Hiking with the Wolf Boys!

No I wasn't out at LaPush beach with the Twilight crowd, these Wolf boys are from North Carolina. I spent the day hiking around Latta Plantation Park with my friend Linda and her boys. We had a very nice day, got lots of letterboxes and saw lots of interesting flora and fauna. The Passion flower was all over the place and the wolves were convinced it was an alien species...ready to turn us into Pod People! As evidenced by the Pod-like fruit that the vines held. Were these other hikers who had been dawdling along the trail? We better make a beeline back to the car.

The next day I drove up to Lake Norman State Park and dodged raindrops while hiking around the Lakeshore Trail.


I had to work a few days with no time to hike and then on Tuesday, I landed in Seattle and was able to get in 2 more miles at the Des Moines Creek Trail by SeaTac. Blackberries are barely ready to be picked and they are doing more clearing of the creek on this trail underneath the flight path to the SeaTac runways.

I flew back to NC the next morning and spent some time in the afternoon on the South Prong of the Rocky River Greenway in Davidson, NC. I did 2 more miles to reach my 40 mile goal, but I still plan to do some PCT miles next week when I meet with Ryan again on the Pacific Crest Trail.

I have reached my mileage goal!! I am up to 40 miles hiked and Ryan and I together have raised $695 for the WTA! Still
$805 more to reach our goal of $1500.

I hope to hike a couple of miles on the PCT with Ryan when I see him again! His blog is

http://www.anotherlongwalk.com/

and we have a webpage on the WTA website


http://www.wta.org/hikeathon

and my individual fund-raising page:

http://www.gifttool.com/athon/MyFundraisingPage?ID=1468&AID=1098&PID=149244

I hope to hike at least 40 miles on my own at home( and at this point I might even make it to 50 miles!!), on my layovers at work and while joining Ryan on the PCT. If you don’t want to donate via credit card on the website, checks can be made out to WTA and sent to me at the address below. Thanks so much for any help you can provide!

Amanda Arkebauer, PO Box 16131, Seattle, WA 98116

Seattle Area hiking

At home for a few days and I was able to fit in some Seattle area hiking for hike-a-thon. I went to the Mercer Slough Blueberry farm for some U-pick Blueberries. They have a nice system of trails that meets up with the Lake to Lake trail. I only did 2 miles that day.

The next day, I went up to Cougar Mountain for a ramble among their many trails. I parked at the Sky Country Trailhead and happened upon an art installation.

Art at Cougar Mountain

much like last year when I visited Carkeek Park! In fact, I think it is the same group again, COCA, the Center on Contemporary Art. I was totally intrigued by a piece that had mutilated stuffed animals in cages. Weird!!

The Old Man Trail from the Sky Country Trailhead goes around some old mine shafts and it is a good reminder that you should not go off trail at Cougar Mountain. Even though some of the DANGER signs are hidden by the greenery. Can you letterboxers guess which boxes I found today??

I did another 2 miles and now I have to go fly around the world for a while.

I am up to 29 miles hiked and Ryan and I together have raised $640 for the WTA!

Don't forget to check out Ryan's blog of his PCT adventures

http://www.anotherlongwalk.com/



as well as the webpage on the WTA website for our hike-a-thon stats




www.wta.org/hikeathon

Amanda's WTA Pledge Page

I hope to hike at least 40 miles on my own at home, on my layovers at work and while joining Ryan on the PCT. If you don’t want to donate via credit card on the website, checks can be made out to WTA (Washington Trails Association) and sent to me at the address below. Thanks so much for any help you can provide!

Amanda Arkebauer, PO Box 16131, Seattle, WA 98116

Shakespeare and the PCT

I spent a few days in Ashland, OR providing trail magic at a couple of different trailheads for the Pacific Crest Trail and shuttling Ryan back and forth to the PCT for some slack-packing. Our first day there, I hiked out from Lithia Park behind the Oregon Shakespeare Festival Theater and did 2 1/2 miles on some mountain biking trails. (the TID and BTI trails...Talent Irrigation Ditch trail and Bicycle Technologies International--the trails were much more scenic than they sound....) I did pick up a few hitch-hikers on my shoes and socks!

