August Update!!!

Man oh man!

I’ve been meaning to update you for days now, but It’s been psychotic to say the least…okay where to start?

First off, my food is done!  I am continuing with the dehydrating and vacuum-sealing in case I miscalculated how much food I’ll actually need.  That way i’ll have plenty, and if I don’t use it well, you now know where to go if the apocalypse actually happens….

That by far is the biggest to-do I could’ve checked off.  it’s comforting to know the bare minimum for food I need is taken care of.  now I turn my attention to getting ready for my Visa appointment at the US Consulate in Vancouver.  My appointment is September 11.  After that i can apply for my re-entry permit so I can come back home after the hike is done, and of course I need the actual permit.  Making progress!

The quiz night on August 11 was such a success…we’re hosting another one.  September 22 at Thornhill pub.  It’s $10.00 per person, there’s two different times; one for the early crowd at 7pm, then again for the rowdies at 9:00pm.  we’ll have door prizes, food and drink specials, all to support my PCT hike.

big shout out to everyone who’s been supporting me; aside from my morning wavers, wanted to also say big thanks to my sponsors so far: TCSI Consulting, Silvertip Promotions and Keith Vandenbroek of H.E.L.O.  To everyone who bought shirts and hoodies-THANK YOU!!!!

With my itinerary being complete, i’ve forecasted a return to Canada for September 18th…..which means I’m about 8 months from leaving….OMG!!!!

My firm Itinerary

Here it is folks!

I’m super excited.

A lot of work went into the resupply strategies, camping spots I chose.  I arranged my distances to coincide with elevations. It’s been a lot of work, but now I know how many meals need to be made.  Tonight, I made HUGE progress!

 

itinerary 2

Wait, wait, wait….AND GO!!!!!

Normally the PCTA (Pacific Crest Trail Association) issues long distance thru-hiking permits early January. It's a lottery based system where a specific amount of day passes are released and then after that it's a free-for-all. If you have a specific start date in mind, you obviously want to get your ass in gear on the permit app to get your date. For an American, it's one application form. For myself I need an itinerary that breaks down locations and times I'll be in the US, then I have to apply for a travel (B) VISA, after that apply for a Canadian re-entry visa….THEN I can apply for my permit.

They don't make it easy do they?

The PCTA threw us for a loop the other day….permits for next years class are being released November 1…a full 2 and a half months early. Holy $&@%

So needless to say I've been chipping away, thank god I have because besides cramming the itinerary last night with a few glasses of wine, I now need to power in that paperwork. It'd be a shame to miss out next year and the work I've done because of that!!!

So to say I'm stressed is a bit of an understatement.

BIG thank you to TCSI Consulting. They're hooking me up with some cool ultralight gear for my trip to keep me connected, but they are also helping me spruce up my website with a custom URL and some plugins. Check out the beginning work at either janinepct.ca or janinepct.com
Thanks Tom and the great crew at TCSI Consulting for coming on as a hike sponsor. I look forward to working with you guys.