July 19 Bridgeport, CA 93517 July 10
July 23 South Lake Tahoe, CA 96151 July 13
July 28 Sierra City, CA 96125 July 18
Aug 5 Chester, CA 96020 July12
Aug 9 Burney, CA 96013 July 30
Aug 13 Mt. Shasta, CA 96067 Aug 3
Aug19 Etna, CA 96027 Aug 9
Aug 24 Ashland, OR 97520 Aug 14
Aug 29 Crater Lake, OR Mail to: Aria Benner / c/o Crater Lake Camp Store/ Mazama Village/ Crater Lake, OR 97604 Aug 19
Sept 3 Shelter Cove, OR UPS Only. Mail to: Aria Benner/ c/o Shelter Cove Resort/ 27600 West Odell Lake Road/ Highway 58/ Crescent, OR 97733 Aug 23
Sept 7 Sisters, OR 97759 Aug 29
Sept 13 Timberline Lodge Mail to: Aria Benner/ c/o Timberline Ski Area/ WY'East Store/ Timberline Lodge/ Timberline OR 97028. The guide book says to make it painfully obvious that the package is for a pct hiker. Costs me $5 to pick up a package here. Sept 3
Sept 15 Cascade Locks, OR **Come pick me up and take me to Portland!**
Sept 19 Trout Lake, WA 98650 Sept 9
Sept 21 White Pass, WA Mail to: Aria Benner/ c/o White Pass Rural Branch PO/ at the Kracker Barrel Store/ 48851 US Highway 12/ Naches, WA 98937 Sept 11
Sept 28 Snoqualmie Pass, WA 98068 Sept 18
Sept 30 Skykomish, WA 98288 Sept 20
Oct 5 Stehekin, WA 98852 Sept 25
Oct 10 Manning Park, Canada!! Mail to: Aria Benner/ c/o
Manning Park Lodge/ 7500 Highway #3/ Manning Provincial Park, BC VOX
IR0/ CANADA Sept 30
Thursday, July 12, 2012
Sprained Ankle Part 1, and New Itinerary
Oh, Boy!
So, in case you haven't heard, I sprained my ankle last week about a mile or two down the trail from the Mc Lure Ranger Station. I apparently (I didn't see it but my hiking partner did) Fortunetely I was hiking with my buddy Natty who played soccer in college and has sprained his ankle a bagillion times. He knew what to do. He got me to a resting place at a creek and went down to the ranger station to seek out options/assistance/perhaps a ride out by horse. (One should keep thier hopes high, right?) He came back with an awesome ankle brace and a plan to hike to the John Muir Trail Ranch. He also set up the camp so I could lay down and take it easy. We left for Muir Trail Ranch in the morning. It was about 10 miles away, but maybe they would have a cowboy there who would take me to Mammoth Lakes on his trusty stead. On the way Snow Turtle and Agassi caught up to us and we had lunch together. They joined us for the rest of the hike to the ranch. Pat, Bob, and Hilary at the Muir Trail Ranch were very helpful in explaining to me what my options were.
Basically, the closest exit to the trail exited on the west side of the Sierras. I wanted to be on the east side so that I could get to Mammoth Lakes. The only way to Mammoth Lakes was to hike there. I decided to get off the trail at Florence Lake, a six mile hike from the Ranch. Since we were at the ranch, we decided to hit up the nearby hot springs.
When we got there, people were already in the main one, so we headed for the other pool. The water was not so hot, and there was a strange worm floating around in it, but it was not so bad. The next morning, on my birthday we went to the good pool, which was much hotter. Agassi and Snow Turtle took off. Natty and I met a couple of dudes from Ashland, OR who had already done the PCT, Zoner and Snax. They suggested going to Vermilion Valley Resort because the owner there, Jim was a pretty cool guy who sometimes lets hikers do work trade for food. This sounded like a good idea. We stuck around the hot springs for an hour longer, and met some more guys, Frobro and Edgewise. Finally, it was time for Natty and I to part ways, but he promised to meet me at VVR.
I made my way down the trail to Florence Lake, trying to get used to hiking by myself again. Even though the trail was easy to follow, and not technical, I was still a little scared. The six miles flew by quicker than I thought. When I got there, I was impressed to discover that I had made it in time for the one o'clock shuttle. Zoner, Snax, Frobro, and Edgewise were also there! Frobro and Edgewise gave us a ride to Mono Hot Springs, where I picked up a resupply box and a birthday package my mum sent to me. I spent the week at VVR doing work trade, and really had a fun time, but I'll have more on that next time!
Right now I'm in Mammoth, which is a great town but I'm itching to get back to the trail, so I'll have to finish the rest of the story later.
Saturday, June 16, 2012
Hey everyone! I am doing great. I arrived in Kennedy Meadows the day before yesterday and am giving my feet a rest before I hit the Sierras. I'm really excited to be out of the desert with its hot hot weather, long dry stretches and deep sandy trails. There were some very exciting nights hiking in the dark through a little rain, some very strong winds (we had to crawl across the pass!) and sleeping in a really cool cave. I'm ready for clouds, trees, and cool crisp air. I've been hiking 20+ days, but in the Sierras I will have to slow down to 15 or 18 mile days. That's ok because I will have more time to enjoy the most beautiful part of the Trail.
The trail magic has been fantastic: Trail Angels leave us caches of water and sometimes beer and soda! It really helps us hikers on the trail. I also had a great time staying at the Saufley's and at Casa de Luna. I keep thinking about doing some trail magic next year when I'm back in Portland.
I won't be posting my journal for a while, but I will work on it when I have time and a wifi connection.
Oh yeah, if you want to send me some moolah, ($) please give the money to my mama. If you have questions on how to do that, let me know. She has access to my account.
I love you all and miss you terribly!
Thanks Mom and Grandma for the snacks and cookies!
