Training Hikes – 1 & 2
Originally published on Mason Hikes the PCT 2017.
People always say “Don’t be the guy that has never put up his tent on the first night of the PCT” (aka Reese Witherspoon in Wild), so I decided to do a few training hikes to see what different pack weights feel like and to figure out how fast I can walk.
The first hike I did was a four hour loop around Seattle with a ~25lb pack. I had never fully explored the Washington Park Arboretum or other areas near my house, so it was a nice opportunity to see the beautiful parks around Seattle. 13 miles later, I was still feeling good but had to call it a day.
The next day, I was excited to find that I felt great and was able to put in another 6 miles with a 30lb pack.
Both hikes were nice and established a pretty reasonable 3 mph pace for mostly flat terrain, but they did bring up some concerns. First, my left ankle click was loud for basically every single step I took, so hopefully the tendon doesn’t get inflamed from all the movement and rubbing. Second, my upper back was pretty sore after the first hike, likely because I didn’t have my backpack straps tightened correctly. Hopefully neither of these problems will turn into anything bigger on the trail, but we’ll just have to wait and see what my body says once I start! Overall: I’m a little less Reese Witherspoon than I started.