I Think I've Died and Gone to Heaven

I just got back from 11 of the most amazing day of my life traveling through the high Sierras. Never again will I question why so many outdoors brands are named after the Sierras and why so many of my heroes like John Muir and Ansel Adams spent so much time here. I doubt I can actually put words to describe the beauty of the high Sierras as so many have tried to do so in the past and there are no way my photographs even begin to capture their beauty but I can tell you a little bit about what its like to hike through the Sierras on the PCT. While this has been such an amazing week I am also worn down from all the climbing and constant jaw dropping. I have decided that this was only my introduction to the Sierras, My First Summer in the Sierras if you will, and I will certainly be making many trips back here in the future so better hope I can land a job in California.

The Passes

One of the most dominating features of hiking the PCT through the Sierras are the passes. A pass is a low point between two mountains and the passes of note that the PCT crosses will typically separate one watershed from another. Lets imagine we are starting from the top of one pass. In most years it would be loaded with snow you could glissade or slide down if it were gradual or would have to very carefully work your way down to avoid plummeting to the boulders below on steep snow fields. Then after the steepest parts you begin to enter a region of crystal clear alpine lakes that shine the brightest blues you have ever seen. They may also have little streams connecting them with marmots and pikas hopping around gathering food. Eventually these lakes will start to enter the timberline and you will start seeing trees again. Typically this is where those small streams connecting the lakes start to build in size and drop down some quite steep cliffs you will have to switchback down. Some of these waterfalls cascade down 20 to 30 feet while others may slide down smooth rock forming awesome waterslides. I was never brave enough to try due to the rocks waiting below and the frigid temperatures of the streams. This will continue for a while dropping and dropping and dropping until all the sudden everything goes flat and you get to ramble through a nice soft forest floor of pine needles and firm mud that feels great to walk on after those rocky switchbacks. Amazingly that torrential stream that just dropped down rapids and waterfalls will smooth out into beautiful meadows with the brightest greens and yellows you have ever seen and deer all around. As you continue down, now usually at a easier grade, the river builds in size and you hope you don't need to ford across where it gets too deep. Then you finally reach the bottom of the pass where your stream/creek/river converges with the stream/creek/river coming down from the next pass you are going to climb. Now you get to climb up the 3,000-4,000 feet up to the top of the next pass and keep repeating this transition over and over. While I have generalized here please know that each pass is different which makes it more and more exciting to see what the next on has in store for you. I had such a great time exploring all of the passes and can't wait for the opportunity to see more in the future.

Water Water Everywhere

One of my favorite parts of finally getting into the Sierras was how much water there was. No longer did we have to rely on water reports or carry more than a liter with us because you can stop and filter almost any time you want a break. I am usually a big stickler on always filtering my water because I don't want to get giardia, but even I would sip straight from the tops of those alpine streams coming right off the snow melt. It is such an awesome feeling to just dip your cup in the stream and take a drink of that cool refreshing water without having to worry. I must say though even at night it never got too foggy and I didn't have to set up my tent so I can't say if Sierra mist actually tastes like the pop.

Water also meant opportunities to go swimming and with the crystal clear water you are always tempted.I must admit I only swam a couple of time though because for the most part the water is very cold and quickly numbs the body and the temperatures up in the high Sierras never get too hot that you are dying for a swim even when hiking up a mountain. It certainly helps to be able to wash all your clothes and gear as you go and I felt quite a bit cleaner even when I went 11 straight days without a shower wearing the same clothes everyday.

Scavenging for Food

One of the difficulties of being so remote in the high Sierras is that it is not easy to resupply when you have 200 miles where the trail doesn't even come close to a road. I chose the difficult approach too of not taking a side trail out Kearsarge Pass midway through the trek and carried 11 days worth of food with me. That is a lot of extra baggage and I left Kennedy Meadows with my heaviest pack yet weighing in at 57 lbs (way over the max rating of 35 lbs for my Circuit which is the weight I am normally carrying). The other difficulty is trying to fit all of this food into my bear canister. A bear canister is a thick plastic cylinder that keeps bears (and many mornings myself as I struggle to open it) from tearing through your food. They are required in the national parks and all food must either be stowed in a bear canister or a bear box that the park service leaves at certain campsites. I think I had to camp where there were bear boxes for the first 5 or 6 days because I had so much spillover that couldn't all fit in my bear canister. Even with all the food I brought I still had to ration my way through the Sierras which isn't ideal when you are burning through so many calories with all those climbs. I am afraid to step on a scale to see how much weight I have lost but I'm looking quite skinny and think I've dropped below 200 lbs for the first time in a long time.

