Another Eugene Weekly article

Happening People

By the time you read this, Serena Becker and Jeramy Vallianos will be in the Sonoran Desert, beginning a six-month hike of the Pacific Crest Trail. "We spent two days putting food in boxes for friends to mail," says Vallianos. "Every week or so we'll go into a town to pick up a package." While in town, they will locate an Internet cafe to update the blog on their website, walkforwild.org "It's our first try at blogging," says Becker. "We want to raise awareness of PCT areas that need protection." A South Eugene grad, Becker got involved in human rights activism as a student at Evergreen State College. "I traveled to Rafah, in Gaza, with the Olympia-Rafah sister-city program," she notes. "Rachel Corrie, from Olympia, was killed in Rafah in 2003." In Olympia, she also met Vallianos, her boyfriend of five years, who had hiked the Appalachian Trail in 2001. The pair hopes to attract donations for the purchase of private land along the PCT. "Our goal is to raise $10,000," says Becker. "The money we raise will go to the Pacific Forest Trust to protect land in the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument."

Article in Eugene Weekly (May 1st 2008)

EUGENE HIKERS HOPE TO HELP THE PCT

Last Friday, April 25, Jeramy Vallianos and Serena Becker left Eugene with 15 pounds of gear in their backpacks and boarded a plane to Los Angeles. The pair hopes to hit the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) trailhead, on the border of California and Mexico, early this week.

They plan to hike 15 to 25 miles a day along the Cascade Mountains, covering 2,650 miles from Mexico to Canada, arriving in late September. Vallianos and Becker hope to raise $10,000 for The Pacific Forest Trust, The Pacific Crest Association and Cascadia Ecosystem Advocates.

"Our main goal is to raise money to protect threatened landscapes" by buying land, says Vallianos. "It's important to be aware of how we impact wild ecosystems and how dependent we are on them." Vallianos and Becker want to spread the news by talking to people about the experience of walking the trail, writing and posting pictures on the Internet throughout the trip.

Becker and Vallianos have both worked in wilderness therapy and know how wilderness can affect people's lives. "I hope to inspire people to get out and experience nature and make positive changes in their lives," says Vallianos.

They have spent the last two months preparing for the trip, and now they are ready to hike.

"I think it's important for folks to get involved to maintain and expand wild spaces and natural communities," says Vallianos. "We love being outside, traveling, backpacking and try to find a way to do the thing we love and have an impact on something bigger."

You can follow their hike (and donate to the cause) by going to their website www.walkforwild.org

The first 100 miles

We made it our first 100 miles. 110 to be exact. Today we are taking our first zero day (trail lingo for a day off) and relaxing at an isolated hot spring resort in the middle of the desert.

Here's a little snipped from the first leg of our travels-

We were dropped off at the trail head by our first trail angles,(those amazing people who go out of their way to do favors for hikers-such as leave soda and water in the middle of the desert)our good friends Tess and Teal.

As we were driving through the rolling hills scattered with rocks and boulders I was reminded of driving through the West Bank in Palestine. Soon we reached the small border town of Campo where we packed up one last box to mail to ourselves along the way.

It was just a short drive from there down the dirt road to the beginning of the trail head, where old wooden posts mark the start of the trail. The land is also marked with a fence/metal wall announcing the border between the US and Mexico. Just behind the tail head lay a barbed-wire fence, from each post hung a metal plate with a phrase along the lines of "in defence of America", beyond that lay a patrol road and a 20 foot high border wall. This scene extended in either direction as far as the eye could see.

I had always wanted to visit the border and see how it compared to the one Israel is constructing in the West Bank. Standing there, about to embark on a 2600+ journey to the border of Canada it somehow seemed an odd and surreal time to be thinking about politics and foreign policy. Yet even when looking for peace and solace it is not hard to see those things about humanity which sadden me.

As we were getting ready to leave we were visited separately by a border patrol agent and two nice elderly men picking up trash along the border. As they were leaving they told us to check out their website campominutemen.com. I was surprised to learn that they were minute men, (A militant anti-immigrant group who patrols the border for immigrants)they were nice and friendly and gave us advice about the trial, than again we are all white hikers.

When we were finally ready to go we said good bye to Teal and Tess and began our trek north. That first night we hiked only 4-5 miles and made camp off the trail so as not to attracted the attention of any border patrol or immigrants who are know to travel the PCT at night. Our evening was quite and we went to bed early as to be well rested for our 5:30am wake up call.

Hiking in the desert in the morning is beautiful. The mild temperature, morning bird songs and wild flowers was not at all what I had expected from reading the guide books. I imagined hiking through a desolate, sandy, dry and shadeless desert. Instead I was surrounded by small to medium sized trees, shrubs, cacti, large boulders, and gently rolling hills. I am quickly learning the subtleties within desert environments.

