Sunday, February 23, 2014
New Blog
Sunday, November 25, 2012
Zucchini Casserole recipe
I was asked awhile back for this recipe and I apologize for taking so long to publish it.
3
zuchinis shredded
1 cup parmesan cheese (powder)
1small box of cooked pasta
Black pepper, salt, & green chilis to taste
Add any other seasonings or red pepper flakes you might like
Mix & dehydrate 6-8 hrs.
If it looks
imbalanced adjust
amt of each ingredient accor
dingly.
Enjoy!
Friday, November 2, 2012
Keeping It Real part II
Its monsoon season in the pacific northwest. Today I cancelled yet another flight for weather and went for a run. The clouds hung in the sky at 900 feet. Shades of gray mingled with a hint of blue sky. The sun was trying to shine but the wind blew bringing darker clouds and rain. So I ran. There's a little park near the airport where I go. It's quiet there. Leaves covered the path. The ducks waddled out of my way, splashing into a small pond and quacking thier protest at my intrusion. "Hello ducks" I said. And then the rain came, & the wind blew. I'd make no $ today but my heart sang. Keeping it real.
Keeping It Real, part I
I've been home now for five weeks. Here's what its been like. Hot dogs, ice cream, frozen yogurt, pizza, fried chicken, potatoes, coffee, lattes, enchiladas. So much food! Horns blaring, brake lights flashing, cars crashing, music. Everything fast, loud. Crowded sidewalks, everyone in a hurry. Sensory overload. Geese, ducks and other birds hanging out on the creek by the library, giant grin on my student's face, friendly people, commuters on the train reading & napping, flying, dancing to a country beat. Stillness. New job, new faces, old friends and old places. Running in the rain. Adapting, adjusting, learning to walk on streets. I've started flight instructing at a large busy flight school. The other day I was in dispatch and the dispatcher says "Lisa, do you have a car?" "No" I say. "Why?" "Well I saw you walking one way and later the opposite way and wondered what the heck is she doing!" I had walked to the library and later Albertsons. So I explained about taking the max rail, riding my bike, staying with friends. He said "You're just keeping it real aren't you?" And I laughed. Keeping it real.
Friday, September 28, 2012
Gear Review
Lightheart Gear Solo Wedge tent - I loved this tent. I became emotionally attached to it. It's easy to set up. I only got condensation once and it wasn't the tents' fault. Never camp in a Cascade meadow. It's spacious for its weight. It's not the lightest UL tent but the space was worth the weight. The wedge or canopy version is also worth the extra weight over the standard version.
Granite Gear Vapor ki backpack - overall it performed well. The seams were ripping out in a couple places by the end of my hike. Biggest gripe is the size of the side pockets. It was difficult to get my water bottles in and out while my pack was on. Also the load lifters had to constantly be readjusted. I liked the roll top closure. The capacity was sufficient even in the Sierras when I added the bear can.
Garmin gps 62s - I bought the garmin PCT trail map sd card and at kickoff, Halfmile loaded all of his waypoints into it. It was a good thing he did as the garmin trail track was sometimes inaccurate. The gps itself performed well. I never had trouble receiving a signal from sattelites.
Cook system - I used the MSR pocket rocket stove and cannister fuel. It always fired up and had good boil times in all temperatures and elevations on the trail. It was very reliable and I would carry it again. The titanium pot was lightweight but to big for my needs. I would get a smaller single person pot.
Sleeping pad - my z-lite did not have the reflective coating on one side that newer ones have. That would make a difference in r-value. By itself I was cold & didn't sleep well. Used with my pro lite inflatable however, I was comfy and warm. Both lasted entire hike. Although I threw away the z-lite at the end. I would try just the z-lite with the coating next time. And it doubles as a great sit pad.
Marmot down 15 degree bag - great sleeping bag but too warm for most of the hike. A cooler bag, maybe a 25 degree bag would be more versatile as you can always sleep in your warm layer on colder nights.
Tyvek ground cloth - awesome! Strong, light, and protects the tent floor well.
Brooks Cascadia trail runner shoes - once I got the right size I had only 1 blister in 1300 miles. My feet didn't hurt. They handled the weight of the pack on my back. Comfortable. A lot of them on the trail. When in doubt about which trail to take follow the Cascadia footprints!
Clothes - I'll just say I wish I hadn't waited so long to break down and buy a down puffy jacket. I love my Montbell jacket. It's super light and warm.
Headlamp - A bright one for night hiking is a must & worth the weight.
Trekking poles - Leki poles that twisted to lock couldn't handle the daily lengthen & shorten process. My tent sets up with them and the locking system kept breaking. I switched to Black Diamond poles with external locking and they worked great.
Post hike & looking ahead, I now question each piece of gear. Can I go lighter?
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Random Facts
Base Pack weight at start, 15lbs.
Base pack weight in Sierras, 17lbs.
Base pack weight after Sierras, 14lbs.
Number of hiking partners, 12.
Longest distance with same partner, 600 miles.
Longest solo stretch, Timberline lodge - Manning Park Canada.
Favorite trail food, Dark Chocolate Sesamee Snaps & Zucchini Casserole.
Favorite trail CA, Mt Whitney - Selden Pass
Favorite trail OR, Three Sisters Wilderness.
Favorite trail WA, Rainy pass - Harts pass.
# of rainy days, 0 on trail & 2 while in town.
# of snow days, 1 night & 1 Hr in the afternoon.
# of Zero days, 12
Favorite gear, my tent.
Hardest section, Socal desert from Hiker town - Walker pass.
Unexpected, how social the trail is and the community that is the PCT.
Would I do it again? Or a different long trail? You betcha!
I've been bitten by the bug and I am a thru hiker. Next time I'd learn from this first one and hike lighter, smarter, & hopefully stronger. But nothing planned.
Right now I'm focusing on finding a job and re-entering the "real world" with its faster pace & sidewalks instead of trail. I start tutoring an ESL student this weekend. I will substitute teaching too. And I'll be looking hard for a flying job. I definately want to fly. In my free time I plan to write. So I will be a busy girl which will help ease the transition.
Thursday, September 20, 2012
Long Bus Ride Home
It took 12.5 hours to get home to Oregon. A typical hiking day. Only I was sitting on a bus instead of walking. I took Greyhound to Vancouver B.C. and then the Bolt bus to Portland with a short stop in Seattle. It gave me a chance to reflect on my journey and think about next steps. I intended to go straight to Seiad Valley to finish those miles of trail I missed from being sick. So I worked out the logistics of getting to the trailhead. I knew a fire had broken out last month north of Seiad Valley and that there was a road walk detour. When I went on the PCTA website to get the details I discovered that the fire closure had been expanded last week. There is now no way to walk around the closure. The instructions were for hikers to take the bus to Ashland and pick up the trail there. So my hike is officially complete. I confess my initial reaction was relief. Cause I'm tired! But my heart is still on the trail. I have friends still hiking. I miss it. And I wonder why did I push so hard to finish? I could still be hiking! Aah but I'm happy to be done and its time to move on to other things. I have learned and grown so much on the trail. It was an amazing experience. It's great to be home and sleep in my own bed! Also I will do a gear review soon and post it.