Here's an updated itinerary for ya:
June 25 Bishop, CA 93514 June 15
June 28 Mono Hot Springs, CA Mail to: Aria Benner/ c/o Mono Hot Springs Resort/ General Delivery,/Mono Hot Springs, CA 93642 June 18
June 30 Mammoth Lakes, CA 93546 June 20
July 6 Bridgeport, CA 93517 June 26
July 10 South Lake Tahoe, CA 96151 June 30
July 15 Sierra City, CA 96125 July 6
July 22 Chester, CA 96020 July 12
July 26 Burney, CA 96013 July 16
July 31 Mt. Shasta, CA 96067 July 21
Aug 6 Etna, CA 96027 July 25
Aug 11 Ashland, OR 97520 Aug 2
Aug 16 Crater Lake, OR Mail to: Aria Benner / c/o Crater Lake Camp Store/ Mazama Village/ Crater Lake, OR 97604 Aug 6
Aug 20 Shelter Cove, OR UPS Only. Mail to: Aria Benner/ c/o Shelter Cove Resort/ 27600 West Odell Lake Road/ Highway 58/ Crescent, OR 97733 Aug 10
Aug 21 Sisters, OR 97759 Aug 14
Aug 30 Timberline Lodge Mail to: Aria Benner/ c/o Timberline Ski Area/ WY'East Store/ Timberline Lodge/ Timberline OR 97028. The guide book says to make it painfully obvious that the package is for a pct hiker. Costs me $5 to pick up a package here. Aug 20
Aug 29 Cascade Locks, OR **Come pick me up and take me to Portland!**
Sept 6 Trout Lake, WA 98650 Aug 25
Sept 8 White Pass, WA Mail to: Aria Benner/ c/o White Pass Rural Branch PO/ at the Kracker Barrel Store/ 48851 US Highway 12/ Naches, WA 98937 Aug 29
Sept 15 Snoqualmie Pass, WA 98068 Sept 4
Sept 17 Skykomish, WA 98288 Sept 7
Sept 25 Stehekin, WA 98852 Sept 15
Sept 27 Manning Park, Canada!! Mail to: Aria Benner/ c/o Manning Park Lodge/ 7500 Highway #3/ Manning Provincial Park, BC VOX IR0/ CANADA Sept 17
The trail magic has been fantastic: Trail Angels leave us caches of water and sometimes beer and soda! It really helps us hikers on the trail. I also had a great time staying at the Saufley's and at Casa de Luna. I keep thinking about doing some trail magic next year when I'm back in Portland.
I won't be posting my journal for a while, but I will work on it when I have time and a wifi connection.
Oh yeah, if you want to send me some moolah, ($) please give the money to my mama. If you have questions on how to do that, let me know. She has access to my account.
I love you all and miss you terribly!
Thanks Mom and Grandma for the snacks and cookies!
Here's an updated itinerary for ya:
June 25 Bishop, CA 93514 June 15
June 28 Mono Hot Springs, CA Mail to: Aria Benner/ c/o Mono Hot Springs Resort/ General Delivery,/Mono Hot Springs, CA 93642 June 18
June 30 Mammoth Lakes, CA 93546 June 20
July 6 Bridgeport, CA 93517 June 26
July 10 South Lake Tahoe, CA 96151 June 30
July 15 Sierra City, CA 96125 July 6
July 22 Chester, CA 96020 July 12
July 26 Burney, CA 96013 July 16
July 31 Mt. Shasta, CA 96067 July 21
Aug 6 Etna, CA 96027 July 25
Aug 11 Ashland, OR 97520 Aug 2
Aug 16 Crater Lake, OR Mail to: Aria Benner / c/o Crater Lake Camp Store/ Mazama Village/ Crater Lake, OR 97604 Aug 6
Aug 20 Shelter Cove, OR UPS Only. Mail to: Aria Benner/ c/o Shelter Cove Resort/ 27600 West Odell Lake Road/ Highway 58/ Crescent, OR 97733 Aug 10
Aug 21 Sisters, OR 97759 Aug 14
Aug 30 Timberline Lodge Mail to: Aria Benner/ c/o Timberline Ski Area/ WY'East Store/ Timberline Lodge/ Timberline OR 97028. The guide book says to make it painfully obvious that the package is for a pct hiker. Costs me $5 to pick up a package here. Aug 20
Aug 29 Cascade Locks, OR **Come pick me up and take me to Portland!**
Sept 6 Trout Lake, WA 98650 Aug 25
Sept 8 White Pass, WA Mail to: Aria Benner/ c/o White Pass Rural Branch PO/ at the Kracker Barrel Store/ 48851 US Highway 12/ Naches, WA 98937 Aug 29
Sept 15 Snoqualmie Pass, WA 98068 Sept 4
Sept 17 Skykomish, WA 98288 Sept 7
Sept 25 Stehekin, WA 98852 Sept 15
Sept 27 Manning Park, Canada!! Mail to: Aria Benner/ c/o Manning Park Lodge/ 7500 Highway #3/ Manning Provincial Park, BC VOX IR0/ CANADA Sept 17
Saturday, May 26, 2012
Itinerary as of May 26
I have added recommended dates that packages should be sent in order for them to arrive in a timely manner. These dates are in bold font and follow each mailing address. It is recommended that one allows ten days for shipping. Most places will hold packages for up to a month, especially if you put the ETA on the package. As always, address your package like this (unless otherwise noted):
Aria Benner
General Delivery
City, State Zip
On the bottom left corner, write:
Hold for Aria Benner
ETA: (date I am expected to arrive)
Here is my new schedule:
May 30 Agua Dulse, CA Mail to: Aria Benner c/o The Saufleys/ 11861 Darling Road /Agua Dulce, CA 91390 May20
June 5 Mojave, CA 93501 May 26
June 12 Kennedy Meadows, CA Mail to: Aria Benner/ c/o Kennedy Meadows General Store/ 96740 Beach Meadow Road / Inyokem, CA 93527. Costs me $2 to pick up a package. June 1
June 16 Bishop, CA 93514 June 5
June 21 Mono Hot Springs, CA Mail to: Aria Benner/ c/o Mono Hot Springs Resort/ General Delivery,/Mono Hot Springs, CA 93642 June 11
June 23 Mammoth Lakes, CA 93546 June 13
June 29 Bridgeport, CA 93517 June 19
July 3 South Lake Tahoe, CA 96151 June 23
July 8 Sierra City, CA 96125 June 29
July 15 Chester, CA 96020 July 5
July 19 Burney, CA 96013 July 9
July 24 Mt. Shasta, CA 96067 July 14
July 29 Etna, CA 96027 July 19
Aug 4 Ashland, OR 97520 July 25
Aug 9 Crater Lake, OR Mail to: Aria Benner / c/o Crater Lake Camp Store/ Mazama Village/ Crater Lake, OR 97604 July 30
Aug 13 Shelter Cove, OR UPS Only. Mail to: Aria Benner/ c/o Shelter Cove Resort/ 27600 West Odell Lake Road/ Highway 58/ Crescent, OR 97733
Aug 14 Sisters, OR 97759 Aug 7
Aug 23 Timberline Lodge Mail to: Aria Benner/ c/o Timberline Ski Area/ WY'East Store/ Timberline Lodge/ Timberline OR 97028. The guide book says to make it painfully obvious that the package is for a pct hiker. Costs me $5 to pick up a package here. Aug 13
Aug 22 Cascade Locks, OR **Come pick me up and take me to Portland!**
Aug 29 Trout Lake, WA 98650 Aug 19
Sept 1 White Pass, WA Mail to: Aria Benner/ c/o White Pass Rural Branch PO/ at the Kracker Barrel Store/ 48851 US Highway 12/ Naches, WA 98937 Aug 22
Sept 6 Snoqualmie Pass, WA 98068 Aug 27
Sept 10 Skykomish, WA 98288 Sept 31
Sept 15 Stehekin, WA 98852 Sept6
Sept 20 Manning Park, Canada!! Mail to: Aria Benner/ c/o Manning Park Lodge/ 7500 Highway #3/ Manning Provincial Park, BC VOX IR0/ CANADA Sept 10
Heat, Wind, and Trail Magic
Day 9 (May 11): We (Pica, Stone, Texas Chill and I,) only hiked 15 miles today, because we got sucked into the vortex of Paradise Cafe on the way to Idyllwild. The burger I had was amazing! (Yes, a burger. The vegetarianism has gone on hiatus while I'm on the trail. Hopefully the reasons are obvious.) I saw some really cool barrel cacti today. It's been eleven days since my last cigarette. Yay!
