Comments for Kevin's Travel Blog

Comment on Lake Ozette to Shi Shi Beach Hike Day 3 – Shi Shi Beach and Hitchhiking to Port Angeles by J

Wed, 16 May 2012 22:15:50 +0000

Dude… I don’t think the guy was being small-minded. Maybe you, but definitely not him. I’ve done my fair share of hitchhiking, and while, yeah, you can get picked up by anyone, I think it’s a safe bet that the odds aren’t on the lone young guy getting picked up by the swedish bikini team.

I’m sure your aura would glow even brighter if you gave the rest of the world a break.

-J

Comment on West Coast Trail Journal by Melissa

Melissa — Mon, 14 May 2012 19:41:11 +0000

Enjoyed your journal very much! Looking forward to hiking the trail this summer with our Venturers (ScoutsCanada).

Comment on West Coast Trail – Packing List by Kevin

Kevin — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 20:30:28 +0000

I packed Gouda cheese, they were sealed airtight. When I got my last resupply, there was a bit of mold on 1 of the pieces of cheese, since it had been sitting there for a couple of weeks. I just shaved it off and didn’t have any problems with the rest.

I think it’s better to pick a harder cheese since it has less humidity. I’ve also seen other hikers pack Skinny Cow cheese, the ones that come in small wedges wrapped in thin aluminum foil.

You could always try a no-cook diet on a weekend hike and see how it goes. It just so happens that salami and cheese are 2 of my favorite food in the world. I could eat them everyday, so I didn’t feel I was sacrificing anything

Since you are going with your husband, you’ll be sharing the load of cooking gear, so it’s not too bad. Eating a nice meal at camp after a long day is one of the pleasures of hiking.

Comment on West Coast Trail – Packing List by Amanda

Amanda — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 13:52:56 +0000

Thanks Kevin, I appreciate your breakdown. I agree, not having to lug around a stove, fuel, pots etc does simplify it alot. I must say though, the one thing my husband and I look forward to at the end of the day is a pot of kraft dinner! So we will have to give this some thought.

side note – what kind of cheese did you bring? you didn’t find it a problem to not keep it refridgerated?

Comment on West Coast Trail Journal by Kevin

Kevin — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 02:45:11 +0000

I’m glad you enjoyed my journal. Thanks for reading, and I wish you good luck on your trip.

Comment on West Coast Trail – Packing List by Kevin

Kevin — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 02:41:05 +0000

Hi Amanda. I just updated this post to include the food that I packed. Yes, I went with a no-cook diet. I know it is not for everyone, but it had worked out fine in the past for me. It really simplifies things a lot for me. If you are trying to save weight, make sure you pack calorie dense food.

Comment on West Coast Trail Journal by Mike Brawley

Mike Brawley — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 22:01:06 +0000

Thank you for the amazing post on the West Coast Trial. I just found out about this trail and am 100% hiking it this year.. Amazing pictures.

Comment on West Coast Trail – Packing List by Amanda

Amanda — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 21:47:29 +0000

HI Kevin,

Wondering what you used for food? I see you did not take a stove and relied on fire – which, lucky for you was not a problem. But I dont see any pots/pans etc on your list. what kinds of foods did you bring? was it all, the non-cookable type?

Comment on John Muir Trail Day 1 – Yosemite Valley to Clouds Rest Junction by Kevin

Kevin — Sun, 18 Mar 2012 20:38:42 +0000

Hi Andrew. I hope you have a great time at Yosemite. I thought of going to Clouds Rest too during the JMT, but in the end couldn’t fit it in my schedule. Try to get to the junction early so you can take the one of the 2 camping spots with views of Half Dome.

Comment on John Muir Trail Day 1 – Yosemite Valley to Clouds Rest Junction by Andrew

Andrew — Sat, 17 Mar 2012 17:24:25 +0000

Going to Yosemite end of June and my wife and I got our back country permits. We are going to be following your lead and staying at The CR junction like you! We were planning two day hikes from there; clouds rest and half dome. Thank you for the info. I have also past this blog along to some of my friends who are doing the same thing this fall.

