Training For The CDT

How do you train for a 3,000 mile hike? Hiking the Pacific Crest Trail in 2014 taught me a great deal about life on the trail, the gear I need, the food I like, and how my body responds to hiking long miles day after day. Starting in November of 2015, I started weight training to improve my upper body strength. A long time friend agreed to work out with me three times a week and I have seen some good results. I am thankful for his willingness to workout with me and put up with my incessant talking about hiking the CDT. Good friends are a blessings! Several people have gone hiking with me on my Saturday training hikes on Mt. Diablo. It is always fun to have someone to hike with and I appreciated their company immensely. Thank you to my hiking friends...you know who you are.

The best way to train for hiking is to go hiking! And since I actually like hiking, it really doesn't feel like training! One of the best places to hike when the High Sierra is blanketed in snow, is Mt. Diablo. There are miles of steep trails, multiple summits, a few water sources, and even a bathroom or two for those who enjoy a more civilized experience. The photo above was taken on Mt. Olympus looking across the valley at the ridge line of Eagle Peak. Below is the summit of Mt. Diablo.

I try to hike every Saturday. 15-20 miles are normal but sometimes I go long...up to 30 miles-rain or shine, hot or cold, from sunrise to sunset, and later. I have become somewhat of an expert on Mt. Diablo and often I am sharing water, giving directions, and encouraging other hikers as they explore the mountain for the first time. Mt. Diablo is a popular place for hikers to train and I regularly hike with a group of long distance hikers who have hiked or aspire to hike the PCT, CDT, and AT. It's a great group of people and when I hiked with them the first time it was like finding my tribe. We speak the same language, dress alike, have similar life stories, and love hiking.

Take nothing for granted. Not one blessed, cool mountain day or one hellish, desert day or one sweaty, stinky, hiking companion. It is all a gift. Cindy Ross, Journey on the Crest, 1987