I would drop Ryan off and pick him up again at places where the PCT crossed the road. Usually, I would set up a cooler and have some snacks for any other thru-hikers who happened to come by while I was waiting. On this day, 7 thru-hikers came by while I was waiting on Ryan. Hurricane, Motor, Plain Slice and Little Engine are in the photo with Ryan. Also Smiles, Shrooms and Max Chill arrived soon after this photo was taken. I was also able to sneak in 2 miles on the PCT myself!

Ryan and I had driven through Ashland many times, but had never stopped to see a play at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. We finally scored some tickets and were able to see Henry IV, Part I. Our first choice was a comedy, Twelfth Night, but it wasn't showing on the night that we could attend. So our next best choice was Henry IV, Part I. Which actually was quite entertaining. I took this photo before we were busted by the ushers. It seems that photos are not permitted in the venue, even when the play is still half an hour away!

The next day, I was able to do another mile and 1/2 on the PCT for hike-a-thon as I left Ryan to continue his hike towards Canada!

I am up to 25 miles hiked and Ryan and I together have raised $500 for the WTA!

Don't forget to check out Ryan's blog of his PCT adventures

http://www.anotherlongwalk.com/



as well as the webpage on the WTA website for our hike-a-thon stats




www.wta.org/hikeathon

Amanda's WTA Pledge Page

I hope to hike at least 40 miles on my own at home, on my layovers at work and while joining Ryan on the PCT. If you don’t want to donate via credit card on the website, checks can be made out to WTA (Washington Trails Association) and sent to me at the address below. Thanks so much for any help you can provide!

Amanda Arkebauer, PO Box 16131, Seattle, WA 98116

Road Trip and Hiking

I found myself in Seattle, trapped by the SeaFair Festivities! I-90 Bridge CLOSED. So with the Blue Angels shrieking overhead, I stayed close to home and hiked for 4 miles on the Longfellow Creek Trail . I took a different route (for me) and parked my car at the High Point Library and followed the trail down past the West Seattle Golf Course and Greg Davis Park to the Dragonfly Pavilion and then returned to my car.

Then it was off to meet with Ryan on the PCT in Ashland, OR. On the drive south, I stopped first in Olympia, WA and did 2 miles (and found a couple of letterboxes) at Priest Point Park.

Next stop was Eugene, OR and the Ridgeline Trail (more letterboxes and 2 more miles)

finally, I finished the day in Cottage Grove, OR and did 2 miles on the Row River trail --a Rail to Trail, I just LOVE those! nice and flat :-)

Don't forget to check out Ryan's blog of his PCT adventures

www.anotherlongwalk.com



as well as the webpage on the WTA website for our hike-a-thon stats

We have raised $455 for Washington Trails and I currently have 19 miles hiked!


WTA Hike-a-thon

Amanda's Fundraising Page

I hope to hike at least 40 miles on my own at home, on my layovers at work and while joining Ryan on the PCT. If you don’t want to donate via credit card on the website, checks can be made out to WTA (Washington Trails Association) and sent to me at the address below. Thanks so much for any help you can provide!

Amanda Arkebauer, PO Box 16131, Seattle, WA 98116

Pacific Crest Trail miles!

It is official! I have hiked 3 miles on the Pacific Crest Trail in California. Compared with Ryan's 1600+ miles so far, it does not sound very impressive, but I do what I can.

I hiked with Ryan from the Etna Summit Trailhead for about a mile and a half with gorgeous views. You can see why it is the CREST trail :-). We had left a couple of gallons of water and a cooler with Trail Magic (sodas and candy bars) back at the trailhead for any hikers who passed by that afternoon.

We said our goodbyes along the ridgeline and then I headed back down to the car.

Betcha didn't know that we were actually in the state of Jefferson . Since 1941, there has been a movement in northern California and southern Oregon to create their own 51st state. It often reminds me of the Conch Republic of the Florida Keys. I think it is amusing that the Great Seal of the state of Jefferson is 2 x's on a gold mining pan. The x's represent "double cross" and that is how this area of California and Oregon feel about the governments in Sacramento and Salem.

Every time we drive up and down I-5, I am reminded about the State of Jefferson, by the billboards and other signs painted on farm buildings and equipment.

