Thunder. Rain storms. Showers and laundry.
Also testing if this new setting will create photographic output I can directly upload.
And it worked. My phone now takes pictures compatible with my blogging software so I don’t have to format them via a third party first!
I know. Simple pleasures.
Otherwise if has been a great start.
We will take a zero tomorrow to shop and to avoid the rainstorm.
We started at 6:10 am and the sun came up as we walked.
It was very dry and some of the water sources weren’t working or had too much cow. We did today and last night on the water we had from the cache the afternoon before.
We had done twelve miles by 12:00 noon. We took Harshaw connector (the old AZT route) and we did the roadwalk into town.
Lots of ups and downs (PUDs as Happy6 calls them), lots of cattle gates.
Finally we got to the road on the other side of the last gate.
It was very busy road but all traffic was commercial so no hitching.
At Terra Sol we found Butterfly Guru who had dropped his sunglasses earlier. We returned his sunglasses to him.
We expect Pop Tart and Just Chris to get to Terra Sol eventually as they both passed us earlier today but looked like they were taking the new route.
We also arranged for a shuttle back to the trail Wednesday.
So we will have a zero for showers, laundry and resupply out of the rain.
We woke up at 5:30 and were on trail by about 6:00. We set up camp around 4:30. We had about 2600 feet of ascent and 3500 feet of descent. The ascent was bunched up in spurts so we felt it.
My phone app is seriously under counting my distance. That has happened two days in a row.
I lost a sun glove yesterday. Happy6 has let me borrow hers for a while. We have an REI coming up and she isn’t using them.
The weather was beautiful. Had our first “cow” water which we treated with chemicals.
The flavor wasn’t too bad.
My goal was for 12.5 miles a day. Training had not gone as well as I hoped with weather and a bad cold or two.
Suffice it to say that being ten miles ahead of my 25 mile goal is really positive. Happy6 deserves all the credit.
We packed out 4+ liters each from the cache at Canelo pass. We have breakfast and then 6-7 miles to water.
We waited on dinner to rehydrate. If we can do fifteen miles tomorrow we can sleep in town and avoid the rain. (Ok. Sixteen miles. But we did it).
Just under fourteen miles. Just under thirty-eight hundred feet of ascent. About forty-two hundred feet of descent. The downs were brutal.
We had wind.
Started at our hotel. It was the weekend so we didn’t get breakfast. Finding True North picked us up at 6:29 am.
By hotel three we had nine of us. “Just Chris” who we had met at a Del Taco on the PCT. Guillotine, an attorney from El Paso. Others.
We went north. Everyone else, except for Guillotine, headed for the border.
He had hiked that stretch last year.
Met Transient, a hiker, again. We saw him yesterday and then came up to him on trail today. He stopped and decided to camp with us instead of hiking until six when he had planned.
He explained how he had triple crowned and that gave him the skill and gear to be able to hike eight mile days.
The snow was almost completely gone.
Just enough for a few pictures.
A number of trail runners and four hikers that we passed or who passed us.
In theory this is the hardest stretch of the trail. At least for bloggers and YouTubers.
Coming off the mountain top and down to more water and warmer temperatures was great.
Then we camped at mile 15.6 just past the empty cement trough.
Our oldest daughter was kind enough to drive us to the airport. There we took the long walk that Delta inflicts on all their competitors.
Now on a plane less than 10% full headed to Tucson. Frontier may charge you for everything but the pricing is clean, the staff are friendly and the pricing is great. The SLC to Tucson route is new for them.
In many ways Frontier is a replacement for Southwest which has become expensive. A bonus is that the green Frontier logo stands out on the arrival and departure board.
We arrived. Got a truck and drove to the trail head. Walked to the terminus and back.
There were a surprising number of people on the trail for the afternoon. A couple of hikers from the Czech Republic and others.
Many gallons of water at the kiosk.
6.7 total miles today, including walking from the airport to our hotel.
We catch our flight and head out tomorrow morning.
Our personal items have our food.
The Aldi bags are perfectly sized. Our food for the trail and our battery packs go in them.
That means we pay for one checked bag (Frontier has a maximum weight of forty pounds) along with our two tickets.
The weather looks good. Not too hot. All the snow melted and a little rain for the springs and flowers.
