An Ode to Big Lake Youth Camp

Picture me - hot, thirsty, tired, hurting, limping through miles of lava and dust.  Seventeen miles from last night's camp.  Scrambling over downed trees, trying not to cry because I'm so scared I'll run out of water. Telling myself, "Just take a few sips every 15 minutes, that should be enough to get to Big Lake."  Eating is out of the question.  I'm too dehydrated and standing still actually hurts my ankle worse than walking.  So I pause occasionally to force down an energy chew but mostly I keep moving.  Trees, trees, nothing but trees.  Where's the fucking lake? I see "2000" written in rocks on the side of the trail - the 2000th mile of the PCT for north bounders. I go by without taking a photo.  It's in a dry forest after the lava and the dust is poofing up all over me.  Despite my ankle, I walk faster than I ever have on the trail.  Screaming along, practically jogging, probably doing over 3.5 miles per hour.  On downhills, I actually do jog.  I pass two other hikers and though they wave and say "hi" I'm so intent on getting to the lake, I don't respond.  Scared into rudeness I guess.  After a while, I recognize the significance of "2000."  Only 2 miles to the turnoff to Big Lake.  I'm going to make it. I slow down a little and in an hour I'm there - Big Lake Youth Camp.

I have never been so glad to be someplace in my life.  I'm sure the "danger" was all in my head but I was genuinely concerned that the 3 L of water I had picked up at Lava Camp was not sufficient to get me 13 miles over lava, hills, dust, and burned forest.  So when I arrived a the Big Lake Youth Camp I was beyond relieved to be somewhere where there was water and food and people.  But my experience there went so far beyond those necessities that I feel compelled to write about it.  This is my ode to the Big Lake Youth Camp.

After arriving, I managed to find the office of the youth camp and checked in alongside several other hikers.  There were about 12-15 of us there.  The girls at the office helped the hikers who had resupply boxes and explained the amenities of the camp.  We could have dinner and breakfast at the camp.  We could also use their showers and laundry facility.  Camping for hikers was down by the "lagoon."  It was all FREE but they accepted donations.  I had arrived just before dinner, so I hung out by the lodge and waited.  I called my friend and explained that my trip was over.  Ankle hosed, no going on.  Sorry Melissa.  She agreed to come get me in the morning.

When the time came for dinner, the youth camp leaders let the hikers eat first.  Crazy.  We thought we'd be getting the leftovers after 100 or so teenagers pillaged the food line but no, we were allowed in first.  Dinner was a pasta bake similar to lasagna.  There was also salad, garlic bread, brownies, and fresh fruit.  I was very self conscious during dinner.  I was sitting next to a group of teenagers and I was GROSS.  I'd never been so dirty on the trail.  I was so anxious to get food and water that I hadn't bothered to wash my hands.  I was still really dehydrated so I had a terrible time getting all of my food down.  I couldn't finish my brownie!  I put $2 in the donation box.

After dinner, I found the laundry - not because I wanted to wash my clothes but because that's where the youth camp keeps the towels that the hikers can borrow.  In the laundry room, there was a huge pile of big fluffy towels and a box of soap set aside for hikers.  I grabbed a towel and a bar of soap and bee-lined for the shower. The shower room was being cleaned and I felt terrible for stomping dirty footprints across the clean tiles.  I apologized to the girl who was mopping the floor but she smiled and said "It's OK." The shower was hot with plenty of pressure and I literally groaned as I rinsed off 5 days of accumulated dust and grime.  I scrubbed for so long, I used up the tiny bar of soap.

After my shower, I went back to the laundry to return my towel.  While I was there I overheard a conversation between one of the counselors and a hiker.  The hiker wanted to do laundry but he didn't have anything to wear while his clothes were washing.  The counselor responded "Don't worry, we have sweats and a t-shirt you can borrow."  I was floored.  Seriously, these were the nicest people on earth.

It was late by then, probably 7:30 so I decided to make my way to the lagoon for the night.  But I wanted to get some water first.  I knew of a drinking fountain near the lodge but I wanted a sink where I could fill up my Platypus.  As I walked by the lodge, the man that ran the food line stepped out.  I asked him if there was a sink I could use and he pointed me to the kitchen and said, "Knock yourself out. Oh and there's extra food from dinner if you want another plate.  And there's bananas and apples too if you want some."  Wow.  I filled up my Platypus and grabbed a banana, glowing in the amazing generosity of the camp.

In the morning, I went back to the lodge for breakfast.  Biscuits and gravy.  Cereal with blueberries.  And they let the hikers eat first.  I'm totally serious. During breakfast two of the counselors came in dressed in costumes - Cat in the Hat hats, poodle skirts, ski masks, half a guerrilla suit.  It was pretty funny.  They skipped around the assembled teenagers while a goofy song played in the background.  All of the campers watched in anticipation as they stopped at one camper or another and then moved on.  When the music cut off, they grabbed the camper they were next to and beat him with pillows.  It was awesome.  There's nothing better than watching teenagers be humiliated.

