24 hours, 47 miles, 8,300 ft of gain.
I’ll add the posts here soon, in the meantime check my Instagram
Now it’s time for some sleep….
Category: Blog Stuff
Technical difficulties
Hit an area of poor cell service so it’s taking longer than expected to upload my latest update. I’m still going and will post the updates when I can.
Donate, Support or Bet
One of the great things about doing something as crazy as hiking the entire Pacific Crest Trail is that I can leverage it to raise money for a cause that means a great deal to me personally. Today, over 35 million people across the world are living with Alzheimer’s, including more than 5 million Americans and a member of my family. In the U.S. alone, more than 15 million caregivers generously dedicate themselves to those with Alzheimer’s and dementia, including my Mom.
To honor those those affected by Alzheimer’s disease I am participating in The Longest Day to raise funds for the Alzheimer’s Association. Don’t let the name fool you, my hike will span many days and many of them will seem very, very long, I’m fundraising for the entire thing, not just a single day. Keep this in mind when you’re making your donation. I set a very modest goal of $2,650, the approximate distance of the Pacific Crest Trail in miles, as I know there are a number of very good causes that need your support. However, keep in mind that I’m hiking 2,650 miles in support of this cause. What’s the going rate for a mile these days? Let me do the math for you. The first one is easy, $1 a mile would be $2,650 (do it), $0.50 a mile would be $1,325, $0.25 a mile would be $662.5 and finally $0.10 a mile would be $265. Seriously though, anything you can contribute would be greatly appreciated, even if it’s just a penny a mile ($26.50) or $5.
Click Here To Make Your Donation
Secondly, if after you have made your donation to support the Alzheimer’s Association you have a few bucks you want to throw my way to directly support me on my journey you can do so by clicking here. A few bucks for a greasy burger or a night in even the sleaziest roadside motel will mean a lot. I’ll even send you something from my journey (most likely a print of one of my photos taken along the way) in return for your contribution if you like.
Thirdly, if you think i’m absolutely nuts and there is no way I’m ever going to finish the entire Pacific Crest Trail, lets make a bet. Seriously. Feel free to contact me and I will gladly make that bet with you.
Finally, please share this and encourage others to donate. The direct link to my Longest Day page is http://act.alz.org/goto/further . Thank you!!
I’m still here
I know.. I know.. it’s been a number of weeks since I posted an update. Things are happening, which I will share here soon, but I’ve been busy enjoying all the things I won’t be able to do while i’m out on the trail next year. With the lack of daylight, and my start date quickly approaching, you can expect more regular posts going forward.
Subscribe!
For those of you that want to be notified whenever I add a new post, which should be every Tuesday, I’ve added a subscribe link on the left hand side. If you don’t want to subscribe you can just remember “Toby Tuesday”, it has a ring to it.
You’re doing what?!
In a little over a year I will be boarding a plane bound for San Diego with nothing more than a backpack full of, hopefully very light, gear. Once I land I will somehow find my way 40 miles west to the town of Campo, which sits just north of the Mexican border. From there I will then head north on the Pacific Crest Trail, hiking all the way through California, Oregon and Washington before crossing the border into Canada. In doing so I’ll cross through a desert, numerous mountain passes and a few national parks. In total the trail stretches 2,650 miles with 420,880 feet in elevation change.
This blog will primarily be about my preparation for, and time on, the Pacific Crest trail. I have purposely avoided learning about the ins and outs of the trail and what will be entailed. No, I have not seen or read “Wild”, nor have I read John Muir’s “My first summer in the Sierra”. I have picked up a few pieces of knowledge from talking to people that are also planning on hiking the Pacific Crest Trail but not too much. I know that i’m going to have to mail myself supplies on the way, I might be hiking through a lot of snow or crossing a river and it rains a lot in Southern California, among other things.
Check back each Tuesday for something new, I’ll do my best to make things informative and entertaining. Who knows, maybe I’ll freak out and have some sort of meltdown when the reality of what i’ll be doing finally sinks in.