Comment on Lake Ozette to Shi Shi Beach Hike Day 3 – Shi Shi Beach and Hitchhiking to Port Angeles by Jack

Jack — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 04:21:45 +0000

The only comment I’ll make is to the small minded comment you made about who picks up single male hitchhikers. Clearly you are unexperienced, but also, it would seem, a bit small minded. I’ve been picked up hitchhiking by any and every type. An old woman driving by herself picked me up, many women by themselves actually, both young and old. A guy with his girlfriend’s 8 year old son picked me up and took me to his home where her daughter was as well, to give me some food and weed (and by weed I mean dandelions, of course ). I think it has more to do with the energy you give off. The old woman said she saw my aura glowing so brightly she couldn’t ignore me. I’m a nice, well-intentioned guy, and have always had great fortune in hitchhiking. In fact, just recently, a college aged girl driving by herself picked me up. We had a blast talking about her adventures as a wildland firefighter and my movie experience.

Comment on About Me by Mono

Mono — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 20:45:02 +0000

Kua!! felicitaciones por el emprendimiento y por el coraje de dejar las posesiones y el confort. Te voy a estar siguiendo este año en el pre-viaje y una vez en la ruta más aún. Abrazo grande y no olvides poner en la lista de to do things mucho disfrute y recreación.

Comment on John Muir Trail Journal by Kevin

Kevin — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 07:27:30 +0000

The only slow I had to step on was a tiny 4 or 5-feet stretch while coming down of Muir Pass (if I remember correctly). Other than that, no snow at all. But I think it is different every season depending on winter snowfall.

Comment on John Muir Trail Journal by JB

JB — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 06:57:45 +0000

Nice. I am going to do the JMT this summer sometime in July or early august. Any remnants nets of snow while u hiked in August?

Comment on John Muir Trail Day 23 – Guitar Lake to Mount Whitney to Whitney Portal by Kevin

Kevin — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 02:39:02 +0000

Hahahaha. I’m glad my blog is contributing to workplace productivity. Have fun on the JMT and please come back here afterwards and post a link to your journal.

Comment on John Muir Trail Day 23 – Guitar Lake to Mount Whitney to Whitney Portal by Evan Tuckey

Evan Tuckey — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 23:17:06 +0000

Just spent my entire day at work reading through your story. I plan on hiking the JMT in Sept 2012 and wish that time was already here!!! Great job and I plan to write a very similar story!

Comment on John Muir Trail Packing List by Kevin

Kevin — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 21:57:29 +0000

Hi Kay. The JMT is very well maintained and pretty easy to follow. There are a lot of signs on the trail and if you bring a good map, you won’t get lost. The best map is the Tom Harrison one. The Elizabeth Wenk JMT guidebook also has the same maps inside the book, but they are much smaller and in black & white.

Comment on John Muir Trail Packing List by Kay

Kay — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 18:55:22 +0000

Hi Kevin,

Do you consider the JMT to be easy to follow? Were there any sections that are confusing where you could potentially veer off and take the wrong trail? Did you encounter any spots where the trail seems to disappear or fade away so that you’re not sure which way to go?

Thank you!

Comment on Round The World Trip Destination Wish #2: Petra, Jordan by Kevin

Kevin — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 02:13:14 +0000

Thanks a lot for the tips! I just quickly visited your blog and it looks very interesting. In the coming days I’ll take a bit more time to check it out in detail.

Comment on West Coast Trail Day 6 – Thrasher Cove to Gordon River by RenegadePilgrim

RenegadePilgrim — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 12:13:33 +0000

If you are looking for a longer hike…do the Camino de Santiago in Spain…more of a walk really, especially if you are a UL backpacker.

