough lava flow
• first bug free camp tonight
• "I was following behind bink to camp tonight and had a nighthawk swoop above my head. It sounded like a stunt kite ripping through the air. I ducked like I was under attack even though it was way above me. Scared me. They chirp cool to like a bat. Of course we heard their wings slicing the air all night."

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

• Big Lake Youth Camp: hiker box here and scored some goodies (bag of dried raspberries which will be killer in my chocolate mousse)
• "I had bounced my bounce here so that gave me the opportunity to do a quick pedicure."
• Breakfast at the morning brunch; 2 whole milk yogurts; 2 hard boiled eggs
• wild strawberries in the volcanic soil
• highway crossing: cooler with sodas and beer; another cooler fully loaded with candy bars, cookies and apples
• Bink: killer sea salt for my hard boiled eggs
• Tons of blow downs to climb over
• some snow to contend with
• naked on top of my bivy

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

• Olallie Lake break, dip
  
• Shave at an awesome spring
• Bink: introduced me to springs I wasn't aware of in here which is awesome for future walks
• skurk pills because of direct sun
• "large thunder bumpers"
• evening in a creek; killer
• section hiker
• killer spring but bugs
• "the h2o was out of hand sweet and ice cold"
• "Crossed a road before camp and here was a section hiker sleeping in the road. Again felt bad for the guy as this is a really bad habit to get into."
• slept in a waterbar off the trail. Soft and duffy on the edge of a clearcut.

Thursday, July 30, 2009

• quart containers for water
• Mt Hood approach "pretty chill"
• black biting flies; at every water source
• big sand pit up to the lodge
• drive by on the buffet in the lodge to find out it was closed. Bink: bright idea of filling up our quart containers with food
• Resupply packages at store; 10$ on 2 vita waters (i use these as h2o bottles) and 2 snickers. Those are the most expensive I have purchased the whole trip.
• Shave
• "Smelling Washington now"
• Crossed one glacial fed stream
• Ramona Falls: an equestrian rode there horse right up on Bink. Kind of rude, but I haven't run into but 2 equestrians the entire trip who had any leave no trace ethic. Most are very high impact and this behavior would support my theory.
• Yokum Ridge trail: recent trail work; ignore PCT detour
• wonderful springs
• bath in camp which was right in the middle of the trail
• "All night I could feel the cool air sliding down the mountain near the spring."

Friday, July 31, 2009

• OR/WA border: 53 days, 8 hours, 41 minutes, 57 seconds after departing from the southern terminus, and 10 days 14 hours 16 minutes 12 seconds after entering Oregon.
• eagle creek falls
• PCT here not the alternate: better view of MT Adams that isn't visible from the alternate
• swim at some lake that was deep
• Bink: him and Kenny listening to AC/DC live from across the Columbia River here back in the 90's
• one last dip in a creek that carved through this beautiful canyon. Really pretty waterfall too
• Cascade Locks: grocery store, lots of food purchased; widemouth liter bottle
• Charburger: huge dinner Bink had been talking about for 400 miles
• Bridge of the Gods: "I freaked the toll lady out by asking her to tell truckers there where hikers on the bridge and that they should drive wrecklessly around us."
• squeaky: did someone make OR faster than him? Is our record above is a new one overall or unsupported?
• beta (?)
  

Saturday, August 01, 2009

• Boulder with all this food piled on it. I took 3 bars and called it good. The biggest jar of peanut butter and meat sticks I passed on. Looked a little suspect.
• Blue suiting over to rock creek for a swim
  
• Jeans that Bink tagged last year (passed)
  
• Bink: killed biting flies and fed to trout
• Bink: found pair of loppers; did trail work to next creek; another soak
  
• "Funny trail markings in here. They have big signs for side trails, but no signs for the PCT."
• Stabler's: two cheeseburgers and two to go; one of the most supportive businesses along the trial.
• Packed resupply
• Panther Creek: one last dip before climb
• last water after few switchbacks
• Bink: don poncho mega burrito; laughed at labeling
  

Sunday, August 02, 2009

• Indian Heaven Wilderness: no bugs
• swim in some lake that was killer
• Passed bucket of candy
• Joel Lanz: at register; missed watermelon "(one of the best trail magic guys I have bumped into every time I walk the PCT except this year)."
• " Towards evening climbed up to a ridge hauling water in my silnylon bucket for 2 miles. Camped at a camp bink and michelle camped at on their sobo honeymoon walk. Bink ended up finding a stake he lost here that year. Funny stuff. The guy has been out here so much that he finds lost gear."

Monday, August 03, 2009

• Mt Adams
• cold spring shooting out of the base of the lava flow. Ice cold.
• More biting black flies at each water hole; suit up in windgear to defeat them
• PCT section hikers had abandoned food resupplies and buckets; found some goodies
• Goat Rocks Wilderness
• DEET; lots of bugs until climbing up
  
• Sheep Lake camp; swimming in the dark
• "It is a shallow lake so swimming felt good. The water was warm. It feels so good to soak in cool water until you get chilled. It relaxes all my muscles and makes sleeping lovely."

