The first snow has dusted the nearby peaks with news that a little further east there is snow and slush along the North Cascades Highway. The road will close soon as the expected winter snows arrive and won't reopen until sometime in the spring.
I am reminded of Shawn Forry and Justin Lichter's story "Cold Going" found in 'Crossing Paths A Pacific Crest Trailside Reader". The story describes a southbound (SOBO) PCT journey from Canada to Mexico in 2014-15. Their story is a powerful one. It speaks of stamina, determination, and excellent backcountry skills.
Wherever you live, the call of the trail may be heard even now as fall is falling and winter is soon approaching. I enjoy the white quiet of the woods near my house when we get an occasional lowland snowstorm. I also like to take my skis and swoosh around a little in the nearby Cascades. Venturing into the mountains is usually something I do on the short term. I go out for a day or part of one. To be honest, my feet and hands don't much like the cold for extended periods. I have learned that getting caught in frosty and snowy conditions even in non-official winter times on the PCT. When my body talks, I try to listen.
If you do answer the call and venture out for a cold weather excursion here are some things to keep in mind:
Tell someone where you are going and when you expect to be back.
Check the weather and trail conditions before heading out. If you are going into National/State forests or National/State Parks the respective ranger station will have critical information in many cases.
Bring a map and/or some form of navigation...think the Ten Essentials.
Bring extra water and food (see above).
Wear appropriate footwear clothing, such as rain gear. Bring extra layers.
Stay on marked official trails.
Plan carefully for winter weather. Conditions can change quickly and the sun sets early.
If for some reason you get lost, the U.S. Forest Service recommends the following:
Keep calm. Trust your map and compass. Shelter and warmth are more important than food. Backtrack if possible. If traveling with others, stay together, if possible. If not, send at least two people for help (depending on the size of your group.)
To find your position, climb to a place where you can get a better idea of where you are. When you reach a road , trail or telephone line, follow it. As a last resort, follow a stream downhill.
Before darkness falls select a sheltered spot and plan to stay there all night.
Don't abandon skis. Build a fire and shelter. Stay warm by getting out of the wind; insulate yourself with a parka and other clothing (use an insulated, branches or skis between you and the snow).
If you are injured and alone, keep calm. Stay where you are, clear an area down to mineral soil and build a signal fire. Green boughs will create heavy smoke.
Three signals of any kind, either audible or visible, is the universal SOS call. This is where a whistle flashlight/headlamp, or mirror can come in handy.
Going out in the winter is a serious endeavor. Informing other and going prepared are essential keys for having a successful experience. There are other winter stories to be found in "Crossing Paths" that put the above tips into some kind of context. We have also posted stories here that reflect on cold weather and snowy travel that are easily accessed. Whether or not you leave the cozy confines of home or brave the weather consider your skills and equipment. Finally, please don't rely on your cell phone. What works well at home may not work at all in the backcountry.
The Mountaineers Ten Essentials dates back to their climbing courses of the 1930s. This widely respected safety and packing system was formalized in the third edition of Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills, released in 1974. The list has always tried to answer two basic questions:
Can you prevent emergencies and respond positively should one occur?
Can you safely spend a night (or more) outside?
Certain equipment deserves space in every pack. One may not need every item on every trip, but essential equipment can be a lifesaver in an emergency. Exactly how much equipment “insurance” should be carried is a matter of healthy debate. Rather than get into that debate here let’s consider any essentials beyond the basic 10.
The Ten Essentials serves as a guide that should be tailored to the particulars of any outing. Weather, remoteness from help, and complexity should be factored into any selected essentials. The Mountaineers organization tells us the first seven essentials tend to be compact and vary little from trip to trip, and can be grouped together. they are:
1. Navigation: map, altimeter, compass, [GPS device], [PLB, satellite communicator, or satellite phone], [extra batteries or battery pack]
2. Headlamp: plus extra batteries
3. Sun protection: sunglasses, sun-protective clothes, and sunscreen
4. First aid: including foot care and insect repellent (if required)
5. Knife: plus repair kit
6. Fire: matches, lighter and tinder, or stove as appropriate
7. Shelter: carried at all times (can be a lightweight emergency bivy)
The first item on the list, navigation, has clearly evolved over the years. For PCT hikers paper maps have given way to navigation apps such as Guthooks. Cell phones have become the device of choice for many hikers. Included in a cell phone are numerous downloadable apps such as Guthooks, as well as a compass and flashlight. In addition a PLB or Personal Locater Beacon such as a ‘SPOT’ device is something many hikers have determined to be ‘essential’.