However I ran into some of the best trail magic of the trip even out in the wilderness of the high Sierras. On my second day in I was hiking with Shepard and we ran into a group who was just out for the weekend. They unloaded trail mix, pistachios, oatmeal, sunflower seeds, tuna, and rice mix on us which gave me a whole extra day's rations.

There are also two locations very close to the trail you can hike out to; the Muir Trail Ranch and Vermilion Valley Resort. Many hikers choose to send food to these resupply spots but this is expensive and they are fairly close to Mammoth Lakes anyways so I also didn't do this. However I did plan on stopping by to check out the hiker boxes. A hiker box is where hikers leave extra food or supplies when they have sent/bought too much and don't want to carry it through the woods anymore. Past hikers have told me that both of these stops often have abundant hiker boxes due to the fact that many south bound John Muir Trail hikers send too much food and are tired of carrying it all. However I am currently approaching the center of the PCT herd so there are many PCT hikers just a day or two ahead of me who got to a lot of that food first. I made a lucky call and stopped by Muir Trail Ranch (where there also are some hot springs in a meadow nearby that were great) and raided that hiker box which still had some great meals in it. Then to make things even better three section hikers stopped by on their way out of the Sierra and just kept unloading tons of great food on me. I heard the people who tried to snag food from the VVR hiker box were not so luck and it was completely empty. My last two days in the high Sierras I ate like a king and it felt great. I just wish I wouldn't have rationed so heavily on some of those first few days.

What Kept Me Grounded

As I mentioned before there were many times I questioned whether or not I had simply died and gone off to heaven but there were a few things that were rough going through this part of the trip. I think the most prevalent was breaking into my new shoes. I got some Montrail Sabinos sent to me in Kennedy Meadows to replace my New Balance shoes I had simply loved into the ground. My left foot accepted the transition no problem but the right foot had a few complaints. Really the only issue was I developed a blister on the back of my heel but this blister was the largest nastiest blister I have ever had in my life. It was about 2 inches in diameter of just raw flesh that got tugged at every time I took a step and I dealt with this, and I am still dealing with it (although much has callused over) now.

This blister then led to my second ailment shin splints and bad knees. As I tried to keep on walking with my blister I developed what I liked to call my zombie walk. The zombie walk occurs every morning when I first put on my shoe and half walk, half drag my right foot forward. It eventually would evolve into a more regular stride but since I was not walking properly I am pretty sure this led to me developing minor shin splits in my leg. I certainly never had a terrible case like many people who had to get off trail but I could feel that little air bubble in my shin. Then the next day the shin splints were gone but my compensating had led to some minor knee issues. I have been trying to elevate my legs at night now and take it a bit easier (will be taking a full zero here in Mammoth) and it has been working, but these are the first issues I have had the whole trip.

The final downside of the Sierras is when you have such abundant water you also have abundant mosquitoes. I must also confess I hear from many hikers who had been through the Sierras before that this year hasn't been too bad and the worse is yet to come farther north but this was my first introduction to everyone's favorite summer pest. It is especially hard since I am cowboy camping without a tent to protect me. Instead when I get into camp I don my mosquito suit. This suit consists of long pants, a jacket they cannot bite through, gloves, wool socks and my head net. One of the best means of prevention is carefully choosing a campsite that is not close to water and higher in elevation (but I will get less and less of those options as I go). When you choose a bad site through I find they can be really bad and swarm you constantly and with big enough numbers that eventually one of them will find and exposed surface or somewhere they can penetrate through my mosquito suit. When I sleep the sleeping bag covers me well but the tiny hole I breathe out of lets them get at my face still unless I when my headnet to bed (which isn't fun). One night I finally caved in and just sprayed my face with DEET but I could just feel all the terrible chemicals absorbing into my skin. However the true battle with these bugs is yet to come and I am preparing myself for the rest of those swarms all the way to Canada.