Day 10: Um, I have no record of this day. I hiked. Saw some trees. There was actually snow on the trail! What I thought was a small desert farm town down in the valley beneath the ridge actually turned out to be Palm Springs. I made this realization when night fell and the lights came on. It was very beautiful, but it was the most city lights I've seen in a while. I'm starting to get a rash on my hands from the sun, so I'll have to get some gloves in Idyllwild.
Day 11: Hiking down to Idyllwild was difficult for me this morning because my left shoulder keeps having intense cramps. My backpack (an original GoLite model) doesn't have a hip belt or a sternum strap. On our way down Devil's Slide, Tex and I ran into Grasshopper (the guy I hiked with on the first day). He is going to leave the Pacific Crest Trail to hike the Continental Divide Trail. This is really exciting because when he completes, he will have his Triple Crown. I got a calzone at the pizza place in Idyllwild that was really good! I got a new GoLite pack at the outfitter here. They also had some gloves for me, but no sports bra. The price was right. The hotels here were all too expensive, so a bunch of us camped at the State Park which had showers for $1. This is a cute town, but super expensive.
Day 12: The b-fast at Jo Ann's in Idyllwild is overpriced and the waitress was rude. The Mexican place is right on, though. Huge portions and breakfast is supposedly buy one get one half off. Got a bunch of stuff done in town. Got a ride back to the trail by a trail angel named Dave who gave us Lifesavers. We just called this guy and he came and picked us right up and dropped us at the trail head! I'm tellin ya, nothing beats trail magic! Tex and I hiked up to Taquitz Peak because there was a lookout tower we thought we might want to stay in, but it was locked up. It was super windy but we decided to stay up there anyway.
Day 13: Last night I got a horrible night's sleep. I had to get up and fix the tarp in the middle of the night. The wind was super strong. Today there is another 20 mile waterless stretch (sigh) through a hot dessert. My new pack feels great though. I'm not having shoulder pains anymore. I've moved on to foot pain. The muscles in my feet are adapting to hiking everyday. Taking ibuprofen every night helps to relax the muscles. The decent from this ridge is like, 11 miles long, and it really only needs to be like 7 or less miles long. What-a-ya-gonna-do?
Day 14: It's in the triple digits today. Tex said it was in the nineties, but when we got to the trail angel's house someone said it was 106* in the shade. Ya, that sounded about right. We saw three rattlesnakes today. A little baby one, a medium one and a big one. In that order! They were all reluctant to get off the trail, even when I continuously prodded them with my trekking pole. (Don't worry. Thier striking distance is 18 inches. My trekking poles are plenty long enough to do this safely.) I'd like to eat one one of these days. I hear they're delicious.
This was the hottest stretch yet, and I definitely questioned why I am doing this. To get through hiking through the sand (which I strongly dislike) I pretended I was cross country skiing. We got to Ziggy and the Bear's (trail angels) at 4:30. That was 18 miles before the evening! The first thing you do at Ziggy and the Bear's is get a lovely hot mineral foot bath! Then they serve a fresh delicious salad and later giant scoops of ice cream with cake. Such a treat! This hike can be really trying at times, and this kind of trail magic totally makes up for it.
You could grate cheese on my feet.
Day 15 (May 17): It was another hot day, but the wind was refreshing and I felt better after staying at Ziggy's. Lunch was at a beautiful park at a wildlife preserve on Whitewater Creek. Yummy water! I felt asleep face down in my maps for an hour. We crossed the river and headed back into the mountains. The wind was INSANE! I would say about 70 mph.
Day 10: Um, I have no record of this day. I hiked. Saw some trees. There was actually snow on the trail! What I thought was a small desert farm town down in the valley beneath the ridge actually turned out to be Palm Springs. I made this realization when night fell and the lights came on. It was very beautiful, but it was the most city lights I've seen in a while. I'm starting to get a rash on my hands from the sun, so I'll have to get some gloves in Idyllwild.
Day 11: Hiking down to Idyllwild was difficult for me this morning because my left shoulder keeps having intense cramps. My backpack (an original GoLite model) doesn't have a hip belt or a sternum strap. On our way down Devil's Slide, Tex and I ran into Grasshopper (the guy I hiked with on the first day). He is going to leave the Pacific Crest Trail to hike the Continental Divide Trail. This is really exciting because when he completes, he will have his Triple Crown. I got a calzone at the pizza place in Idyllwild that was really good! I got a new GoLite pack at the outfitter here. They also had some gloves for me, but no sports bra. The price was right. The hotels here were all too expensive, so a bunch of us camped at the State Park which had showers for $1. This is a cute town, but super expensive.
Day 12: The b-fast at Jo Ann's in Idyllwild is overpriced and the waitress was rude. The Mexican place is right on, though. Huge portions and breakfast is supposedly buy one get one half off. Got a bunch of stuff done in town. Got a ride back to the trail by a trail angel named Dave who gave us Lifesavers. We just called this guy and he came and picked us right up and dropped us at the trail head! I'm tellin ya, nothing beats trail magic! Tex and I hiked up to Taquitz Peak because there was a lookout tower we thought we might want to stay in, but it was locked up. It was super windy but we decided to stay up there anyway.
