Preparation

How do you prepare for something that is completely different than life as of now?

I was discussing my future plans with a friend, and I realized preparation is hard. I don't know how I can possibly fully prepare myself for 5 months of a life that is completely different than the life I know.

My bed, no longer a mattress, but air and a sleeping bag

My kitchen, no longer a room, but a compact container

My bathroom, no longer private, but a hole 6 inches deep with no walls

You can say, "duh Shelly, that is what you signed up for" and that is true, but the closer the trail gets the more I realize how different it is. I have moved from place to place before, my beds have changed, my kitchen has shrunk, and it has been unfamiliar, but I always had something to lean back on. 

 I could call my family to speak about their lives, television to learn about life in a different place, and food, ice cream is universal. 

I have used these crutches in many ways. I have eaten more ice cream in Duluth than I care to admit. I call my family and friends to catch up on life all the time. Facebook is always there. 

For this trip, most of my crutches will be gone. Granted, I can still call or write my friends. I will be walking with Emily, who is a great friend. I am excited for this, but I will be disconnecting from the world as I know it. Or at least distancing myself from it. How do I prepare for that?

So far my preparation could be broken down into three categories of preparation: physically, mentally, and emotionally.

Physically:

How do you train for mountains and elevation changes in the midwest? The highest point in Minnesota is around 2,000 ft. That is the beginning elevation of the trail. #midwestproblems

Luckily Duluth has trails that go on for days. The Superior Hiking Trail is right near my home. I have found this to be great practice. I can walk on these and just get used to having a pack on my back and the feel of the trail on my feet. If I don't have time to go on a longer hike, I found that running up and down the hills of Duluth has been helpful.

Emily has a couple more mountains to climb near her in Montana, but she also has school. She has been running and hiking as well. Getting used to the gear and the idea of trail life.

Food is also a physical requirement. Emily did a great post about the food prep we have been doing!

Mentally:

I feel like I have been eating and breathing PCT knowledge for the longest time now. I have spent countless nights up late reading gear reviews and permit forms. In an effort to prepare to the best of my ability, I have tried to answer every question I can think of. Yogi's Guide book was a great help in helping me understand the basics of the PCT. It is a crash course in PCT knowledge. After that, blogs on blogs on blogs. Hearing from people that have experienced it is very helpful. Everyone has a different experience, so taking the pieces of information from all their experiences and trying to make it my own has been a journey. One review will say I live by this way of hiking, and another will discount it. The biggest lesson I learned is that you have to hike your own hike. Gain the basic knowledge, and then just listen to your body after that.

Emotionally:

Part of me thinks there is no real way to completely prepare for the range of emotions I will have. I have compared it to becoming a teenager again. Having this whole range of emotions that I have never really felt. From completely desolate to euphoric.

That being said, I have done my best. I have tried to prepare my family and friends as well. Letting them know of the plans, and help them gain the information necessary to understand this adventure. I have tried to prepare mentally and physically which helps emotionally.

I feel like emotionally just being open to what happens is what I find the most important. Understanding I am not in complete control, but I have to react to situations as they come.

This is where it has been so helpful to have someone to walk with. Emily has been a baller in helping me feel comfortable. By planning and just talking it all through together makes the journey of preparation a little less overwhelming.

"The best preparation for tomorrow, is to do your best today." -H. Jackson Brown

I find this quote comforting. Preparation has been going on for more than a half of a year now, and even though the gear is all in (or mostly) I still feel unprepared at times. I have hiked many miles to prepare. I have all my permits. What more could I need?

The answer is, there is always more. There always will be. I can't possibly completely prepare myself for everything, but that is part of the journey. It is a journey I am more than excited to begin. I think of preparation as I do of the actual PCT.

All I can do is just keep putting one foot in front of the other, and see where it takes me.

Food, Glorious Food

It's about that time. Food shopping time, that is.

This week is my spring break and I came home to work on the resupply boxes and food prep. Of all the things about PCT planning that worry me the most, food is number one.

There are so many factors that influence resupply prep. "Where are we sending our boxes? USPS or UPS? How much food should be in each box? When are we going to mail drop and when are we going to buy in town? What if I end up hating Snickers Bars??" The list of questions goes on and on.

Shelly and I started readying ourselves for the food planning process months ago. We spent long hours on Skype pouring over notes and Excel sheets in order to decide where we would mail and buy food. We originally set our sights on 24 mail drops (12 per person). Recently, we shaved that number down to about 20 mail drops which means less stress on ourselves and our wallets. After deciding where we were sending food we then turned to what we were going to eat. This is the part where it is very helpful to have a PCT veteran in your Skype contacts. Lizzy Corliss aka Laugh Track (who is hiking the AT right now) has been my PCT planning mentor since the beginning. If there is anyone you want on your support crew its Lizzy. That girl is oozing positivity and good vibes. She always has a smile on her face and she always is on the verge of laughter (hence her trail name Laugh Track). She has life figured out, that's for sure. I spent hours talking with Lizzy about food and finally I came up with a comprehensive list.

Next came the actual food shopping. I'll be honest, I don't like shopping unless it involves ski gear so I was not too excited about this part. So its no surprise that I just happened to grab a drink with a friend right before I did my Costco run (liquid courage for the win). My parents came with me to Costco to speed up the process. They watched as I dropped $315 on instant oatmeal, Snickers, granola, dried fruit, jerky, peanut butter pretzels, and more delicious bulk items. That trip was a no-nonsense, get-in-get-out Costco run - my kind of shopping.

Now I am dividing up food into boxes. This is the hardest part for me. I've never been good with estimating quantities and its no different with food rations. I don't know how much food to put in each box, heck I don't even know what I'm having for lunch today. Every time I go to put something in a flat rate box a little voice in my head asks "Is that enough? Do you want to starve?" What? No, I don't want to starve. But I don't want to break my back carrying 10 extra Almond Joys... And just like that I'm back on the struggle bus.

It is, however, getting easier. I'm pleased with the food I have picked out. I'm starting to get the hang of food distribution. My mom has also been very supportive throughout this process and I think that is helping keep my stress levels down. But mostly I'm coming to realize that whatever happens, happens. Shelly and I are PCT newbies and we are going to make mistakes. But that doesn't mean I should lose confidence in my planning abilities. I just need to do my best and hike my own hike.

-Emily