Of course the dependence on more electronics or just a phone requires power. The easiest way to keep things powered up is either with a solar charger or an external battery pack. This may sound like poison to people trying to go as light as possible since every little addition is a weight gain. The need for power is hard to work around.
With the advent of more electronics in the backcountry the desire for access to podcasts and music may require headphones or earbuds. For some purists these items are not ‘essential’.
The remaining items on the Mountaineers’ list are:
8. Extra Food, beyond the minimum expectation
9. Extra Water, beyond the minimum expectation or a means to purify
10. Extra clothes, enough to survive an emergency overnight
PCT hikers will likely have these last three ‘essentials’ covered in their basic equipment. However, there are those that are squeaking by and leave little allowance for an extra snack or meal portion. Water can be challenge in some parts of the trail so having adequate capacity is a not so hidden essential.
Purification is another essential that can easily be ignored or overlooked. In this regard even having a way to purify water may rely on number 5 on the list under ‘knife’. Having an ability to do a field repair on a purification device can prove to be a real game changer. Simple elements in order to make a repair such as a safety pin or duct tape can be unsung heroes in a crisis or emergency.
As far as extra clothes go, most hikers will have at least one layer to fall back on. Being in the desert/ mountains can be very unpredictable so only having one layer may not be enough. Again, this can be the source of much debate over how much and how little is really necessary. Erring on the side of safety seems to make a great deal of sense.
No matter what you think you may need using the Ten Essentials as a starting point can be a perfect touchstone. Certainly in today’s world your list may be a little longer than ten items. Deciding what additional items are necessary versus the ten core items that have proven themselves over and over again can be a great challenge.
Whether or not you take the 10 essentials the key seems to be in being able to answer those two key questions spoken of earlier in this post. Adding a few more ‘essentials’ is a personal preference. The most important essential is to go have a great time for however long you go and get back safely and soundly.
Originally published August 21, 2018 in the Seattle Times and written by Crystal Paul travel and outdoors reporter. This seems like an appropriate way to begin the new year.
When collecting stories for inclusion in The Pacific Crest Trailside Reader, I was struck by the number of stories that turned on a poor choice, an unnecessary risk, backpacking alone, or going excessively light. They may make for good reading but terrible backpacking.
“Just like any sport there is inherent risk to hiking, but there’s definitely things you can do to mitigate those risks,” says Kindra Ramos, director of communications at the Washington Trails Association (WTA). Ramos’ words are worth considering.
Hiking can be a great way to relax, get away and enjoy the natural beauty around us. But while going on a hike can literally be a walk in the park, there are some inherent risks involved when you head out into the wilderness.
We spoke with Sgt. John Adams with the Search and Rescue unit at Snohomish County Volunteer Search and Rescue, and Kindra Ramos, director of communications at the Washington Trails Association (WTA), to learn some tips that can keep you safe on the trail.
Here’s what they suggested.
Tell someone where you’re going
Especially if you’re hiking alone, it is important to make sure someone knows exactly where you’re going and when you expect to be back. Snohomish County Search and Rescue, and Everett Mountain Rescue have a handy “Trip Plan” on their websites you can fill out and leave with a friend or family member.
Adams also suggests leaving information with a friend of family member that includes the make and model of the car you are driving, information on a back-up route or trail that you might take if your original route is compromised, and a date and/or time when someone should alert authorities if you haven’t returned.
Research the trail and check conditions before you go
Before you leave, learn as much as you can about the trail, and check current conditions. WTA provides detailed descriptions of many hiking trails in Washington, including maps and current trip reports on their website, wta.org.