Day 13: Last night I got a horrible night's sleep. I had to get up and fix the tarp in the middle of the night. The wind was super strong. Today there is another 20 mile waterless stretch (sigh) through a hot dessert. My new pack feels great though. I'm not having shoulder pains anymore. I've moved on to foot pain. The muscles in my feet are adapting to hiking everyday. Taking ibuprofen every night helps to relax the muscles. The decent from this ridge is like, 11 miles long, and it really only needs to be like 7 or less miles long. What-a-ya-gonna-do?
Day 14: It's in the triple digits today. Tex said it was in the nineties, but when we got to the trail angel's house someone said it was 106* in the shade. Ya, that sounded about right. We saw three rattlesnakes today. A little baby one, a medium one and a big one. In that order! They were all reluctant to get off the trail, even when I continuously prodded them with my trekking pole. (Don't worry. Thier striking distance is 18 inches. My trekking poles are plenty long enough to do this safely.) I'd like to eat one one of these days. I hear they're delicious.
This was the hottest stretch yet, and I definitely questioned why I am doing this. To get through hiking through the sand (which I strongly dislike) I pretended I was cross country skiing. We got to Ziggy and the Bear's (trail angels) at 4:30. That was 18 miles before the evening! The first thing you do at Ziggy and the Bear's is get a lovely hot mineral foot bath! Then they serve a fresh delicious salad and later giant scoops of ice cream with cake. Such a treat! This hike can be really trying at times, and this kind of trail magic totally makes up for it.
You could grate cheese on my feet.
Day 15 (May 17): It was another hot day, but the wind was refreshing and I felt better after staying at Ziggy's. Lunch was at a beautiful park at a wildlife preserve on Whitewater Creek. Yummy water! I felt asleep face down in my maps for an hour. We crossed the river and headed back into the mountains. The wind was INSANE! I would say about 70 mph.
Sunday, May 20, 2012
The Beginning Part 2
Day 3 (continued): After hooking the lady up with her dog, I went into the general store to dig through the hiker boxes. (People leave stuff they don't want to carry with them in hiker boxes. There are several in every trail town. There is so much stuff in the hiker boxes sometimes that you could almost do a full resupply out of them. You can also do an upgrade, such as taking the nice shiny whistle from the hiker box, and leaving the old rusty whistle you found on the trial.) I found a dry sack for my sleeping bag! Yay! At night the moon was full and the closest it will be to the earth in a year.
Day 4: Woke up at six this morning and hiked down a ridge. It was super easy to get 15 miles done, although I did get lost along the way. I was not paying attention to landmarks, was lost in my own world, and ended up being farther ahead than I thought I was. After 15 miles, I stopped at a huge concrete tank of water that several other hikers where stopped at. The day ended short because the next section of the trail is nine waterless miles. I cowboy camped on the water tank that night. You could feel the warmth stored from the day's blazing sun radiating from the concrete. The stars where beautiful and bright. I love the wilderness sky, free of light pollution. In the city the stars all seem to be flat and to shine at the same intensity. Out here you can appreciate the stars for being exploding balls of energy all different distances from earth and burning away at different intensities.
Day 5: I made it across the desert, and hitched a ride into the town of Julian with another hiker. This is a small touristy town, not really too much my style. Though there was a pie shop called "Mom's Pies" that gave us a free lunch: a sandwich, pie AND ice cream! I had bumbleberry (blueberry, boysenberry, and blackberry) with cinnamon ice cream. Yum. After Julian, About six of us decided to stay at a "hotel" "close" to the trail called The Stagecoach. We divided ourselves into smaller groups of three to make hitching out easier. I was in the first group to head out. The guy at The Stagecoach said we could get a two person "cabin" for twenty five bucks and put more people in it, so we decided to get two of those. When we went to check out the "cabins" we discovered they were tool sheds that had almost no ventilation. What can you expect for eight dollars each? But still, we decided to pay the extra three bucks each and get the larger four person "cabin" which was actually a trailer called the "Missouri." I had a pretty fun time, although there was a bit of a boy's club kinda thing going on.
Day 6: I walked 23 miles today and got my first blister. It's the size of a flattened penny. I also got my trail name to day. I got named Navi because I look like a fairy and Navi is sort for navigation. There was a fifteen mile waterless stretch today, relieved by the Gate 3 water cache. ( There are many Trail Angels who bring gallons and gallons of water to the trail for hikers to fill up on. These people could never be appreciated or thanked enough for the work they do for PCT hikers.) The cache appeared like a beautiful oasis. I sat in the shade with another hiker and waited out the hot part of the day. When I made it to Barrel Springs Campsite, I popped my blister, ate dinner and went to bed. A lot of what I've been doing is hiking, eating, and sleeping. And repeat.
Day 7: It was just a hop skip and a jump to Warner Springs this morning where they had a community center set up to cater to PCT hikers. I had a veggie burger there, and got to go on the Internet. A group of four of us, Pica, Stone, Texas Chill and I, made our way in search of the next water source. The terrain was beautiful and park like. The trail was shaded by deciduous trees and ran along a river until we gained elevation and went back into the mountains in the late afternoon. We passed the water source at twilight and ended up having to backtrack a mile in the dark. We were so tired that we just did a snack potluck for dinner; summer sausage, cashews, and chocolate. I was hurting.
Day 8: The water source that we were camped at last night is called Lost Valley Creek Road Spring or something like that. Nastiest water so far. (And I'm typing this almost two weeks later, and it's still true.) Fortunately I had some instant chrysanthemum tea packets to flavor the water with me which I distributed to everyone. We hiked 20 mi to Nance Creek. My schedule these days is to wake around five, (six if I'm really tired,) walk until noon or one, rest for an hour or two, hike until six or seven, cook and eat dinner, then hike until dark, or until I get to a good place to camp. I'd like to start eating dinner at five or six.
Day 4: Woke up at six this morning and hiked down a ridge. It was super easy to get 15 miles done, although I did get lost along the way. I was not paying attention to landmarks, was lost in my own world, and ended up being farther ahead than I thought I was. After 15 miles, I stopped at a huge concrete tank of water that several other hikers where stopped at. The day ended short because the next section of the trail is nine waterless miles. I cowboy camped on the water tank that night. You could feel the warmth stored from the day's blazing sun radiating from the concrete. The stars where beautiful and bright. I love the wilderness sky, free of light pollution. In the city the stars all seem to be flat and to shine at the same intensity. Out here you can appreciate the stars for being exploding balls of energy all different distances from earth and burning away at different intensities.