The use of this portion of the PCT as a thru-way for immigrants is also present. Every mile or so for the first 30+ miles we found abandoned clothes, water bottles, food wrappers with Spanish writing and what I thought were satchels made from woven Mexican blankets with rope attached. I later learned that these "satchels" were used as booties, to cover up their shoe prints. Our friend Mark also found a peso.

Needless to say the first portion of our journey has been a wonderful and challenging adventure. Tomorrow we press on northward, hoping that the blisters have had enough time to heal and that we have packed a little more food than the last stretch. Until next time.

another pre packing photo

I found this one too. A pre-packing photo before all of these boxes exploded.

Heading South

Today has finally arrived. This evening we will catch a train down to LA to visit some old friends and from there head out to the trial head east of San Diego near the small town of Campo.

The past week has been hectic. After quiting our jobs last Friday we had just over a week to prepare. For two and a half days our house was transformed into a pseudo-post office, with over 50 boxes being packed full of food for the next 5 or so months.

Every room of the house was scattered with boxes of dried soups, nuts, dried fruit, olive oil, honey and more. I stayed up until I could not stand it any longer and woke up as early as I could possibly manage to. We finished packing our food just in time to drive (with our car packed full of boxes) up to Olympia and Portland to drop off our boxes with our wonderful friends who will be mailing them to us along the way.

Somewhere in this frenzy we realized that we could use an extra day and decided to push our ticket back. Even so I still don't feel ready. I think this is one of those things that you do not feel ready for no matter how much planning ahead one does.

So after a sleep deprived week we head south, luckily taking the train where we will have a chance to catch up on some sleep during the full day ride.

I wish I could write more but I've got to get back to the packing chaos.
Until next time...

If anyone would like to get a hold of me you can reach me through email at: serenabecker@gmail.com...I have cancelled my phone for the time being.

Peace.
serena

Jeramy and Serena hit the trail on the 25th of April. Stay tuned for journal entries and pictures from the trail starting soon!

Please donate to Walk for Wildlands to support land acquisition and conservation projects throughout the west.

A letter from the Hikers

This spring Jeramy Vallianos and Serena Becker will set out from the dusty California-Mexico border and begin a through-hike of the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT). Stretching from the southern deserts to the northern Cascade Range the PCT covers 2,650 miles between Mexico and Canada.

The trail features the greatest elevation changes of any of America's National Scenic Trails and it passes through six out of seven North America's eco-zones including high and low desert, old-growth forest and artic-alpine country. It was first conceived as a route in the 1930’s, after which trail pioneers Clinton Clarke and Warren Rogers lobbied the federal government to secure a border-to-border corridor. Though this proved to be difficult the PCT was designated in 1968 as one of the first scenic trails in the National Trails System, due in large part to the efforts of hikers and equestrians. It was officially dedicated in 1993; despite this the trail and surrounding lands continue to face many threats from development, logging, and mining interests.

Following in the tradition of those who have worked to protect the PCT and other wild lands, Jeramy and Serena’s hike will be a fundraiser for land conservation. Through the website www.walkforwild.org they will raise money to benefit three conservation and land acquisition organizations: the Pacific Crest Trail Association (PCTA), Pacific Forest Trust (PFT) and Cascadia Ecosystem Advocates (CEA). Donations to the PCTA and PFT will be directly applied toward the purchase and protection of threatened landscapes and donations for CEA will support grassroots community and environmental efforts. All donations will be tax-deductible and detailed information on the organizations and projects that will be funded is available on the website.

The website will also offer the opportunity for everyone to participate and experience in the hike. Jeramy and Serena will be posting images, journal entries, and stories of the many adventures they encounter along the way. In addition, you can follow the trip via email by joining their list serve, to subscribe send an email to:
walkforwild-subscribe@lists.riseup.net

We face a critical time that requires action. Intact and wild ecosystems are integral to climate stability and bio-diversity and they provide the clean air and water on which our communities depend. If you feel it important that the small remaining tracts of U.S. wilderness be protected and expanded please consider contributing to this project by visiting www.walkforwild.org.

Thank you for your time and commitment to protecting wild places.

Sincerely,
Serena Becker and Jeramy Vallianos

Walk for Wildlands Fundraising Effort

Have you ever wanted to be able to leave behind your commitments and spend days, weeks, even months out in the remaining tracts of American wilderness?

Does the constant destruction of the natural beauty of the U.S. concern you? What if you could support conservation of this country's wild places and follow the journey of two hikers as they make their way from the Mexico-California border to the Washington-Canada border hiking along the Pacific Crest Trail.

This Spring, Jeramy and Serena will be hiking the PCT to raise awareness and help protect what is left of American wild lands. Please consider donating to this fundraising hike in support of American wilderness. All contributions will support environmental conservation and land acquisition projects through the Pacific Crest Trail Association, Pacific Forest Trust and Cascadia Ecosystem Advocates.

You can follow our journey on this blog and at our website.

Happy Trails,

Jeramy and Serena

PCT '08 Mexico to Canada