Hiking through the high Sierras has been such an amazing experience and I can't wait to come back and check out more of the area. However I still have plenty of the Sierras to go through as I travel up through Yosemite and all the way up to Lake Tahoe. Can't wait to report on more of my adventures and hopefully can stay away from the bugs and bears the rest of the way in central California.

Farewell Southern California

My spot at Kennedy Meadows. 

Me at Kennedy Meadows.

I've finally reached Kennedy Meadows which means I am done with Southern California and moving on to the beautiful Sierras, heading out on parts of the John Muir Trail (named after one of my all time heroes). People have been talking about the Sierras these past 700 miles, and we are finally here; it's hard to believe. Coming into Kennedy Meadows, seeing  the valleys open up, and taking a dip in the South Fork of the Kern River, I remember thinking I was entering heaven. Southern California finished off with a vengeance as well with tons of 20-mile waterless stretches. These last three days I've run out of water for a couple of miles in the hot afternoon and have never been more thirsty. It's great to get into Central California, and I thought I'd take a moment to bid farewell to everything I loved and hated about Southern California. 

See him?

Goodbye lizards and snakes scurrying across my path. So long dirt and dust that have found a way to penetrate through every layer of my clothing. See ya later dirt flies constantly trying to suck out my eye juices. Adios Lagunas, San Felipe's, San Jacintos, San Bernardino's, Tehachapi's. 

Farewell Joshua Trees who are constantly cheering me on with your spiky Pom Poms. Good riddance Poodle Dog Bush and your toxic nastiness overcrowding the trail. Take care long rolling plains of grass changing colors as you billow in the wind. Adieu prickly desert plants that appear to have invaded the desert from another galaxy;

Maybe Dr. Seuss' inspiration for Truffula Trees?

Even 1 was dangerous...but there were 100s!

Take it easy blazing hot sun and bright bright moon. I'll miss you amazing trail angles storing water that was essential for me getting this far. Peace wind that has been strong enough to even knock me off my feet with my pack on. Au revior long endless sections of burnt forest and all the amazing regrowth restoring the region. And thank you shoe for lasting all this way over 4 years and 700 miles up to Central California. 

Water. Water. Water. 

Finally. Thank you. 

While I was so worried about making it though southern California and dreading this first part of the trail, I have been amazed at how awesome the scenery and trail have been. I was not expecting the massive mountains, beautiful plains and deep canyons. I also was surprised how much even the desert grew on me (after I learned how to hike it during the right time of day). I can't believe I'm saying this, I will indeed miss you Southern California. However, my sights are on the Sierras, and I can't wait to get back on the trail.

I will never forget this. 

Hike Your Own Hike (HYOH)

I had heard this motto as I was planning my trip and you can’t really comprehend its significance until you get on the trail or have done a thru-hike in the past. The PCT is one trail, well-marked with a defined route (despite some minor, ahem 20 mile, detours) but there are thousands of different ways to hike it. I think the most interesting thing is how someone’s hike evolves as they go. My notion of what I want to get out of my hike has already changed from when I started. It will continue to change as well because there may be a section where “my hike” is pulling big 30+ mile days by myself then another section where “my hike” becomes walking with a fun group of people and going with that group’s style for a bit because that is what I want my hike to be at that time. I also know that one of my worst experiences on the trail was when I wasn’t hiking my own hike. Karl, Sheppard, and I set the goal of hiking an extra 12-miles at night in the snow which none of us really want to do or were comfortable doing and we all dealt with the consequences. The most important thing thru-hikers must understand is there is no right and wrong way to make it to Canada on the PCT (well, sure there may be many wrong ways like starting forest  fires, eroding land off the trail, and leaving a significant trace, but you know what I mean). Everyone has their own hike, and it’s been interesting for me to both understand and accept, as well as sometimes even embrace some of these different thru-hiking styles that are far different from my original conception of a thru-hike.