Day 5: I made it across the desert, and hitched a ride into the town of Julian with another hiker. This is a small touristy town, not really too much my style. Though there was a pie shop called "Mom's Pies" that gave us a free lunch: a sandwich, pie AND ice cream! I had bumbleberry (blueberry, boysenberry, and blackberry) with cinnamon ice cream. Yum. After Julian, About six of us decided to stay at a "hotel" "close" to the trail called The Stagecoach. We divided ourselves into smaller groups of three to make hitching out easier. I was in the first group to head out. The guy at The Stagecoach said we could get a two person "cabin" for twenty five bucks and put more people in it, so we decided to get two of those. When we went to check out the "cabins" we discovered they were tool sheds that had almost no ventilation. What can you expect for eight dollars each? But still, we decided to pay the extra three bucks each and get the larger four person "cabin" which was actually a trailer called the "Missouri." I had a pretty fun time, although there was a bit of a boy's club kinda thing going on.
Day 6: I walked 23 miles today and got my first blister. It's the size of a flattened penny. I also got my trail name to day. I got named Navi because I look like a fairy and Navi is sort for navigation. There was a fifteen mile waterless stretch today, relieved by the Gate 3 water cache. ( There are many Trail Angels who bring gallons and gallons of water to the trail for hikers to fill up on. These people could never be appreciated or thanked enough for the work they do for PCT hikers.) The cache appeared like a beautiful oasis. I sat in the shade with another hiker and waited out the hot part of the day. When I made it to Barrel Springs Campsite, I popped my blister, ate dinner and went to bed. A lot of what I've been doing is hiking, eating, and sleeping. And repeat.
Day 7: It was just a hop skip and a jump to Warner Springs this morning where they had a community center set up to cater to PCT hikers. I had a veggie burger there, and got to go on the Internet. A group of four of us, Pica, Stone, Texas Chill and I, made our way in search of the next water source. The terrain was beautiful and park like. The trail was shaded by deciduous trees and ran along a river until we gained elevation and went back into the mountains in the late afternoon. We passed the water source at twilight and ended up having to backtrack a mile in the dark. We were so tired that we just did a snack potluck for dinner; summer sausage, cashews, and chocolate. I was hurting.
Day 8: The water source that we were camped at last night is called Lost Valley Creek Road Spring or something like that. Nastiest water so far. (And I'm typing this almost two weeks later, and it's still true.) Fortunately I had some instant chrysanthemum tea packets to flavor the water with me which I distributed to everyone. We hiked 20 mi to Nance Creek. My schedule these days is to wake around five, (six if I'm really tired,) walk until noon or one, rest for an hour or two, hike until six or seven, cook and eat dinner, then hike until dark, or until I get to a good place to camp. I'd like to start eating dinner at five or six.
Monday, May 14, 2012
The Begining Part 1
Yay! I get to update my blog! I only have half an hour, so I will get in as much as I can and add more later. (Right about now I am wishing I had taken typing lessons.)
Day 1: (May 3) I arrived in San Diego last night and a nice gentleman I met on the train helped me out by splitting a cab with me, drawing me a map and explaining the layout of the neighborhood. I caught a bus to the trail head at Campo with three other hikers. One of them has hiked the PCT and the AT before. His name is Grasshopper. He's a cool dude. Very positive and excited to be hiking! I hiked with him for the most part that first day. It was a relief to hike with someone who knew what they were doing because I was very nervous. I was very tired after hiking 15 miles in the desert heat, so while he went on at Hauser Creek, I stopped and set up camp. My tarp worked out pretty well. The Moon was so bright that it woke me up several times during the night.
Day 2: (May 4) Woke up at six with my sleeping bag and tarp soaked. Grasshopper was totally right about it getting wet at night by the creek. I got up, ate breakfast and packed up camp. I got to use my little alcohol stove for the first time. It works pretty well for a little thing made out of a tin can! And it's so light! I attached my down sleeping bag to the back of my pack and headed down the trail towards Lake Morena. I got there around ten or eleven and indulged in a free shower. My sleeping bag was still wet despite being in the sun for three or four hours, and after scratching my head over it for a sec, I realized that while I was "drying" it out in the sun, I was also dragging it through the dewy brush and re-wetting it. Ha. I walked up to the little store in Morena and spent ten bucks on cheese, a small pack of Oreos, and a Gatorade. (Ouch! Trailway robbery!) On my way out I met Stone and Pika, two hikers from Michigan/ Portland. While hiking with them, I realized that I had to be in Mt. Laguna to pick up my re-supply box by 11am the next day (Saturday) to hit the PO before it closed. They helped me book it down the trail. We ended up camping on a windy ridge with the lovely Moon shining as bright as she could. I think that was an 18 mile day.
Day 3: Ok, so you know how I'm good at finding things for other people like keys, lighters, markers, and ladders? Today I found a dog and a hat, and for myself I found an absolutely perfect dry sack for my sleeping bag! (It's really important to keep down dry. If it gets wet, it's no good for keeping you warm.) Pika, Stone and I found a dog when we stopped to have breakfast at a camp ground before Mt. Laguna. I had a bit of a "Tortoise and Hare" situation when I looked at the clock during my hour of leisure, and realized I had 45 minutes to reach the post office. Fortunately I made it with 15 minutes to spare! While there I found a hat that someone left and facilitated it's return. Afterwards I was talking to a man named Texas Chill and told him about the dog. He said that a woman had been around looking for her dog, putting flyers up and such. I found a flyer and called her, directing her to the campground that Pika and Stone where at with the dog.
To be continued...
Out of time!
Oh, some photos:
Day 1: (May 3) I arrived in San Diego last night and a nice gentleman I met on the train helped me out by splitting a cab with me, drawing me a map and explaining the layout of the neighborhood. I caught a bus to the trail head at Campo with three other hikers. One of them has hiked the PCT and the AT before. His name is Grasshopper. He's a cool dude. Very positive and excited to be hiking! I hiked with him for the most part that first day. It was a relief to hike with someone who knew what they were doing because I was very nervous. I was very tired after hiking 15 miles in the desert heat, so while he went on at Hauser Creek, I stopped and set up camp. My tarp worked out pretty well. The Moon was so bright that it woke me up several times during the night.