Comment on Round The World Trip Destination Wish #2: Petra, Jordan by RenegadePilgrim

RenegadePilgrim — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 11:54:26 +0000

Be prepared to pay through the nose for the entrance fee. It was close to $50 when I was there last year and I know they raised the fee to about $70 for ONE DAY. I would recommend spending at least a full day there. So much to see, but budget accordingly. I didn’t feel comfortable doing the Wadi Rum trip as a solo female, but I have heard an overnight or two in the Wadi is a must-do when in the area. Also, stay away from Valentine’s Hostel. It’s a real hole in the wall. I stayed at Saba’a (not sure about spelling) and they were awesome!

Comment on West Coast Trail Day 6 – Thrasher Cove to Gordon River by Kevin

Kevin — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 21:51:48 +0000

Hey Dave, you should definitely get your journals online. It’s pretty easy to get a free blog at places like wordpress.com.

Looks like you got a couple of interesting hikes planned for next year. I’d really like to go back to the Sierras next summer. With my upcoming trip, I don’t know if I’ll find the time for a long hike.

Comment on West Coast Trail Day 6 – Thrasher Cove to Gordon River by Dave Pex

Dave Pex — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 18:54:25 +0000

Kevin,
Great to read your WCT posts. I read your JMT posts prior to my own JMT hike in August 2010, and enjoyed your posts (and the JMT!) immensely. I hiked the WCT earlier this year (first week of June), though I did it a little differently: I started at the southeast end of the Juan de Fuca Trail (China Beach), hiked two days to Port Renfrew, then three days to Bamfield. It was awesome, with mostly great weather. I should get my journals into cyperspace as you have done!

I also did a 11-day hike on the PCT from Mt. Hood to Mt. Rainier this year. With the JMT and this section, I’m a real section hiker now!

In 2012, I plan to hike the PCT from Etna to Ashland (in early July), and then a second visit to the JMT in August. This time, I plan to hike NOBO, starting at Cottonwood to Sky-Blue Lake, then more cross-country to Trail Crest. Instead of Forester, I’m going to crest at Junction Pass to Center Basin. And hike down Bear Creek and up to Goodale Pass instead of the VVR ferry. And hike the PCT from Postpiles to Thousand Island. So, not as much of the JMT, more of a PCT section with variations.

Anyway, Happy Trails!

Comment on Round The World Trip Destination Wish #2: Petra, Jordan by Neil

Neil — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 14:37:47 +0000

since my first visit to Petra some years ago now I was captivated by Jordan there is so much to see. I was so taken by the place I started my own little website which I hope you might enjoy.

Comment on West Coast Trail Day 6 – Thrasher Cove to Gordon River by Kevin

Kevin — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 04:11:20 +0000

Thanks for reading. I wish your group a safe trip with good weather

Comment on West Coast Trail Day 6 – Thrasher Cove to Gordon River by Warren

Warren — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 22:20:02 +0000

Hi there. I’m planning to do the trail Aug 2012. I’m pretty sure my group will be going Northbound but I’m really not sure now. You’re journal was very enjoyable

Comment on Round The World Trip Initial Planning by Kevin

Kevin — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 02:44:06 +0000

Hi Dave,
I’m writing a post about financial aspects of the trip. It will be posted soon.

Comment on Round The World Trip Initial Planning by Dave

Dave — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 04:11:30 +0000

Would be interesting to hear your thoughts on budgeting for such a trip. Estimates are all over the map. Can you describe the trip you are planning (typical accomodations/food (eating out or cooking for yourself)/any expensive activities/number of airline flights) and then offer your thoughts on what you expect to spend? I’m interested in taking a similar extended trip and it would be helpful to hear your thoughts on this.

Comment on John Muir Trail Packing List by Kevin

Kevin — Sun, 17 Jul 2011 22:47:24 +0000

Hi David.

I rented the SPOT Messenger from http://www.trackme360.com . You should shop around to see if you can fin a cheaper rate.

I rented the Bearikade from the manufacturer. Their website is http://wild-ideas.net , it’s best to call them instead of using the web rental form, so they can give you the cheaper JMT rate.

Comment on John Muir Trail Packing List by David

David — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 09:00:54 +0000

Hi Kevin,

Excellent journal, really enjoyed reading that.

Could you tell me where you rented your SPOT messenger and Bearikade from?

Regards,

David