Last week I finally bought my plane tickets. There were many back-and-forth discussions about the best course to take (tlv-lax and then back lax-tlv, or tlv-san and then back from Seattle…), and many price shifts, and annoying web sites showing not-current information.

I was a bit worried about the snow sections of the PCT, having no real snow experience except for the recent trip around the Mont Blanc. So I’m a little bit relieved so far, with the current snow levels so low it appears I won’t have a hard time crossing the Sierras even when starting a bit early.

It was just about 11 years ago, on my second day on the Appalachian Trail, when I first got my trail name. I was hiking along with some guy I met in Amicalola Falls two days earlier. His trail name was Slow Poke (Later renamed to Doggie Bag), and he hiked the trail several years before, and came back for another go.

I have been looking on flights to the US for a while now, trying to figure out when I should start my hike, and what airlines to pick/airports to go through.

Several days ago I had a chance to try out cooking my meal “trail style”, using my Caldera Keg-F Stove System and a Knorr dinner bag. I know it’s not exactly like cooking on the trail, but I want to feel confident I use the proper amount of alcohol and water, and get a satisfying meal at the end.