Looking over the last 3 weeks has been pretty awesome! I am currently at Cajon Pass still in the desert and cant wait to get to the sierra’s! My life has been going great and I am feeling pretty good. I havent been able to update due to the lack of technology but soon I will have some time to update and post some photos and tell some stories!
I have spent the last 3 weeks living at the Sri Sri Radha Krishna Temple in Spanish Fork, Utah. My experiences here has changed my life. The mental changes that I have gone through since I have gotten here I believe will stick with me for the rest of my life. As I was laying in bed contemplating my life last night and the things that I have learned since coming to the Temple.
One of my major goals for this year was to drop most of my material possessions. The Krishnas are very un-materialistic. Being here has more solidified my “quest” to not worry about the material world and to focus more on those things that mean more to me.
As the next week rolls around and I depart on my second trip down the PCT I have gained a new outlook on life through the experiences that I have gained since being here at the temple. Being a new vegetarian and heading out to the world away from a strictly vegetarian buffet everyday is going to be a struggle in itself. Learning yoga, its real meanings, and learning lessons taught through the devotee’s at the temple, have impacted both my normal life and my spiritual life.
I thank each and every person that I have met in my Utah visit for the fun times, the good conversations, and all the craziness that went on during my time. I presented the photo below to Caru, the temple president,as a thank you for welcoming me into such a great place. I love you all and will carry you all up the PCT with me in my next journey.
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To those who dont know anything about the festival of colors or what im doing right now this will give you a good idea :)
I was packing my gear today getting things ready for the pct. I started to think about the southern terminus of the pct. Last year being at the beginning of something that I did not know would change my life forever. I think of the person that I use to be before, and even after the trail last year. Some of the thoughts that go through my head are crazy. Some are that of pure disgust in my mentality. Others are glad that I had enough guts to actually step out of the real world and into the REAL WORLD! Thoughts of how much I have changed mentally, physically, and spiritually drive my hike this year.
A new scarecrow, humble, happy, and free as ever is about to take on the PCT once again. Tears will fill my eyes im sure when i finally see that little ovaled out triangle sign once again. Its something I cant explain nor can anyone comprehend unless they have hiked. It frankly is a little overwhelming but in a very good way. I have 3 days left here at the temple and am going to do my best to learn and grow as much as possible. Soak up as much culture and amazingness as possible.
Hare Krishna!
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Wow just waking up this morning to the realization that my pct hike will start in 10 days! holy moly thats like next Friday! I’m incredibly excited. I got the rest of the gear that I was looking for yesterday at REI. This included a 50 oz bladder and some more injinji toe socks. The PCT couldn’t be happening at a greater moment. At this moment I feel that it is time for me to be out of society again, I have gotten to the point of disliking the way the world is. My personal view on society drives me back to the trail this year.
Getting away from the material world so to speak, and into the wilderness. Worrying only about the walking of a trail and not worrying about anything else at all. Ten days to go, and I will be gone once again! Cant wait.
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Easter….Celebrated by Christians all over the world…representing the resurrection of Jesus Christ…. Some believe this some do not. I’m on the latter end of the spectrum, but I feel that no matter what religion you are today is a joyful day. Be joyful and thankful for the friends and family that you have. One doesn’t have to be of any sort of faith to see how happy people all over the world are on this Sunday in April. Be glad that you are here and that you have the opportunity to be blessed with the presence of family. If you have certain family members that you dont necessarily get along with, realize that they are going to give you a certain attitude. They might give you a judgmental attitude towards the decisions that you have made in your life, a certain hair style, a piercing, or anything else. A good way of looking at it is taking the time to understand what the person is going to give you and learn from that. Say a person is going to criticize you. Take the criticism with an open mind and realize why they are giving you such criticism. You can learn a lot from the individuals who give you the most trouble in life. I feel that Krishna puts those certain people there for a reason. To test you and to teach you a lesson on how you should be. Above all today be thankful for your life and the chance you have been givin to be happy. Hare Bol!
When speaking the English language these days there are so many words that are thrown around without thinking about the real meaning of the word before an individual uses it. While on facebook today someone commented that they hated the Easter bunny. To me hate is not the right word for the situation. The word hate is one of the most powerful words that gets misused these days. To hate the Easter bunny is obsured. This completely disgusts me about human kind. Why must their be hate? Especially towards something that causes so many kids such joy and happiness. You may not believe in the easter bunny, Santa Claus, Jesus Christ, Krishna, Buddha, Muhammad, or any other entity that a person can not directly see but to say that you hate something of that nature that brings a certain amount of people joy is absolutely ridiculous. This word hate I would gladly say that I have cut out of my life. A friend once told me that why hate something? Hating something does no good, there is no need to say that you hate something because of your personal point of view. Yes you may not like the certain topic or certain thing but to hate is an emotion. A strong emotion that is irrelevant and unnecessary in life. If you dont like something look at it from the perspective of someone who does enjoy it. I hear a lot of people say I hate it when people do this or that. To me that is being selfish of ones own characteristics rather than being open to the individuals point of view. This may be a little ranting and a little raving about the world, but this is who I am and what I am about.