Day 2: (May 4) Woke up at six with my sleeping bag and tarp soaked. Grasshopper was totally right about it getting wet at night by the creek. I got up, ate breakfast and packed up camp. I got to use my little alcohol stove for the first time. It works pretty well for a little thing made out of a tin can! And it's so light! I attached my down sleeping bag to the back of my pack and headed down the trail towards Lake Morena. I got there around ten or eleven and indulged in a free shower. My sleeping bag was still wet despite being in the sun for three or four hours, and after scratching my head over it for a sec, I realized that while I was "drying" it out in the sun, I was also dragging it through the dewy brush and re-wetting it. Ha. I walked up to the little store in Morena and spent ten bucks on cheese, a small pack of Oreos, and a Gatorade. (Ouch! Trailway robbery!) On my way out I met Stone and Pika, two hikers from Michigan/ Portland. While hiking with them, I realized that I had to be in Mt. Laguna to pick up my re-supply box by 11am the next day (Saturday) to hit the PO before it closed. They helped me book it down the trail. We ended up camping on a windy ridge with the lovely Moon shining as bright as she could. I think that was an 18 mile day.
Day 3: Ok, so you know how I'm good at finding things for other people like keys, lighters, markers, and ladders? Today I found a dog and a hat, and for myself I found an absolutely perfect dry sack for my sleeping bag! (It's really important to keep down dry. If it gets wet, it's no good for keeping you warm.) Pika, Stone and I found a dog when we stopped to have breakfast at a camp ground before Mt. Laguna. I had a bit of a "Tortoise and Hare" situation when I looked at the clock during my hour of leisure, and realized I had 45 minutes to reach the post office. Fortunately I made it with 15 minutes to spare! While there I found a hat that someone left and facilitated it's return. Afterwards I was talking to a man named Texas Chill and told him about the dog. He said that a woman had been around looking for her dog, putting flyers up and such. I found a flyer and called her, directing her to the campground that Pika and Stone where at with the dog.
To be continued...
Out of time!
Oh, some photos:
Lake Morena
Rattle snake!
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Hey all, I have a trail name now. It's Navi. She's the fairy from the video game Zelda. My hiking friends say I look like a fairy. I don't have much time to do a long post now, but I will have a recap of the last week done sometime before next week when I get to Idlewild. I'm having a good time, torturing my feet and shoulders, walking 13 and a half mile stretches between water supplies through the desert. Don't worry I am actually having a great time. The desert is in full "bloom" and is as lush as a desert ever gets. I am meeting people on the trail, and we have a small pack going. I even met some people from Portland! Much much more later.
Kisses and hugs all around.
Kisses and hugs all around.
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Friday, April 27, 2012
Just About Ready to Go.
I am all set to leave Portland on May 1st and head down to San Diego. I find it amazing that you can take a city bus to the Southern Terminus of the PCT.
I have butterflies in my stomach. I feel like I'm on the edge of a diving board looking down. I keep reading inspirational quotes that are in all of the guide books and they make me excited. One I particularly like:
"Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in boadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming, 'Wow, what a ride!'" -Unknown
I still have a few things to get in order: I have to finish packing my food, and I have a couple of articles of clothing to make.
I'm almost there.
And then I'm just beginning.
Saturday, April 21, 2012
Itinerary as of May 26th
New Itinerary Update:
I have added recommended dates that packages should be sent in order for them to arrive in a timely manner. These dates are in bold font and follow each mailing address. It is recommended that one allows ten days for shipping. Most places will hold packages for up to a month, especially if you put the ETA on the package. As always, address your package like this (unless otherwise noted):
Aria Benner
General Delivery
City, State Zip
On the bottom left corner, write:
Hold for Aria Benner
ETA: (date I am expected to arrive)
Here is my new schedule:
May 30 Agua Dulse, CA Mail to: Aria Benner c/o The Saufleys/ 11861 Darling Road /Agua Dulce, CA 91390 May20
June 5 Mojave, CA 93501 May 26
June 12 Kennedy Meadows, CA Mail to: Aria Benner/ c/o Kennedy Meadows General Store/ 96740 Beach Meadow Road / Inyokem, CA 93527. Costs me $2 to pick up a package. June 1
June 16 Bishop, CA 93514 June 5
June 21 Mono Hot Springs, CA Mail to: Aria Benner/ c/o Mono Hot Springs Resort/ General Delivery,/Mono Hot Springs, CA 93642 June 11
June 23 Mammoth Lakes, CA 93546 June 13
June 29 Bridgeport, CA 93517 June 19
July 3 South Lake Tahoe, CA 96151 June 23
July 8 Sierra City, CA 96125 June 29
July 15 Chester, CA 96020 July 5
July 19 Burney, CA 96013 July 9
July 24 Mt. Shasta, CA 96067 July 14
July 29 Etna, CA 96027 July 19
Aug 4 Ashland, OR 97520 July 25
Aug 9 Crater Lake, OR Mail to: Aria Benner / c/o Crater Lake Camp Store/ Mazama Village/ Crater Lake, OR 97604 July 30
Aug 13 Shelter Cove, OR UPS Only. Mail to: Aria Benner/ c/o Shelter Cove Resort/ 27600 West Odell Lake Road/ Highway 58/ Crescent, OR 97733
Aug 14 Sisters, OR 97759 Aug 7
Aug 23 Timberline Lodge Mail to: Aria Benner/ c/o Timberline Ski Area/ WY'East Store/ Timberline Lodge/ Timberline OR 97028. The guide book says to make it painfully obvious that the package is for a pct hiker. Costs me $5 to pick up a package here. Aug 13
Aug 22 Cascade Locks, OR **Come pick me up and take me to Portland!**
Aug 29 Trout Lake, WA 98650 Aug 19
Sept 1 White Pass, WA Mail to: Aria Benner/ c/o White Pass Rural Branch PO/ at the Kracker Barrel Store/ 48851 US Highway 12/ Naches, WA 98937 Aug 22
