Forest Service

Since we were relatively close to town we decided to head into town for the USFS office to ask why all the water sources on the trail (about 20 miles was dry, I'm talking some serious river and lakes).  Turns out this last winter was the driest on record, which was bad enough to dry out some of the smaller rivers and lakes... I was like really... all the research I did and talking on forums I didn't know this and in my opinion, the USFS was negligent.  I let that lady know the reality of the situation and this little fact could have landed us  on "I Shouldn't Be Alive", melodramatic??  I don't think so it was freaking hot and dry, no water source for two days and it would have been another 16 miles till we found one.  Any ways, this has derailed our trek a bit but we will adapt.  Planning on skipping this 30 mile section thats completely dry and moving to Desolation, we got our permits... then finishing and maybe a couple days kayaking on the big lake, both of use are excited. Below are some pics of us navigating down to town, beautiful but it was so agonizing seeing so much water after two days without any water and the hot temps.  hahah pretty funny.  we are both in great spirits and really enjoying all the adventure and beauty.  We both agree, civilization has its positives... hahaha.  Playing lots of chess every night.

About the Force

We were forced to go down the and find water because this place is bone dry.  I actually got to use the compass and map as it was intended to be used and it worked (or better yet I used it right and it worked) haha.  Aaron and I got a motel room from a really cool guy for only $30, probably because we looked burned and poor, hahah. Obviously there is no camping in town so we were forced, which was really nice. Both of us were pretty dehydrated, we got a good meal (roma pizza), some beer and plenty if H2O. 

Force

Been hiking long and hard, ran out of water almost two days ago, it's hot and we need some water.  Both of us decided to hike off trail down dried river in search of twin lake, or houses, or town for H2O.  Dont worry, I got a compass and I know how to use it, only 12 miles off course.

Day 5

We hiked about 10 miles today, and headed into Heavenly to resupply.  Funny thing that happened- we ran out of water about a day before and we had miles to do still before we got into town or close to a reliable water source.  We ran into this lady on the trail and started talking with her exchanging info, names and where from's and she gave us some local info.  We pressed on and checked a few houses that had no occupancies for water but sure enough the water was turned off.  A few miles later there was an older man working on his car and we asked him a few questions from which he was.kind enough to answer and we asked for some water from his hose, which he was happy give... thankfully.  We were happy to press on knowing we had plenty of water, finally after 5 miles or so we found the elusive trail head, hiked about a mile in before changing our minds, seemed much quicker to take the highway down to the little village so we turned around and headed down the highway.  We were hiking two hours and we still had about 5 hours to go when a 4 Runner pulls off to the side of the road and the lady from the trail pops out and says "You boys want a rids down into town", kindly wd accept.  To make a story short, turns out we talked to her husband (the one that gave us water, the two were from Rancho Bernardo, and there kids too had gone to Humboldt state, they had just moved up there and she was concerned with the directions her hjsband had given us so she said she was going to go down the highway to see if she.could find us and she did.  Pretty funny, what a small world.  Needless to say, she and her husband really helped us out... people up here are pretty kind.  We resupplied this time with some higher calorie foods, got a pizza and made camp outside of town, today we are going to relax a bit we have been averaging 11 miles a day so we are feeling beat but both of us can tell we feel stronger.  Entering the desolation wilderness soon, pretty excited about that.  Aaron and I have been having some fun, last nivht we played chess all night, Nana well done teaching Aaron chess, he got my queen early on but I rallied back (would have felt really humbled to have lost to my little bro, glad I didn't on the first game), we decided to play at least once a night...

Day 3 Spooner Peak

Both if us got killed today, climbed non-stop all day (14 miles).  We took a nap at the summit, well, Aaron did and I wrote this blog, actually I am re-writing it now because I feel I went a bit to deep.  I realized why I went on this trek, not for glory, not ti br bad-asd,, not to get back in shape.  I went on this trip to find myself again (and to hang with my bro).  We about half way up the mountain I went through what I can only describe as emotional states, four to be exact, when I reached the top I realized every thing.  To re-find ones self is an amazing thing!  To find that purpose...

