Pacific Crest Trail thru-hike this summer

weight matters a lot on the PCT. it's not the distance, it's the CONSTANT and EXTREME up and down.

Great trail, I've done parts of it, never have doen the end to end trip or even a whole state at once.
 
That sounds awesome. I want to do that trail someday.

Good luck, and have fun. Id be doing the same thing if I didnt have kids and alot of bills. Thats why I try and keep in good shape, so when I can retire, I can do some of these things.
 
tradja,

Very cool...!!

If you need a break when you cross from Oregon to Washington on Bridge of the Gods give a shout. The Sheriff's Office in Stevenson can always find me (I work in the basement); coupon good for cups of coffee, beer(?!), lunch, dinner or even a shower!!

Have a Great Trip!!!

Cheers,
8

graphics "at" gorge.net
 
Best of luck Tradja!!

Sounds like a great way to spend some time in life, not to mention getting even closer to your mate!!



PM sent with knife content.

:)
 
Very cool. I liked reading your other thread so I'll be sure to subscribe to this one.
 
This is a trip of a lifetime and you've done it twice... You lucky dog! I'll see if I can provide you with a knife to bring along..
 
koyote said:
Great trail, I've done parts of it, never have doen the end to end trip or even a whole state at once.
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:thumbup: Mrs. Tradja went to Davis and got up to the Sierra when she could. Given your miles on the PCT, I hope we can work out a way to run one of your designs through x00 miles of the trail!

j williams said:
That sounds awesome. I want to do that trail someday.

Good luck, and have fun. Id be doing the same thing if I didnt have kids and alot of bills. Thats why I try and keep in good shape, so when I can retire, I can do some of these things.
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That's the key. I've seen fit retirees doing the AT, PCT, and CDT, even a pair of 80 year olds.

River-8 said:
If you need a break when you cross from Oregon to Washington on Bridge of the Gods give a shout. The Sheriff's Office in Stevenson can always find me (I work in the basement); coupon good for cups of coffee, beer(?!), lunch, dinner or even a shower!!

Have a Great Trip!!!
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Thanks! Be careful, we just might take you up on the shower when we get to Cascade Locks! Mrs. Tradja will definitely be after coffee. :D

Snakedoc said:
Best of luck Tradja!!

Sounds like a great way to spend some time in life, not to mention getting even closer to your mate!!
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Thanks! To put it mildly, Mrs. Tradja is teh awesome. :thumbup: I love these hikes, but this one is almost all her getting tired of waiting around for the feds to call back on the career change. Life is short.

raylaconico said:
This is a trip of a lifetime and you've done it twice... You lucky dog! I'll see if I can provide you with a knife to bring along..
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Thanks Ray! Everything in life is a tradeoff -- multiples of these kind of trips have certainly had their professional cost. Still, I wouldn't have it any other way. :)
 
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Congrats and it sounds like an awesome trip. I've hiked portions of it and when I'm old and gray will do the whole thing. My dream would be to have my wife go with me, but if there's not a hotel at the end of the day, she won't go.

I'm doing a mountain bike race at Lake Morena this weekend right near the start.

I'd figure you'd want something pretty light for that trip. Like an Izula or a Landi PSK. I've also got a Buck Mayo Kaala, which is a great slicer and really light (the sheath leaves a lot to be desired though). Many portions of the trail you can't have open fires so you don't need a chopper on the southern portions correct?

Will you be updating a blog as you go?
 
I guess I'm confused. Are you wanting people to suggest knives to you, or are you wanting people to send you knives for free?

Anyways, good luck and have fun.
 
EMT_Lee said:
I guess I'm confused. Are you wanting people to suggest knives to you, or are you wanting people to send you knives for free?

Anyways, good luck and have fun.
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Thanks!

To clarify, I'm offering to carry and review knives on this hike for the makers and dealers that have provided samples to test. This thread is intended to be an ongoing update and discussion of where and how the knives/hike are doing over the course of the summer. My posts will focus on how the knives perform in the variety of desert, mountain, and forest terrain over the 2600 miles.
 
