July 2011
1 post
Still Hiking.
Hi from Mammoth. I realize that I have completely abandoned my journal here, as writing while out in the wilds feels too similar to homework. I was doing okay at uploading a photo every day to my flickr account (www.flickr.com/photos/elisabitch) while in the desert section, but once I lost cell reception in the mountains, that too has fallen by the wayside. Now I am just building an...
April 2011
2 posts
March 2011
2 posts
Pacific Crest Trail Association (link). →
As the remaining weeks dwindle before I leave to hike the Pacific Crest Trail, I urge those of you who are unfamiliar with it to read more about it at the website for the PCTA, an organization that issues thru-hiker permits, aggregates updated trail conditions and other pertinent information that I will rely on this summer, and organizes trail maintenance along the 2650 mile trail. And you will...
Let It Snow.
At the beginning of the month, I drove up to South Lake Tahoe for a snow skills course, offered each winter by Ned and Julie of Mountain Education. The course is structured around active learning — within minutes of meeting at the trailhead, the group straps on their snowshoes and hoists their packs, and proceeds down the trail in an awkward procession through the snow. Immediately, Ned...
February 2011
2 posts
1 tag
On Good Fortune.
To complement the quote on Providence that my dad sent me, I must write a bit on good fortune. I will start with the short version: I live a charmed life. The long version goes like this: I grew up in northern California, in a little town called Nevada City, which is nestled in the Sierra foothills between Sacramento and Lake Tahoe. No, it’s not in Nevada. I’ll gloss over the details...
Providence.
“But when I said that nothing had been done I erred in one important matter. We had definitely committed ourselves and were halfway out of our ruts. We had put down our passage money—booked a sailing to Bombay. This may sound too simple, but is great in consequence. Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of...
January 2011
3 posts
1 tag
Reminders.
Relevant background info: I’m dating a guy who doesn’t like to hike. Don’t misunderstand, he’s outdoorsy and loves trail running, mountain biking, rock climbing, the like. But walking is just too… slow. Needless to say, this creates a smidge of a rift when weekends come around and we both are itching to go play outside. This past weekend, Nolan indulged me and we...
December 2010
4 posts
1 tag
Whatever the Weather.
I talked my friend and neighbor into a wet hike today, despite/in spite of the rain; we dressed to get wet, yet be warm, and were two of very few souls out on the trail this morning behind Montecito. Tracey had never hiked in the rain before like this, and she made me promise her a trip to the local tasting room, Municipal Winemakers, for some hot mulled wine after the hike. I, of course, was...
1 tag
Where the Heart Is.
Sitting here wearing striped woolen socks with my little cat, Juju, and listening to the gentle rain synchronize with my dripping kitchen faucet; wondering if my roof will leak with this storm in my antiquated apartment. The weather report on my phone is a solid wall of water, with no respite until sometime near the end of next week. Though while the phone reported steady precipitation today, my...
1 tag
First Training Hike.
Part of planning and preparing for this epic adventure has been slightly counter-intuitive: instead of making more time to go out and play/practice/work out (I prefer to think of it as play), I’ve spent the last year picking up shifts at a local brewery on top of my full time job as a nanny. My good friend Laurie has been quite the catalyst in helping me make a one-season thru-hike a...
Wonderland.
I would say that it’s a peerless morning tucked up next to the Wonderland of Rocks, except that yesterday morning was just as flawless. The air is still, even warm, and silence reverbs in the ears in that satisfying way. We are the only group camped out in Indian Cove, at least at this end of the campground, and have been enjoying the solitude. Yesterday we climbed the Feudal Wall, having...
Big Deal, Buckminster.
This past week I’ve been feeling a bit under the weather with an upset tummy — just in time to miss the Thanksgiving gluttony, which is both a blessing and a curse; after a few days of white bread and ginger ale, I’ve begun to go a bit nostalgic for anything slightly colorful, let alone savory. Instead I’ve been feeding myself with information: backpackinglight.com’s...
November 2010
2 posts
October 2010
1 post
1 tag
Milestone.
I paid off my credit card tonight.
I feel incredibly proud and empowered to know that I am so much closer to living without debt (there’s a bit left on my car yet). Soon, I’ll be net positive! It felt like such an impossible task when I looked at my credit card statement last year, and yet, nearly nine thousand dollars later, I feel all that much richer.
September 2010
1 post
1 tag
Counting down.
About a week ago I was talking to a friend of mine, who suddenly got very animated when we started talking about The Impending PCT Attempt. When I hushed them, citing that it was months away, I soberly realized that those many months are quickly dwindling. Six months. Just SIX months! I’ve got some work to do. While I’ve been toying with the idea of hiking the PCT for many years, it...