Pedal the Coast and Hike the PCT with a local Adventurer
An interview with Kirkland's Craig Fowler
KIRKLAND, WA- Craig Fowler grew up on the east coast. Easton, Massachusetts, to be exact. And when he was thirteen years old, he decided that he would one day hike the Appalachian Trail. It was the summer of 1985 and his family had taken a week-long trip to Maine for some fishing and hiking. During one hike, he climbed Mount Katahdin with his father, and at the top, they stood at the end of the Appalachian Trail. Craig read to himself a sign that marked a thru-hiker's milestone:
"A mountain footpath extending over 2000 miles to Springer Mtn. Georgia"
"Do people really walk from here to Georgia?" Craig asked his father. "Yeah! I just did it!" was the response, but it hadn't come from Fowler's father. A man we can only imagine looked very similar to the way Fowler does today (imagine Tom Hanks in Castaway -beard, hair and all- only much thinner) had just completed his journey from Georgia and was soaking in the triumph of his summit day. Fowler and his father stood slack-jawed. Perhaps only fate could have arranged such a meeting, but at that moment -at thirteen years of age- Fowler knew that he too would one day know the feeling of completing a journey most people can't even fathom attempting.
Sixteen years later, in 2001, Fowler completed his thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail. And as he soaked in the joy of his summit day on Mount Katahdin, he thought of that day-hike with his father sixteen years ago. He hoped that it would not be another sixteen years before he again experienced the ecstasy of an epic journey completed. Craig's drive to experience the life less-traveled ensured that it wouldn't take that long, and in 2003 he complete another thru-hike. This time he hiked the Long Trail from Massachusetts to Quebec. It's a tough addiction to have for which one can only get a fix every two or three years. But the high lasts for months, and perhaps even a lifetime.
That's why in June of 2004 Fowler moved to Kirkland with the idea of hiking the Pacific Crest Trail from Mexico to Canada firmly planted in the back of his mind. Then, last October he had decided it had been long enough since his last adventure, and in March, Craig set out on another journey. This time would be different though.
While most would be content to arrange transportation from Seattle to Mexico to begin the trip, Craig decided to ride his bike there.
That's right. You read that correctly. This time, Fowler not only hiked the Pacific Crest Trail, but prior to that, he rode his bicycle from Kenmore to Mexico. It's the type of bicycle tour that many cyclists can only dream of. Lucky for us, Fowler sat down with BicycleNorthwest to discuss his journey, its logistics and high and low points, and his plans for future trips. So sit back and become inspired.
BicycleNorthwest: Welcome home, Craig. Thanks for sitting down with us.
Craig Fowler: Thanks it's good to be sitting for once.
BNW: First of all, could you just give an overview of your trip?
CF: Sure. First though, let me just say that I believe too many of us today rely on non-human-powered vehicles to get around. I would like to show others the power of the human body and spirit. I believe spending time without the comforts we as a society have come to know makes one stronger and more appreciative of what one does have and the world in which he or she lives.
As for the actual trip, I started in Kenmore, Washington on the shores of Lake Washington. I took one of my three ferry rides from downtown Seattle to Bremerton. The first leg of the trip was 1,835 miles south along the coast by bike. Once I got to the Mexican/US border I traded my bike for my hiking shoes and hiked the entired 2,655 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT). Then once I got to the end of the PCT at Manning Park, BC I biked back 240 miles to Kenmore.
BNW: So do the math for us. How far was your overall trip?
CF: The whole trip was around 4750 miles.
BNW: Wow, that is really incredible! How many miles per day did you bike and hike?
CF: I averaged about 58 miles a day on the bike and 22 while hiking.
BNW: And when did you start and finish? Did you ever stop to rest?
CF: I started March 26th and finished September 3rd. The whole trip was 162 days. The first bike leg was 32 days with one day off, and the hike was 125 days with seven days off. And there was one day off between each bike and hike legs for a total of 10 days off.
BNW: And what did you do on your days off?
CF: Days off are usually crazy and include running around doing things like shopping, laundry, mailings, and trying to find internet access. I personally didn't enjoy most of my Zero Days since they were so busy. The only good part was eating real food and drinking cold beer.
BNW: Mmmmmm.... Beer.... So is this the first time you've done a trip like this?