Check trail conditions and weather forecasts before you leave. The weather can be very different even an hour from where you live, and trail conditions can change daily. Also consider things like what time it will begin to get dark, and water levels if there are streams on the trail. In Washington, where many streams are glacier-fed, water levels can rise over the course of the day. For the most up-to-date trail information, call a ranger station. WTA maintains a convenient online list of contact information for several ranger stations at National Forests and Parks.
Pack the essentials
Whether your hike lasts a couple hours or several days, having appropriate gear is crucial. WTA’s list of “Ten Essentials” that every hiker should bring with them includes the following:
1. Navigation: A map and compass, GPS unit, or even a smartphone.
2. Hydration: Staying hydrated is essential. Carry either enough water for yourself for the duration of your hike, or a map of natural water sources along your route and a water filter, purifier, chemical tablets, or means of boiling unfiltered water before drinking it.
3. Nutrition: Bring enough food to tide you over on your hike, plus extra snacks in case you are unexpectedly delayed on your return.
4. Rain gear and insulation: You’ll want moisture-wicking, water-resistant, warm clothing, even on a nice day. Temperatures change and can drop dramatically as night approaches and at higher elevations.
5. Fire-starter: Matches, a lighter, and flint all work just fine. Make sure to keep any fire-starter and kindling dry.
6. First-aid kit: A good first-aid kit will have what you need to deal with major injuries. To make sure you know how to use everything in your kit, take a course or talk to someone experienced in first-aid.
7. Tools: A multi-tool and some duct tape will get you through a great deal of gear repairs and other challenges that may arise.
8. Illumination: Make sure it’s a good source of light. A cell phone will rarely provide the kind of illumination you’ll need in the extreme dark. Instead, carry a flashlight or a headlamp (and extra batteries).
9. Sun protection: Sunglasses (especially if you’re traveling in snow), a hat and sunscreen.
10. Shelter: You don’t need to carry a tent, but a Mylar blanket or tarp can protect you from the elements in an emergency.
Consider bringing more gear
The “Ten Essentials” will likely see you through the most common dangers, but Adams of Snohomish County Volunteer Search and Rescue suggests you also consider bringing along a personal locator beacon and a whistle. He cites several successful Search and Rescue cases in which hikers were found alive and rescued when using locators like the Garmin inReach.
Don’t be afraid to turn back
Ramos says one of the most important safety tips is to remember that the trail will always be there tomorrow. If you are uncomfortable, uncertain or worried about your safety at any time, be honest with yourself. Don’t be afraid to call it a day and turn back.
Educate yourself
If you’re new to hiking or backpacking, there are several introductory courses — like REI’s “Map and Compass Navigation Basics” or “Lightweight Backpacking Basics” — that can help you get started. But even seasoned hikers can benefit from skill development courses like The Mountaineers’ “Alpine/Wilderness First Aid” course. The National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) is another great resource for courses.
Adams also recommends joining your local volunteer search and rescue organization and taking advantage of the training they offer.
“It’s really about the knowledge of what to do,” says Ramos. “Your brain is your most important essential all of the time,” she says.
If worse comes to worst
Sometimes, no matter how much research you’ve done and how careful you are, things go wrong anyway. This is where the gear you packed and the preparation you made before hitting the trail just might save your life. But first things first:
Stay calm. Both Adams and Ramos emphasize the importance of staying calm in a crisis. This will allow you to assess the situation and intelligently deploy the gear you need and the skills you’ve developed to keep yourself safe.
Get to a safe place and stay there. If you are already in a safe place, stay there. If you’re lost, wandering is likely to take you further away from the known trail and make you harder to find. If you’re injured, trying to move around may lead to further injury. If you are not in a safe place, find the nearest safe location and stay there.
Remember your gear. Use your gear to stay warm, hydrated, fed and as visible as possible. If you opted for that locator beacon, activate it. If you brought that whistle, use it. The information you left with a friend or family member will make it easier for Search and Rescue to find you.