Day 3

Woke up at 7, felt pretty good, so did Aaron although he slept till 9:30 or so.  We had some breakfast and today have a long hike ahead of us, about 14 miles or so.  This morning I was out enjoying the morning eating some walnuts and this Blue Jay came to hang out.  It kept flying down about 2 feet from me, I would give it a walnut and it would keep coming back, pretty cool experience.  Thus cintinued for about an hour.  That was the extent of entertainment for a while probably, things are so simple out here...

Star Sky

Looming up at the night sky, stars are so bright and the moon just went doen,, now we can see the Milky Way, so amazimg!  Aaron and I are using Google Sky Map to star gaze and it is really cool.

Day 2

Both Aaron and I slept well last night.  It was a bit windy but less so than before.  we just lit a fire in the solo stove and are brewing up some joe, btw, solo stove is awesome, though a bit tough to get going under extreme winds, we haf to search out a spot with no wind...  Stive also acts as an excellent little morning fire to stave off the morning freeze.  We have not decided where to go from here, one things fir sure, we will head down to Marlete lake and get a good swim in, then probably hrad to Spooner lake.  I dont think either of us are un a rush so we might simply put in 10 miles today.  Yoday is supposed to be the coldest day of the hike... right! 

Spooner Lake

We just set camp at Spooner about two hours ago, all is well, spent a couple hours at Marlette Lake and I took a dip despite the high winds.  We are sitting by the camp fire that we built and really enjoying the solitude.  Not many people at all on the trail.

Day 1- DONE

Today was long and brutal.  We killed it though hiking 14 miles.  The wind has been relentless gusting at 20-30 mph all day.  We made camp about two hours ago, set up our tent, made a camp fire and got some chow on board.  This place is beautiful though.  We met a bunch of local day hikers early on the trail, they are such nice people.  We are just hanging out, resting our bones and waiting for darkness.

TRT D-Day

Last night was harsh, with winds gusting at 40 mph, scattered showers and 30*, all that mixed together made for a cold night.  I optedfor the 40* bag so I was a bit chilly.  I dont expect to be hanging at 30* temps and wind yo much on the rrst of the trek, we stayed at Mount Rose summit, doh!  Any how, Aarons still sleeping, I suppose he didn't sleep well either.  Brewing up some cowboy coffee as we speak, then we will repack, ditch what gear we can so we weigh less, and take off on the trek.  Did I mention our pack weight yet?  Aaron's is weighing in at 50lbs, mine is at 70lbs.  Hope we can trim se off today and leave it at the car, if not no big deal we will just come ouy that much more shredded.  BTW, if you go to my Facebook pagee you can see our location and altitude that is set to reposition us ever hour via gps, I may turn that off though.

TRT Day -1

     Well we made it to our camp site, Lake Tahoe is simply amazing, the lake is so awesome.  We made camp about two hours ago, set up the tent dressed up a bit, its freezing here about 50* and windy.  We are expecting a 20* night, hell of way to test out the new sleeping bags.  I told Aaron that I dont normally spoon on the first night but there always a first.  We just enjoyed a 300 calorie dinner, and are in front of a nice small fire now warming up and enjoying some laughs.  Both of us are looking forward to the morning and D-day for our TRT trek.

Really people, really, hahaha thought this was a funny government posted at the rest stop. So beautiful up herr..

almost there!

having an awesome time. just passed bishop,ca.

TRT Day -2

     Here's a quick recap of the last couple of days:  Aaron and I have been real busy getting every thing together.  I picked him up Wends., scratch that, Thursday early morning at LAX (have I ever said I hate LA?) and got home at 3 A.M.  Thursday we woke up and went hiking for about ten miles to see how his pack felt and boots under a full load (he told me every thing was perfect).  We started packing the rest of the gear and found out we needed a few extra things so Friday we went out and got every thing and tonight we are finishing packing and chillin' out, tomorrow morning at 4 A.M. we are taking off and should get to the trail head by 1 P.M. or so.  By the way, we are going to try to keep up with the blog, updating as soon as we can so if we don't post for a few days or longer, we will post as soon as possible.
     Today, in addition to getting last minute things, we gave ourselves hair cuts.  Aaron opted for the #2 guard buzz cut, I opted for #2 on the sides making it even with my beard leaving a bit on top, about  2-3 inches wide using a #6 to form a mohawk.  Check out the pics:

Keep It Warm

     I last blogged about our sleeping bags and pads.  I typically get hot in a sleeping bag which leads to a not-so-good night's sleep.  However, I was looking at the weather we will encounter in the TRT and PCT and although it seems that most of the time there will be nice, warm weather (they have no clue what they are saying most of the time, weather folks as it were) it seems there will be some cold freezing nights, especially if we sleep at altitude.  I can only get weather and temps from lake level areas such as from Tahoe City so temps may very a bit.  Since my bag is only rated at 40* I thought I would look into alternate ways to stay warm.  I was thinking about how I feel when I am hungry and tired and how that effects my body temp, maybe I am over thinking this but what the hell, why not, I've over thought every thing else.  Guess if we get cold enough we could employ these tactics if need be but I really doubt it.  Only one time have I really been very cold at night and I did not have a sleeping bag, dumb.

So here it is and most of it is simple:

• They say to have a snack before bed or in the middle of the night, something like a Snickers
• Cover your dome
• Wear Layers
• Insulating sleeping bag
• Dry socks
• Filling up a water bottle with hot water or using hot rocks and tucking them in your bag
• Of course, have a sleeping bag that you fit into well
• Consider a line: silk, cotton, or fleece- I thought about this but I think it will just add unnecessary weight that I could achieve by sleeping in a few layers if need be.
• Bivy

Sleeping Arrangements

     Did I post yet on the amazing gear I found to aid in the relentless pursuit of a decent night's sleep out on the trek?  Well at least for me, probably because I am as big as Baloo, I always have a hard time sleeping when I camp.  I discovered though, with technology and all the super light materials that are available both Aaron and I can sleep very soundly.  You would really be surprised at how technical and how much of a science is engineered into sleeping bags theses days, we could talk all day about synthetic or down, hollow or solid point fibers and so on and so on.
     We got a LaFuma Yellow Stone bag rated at 30*, snug fit for me but Aaron will fit perfect in it, and it weighs in at 3lb 5oz.  The bag stuff's down really small and is synthetic fill but I have tested the bag and it is awesome!  I think this bag will be awesome for Aaron.

     The other bag I just got today is the Marmot Minimalist bag.  What I like about this bag is it's super light weight and compact design.  Seriously, this bag only weights 2lbs and cinches down to the mear size of a bowling ball.  It's rated at only 40* but I typically am frying when I sleep while every one else is freezing (must be my Baloo insulation).  I have been checking the weather and it appears that we may be having some cool weather around freezing point but I think I can put a fleece on and be warm enough.  If not, welllll, it looks like both Aaron and I will both be in for an uncomfortable spooning night. This bag also uses synthetic hollow fibers as it's fill which is awesome.  Here is the greatest part of this bag, it fits me.  Believe it or not I have a really hard time finding a bag that fits me both in length and width since I have massive girth in the shoulder area.

    Of course, we will both also have sleeping pads to insulate us from the grounds bitter fingers.  Aaron and I will both have Thermolites, Aaron's is 1.5" and mine is 2.5" thick so I think we will both be pretty comfy for hiking standards.  Plus, both pads weigh only 10oz each and pack super small.  

Bladders

So here is the water situation, we will each be carrying one of these bad boys plus

 Camelbak 100oz/ 3L MG Omega Water Beast Reservoir

two, 2 liter bottles each and a 1 liter Gatorade bottle:

Permits and Travel

ETA: 6/23/12
     First, I spoke with USGS and they told me that only day hikers are subject to quota permits which means, we can get a permit at any time since we are hiking the entire TRT and can pick them up at any time.  I was a bit worried about this at first, really feels good to not have that thought in the back of my head.  So, we will head up, stop by the visitor station, pick up our permits, and head to Incline Village, NV where we will spend the night before starting on the trip.
     I've been thinking a lot and talking a lot about how much I hate planning hikes.  Now I know I said I love planning hikes and I do but I hate, hate planning every thing so that you take the excitement out of a trip.  For example, I really disliked the idea of mailing food to post office's along the way, and I disliked the idea of caching water, so naturally, we eliminated this by simply saying, screw it!  Many people plan food and water caches but we are to bad-ass to be practically taking a "guided tour" like trip planning every detail, Aaron and I both can appreciate the unpredictability of this trip which is part of the reason for going on the hike in the first place.  That said, I have researched, read, and thought a bit about the "what if" situations that could occur should we find ourselves in a food or water shortage situation.
     Don't forget, we will be doing a big section of the PCT in addition to the entire TRT!
 