Don't forget to check out Ryan's blog of his PCT adventures
http://www.anotherlongwalk.com/



as well as the webpage on the WTA website for our hike-a-thon stats

We have raised $445 for Washington Trails and I currently have 9 miles hiked!


http://www.wta.org/hikeathon

http://www.gifttool.com/athon/MyFundraisingPage?ID=1468&AID=1098&PID=149244

I hope to hike at least 40 miles on my own at home, on my layovers at work and while joining Ryan on the PCT. If you don’t want to donate via credit card on the website, checks can be made out to WTA (Washington Trails Association) and sent to me at the address below. Thanks so much for any help you can provide!

Amanda Arkebauer, PO Box 16131, Seattle, WA 98116

Hike-a-thon begins...the first 6 miles

Well, I started off hiking 2 miles per day for the WTA Hike-a-thon!

I met with some friends in Davis, CA and hiked two miles on the UC-Davis Arboretum trail. Then I spent the next day with my sister in Folsom, CA and hiked 2 miles on the American River Trail.

Next, I met with Ryan on the PCT near Yreka, CA and I hiked 2 miles on the Yreka Greenway trail while he caught up with his blogging on the internet.

I hope to hike a couple of miles on the PCT with Ryan when I drop him off. Don't forget to check out his blog

http://www.anotherlongwalk.com

and

http://www.amandafromseattle.com

as well as a webpage on the WTA website


http://www.wta.org/hikeathon

http://www.gifttool.com/athon/MyFundraisingPage?ID=1468&AID=1098&PID=149244

I hope to hike at least 40 miles on my own at home, on my layovers at work and while joining Ryan on the PCT. If you don’t want to donate via credit card on the website, checks can be made out to WTA and sent to me at the address below. Thanks so much for any help you can provide!

Amanda Arkebauer, PO Box 16131, Seattle, WA 98116

Tombstone Shopping

Something we don't think about much, is tombstone shopping.
Unfortunately, I have had both of my parents die within the last 5 years and so tombstones have come to have a new significance in my life. I have had to go shopping for tombstones.

As a letterboxer, I have spent some time in cemeteries. The tombstones are sometimes parts of clues and landmarks to send you along your way. And both of my parents joined me in adventuring through cemeteries. We would have talks about family tombstones and discuss which were our favorites as we walked along among the dead.

The Greeks and Romans used stone markers to honor the dead and prevent graves from being disturbed. From the Pyramids to the Taj Mahal, the tomb of the unknown soldier to the Pantheon, memorials to the dead are everywhere.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tombstone

Placing a permanent, time-withstanding memorial marker at the site of a tomb or grave has a long tradition. It is believed tombstones originate from a Jewish custom of visitors to a tomb or grave placing stones at the grave. On a more pagan level, headstones might originate from a belief that in order for the dead to remain in the grave, large rock cairns must be placed upon the grave.

When my mother would come along with me on my letterboxing jaunts. We would often talk about the different tombstones that we saw in the cemeteries. Her favorites were always the obelisks. So when it came time to purchase her tombstone, I knew that I wanted her to have an obelisk. Traditonally, obelisks were usually found on the graves of people with a high social status or at family burial sites. Egyptian obelisks have pyramids on the top, and symbolize Ra, the giver of all life. Others can have anything from a kind of roof to a cross to an urn. There are lots of different variations. Obelisks were most popular during the Victorian era and you see them in older cemeteries. So it was a bit of an unusual request in this more modern age.

This past weekend, our obelisk was put into the cemetery at Bethel Presbyerian Church in Cornelius, NC. We are very happy with it, and we hope that mom would approve.

Don't forget to check out Ryan's blog detailing his hiking adventures,

http://www.anotherlongwalk.com

And remember that we will be raising money for the Washington Trails Association with hike-a-thon in August. Be sure to check us out on the WTA website


http://www.wta.org/hikeathon

http://www.gifttool.com/athon/MyFundraisingPage?ID=1468&AID=1098&PID=149244

I hope to hike at least 40 miles on my own at home, on my layovers at work and while joining Ryan on the PCT. If you don’t want to donate via credit card on the website, checks can be made out to WTA and sent to me at the address below. Thanks so much for any help you can provide!
Amanda Arkebauer, PO Box 16131, Seattle, WA 98116

Trail Magic!