I left $20 in the donation box.  Some of the other hikers left nothing.  Shame on them.  The Youth Camp was amazingly generous.  $20 seems like a bargain for two meals, a camp spot, shower, and laundry.

Thank you Big Lake Youth Camp, you were amazing

Sprained Ankle Redemption

Since leaving the PCT with a sprained ankle three weeks ago, I've been torturing myself with regrets and second thoughts.  I keep thinking, "It wasn't that bad, I could have gone on."  I've also been dealing with a lot of guilt because I ruined my friend's backpacking trip.  She attempted Oregon last year but ended up off the trail at Big Lake (same spot as me) with extremely bad tendinitis in her foot.  This year, she was going to try to finish the trip with me.  Instead, she ended up driving me home.  On top of everything is this feeling of unfinished business. I didn't set out to do what I had intended and that bugs me.  I will be back.  My plan is to reattempt Oregon in 2016.

In the meantime, I have a ton of unused backpacking food and supplies that are just wasting away.  To salve my soul a little and to use up some of my supplies, I have been toying with the idea of doing the Tahoe Rim Trail as a series of four weekends. That's only 40 miles per weekend. No biggie.  I meant to start this weekend but ended up cancelling due to some scheduling issues.  So instead, I took one of my dogs up to the Tahoe Rim Trail and did a day hike.  I'm glad I did.

Any thoughts of "My ankle wasn't that bad, I could have gone on" are gone.  My ankle hurt like heck from about Mile 2 to the end (I did eight miles).  It's nearly a month since I sprained my ankle and it's not fully healed.  An easy day hike with a light pack nearly crippled me.  Had I chosen to go on in Oregon, I would have seriously destroyed my ankle.  It eases my mind considerably to know this.

But, Oregon, I will be back.

Beautiful Lake Tahoe from the Tahoe Rim Trail.  What a gorgeous day. 

Dexter is a great hiking dog.  Very obedient and walks right behind me. 

Carson Valley from the trail.  I love this place. 

I thought it was funny how the moss made the trees look striped. 

Dexter ran ahead to wait in the shade while I took the previous picture.

Smart pup!

Afterthoughts - What I Would Have Done Differently

It's been about three weeks since I got off the trail, so I've had some time to reflect on what I did right and what I did wrong.  I only made it 210 miles, about half of what I wanted to do but I still spent two weeks on the trail and I learned a ton about backpacking and myself.

1) More than anything, I wish I'd taken better care of myself.  I got so focused on "making the miles" that I ignored what my body was telling me.  When you hit your 40s, your mind still thinks you're a youngster but the fact is, you're not.  As a result, I pushed myself too hard and learned the hard way that my body isn't as resilient as it used to be.  As the days wore on, my legs started hurting terribly and my energy level sagged.  My legs would hurt so bad at night I couldn't sleep.  It wasn't soreness, it was cramping that would get so bad my legs would jerk and jump involuntarily.  Looking back on it, I'm sure it's from a combination of dehydration, vitamin and mineral deficiency, and loss of salt.  Unfortunately, I wasn't equipped to deal with this problem.  I brought Gatorade mix and had salty snacks but I didn't bring any supplements.  Since returning, I've read how some hikers take magnesium supplements.  I'll definitely be doing that next time and I will be religious about taking them alongside a multivitamin.

I'm sure I was dehydrated on most days.  This is a tricky one because I think it's inevitable that you will deal with some dehydration.  The water sources in Oregon can be very far apart and there's nothing you can do about it but carry lots of water and drink sparingly.  But the dehydration is probably the main reason I had no appetite on the trail.  I'd heard lots of stories about how ravenous backpackers get but I never felt that way.  For me, it was a challenge to eat every bite of my dinner.  After a while, I would force myself to eat everything because I knew I needed the energy but it could take an hour to eat a meal.  I firmly believe that had I been drinking more water this wouldn't have been a problem.  I suppose a solution would be to eat dinner at a water source so I can drink a bunch of water before and after eating.  Lesson learned.

I also wish I'd tried to keep myself cleaner.  At a minimum, I wish I'd done a nightly wipe down of my private parts.  I think this would have made me a lot more comfortable and happy on the trail.  I also wish I'd rinsed my shirt and socks more often.  Even though this wouldn't have accomplished much from a hygiene perspective, it would have lifted my spirits a little to not stink so bad.

2) I wish I'd carried a bit less weight.  This goes for me, personally and my backpack.  I lost weight before the trip but was still about 25 pounds overweight.  Being overweight makes a huge impact on your feet, ankles, knees, and hips. Consider that it boosted my max carried weight to 65 pounds! I used nearly everything in my backpack and was glad to have everything I brought.  But next time, I would leave behind a few things.  I brought camp shoes (Tevas) and I did use them but I don't think I really needed them.  They were nice for wading into water sources but I could have gone barefoot and washed my feet off at the same time. I also brought a small paperback.  I never touched it.  I was always too tired for it.  Sometimes writing in my journal was more effort than I wanted to make, so hauling a book turned out to be dumb.  Next time, I think I would also try to trim weight by taking a lighter sleeping bag and pad.  I may also go stoveless.