Color Guard

As a whole, I have found most all PCT hikers embrace the concept of HYOH. However, I have heard from an AT veteran, Lightweight, hikers on the AT can be a bit more strict (probably due to the larger volume of hikers; I believe it can be up to as five times as many hikers as on the PCT; as well as closer interactions through shelters and registries, and hikers have come up with different ways to define hiking styles). Some of them won’t even call you a thru-hiker until you complete the whole trail (I call myself a thru-hiker because my PCT permit is good for anyone hiking more than 500 miles and I just reached mile 558 to get to Mojave). Here are the different types of blazers, named after the thousands of blazes or markers we follow on the trail:

White Blazer

A white blazer is what many could call a purest, someone who hikes every foot of the trail and doesn’t skip a beat. This is reserved for the most stubborn hikers and those who feel in order to officially complete the trail, you can’t miss even the smallest section. These thru-hikers typically are the ones trying to set records on the trail or get the Tripple Crown (AT, PCT, and CDT-Continental Divide Trail). I thought I would be a white blazer but took a side trail outside of Idyllwild to climb alternatives to the PCT up ahead that I don’t want to miss so I may not be a purist but at least I’ll be loving the trail.

Blue Blazer

A blue blazer hikes a continuous line all the way from Mexico to Canada but will stop off the PCT from times either to get into town and take another side trail back or taking alternative routes as I did. I consider myself a light blue (or maybe periwinkle?) blazer since my attitude has become that I can step off the PCT but only if the alternative route is more miles or harder than the no-shortcut PCT and has more worthwhile views. That way I can maintain the stubbornness for a purist without missing cool things along the way.

Yellow Blazer

A yellow blazer hikes the trail but also with a hitchhike or grabs a ride and does not do a continuous hike. It took me a while to name it but it’s named after the yellow hashes in the road. I’ve been surprised how many of my fellow hikers have yellow blazed a bit here and there but I am more surprised  for how many reasons it can be an important and necessary way to complete a thru-hike. While I don’t personally think I would allow myself to yellow blaze, I’m surprised how I’ve accepted the fact that some people need to do this at times and it doesn’t keep them from being a thru-hiker. Many early season hikers were forced to yellow blaze past the snow in the San Jacinto Mountains. Many hikers get terrible blisters or injuries and may have to skip over a small section so they can continue to hike with their partner or group. Some also just don’t have the time to make the full 2,660 miles so may cut out some of the bad parts but I’d be hard pressed to say someone who only hiked 2,500 miles is not a PCT thu-hiker. I have realized that this experience is not about walking every foot of the trail but everything along the way (although I have met some hikers who think the former). To note: hitchhiking into town doesn’t constitute yellow blazing because you can return right where you left but some purists who treat to break the records wouldn’t’ even allow this. My favorites are some of the other types of blazers that Lightweight told me about:

Disco Blazer

A disco blazer is someone who only hikes the old routes of the trail. Many sections have moved over time so some of the old-timers have different options on where the trail goes especially on the AT.

Green Blazer

A green blazer is someone who misses a small section of the trail when they go off into the woods to smoke up and come back to a later section of the trail.

Brown Blazer

A brown blazer is my favorite so I saved it for last. A brown blazer is someone who goes off the trail to take a crap and returns to the trail slightly further down (similar to a green blaze). I take extra care to ensure I’m not a brown blazer.

Another thing I’ve also learned from my fellow hiker Freestyle, is that a lot of your hike and the PCT experience is the stuff that happens off the trail. Resupply towns and trail angel homes are some of the few times you experience the larger PCT community and they have many fun attractions of their own. I’ve heard of hikers who’ve taken days off to go ski at Mammoth or even rent a car and hit up Las Vegas. While I don’t have any of those excursions in mind, it is amazing how much spur-of-the-moment types of decisions can make so much of the thru-hiking experience.

