Last night I ordered new trail runners — New Balance 910s, 15 EEEE! Head lamp, batteries, pad, DEET, Purell wipes. A thousand packets.

I won’t be able to pack for about ten days, as I wait for the last of the supplies to arrive.

One more thing. Practice attaching the big mosquito net to the tarp. I want to be able to do that quickly.

Trim toe nails, finger nails. Get hair cut.

Drive to Jeff’s house. And the journey begins.

Walk well. God is love.

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So. I’m sitting at home. Thinking, planning, journaling, Face Booking. All things PCT.

I got in the gardening I had planned this morning while waiting for the garage door repairman to show up. Seems Elaine left the back door on her Subaru station wagon open when opening the garage door . . . . I am so glad I didn’t do that. Anyway. By the time I was ready to hike, the rain came. Off and on.

Why didn’t I wait to decide on a hike for mid-April?

Walk well. God is love.

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The White Mountain from charles on Vimeo.

Walk well. God is love.

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The view from my back door

Soggy, slick trails, mud in the garden. Weeds, weeds, weeds. And yet.

I looked out my back door this morning, ready to complain. No one would hear it, but I thought it my due. And then I looked more carefully. Part of my disappointment was about what I have and miss — at this time.

The table. How fine it is to sit there and eat the produce from the garden. And to feel the sweetness of the air. How fine it is that the garden is so very happy with this rain. The new yellow onions are six inches high! And the hill behind the garden that gives me my morning view from the bed. Thank you God for the day.

Reality is. Perception changes.

Walk well. God is love.

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Lynne Wheldon recorded what I think might be the first commercial video about the Pacific Crest Trail: How To Hike The Pacific Crest Trail. I have watched it many times. Virtual hiking. He raises issues and has edited in responses to these issues on various subjects, including mosquitoes.

Please understand that a lot of hikers are moralistic about “natural” substances. And can drone on and on about them. There is an email list, the PCT-L, where experienced and would-be hikers exchange information. And opinions. There is frequent conflict between what I call the tree huggers and the wingnuts. I tend towards tree huggerdom. Many hikers begin hiking the PCT using citronella — a “natural” substance — to ward off mosquitoes. But.

In Lynne’s video, he asks hikers who have completed hiking the Pacific Crest Trail what they use against mosquitoes. It’s hilarious. He has edited short clips showing the responses: “DEET.” “DEET.” “DEET.” “DEET.” “100% DEET.” and so on.

Why am I writing about mostuitoes? And what is better than DEET?

We have a neighbor who has extended part of his house to create a large den/family room. The room has a flat roof that collects water. And attracts mosquitoes. And this morning there were nine big ravens turkey vultures feasting on mosquito larvae and mosquitoes drinking water on our neighbor’s roof. Better than DEET. Well, not really. But I’ve already written the entry. Hmm. I’ll leave it up.

Walk well. God is love.

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Walk well. God is love.

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I am corresponding with an older hiker. One with a wisdom I am learning from. One of the things I learned today was through his response about some gear. There is an item that he had recommended that got mediocre reviews at an online retailer. His response? ” . . . I didn’t expect a cure — I only hoped for an improvement.”

That leaves room for a lot more happiness.

Walk well. God is love.

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Lemonade: planning and weighing. And trying to learn how to get a photograph off the iPhone and into Trailjournals.

Walk well. God is love.

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The Manns are a thru-hiking couple, having completed the PCT in 2007. They put up aspiring hikers in their San Diego home, feed us, and take us to the trail. Trail angels. I am eager to meet them and hear some of their trail lore. They have hosted some of the hikers I find most fascinating. And they are good writers. I’m reading their 2007 PCT journal and came across this quote from Scout: “Isn’t there a law that says the words ‘Arctic’ and ‘San Diego’ must never appear in the same sentence?” It reminded me of when I lived in Santa Monica.

Southern Californians expect warm weather. All the time. When it was cool enough that Angelinos were uncomfortable wearing shorts, they would complain. A lot. Railing against the unfairness of the weather. I do not exaggerate. In the Bay Area, though, one never leaves the house without a sweater or jacket. It just isn’t done.

Walk well. God is love.

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The closer we get to April, the more a reality your PCT hike becomes (to us observers, although I know you are right in the middle of the planning, etc.). Anticipation must be overwhelming: you have things to do before heading south, but I’ll bet you are having a hard time concentrating on mundane, routine, everyday things. Were I in your enviable position, I would by now have a hard time sleeping, wish the calendar would move more quickly, and be so excited I would not be able to contain myself. I hope you are experiencing this type of joy. I will follow your trek regularly from Idaho, where we hope to be by late April or early May. Is this the week you are mapping part of the Martinez area? Be well and enjoy the prelims to Campo.

Could not have said it better myself.

Walk well. God is love.

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