Sept 6 Snoqualmie Pass, WA 98068 Aug 27
Sept 10 Skykomish, WA 98288 Sept 31
Sept 15 Stehekin, WA 98852 Sept6
Sept 20 Manning Park, Canada!! Mail to: Aria Benner/ c/o Manning Park Lodge/ 7500 Highway #3/ Manning Provincial Park, BC VOX IR0/ CANADA Sept 10
I have added recommended dates that packages should be sent in order for them to arrive in a timely manner. These dates are in bold font and follow each mailing address. It is recommended that one allows ten days for shipping. Most places will hold packages for up to a month, especially if you put the ETA on the package. As always, address your package like this (unless otherwise noted):
Aria Benner
General Delivery
City, State Zip
On the bottom left corner, write:
Hold for Aria Benner
ETA: (date I am expected to arrive)
Here is my new schedule:
May 30 Agua Dulse, CA Mail to: Aria Benner c/o The Saufleys/ 11861 Darling Road /Agua Dulce, CA 91390 May20
June 5 Mojave, CA 93501 May 26
June 12 Kennedy Meadows, CA Mail to: Aria Benner/ c/o Kennedy Meadows General Store/ 96740 Beach Meadow Road / Inyokem, CA 93527. Costs me $2 to pick up a package. June 1
June 16 Bishop, CA 93514 June 5
June 21 Mono Hot Springs, CA Mail to: Aria Benner/ c/o Mono Hot Springs Resort/ General Delivery,/Mono Hot Springs, CA 93642 June 11
June 23 Mammoth Lakes, CA 93546 June 13
June 29 Bridgeport, CA 93517 June 19
July 3 South Lake Tahoe, CA 96151 June 23
July 8 Sierra City, CA 96125 June 29
July 15 Chester, CA 96020 July 5
July 19 Burney, CA 96013 July 9
July 24 Mt. Shasta, CA 96067 July 14
July 29 Etna, CA 96027 July 19
Aug 4 Ashland, OR 97520 July 25
Aug 9 Crater Lake, OR Mail to: Aria Benner / c/o Crater Lake Camp Store/ Mazama Village/ Crater Lake, OR 97604 July 30
Aug 13 Shelter Cove, OR UPS Only. Mail to: Aria Benner/ c/o Shelter Cove Resort/ 27600 West Odell Lake Road/ Highway 58/ Crescent, OR 97733
Aug 14 Sisters, OR 97759 Aug 7
Aug 23 Timberline Lodge Mail to: Aria Benner/ c/o Timberline Ski Area/ WY'East Store/ Timberline Lodge/ Timberline OR 97028. The guide book says to make it painfully obvious that the package is for a pct hiker. Costs me $5 to pick up a package here. Aug 13
Aug 22 Cascade Locks, OR **Come pick me up and take me to Portland!**
Aug 29 Trout Lake, WA 98650 Aug 19
Sept 1 White Pass, WA Mail to: Aria Benner/ c/o White Pass Rural Branch PO/ at the Kracker Barrel Store/ 48851 US Highway 12/ Naches, WA 98937 Aug 22
Sept 6 Snoqualmie Pass, WA 98068 Aug 27
Sept 10 Skykomish, WA 98288 Sept 31
Sept 15 Stehekin, WA 98852 Sept6
Sept 20 Manning Park, Canada!! Mail to: Aria Benner/ c/o Manning Park Lodge/ 7500 Highway #3/ Manning Provincial Park, BC VOX IR0/ CANADA Sept 10
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Itinerary as of 4/4/12
Itinerary as of 4/4/12
This will definitely be changing as I go. If you'd like to send me something, it's a good idea to mail it ten days in advance of my estimated arrival date. Also, please see the instructions on sending me things in the mail. It is the first blog entry.
Oh yeah- the format to use in addressing boxes is:
Aria Benner
General Delivery
City, State Zip
unless otherwise noted. Most mail drop locations are post offices, but a couple of them are stores that require special labeling.
April 27 Campo, CA 91906
April 30 Mt. Laguna, CA 91948
May 2 Julian, CA 92036
May 6 Idyllwild, CA 92549
May 12 Big Bear City, CA 92314
May 17 Wrightwood, CA 92397
May 21 Agua Dulse, CA Mail to: Aria Benner c/o The Saufleys/ 11861 Darling Road /Agua Dulce, CA 91390
May 27 Mojave, CA 93501
June 3 Kennedy Meadows, CA Mail to: Aria Benner/ c/o Kennedy Meadows General Store/ 96740 Beach Meadow Road / Inyokem, CA 93527. Costs me $2 to pick up a package.
June 5 Lone Pine, CA 93545
June 7 Bishop, CA 93514
June 12 Mono Hot Springs, CA Mail to: Aria Benner/ c/o Mono Hot Springs Resort/ General Delivery,/Mono Hot Springs, CA 93642
June 14 Mammoth Lakes, CA 93546
June 16 Tuolumne Meadows, CA 95389
June 20 Bridgeport, CA 93517
June 24 South Lake Tahoe, CA 96151
June 29 Sierra City, CA 96125
July 6 Chester, CA 96020
July 10 Burney, CA 96013
July 15 Mt. Shasta, CA 96067
July 20 Etna, CA 96027
July 26 Ashland, OR 97520
July 31 Crater Lake, OR Mail to: Aria Benner / c/o Crater Lake Camp Store/ Mazama Village/ Crater Lake, OR 97604
Aug 4 Shelter Cove, OR UPS Only. Mail to: Aria Benner/ c/o Shelter Cove Resort/ 27600 West Odell Lake Road/ Highway 58/ Crescent, OR 97733
Aug 8 Sisters, OR 97759
Aug 14 Timberline Lodge Mail to: Aria Benner/ c/o Timberline Ski Area/ WY'East Store/ Timberline Lodge/ Timberline OR 97028. The guide book says to make it painfully obvious that the package is for a pct hiker. Costs me $5 to pick up a package here.
Aug 16 Cascade Locks, OR Come pick me up and take me to Portland.
Aug 20 Trout Lake, WA 98650
Aug 23 White Pass, WA Mail to: Aria Benner/ c/o White Pass Rural Branch PO/ at the Kracker Barrel Store/ 48851 US Highway 12/ Naches, WA 98937
Aug 28 Snoqualmie Pass, WA 98068
Sept 1 Skykomish, WA 98288
Sept 6 Stehekin, WA 98852
Sept 11 Manning Park, Canada!! Mail to: Aria Benner/ c/o Manning Park Lodge/ 7500 Highway #3/ Manning Provincial Park, BC VOX IR0/ CANADA
This will definitely be changing as I go. If you'd like to send me something, it's a good idea to mail it ten days in advance of my estimated arrival date. Also, please see the instructions on sending me things in the mail. It is the first blog entry.
Oh yeah- the format to use in addressing boxes is:
Aria Benner
General Delivery
City, State Zip
unless otherwise noted. Most mail drop locations are post offices, but a couple of them are stores that require special labeling.
April 27 Campo, CA 91906
April 30 Mt. Laguna, CA 91948
May 2 Julian, CA 92036
May 6 Idyllwild, CA 92549
May 12 Big Bear City, CA 92314
May 17 Wrightwood, CA 92397
May 21 Agua Dulse, CA Mail to: Aria Benner c/o The Saufleys/ 11861 Darling Road /Agua Dulce, CA 91390
May 27 Mojave, CA 93501
June 3 Kennedy Meadows, CA Mail to: Aria Benner/ c/o Kennedy Meadows General Store/ 96740 Beach Meadow Road / Inyokem, CA 93527. Costs me $2 to pick up a package.