Multi versus Solo Hiking

I love all of my friends and family but I couldn’t imagine trying to pull off a hike with any of them. Everyone has their own preferences for when to start, how fast to go, how many breaks to take, when to turn in and when to resupply that I couldn’t imagine trying to coordinate my whole trip with someone. I am amazed by all the couples, friends, and groups who are doing this but it’s really tough when they do have to break off. My strategy has been to hike with someone from one resupply to another. I may modify my style slightly and them as well so we can hike together, and it if doesn’t work out, you naturally break apart, but if it does, you have someone you can get to know a bit better until you break off. I’ve seen this is this way groups can form as well as were many people may adjust a bit to  hike together and eventually the group’s decisions become the norm, but people may still choose to break off as they wish. I’ve hiked alongside some groups but think ultimately I enjoy the freedom and flexibility for solo hiking with a healthy dose of hiking with others along the way.

Vertices

Another with off trail fun, I have yet to get stuck in a vortex. This happens when the hostel you are staying or trail angel’s home is too much fun you can’t leave, while for many people, it may be staying 2 nights. I have met some people who have stayed quite a few days. There was a rumor of one girl who went by the name of Sex Panther who stayed in Big Bear for 4 weeks. Some people actually never leave and end up moving to that town. I have yet to get stuck in a vortex (but I almost did at the wonderful Casa de Luna), and I don’t think that is my style, but I’ve found this to be an interesting trail phenomenon.

As my entry shows, there are many ways to hike the PCT which is far different from how I viewed the trail before leaving. While the trail follows a line on a map, it is the hiker who defines what those boundaries truly are. I have found that the best way to hike this is to leave those boundaries flexible and adaptable which can make the experience both more bearable and more rewarding. I will continue to hike my own hike and am excited to find out exactly what that may be.  

Shots from Idyllwild to Agua Dulce

Trail Names and Fellow Hikers

I figured it is time to do a post on trail names and some of my fellow hikers I keeping running into out here. I'm also happy to announce I have picked up a trail name myself and will from now on be known as Stryder out on the trail. Not to hard to imagine how I got that name but I think it fits well and better than some of the other names being thrown around for me.

Minor Controversy

I will note that this name did not come without a little controversy. I was dubbed Stryder by one of my fellow hikers, Freestyle, coming out of Wrightwood so it is fairly new. I just recently pulled into Agua Dulce at the Saufley's Hiker Haven (one of the trail angel stops almost everyone has to visit where they treat you like royalty and I have met so many new faces) and was taking to the Saufleys and some of the other trail angels helping out and discovered I am far from the first one with this name. Apparently Greg Hummel, the unofficial coordinator of the kickoff for the PCT, has the trail name Strider, which nobody I had been hiking with knew since we came after kickoff. I didn't want to steal a legend's name so I just decided to slightly modify it with a y instead. In the end though its a pretty common name for thru hikers and some of the AT vets said they met quite a few Striders so I don't feel to bad about it and will just go with Stryder.

How a Thru-Hiker Gets Named

This is actually quite an interesting process that I took a while for me to fully understand. When I got on the PCT nearly half of the fellow hikers I ran into were AT veterans who already had acquired their trail name out East and liked it so just took it with them out West. For the rest of us though it is a bit harder because there are some days where you don't really see too many other hikers and you may only stay with other people for so long before either you move ahead or they move ahead. Therefore picking up a nickname doesn't always come that naturally when your group is always on the move. Hikers on the AT have the advantage of the shelters where everyone meets up at night but here on the PCT people often camp wherever so you don't get the same sense of community except when you go into town to resupply if you aren't hiking in a group. I have found that the shelters have breed some pretty perfect trail names on the AT.

