A few years ago, Paul Kix introduced you loyal readers to Zac Castillo, the guy who hiked the 2,175 miles of the Appalachian Trail. Apparently, that wasn’t far enough because today, Castillo is hiking once again. This time, he’s going to hike the Pacific Crest Trail from Mexico to Canada, 425 miles longer than his former quest.
I’m all about doing semi-crazy things (anyone else doing the Warrior Dash this weekend?), but I make sure my adventures have no more than a six-hour time limit. So I asked Castillo a few questions about his sanity after the jump.
Q: Why did you decide to do another hike?
A: I decided to hike the Pacific Crest Trail after doing the Appalachian Trail, which got me hooked on long-distance hiking. That was four years ago, and it took those four years for me to justify taking off another four to six months to do this hike.
Q: How are you funding it?
A: I am funding this hike entirely through the sale of these drinking glasses that I craft out of recycled wine bottles. I started this business in February with the intentions of running it for two months. My goal was to make $6,000 in those two months. I have reached that goal. The business is currently closed, but I will resume the glass making business when I return. It’s just a good feeling to be able to make something that people dig enough to buy.
Q: What will be major hurdles you have to accomplish?
A: Hurdles that I will encounter on the trail are the seven weeks in the Mojave Desert right off the bat, foot and leg problems, and trying to keep my head right throughout the trip.
Q: What do you pack for a trip like this?
A: I will take two pairs of socks, one pair of shoes only to have the other two pairs mailed to me upon request, one pair of shorts, one t-shirt, one rain shell, one fleece, and a hat.
Q: What kind of shoes do you wear for such a hike?
A: I would imagine that if I didn’t have something I could find a way to adapt, but shoes are definitely important. The shoes that I will wear on this hike and have worn on the Appalachian Trail and the Colorado Trail are a pair of Brooks Beast running shoes. I like hiking in running shoes because they are lighter, breathe better, and the Brooks Beast shoe has a lot of arch support for over-pronators or heavier runners. It is also a wider shoe, which keeps me from rolling my ankles.
Q: How long will this hike take?
A: I’m not looking to burn through this hike. I just want to enjoy it. So if it takes me four months, that’s great. If it takes six months, that’s cool, too. Stuff like this is something that most people would love to do. I’m just lucky that I have figured out how to do it.
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See also the late, great Colin Fletcher’s
“The Thousand Mile Summer”
http://www.amazon.com/Thousand-Mile-Summer-Colin-Fletcher/dp/0679723269
“The Man Who Walked Through Time: The Story of the First Trip Afoot Through the Grand Canyon”
http://www.amazon.com/Man-Who-Walked-Through-Time/dp/0679723064/ref=pd_sim_b_1
and other alternatives to urban life.
Envy. Him.
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Mike Daniel (hiker not the Dallas writer) and I produced two docs on the Appalachian Trail and the Pacific Crest Trail. Mike is now filming the Great American Trail which goes from PA to CA across the states – an even longer hike! Great to see a lot of attention on these topics. Good luck Zac!
http://www.campmor.com/outdoor/gear/SubCategory___40000000226_200368967?ip_navtype=AdvancedSearch&catFilter=&searchKeywords=200368967&ip_sortBy=&filters=Manufacturer%20Name%7EMike%20Daniel%7EMike%20Daniel%20%282%29&ip_constrain=&pageSize=24&catType=&searchCategory=browsefilter&manNameFilter=&sizeFilter=&ip_state=&priceFilter=¤tPage=&colorFilter=
Krista:
I was hoping to do the Warrior Dash this weekend but apparently the Kaufman County Sheriff’s Office has filed an injunction trying to shut it down. Check out http://www.warriordash.com/register2010_texas.php for the official statement. Rumor has it that there is an injunction hearing tomorrow morning. Care to turn your finely honed investigative journalism skills on to get some answers for your fellow wanna be Warriors?
What a test that must be walking that far, over such a long period of time. There have been a few Dallasites who have ridden the Great Divide mountain bike trail from Canada to Mexico via the spine of the Rockies loosely following the Continental Divide for 2500 miles. Takes 2-3 weeks and is much more of a doable type event if you have a regular job. Still near impossible to accomplish. Less than 5% who start, finish. One local guy welded his own frame to ride, which is pretty crazy. The other I often see at the lake or on the Katy Trail with his unconventional one legged racing fork and white bike. They have to ride like 75-100 miles in the evenings after work, every evening, to prep for some ultra-distance like that. That is crazy. But they are some of the best in the world at it.