We are excited to be heading out. Refrigerator is cleaned out. Shuttle called us and confirmed today. https://findingtruenorth.co/
Got my hair cut yesterday.
Getting so excited.
Shuttle video — That is a link to a video by our shuttle service. We are looking forward to seeing them, getting on trail and hiking Arizona.
We are also still training. Training hike yesterday. Rain and weather make it less pleasant.
In addition to training we are looking at our food and checking the weather. https://www.longtrailsweather.net/azt/forecast.html
We are getting things in order for our trip. Final doctor check ups, training, last minute gear tweaks.
We are refreshing the permethrin on our gear, have our new shoes ready and our luggage prepared.
Snap blade utility knives are very light as are https://www.garagegrowngear.com/products/derma-safe-knife-by-derma-safe knives.
We just picked up a new set of Derma-safe knives .
Both the Snap blade and the Derma-safe lightweight knives will cut lukotape, sausage and cheese. That is all that is needed.
We have a couple resupply boxes we will mail out.
I’ve gone back to my Built Cool Cap. It is just more comfortable.
Mostly I’m just started to get that excitement we both get as the trail gets closer. So looking forward to the trail.
We are heading out next week. Checking forecasts, FarOut and otherwise getting ready.
https://www.longtrailsweather.net/azt/forecast.html — the AZT’s weather forecast.
Pictures from this hike: https://www.facebook.com/share/r/18DdvYwx6i/?mibextid=wwXIfr
Some times the fine print leaves you speechless.
But this was honest. Keep it in mind every time you read a “best of” or a “recommended” list or post—including mine.
For international hikers.
. . . . . . .
Q: WHAT ABOUT STAYING IN CANADA POST-TRAIL (RATHER THAN RETURNING TO THE UK?
Off the cuff, it couldn’t hurt for OP (u/Profession_Horror) to have a letter from their Canadian employer, on company letter head, to have available to (if requested) hand to the interviewing officer.
This letter would include:
• OP’s name as it appears on their passport
• OP’s passport number
• OP’s DOB
• Name/Title/Phone of Canadian Employer
• Canadian Employer’s website and address
• ”In-person employment shall begin on-or-about DD-MMM-YYYY.”
• ”If you have any questions, I am available for any questions.”Basically, give the Officer the means to (quickly and easily) verify OP’s story. Again, “bring the receipts”.
And if asked — and I can’t stress this enough — there will be absolutely no work performed while in America. The conditions of a B2 visa do not allow being paid, effectively, for anything while traveling in America…so no side-gigs, no freelancing, no remote work, etc.
• If asked, “Are you working while hiking the PCT?”, the answer is “No, I am not. I have sufficient savings to support myself for the duration. Here is that documentation…”
• If asked, “But aren’t you going to sell necklaces or something like the other hippie travelers?” — that’s a trick question — the answer is “No officer. That would not be allowed under my visa classification as a B2 visitor. Here’s the documentation I have sufficient funds to support myself…”ABOUT FORM I-9
Since OP is from the UK (which participates in the Visa Waiver Program), it is important to double-check that Form I-9 shows OP has entered America under their B2 and not the Visa Waiver Program.
i.e. “Hello Officer…yes, I am from the UK, but I am traveling under my B2 visa, and not the Visa Waiver Program. I just wanted to mention it so my I-9 is notated correctly. I will be visiting America for more than 90 days which is why I have my B2 good for up to 180 days…because the last thing I want is to go out-of-status by overstaying myself.”
CONTEXT: The B2 Visa is what goes into a traveler’s passport, but the Form I-9 is what the Officer registers into their systems as to what visa classification a traveler actually enters the country.
A copy of Form I-9 is given to the travel.
Don’t lose your form I-9. Take a picture of it too.
And BEFORE YOU LEAVE THE COUNTER WITH THE CUSTOMS OFFICER, double-check that your form I-9 reflect travel under the B2 visa (and not the Visa Waiver Program).
I stress this because a few years back there was a terrific hiker who had his I-9 completed incorrectly, and it was sorta a mess getting it straightened out. (We did.)
Think of it like this:
• B2 Visa = Up to 180 days (subject to the actual visa approval)
• Visa Waiver Program = Up to 90 days
• Form I-9 = The document given to you at the border saying if you are officially traveling under the B2 vs. VWP.So if you’re planning to hike for ≈150d, you need to be traveling on the B2, otherwise you’ll go out of status.