3) I wish I'd taken more photos.  For me, I actually did pretty OK in this regard but looking back on my photos, I keep thinking "why did I take so few?"  For whatever reason, I don't normally think to pull my camera out constantly.  Sometimes it's because I think "well that looks nice but I bet it won't show up in a photo."  You know what?  So what if it doesn't turn out.  But if I'd taken the damn picture, maybe it would have!  The drive home with my friend was one disaster after another (a future post perhaps) and I wish I'd taken some photos to document what an insane couple of days it turned out to be.

But overall, I'm pretty pleased with how I did on the trail. I had fun and I survived.

Gear Review - Personal Care

If I could have done one thing better, it would have been to take better care of myself.  Mostly I would have drank more water, taken supplements, and eaten better.  I did get a few things right and I had a few personal care items that I'd like to recommend - and one that I recommend but only with several cautionary statements.  This could get a little personal, so be forewarned!

Cleanliness
Coleman Biowipes
Crystal Body Deodorant Wipes

Staying clean and reasonably stink-fee is a real challenge.  After a while, you have to just live with it.  No amount of rinsing off in lakes or wiping down with wet wipes is going to change the fact that you are dirty, stinky, and probably a little uncomfortable.  But it is VERY important that you keep certain areas clean.  Chafe is a bad thing and keeping chafe-prone areas clean(ish) is one of the best ways to deal with it.  I used Coleman Biowipes to help with personal cleanliness.  They're great because they're pretty big (8x10") and they're biodegradable.  If you're a conscientious, Leave No Trace kind of hiker, you will be packing everything out but if you had to leave one behind (for whatever reason), it will biodegrade.  Just bury it deep people!!  My only complaint about the Biowipes is that they're not terribly moist.  But they get the job done.  They come in packs of 30 and a full pack weighs 8.4 oz.  That's pretty heavy but I think having wet wipes along is crucial.  I will never hike without them.  I got mine at Wal-Mart.

The other item I brought was Crystal Deodorant Wipes.  Dealing with body odor is probably a mostly losing proposition but I chose to fight it as best I could.   I didn't want to carry a stick of deodorant because it's too bulky and can melt, making a huge mess.  I bought a box of 40 individually wrapped deodorant wipes online and packed one for each day I was on the trail.   These deodorant wipes were AMAZING.  I was pretty skeptical that they could combat BO on the trail but they worked extremely well.  I tried to remember to use one every morning but sometimes forgot.  If I noticed a funk coming from my pits, I'd stop and use one and it ERASED any BO.  What's more, my husband used them too and he normally stinks horrendously - seriously, he could give a skunk a run for its money.  Jeff never smelled of BO the entire time he was with me.  They take up almost no space and are biodegradable.  I packed mine out but if you had to bury one you could (see above about Leave No Trace).  They're not cheap though, about $0.75 per wipe.

Bandanas

Pretty much anyone who hikes knows that a bandana is a crucial piece of equipment.  They have so many uses, it's ridiculous.  I carried two.  Before the hike, I had heard about girls using bandanas as pee rags.  I've never done this, always having been a "drip dry" kind of girl.  But after a friend strongly recommend I bring a pee rag, I conceded, convinced that I'd never use it.  Well, I used it and I'm extremely grateful to my friend for insisting I bring it.  Girls -when you pee outside day after day with no hope of a shower, things start to get a bit rank - namely your clothes.  Add to that a little drip of pee here and there and it gets super rank, fast.  I cannot stress enough how important it is to do whatever you can to stay just a teensy bit clean.  I will always carry a pee rag from now on, even on day hikes.  I kept mine tied to the back of my pack with a caribiner alongside my orange trowel.

I carried a second bandana because I used it for wiping the sweat off my face and blowing my nose. I kept it tied to the shoulder strap of my pack so it was always accessible and had a chance to dry.  I'm sure I looked a little silly festooned with colorful bandanas but I loved this set up.

That Time of the Month
Diva Cup

Menstruation is something all girl hikers have to deal with and it's never fun.  I did a lot of research on this and decided to go with the Diva Cup because you can use it on its own and it's small  (rather than carrying a lot of tampons and pads) and there's no trash to pack out.  Sounds great right?  Well, in my opinion, using the Diva Cup for hiking is for experienced users only.  It does have many benefits but there are certainly many, many drawbacks if you use it on the trail.  I STRONGLY suggest you get to know your Diva Cup extremely well before using it for backpacking or hiking.  I had only used mine once before taking it to Oregon and although I did OK with it, it was not easy to use.  

Beyond the normal learning curve that comes with using a menstrual cup, I had some pretty serious concerns with it on the trail.  1) When hiking it's really hard to keep your hands clean and with the Diva Cup, you're going to be doing some serious rooting around in your private parts. 2)  You're going to get some blood on your hands, so be prepared to wipe them off somehow.  3) It's really hard to get the cup clean unless you're prepared to spare some of your precious drinking water to rinse it out.  4) You'll need to find a very private place to deal with emptying it and re-inserting it.  Taking a poop is one thing, letting it all hang out while you struggle with getting the cup in and out is a whole other thing. 5) Keep in mind that you have to squat for a long time to deal with it and when you're legs are already tired from being on the trail, it can be really hard to squat AND relax at the same time.  And trust me, if you don't get your internal muscles to relax, you ain't gettin' that thing in.  One tip regarding inserting the Diva Cup -  relax your jaw and your kegels will relax too.  Don't ask me how but it really does work.