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Often times I will ask people what type of gear they carry into the back country. After detailed explanations and feedback on the type of gear the individual is carrying, I often ask them “Do you trust your gear with your life?” The main reason I ask most people that is because they often times buy gear for a certain reason. Whether that reason be that they like the color, the weight of the item, or a specific feature of the piece. Most backpackers have a few pieces of gear that they don’t particularly like. I say to them then why do you have it? One of the most important things you can do as an outdoor enthusiast is to fully trust your gear with your life. You never know what circumstances you will come into contact with. I can finally say that I can fully trust my gear with my life. Without trusting your gear you worry about not being prepared enough for any situation.
I like to apply this philosophy to everyday life. Be prepared for the worst and hope for the best. With this simple mindset no matter where you are you will never be disappointed. Bob Marley sang it best I think.
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I met an amazing man at the Lotus Krishna Temple here in Spanish Fork, Utah. Alen is originally from Bosnia who lives mostly in Vermont. Alen is into cycling and cares about the environment very deeply. I was fortunate to spend a week with Alen and we grew very close. By the time we went our separate ways I knew that I had a friend for life. A few friends, Alen, and myself drove Alen to Los Angeles so he could catch a flight to Hawaii to work as a tour guide and doing sustainability on a farm. On our way to LA we decided to stop in Las Vegas.
Our original plan was to just be there for the day walking the strip and seeing the people and sights. Well Vegas being sin city, we decided to have a few drinks. While drinking and walking around the city we ran into a couple of guys from Michigan. Matt and Steve were on vacation and were kind to us. They found out that we didnt have a place to crash for the night as we were just planning to sleep in the car. They invited us to spend the evening on the town with them and then to crash in their hotel room with them. We spent the evening roaming Las Vegas watching the people and the lights. We didn’t expect to go to Matt and Steve’s hotel room which ended up being on the top floor of the Luxor in the executive suit. Waking up in the middle of the night I had flashbacks from the movie “The Hangover.” This was our fantastic version spent with amazing people and making one great experience!
As most of you have realized my cycling adventure to the start of the pacific crest trail in San Diego took a major detour. I was not expecting to be in the place that I am. Krishna has a plan for all of us and this was definitely revealed to me. Everything in our lives happen for a reason. I have learned so much being here at the Krishna temple. One of the biggest lessons that I want to share is letting go of the material world. Material possessions, money, clothes, electronics, internet, and everything in between does not matter a single bit in life. Being happy is the only thing I am striving for. With keeping the right mindset, any situation can be positive. When you are in a group of people there are going to be those individuals that give you certain traits that you can learn from. Some will give you anger, jealousy, and ridicule. There are also those who will give you joy, inspiration, and motivation. Pick out those individuals who will positively influence your lives and surrounding yourself with the right people will make for a happier life. Letting go of the material world is a hard thing to do. Not worrying about money is one of the hardest things. Money makes the world go around. Without it we seem hopeless and sometimes without it we cannot do the things that make us happiest. Finding the free things in life like watching a sunset, hiking through the woods, or even just sitting in a grassy field can open your eyes to the simple things that are free in life. Being happy in the hardest situations is my goal. No matter what keeping the right mindset can make the world a completely different place. Hari bol!
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The past few days I have been living at the Lotus Temple in Spanish Forks, Utah. I have had such an amazing experience from the festival. I am actually changing my plans quite a bit as the Krishna temple has really changed me and I have started to feel a lot better about life in general since I have been there. I have made the committment to live a vegetarian lifestyle. Which for me isnt really a hard thing to do. I already dont eat a whole lot of meat so cutting out the meat that I do consume is not a hard transition.
As I have been staying at the Lotus temple I have really been interested in the Krishna faith. I am going to be carrying the Bhagavad Gita with me while I hike the PCT this year. Studying the book and what the faith is about. There is something about the temple that makes me feel wonderful inside. I feel like its home, the people are absolutely fantastic and I cant thank them enough for their hospitality. The Bhagavad Gita is the teachings of Krishna and covers every subject that you can possibly imagine. The Krishna faith is based of the oldest writings known to man, and the Bhagavad Gita was first written in Sandscript which is the oldest living language on the planet. Be sure to check back on my thoughts about the Krishna faith and my spiritual journey along the trail.
This past weekend has been pretty nuts with the Holi Festival Of Colors at the temple, where some 80-120 thousand people showed up to listen to Kurtan music and to throw colored chalk at one another. The throwing of the colors is the celebration of the colors of spring. It was first celebrated in India sometime ago when they would crush up the pedals of the recently bloomed flowers and throw them into the air. The celebration was a great hit with bands celebrating the arrival of spring. Some of the bands included some Krishna rock, and Dubstep artist. The festival was a lot of fun and the clean up process has only begun. On the 14th of April we will be celebrating the festival for the second time in Salt Lake City, Utah if you have the chance to be there I would highly recommend attending! As for now its back to work cleaning such a beautiful and sacred place that over the past week I think has changed my life forever. Hari Krishna!
