Little Package Archive : travel

2013 PCT Finisher!

I don’t know why I have been postponing writing this. I suppose it is because I am tired. But as tired as I must be, I feel ashamed to admit being tired because I have managed to postpone being tired for six months. I’ve walked about 18 miles a day, almost every day for 173 days, to complete a 2660-mile long hike. It must be okay to be tired now, it really must, but before I collapse in exhaustion I gotta let you know that…

I completed my Pacific Crest Trail thru-hike! When we left out of Winthrop in Northern Washington state on October 3rd, there was a joke going amongst our four-person snow squad where almost every discussion ended with, “Why bother? We’re not going to make it to Canada anyway.” “You forgot your US re-entry papers? Not an issue seeing as how you’re not getting to Canada… continue reading

2013 PCT Thank Yous

I have a lot of overdue thank yous and shout-outs to make!

My Inspiration

Thump Thump, AKA Kristen (A 2010 thru-hiker who I met on the trail during her hike. She planted the seed, and helped me plan.)

Erin Saver AKA “Wired” – fellow Portlander and 2011 PCT thru-hiker. 2011 was a brutal year, and Wired not only managed to finish every mile, but blogged the whole thing. She inspired my daily photo journal. She is just about to finish her 2013 Continental a Divide Trail hike!

Command Central

My Mom – I LOVE YOU! Elly Blue – a truly great friend

Tools

Halfmile’s Maps – Halfmile did a lot of footwork and shared it with all of us. I used my iPad for maps and Halfmile’s .gpx files and app were indispensable. I used them literally dozens of times a day.

Gaia GPS – A… continue reading

Why I am walking the PCT

To start off, I’ll say: No, I have not read ‘Wild.’

I have not read the book that might be stoking a surge of new thru-hike attempts this year. (It’s on my library hold queue, though!) I hadn’t really heard of it until my friend Elly Blue asked, “Have you read Wild?” I sounded a bit stupid saying no. She made it seem like I might be the only one who hasn’t. I might be.

I’m not sure I’ll need to read it, though, to find out what it’s about.

I travel a lot. I go on trips because of an overwhelming urge to get away from the usual grind. It’s the way I’m wired. Since I was a kid, I’ve always been on the move. A drastic move at age 5 from New Hampshire to… continue reading

I Love Snow

Now that I have my gear squared away, I’ve started worrying more about food and resupply. I think I have that pretty figured out, but I’ve learned that you can’t outwit the gathered wisdom of PCT alumni. I fear that were I to share with them what I think I will be eating, they would issue a collective hearty laugh. So I’m going to think about it some more before I say it out loud, but for the moment I think it’s pretty fool-hardy (lightweight, nutritious, high-calorie, and soy-free) and do-able.

After watching the wonderful 2011 hike videos by K-Cop and Iguana, I’ve been thinking about snow. Here is their Northern California epic:

http://youtu.be/wICzGzU9prA?t=1m27sVideo can’t be loaded: Pacific Crest Trail… continue reading

Foreign

Sleeping with my food Dreaming of foreign travels Waking up alone

24 Hours of Willamette Pass

For some reason I’ve had the 24 Hours of Willamette Pass mountain bike race marked on my calendar all year. I’d set aside the date without any idea of who I would do it with or even why, and definitely – as I’d discover once there – no idea of what it would be like.

In hindsight I realize why it was so difficult to recruit a team. Many plans fell through, and last-minute I ended up racing in a two-person team with Susan, a woman who is also new to mountain bike racing, but very fast, and quite sporty (as I would find out). Susan is experienced in many adrenaline-type sports and is made of steel. She suggested off-handedly that we race the 24-hour instead of the twelve and I casually consented, not realizing what a huge difference those twelve hours would make. (more…)

In Malmo, Sweden

My name is Caroline (AKA Puppy). Welcome to Little Package.

I've been blogging about this and that since 2000. Travels, food, bicycles, more travels... In 2009 I left an eight year career as a medical/surgical nurse and worked at home, crafting cycling caps instead. In 2013 I hiked the entire 2660-mile-long Pacific Crest Trail, and when I finished I knew the adventure wasn't over. I had been considering the RV life for years, so I bought a 1983 VW Westfalia van to "test the waters" of mobile dwelling. And off I go!

More about...