And one final warning - the makers of Diva Cup will tell you that you only need to empty the cup every 12 hours.  Well, if you have a heavy flow, this can actually be reduced to 6 hours.  That's better than a tampon but if you're thinking how nice it will be to only deal with it twice a day, think again.

Gear Review Continued - Other Necessities

Some people review every bit of gear they have.  I'm not going to do that because 1) I bought a lot of my stuff on clearance and it's probably discontinued now and 2) stuff like clothing is a very personal choice and anyone planning a big backpacking trip should wear what's best for them.  I also didn't use some of my stuff in earnest.  Like my rain coat.  It never rained hard enough for me to really need it.  I did wear it for most of one day and I liked it fine but I don't think I can give it a thorough review.  And some things I brought but some people might choose to go without.  Like a hat. I wore a hat every day because my scalp burns easily and I didn't want to carry sunscreen.  And again, I think a hat is a very personal choice and what worked for me may not work for everyone.

In no particular order here's some of the necessities I carried:

Water Filter
Sawyer Squeeze Filter

I used this every single day I was on the trail and I loved it.  A lot of the other hikers were carrying chemical treatment or steri pens but I was super glad to have an actual filter.  I've had giardia twice and I'd really rather not get it again.  Pretty much any water treatment process should remove giardia but I wanted my water to look and taste good on top of being sterile and this is where the Sawyer filter really shines. Jeff and I had to get water at a super nasty reservoir with tons of floaties and the filter made the water taste and look perfect.  The filter is also nice because it's small - about the size of my palm.  You do have to carry a water bag to use with it but most people bring a collapsible Platypus bag anyway.  I also carried two 1 L Aquafina bottles, which made collecting water at shallow sources easy.  Again, most everyone brings these anyway, so it wasn't like it was extra gear.  Filtering 2 L of water generally took about 3-4 minutes, sometimes longer if the filter hadn't been cleaned in a while.  I didn't find this to be too onerous since it's nice to sit down and take a break. I backflushed the filter every chance I got, which wasn't too often as it turns out.

In addition to the Sawyer filter, I purchased a quick fill adapter for my hydration hose.  I could unsnap the bite valve, clip in the adapter and filter water directly into my hydration bag.  This was SO nice. It meant that I didn't have to remove my hydration bag from my backpack every time I needed to put water in it. I highly recommend this if you get the Sawyer filter.

In all, I think I spent about $50 on my water filter and adapter.  Not bad at all.

Kitchen stuff

My kitchen amounted to a JetBoil stove, a cup with lid, titanium spork, and an Ursack.  I ended up not using the JetBoil as much as I thought I would.  Mostly we used it to heat up water for dinner.  It only boils 2 cups of water at a time but that's perfect for Mountain House meals, which only need 2 cups.  It worked great.  I never had any problems with it.  But next time I do a big backpacking trip, I might try to go stoveless to cut down on the weight and bulk.  But the JetBoil is about the size of a 1 L Nalgene bottle, so it's really not bad.  I bought my cup at the grocery store.  It has a sealed, locking lid and I found it adequate for my needs.  It's made by a company called Sistema.  I used it for everything from cereal, to stew, to mixing Gatorade.  The little locking parts had a tendency to come loose but you just snap them back on.  Jeff gave me the Light My Fire spork.  It's titanium, so very light.  I wish I'd had a longer utensil for digging food out of deep bags but whatever.  It's a food shovel, what more needs to be said?  I liked having the Ursack.  A lot of the thru hikers had light nylon food bags, which have the benefit of weighing almost nothing.  But I liked having the Ursack because it kept rodents out of my food.  I was never bothered by bears, so didn't test it in that way.  The Ursack can probably accommodate a week's worth of food but the most I ever had was 5 days.  It's heavy and doesn't squash down easily but you also won't find your food stash ravaged by animals.

Sleeping Pads

I used two sleeping pads.  I started out with an REI Air Rail pad.  It was luxurious and made for a great night's sleep.  It's the only full length sleeping pad I've ever owned and it folded down pretty small and weighed 1 lb 9 oz.  Not too bad for the benefit of good sleep.  It blows up pretty fast and deflates super fast.  I switched to the Thermarest Z Lite pad when I was solo'ing because I needed the extra room in my pack for my tent and wanted to shed pounds.  The Z Lite weighs a full pound less than the Air Rail.  The only downside for packing it, is that it doesn't fold down very small so you have to strap it to the outside of your backpack.  Aside from the lighter weight, one of the best benefits of the Z Lite is that you can plop it down anywhere and use it as a sitting pad.  This was a nice change from sitting in the dirt or on bumpy logs.  Setting it up was also easy because you just unfold it.  Fold it up in the morning and that's it.  It takes about 1.5 seconds.  But for me, it just didn't cut it, sleep wise.  I'm a side sleeper and I could not get comfortable on it.  If I slept on my back, it would have been perfect.  But sleeping on my side made my hips hurt unbearably.  I finally found a position where I slept kind of on my stomach and that was OK.  But mostly I think I was only able to sleep on it because I was so exhausted I could have slept on anything.  I'm going to try a Neo Air next time.