The biggest thing with trail names is you should be given a trail name by your fellow hikers but that doesn't mean you have to take the first trail name given to you. I was hiking with Alex for a couple of days an was testing out new trail names on him everyday but none of them stuck so you kinda just have to wait for the right one. People had thrown out a few trail names my way like Sarge, Jokester, Tall Haul and Beanpole which just didn't seem right. (although I was really close to going with Beanpole in honor of my grandpa beans) So while you don't name yourself, you do have the choice of what you want to use because ultimately you will be the one telling new hikers your name. It is a very interesting system because many of these names people stick with whenever they decide to escape the "real world" to enter the hiking world or what we refer to as the real world. (its a bit of sort of a Matrix red pill, blue pill thing)

Some of My New Thru Hikers Friends

Viking- Viking was one of the first guys I met early on at Warner Springs after I hadn't see anyone for the previously three days. Viking is a middle-aged, AT veteran from Virginia and gave me some good advice from his past trip. Poor Viking also made the mistake of sending his sleeping bag home after a few hot nights then proceeded to freeze out in the desert and was not having very good sleep when I was hiking with him. He's a great guy though and I hope to see him in town later on.

Karl- Karl was the first hiker I met when I was staying with Bob Reiss in San Diego. Karl had flown in from Quebec the night I got in and ended up starting the trail a day after I did. However, by the time I got to Warner Springs he had caught me. We hiked together for a lot of the way between Warner Springs and Big Bear and kept playing this game where I would get a head start and he'd catch me. Karl is just about my age and new to backpacking but doing a great job out there and has some really cool gear with him as well. I haven't seen him since Big Bear but am sure to hear his accent again any day now.

Karl "pretending" to fly.

Always looking out for his flock...

Shepard- Alex has finally decided to go with Shepard as his trail name after the many options I gave him (Wizard, Cache, Roni, Cowbell) none of which really worked. He is a computer science student at U of I and lives just outside of Chicago. I met Shepard in Idyllwild and knew we would get along when we ran up Mt San Jaciento together. We have been hiking together on and off since then and he doesn't have maps with him so likes to follow my footprints. (except when I loose the trail) Sadly though, I think he will keep cruising on ahead though because he is trying to get up to Canada before his fall semester starts but hopefully I can enjoy more of the trail with him.


Birdy- Birdy probably has the most appropriate trail name because the first time I saw her she had her eyes buried in her binoculars scanning the trees. Birdy is a montessori school teacher in Chicago and an avid birder. Its funny the first day we met she was telling me how she would come out to the Oak Opening by Waterville to go birding which is where I first started birding myself. Its great hiking by her because she can always let you know what is flying around by song or sight and she is just so excited to find new birds. She is also an AT veteran and has been keeping right up with me ever since Idyllwild and I wouldn't be surprised if she gets to Canada before me.

A liking for birds!

Lightweight- I met Lightweight on the bus in Big Bear Lake. He is another AT vet who really clued me in on a lot of the trail culture out on the AT and what it takes mentally to complete a thru hike. He is a few years older then me and from Colorado but surprisingly only recently got into hiking. Its funny how he got his trail name from when he starting the AT with a ridiculously heavy pack, when here I though he was going to be one of those super crazy ultralighter who always liked to brag about their minimal packweight.

Freestyle- I helped give Freestyle his name because when I met him he kept taking about how he always likes to freestyle it on the trail and doesn't need to be confined to hiking every step of the PCT. He is an architect from the Seattle area and has done some really cool work with sustainable design. He had his own firm but shut it all down recently and went out to New Zealand to hike the Te Araroa trail in New Zealand, then just flew back to San Diego to hike his way back home. He's quite a character but its been great hiking with him since Wrightwood and he was the one who gave me my trail name.

I've meet lots of other people on the trail as well but thought I would post about some of the hikers I have been one the trail with the most. Its been great meeting all of these other thru-hikers and I can't wait to meet everyone else up ahead and the other speed demons who will cruise past me.

Great company!

Shots from Campo to Idyllwild

I should also preface this with a huge thank you to one of my best friends, Emma Chapman, who will be helping me post pictures as I go from NYC. I can't upload them to many of the computers I stop into so Emma will be adding in all the photos as I go. I apologize the photos will be coming a few weeks behind but be sure to go back and check some of the older posts because they will be added in once the pictures make it out to Emma. Thanks again Emma!

Scout's (Dis)Honor

“A scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent” which are the words I still try to live by and heard them echoing in my head as I crossed over Mount Baden Powell. For those of you who don't know Baden Powell,  (which I'm assuming is most of you) he was the founder of Scouting in the US which I will always remember because the best performing troop at summer camp would win the Baden Powell award which I don't think we ever did win (at least not when I was in charge).