Rain Jacket- Cold Storage

     The Upside:

     We bought these Cold Storage Rain Jackets ourselves in case of a down pour, I tested them out and they worked amazing.  What we liked the most was the teflon tape used to seal all the seam inside the jacket, the mesh inner lining, and it comes in sizes for tall men which is a really tough size to find.  For the price you just can't beat it.  Got Aaron the Olive color and black for myself (per his request).  So, this jacket is a little heavy but I will gladly take a little extra weight for more durability and for the price you just cannot beat this jacket.  I wanted to buy a Mountain Hardware Jacket for the two of us but didn't have a spare $400-600 laying around to afford it so we went on the cheap for this trip and paid only $24 for each jacket.  Zippers work awesome, and the hood is large enough to cover our XL heads.

The Downside: 

     There are only two things I don't like about these jackets: 1) They don't ventilate as well as I would like.  2)  It does not cover your mouth and up to your nose when it is zipped up which I like but these two things are a small trade-off for the price.  The jacket also has a bit of a chemical smell from the waterproofing agent used.  SierraTradingPost.com also has a 100% satisfaction return policy so if we have any issues, we will return them.  

Goal Zero Guide 10 Plus Battery Pack + New Batteries

     I posted on the Ground Zero Nomad 7 a couple of days ago and spoke about how awesome a piece of gear this is but how it takes a long time to charge my phone directly from the solar panel.  The solution to this problem that I found through some research was the battery pack that is made by Goal Zero.  Now, the whole intent of the battery pack is precisely this, to take a charge at a different voltage into a NiMH battery (4), then to take the battery pack that is much more easily charged and plug it into your phone (mine is a lithium ion) for a quicker charge.  Now I am not an electrician but whatever the voltage differences are, this batter pack works better.  I can charge it from my solar panel in 3 hours and  get my phone fully charged in just over an hour.  Best of all, I still have a half a charge left in the batteries after my phone is fully charged.  The Goal Zero batteries that come with the battery pack are AA 1700 mAH.  Through research and my own experience these batteries are not really sufficient and should be replaced.  Why, you might ask?  Here is the answer:  I bought 4 Powerex AA 2700mAH NiMH rechargeable batteries (found of Amazon) obviously for the extra 1000mAH.  I bought them because it only take an extra 30 min to charge them off the solar panel and you can charge your phone nearly three times on one charge rather than only once.  The efficiency is much greater and they will recycle themselves over 100 times before you even begin to see a reduction in charge, if you stick with the Goal Zero, you will only get 50 recycles before a down draw in battery performance.  Again, I found this all out through others experiences and my own.  One could also charge the Ground Zero batteries and take the Powerex and use both, never running out of power for a very minimum weight.  I also like the new batteries because they are the same weight as the generic one's that come with the device.  

     Over-all Impression:

      I love this battery pack, much more efficient and light weight, get one but replace the batteries with high end, high charge AA.  The battery pack also has a pretty bright LED flash light on it which could be nice.  *Note* If you need AAA, you need to get the AAA sleeve that fits in the charger, it does not come with the original Power Pack package.  I can't wait till they come out with Lithium-Ion adapter for this charger which will have a much higher and efficient charge.

Media

     Not a main focus but, I thought it would be nice to have a few options in case we need to just relax on the trek.  Usually I not a proponent for technology on the trail but, I have never had technology and the money to have it in the past.  Since we all have it now I thought, what the hell.  I am adding more and more music to our playlist for the trip every day and I already have a few books on my Kindle app as well as a few hard copies, but, I am now adding full blown movies to the new micro sd card.  It really is amazing how awesome technology is, here is an updated playlist, book titles, and movie list.

Music: Vaseline, Flagpole Sitta, My Own Worst Enemy, Lump, Island in the Sun, Dare You to Run, Peaches, Plush, Trippin' on a Hole, 311, Dave Mathews, Mumford & Sons.