June 5 Lone Pine, CA 93545
June 7 Bishop, CA 93514
June 12 Mono Hot Springs, CA Mail to: Aria Benner/ c/o Mono Hot Springs Resort/ General Delivery,/Mono Hot Springs, CA 93642
June 14 Mammoth Lakes, CA 93546
June 16 Tuolumne Meadows, CA 95389
June 20 Bridgeport, CA 93517
June 24 South Lake Tahoe, CA 96151
June 29 Sierra City, CA 96125
July 6 Chester, CA 96020
July 10 Burney, CA 96013
July 15 Mt. Shasta, CA 96067
July 20 Etna, CA 96027
July 26 Ashland, OR 97520
July 31 Crater Lake, OR Mail to: Aria Benner / c/o Crater Lake Camp Store/ Mazama Village/ Crater Lake, OR 97604
Aug 4 Shelter Cove, OR UPS Only. Mail to: Aria Benner/ c/o Shelter Cove Resort/ 27600 West Odell Lake Road/ Highway 58/ Crescent, OR 97733
Aug 8 Sisters, OR 97759
Aug 14 Timberline Lodge Mail to: Aria Benner/ c/o Timberline Ski Area/ WY'East Store/ Timberline Lodge/ Timberline OR 97028. The guide book says to make it painfully obvious that the package is for a pct hiker. Costs me $5 to pick up a package here.
Aug 16 Cascade Locks, OR Come pick me up and take me to Portland.
Aug 20 Trout Lake, WA 98650
Aug 23 White Pass, WA Mail to: Aria Benner/ c/o White Pass Rural Branch PO/ at the Kracker Barrel Store/ 48851 US Highway 12/ Naches, WA 98937
Aug 28 Snoqualmie Pass, WA 98068
Sept 1 Skykomish, WA 98288
Sept 6 Stehekin, WA 98852
Sept 11 Manning Park, Canada!! Mail to: Aria Benner/ c/o Manning Park Lodge/ 7500 Highway #3/ Manning Provincial Park, BC VOX IR0/ CANADA
Monday, April 2, 2012
Sending Me Stuff On the Trail: Five Easy Steps
Step 1: Make sure what you are sending is food.
I will not be able to carry extra weight. I would love to receive letters and drawings, etc. but please don't send anything I'd have to carry around. All of my gear has been thought out and selected with the greatest of intention. I know you're worried that my flashlight might break or something and that you should send me an extra maglite with twelve extra batteries to carry around, or you found a really cool trekking pole you want to send me, but please don't. All of my gear (including clothing) will be sent to me by my fantastically awesome mail-drop person back in Portland, Liza. Any unsolicited items that are not lightweight food will have to be tossed or sent back home. Sorry! That's just how I have to be to keep my packweight down, and my hike easier.
Step 2: Make sure what you're sending is lightweight food.
This means no cans, and nothing hydrated. Here are some ideas of food that I'd love to get in the mail:
Cookies
Crackers
Peanut Butter
Cookies
Other Nut Butters (Sunbutter, perhaps?)
Dried Fruit
Cookies
Dehydrated Drinks
Snack Bars (Especially "Raw Revolution" bars. Yum.)
Cookies
Trail Mix
Dehydrated Backpacking Meals (Just add water)
Tuna Packets (I know, they're not dehydrated, but they're worth it)
Tasty Bites (Same deal as with tuna pouches)
Cookies
Step 3: Check my itinerary to see where I am and where I will be next.
I will keep this itinerary updated. It will change based on the speed I'm hiking and whether or not I decide to take a day off. Most post offices will hold mail for two to three weeks, so sending packages somewhat far ahead of where I am is a good idea.
Step 4: Send the package via USPS (not FedEx or UPS). Address the box exactly as it says on the itinerary, and like this:
Aria Benner
General Delivery
Town, State Zip Code
On the bottom left corner, write:
Hold for Aria Benner
ETA: (date)
Also, it would be helpful if you wrote "BENNER" in big black letters all around the box.
Step 5: Try to let me know that you sent me a package. That way I know to ask for it at the Post Office. Also, if you tell me what you sent, it will enable me to avoid redundancies in the food I'm packing. You can contact me through Facebook, email, or by phone.
Thank you so much for thinking about me!
Cookies.
Step 1: Make sure what you are sending is food.
I will not be able to carry extra weight. I would love to receive letters and drawings, etc. but please don't send anything I'd have to carry around. All of my gear has been thought out and selected with the greatest of intention. I know you're worried that my flashlight might break or something and that you should send me an extra maglite with twelve extra batteries to carry around, or you found a really cool trekking pole you want to send me, but please don't. All of my gear (including clothing) will be sent to me by my fantastically awesome mail-drop person back in Portland, Liza. Any unsolicited items that are not lightweight food will have to be tossed or sent back home. Sorry! That's just how I have to be to keep my packweight down, and my hike easier.
Step 2: Make sure what you're sending is lightweight food.
This means no cans, and nothing hydrated. Here are some ideas of food that I'd love to get in the mail:
Cookies
Crackers
Peanut Butter
Cookies
Other Nut Butters (Sunbutter, perhaps?)
Dried Fruit
Cookies
Dehydrated Drinks
Snack Bars (Especially "Raw Revolution" bars. Yum.)
Cookies
Trail Mix
Dehydrated Backpacking Meals (Just add water)
Tuna Packets (I know, they're not dehydrated, but they're worth it)
Tasty Bites (Same deal as with tuna pouches)
Cookies
Step 3: Check my itinerary to see where I am and where I will be next.
I will keep this itinerary updated. It will change based on the speed I'm hiking and whether or not I decide to take a day off. Most post offices will hold mail for two to three weeks, so sending packages somewhat far ahead of where I am is a good idea.
Step 4: Send the package via USPS (not FedEx or UPS). Address the box exactly as it says on the itinerary, and like this:
Aria Benner
General Delivery
Town, State Zip Code
On the bottom left corner, write:
Hold for Aria Benner
ETA: (date)
Also, it would be helpful if you wrote "BENNER" in big black letters all around the box.
Step 5: Try to let me know that you sent me a package. That way I know to ask for it at the Post Office. Also, if you tell me what you sent, it will enable me to avoid redundancies in the food I'm packing. You can contact me through Facebook, email, or by phone.
Thank you so much for thinking about me!
Cookies.
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