Flew out to meet Ryan on the trail this week. I flew into Sacramento and I just love these artsy columns in their baggage claim area. Ryan's birthday was this week, so I totally embarrassed him by greeting him with balloons and a birthday cake. But of course he did enjoy the cake and the other PCT hikers enjoyed it also.

As a birthday treat, Ryan got to "slackpack" for the days that I came to visit. This means that I would drop him off at the trailhead and he would hike with only a day pack. Then I would pick him up at another trail head later in the day and take him back to a motel with soft beds and hot showers!
A pretty sweet deal for a thru-hiker. Ryan would still put in a 10-12 hour day of hiking and while he was doing that, I did some touristy things in the area, visiting local ghost towns and happening upon a summer festival in the town of Graeagle, CA.
I would also do trail magic for some other hikers on the PCT while waiting for Ryan to show up at the trailheads. I made sure that I had a cooler of cold sodas and lots of candy bars and fresh fruit.

Ryan was also able to catch up on his own blogging. We always have to get a room with wifi. The other plus of "slackpacking" is that Ryan gets to eat real food and doesn't have to whip up his trail food on his homemade soda can stove. We had dinner at the Polka Dot last night. You know you are in California when the local Burger stand has fried green beans as an option. And they have avocado as a choice to put on your burger.

Don't forget to check out Ryan's blog detailing his hiking adventures,

http://www.anotherlongwalk.com

And remember that we will be raising money for the Washington Trails Association with hike-a-thon in August. Be sure to check us out on the WTA website

http://www.wta.org/hikeathon

http://www.gifttool.com/athon/MyFundraisingPage?ID=1468&AID=1098&PID=149244

I hope to hike at least 40 miles on my own at home, on my layovers at work and while joining Ryan on the PCT. If you don’t want to donate via credit card on the website, checks can be made out to WTA and sent to me at the address below. Thanks so much for any help you can provide!

Amanda Arkebauer, PO Box 16131, Seattle, WA 98116

Hike-a-thon 2010 the countdown begins!!

It's that time of year again. Only 23 days away, starting August 1st, I will be taking to the trails to raise money for the WTA. First of all, thanks to everyone who supported me last year for the Washington Trails Association hike-a-thon. I raised over $1500 for Washington Trails!

This year, Ryan is hiking the PCT (Pacific Crest Trail) and he will be hiking hundreds of miles across Oregon and Washington during the month of August. I will be providing support as his “Trail Angel” so I wasn’t sure how much time I would have for actual hiking this summer. We decided to participate in hike-a-thon as a team this year with Ryan cranking out the majority of the mileage. Our Team name is Thru-Hiker and Trail Angel.

In fact, WTA trail crews will be out on the Pacific Crest Trail starting this July to repair parts of the PCT damaged from the 2009 Lemah Fire north of Snoqualmie Pass. The PCT is closed in this area and there are reroutes and detours via Forest Service Roads and other trails. This is just another reminder that the trails require constant maintenance and repair for our enjoyment.

Washington Trails Association is the state's most active group serving the hiking community. The WTA recruits over 2,000 volunteers annually to help repair and maintain our trails, they advocate on behalf of hikers for trail funding and protection, and they publish informative resources both in print and online that help hikers get out on trail more often.

We are seeking pledges for hike-a-thon. You can pledge a flat donation or an amount per mile. All donations are tax deductible. And every little bit helps! Last year I had pledges as low as 10 cents per mile or a flat $3. It all adds up. *For a contribution of $40 or more, sponsors are eligible for Washington Trails Association membership.

We have blogs on the internet detailing our hiking adventures,

http://www.anotherlongwalk.com and

http://www.amandafromseattle.com

as well as a webpage on the WTA website

http://www.wta.org/hikeathon

http://www.gifttool.com/athon/MyFundraisingPage?ID=1468&AID=1098&PID=149244

I hope to hike at least 40 miles on my own at home, on my layovers at work and while joining Ryan on the PCT. If you don’t want to donate via credit card on the website, checks can be made out to WTA and sent to me at the address below. Thanks so much for any help you can provide!

Amanda Arkebauer, PO Box 16131, Seattle, WA 98116