Books: Battle Cry, Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself, A Farewell to Arms, Operation Dard Heart, Full Black, The PathFinder System: Survivability for the Common Man

Movies: The Dark Knight, Man on a Ledge, Second Hand Lions, Fight Club, Youth in Revolt, Into the Wild, Hook, Sahara, The Fighter, The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, The Men Who Stare at Goats, The Break Up, Transformers 3, Wedding Crashers

     As you can see, a pretty varied list of movies, books, and music (look at previous posts for full music list).  If you know any movies or music that is a must for the trip add your two cents, we appreciate it!

Ground Zero- Nomad 7

The Official Review:

Specs
Uses: Camping and backpacking
Size: 17x9x0.1"- pretty small
weight: 12.9oz

Here is what we like
This is the coolest thing since sliced bread, why?  Because it allows one to bring all the marvelous technology with you where ever you go.  Also, this solar panel dubs as a emergency energy device or in case of a brown/black out (which we have been getting more and more frequently in CA).  We picked the Nomad 7 because of it's lighter weight and small size.  All you have to do is plug in your device via USB or cigarette lighter port and pull it out strap it to the back of your pack and let it charge your devices.  Simple right?  I used the panel as soon as I got it on my phone.  Now, the weather was very cloudy so I will have to test it out in the sun but, it did take my 5% charged phone and bring it up to 40% in 2.2 hours in thick overcast weather.  Not bad for completely off the grid.  Another feature I like is its light weight, we could pack batteries in but we do not need to do that any more.  I need to go get the battary pack for it which is light weight, charges off the solar panel, I will post on that as soon as I get it.  One other thing I really like is how it straps on to your backpack while you hike, charging while you go, hassle free.

     *Update*  Tested out the solar panel on my cell phone and I am not as impressed as I had hoped.  The problem is my phone has a large battery capacity, larger than the amps put out of the Nomad 7.  However, the fix to this is the Nomad 10 Power Pack so all-in-all, I love this thing and would suggest it to any one going on an extended trip where you need to keep linked into any electronic equipment.  It takes a few hours (I have not tried to power my phone from 0% on a bright sunny day.  I have tried charging it in cloudy weather (charged 5% in 20 min) and in sunny weather (charged from 20% in 1 hour) so this solar panel would charge my phone it would just take like 4 hours.  As of now, I am not patient enough to test my phone with the Nomad 7 because it seems like the charge is constantly being interrupted by phone calls and other data information...  On the trail, the only thing that will be running is the GPS and the rest of the phone will be on airplane mode to save energy and keep the phone from continually searching for a cell signal.  I will update when I purchase and test the power pack, tomorrow, stay tuned.

Look Below- GPS App Review!!!

     If you didn't already notice, at the very bottom of the page I added our GPS data which allows you to seriously investigate the trail we will be on thanks to the GPS app that I finally choose: Trimble Outdoor GPS Navigator for $4.99, pretty good deal huh.  Beats the hell out of dropping a few dimes on a GPS and a few more on topo's.  This app will allow us to create our own trip with our own waypoints, pictures, videos, and voice recordings.  It also allows us to upload pics/movies directly to Youtube/Facebook.  We get free access to all topo's, hybrid, google... maps that will save and archive to our 32 gb micro sd class 10 card which is dedicated solely to this trek.  Make sure to look for the post that will be coming soon linking you to my Youtube.com channel and Facebook for extra insider posts and information.
     Back to the map at the very bottom, you can check out topo, hybrid... views plus you can zoom in and check out some of the major waypoints.  Hope you enjoy this.

*Update*  This app is amazing, one new thing I really like is how I can plan out my trip, add waypoint (will use pre-trip waypoints to mark scarce water sources and special information in specific areas).  What is really cool is the ability to download map packs for free that are customized to my liking with things such as types of maps (topo,hybrid), you could down load the entire USA from a satellite zoom view to a very zoomed in view (so close that if you were in that area when the satellite took the shot, you would see your head very close up, crazy).  I tried this and it came back telling me that it would take 300+ gb of memory or hard drive.  I feel a bit over whelmed because there is so much that this app does, I don't really have enough time to learn it all.

