A Walk from Mexico to Canada!
Donation protected
Some of my best memories growing up as a kid were the times my family went camping. Camping in various Michigan State Parks was our annual big vacation. Being outside, cooking our food over a fire, hearing the hums of the trees at night...it really gave me an appreciation for the outdoors. Maybe as a kid I was actually more excited about the s'mores and the ghost stories around the fire, but, hey, the camping started a lovely affair with the outdoors that I haven't been able to quit.
I've been living and working in Portland, Oregon for the last 7 years and have fallen madly in love with all of the incredible beauty that is the North West. Recently there has been this itch, this really persistent itch that won't stop itching, to do something difficult, beautiful, and challenging in my life while I am able to (no kids, no spouse, no major responsibilities just yet) and to calm this itch I'm being pulled towards a really, really long walk in the wilderness. The Pacific Crest Trail will be my calamine lotion so to speak.
The PCT is a continuous 2,666.1 mile long trail from the border of Mexico to Canada. Hiking an average of 20 to 25 miles a day should get me border to border in about 5 months! I want to test my limits and do something that I would never have thought I'd be able to do, to gain a new perspective, to grow, to live fully. I've been collecting and buying all of the gear I will need for this trek and things are looking pretty good on that front! The big ole' backpack is getting pretty full! Where I could really use help is raising funds to cover the cost of my FOOD! Hiking a marathon a day for 5 months will lead to some pretty intense hunger! Right now I'm saving up as much money as I can to cover bills that will still need to be paid while I'm hiking, selling off things, and working extra hours, but even with that I'm afraid I will fall short of my savings goal. People that have hiked the PCT report spending anywhere from $3,000-$10,000 on food, gear, fees, and occasional lodging.
Honestly, I feel embarrassed asking for help funding my hike because I know this will be up along side of fundraisers with really incredible needs, but I'm going to swallow the embarrassment and ask for your support in one of two ways:
1. You can support me financially! Contributing as little as $10 will supply me with a few days worth of trail mix! Ooo! Or chocolate! Any little bit will help! AND! If you contribute financially, you get to be a part of a big game of Truth or Dare! Details in a minute!
2. You can support me emotionally by sending encouraging postcards while I'm hiking! I can send you addresses to Post Offices that I will be stopping at along my trek as the departure date nears! Just let me know if you'd like the addresses.
Thank you so very much for your support!
Financial Supporters, let's play Truth or Dare! A game in which you ask me questions and I tell the truth and/or you challenge me to a dare and I accept and complete that challenge on the trail. All Truths and Dares submitted will be completed with photographic proof and posted to my facebook page throughout the summer. When creating your challenges, remember, I will be hiking with one other person through a lot of different places and stopping into towns and cities along the way. Keep it PG-ish and get as creative as you can!
Donate $10 or more: one truth
Donate $50 or more: one truth and one dare
Donate $100 or more: one truth and two dares
Donate $200 or more: one truth, two dares, and I challenge you to a dare once mine are done!
you can submit your dares in the comments here or through email :)
I'll leave you with my favorite photo of a PCT section hike on Mt. Hood this last summer:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacific_Crest_Trail
I've been living and working in Portland, Oregon for the last 7 years and have fallen madly in love with all of the incredible beauty that is the North West. Recently there has been this itch, this really persistent itch that won't stop itching, to do something difficult, beautiful, and challenging in my life while I am able to (no kids, no spouse, no major responsibilities just yet) and to calm this itch I'm being pulled towards a really, really long walk in the wilderness. The Pacific Crest Trail will be my calamine lotion so to speak.
The PCT is a continuous 2,666.1 mile long trail from the border of Mexico to Canada. Hiking an average of 20 to 25 miles a day should get me border to border in about 5 months! I want to test my limits and do something that I would never have thought I'd be able to do, to gain a new perspective, to grow, to live fully. I've been collecting and buying all of the gear I will need for this trek and things are looking pretty good on that front! The big ole' backpack is getting pretty full! Where I could really use help is raising funds to cover the cost of my FOOD! Hiking a marathon a day for 5 months will lead to some pretty intense hunger! Right now I'm saving up as much money as I can to cover bills that will still need to be paid while I'm hiking, selling off things, and working extra hours, but even with that I'm afraid I will fall short of my savings goal. People that have hiked the PCT report spending anywhere from $3,000-$10,000 on food, gear, fees, and occasional lodging.
Honestly, I feel embarrassed asking for help funding my hike because I know this will be up along side of fundraisers with really incredible needs, but I'm going to swallow the embarrassment and ask for your support in one of two ways:
1. You can support me financially! Contributing as little as $10 will supply me with a few days worth of trail mix! Ooo! Or chocolate! Any little bit will help! AND! If you contribute financially, you get to be a part of a big game of Truth or Dare! Details in a minute!
2. You can support me emotionally by sending encouraging postcards while I'm hiking! I can send you addresses to Post Offices that I will be stopping at along my trek as the departure date nears! Just let me know if you'd like the addresses.
Thank you so very much for your support!
Financial Supporters, let's play Truth or Dare! A game in which you ask me questions and I tell the truth and/or you challenge me to a dare and I accept and complete that challenge on the trail. All Truths and Dares submitted will be completed with photographic proof and posted to my facebook page throughout the summer. When creating your challenges, remember, I will be hiking with one other person through a lot of different places and stopping into towns and cities along the way. Keep it PG-ish and get as creative as you can!
Donate $10 or more: one truth
Donate $50 or more: one truth and one dare
Donate $100 or more: one truth and two dares
Donate $200 or more: one truth, two dares, and I challenge you to a dare once mine are done!
you can submit your dares in the comments here or through email :)
I'll leave you with my favorite photo of a PCT section hike on Mt. Hood this last summer:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacific_Crest_Trail
Organizer
Linz McKlindz
Organizer
Portland, OR