As the seasons begin to change and thoughts of getting outside start to bubble up into our hopes, dreams, and memories it seems appropriate to consider options. Generally when the topic of the Pacific Crest Trail comes up in conversation or reading, or in film it is framed around thru hiking. Beginning to end, start to finish. "Damn the torpedoes! Full speed ahead!" or something like that. Thru hikes are stories mostly full of success. Participants overcome adversity and find their way forward. Thru hikes get the glory it seems.
A short snowy early fall day hike on the PCT with a friend.
To day hike on the PCT is easier for some than others mostly given where you live. Living in Kansas for example, you are not going to call your friends up and say, "Hey, how about we day hike from Rainy Pass to Cutthroat Pass this weekend?" or " Let's meet at Kennedy Meadows and do a day hike...what do you say?" The day hike option in the immediate sense is challenging for a lot of us. Less so when people have some time but not a lot of time to do a more challenging or ambitious undertaking like in the summer months.
I met a fellow once who was driving to PCT trailheads on the weekends and day hiking out and back to his car. He didn't have the luxury to take extended time off of work and other responsibilities so this worked for him. To be honest the PCT is not exactly easy to move from trail head to trail head everywhere. He happened to live where it was more possible.
In my case I can easily consider various day hikes on the PCT from where I live. They might be longish days or require sleeping in my vehicle or a nearby accommodation but still doable. If you are dreaming of a PCT experience here is your opportunity to get a taste.
Jack Haskel at the PCTA wrote a really honest and informative essay in the organizations magazine 'The Communicator' last spring. He writes," The decision around what to pack for a day hike also became easier when I stopped overthinking it. I embraced the 10 essentials, added a couple of extras, and now all the necessary items live in my day pack permanently." Here's the list:
Navigation- paper maps and/or phone app maps
Headlamp-sometimes the best laid plans just take longer than your think.
Sun protection
First aid- maybe not for you but for someone else...
Knife plus gear repair kit
Fire (matches, lighter, tinder and/or stove)
Shelter (ultralight mylar emergency shelter that fits two people)
Extra food
Extra water
Extra clothes
In addition tell someone where you are going and when you plan to get back. This is critically important for staying safe. Jack also carries a knife, compass, energy bar, and some spare batteries. His view, and I agree, better to be safe than sorry.
If you don't have the time, energy, desire, opportunity, or some other good reason for a lengthy PCT hike consider a day hike. Just walking a short distance with friends on the PCT has been rewarding for them as much as it has been for me. They got a taste of what my experience was and it sprouted some great conversations and experiences of their own. These experiences bring up so many memories flooding my brain from past hikes when I have done this.
Beginner Hiking Guide:
Gear - What to Bring Hiking
What you want to bring with you on a hike will vary depending on what kind of hike you’re doing. If you’re going on a very short (under an hour) and easy hike on highly-trafficked and easily accessed trails for instance, you may not need to bring much at all -- though I always recommend a water bottle, sun protection and a hoodie or something. But if you’re doing a longer trek on backcountry trails out in the wilderness, you’ll want to bring quite a bit more with you, because the stakes are higher if things go wrong.
My general rule of thumb is: Pack for the Worst Case Scenario.
What is the worst that could happen if you get lost or injured? How long would it take for someone to find you if your phone died and you couldn’t call for help? If you get stuck out overnight, how cold is it going to get, and will you be able to survive it? How about if you have to wait several hours for a rescue party to carry you out if you can’t walk?
I carry a bunch of emergency items in my pack that, on an ideal hike, I never need. But if things don’t go ideally, given the places and conditions I hike in, they could save my life. In the list below, I’ve put an asterisk next to items I recommend packing even for short day hikes (2 hours or less)
So let’s start with the most important thing:
You Need a Backpack.
If you’re going to carry supplies, you need something to carry them in, and a backpack is the easiest, most comfortable way to do so that won’t compromise your balance or leave you unable to use your hands on a hike. (On short outings, fannypacks are great, but you’ll want a backpack if you’re going out into backcountry).
DON'T: use a drawstring backpack -- this will dig painfully into your shoulders pretty quickly.
