Wednesday, June 27, 2018

Maildrops 2018 Edition

Ok. Some have you have asked so I am posting this as I usually do.  These are going to be my definite maildrop locations for this summer, as long as everything goes according to plan.  If you have any interest, here are the locations you can send me something to help me along the way.  I always will appreciate anything sent however please remember that my life will be carried on my back.  If you were to choose to send me anything I ask that it be one of 3 things:

1) Handwritten letters.  In today’s phone, computer, and internet age it means a lot to get a personal well wish from friend or family.

2) Homemade baked goods.  We thruhikers live for months on the same dehydrated foods, ramen, mac and cheese, etc... and it gets old fast.  It is nice to get something homemade to change things up eating on the next stretch.

3). Humor and/or real life sentimental items (that don’t weigh that much).  If it is unique but light, or sentimental it will make the rest of the trip with me as a reminder of my friends and family back home.

My last request is that if you do decide to send me something, please find a way to contact me ahead of time before I reach that town so I know to look or ask for it.  Text me, send me a facebook message, or send me an e-mail at ATThruhiker2005@hotmail.com  The general delivery system with the USPS is pretty solid for us hikers, but if I don’t know something is coming or waiting for me, I may not get it if I don’t know it’s coming.  

That’s about it for now.  Here are the maildrops:


1. Bend, OR – (ETA 7/23/18– SEND BY 7/13/18
 
Todd Everleth
PCT Hiker, ETA 7/23/18
General Delivery
Bend, OR 97701
 
2. Cascade Locks, OR – (ETA 7/31/18– SEND BY 7/21/18
 
Todd Everleth
PCT HIker, ETA 7/31/18
General Delivery
461 WaNaPa Street
Cascade Locks, OR 97014
 
3. Packwood, WA – (ETA 8/10/18– SEND BY 7/31/18
 
Todd Everleth
PCT Hiker, ETA 8/10/18
General Delivery
111 Smith Road
Packwood, WA 98361
 
4. Leavenworth, WA – (ETA 8/21/18– SEND BY 8/11/18
 
Todd Everleth
PCT Hiker, ETA 8/21/18
General Delivery
Leavenworth, WA 98826
 
5. Stehekin, WA – (ETA 8/28/18– SEND BY 8/18/18
 
Todd Everleth
PCT Hiker, ETA 8/28/18
General Delivery
Stehekin, WA 98852
 

Tuesday, June 26, 2018

2018 - Canada or Bust!!!!

Okay, here we go again.  I’m now 5 days away from flying back out west to hopefully (fingers crossed) finish hiking the Pacific Crest Trail.  To catch those of you up who might be new to all of this long distance hiking stuff, this will be my 3rd long distance hike on the Pacific Crest Trail.  After thruhiking the Appalachian Trail in 2005, I made a run at trying to hike the entire PCT in 2008.  That hike was cut short due to injury after just short of 700 miles.  It took me 8 very long years to get back out west and in 2016 I was fortunate enough to hike over 1000 more miles and accomplish my goal of finishing the state of California bringing my distance on this trail to just over 1700 miles hiked.  Even as I was finishing that hike I already had an end game in mind for this year: 2018.  

Somehow life has not gotten in the way this time (though it has tried), and I am about to embark on hopefully my final LASH (Long Ass Section Hike).  I will be flying into California on July 1st and cleaning up a couple cheat spots from the last hike, and then will be making my way to Ashland, Oregon where I will head north by means of my own feet around July 7th in an attempt to walk into Canada.  

Finishing this trail is the primary goal that matters above all no matter how long it takes, however there is one very cool aspect of finishing this year which I guess would be my secondary goal.  I have set a tentative itinerary that would hopefully put me at the US/Canadian border on September 4th.  This would mean I would be finishing the Pacific Crest Trail on my 40th birthday.  I thought about keeping this secondary goal to myself, but figured that if it was something I legitimately wanted to accomplish, I would like to share it with my friends and family so you know what I am aiming for.  

Hiking itineraries though are basically worthless.  Injury, weather, forest fires, finances, and family all take their toll on what you PLAN to do.  I will be stepping on trail outside of Ashland hoping for the best, but at that time I will just need to take each day one at a time and see how everything goes.  If I am within range of hitting my birthday come the 3rd week of August, I will try to plan the last couple weeks accordingly, but one way or another, one day or another, the main goal is to finish this year and I will do everything in my power to get there. 

I want to thank you in advance for following along if you choose to do so.  This has been a long time coming and something I have thought about every single day since 2008.  This IS my full bucket list right now.  I appreciate all the support I have already been offered.  All of you rock!!!!

Thanks again!!!

- Patch (Todd)

PS  - For those of you asking about possible maildrop locations, those will be up in the next 24-48 hours as a separate post on this blog

Sunday, June 24, 2018

17 Things Scarier Than Bears

As I prepare to head back out to the PCT this week I’m back in the mode of answering questions about my upcoming hike.  First off, don’t get me wrong - questions are VERY good.  I enjoy answering questions about long distance hiking as it is important for my friends and family to know exactly what I am embarking on, and educates people on exactly how challenging a trip I have planned.  Many of you have known me through previous hikes, and know that planning and preperation are important, but that once I am out there, all plans can change in an instant.  Every time I leave on one of these hikes there are still a lot of people who have not followed me on a previous hike, or who I did not know the last time I was out.  It never ceases to amaze me how two of the top questions I get though are “Aren’t you scared about being attacked by a bear?” and “Are you gonna bring a gun?”  This article has a bit of satire in it, but the general gist of it is spot on, and I encourage anybody interested in my hike to take a few minutes and read through it in its entirety.  It will give you a better sense of the actual fears most of us through hikers encounter on a more regular basis:

https://www.halfwayanywhere.com/trails/pacific-crest-trail/17-things-scarier-than-bears-on-the-pacific-crest-trail/

8/18/16 - Day 69 - Sheep Spring to Ashland, OR

Day 69
Daily Miles: 22.3
Total Miles: 1065.2

8/17/16 - Day 68 - Nabob Ridge Junction to Sheep Spring

Day 68
Daily Miles: 20.2
Total Miles: 1042.9

Saturday, June 23, 2018

Tuesday, June 19, 2018