Me with the Z Lite strapped to the bottom of my backpack.  

I had to lash it vertically when I needed my rain cover.

Footwear

Salomon XA Pro 3D Ultra WP

Thorlo socks

REI scree gaiters

I reviewed my shoes previously but I'd like to give them a post hike review.  I wore Salomon XA Pro Ultra 3D WP trail running shoes.  I loved them.  They were incredibly stable.  I never got a single blister! They're waterproof and the waterproofing helped to keep my feet clean.  The Ortholite insoles that come with them are extremely comfortable. The traction is fantastic.  Durability was surprisingly good, although I did get one tear on the side of one shoe.  They even survived miles of lava pretty well.  Beyond highly recommended.  I will be wearing them again.  My current pair has another couple hundred miles left in them but I'll be buying another pair when they wear out.

 Before the trip.

 After the trip.

The one tiny hole I got. 

Fantastic traction with these things and the soles have a lot of life left.

For socks, I wore Thorlo crew cut light hikers.  Thorlo socks are all synthetic.  Lately I've been finding that wool blends give me heat rash, so I switched to the synthetic and never got it again.  Thorlos are very heavy socks, so the light hikers were the perfect weight for me.  Also, see above about NO BLISTERS.  The socks proved to be tough and comfortable.  Will definitely be buying more.

I wore gaiters nearly every day.  Unfortunately, my decision to wear shorts was very last minute, so I didn't have time to do research regarding gaiters.  I ended up buying my gaiters two days before I hit the trail and was stuck with buying the only pair in my size at REI.  They're REI scree gaiters.  I like them OK and they work well. I never got any rocks or debris in my shoes and they kept my feet a lot cleaner than if I'd gone without them.  On the day that I stepped in dog poop, I didn't wear them because I didn't want to get poop on them.  My feet were absolutely filthy that day.  So yeah, they worked well but they were kind of a chore to get on. They fasten with velcro and a snap at the toe and it was a daily struggle to get them on just right.  The velcro could also scratch against my leg if I didn't get them fastened right. I'll be trying Dirty Girls next time.

Post Hike Gear Review - The "Big Three"

The "Big Three" - tent, backpack, and sleeping bag.  Probably the three most expensive and crucial pieces of equipment you'll have with you.  Here's what I took with me:

Tent
REI Quarter Dome T2+ and Sierra Designs Flashlight 1

I used two tents on the trail because I was with Jeff in the beginning and solo'd the final leg of the trip.  I bought the REI Quarter Dome T2+ on clearance and I don't think they make it anymore, so keep that in mind.  I bought the tent primarily because it was pretty light for a big two person tent - about 5 pounds.  That sounds like a lot but because Jeff and I split the shared gear, it really didn't weigh that much.  Jeff carried the tent, which was probably about 3 pounds and I carried the poles and stakes.  We loved our two man tent.  The T2+ is wider and longer than the regular T2, so it was plenty roomy inside.  On rainy nights (of which we had several), it was easy to get all our stuff either under the two vestibules or inside with us.  The tent has two doors, which is awesome since I tend to get up in the night to pee.  It also has pockets on the interior for stashing little things like eyeglasses and headlamps.  I can't really review how it does in bad weather because aside from a few minor rain showers, we didn't experience any bad weather.  I did use it on an over night hike at Lake Tahoe and can vouch for the fact that it does fine in the wind - you just have to make sure you set it up with one of the ends facing into the wind.  At one point, a big gust hit the tent and it buckled slightly but then it bounced right back up. I have zero complaints about this tent and would recommend it highly except for the fact that they don't make it anymore.

Update - As of September 2014, REI is still selling the Quarter Dome T2+.  I think they're only selling them through their outlet though.

On the other hand, I have mixed feelings about the Sierra Designs Flashlight 1.  It's a non-freestanding, single wall tent and it definitely has all the issues that come along with that kind of tent.  I bought it primarily for the weight.  I can use my trekking poles to set it up, which reduces the carried weight considerably.  I think it was just over 2 pounds.  Nice. The lightness and the fact that it could squash up into a 6 x 8" ball were wonderful.  It was also very easy to set up, although the toggles for the foot poles were a little tricky at times.  When the conditions are ideal, this is a great tent.  Soft ground, away from water, I loved it.  The biggest issue with single walled tents is that they condense badly inside and it's no fun dealing with a wet tent.  I found that this was only a problem when I camped near a body of water.  The humidity would cause really bad condensation on the inside walls.  But if I camped in a dry spot, I never had condensation problems - even when I had the tent completely zipped up during a rain storm.  When the conditions were less than ideal, I was less than enthused by it.  The biggest problem I ran into was setting it up on hard or rocky ground.  Because it's not freestanding, you have to use the tent stakes on all points or it won't stand up.  There are 7 anchor points and I had two nights where I couldn't get any of the stakes to go into the ground more than an inch.  It made for a droopy tent.  I have to admit though that on one of those nights, I got hit by a pretty fierce thunderstorm and the tent withstood it even though it wasn't properly staked.  Inside, the tent is plenty roomy and I could sit up without any issues.  The vestibule is tiny though and probably only good for shoes.  But I could bring my backpack inside no problem.  The tent has lots of features that were designed to cut weight yet still offer a nice shelter.  For example, the side walls are mesh and you can only zip up the walls 3/4 of the way.  I think they did this to deal with condensation issues and to make the tent lighter.  But the roofline of the tent juts out far enough to keep rain from getting inside. I experienced one bad rainstorm in this tent and I didn't get wet.  As with the REI tent, it's important to set it up with the "head" side into the wind.  I had ZERO problems with the weather in this tent.  I would recommend the tent for people looking for a light one person tent but with disclaimers about the non-freestanding and single wall issues.  Overall, not half bad for the price.