Just In!

Just got in the solar panel, Nomad 7 by Ground Zero, couldn't wait to try it out.  At this moment, it is charging my phone which was at a 5% charge and it is cloudy out.  Going to really test out it's abilities. I am also timing it on my phone as it charges, hope it impresses me.  I think I need to get the power pack to go with it.  I will keep you updated as soon as it reaches a full charge!  I will also be posting all about this nifty device asap!

New Book, Thanks J!

     My cousin Jason, always reliable, sent Aaron and I a book called Edible and Poisonous Plants of Northern California, Aaron, I think you will really like this book.  On my hike today, Ry and I did seven miles and along the way on the Manzanita Trail, of course there was a bunch of Manzanita shrubs.  I had been flipping through the book and remembered reading that the berries on the bush are edible.  Didn't take me long to think about the concequences had this large bush not actually been Manzanita, thus, I passed the berries up.  I just finished reading about them again and discovered that some species are palatable but many have to much tannic acid to make them edable.  Oh also, the seeds are granite hard so they could chip a tooth and if you over endulge in them, which I often tend to do- it's just in my nature to overdo every thing, they have a potent laxative effect!!!  That would have been awesome out there with Ry and no tp.  So thanks J for giving us so many ideas, lol, j/k.  In all seriousness, I really love the book, and the author is hilariously funny.  He said he made a tea out of the  Manzanita berries and had his parents try it, they told him that although he had not found a replacement for orange juice, but that he had come closer to developing a product that would successfully dissolve tooth enamel!  Freaking funny!  Best to stay away from Manzanita, hahahahaha!  Thanks for the book J.  I found it on Amazon.com for $97, crazy, and you were right, the book is out of print.  You don't need the book back right, you don't even live close to Northern Cali?  Just kidding, we will send it back as soon as we return and I will put insurance on it, haha.

   

Called Out

     Okay, so I have realized that I have been neglecting the simple stuff that will actually be making the hike comfortable and safe.  Any one that knows me knows that I love gear, tech gear to be specific so naturally, I have been focused on that.  I am going to start posting all the gear including our clothing and some other more simple things.  First, we will talk about socks, as pointed out to me from my grandpa Bobby, socks are often more important than the boots you wear on your feet (unless the boots fall apart off your feet, haha). 

      I also have to give a shout out to Bobby, the man who has always helped guide me along the way, and is one of the few that has mentored me into the man I am today, thanks Bobby, the best grandfather around.  Always willing to put yourself aside for others, I appreciate all the time you have put into me!

     I have quiet a few pairs of mid-weight to heavy-weight socks, some wool, some synthetic blend.  I like the synthetic for this trip because they are more light weight and breathable, keeping our feet cool and not scorching in the warmth of the weather.  So, we will bring two pairs of socks, both synthetic and we will use sock liners (liners help reduce friction of the feet, thus reduce blisters and hot spots, and they really do work).  In a pinch or on a dime you can use women's nylons and simply cut them off to fit, which works just as well except they don't last as long.  Since I am not a broke college student any more we will go with the liners designed for the job.  I have also been testing out the newer Ininji socks which are just a bit weird because they are toe socks.  They really work well though, just take some getting used to around your toes.  I like them because they really act as a barrier for your toes and feet rubbing against one another.  We both will probably bring a pair along to test out over the long haul.  So there you have it, the skinny on socks we will wear, oh and they are Wigwam brand which is a time tested brand.  Pictures are posted below so you can have a visual.

The Situation

     Six days till the brother's reunite!  I am pretty pumped for Aaron to fly in, only problem... this means I really got to pull it together.  I feel pretty behind on the seemingly endless list of things to do, get,  check, and double check.  I know some may think whatever man just let it roll but I am a bit of a perfectionist so I want things perfect for this trip (if they don't come out perfect, well then, those will probably be the best memories of the trip, no sweat) and I don't want to overlook anything which means continuously checking and double checking myself to ensure I don't miss anything or get some thing wrong.  I know what your thinking... "how can that possibly be enjoyable, isn't that the point of this trip", and my response would be, yes it is and in actuality, I really enjoy the stress of putting this trip together, planning it out, and triple checking every thing.  I guess that's just a part of who I am.