DO: use a backpack with a waist/hip strap (and chest strap if possible). Having more of your pack’s weight on your hips than on your shoulders will cut down on back pain! The more adjustable, the better; you want to be comfortable.
There are really great hiking specific backpacks out there, but they are on the pricey side. It’s something where, if you plan on doing hiking more regularly, I would recommend investing in a good pack, but for your first time your old book bag will probably do okay.
The Ten Essentials
If you do any research on backcountry hiking, you will probably see “the ten essentials” mentioned somewhere. These are the things that you’re recommended to always bring on a hike with you if you’re going out into the wilderness. The list can seem a little daunting, but honestly a lot of the things on it are pretty small and easy to acquire.
1) Navigation / Map & Compass* -- Have a paper map in a ziploc bag and a compass in addition to any digital tools and GPS you may be using to navigate. Technology fails, and having a map that you’ve familiarized yourself with before you set out will help you to stay on your route and avoid getting lost. REI has useful articles on how to use a compass and how to read a topographic map.
2) Nutrition / Extra Food -- I always bring food hiking. You burn through a lot of energy while hiking, and snacking will help boost your energy levels and keep you moving. Calorie-dense foods with sugar and protein like trail mix, nuts, and granola bars give you the biggest boost while not taking up too much room in your pack. And if your hike runs over, you’ll be grateful for the extra rations.
3) Hydration / Extra Water* -- I typically bring a full liter of water (or gatorade!), minimum when I hike. Nalgene bottles are great because they’re lightweight and virtually indestructible. You’re going to be losing a lot of moisture through sweat and through the vapor your exhale while breathing heavily, so you are going to need to hydrate. Bring more than you think you’re going to need in case things go badly.
4) Insulation / Extra Layers* -- I talked about this in the post about clothes, but always have an extra layer. If the weather shifts, or you get injured and can’t move to keep warm, or you get lost and need to wait for a rescue, the last thing you need is for hypothermia to come along and make your day worse.
5) Illumination / Light -- There’s always a chance of something going wrong, be it a twisted ankle or just misjudging the length of a hike, that can lead to you being out for longer than you anticipated -- and if you’re stuck out in the wilderness when the sun goes down, you want to be able to see where the hell you’re going to find the trail and get home. On any longer hike (especially if you’re starting later in the day), bring a headlamp or flashlight with extra batteries (and test it before you leave!)
6) Emergency Shelter -- Is there any chance that on the hike you’re doing, you could potentially get lost enough that you have to spend hours and hours out here? In the theme of extra layers, if you get lost, injured, or otherwise caught out in bad conditions and can’t hike out on your own for any reason and rescue won’t be there anytime soon (search and rescue teams take time to assemble, deploy and then hike out to you), you want to have some means of shelter. Obviously, you don’t wanna drag an entire tent out into the woods if you’re just going on a day hike, but a there’s a few lightweight options that can make a difference when you’re improvising protection from the elements, such as:
A mylar space blanket / shock blanket
A bivvy sack (basically a lightweight plastic sleeping bag that keeps warmth in and water out!)
....And if you’re on a budget, a large plastic trash bag can do in a pinch!
7) Firestarter -- On the topic of shelter, especially if you’re stuck out in the cold overnight, a fire can be an emergency source of heat and light. Since most of us are not capable of starting a fire just by rubbing two sticks together like in the movies, we’ll want to make it easier on ourselves by bringing something to start a fire with: pack something to ignite it with, and something to use as tinder to catch the flame and sustain it long enough to ignite other fuel you’ve gathered. I personally carry a bic lighter that was like, .99c at the gas station, and a toilet paper tube stuffed with dryer lint for tinder. This is one of those “hopefully you never actually have to use it” things.
