Before WILD!

Before 'Wild', before 'A Walk in the Woods', I decided that I would walk the PCT at my first opportunity. I'm not completely sure why I chose to do this, but it never crossed my mind that I couldn't, or that I needed some motive other than a desire to experience nature and the trail. I'd been hiking and camping in the High Sierra for many years and had met many people on thru hikes. They all seemed to be friendly and interesting, and determined.

In November 2014 I made the decision to retire May 2015 from thirty-eight years in K-12 education  to pursue my dream of walking the PCT. My wife and partner for the last 31 years, Betsy, fully supported my decision to retire and begin training. My target date for departure would be March 2016, giving me over a year to get in shape.

With that in mind I started training in earnest by walking a local challenge, Tumamoc Hill, almost daily after work and on weekends. Tumamoc Hill gains 750 vertical feet in just under 1.5 miles, making it a good workout for someone training their legs and heart to hike long trails with a load.


My first real training hike came on November 10th, 2014, and led to 'The Window' in the Catalina Mountains outside of my hometown. The 12.8 miles and 4000 feet of elevation gain took literally all day! I remember my first and only time to The Window over 40 years previous with friend and climbing partner Dave Baker. We took the long way up Sabino Canyon, past Hutch's Pool, through late March snow around Bridal Veil Falls, to The Window, and then down Esperero Canyon. The 16 miles took 14 hours! I wore a new Nordic sweater, a gift from my mother for Christmas, and literally tore it to shreds on the catclaw as we descended Esperero. My return to The Window this time was much easier on my clothing, but not on my body; my legs hurt for days.

Since November of 2014 I've hiked most weekends with my wonderful wife or friends. My wife, an avid geocacher by the name grandmabetsy, often hits the trails in search of that 'Tupperware in the woods' form of treasure. Several of our hikes have been to places requiring extreme bushwacking to the tops of peaks or other remote locations; Mt. Wrightson, Blackett's Ridge, Buster Spring and Peak, to name a few. If I didn't have the conditioning to make the climbs when we started out, her determination to get the cache made sure I had it after the hike!

Betsy will be my support for the PCT. While I'll be hiking it alone (along with 1500-2500 other hikers this year) I won't be without help. She plans on visiting me along the trail as she collects more geocaches. I'll definitely need the support, as planning for five months away from home has been a daunting task.