Re-living the experience through film...

Although I really haven't had a solid block of time to sit down and go through the footage minute by minute, I did duck down into my editing suite (also known as my basement) today for an hour. I smiled and laughed and grimaced and most of all remembered and re-lived the 10 days that was Hike For Survival. I watched the progression of nerves and stress on the first few days of the hike through to the elation and thrill of the last few days as we realized what we had achieved. I was worried that we hadn't captured the essence of the adventure as quite often the most exciting things happened off camera because we didn't have the cameras rolling 24/7 but I was wrong. You can still live the adventure through our reaction to the excitement and hear our thoughts and our emotions in the video diaries we kept. The vistas are amazing and the camaraderie apparent. I am really excited to begin editing this thing together. Now to just find the time... - Ky

The enormity of the task fades so quickly...

I just received an email from a friend who wanted to congratulate me on finishing this adventure. I realized again through the email, what I had achieved. When I finished the hike on Saturday I felt like I had been to places in my mind and body that I had never been, tapped into resources of energy and determination that I never knew existed. Just to put one foot in front of the other. To get from West to East of the Sierra Nevadas. I had gone beyond exhausted to a place that I had come out the other side feeling healthier than I had in a long time. It was a false sense of health as I was not supplying my body with nearly enough nutrients to compensate for the high level of activity we were doing, but it felt real none-the-less. I felt like I was making good decisions but looking back on the footage from the trip, there were times I could barely string a sentence together. Brains need food to function... And yet I sit here on my couch feeling not so different to 2 weeks ago (perhaps less stressed now the task is accomplished) and the enormity of what I achieved has faded. I need to remember to celebrate this adventure. The thing that Thomas and I did was something that not many people in this world could have dreamed of attempting, let alone succeeded in achieving. Thank you to the people out there that are reminding me of this - Ky

Donating to great causes...

Hike For Survival was done with the aim to support 2 very important charities: Adelaide Women's & Children's hospital and Homeboy Industries. The hospital saved the life of a very special girl, Ruby Shaw, who plans on becoming a stunt woman (although I try to talk her out of it). Homeboy Industries helps struggling youth find opportunities to carve a new positive future for themselves. Under the Causes section of www.hikeforsurvival.com there is a "donate now" button. Please help us help these amazing organizations...

Back online...

Hey Everyone! Sorry for the delay in updating this site. We resurfaced into the modern world sometime on Saturday afternoon and it has taken us a while to get our bearings. Firstly I'd like to thank Rachanee so much for updating this blog site daily. Our GPS allowed only texts of 44 characters out one at a time, and even then only 1 out of 2 texts apparently made it out of the wilderness. Keeping this in mind, Rachanee did a wonderful job of interpreting and reposting our adventures. It also meant that all the exciting texts such as "trapped between smoke from a fire and thunderstorms" and "Just stumbled across 4 huge bears in the dark" are apparently floating around somewhere in space yet to land in cell phone range. Our journey was in truth, much more exciting, intense and interesting than our GPS has lead you to expect. Over the next few weeks I will share our adventures here and watch for photos soon to be posted on the HFS site - Ky

day nine: near the end

Just got the another message from Ky and Thomas! And this should be one of the last ones from the trail, since they anticipate being out of the Sierra Nevadas tomorrow.

The message was simply this: "The Eastern Sierras tried to keep us there."

But when you look at the map, you can clearly see that it didn't work!

Keep reading this blog for new updates. Not only will we post their final impressions from the trail, but very soon Ky and Thomas will be talking about their experiences first hand from the hike.

day nine: last day on the trail

This will be the last full day of hiking for Ky and Thomas! They anticipate being done on Saturday, and I'm sure they'll have a bunch of great stories from the trail when they reach civilization again.

At 7:32 am PST, this message came through, from their location at Anderson Point: "Ice on all our stuff this morning. Chilly." I guess that's to be expected when you're 9000 feet above sea level!

More updates to follow.

day eight: nearing the end

Today's message was an exciting one: "Be out Saturday; camping at 9000+ feet!"

Between yesterday (hitting the halfway mark) and today at 8:34 pm PST when Ky and Thomas sent their message, they covered a LOT of ground. You might want to compare today's map with yesterday's to see exactly how far they traveled.