(And for the lurkers, yes, I’m intentionally ignoring scenarios like leaving trail on day 80, going to another country for 2w-3w, then coming back on-trail. That’s beyond the scope of this comment.)
OP – If the above is clear as mud, please feel free to DM me?
A lot of the above stuff is generic and applies to everyone, and I know you have a specific concern. But I also wouldn’t be too concerned.
A few good pieces of paper showing your (a) map, (b) budget, (c) letter from your Canadian Employer, and (d) estimated schedule while away from the UK will tell your story.
Just add a few weeks/months to your itinerary to include your Canadian dates. Something like this:
• XX-April | FLY UK>USA, ENTER United States
• XX-April/XX-September | Hike the PCT (est. ≈XX miles/day, ≈2,680mi total)
• On or about XX-September | Complete PCT
• On or about XX-September | EXIT United States, ENTER Canada
• No later than XX-September | Begin work at XXX-Canadian company
• On or about XX-YYYYYYY | Conclude work at XXX-Canadian company
• On or about XX-YYYYYYY | EXIT Canada, ENTER United Kingdom
And
Thanks, Numbers. You’re basically correct.
I’ll reply to OP more when I’m at my laptop. Guess I found my laptop…
But in short: Objective documentation are always the best story telling aids.
Why?…
You don’t want to rely upon the Officers to trust you…you want them to rely upon trusting your process. By that I mean “bring the receipts”.
The border officer in Phoenix will not care where OP goes post-trail, only that they “leave America”. Could be back to the UK, could be to Canada, could be to Kirbati…the point is that there is a plan to depart America prior to the expiry of their visa and so they will not go “out of status”.
Below, I skip around a bit (a lot?), but I do touch on the specific question of the post-trail Canadian employment.
. . . . . . .
WHAT NOT TO SAY AT THE BORDER CROSSING?…
Don’t say too much. Your visa has already been approved, but the Officer at the border has the authority to decline entry.
They don’t need your life story. They are looking for risk factors.
I often tell travelers, “Remember…all countries are the same. The first line of defense, before the Defense Department, is Customs and Border Control. The Officers want to say “yes”, but their job is to say “no”.”
Consequently, the border crossing is not about you, but about them. Make their life easy. Address them as “Officer”. Slow down and ask them to repeat themselves if you did not hear them, or misunderstood. (This is especially true for travelers for whom English is a second language.) Answer their questions, and ask if they would you like to elaborate further if they find any of your answers unclear.
End of the day, from the POV of US Customs & Immigration, international PCT hikers are (1) a potential security and/or safety risk, (2) NOT a worker potentially removing USD dollars from American workers (by working in America outside the terms of their B2 visa), and (3) a tourist willfully giving their dollars to help fund the US economy.
This evaluation is true for every country, not just America. But for OP? That’s ^ the hierarchy of how PCT hikers are evaluated at the border crossing.
. . . . . . .
WHEN TALKING ABOUT “ENOUGH MONEY TO FUND THE TRIP”…
This comes up every year. The issue is one of “What is the frame of reference the Officer is using to evaluate the traveler?”
To travel in America, for 5 months, on $10,000 USD, will be a red flag unless the traveler can explain “What is a thru hike?”
Some Officers will understand what the PCT “is”. Others will not. They will think “There’s no way this traveler can stay in 150nts of hotels, and pay for 150 days of transportation on only $10,000?”
So OP need to be prepared with:
•
1. a hard-copy map, printed on A4 paper, to serve as a "prop" to contextualize exactly what is meant by "I'm going to hike from here-to-here."• 2. A hard-copy budget, printed on A4 paper, to serve as a “prop” to show “I’ve done the math, and I do have enough USD (plus extra) to support myself and not become a ward of the state”. (I’ve even told international travelers not to only bring a copy of their bank account balance, but (1) a copy of the current exchange rate and (2) a copy of their credit card statement showing additional “available credit” above their cash savings.)
The idea is to make it an “easy yes” for the Officer if they’re unfamiliar with a thru hike.