CF: It was the first time I combined my love for cycling and hiking, but I have completed thru-hikes before. I did the Appalachian Trail in 2001, and the Long Trail in 2003 as well.
BNW: What made you decide to embark on this particular adventure?
CF: Ever since meeting people on the Appalachian Trail who had done the PCT, I knew I wanted to hike the PCT. I also found out about the Triple Crown (Appalachian Trail, Pacific Crest Trail and Continental Divide Trail) while hiking the AT, and it's my goal to be a member of that club.
BNW: So there's at least one more big trip in your future?
CF: Yes, I hope to complete the Triple Crown by hiking the CDT in the next few years.
BNW: How much did you weigh when you left, and how much do you weigh now?
CF: I weighed around 157 and now I weigh 145. At one point I was down to 140. My clothes basically hang on me.
BNW: Thirteen pounds is quite a lot. Take us through your average daily food consumption:
CF: For breakfast I usually had something like poptarts, powdered milk with Carnation instant breakfast, a king-size Payday, and then three energy bars between breakfast and lunch. Lunch was usally a bagel with either peanut butter or dry Italian salami and pepper jack cheese, BBQ Pringles, cookies (EL Fudges), and GORP. That was followed by two more energy bars after lunch. For dinner, it was Lipton Sauce and Noodles or Rice with summer sausage, and garlic and spices. Sometimes I would add a Ramen or black bean soup mix to it. The other dinner I had a lot was Bertolli tortalini with summer sausage and garlic. Dessert was a king-size candy bar. Even with all these calories I believe most hikers can't consume enough calories to keep up with what they burn while hiking.
BNW: Man, it's hard to imagine you lost weight on your trip! So let's talk gear for a moment: can you give us a rundown of the equipment you used to carry yourself and your gear throughout your journey?
CF: Definitely. Here's what I used: ULA Catalyst pack; Tarptent Contrail by Henry Shires; Petzl Tikka XP; Thermarest Z-lite pad; Feathered Friends 20 degree Hummingbird sleepingbag; .9 liter ti pot; soda can stove, spoon; Aquamira water treatment; Pacerpoles hiking poles; Platypus bladders; Ibex hat, boxers, shirts, and long johns; Feetures socks; Montrail Continental Divide shoes; Mountain Hardware Convertible Pack Pants; O2 Rainsuit; Julbo Instinct sunglasses; Pocketmail for email; Swiss Army Classic knife; Simblissity LevaGaiter; OR PL100 gloves; Montbell UL Down jacket.
For the bike legs, I rode my old Specialized S-works mountain bike with Maxxis tires, fenders, and bar ends for comfort. I also put a pair of Ergon Grips on it. They were great. And being a big Crank Brothers fan I used my Eggbeater pedals for the whole trip. I carried my gear in a B.O.B Yak trailer with a Ortlieb bag. I also had a Ortlieb handlebar bag for the items I needed on a daily basis.
BNW: Was there one item that you absolutely could not have lived without on your trip?
CF: I can't name just one thing. There were a lot of items that made the trip what it was not any one that I couldn't do without.
BNW: Was there one item that you really wish you had brought along?
CF: Again, nothing jumps out at me. After being out there for long enough you really come to realize how much you can do without. Most things in life are materialist junk that is advertised as must have items, and you learn to recognize this and realize you can do without them. That's not to say I don't have my fair share of "junk".
BNW: Yeah, it's easy to let the junk pile up if you're not careful. So were you supported at all along the way, or were you completely self-reliant? Is that possible?
CF: I had a lot of help from my good friend Scott Richardson, my girl-friend at the time, and my parents. My folks were a major part of my trip. You can be self-reliant but it takes major prep work and restricts your options while hiking.
BNW: Did you have sponsors for your trip?
CF: Yes, I was lucky enough to be part of the Project 529 Endurance Team and through them I was able to obtain sponsorship from SuperFeet shoe inserts, Feetures Socks through Adam Gossett of Cascade Associates, Nuun Active Hydration, Zeek's Pizza of Kirkland, and Ibex Outdoor Clothing through David Egan of Egan and Associates. My folks were the biggest sponsor in my eyes though, without them the trip would never have been what it was.
BNW: That's great that so many people were behind you. Can you tell us a bit more about how your parents helped you out?