     Trip is coming together though, yesterday I spend many hours mapping out the trip, checking water sources, and planning food/water caches that we may need to set out.  My conclusion, I don't think we will need to do any of that.  Why?  Because there is supposedly plenty of water due to the early date that we have planned and the snow melt which creates many streams in addition to the many rivers and lakes along the way, even the East side of the trail.  There is also three on-trail stores that you go by (there are small stores, not Costco's).  From the people I have talked to, one can live off the stores for resupply of food if one's not picky.  I am slightly picky and I know Aaron is a bit too.  I don't want to be living off potato chips and nutter butters so we will bring 14 simple dinners with us and some snack foods for the morning and lunch (things like tuna, granola, trail mix, nuts, dried fruit, jerky, oatmeal, coffee, tea, electrolyte mix...).  We will mail three packages to ourselves to resupply our morning and afternoon foods and some things to make our dinners better.  I want to bring the two weeks of dinners with us so if by chance we don't get our packages or some thing happens and we don't really have any extra food we at least have 14 simple dinners to supplement our calorie burn for each day.  We will also carry 6 liters of water each in two 3 liter bladders and one, 1 liter bottle so a total of 14 liters of carrying capacity.  Do we need this much water?  Probably not but there are a few sections of the hike were there is no water source (two I can think of), one thats nearly 20 miles (here is where we will use all our capacity), and the other 14 miles, plus, the East side again is low on water supplie.  We can just carry the ultra light bladders empty if we don't need the water.  If the weather gets hot on us we will need more than less obviously so the versatility of having 14 liters is a good idea since we will mostly be self reliant.  In my opinion, better to have more than less, even if it's super heavy, I will carry the extra weight, it's worth the piece of mind for me.  Food we can go without but water no... of course we won't be going without food since we will carry our 14 dinners with us at minimum.

     

     

They're Finally In

     Aaron's Boots

Vasque Breeze Gore-Tex Hiking Boots:
     Searched long and hard for a decent pair of boots for Aaron.  We considered every thing from running shoes, trail runers, hiking boots, to backpacking boots.  Each type of boot really has a special purpose, however, for our trek we need an in-between boot.  The reason we didn't go running or trail running (even though many use them) is because our hike is longer, we are not going minimalist and we are perhaps even boarder line on ultralight packing.  I wanted both of us to have a good cushion for our feet but not compromise our ankles (which is imperative to the success of this trip).  Now it's a true Aaron is just a little lighter than I, just a little, so, our foot wear needs are slightly different.  Mom told me she  and some others have been concerned about Aaron's welfare, trust me, I have put a ton of time, research, and energy (mainly electrical energy, hah) into making sure all will be well.  It's amazing how resilient the body is even under harsh or less than ideal circumstances (food, water, climate...).  Some how the body powers through, plus it's not like we are going parading through the Brazilian rain forest where there is no help and many hostile things lurking around, I'm just sayin'... (ohhh, new idea for next years trip, J, you in?).  Plus, I am pretty sure Aaron is not a pansy and can tough out any things tossed his way (I'm sure your sighing Mom, hahah)  Any how, check out the below review to see what we like about them, we will post on our gear as we use it to follow up on these surface reviews.

     Decided on these bad boys for these reasons-  Vasque is a fantastic brand and they are highly rated for what we are going to be doing.  These boots are also gor-tex lined because we might encounter rain and we will certainly be hiking through snow on the passes.  We like the mid boot rather than the full uppers because Aaron is a lot lighter than I, thus, he does not quiet the support I do, and they use Vibram rubber on the out soles (great grip and traction).  Also, most of the reviews said these boots needed little break in time (as most boots these days don't need much break in times other than heavy backpackers or mountaineering boots, thanks to technology, a sign of the times- my backpacking boots needed no break in time).  I really love the fact that we don't have to break boots in like our older counterparts needed to.  Lastly, we were waiting for a good deal, nothing on this trip was bought at full price thanks to my promotive membership and the great REI sale that we took advantage of, so these boots were significantly reduced from it's retail, super pumped on great deals!  Hope they fit, took a gamble, some times they pay off, some times they don't, if not we will take advantage of REI's great return policy and purchase another pair at REI (fingers crossed).  Who ever said you had to pay a ton of cash $ to go hiking?  Suckers!  All-in-all, this is a great boot that will do the trick and out last our trek.

