Mission Peak - Melinda

Talked Bodie and the dog into hiking to Mission Peak today. Got a late start because Bodie had swim practice.

It's a beautiful day and we're trying backpacking recipes.

Signs of an aging backpacker - Melinda

You know you're getting old when the brand new Marmott rain jacket (that
is 5oz lighter than your old one and folds into it's own pocket) that
just arrived in the mail isn't as exciting as your first pair of
bifocals that you just picked up. Imagine, being able to see the trail
and read a map without constantly taking your glasses on and off!
Woohoo!! The icing on the cake is that they transition, so I won't have
to get clip-on sunglasses.

Getting Ready-Melinda

I'm seeing what it's like trying to post from my phone since I'll be doing this for four months. I'm much better with a big keyboard. Please excuse the typos and nonsense sentences.

I'm finding that planning meals is extremely difficult. I thought it would be easy. Trying to figure out what you're going to eat (breakfast, lunch, dinner and several snacks a day) for four months is hard though. You have to know exactly what you're going to have each day so it can be packaged up and in your resupply box before you leave. Then there is trying to add variety. I wonder if I'll ever eat oatmeal again!

So I go to bed and wake up thinking about trail food.

Sent from my iPhone

Got Meals?-Liz

Usually when I think about making my menu and grocery list its for 3-4 days, now I'm trying to wrap my head around a menu list for 4 1/2 months. That's 131 days, 3 meals a day=393 meals! I can take off a few for days we're in town, so now I'm at approx. 380 meals. Much better...not. I've spent the last few month's hoarding and collecting food thats been on sale at the supermarket. I've got quite the selection of instant potatos, 10 for $10, you can't beat that. Yesterday I came home to find a huge box of dehydrated meals gifted to me from Neal and Vicky H.. I was salivating as I opened the box and pulled out stroganoff, chili mac, enchilada, pasta alfredo, chicken ala king, and numerous other wonderful meals. I'm in awe of their generousity. Thank you, thank you. If you've ever backpacked you know as soon as your on the trail you start talking about food and what your next meal will be. I love potatos, I'm half Irish after all, but these meals will go a
long way to enjoying our adventure.
I still have many meals to prep and my dehydrater has been working overtime so off I go to read cookbooks, buy ingredients, chop food, dehydrate, and bag and seal. Good times ahead.

We Are Official - Melinda

We received our PCT permits today. Yay! When we applied for the permits
April 15 was not available. Our new departure date is April 14. I
can't believe it's only two months away.

There is a a lot of planning to do. I go to bed at night thinking about
trail food. Planning four months of food, three meals a day plus
snacks, is hard. We not only have to know what we want to eat, but it
has to be ready before we go so that it can be mailed when we need it.
I'm hoping to make a lot of my own meals, so I will be dehydrating food
like crazy now.

Then there is gear. I still have a few more items that I need to
purchase including at least one more pair of boots. I plan on wearing
hiking boots since I'm not as young as I used to be and I want to keep
my ankles protected.

Last Saturday I completed my first day of a two day Wilderness First Aid
Class. Very good information that I hope I never have to use. I did pay
close attention to the blister prevention and treatment, since I know
that I will not be able to avoid blisters.

I too visited my podiatrist. I have Neuromas in both feet. Its been my
right foot has been bothering me lately. So last week I got a Cortisone
shot in the right foot. The next step is alcohol treatment. Not as fun
as it sounds. I won't be doing shots of tequila. It will be literal
shots of an alcohol solution into the nerve. A few of these
injections should permanently numb the nerve.

Permit Envy-Liz

For those that don't know, you need a long distance permit for a PCT thru-hike, and Melinda and I have been waiting anxiously for the PCTA to open the registration. The website said "sometime in early February" so of course we've been looking since February 1st. On February 5th I opened the website and was overjoyed to see they had just begun the registration process and I started to fill out the questionnaire. When I got to the part were you pick your starting date I was shocked to see our date was already filled, I had no idea they had a quota limit each day. I immediately called Melinda and luckily she answered her phone, no small feat considering she's not a slave to her cell phone and actually ignores it sometimes. We decided to try for another day and with shaky hands we both managed to fill out the permit correctly. The pressure was intense since they only give you a few minutes to complete it before you're timed out. I was so envious of all the
hikers before me that got their permits and all I had this day was a confirmation. But today, February 9th I can rejoice and shout to the world that I, Liz Hasenberg, have received my long distance PCT permit. As Melinda reminded me, "we have to go now, its official"

love thy feet-Liz

I went to the Podiatrist the other day, for the first time, to have a "foot physical" before we hit the trail and I left his office a more enlightened person. He informed me, as I was standing in the hallway, that I'm not a flexible loose person. Duh, I haven't been for decades. I never could bend and touch my toes, the stigma from PE still haunts me. I learned I don't walk correctly, my right foot pronates. I'm going to blame my trail clumsiness on that and not the fact that I'm a klutz. He stressed the need to do stretching exercises to loosen my shoulders, hips, back, and legs. Sit ups, push ups, bike riding, and hiking isn't enough, damn. On the good side, he did say my feet looked nice. Just a couple of callouses because of walking incorrectly. The loss of toenails didn't bother him, "just keep them trimmed". His advise for blisters was exactly what I've been doing for years, pin prick hole to release the fluid, don't cut. It allows the blister to
heal faster and not get worse. Good to know I was doing something right. He thought my boots were fine but he ditched my OTC orthotics and gave me new ones to try. The hour I spent with him was well worth it and I have a new respect for my feet.