CF: My folks supported me by first taking in my insane cat, Keyser Soze. They mainly bought all my food, shipped it to me, kept my online journal and photos up to date, did my bills, and gave finiancial support.
BNW: That's really great that they are so supportive of your goals and adventures. But besides completing the journey, did you have any other specific goals to accomplish during the trip?
CF: The main goal was the journey itself but I also wanted to open the eyes of those I met along the way, or who read my journal, to the wonders of the outdoor world. I wanted to send a message that there's more than one way to get from point to point than in a car or other fuel consuming means of transportation. The outdoor world is vast and has so much to offer physically and mentally.
BNW: Can you tell us about the most physically difficult parts of the trip? What about the most emotionally difficult parts?
CF: The heat of the desert was tough on me but was avoided by taking siestas in the hottest part of the day. The Sierras were tough just because of the altitude. My feet took a beating in the lava fields around the Sisters, OR area and in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness, WA. The first day back on the bike was one of the toughest days. It reminded me of how I felt in my solo 24 race.
The most emotionally difficult parts involved my girlfriend at the time of the trip. At the end of week one on the bike trip she came to see me, and when it was time for her to leave it hit me hard that I wasn't going to see her for four-plus months. The other difficult time was at Snoqualmie Pass when my girlfriend decided we should split up. It was raining, and all my shit was wet and I knew it was going to be a long tough night when I finally left the pass at five p.m. The only other difficult time was when I lost my first hiking partner early on in the hike. At the time I was afraid I would end up hiking alone for the rest of the trip and that scared me. As it turned out I spent over half the trip hiking alone and after only a few days of camping alone it became a non-issue for me.
BNW: Well, at least by Snoqualmie pass you were near friends and family if things got too difficult. But what happened to your first hiking partner?
CF: They simply wanted to hike alone and decide to do so. It was that way with the three different groups I was with during the hike. It's normal for people to start with someone, or pair up and then spilt up to experience the hiking on their own. Plus it's hard to find someone looking for the same things as you and also someone who keeps your same pace. Everyone is out there for different reasons.
BNW: So aside from those difficulties, did you suffer any sickness or other ailments?
CF: Not really. I had about 8 blisters, some shin pain, as well as sore feet. Nothing you wouldn't expect to experience on an 2600 mile hike.
BNW: Now, what about the absolute best parts of the trip? What was your most emotional high, aside from maybe returning home to see family and friends?
CF: The best part of the trip was the Sierra. There was a basin just north of Forester Pass which just blew me away. It brought me to tears as I sat there and just stared in awe at the mountains surrounding me. Reaching the Oregon/California state line was a huge mental boost for me during the trip. California is so long, it was nice just to be in a new state.
BNW: That's pretty incredible. It's not difficult to imagine that not many people will ever know what it's like to be brought to tears by the beauty of their surroundings. How did people you met along the way respond to what you were doing?
CF: Most people were in awe and couldn't wrap their minds around the concept of walking from Mexico to Canada. When I threw in the bike part of the trip they really lost it. Towards the end of the trip I had my picture taken a lot and my hand shook by many excited hikers. Most people were excited about the trip and had nothing but good wishes for me.
BNW: That's great. Do you feel that you had any sort of effect on people you met? Were you trying to effect people in any sort of way?
CF: I hope I had an effect on people. I hope I opened their eyes to the power of the human spirit and the physical power within all of us. It was no easy task walking and biking all that way. I think most people restrict themselves by thinking something is too hard and I wanted to show them otherwise. I think some people were inspired to do more in the outdoors or elsewhere and when I saw that it made me feel good.
BNW: You'll probably never know how many people you inspired along the way, or how many people you caused to think twice about the world and their places in it. So, speaking of affecting minds, do you feel any different than before you left? Aside from obvious physical changes?
CF: Surprisingly I don't feel that different. I did set some goals for myself while hiking and I hope I can make them a reality. But so far, adjusting to the "real world", as everyone calls it, has been very easy. Dealing with the visual and audio overload of city life is tough though. I am difinitely more relaxed.
BNW: That's great to hear. Well congratulations on completing your amazing journey and be sure to let us know when you set out to hike the CDT.
CF: No problem. Thank you.
