PCT 2014/2015

[retired jerry]

Hi! I looked at your blog a few times.

That seems really difficult to do the whole thing in one season.

Sounds like you had a good time.

[Limey]

Hi Potato, good to hear from you, I was just wondering how you were doing. I really enjoyed your blog. Liked the way you put down all your thoughts and feelings, it made it even more interesting. Hope you will be able to do the second half in the future. Have a good time on your extended road trip.

[woodswalker]

Wow, Halfway is way more than I will ever do. Congratulations.
Woodswalker

[rainrunner]

We were following your blog also and are glad you posted here. Living in a VW rabbit is definately minimalist.

[Eric Peterson]

Nice job Joe, that's still a lot of hiking and adventure regardless of finishing all in one swoop

BTW, did you get a vintage Rabbit or? I'd love to get a nice working Rabbit for around town since my Saab
died.

[potato]

Thanks everyone.

Yes Eric, it's from 1981 and I'm the 2nd owner. It's got some problems but it should be pretty easy to work on.

Hey, do you guys know the best tool for finding out which land is BLM land vs. National Forest vs. state parks, etc.? As I'm driving around I need to be able to find out if it's ok to camp in certain places...

[Eric Peterson]

Hey Joe, the Garmin mapset I've been compiling has very current BLM and private land parcels data.

It can also be loaded into Garmin car GPS's like a Nuvi, but will bug out occasionally due to some
routing issues as it was an after thought to even have it loaded into a car gps.

Man, totes jelly on your '81!

[potato]

I was just reading through this again and was touched by how many followed my blog. Thanks for the support

I changed the title of the thread - I'm getting back on trail in a month or two to finish the 2nd half, picking up where I left off. I'm so excited. I can't wait to get out there again!

I've been living in my rabbit for 4 months now, traveling with my friend who I talked about before. Drove down the coast to San Diego, returned to Portland for a week, spent a few weeks in Arizona, then about 2 months in Florida including a few weeks in the Keys, then drove to Chicago and we're making our way back to Portland... typing this message from a Wal-Mart parking lot near Omaha, Nebraska. Will be in Portland long enough to prepare for the PCT and reconnect with friends, then I'm headed for mile marker 1334.

If you are wondering how I afford all this travel, basically I sold my Kia for 11 grand and have been living off that (after sinking 5k into this car and loaning 2k for my friend's van). Traveling like this only costs me about 500/month because I have very few expenses other than food and diesel. When I get home I'm cashing in my 401k, paying the remainder of my student loans, and I should have enough to survive for maybe another year. By then I want to have some mobile/online money-making ideas worked out, or maybe I'll finally quit traveling and get a job again (but I don't want to!). I guess the way I'm trying to live life is that if I die unexpectedly, it will be as though I knew it would happen and was living to make my final years count.

[retired jerry]

okay, got to say it - cashing in 401K is bad idea, you pay so much in taxes plus the penalty, you end up with almost nothing

Conversely, if you leave it invested for many years, it'll grow a lot. If you put it in an SP500 index fund, it's grown 7% over inflation over the last many years, so if this is an indication of the future, it will, for example, increase by a factor of 8 in 30 years.

But, paying off student loan is good idea and you'll be having memorable experiences while you're still young and healthy so...

[woodswalker]

Be sure and let us know when you set out. I always enjoy the PCT blogs.
Woodswalker