8) First Aid Kit* -- You want to be able to treat an injury if it happens, and to address smaller health concerns before they become bigger health concerns. With blisters especially, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure -- putting blister pads on your feet when you’ve got hot spots before they turn into full on oozing blisters is going to make a world of difference. And as someone who has taken a nasty spill on the trail and hiked out injured, I always carry a solid first aid kit with me. You can buy a compact pre-made kit easily enough to carry with you, but you may find yourself customizing it to your needs. I recommend having the following:
Ibuprofen -- good for managing pain, swelling, and soreness
Tylenol/Acetaminophen -- pain reliever, fever reducer, better for head injuries than ibuprofen since it doesn’t thin blood (also, if you’ve hurt yourself and you’re in a LOT of pain, you can alternate Tylenol and Ibuprofen)
Benadryl or some other antihistamine for allergies
AfterBite -- good for stings and bug bites
Bandaids in assorted sizes
Blister pads
Disinfectant wipes x 2
Gauze
A triangular bandage
A lightweight SAM splint
Ace bandage - good for wrapping sprains
Tweezers - good for removing splinters!
Any important medications you personally need, such as an EpiPen or inhaler, or personal joint braces you require
9) Sun Protection* -- Even if you’re hiking under tree cover, or on a cloudy day, with hours spent outdoors, you’re getting a lot of UV exposure. Regardless of whether you’re someone who sunburns easily or not, it’s good to have sun protection. Bring sunglasses and sunscreen, and consider wearing a hat. Especially at higher elevations, where the air gets thinner and blocks less UV radiation! And don’t forget when hiking in winter, that you can get snowblindness and sunburn from light reflected off snow.
10) Repair Kit + Knife / All That McGuyver Shit -- A few lightweight and simple objects can make it much easier to jury-rig a shelter, replace a snapped bootlace, or hold together a torn pack until you can get back to the parking lot. I personally always have:
A pocket knife/multitool
Flat-wrapped duct tape
Several safety pins
A handful of zip ties
A spare shoelace
And other people may find other items useful depending on their gear and the kind of repairs they might need.
In addition to the stuff on this list, there may be weather-specific or trail-condition specific gear you might need, like microspikes for traction on ice, or rain gear for hiking in wet climates. You can use your best judgment and the recommendations of others who have hiked where you are hiking to figure out what the best packing list is for your specific hike. This list is a guideline and a starting point.
Other things you may want to bring:
Whistle -- if your phone is dead and you’re waiting for rescue, you can blow on a whistle a lot longer (and a lot louder) than you can yell. Three short bursts usually means ‘hiker in distress’ and will help other hikers or searchers find you.
Toilet Paper + plastic bag -- If you don’t think you’re going to be able to hold it, bring a means to go in the woods. But bring the plastic bag to carry out your used toilet paper so it doesn’t pollute nature (Leave No Trace!)
A ziploc bag big enough for your phone -- if you need to cross a river or if it starts pouring, have a means to bag your phone to keep it dry. If there’s a risk of rain, bring a trash bag as well that you can use as an improvised pack cover to keep your stuff dry.
Insect Repellant -- even if you don’t bring it with you and just put it on in the parking lot, if you’re hiking in spring or summer especially, you’ll want some bug spray.
Keeping It Light
You want to pack smart, which means maximizing the usefulness of what you pack while keeping things as light as possible. Try using a lightweight plastic water bottle instead of a heavy steel one, and packing spare layers that are warm without being too bulky. Put sunblock in a small tube or bottle instead of packing the huge family-size one. The weight adds up, and the final weight of your pack is what you’re going to have to be carrying along with you. Though the good news is, your pack will get lighter as you consume the food and water you’ve packed!
If you are hiking with friends in a group, there’s some things you don’t really need multiple redundancies for -- if one person has a well-stocked first aid kit and another person carries enough sunblock for the group, you don’t need three of each and every item. Communicate with your group to make sure all your bases are covered, but also be sure you stay close together while hiking. Your friend having the group’s utility knife isn’t going to help you if you go off on your own and get separated. And you will all still want your own food, water, clothing, and light.
Organize Your Bag
Having the right gear is helpful. Knowing where it is is even better!
I try to organize my pack so the weight is evenly distributed (with the heaviest objects at the center near my spine to avoid throwing off my center of gravity), but also so I can find stuff easily enough. If your backpack has different pockets and compartments, think about using those to organize your supplies. Put stuff you’re more likely to need to use in easy to reach places. I usually keep my water bottle in a side pocket that I can reach from the outside of my bag, and my snacks in the topmost compartment so they’re easy to get to and not squished.
