Author: Ariana Peters

Hi Everyone!

So today i am mainly sitting on the couch, playing on the computer with the TV on in the background.

I am rereading old posts by my favorite (so far lol) PCT thru hiker.

https://mexicotocanada2013.wordpress.com

I think i may have mentioned her before. I am also reading her other site, serial nomad. I am also playing candy crush saga and drinking Starbucks. There is of course food going in the dehydrator. I shot a quick video to update you. Please excuse the 2 day slept in braids, the pajamas, the looking like crap lol. When i am sick i pretty much just don’t give a crap. I think it is time to try out that old wives tale where you cut open an onion and sleep with it by your bed. I will try just about anything at this point. Hope you enjoy me looking my worst!!!

Talk to you soon!

Hi!!!!

How is everyone? I am good, holy crap we are down to about 1 month!!!!

In honesty i have been a bit of a vain girly girl my whole life. I’ve done dance, cheerleading and gymnastics. I have no problem leaving the house without makeup on and it doesn’t take me hours to get ready but i enjoy being a woman. That being said i have been trying to figure out how to remain somewhat feminine out of the trail.

I will be dirty, sweaty and smelly; my hair will probably be up 80-90% of the time and ill be in clothes that will be progressively getting looser and looser…..and grosser and grosser. I won’t have any makeup on for close to 6 straight months and will be wearing the same outfit almost everyday.

Knowing all of this, i have decided to make an effort in small, but still practical ways. I bought cute hoop earrings to wear on the trail, it is amazing what simple earrings will do.

Hoops are a little more sanitary than studs when being left in for long periods of time since they allow more breathability.

And i bought a workout skirt, technically its a skort. It has spandex shorts underneath. It is comfortable and it is wicking material. So i can be comfortable, practical and still cute.

I know i am a dork, but being able to be a little girly out there is something that is important to me and i think will help me deal with the constant dirt and grime.

What do you think about me trying to maintain some femininity?

Talk to you soon!

Howdy all,

As I write this I’m laying in bed watching Buffy the vampire slayer episodes and redbox movies. This is another weekend I’m spending sick. But today I finally gave in and went to the urgent care in town, apparently my cold has turned into sinusitis. The doctor gave me a prescription to help fight it off, so hopefully by the time I post this I’ll be well on my way to FINALLY recovering.

While at the doctors I took full advantage of the situation and begged for a giardia prescription. Giaridia is something that I risk getting on the trail. This is pre-emotive. I’m hoping to not ever get it but it’s safer to get a prescription first so if of I get it when I’m 3 days from a town I can start the antibiotics right away.

On the way home mom and I stopped to get stamps and I gave her money for a second booklet while I waited in the car, while on the trail I’ll be writing letters to my  grandma who’s less computer savvy and won’t be following my blog, anyways mom came out with a booklet of forever Harry Potter stamps!!!!!! Love it!!!! Yes I’m a total nerd lol.

Gotta love a day when I’m sick but still productive 🙂

Talk to you soon!!!!

Hey Everyone!!!

Ahhhh we are passed the 2 month point!!!! I booked Mom and I’s camp spot at Lake Morena. I wanted to make sure we had one, the first few camp grounds can i think get a little busy sometimes since almost everyone makes those. It is amazing that even a campground costs $27. Just shows me that everything is going to cost me money on this trip lol.

After i get my first paycheck ill book our campsite at Mt. Laguna campground since we are taking a zero there, we will have to pay for 2 days.

I have discovered the downside of substitute teaching………..being constantly sick. I got sick my first week and stayed in bed that weekend and took Monday off to recover; when i went back to work Tuesday i was doing well and almost better. Then i got sick again from the students. Thankfully its a 3-day weekend so I can recover again. But this is the toss up for my paycheck.

Talk to you soon!!!!

Hi Everyone!

I just wanted to say happy Valentine’s day! Whether you have a sweetie to cuddle with or not I hope you take some time to treat yourself today 🙂

My red velvet cake pop! ….and yes  I happily bought it for myself hahahaha.