Thru-hiking the PCT is one of my long-term goals. I'm jealous. This summer I'm planning on doing at least one small stretch in Wa, though -- Snoqualmie Pass to Stevens Pass, in late August.
 
John, I REALLY look forward to you sharing your experience with us :thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:

And bravo for your courage to LIVE :)
 
bikerider said:
I'd figure you'd want something pretty light for that trip. Like an Izula or a Landi PSK. I've also got a Buck Mayo Kaala, which is a great slicer and really light (the sheath leaves a lot to be desired though). Many portions of the trail you can't have open fires so you don't need a chopper on the southern portions correct?

Will you be updating a blog as you go?
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Good luck at the Lake Morena MTB race! Yes, in past hikes I've hiked through fire closures -- with this light winter out West, I anticipate this again this year. I won't be updating a blog per se, but will be updating this thread instead with stories, knife reviews, and pics as internet access permits.


randomlooker said:
Thru-hiking the PCT is one of my long-term goals. I'm jealous. This summer I'm planning on doing at least one small stretch in Wa, though -- Snoqualmie Pass to Stevens Pass, in late August.
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That's a great stretch! The Alpine Lakes Wilderness is awesome. :thumbup:


Macclint said:
A book that might be helpful....

http://www.amazon.com/Trail-Life-Ja...=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1267121428&sr=8-1
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Thanks for the link. Ray's earlier books (now OOP) were great . I didn't know he had a new book.

rksoon said:
John, I REALLY look forward to you sharing your experience with us :thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:

And bravo for your courage to LIVE :)
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Thanks Russell. :thumbup: I really appreciate that. I'm happy to be back in action, looking forward to the miles, and to moving on professionally. Finally. :D
 
Tradja - Is it a light snowpack in the Cascades? I pay close attention to the snowpack in the southern Sierra, where I go backpacking every summer. As of last night's storm, most snow sensors in the high country are reporting around 85-90% of April 1 snowpack. We are a little ahead of normal for this time of year, and we have all of March to pick up more snow. I think we will start the year with a snowpack a little above average.

This site gives almost current snowpack readings from snow sensors all over California; if you click on the real time data you can pull up the most recent hour's information. Right now the summary page is showing data from two days ago (Feb 25), and the snow sensors in the southern Sierra are reporting about 2" more water content after last night's storm. And some of the stations in the Trinity and Sacramento river drainages are reporting over 50" of water equivalent in the snowpack - now that's a lot of snow.

http://cdec.water.ca.gov/cgi-progs/snow/PAGE6
 
lambertiana said:
Tradja - Is it a light snowpack in the Cascades? I pay close attention to the snowpack in the southern Sierra, where I go backpacking every summer. As of last night's storm, most snow sensors in the high country are reporting around 85-90% of April 1 snowpack. We are a little ahead of normal for this time of year, and we have all of March to pick up more snow. I think we will start the year with a snowpack a little above average.

This site gives almost current snowpack readings from snow sensors all over California; if you click on the real time data you can pull up the most recent hour's information. Right now the summary page is showing data from two days ago (Feb 25), and the snow sensors in the southern Sierra are reporting about 2" more water content after last night's storm. And some of the stations in the Trinity and Sacramento river drainages are reporting over 50" of water equivalent in the snowpack - now that's a lot of snow.

http://cdec.water.ca.gov/cgi-progs/snow/PAGE6
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Thanks for the link! I mostly keep an eye on the PCT Postholer site that aggregates the CDEC sensor data from a thru-hiker perspective, and it's looking not bad so far. A friend in Homewood, CA says that the Tahoe snowpack is disappointing so far this year. I remember from my Tahoe years that March can make a big difference either way.

I don't know of a source of equivalent data for the Cascades, but that doesn't impact a northbound PCT thru-hike much. When I hiked in 1999, it was after a HUGE winter in the Cascades. The snowpack remaining on the trail in late August/September was more than 1998, but was a non-issue.

It's been a light winter up here. The skiing has sucked. :( It will be a smoky summer and fall. That leads to segments of closure, which are tough to deal with during a thru-hike.
 
I am signed up and will be checking in on your posts. I know you'll have an awesome time playing with your knives - oh and looking at the scenery too.
-Mrs. tradja's friend
 
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