a few pictures

a big pile of first aid stuff.
very overwhelming










matching...at our going away
party

Post offices

Following is a list of post offices, mostly in Cali, that people can send packages to. I included very few post offices in OR because none of them allow outgoing packages, and I think it's best for us to receive packages in places where we can send stuff back in case we can't use it. On that note, it's probably best to send stuff that you aren't attached to, in the event that we may give it away. But I'm sure we really will appreciate any and all packages. sweet notes and cheesecakes and wheels of brie and fancy chocolate and stonewall jerky...

Also, it's very important to send something no more than a month ahead of time because the post offices won't hold it longer. But, it's also good to send it two weeks ahead of time in case the post off ice is remote.

Address all letters to Sye Laird and (or) Alex Karpoff

Idyllwild, CA C/O General Delivery
Post Office
Idyllwild, CA 92549

Big Bear, CA C/O General Delivery
Post Office
Big Bear City, CA 92314

Wrightwood, CA C/O General Delivery
Post Office
Wrightwood, CA 92397

Agua Dulce, CA C/O The Saufley's
11861 Darling Road
Agua Dulce, CA 91390

Tehachapi, CA C/O General Delivery
Post Office
Tehachapi, CA 93561

Independence, CA C/O General Delivery
Post Office
Independence, CA 93526

Tuolumne, CA C/O General Delivery
Tuolumne Meadows
Yosemite NP, CA 95389

Echo Lake, CA C/O General Delivery
Post Office
Echo Lake, CA 95721

Sierra City, CA C/O General Delivery
Post Office
Sierra City, CA 96125

Belden, CA C/O General Delivery
Post Office
Belden, CA 95915

Castella, CA C/O General Delivery
Post Office
Castella, CA 96017

Seiad Valley, CA C/O General Delivery
Post Office
Seiad Valley, CA 96086

Ashland, OR C/O General Delivery
Post Office
Ashland, OR 97520

(all other places in OR do not allow outgoing mail, so best not to send packages)

Cascade Locks, OR C/O General Delivery
Post Office
Cascade Locks, OR 97014

(really, most of you don’t need these addresses because you or other seattle people will be finding us, right?)

Skykomish, WA C/O General Delivery

Post Office

Skykomish, WA 98288

Stehekin, WA C/O General Delivery

Post Office

Stehekin, WA 98852

A brief history of stamps.

Several months ago, when Alex and I were in the throes of planning during the winter, I had a dream. I guess it was an anxiety dream, prompted by our contemplation of how to reduce our pack base weight (the weight of the pack without food and water). In my dream, my dad was very generously giving me a bunch of stamps. It seemed like a whole box full of stamps. And all I could tell him was that I really didn’t need stamps, I’d only be able to carry one at a time. Because of their weight and because they’d get soggy. So…I refused his offer of stamps. And that was where the dream ended.

Last week, Alex and I went to Costco to buy large amounts of packaged and dehydrated food. Along one of the isles, I saw something shiny: a cardboard sheet of 100 stamps! And it was $2 off what they are at the post office! And, these ones lasted forever! So we got them, all $40 worth, and planned on putting them in our bump box so we’d only have to carry one or two at a time.

Well, it’s been a week or two since that shopping trip, and we still haven’t found the stamps. We definitely paid for them, but they’re lost, perhaps still sitting in the store, or in the shopping cart, or somewhere in our house. Maybe the basement. That’s a lot of stamps to lose. I did look in the recycling, but no luck so far. And since we’re leaving today, I think we will be without our 100 stamps.

I told Alex’s dad this story today, and he asked if my dad was bringing stamps when he came to say goodbye. Alex and I laughed. When my dad showed up, he brought us a CD for our roadtrip—Mike Seeger playing old time banjo. And he brought an envelope to mail it back in, along with a book of stamps.

Leave Dates

We are officially beginning our trek on May 2, 2008. We shall be leaving Seattle on April 27, 2008 to drive down to the trail head in Campo, CA. Yay!

Down to the Wire

It seems like time has flown. Somewhere the winter went away and we are suddenly leaving in less than three weeks, though we still haven’t found a day sunny enough, or free of obligations enough, to seal the seams of our tarp tent.

Slowly, in bursts of activity, we have gathered together, sewn together, scrounged up, or bought shiny new off the shelves, most of our gear. Sye has made a couple pop can stoves, while I engineered some fancy mosquito head nets and fleece mittens. One particular triumph was finding Kevlar infused nylon to make into bear “proof” food sacks, all for a fifth of the cost of the commercially marketed Ursack.

Sye has been attempting to break from his perpetual accumulation of black clothing, and with a little success! He found some super snazzy pink nylon pants at the thrift store the other day, though I have some doubts as to whether or not they will make it into his backpack. I found a dorky turquoise sun hat. Sye shall be dark, mysterious and hip on the trail, and I shall be bright and ridiculous like a parrot.

We’ve been a little discouraged about our sleeping bag situation. We found two bags compatible with all our criteria (light weight, on the warmer side, somewhat affordable) except that they don’t zip together. Alas, cold nights will be colder, and we’ll have to cuddle like inchworms.

Itinerary

For those of you who received our email with the attached itinerary, this one is the same. We did a pretty dang good job approximating dates! So check it out at:

http://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=pHuX5LDwIzmTD24DDbP44ew&hl=en

Our itinerary is currently viewable only if you have a Google account. I do not know how to display this spreadsheet on the internet any other way, and I profusely apologize to anyone who does not have a Google account. If anyone has any suggestions for more accessible ways to publish this MS Excel document on the web, please let me know!

Trail Map

The wonderful thing about this map is all the towns we pass through are listed! To see where we will actually be stopping, or where we will be pick up packages, check our itinerary. (Click map to enlarge)