Hi Everyone!

Things are good here. I am finally working!!!! Yay!!!! I am booking a good amount of sub jobs so I should get a good check or two before I leave, which means I can buy the rest of my stuff and have some spending money.

I got my California fire permit all squared away.

I sent off my request to enter Canada via the PCT a week or two ago and it was returned stamped with approval this week 🙂

I just got my long distance PCT permit emailed to me last week so I am all set!!!!

I am quite please with how smoothly all the paperwork went and was returned. It seems so real now!!!

I don’t need a permit for Mt. Whitney since i will be entering via the PCT and returning to the PCT so now the only permit I don’t know about/have is to hike half dome, which I won’t be able to try to get until I arrive at the ranger station there. I can’t apply for it now because I am not sure what day I will be there.

Talk to you soon!

After closer inspection I noticed that my shirt actually started to get wet so i am will try using a waterproofing spray on my jacket and try again. If that doesn’t work ill be buying a new jacket. This poor jacket is starting to wear out anyways, i’ve had it for 5 years now so i would have had to replace it this hike or the next. I’ll let you know!

Hi everyone!!!!!! So i stumbled across a tweet this week that intrigued me, i followed the link and was taken to a blog.

I read through the blog and was impressed with the idea, ok i was impressed with all his blogs i looked at lol, but decided to try this one out. So like i told you in my about me, i have never been a huge camper and the thought of sleeping outside without the bug and critter protection of a tent was a total no-no for me. I read this blog and felt inspired to really give it a try and challenge myself. I also thought it would be a great way to test my sleep system for the cold weather because the projected temperature kept dropping. By the time i went outside they said it was going to get down to 24 degrees F.

So i got everything all set up and stayed inside until about 10:30pm then went out, lit the fire, had s’mores with my brother, then he and my mom went inside to the nice warm house and i crawled into my sleeping bag.

Being able to lay down and stare at the stars was amazing! Very beautiful, saw a few shooting stars and just loved it. Then i started to hunker down and try and get comfortable. My feet and legs were a little cold so i added my silk liner to the bottom of my sleeping bag. My body was pretty much warm enough to sleep but i then either had to put my face in the sleeping bag, which didn’t allow enough new oxygen versus carbon dioxide for me to be comfortable or my mouth had to be outside my sleeping bag which was freezing and then made the rest of me be cold. It was a conundrum. Also i had just piled some clothes together to make my pillow, which was not comfortable and had to keep being moved around so i do need to get some type of small camping pillow.

So i ended up giving up and coming inside so that i could get a full nights sleep. The next day i was supposed to help my mom lay bricks and cement in the yard so i needed rest, also i didn’t have a full day of hiking under my belt to make me sleepy enough to fall asleep no matter how cold it is. This helped me work out some of the kinks in my sleep system that i can fix and try again in a few weeks. I am glad i tried and also glad to have piece of mind that my sleep system can keep me alive in extreme systems. If i was comfortable enough at about 28-29 degrees F than i know i can survive down in the teens and lower……i just wouldn’t sleep very well hahaha.

Are you going to take this challenge?

Talk to you soon 🙂

Hi Everyone!!

2.5 months to go and can feel the panic and excitement setting in.

I am still slowly plugging away at buying food to make all my meals. I just bought my last box of peanut butter packets for my lunches off amazon. I love that they are individualy packaged and they are all natural and yummy!

This morning my mom and i went out for a short walk, one of my first few walks since i got sick, i need to kick my butt back into workout gear. (Look for some hiking videos soon!!!)

Then I hit the local dollar store and totally scored. I hit the medical section because i didn’t really want to have the amounts that you get in a grocery or drug store and didn’t want to pay the prices so this was perfect.

In the grand scheme it wasn’t a huge shopping trip but a this point anything crossed off the list is a great day hahahaha!

Talk to you soon!!!!