Backpack
North Face Stamina 65

I'm a little hesitant to review my backpack because North Face discontinued this pack years and years ago.  I bought it in 2000 at the North Face outlet in Berkeley.  I've been waiting a long time to use it and didn't want to drop a bunch of money on a new backpack and, in the end, I'm so glad I kept the pack all these years because I ADORE it.  For its time, the North Face Stamina was probably top of the line. I think it retailed for $280, which was a lot in 2000.  I got mine for about $180 and, at the time, I felt like that was a lot of money.  Despite its age, the pack only weighs about 1 oz. more than a comparable Osprey pack of today.  Not bad for a nearly 15 year old bag.  There are so many things I love about this pack, I'm not sure where to begin.  First of all, its rugged.  The materials used to make it are TOUGH.  I scraped it against trees and rocks and it never showed any wear at all. The frame is also super strong. I would think this pack could handle loads up to 65 pounds easily. It's BIG.  What I love the most about it is that it's a big, simple pack.  It doesn't have very many pockets and doesn't have gizmos for hanging things off the pack (like trekking poles, water bottles, etc.) but it makes up for that by being voluminous inside.  I don't like things hanging off my pack and the big size of the pack meant that I could put everything inside, no problem.  The top lid is similarly big.  I could put tons of little things in it.  The lid also has two mesh pockets that were great for organizing small things.  Everyone who sees my pack comments that they wish they had those little interior pockets.  The lid also has a "secret" pocket for storing stuff like wallets and cell phones.  It has a HUGE sleeping bag compartment that is reinforced with extra water proofing. And it's a true extra compartment in that it's completely sealed from the rest of the bag.  The back pad and hip belt get huge props for making this an incredibly comfortable backpack.  The back pad isn't fancy like today's bags.  It doesn't have vents or air channels.  It's just a thick sheet of super comfortable foam and I love it.  It molds perfectly to my back.  The hip belt is hefty and padded with nearly 2 inches of foam.  I never got sore spots on my hips, which a lot of backpackers complain about.  The only issue with the hip belt is that it's the old school side pull type, so getting it adjusted was kind of an ordeal.  The shoulder straps are a bit spartan though and I did get sore spots on my arms where they rubbed.  Inside, it has a big hydration sleeve that easily accommodates a 3 L Platypus.  I only have two complaints about the pack.  First, it has two side pockets that are nearly useless.  They're long and skinny and when the pack is full, it's really hard to get anything into them.  I used them to store my rain gear and my toiletries and they did OK.  The pack also has an odd feature in that it has one water bottle holder on the right side.  It really needs one on each side to keep your load balanced.  It's a complete mystery to me why North Face did this.  Also, when the side pocket on the right side is full, you can't use the water bottle holder very easily because there's not enough room for a tall water bottle.  If this bag was still available I would recommend it highly.  I love, love, love my backpack.

For scale, I'm 5'3".

Sleeping Bag

Big Agnes Fria 15

This is my first ever down sleeping bag.  I got a 15 degree bag because I tend to be a cold sleeper.  The bag has tons of nice features, the best one being a built in pillow compartment.  I stuffed my extra clothes in there at night to make a pretty decent pillow.  The weather in Oregon was generally pretty warm, so I mostly just opened up the bag and used it as a blanket. The bag was far too warm on most nights.  But I did have two nights that got really chilly - one night I actually zipped the bag all the way up including the hood. I never got cold.  

