I am retiring in March, 2015 with the express purpose of hiking the entire Pacific Crest Trail from Mexico to Canada in the same year.
This Blog will document the journey and allow sharing with a wider audience than Facebook.
The permit Start for my PCT Thru-Hike is for Saturday, 4/11.
However, I will leave my sisters on Friday, 4/10 and take Amtrak to San Diego. I will be picked up by a friend and will spend Friday night there. Saturday he will drive me to the tiny town of Campo, CA, where the PCT trailhead is at the Mexican Boarder.
Who am I?
- Real Name: Michael Booth
- Trail Name: To be Determined (I have a couple that I chose myself, but that’s cheating)
- Age: 63
- Retired IS Manager from AT&T with 44 years.
So Many Mountains, So little Time 
MJ from CBC sent me a link to your blog. Good luck on your trip and I will keep checking on your progress
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Hey Michael,
Saw your blog listed on Facebook and subscribed. I’m scheduled to leave Campo on April 8. See you on the trail.
Ross Judice
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Thanks, Ross. Mine is the 11th. See you on the trail.
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Hi Michael,
Good luck on your journey. My dream is to hike the PCT & the ATP. I’m a widow. My husband & I loved to hike, bike, canoe, ski….anything outdoors. Our first date we went hiking. We use to talk about doing the ATP after we retired. I’m going to make it happen. I happened on your site while doing preliminary research. This will be fun as well as enlightening while I follow your blogs.
Happy trails (as my late husband used to say).
K
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Thanks for the good wishes and I wish you all the best in your travels!
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What is the ATP?
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I assumed Kendra meant the Appalachian Trail. (AT)
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Best of luck on your hike. I’ll look for you when you get to Big Bear.
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I wish you well and look forward to your observations.
Same age, same dream.
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Michael, I would like your permission to re-post some of your images from the PCT on a website I maintain with photos and stories from the trail . . . http://www.pcttrailsidereader.com. I would link to your website and give you full credit (perhaps with a little of your backstory). I’ve been hiking on the PCT for the last 34 years and still love it as much as ever.
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Rees, you have my permission for non-commercial use. Thanks for asking!
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I should have mentioned too that I would like to follow your progress and periodically post images from your journey as your move north. I can let you know when I am going to post . . .
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Michael, wishing you the best of adventures. As an avid backpacker, I appreciate your blog and relish your venture from afar. Gods grace, TomCat01
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Michael; as someone who is preparing to hike Next year; I have read a lot of these Journals. Yours by far is my favorite so far. Every couple of days I like to log on and see how “Halfast” is doing. So thanks for sharing your experience with us. Sending you good vibes… sorry it couldn’t be a pack mule
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Trying to get heat acclimated. Did mile 1 in Campo. Bought 3 bottles of water in the store and drove along the trail near Mt. Laguna. So today I got to walk from home in Port Angeles up to Hurricane Ridge lodge in the HEAT. I think I can do this.
Hope you are in enjoyment mode.
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One of the lessons I learned re Heat is not to hike in it. Hike early till 10-noon, hide in the shade till 3-4 and hike late. Some people hike at night, but I find that too disruptive to my sleep schedule. You might not make as many miles, but the savings in water weight is worth it.
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I agree about not hiking in it. Yesterday a woman died at 10 AM on a trail in Palm Springs.
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