One hundred mile mark!

Cailtin and Rod had full packs on that day. Wendy said that they would pass the 100 mile mark before she saw them again. They made it on April 15. Here's a selfie they took. Congrats, Rod. Only 2,553 more miles to go!

April 18, 2014

Today was an incredible day for Rod. He set a personal best for miles in one day. The last eight miles were hiked in a thunder storm -- yikes! He hiked a total of 24 miles. He was on a ridge with no way down except to follow the trail. He was cold, wet and to be honest, very concerned that he would be hit by lightning. However, he lived to tell the tale and learned a few things from the experience. Life is good!

Mostly photos

This blog post is mostly photos along the trail!

 Caitlin and Marcus, friends along the trail

Around Milepost 76

Caitlin

On the second day of the trail, Rod met up with Caitlin, a physical therapist (man, isn't that someone you want to hike with you after a long day on the trail ha ha). At the end of the day, Rod shared his foot soaking tub with her. It must have felt really good after a long day on the trail.

Road crew

Rod's road crew consists of wife Wendy and Jim & Evy. This photo is from the Pacific Crest Trail south of the starting point at 7:10 a.m. on April 10. Jim will be on the road crew for most of the hike and Wendy and Evy were the road crew the first week and periodically throughout the summer. Great pic!

Rod wrote on the first day of the trail -- 4/10/14 Rod Osgood Life is Good!

He was hiker number 225 on this 2,663 miles journey from the Mexican border to the Canadian border. It is an amazing journey.

Buddy the Backpacker

 This is Rod, Dion, Andrea and Buddy the Backpacker. Rod met them one day on the trail. Buddy is the youngest hiker attempting the Pacific Crest Trail and finished the Appalachian Trail last year. Quite a feat for such a little guy! Go, Buddy!

Along the way

Rod has seen a lot of beautiful sceneries since he started on his journey. Here are some photos of some of the desert flora. As he said on Facebook, you gotta watch out for those thorns!

First day on the trail

Rod left for Mexico on April 6 and started his journey on the 12th. Along the way he has met some cool people. One person he met was a 70 year old gentleman named Mick who was riding his bicycle across the U.S.

Here's Rod on the first day of his journey!

 He looks pretty darn happy!

Here's some of the country he saw on that first day of hiking. Gorgeous views!

Camping equipment

It was important to get the camping equipment as light as possible. Here's a photo of the supplies he started with:

Starting from the back row from the left are the stove and gas for the stove. The smallest roll is a 1000 down coat, next is the sleeping pad, sleeping bag, tent, walking poles (collapsible), water purification bottle and camel back for hauling water. Front row: hygiene supplies, bag of clothes, shows, and crampons. He revived a solar panel to recharge his phone and a solar light from guys from Local 701. Rod would like to thank the guys from Local 701 for the gifts. It will be well used.

Shoes

This is a kind of a boring post but Wendy, Rod's wife, took photos of all of Rod's shoes so she could purchase more when the time came to replace them. It's amazing how many shoes a person has to wear for all types of terrain and weather. Here are the boots and shoes:

Thi

All about Rod

This is Rod Osgood's great adventure. He is walking the Pacific Crest Trail from Mexico to Canada starting on April 10, 2014. He has asked me to write a blog for him as he takes this epic adventure in hiking. As his journey takes him along the way, he will be sending me photos and little tidbits about his trip, and I will be posting them as he sends them to me, and sharing on his Facebook page.

A little bit about Rod. Rod is taking a six-month sabbatical from his job as a field rep for operating engineers for Local 701, whose office is in Gladstone, Oregon. He works out of his home in Irrigon. Rod decided to hike the Pacific Crest Trail because his trainer Pat Bentz told him he needed a goal. And hiking the Pacific Crest Trail was the first thing he thought of. He enjoys the outdoors, hiking, and after training with Pat for a few months, she gave him the confidence to attempt this goal. After he and Pat quit training together, he developed some physical issues, and a number of people helped him work through them.he wants to thank Drs. Pam and Joey, Dr. Ben Matheson who over the last year to regain strength in his shoulders, knees and elbows, and Rod's wife Wendy for her support and countless friends who have encouraged him along the way.

As Rod begins his adventure, he is anxious to get started, and he is preparing his equipment. While his feet are still bothering him a bit, he feels that even if he only makes 500 or 1000 miles, he knows that that is farther than he has ever gone before. However, he has full confidence he will make the over 2650 miles by October 10, 2014. Such a lofty goal but one I know he will accomplish. Rod is one of those guys who when he sets his mind on something, it gets done!

Rod won't be taking this journey totally alone. His father-in-law, Jim Ellis, plans to travel in close proximity to the trail and resupply him where the trail crosses the roads. Jim is stocking two months worth of food his pickup. Rod says he is lucky to have Jim as his personal trail angel. Most people have things shipped as close to the trail as they can but then those folks have to hike or hitchhike off the trail to get their supplies. Jim plans to put those supplies as close to the trail as possible so Rod doesn't lose much time.

Two more folks plan to actually hike the trail with him -- Keith Kitchen and Andy Englehart hope to meet up with Rod as he makes his way north on the Pacific Crest Trail. Andy plans to met Rod near Mt. Whitney in California. As Andy is an avid mountain climber, he is excited about climbing Mt. Whitney, the tallest mountain in the lower 48. Keith plans to hike along the trail in Central California. Rod's brother Ed has hinted he would love to hook up with Rod along some short hikes in Northern Oregon and some in Washington. Brother-in-law Jim Junior has said he wants to climb Mt. Adams with Rod as he goes by the mountain.