Tuesday, August 04, 2009

• White Pass: deli; "Tatu Joe mentioned to Bink last time they chatted to make sure our timing was impeccable at this resupply point as bink and joe got here at closing last year and it kind of held them up."
• Mt St Helens, Mt Raineer and Goat Rocks: great views
• Crossed several hard snow fields
• Egg Butte
• burros
• "sammies" at White Pass deli; instant chai in the hiker box
• crash and burn: " Tripped myself up with my own trekking pole trying to swipe a mosquito from my calf"; kept head up (!)
• backcountry shave at camp; deep fried burritos from White Pass for supper
  

Wednesday, August 05, 2009

• ridgewalking in Raineer National Park
• "Bink went down to the bathrooms here and offered to drop off any trash. I went up and hid behind a small clump of trees waiting for bink to walk into the crowded parking lot. Once he was down in there with all the people (probably 75-100 of them) I let out a outburst. I yelled, "Mwahhh haa haaa haaa! I am the lizard king and I can do anything!" Bink was giggling as he knew it was krudmeister up to no good. Unauthorized hi jinx in a Nation Park! He said people stopped dead in their tracks like there was a important anouncement. When he joined me back up on the trail we where laughing"
• Colorful spats (new ones from resupply at White Pass via Dirty Girl): girl scouts liked them
• shelter
• one water source: Bink filled up bucket and brought to camp
• Bink: forgot his Big Lake Youth Camp bandana here
• Camped in the middle of the trail
• Gunshots & revving motorcycles at night....

Thursday, August 06, 2009

• Stormin: forgot photo
• Blowout Mountain: nice ridgewalking
• Instant chai: good with cold water
• Bink: "starting to feel the beginning of his flu like symptoms so unlike most people he charges harder in circumstances like this."
• Rare silver and pink flagging (?)
• Snoqualmie Pass hotel: more instant chais; resupply boxes; laundry; dry the pack;
  
• Free meal per Michelle's friend; meatloaf dinner; shop at the store got last of the store owner's tortillas
• Packed bags for last six-day push
  

Friday, August 07, 2009

• corned beef hash and eggs I microwaved for breafast at 4:00 a.m.
  
• Bink: "fighting flu like symptoms since Stablers. Incredible stamina, will and raw strength he has (in yoda talk)."
• "When I stood up to urinate at the end of my chores my ankles about blowed out." (heavy pack)
  

Saturday, August 08, 2009

• Raina, Trauma and Yoni: two-pound brownies (Raina);
  
• Stevens Pass: Andrea Dinsmore and trail magic galore
• Set up pancho shelter first time (dewy)
  

Sunday, August 09, 2009

• "Scenery out of hand. I had missed all this in 06 as to winter weather blocking views behind clouds."
• Shelter again
  
• No detour; variation from Horton's, but true PCT
  

Monday, August 10, 2009

• No journal entry
  

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

• Rain; trail quagmire
• High Bridge
• Shoes kept safe on muddy descents
• Killer views
  
• Setting up poncho lean to style

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

• "Time to eat lunch here at home in reno. Quick update and then give a couple weeks please for all the photos, video and real journal entries. full record is 65 days 9 hours 58 min 47 seconds. A new PCT unsupported record. By default bests supported."

Thursday, November 12, 2009

• "I guess I am kind of done with this journal. I don't know if I will ever be able to get the photos up, however the vids are all there. This is my last TJ acct I will do. I am moving over to http://krudmeister.blogspot.com going forward. It has been fun at TJ, but I need a home of my own. So hopefully I can coax everybody into following along over there."

Journal ends

Complete Microsoft Excel spreadsheet of trip and mileage: http://kevinschultz.com/Adam Bradley Itinerary 2009.xls

Pacific Crest Trail Preparation List

A blog post to capture gear recommendations from Adam Bradley, current speed record holder for the Pacific Crest Trail:

Food + Water + Cooking

• MaryJanesFarm's Dehydrated Refried Pinto Beans: http://www.wildnevada.org/the-swip-trip-and-the-importance-of-beans/print.html (with cheese, tortilla chips)
• Chevdo Indian snack (Indian stores)
• Panda Licorice Chews
• Dried mango, pineapple, and dates
• shelled pistachios
• Primal Strips vegetarian jerky
• Yogurt
• Hammer Nutrition Products (HNP):
  
• HNP Perpetuem, Caffe Latte flavor as well as the Orange Vanilla; sweetened wih Stevia (link)
  
• HNP Mild Melon Heed as well as the Strawberry; sweetened with Xylitol (link)
  
• HNP Montana Huckleberry and Tropical Gel; (link)
• HNP Endurolytes; repackage them in vegetable capsules (link)
• HNP Almond Raisin Hammer Bar; “heavy hitter”. A heavy hitter was anything that stuck with you for a while versus any food source that was just a flash in the pan (link)
• HNP Phytomax; (link)
• HNP Digest Caps; (link)
• Recoverite
• dark chocolate
• Advil
• Cereal
• Salsa
• Sea salt
• widemouth liter bottle (link)
  
• "I pretty much dumped something in my gut every hour on the hour."
• "The quality of the food we put in allows us to do what we need to do on a daily basis."
  