I also have a couple of lightweight smaller bags inside my pack I organize things in -- a mesh bag I keep all my first aid supplies in so I can pull out the splint, main kit, extra bandage, AfterBite, etc. all together, and a waterproof stuff sack that I keep all my “emergency” supplies (bivvy sack, shock blanket, headlamp, lighter, knife, etc.) inside so they aren’t all rattling around loose at the bottom of my pack where I will never find them.
-
Using your knowledge about the hike you’re doing, the duration, the conditions, and your own body and needs will help you make smart choices about what you need to bring in order to keep yourself safe, both during your hike, and in the hypothetical scenario where something goes awry. Be informed, be prepared, and have fun out there!
If you have been hiking for awhile there may be one or two things that you always take with you, or something that serves as your touchstone. (See Dorothy Brown Kwaiser's story, "The Things They Carried" in Crossing Paths a Pacific Crest Trailside Reader) If you have just begun hiking you may find that your reference points are the 'Ten Essentials' or some other item or items that a mentor has conveyed to you as a must have. Rees and I have been hiking for quite a while. We have noticed how what we started hiking with; packs, clothing, etc. has morphed over the years.
Someone we know recently asked us "What is the one thing that you started with that you still carry today?" Before I answer that, let me give you a little context. Rees and I along with our longtime hiking partner and dear friend Jim started hiking the PCT in 1981. I know this makes us sound ancient but really we aren't...or at least we don't feel that way. Nevertheless this question got us to thinking and examining what we carried then compared to what we carry now. This was a very interesting exercise on many levels. It taxed our memories, brought some smiles, and helped us realize just how far we have come since then.
To begin with, we still carry something to carry water in, we still use a tent, sleeping bag, and other basics. However even those items have morphed over time. Some have gotten lighter, some more adaptable, and some have been retired altogether. In the picture below notice my rag wool sweater, cotton army surplus dungarees, and my external frame pack. Rees was ahead of his time with an internal frame pack and had the sense to bring army surplus trousers (at least they were wool!). What you can't see are our heavy weight leather hiking boots.
Rees and I in 1981 experiencing another sunny warm day along the Washington PCT. Is that snow along the trail or hail?
This past fall Backpacker magazine published a fiftieth anniversary edition. In it they feature items that have stood and stumbled over the test of time. There is the familiar Nalgene bottle, vintage 1972 and the Petzel headlamp, vintage 1981 among other items that mostly came later. We didn't have headlamps on our trip in 1981. We were much too poor to afford such things and much to close to our youthful Boy Scout experiences to not just bring flashlights. I don't think we had Nalgene bottles until much later. Despite the fact Therm-a-Rest sleeping pads were available economics kept them out of our reach. We were on a budget, our sleeping pads were of the blue closed foam variety..
As we tried to answer the question and recalled the things on our packing list then and now, two items appear to have stood the test of time. I am not counting the Gore-Tex anorak I brought along as I have not brought Gore-Tex every time we have gotten on the trail, somewhat regrettably . The two things that have been with us from the very beginning have been journals/writing implements and (drum roll please!) ... a pocket knife.
Today our gear is lighter and more functional. Technology has caught up and we wear more garments that are less natural and more synthetic. Our food is similar but we have added some freeze dried meals. We all have headlamps and inflatable style sleeping pads. The trusty old pocket knife and journals remain in our possession to this day. While others are electronically journaling, our habit is kind of 'old school'. A pocket knife is also old school. We have added some things too but that is a topic for another post.
What do you carry today that you carried when you first began your hiking life? Please share those with us and we will happily post your items and your experiences here. Have things changed for you as they have for us?
So often we hear these stories and some of us live them all too close up. This article written by Seattle Times staff reporter Agueda Pacheco-Flores from the October 31, 2018 Seattle Times is one of those stories both life lesson and life affirming. Happenstance and just plain lucky. We posted a similar story about Katharina Groene on November 4th from the Washington Post . . .