To cut down on weight and bulk, Big Agnes doesn't put insulation on the bottom of their bags.  I have mixed feelings about this.  The idea is that your sleeping pad should provide insulation on the bottom, thus you don't need down on that side.  The bag has a sleeve for inserting your sleeping pad to keep it in place.  But at the end of a long day, I generally didn't want to wrestle with this feature and when I did, I found it difficult to roll around at night.  Having your sleeping pad attached to your bag makes it almost impossible to lay on your side because the bag and hood don't move and you end up suffocating or getting weirdly half twisted in the bag.  In addition, when I didn't use the sleeping pad sleeve, I could easily roll over and have the non-insulated side exposed.  Brrr. I also found that the Z Lite sleeping pad and the Big Agnes bag were not a good match because the lack of insulation on the bottom of the bag meant that I was sleeping directly on the not-so-soft bumps of the Z Lite.  Plus the Z Lite is only so-so insulation wise. This sleeping bag is best used with an air pad, in my opinion. In a way, my sleeping bag is a bit like my Flashlight 1 tent.  When used in exactly the way the manufacturer intends you to, it's great.  But deviate from that and it only works so-so.  I also wished the bag would compress down a bit more than it did.  But it's a 15 degree bag, so it's only going to get so small I guess.  I will be trying a 25 degree bag next time and save the Big Agnes bag for cooler temperatures.

Leg 3 - Willamette Pass to Big Lake (solo)

After Leg 2, Jeff had to go back to work and my friend, Melissa, was meeting me at Big Lake, which meant that I had to solo the 88 miles between Willamette Pass and Big Lake.  Gulp.  In the end, this was my favorite Leg of my hike.  I absolutely loved solo hiking.  I got to do everything on my schedule and my pace.  No reaching a consensus with someone else.  I LOVE solo backpacking and plan to do more in the future.

Everyone asks me if I was scared to be by myself.  Nope.  Never.  Not once. When I worked for the Forest Service, I would occasionally go into the field by myself.  I always loved those solo days.  I could do everything my way.  An added bonus was that I could take a pee anywhere I wanted.  :) My Forest Service experience helped immensely when I was on my own on the PCT.

The downside of solo hiking is that you have to carry everything and you have to set up camp, filter water, etc. without help from someone else.  I learned a ton about myself during this stretch.  I also learned a ton of patience.  Tired and don't want to set up the tent? Too bad, it's going to rain and there's no one else to do it for you.  Solo hiking is unforgiving and doesn't give you any choice but to do suck it up and keep going. I loved it.

August 14, 2014; Miles - 18

My first solo day.  I was very sad to leave Jeff at the trailhead.  I am not looking forward to the next 5 days by myself.  Nights are going to be hard.  I got started at about 9:30 and made good time all day.  It was very uphill today but I got to see some nice lakes and got high enough to see all the way back to Crescent Lake (I think).  About 1:00, my pack got weird.  It's really jabbing me in the left shoulder blade.  I'm hoping I didn't bend the frame.  It will make for a very uncomfortable 200+ miles.  My attitude about the trail waxes and wanes with regularity.  I love it up until about mile 12 and then my enjoyment drops steadily.  At dinner, I think about quitting altogether.  This happens every day. :)  Its's really hard to keep a positive attitude when you just want to sleep but there's still so much to do.  I am at Charlton Lake.  When I arrived here, I was immediately confused by a strange sight.  There was a campsite full of tons of gear.  There was a huge 6 person tent, folding tables, bicycles and tons and tons of Rubbermaid tubs full of paper towels, paper plates, etc.  When you're on the trail, you get very myopic.  You're following this little ribbon through the woods and that becomes your world in a way.  So when I walked up on this camp, my thought was "how on earth did they get all this stuff in here?"  I had just hiked in 18 miles to get to this point, so I was thoroughly confused.  I didn't realize that Charlton is very close to a road and is popular with car campers. It's very odd to see car campers literally bringing in wheelbarrows full of stuff when everything you depend on is in a backpack on your back.  The campsite I chose was right next to the path leading to the parking lot and one group spent about 2 hours going back and forth with a wheelbarrow and a red wagon collecting gear.  I think they were having a family reunion or something.  I really miss Jeff.

The intrepid explorer.  It was cold that morning, so I've got most of my clothes on. 

One of the Rosary Lakes. 

 Looking back at the Rosary Lakes and Odell Lake.  

I could see Crescent Lake way in the distance but it didn't show up well in the photo.

A trail marker for the Eugene to PCT trail.  

That sounds interesting although I think you'd be crossing  a lot of hills.

 My world.

 Charlton Lake sign with geocache.

Charlton Lake in the morning.  Lovely.

August 15, 2014; Miles - 18

I started this morning by stepping in dog poop. The car campers have a very nice Pit Bull named Nellie - but not so nice that she pooped 10 ft. from my tent.  Also not nice that the owner didn't clean it up.  I heard them last night - the dog sniffing around my camp and the owner yelling "Nellie get out of the there!  You're not my dog!"  I think the owner was watching the dog poop in my camp.  Not cool. The trail was pretty easy today, which is good because I am tired from yesterday.  My backpack is also OK.  I think something shifted in it yesterday and that's why the frame was jabbing me in the shoulder.  Phew! Walked through a burned area that was strangely pretty.  Lots of fireweed and pearly everlasting.  Tons of lakes along the way but many were stagnant little ponds.  Many more mosquitoes today than I've seen before.  Saw a bear!  Luckily he ran straight off into the woods.  Talked with a thru hiker at length.  Asked him how he finds the mental strength to do it every day.  He said he likes seeing something new every day.  Hah!  All I've seen is trees for days and days.  Should see Sisters tomorrow.  As always, I love the trail in the morning but around 2 or 3, I'm pooped and hating it.  I need to finish Oregon so I never have to do this again [famous last words].  Right now I'm sick of the trail.  Camped at Horseshoe Lake, Three Sisters Wilderness tomorrow!  Tired of my feet hurting.