Shelter

• Mountain Laurel Designs (MLD) Duomid; note: for winter adventures
  
• Western Mountaineering HighLite down sleeping bag
• MLD Superlight Bivy; (link)
  
• MLD Poncho Tarp (link)
  

Clothing

• Saucony Exodus shoes (maildrop in eight new pairs)
• Patagonia Ultra Lightweight Endurance Ped Socks (maildrop in new pairs)
  
• Patagonia Long Haul Runners
• Patagonia Airius T Shirt (no longer available)
• Patagonia Wool 2 Zip Neck
• Patagonia Houdini Pants (no longer available)
• Patagonia Houdini Jacket
• Patagonia Lightweight Alpine Beanie
• Patagonia Lightweight Glove Liners
• Go Lite Chrome Dome umbrella (link)
  

Pack

• Mountain Laurel Designs (MLD) Prophet

Gear

• Leki trekking poles (aluminum for summer [sturdier]; carbon for winter [less likely to stress fracture if dinged])
  
• Steripen
• Petzl e+Lite headlamp (link)
  
• Video camera
• Energizer lithium batteries ; (link)
• Dr. Bronners; "killer on blistered, hot feet" (link)
• Ear plugs (for sleeping on windy nights) (link)
• Spritzer bottle; doubles as rattlesnake deterrant (link)
• Eye drops (helps if get something in the eyes) (link)
  
• DEET
• Cell phone to coordinate/communicate
• four matches
  

Links

• "...the first 700 miles of the PCT in my opinion are grim...." (note: Mojave/Socal) (link)
• "The first 700 miles are very grim, because we were hiking through sand and crossing under highways while skirting the Mojave Desert. Most hikers don’t make it to the Sierras." (link)
  
• "...bugs were horrible in North Yosemite...[and] Crater Lake..." (note: I can attest to this, at least in Tuolumne Meadows x_x) (link)
• "Bear barrels are not a consideration for hikers carrying as light a load as we do...I wouldn’t recommend anything we do to other hikers." (link)
• "I slept with my food under my legs nightly. I used it to elevate my feet to drain the blood out of them., which was very important to my recovery." (link)
• "The most important thing I would say to people thinking about long distance hiking is build up to it slowly." (link)
• "The craziest thing about our reentry was getting in a car and driving it." (link)
• "...the hike is more than 90% mental...." (link)
• "The pair carried no stove, ate re-hydrated beans nearly every night for dinner...." (link)
• "...your average PCT thru-hiker takes about 150 days to complete the journey...." (link)
• "the PCTA hasn't come up with a permanent solution for the Glacier Peak detour problem. A detour is not a solution in my book. We are approaching a decade of closure here, which is ridiculous." (link)
• "Buy the ticket, take the ride." (link)
• Trail Journals: http://www.trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?id=275700
• Blogger: http://krudmeister.blogspot.com/

Radio Song

Teignmouth, Devon, England-based Muse's "Resistance" from their 2009 album "The Resistance" on the Warner Brothers and Helium 3 labels. Video.

43rd Annual Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival

Some vendor links:

• Spicy Brown: http://www.spicybrown.com/
  
  
• Bazaar Bizarre: http://www.bazaarbizarre.org/sanfrancisco/
  
  
• New People Store: http://www.newpeopleworld.com/goods/
  
  
• Sou Sou: http://sousousf.blogspot.com/
  
  
• the donut lounge: http://thedonutlounge.com/
  
  
• Fortune Cookie Creations: http://fortunecookiecreations.com/
  
  
• The Head Panda (panda hats): http://www.fancifulgift.com
  
  
• Japanese swords and armor: http://www.nihonto.com
  
  
• Fat Rabbit Farm: http://fatrabbitfarm.com
  
  
• Tomoko Maruyama (graphic designer): http://www.tomokomaruyama.com
  
  
• PixiMix: http://www.piximix.com
  
  
• Baby, The Stars Shine Bright: http://www.babyssb.co.jp ; http://www.pinktanpopodesigns.com/bssbusa (temporary blog)
  
  
• eco-origami: http://www.eco-origami.com
  
  
• Studio In Bloom: http://www.flowersbystudioinbloom.com
  
  
• Marin Bonsai Club: http://www.marinbonsai.org
  
  
• The Urasenke Foundation: http://www.urasenke.org/
  

Radio Songs

Heard this week on KYDS 90.5 out of Sacramento, CA:

Scotland-based Snow Patrol's "Ask Me How I Am" from their 2000 album "When It's All Over We Still Have To Clear Up" on the Jeepster Records label. Video.

San Diego-based Angels & Airwaves' "Start the Machine" from their 2006 album "We Don't Need to Whisper" on the Geffen label. Video.