[pct-l] 33 days & counting!

[Kate99ld@aol.com]

Greetings to my fellow 2000 PCT thru-hikers AND to all the wonderful support 
people out there,

Boy - there's nothing like a deadline to get one focused & moving, is there?
I plan to start slack-hiking from Campo on April 27th, join the festivities 
at Lake Morena Fri. eve. & Sat. a.m., then with my very full tummy - sling on 
my Go-Lite pack (which I have jury-rigged to a Jansport frame), with all my 
lightweight equipment (thanks to all for the good ideas), a few days worth of 
food and head north!  (My section-hiking buddy Melouise gave me some good 
advice on how not to get lost - "always keep the Pacific Ocean on your left":)

Here I am madly packing food after making a run at our local organic food 
store (newly purchased by Whole Foods - a great resource).  They had a 
wonderful selection of bulk foods.  I've also acquired 40+ freeze dried 
dinners (Mountain House & Richmor Natural High) from Trail Foods Co.  And my 
question to the list is:

On the freeze-dried packages, my plan is to include a couple in each 
re-supply box for those times when I know water will be scarce or I'll just 
be too tired to cook.  If I leave it in the original package, is it safe to 
then re-pack it into ziplok bags as I head out?  Will the food keep for a 
week?, a month?  Anybody know?

The other thing I haven't yet decided on is the long, difficult place to 
resupply, stretch from Kennedy Meadows to Vermilion Valley Ranch.  I may just 
try to carry 10 days of food (have done it before carrying a heavier pack) 
rather than try to get to Independence via Kearsage Trail or to Cedar Grove 
via Bubbs Creek Trail.  But I decided not to worry about it right now, 
somehow things always work out.

OK, I'm off to the PCTA board meeting this weekend in Sacramento where I'll 
see Lesya Struz - we can compare notes, along with Henry Shires - thru-hiker 
from last year of whom I have had the good fortune to make acquaintance.  
He's been a real inspiration with all his equipment notes from last year. 

See you at the border or the Lake in a month!  Safe and wonderful journeys to 
all, wherever they may lead.

Laraine Kate Downer  - aka "Uphill Wandr'r"
Member Board PCTA
Member ALDHA-West


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