As I crosssed over this mountain, I also feel a lot of guilt because I have not been an ideal Boy Scout these last few weeks. I have not been following the Scout handbook very well out here on the trail. I will admit many times the Scouts take things to the extreme especially Scouting Dads. For example, we had to bear bag our batteries because some of the Dads were afraid bears would smell them and raid our tents at night. The following post details some of the ways I have not necessarily been doing everything as I have been taught in Scouts.

Eating/Cooking

What I Should Do: Prepare your food and eat in in a location away from your sleeping area so you do not attract critters.

What I Have Been Doing: Dropping my pack, setting out my ground pad and sleeping bag, getting in my sleeping bag, then eating dinner and falling asleep. I cook my lunch, so dinner is usually just a simple tortilla meal or trail mix often eaten in bed. Most of this stems from the fact that there isn't too much wildlife to worry about disturbing you (besides the insects) and laziness. When I get to the Sierras, I plan to eat dinner a mile before where I camp.

Food Waste Disposal

What I Should Do: Pack out everything not leaving even a crumb. When you cook food, you should drink the pasta water, and if you do use soap, you should dig a cat-hole or a sump to dispose of your water in.

What I Have Been Doing: I definitely pack everything out but can't say I have grabbed every crumb and get a little careless especially with food like pop-tarts that can crumble all over the place. I also have been dumping out my pasta water. Every time I do this I feel so guilty but I have been doing it anyways, and I should just drink it, but hot water on a hot afternoon it is the last thing I want to drink. Other than that, I try my best to leave no trace but have gotten a bit more lax than my strict Scoutmasters.

Storing your Food at Night

What I Should Do: Put all of my smellables including food, toiletries, and anything else that may smell (like batteries I guess) in a bag. Then find a tree with a high branch and hang the bag from a rope so that it is far enough off the ground so I cannot reach it and far enough away from the trunk of the tree so a bear couldn't climb up to it.

What I Have Been Doing: I have put all my food in a bag at night, but most nights I just leave the bag on the ground next to me. Sometimes this is because there are no trees, but most times because I'm getting lazy, and there really aren't enough critters to worry about. At least I take the food out of my pack so they don't tear through my pack, but like I said, I’ve mostly seen birds and lizards out here which aren't a big problem. Though, when I get out of the desert, these habits will quickly change.

Sleep in Designated Camp Sites

What I Should Do: Try my best to only sleeping in campgrounds to minimize my impact and not create new campsites along the trail.

All set up in a designated campsite. 

What I Have Been Doing: I have been doing a little stealth camping from time to time where you just get tired at the end of the day and step off the trail a bit to find a flat area to lay down in. With my hammock, I really don't leave much of an impact, and I always try to minimize my footprint when I cowboy camp. (sleep on my pad and sleeping bag with no tarp) I should stick with designated sites to have the least impact  which I know is important from my experience working for the Forest Service in Utah, and much of my job was deconstructing campsites that popped up. Even though I still live by “leave no trace,” and I have a minimal impact, much of the dessert and alpine environment can be quite fragile and I must be careful.

Be Prepared

What I Should Do: Scouting teaches you to be prepared for everything and have something for all emergencies.

What I Have Been Doing: Lightweight backpacking teaches you to minimize as much as possible and get rid of gear you don't need. While I feel prepared for most any situation, I feel in order to become more lightweight I have made some sacrifices and dropped some gear that might help me to be more prepared for tough situations. However, I think I have struck a great balance so far and allowed myself to remain prepared to handle most emergencies while ridding myself of unnecessary gear.

I think this last point captures all of the other areas where I feel I'm not living up to the Scouting Standards. While I may not be following all the rules, I still live by so much of what I learned in Scouts. In my heart, I will always cherish everything I learned from Scouts and know it has helped get me to where I am in life today. So Baden Powell, thank you for everything you have given me, and it’s been great to be able to pay my respects to the mountain named in your honor.