Cold Soda Never Tasted So Good.

Amy got an update from Joel yesterday (Monday). Sunday was their biggest hiking day so far... they went 17 miles! They were very happy with it. YEAH!!
Blister update:
Joel is still blister free (go Joel's feet!!), and his dad still has them, but they're becoming manageable. Praying for feet is sort of awkward, but it seems to be working!


Two highlights from the past week or so:
1. There are these things on the trails called "water caches." Basically, lovely people from areas around the PCT come and stash fresh water in specific locations so they don't have to hike so far between available water. The caches are pretty hit or miss, but they've been to two water-caches and BOTH had water. EVEN BETTER - the second one had ice cold soda... like the person literally JUST put a case of cold soda up there for the hikers (remember how hot it's been??) and Joel and David were the first to get to it! Joel said it was amazing and he had two sodas right then and there.
Non-soda drinking Joel+two cold pure sugar sodas=happy.
2. They were able to stop off the trail at a little town and get a "real" (aka non pack food) meal. Hamburger and fries all the way. Joel even got to wash his feet in a public bathroom. Simple pleasures.


Prayers:
Just keep them coming. Joel said he really feels encouraged that nothing has gone wrong for him yet. A number of hikers who started at the same time have already had to quit because of the heat or because of injury, etc. Joel knows the fact that things are going so well isn't luck, it's prayers - so keep them coming!!!

Rattlesnakes and blisters

Joel called Amy on Wednesday night to fill her in on the trip so far. They (Joel and his dad) are doing well, dealing with a few things, but basically having a great time. Some highlights:
* They saw their first rattlesnake - well, at first they saw a snake right on the trail and they were all "oh cool snake" and then it rattled, and they decided maybe it wasn't quite as cool as they moved out of the way quickly.
* There are record temps in southern Cali right now. It was 102 degrees on Tuesday, (Sort of a shock to the system after MN 40s). They are enjoying it though - getting up early and then taking a break in the heat of the day and then hiking in the evening again.
* Joel said the best part so far has been the lack of bad weather. Not a drop of rain or any storms means that they don't have to set up tents, they just get to their site and they lay out under the stars in their sleeping bags.

Prayer requests as of now - for their feet. Joel's dad has some blisters, and Joel said his feet are just TIRED so prayers for them to toughen their feet up and get a little extra boost would be great!

Keep up with the map! The satellite checker has been letting us post where Joel is currently - it seems like he's gone SO far already!

Last day of work!

Here's a photo that Amy took when I got home from my last day of work (notice the slight belly that I try to hide with only moderate success).

I was the first employee at aCoupleofGurus.com and worked there for six years. Like a lot of startups, we worked in the owner's basement and garage as well as coffee shops. Several years later we had an office, a dozen people, and I was the Operations Manager running all the day to day aspects of the company. Leaving has been difficult: it felt very strange to transition all my responsibilities to other people and power down my laptop for the final time.

Tomorrow the hiking starts! My dad and I have done a lot of backpacking together over the years, and he's going to join me for the first 150 miles of trail. We'll fly into San Diego, be picked up by a former hiker called Girlscout, ride with him out to the southern end of the trail, and hopefully be hiking by 5:00 or so. Wow.

I'm very excited to start this adventure, nervous about attempting such a huge feat, and sad about leaving my wife for five months. Fortunately I'm more excited than nervous and sad, and fortunately Amy is an amazing woman who will miss me but is fully supporting this adventure.

I hope to have this site updated every couple weeks with photos and such, but I make no guarantees. Thanks for your interest and support!

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