Even if you are familiar with the story, it is worth reading Pacheco-Flores version of Groene’s story.
Katharina Groene had 140 miles left to go of the famed, 2,650-mile Pacific Crest Trail on Sunday when she found herself just north of the North Cascades’ Glacier Peak, soaking wet, running dangerously low on food and dry clothes and slogging through snow without snowshoes.
She had spent an hour going just 100 feet, and had miles to go before the safety of the next ranger station. Groene was so sure it was all over that she started messaging her family in Germany on WhatsApp. She apologized for being stupid and thinking she could successfully finish the trail, which traverses the spine of mountain ranges between Mexico and Canada, although she was five months into the hike.
“Maybe it was the dehydration, but I was screaming for help … I just had to get the fear out of me,” said Groene, 34. She had assumed she had enough gear to stay warm and could stretch one ration and a single Pop-Tart. But now her sleeping bag was drenched and she only had one set of dry clothes. One of her two tarps had blown away, and she had lost two pairs of gloves.
Meanwhile, 112 miles away, Snohomish County Search and Rescue pilots Bill Quistorf and Einar Espeland were being briefed by Sgt. John Adams about a rescue mission. A German woman unfamiliar with, and unprepared for, the unruly backcountry of the North Cascades could be in danger. Their mission: Find her.
As they took off in a helicopter called HAWK1 from Snohomish, the weather didn’t look good. They headed toward the Pacific Crest Trail, although no weather information was available for that specific area. All they knew was that it could get cloudy.
Quistorf and Espeland took a chance and headed to Glacier Peak. Clouds clung to the mountains and as they approached Mill Creek, snow started to fall. They could not get higher than 5,000 feet, barely sweeping under the clouds. They stuck their heads out, hoping to see Groene.
They didn’t, but they did spot a single line of footsteps near Mica Lake, hooking right around the edge of the Pacific Crest Trail. The footsteps were headed north.
They followed the line in the snow to the next ridge’s snowline, but there was no sign of Groene. “We were fairly confident she … was somewhere between the snowline of these two ridges,” Espeland said.
Suddenly, Groene emerged from a stand of old timber, wearing a red jacket. She was calm but showing signs of hypothermia and frostbite.
When Quistorf and Espeland landed, they handed Groene a flyer with a picture of herself, taken the week before by the woman who made the call that saved her life.
Rescued hiker Katharina Groene, left, smiles when Nancy Abell jokes that daughters give their mothers gray hair at a news conference in Snohomish. Groene credits Abel with saving her life, as Abell called 911 when she saw how bad conditions were on the Pacific Crest Trail where Groene was hiking. (Ellen M. Banner / The Seattle Times)
“She did it,” Groene said, as she wept. Nancy Abell, of Seattle, has been hiking Washington trails since she was 6 years old. She met Groene on Oct. 22 when they hiked together for two hours from Lake Susan Jane to Stevens Pass. Abell noticed Groene didn’t have snowshoes and didn’t seem prepared for the Cascades.“I felt like being from Germany, she wasn’t familiar with the Glacier Peak wilderness area, and Glacier Peak makes its own weather,” Abell said.Having been caught herself by Glacier’s weather, Abell tried to persuade Groene to turn back. Groene didn’t, but Abell gathered enough information — the direction she was heading, the mileage she was trying to cover and the weight she was carrying — for the Snohomish County Search and Rescue team to make a flyer and pinpoint Groene’s location.When Groene saw the flyer with the picture Abell had taken of her, she knew it was Abell who saved her life.Groene, Abell, Quistorf, Espeland and Adams reunited Wednesday for a news conference at Search and Rescue headquarters at Taylor’s Landing in Snohomish, sharing the story of the dramatic rescue. Groene was still regaining feeling in her fingertips, but was giddy.Groene will be buying her ticket home later this month. Until then, she will be staying with Abell. She doesn’t plan on finishing the trail. Search and Rescue will not bill Groene for the cost of the rescue.The German hiker said the experience has given her faith in humanity. “I’m just glad I’m alive,” she said.