August 16, 2014; Miles - 15

I was all set to write about what a great day I had on the trail and then I just bonked.  I have never been so tired on the trail.  The day started out well.  I forced myself to eat all of my dinner last night and I really felt the difference in energy today.  Early on in the day, I encountered a huge tree across the trail.  It was on a steep hillside so there was no going up or down to get around it.  It was as high as my chest.  I took my pack off and flung it up and over to the other side and then I got my left leg over it and very ungracefully belly rolled over it.  Thankfully there was a branch stump to hang on to. Met up with tons of horseback riders.  I forgot it's Saturday. I stopped at a nice little stream to get water - good thing too, it was the last decent source I saw for a long ways.  Decided to check my phone and wow - 3G in the middle of nowhere.  Called Jeff, which was so nice and kept me in good spirits all day.  The trail crested the Cascades today and now I am back on the dry side - hot and dusty trail.  I am bored with trees but they are nice and shady.  Jeff said Terry and Alice started the trail 40 minutes after me but I have not seen them. Climbed Koosah Mountain toward the end of the day - oof!  It really sapped my strength.  I wanted to do 19 miles today but I  am totally out of gas.  My feet hurt from walking on trails chewed up by horses.  The bummer is that the ground at my campsite is too hard to get tent stakes into.  :(  Not sure what to do.  At Sisters Mirror Lake.

 A pika in this rock fall screamed at me for a while.

 A dirt note I left for Terry and Alice. I never did see them again.

 The nice little stream where I got water.  Right on the trail and not marked on Halfmile's maps. Maybe he thought it was too obvious to mention.

 Nice easy walking.

My first good view of the Three Sisters.

August, 17, 2014; Miles - 17

I woke up to find that everything in my camp was soaked with dew.  My shirt and bra that I rinsed in the lake yesterday and laid out to dry were dripping wet.  It put a "damper" on my whole day.  I was exhausted all day and had to force myself to keep going.  I felt as weak as the 1st day on the trail.  BUT - the scenery was gorgeous.  The Three Sisters area was magnificent.  Big mountains, lovely meadows, pretty little streams.  Wildflowers galore - whole meadows of blooming lupines.  Just stunning.  I couldn't stop taking pictures.  I stopped at about 3:30 at Obsidian Falls and ate dinner.  It really helped to perk me up although I had to force down every bite.  I also took out my sleeping bag and tent and let them dry.  My tent was still totally soaked.  After that I continued on a couple of miles to a spring.  I'm sorry I ever made fun of Opie Dilldock Pass because it kicked my butt - rolled my ankle too.

August 18, 2014; Miles - 21

Today is my last day on the trail.  I rolled my ankle again and it is very painful.  The trail was not fun.  It started out fine but then I had to trek 13 miles without a water source across lava.  I was lucky to find a water cache at Lava Camp before striking out on the lava on the north side of McKenzie Pass.  I just wish I'd taken one more liter.  Some other hikers mentioned there was a trail angel down at the McKenzie Pass trailhead but she wasn't there when I got there. I sat at the observatory for a while and reflected on what was ahead.  I really wanted to ask some of the tourists if they had any water but no one would look at me.  I think they thought I was a bum or something.  I must have seemed that way with my stinky and filthy clothes.  If only they knew I have a Master's degree and a good paying job! I'd been forewarned about the lava at McKenzie Pass, so was somewhat mentally prepared for it.  In my opinion, the lava wasn't so bad, it was the miles of dead forest and effed up trail that I hated.  On the lava, I decided to be all Zen and chose not to notice my discomfort.  You can't walk very fast on it and you have to pick each spot to put your feet.  Your ankles are constantly going every direction and your feet are in misery because there are no flat places to step.  But through all that, I kept reminding myself that someone had built this trail for me to walk on.  How amazing is that?  Plus it's kind of neat to walk through a landscape that is barren lava for miles around.  What really irritated me was the fact that the trail made no sense.  After the initial bit of lava, the trail goes east across a second lava flow instead of just crossing a saddle, which would have eliminated about 1.5 miles of the trail.  WTF?  It totally ruined my Zen state of mind.  After the lava, the trail goes through a burned area where there is a ton of blowdown on the trail.  I was constantly going around or climbing over dead trees. I was so mad and scared the whole time.  I was completely panicked that I would run out of water - I only had 3 L with me all day.  So I did probably a dumb thing which was walk 13 miles with no rest breaks and ate nothing. I walked a total of 21 miles today and my feet and legs are killing me.  I was super dehydrated when I reached Big Lake Youth Camp.  I can barely walk - my legs are spasming and my feet are crippled.  I ate a banana and took electrolyte pills to help with the cramps.  The nice people at the Youth Camp fed me and let me shower.  I will leave a $20 in the donation box.  Breakfast tomorrow too!  The shower was the best though - they gave me a towel and soap!

The End