The Plan

     Well, most of the gear has come in now, yeah I posted about some of it but there is so much more that I could post about, however, I guess I just don't need to post about all the simple stuff that we got for the trip that are essentials.  I may post a few more pieces of equipment...  I was thinking about were we would go from her on this blog, and decided I would start mapping out the actual trip and all it's preparation aside from gear and purchases.
     So the biggest issues that I have found up until this point that could stall our trip is the lack of water, bad foot wear, and bad weather.  Now, as far as weather is concerned, I spoke with the local rangers in the area and they said this year and last year have been the most erratic and unpredictable weather they have ever seen (the ranger I spoke to had 30 years at this park!)  I have been keeping up with it and over the last three weeks the weather has been any where from 90 degree weather with clear skies, lighting and  sheets of rain, to snow and freezing rain down at the lake.  So, what does this tell us, weather could be bad, but I would bet it will be good.  I think that as long as we take a few layers, tent, and sleeping bag, we can deal with whatever the TRT can throw at us!  So weather... bring it on!- check
     Foot wear, is the next issue.  Now, the foot wear issue is really only an issue because of my own personal experiences.  This section should be taken care of since I went all out on Aaron and my own foot wear.  So, our feet should be covered as long as Aaron's boots fit him when he gets hear.  Bring it on feet!- check
     H2O, now this the part that I have had to research a lot.  Now some may say, Aaron, Tony, your backpacking Lake Tahoe.  My answer to them is this, that is not true, we are hiking around the lake but the trail takes the high route at many spots being 30 or 40 miles away from the lake.  Also, water supplies are spotty at best, meaning, we cannot depend on many of the streams and small rivers, and ponds to be around when we go.  I did buy the guide book but really, the explanation I have given you is the same one the book gives.  They suggest dropping caches of water around some of the trail heads.  I am currently planning drop spots for water, when I finish that, I will post it with a map.  I am going to hide the water using a map and our new compass so only we know them thus lessening the likelihood of some one finding the water and using it.- check soon to come!

What To Read

*NOTE* New music list coming soon, check for it!

     I am a dedicated blogger now, I am on my way to Vegas in my car with JT publishing this post, thought it was important to keep whom ever is an avid viewer to keep them updated and busy reading about the TRT, our gear, and thoughts.  So Aaron and I decided that he would read Tom Browns book, learn it and teach me.  I decided to read, learn and teach him mapping and land navigation.  Here are two of the books we have for the trek.  I also added our guide book (I hate guide books but they are so helpful, gesss....).  Not sure what other books we will read, I think I will be bringing Mocking Jay to finish it on my Kindle app on my phone.  Not sure what other books Aaron is going to bring.  Note to file: I have tried to get Aaron to participate with this blog but he's not into blogging so, just so you all know, this blog is not intended solely for me but for both uf us to use.

Hair Cuts

Thinking that we should get hair cuts to match for this trip, how about mohawks, yeah?  What do you think?

Cheesy... Yeah... But I Must

     The trek is quickly approaching now with less than 2 weeks till Aaron gets here.  I am so pumped up about this trip, I can hardly sleep at night.  But, for any one that has planned an extended trip before, it really does take a whole lot of time, dedication, and cash $$$.  What's going to make this trip amazing for me is the fact that I am going to be able to spend 2-3 weeks with my brother, a guy whom I have not really been able to spend a whole lot of time with in the past.  But this whole trip that Aaron and I are excited about would not have been possible without the help of our Mom, Angie.  It is important for me to give the thanks thats due to people that have helped contribute to this trek.  Though Aaron and I have done the majority of the work for this trip, we would not have been able to afford Aaron's flight down here for this trip (you would not believe the resources, time, and coin it cost just for the basics that are required for an extended backpacking trip, crazy, even just for two people).  So for her consistant selflessness, I must commend my Mom, who I am very proud of, I can only hope to be as selfless and passionate about my children as she has been with hers.  I love you Mom, thank you for giving the both of us this gift.