In Ohio on my 12 mile Saturday hike.

This past weekend (Sept 21-22) I took the Wilderness First Aid class at our local REI. Excellent instructors and highly interactive scenarios were great. I’m now better prepared for the trail.

I never thought about fall wild flowers. Naturally spring ones occur, but fall ones? Really?

What is my problem? For some strange reason I just don’t lift my feet high enough. And when this happens and there are rocks sticking out I trip, fall, and then begin to curse. I also look around to see if anyone noticed that I’m a clumsy, uncoordinated oaf.

Hill workout today and tried making a short video.

Started and ended at Mayfield Park with its peacocks.

I’ve just finished my first week of training for my PCT hike. I bought my pack, loaded it with dead weight (the pack and two dense foam pillows for a total of ten pounds), and hiked around town each morning on flats, hills and trails. So instead of running as I normally did in the past years I now hiked with my pack and will continue until I start the PCT. My plan is to increase each week the weight (up to 35 lbs.) and distance (up to 80 mi.) along with adding in camping, cooking, etc. I also plan on going to State parks (Colorado Bend & Lost Maples) and National parks (Big Bend) over time to put it all together.

• Saturday – 10.3 mi – Lady Bird Lake Trail (flat)
• Sunday – 4.9 mi – Steiner Ranch Trail with “Crack of Dawn” Hiker meet-up (rocky)
• Monday – 4.4 mi – Wells Branch Trail (flat)
• Tuesday – 6.2 mi – 3 loops of Mt Bonnell (hills)
• Wednesday – 6.0 mi – Wells Branch Trail (flat)
• Thursday – 7.5 mi – 3 loops of Ladera Norte (hills)
• Friday – off

For a total of 39.3 miles and no problems adjusting so far.

I’ve been thinking about why I want to hike the PCT. On The Story podcast today there was a 1991 interview by Studs Terkel of Gore Vidal who said “There is no purpose to life, there is no point to life, other than what you invest with yourself, by your own actions.” So through my actions I hope to show others, especially my children, who I am by what I do and how I live my life. It is to them and their descendants that I wish to take this action so they may know the type of person I was.