Additionally, since the PCT is an outdoor (aka “risky”) activity, having a hard-copy of one’s proof-of-health-insurance, in OP’s case, UK National Health, it’s just a good thing to have. Why? There is a long history of international travelers visiting America, “getting a weak heart”, going to the ER to have it looked at, then disappearing with no intention of paying the ER bill.
(I wish I were kidding. As I understand the story, it goes back to Soviet times when those traveling for cultural exchanges wanted to be seen by Western doctors for a second opinion. Consequently, visas are only issued to some countries after evidence of health insurance is presented as part of the visa application itself.)
So for OP? It can’t hurt to have a handy hard-copy of the UK National Health documents which they probably will have anyways (because it is the PCT after all). Just have the documentation available, if needed, for the border crossing rather than buried in your pack.
. . . . . . .
Q: WHAT ABOUT MY 1.5H LAYOVER IN PHOENIX?
OP will likely clear customs in Phoenix, not San Diego, since PHX is the “port of entry”.
Fortunately, Phoenix has a large outdoor community. The officers are likely going to know of the PCT, and if not, it can be described to them.
• It’s not a bad idea to bring a hard-copy piece of A4 paper with the entire trail (California to Canada) so if they ask, “What is the PCT?” you simply can show “I’m walking from here…to here.” (Again, documentation is your best story telling aid.)
• 1.5H to clear customs and get to OP’s connecting flight is possible. But if there are any delays, there won’t be much wiggle room. Focus on things step-by-step. Clear customs first. If you miss your connection, there are loads of flights from PHX>SAN. You can talk to the airline and they should put you on the next one.
• If you see the customs line is “really long”, see if you can find an airline employee. Flag them down and ask for help. They have the ability (and authority) to walk travelers with special needs or tight connections to the front of the line. (They can not help with your crossing, but they can shorten the line.) Look for the airline employees usually a bit before you get in line.
• Look at the PHX terminal maps before your travel? PHX is big. If your gates are at opposite ends, it can take hot minute…end to end of Terminal 4 is ≈0.7km-1.0km.
On the other hand:
No link, but you can find it online easily. 40 watts. Gallium circuits to avoid overheating. Two outlets so I can charge a power bank and my phone at the same time.
Great product.
The TSA was going to cancel pre-check and they just relented and brought it back.
Great way to easily improve battery life on trail.
Our pre-AZT training is going well. I’m carrying at or more than my pack weight on trail and we are now doing longer distances and elevation.
I know. We only need to do 10–12 miles a day but I really want to have it go easier rather than harder.
I’m guessing as to the locations the wallpaper came from.
Adding to gear I’ve abandoned:
So much abandoned I don’t even keep them in the gear closet. Strange. I grew up camping with my family and binoculars were always a part of that.
I even own my grandfather’s binoculars that are over a hundred years old I suspect. These days I don’t carry a set and I really don’t see anyone with them either.
Since the shuttle service runs once a day, Gazelle made some smart plans to make use of what otherwise would be a dead afternoon due to when our flight gets in.
This post explains and sets our plans out.
It starts with being aware that where you can reach the trailhead is at about mile 1.8. That point is circled on the map.
So we fly in. Pick up and rent a truck using points.
Drive to the trailhead at mile 1.8.
From there we hike to the terminus. Then we hike back to the trail head/parking lot. That is a loop of 3.6 miles.
Unfortunately you can’t start at the terminus, the closest you can get is 1.8 miles away. Most people do that at the start of their first day on trail. We will do that on Day 0 which will get us 3.6 miles ahead on what is a rough day with a lot of ascent.
After all, from the terminus at below 6,000 feet to the peak is over 2,700 feet of ascent over 6.4 miles. We will do part of it in the afternoon.
After we get that done we drive back, return the truck and go to our hotel to rest.
Day one we catch the early morning shuttle and start climbing from mile 1.8.
That way on Day 1 we hike from 1.8 to the peak at 6.4 instead of from mile 0. That is 4.6 miles instead of 8.2 to get to the peak that it would take without the day 0 plan. Then we continue downhill to bathtub springs at mile 8 and downhill to camping at 11.3 where there is also water.
That location even has one bar Internet/Verizon which I expect we won’t use. But it is nice to think about.
So we have a plan that makes use of dead time and also makes for an easier day one.
I think it was a great idea Happy6/Gazelle had.
Will see how it goes.