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I left Susanville California headed to chico. I got on a bus in Susanville and got off in Chester Ca. Turns out the PCT crosses 10 miles west on the highway. I got off here and took a little break took some photos of the sign and continued on my way. When I got to the highway 32 cutoff, I switched my hub over from fixed gear to single speed. This allowed me to coast down the hills. From the top of the mountain at 6000 ft to 195 ft of elevation in Chico, California. Needless to say that’s a lot of downhill. Without having to pedal I was able to be in more control of the bike going downhill and was able to focus more on the road.
I setup camp near hwy 32 in the middle of nowhere. It took me nearly an hour to get a good fire going because everything was wet. I had realized that my fire building skills needed much improvement. While hiking the pct last year I didnt encounter much wet weather. I experienced around 3 good days of rain. So I didnt have the chance to practice making wet fires. I learned a good amount of patience is the best thing to building a wet fire. I went to sleep and woke up to a light sprinkle that morning.
I woke up and ate a snack and proceeded on my way. Little did I know that the rain was really coming down when it wasnt hitting the trees before. So I proceeded down the mountains pouring and pouring and pouring the entire way down. I rode 35 miles down to chico california. I met up with a good trail friend and genuinely had a good time. Tomorrow I will take a side trip to Spanish Forks, UT to attend the Holi Festival of Colors.
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After talking with former thru-hikers about their mentalities, psyche, and their experiences post trail, I have come to the conclusion that you can never take the trail out of a hiker.
As my travels move forward and I start really diving into the mental changes associated with long distance adventure. The human mind goes through a great transformation from the everyday world when going to thru-hiking mentality. This change is forever within a thru-hiker. Ask any former thru-hiker what they would rather be doing, and 90% of them would say “Id rather be hiking.”
The sense of freedom, adventure, and the unknown, is what drives a hikers need for the trail. This is true with any trail whether it be the PCT, CDT, AT, or any trail in the country. I met a former thru-hiker in Susanville, Ca who still walks most nights of the week. The urge to walk everyday I could totally relate to. When I returned from the PCT last year I would walk everywhere. The feeling of walking triggers memories associated with the trail and to some of us it is like a stress relief from everyday living. So I urge you go out and take a walk, see the fresh air, and here the birds chirp.
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Last night while getting settled into my sleeping bag, I pondered a thought.
What makes an adventure?
This question can be taken a variety of ways. Throughout the year I will explore other ideas of what makes an adventure. One of the big things that makes us tell stories of our travels is the hard times. The times when weather has not been so fortunate is a popular one. Simple fact that they make the best stories. Who wants to hear a story about some guy who went out on a boring adventure. Naturally the human mind wants to know what the crazy stuff was that you have to go through.
This can be in the form of torrential rain. A few years ago I was bass fishing at a pond in the cascades with a few buddies. The weather was cloudy and the fish weren’t biting to good but the beers and good friends cured the lack of fishing luck. The weather for some reason turned bad in a split second. Knee deep in pond water as lightning was striking the trees around the pond was a scary experience. The thunderstorm came up on us very quick, and for some reason the bass started biting. We caught like 5 bass in less than 10 minutes. Although our fishing luck had changed our weather was still a major problem. We were drenched and decided to call it a day. As we got in the car we stripped down to our boxers and drove home. Avoiding fallen tree limbs along the way. About 20 miles from home the gas light came on. We needed gas bad but were in our underwear. We decided that it couldnt wait so we pulled into a gas station and laughed about the man who was pumping our gas and staring into a car of 3 guys in our underwear.
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When I was looking into tents and shelters this year I took a lot into account. Number 1 was that it had to be light weight. Now don’t get me wrong there is nothing better than the shelter of a good tent, but there is weight that goes with it.
I chose to hike with the Marmot Alpinist Bivy Sack this year. The Alpinist Bivy is made of Marmots MemBrain Strata.
Marmot’s own lightweight waterproof / breathable technology. A lamination technology that rates a whopping 20,000mm in waterproof performance and 20,000 gr in breathability.
Requiring neither lining nor 3-layer construction like many similar lamination processes, MemBrain® Strata™ products are by far the lightest, most breathable garments in their categories.
The Alpinist Bivy has kept the elements out while keeping me warm and toasty inside. I’m excited to see what this little guy can do. There is enough room for my Exped UL 7 sleeping mat to fit on the inside, and still leaves enough room for my pack, shoes, and anything else I could possibly need to put inside. Warning though do not fully zip the bivy closed it is hard to breath (personal experience).