The coordinates for tonight are Latitude 36 degrees 12 minutes, Longitude 118 degrees 9 minutes. They're somewhere near Anderson Point - you can see on the map where it's marked 8500 feet. Bet they've got a great view of the stars and the forest!

day seven: unexpected spa day

Today seemed like a pretty good day for Ky and Thomas. Not only have they hit the halfway point of their journey (around 10 am PST) but they had a bit of excitement - dodging smoke and a storm. (I'm not sure what the cause of the smoke was, but I'm sure when they return with their footage we'll find out!) By dinnertime - 6:57 PST - they had made it to Jordan Hot Springs, where they took a break and soaked in the spring. Lucky!

day seven: a good morning

This is the first time I've received morning texts from Ky and Thomas! They had breakfast around 9 am of dock, after sleeping on hard rock last night. And early in their hike, at about 10:16 am, they reached the halfway point of their hike. You can look it up at Latitude 36 degrees 10 minutes, Longitude 118 degrees 22 minutes. It's a little northeast of Upper Pyles Camp (which is right on the yellow trail), right along Osa Creek.

day six: part two

It's 10:08 pm and I just got another report. Ky and Thomas did continue hiking, pressing on a lot later than they normally do. According to Ky, they are at Kern Flats - and sound pretty exhausted.

The coordinates for their stopping point are Latitude 36 degrees 10 minutes, Longitude 118 degrees 22 minutes. Kern Flats is not listed on the map, but if you follow the yellow trail, it will be easy to figure out where they are.

day six: definitely in the wilderness

Just got the latest updates from Ky and Thomas, and this time their stopping location literally is in the middle of the wilderness. I can't find a landmark, other than the yellow trail, to tell you exactly where they are. So when you look at the detailed map, you'll want to use these coordinates - Latitude 36 degrees 12 minutes, Longitude 118 degrees 25 minutes.

They had another hard day, but this time they were also able to harvest a lot of food - a very good thing! Part of their findings went to their dinner of dock gruel and acorns at 5:21 pm PST.

I don't know if they're stopping for the night (the texts I received today came way earlier than they usually do), but if they send any more updates, I'll keep you posted!

day five: long days, but rewarding

Today's map from 8:49 am - "all the nights are freezing"

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Ky and Thomas have been very busy! The ending point for last night was around Sagebrush Gulch, which you can find on the last map near the yellow trail.

You may think that their hike has been in total isolation, but they met some ranger ladies on horseback that Ky described as "lovely." If only they were able to find food as easily as they found other people - there wasn't much on the trail yesterday, and they had wild onions and stinging nettle for a late dinner.

When you think that Ky and Thomas are starting their hikes at daybreak - roughly 6 or 7 am - and then ending fairly late at night - 8 pm or sometimes even 9 pm, they're pulling 10 hour days on little food, since their food supply depends on what nature provides for them that day. And Ky's latest report, sent today at 8:49 am, said that all the nights on the trip have been close to freezing or below.

Maps from September 20:

day four: in good spirits

Just got the latest update, as of 8:27 PST: "Longest hike yet! Tired and happy."

When you look at the maps, you can see they really have covered a lot of ground in the last four days. I'd put them somewhere in the Jenny Lakes Wilderness - when you look at the detailed map, it's about 2/3 down and 1/3 from the right in. Or you can use latitude 36 degrees 18 minutes, longitude -118 degrees 34 minutes to find their location.

Can't wait to see the video footage of what they're seeing! I bet it's gorgeous out there.

day three: a-frame camping

Ky and Thomas had a busy day yesterday - I received three messages from them at various points in their journey.

The first one was kind of funny - they found fish, but it wasn't as easy to catch them for food as they originally thought. The day wore them out but they were still in good spirits as they made their campsite. With a natural A-frame shelter and a cozy fire going, it sounds like it was a nice way to end their day.

I'm attaching their various mapped locations from yesterday, along with a more detailed map showing approximately where they are. From what I can tell, they camped near Hockett Lakes, somewhere along Tuohy Creek. (When you look at the last, detailed map, it would be in the top left hand corner. The coordinates are: Latitude 36 degrees 21 minutes, Longitude -118 degrees 40 minutes.)

While I'll keep posting their general maps/text messages, I'll refer to the more detailed maps from here on out to give you a better idea of where they are.

day two: in the beginning, there were berries

Just got an update from Ky and Thomas at 6:18 pm (PST) - "Stopping for the night. Full of berries. Tired."

If you look at the map you can see they're still fairly close to the start of the national forest, although they've made good progress in just a day and a half.

It will be exciting to hear their impressions of some of the more famous hiking areas, like King's Canyon and the John Muir Trail, which I'm sure they'll be coming across soon.

day one: starting out

It's official, they're on their way! Ky and Thomas just sent me their location using the DeLorme GPS Spot communicator, and so now we know exactly where they are! They're just east of Three Rivers, at the entrance to the Sequoia National Park. They've had a busy day gathering food at the start of the trail, but they were fortunate enough to harvest a large amount of chokecherry, acorns and baynuts, so they'll be eating well tonight.

As they travel, I'm going to take screenshots of their mapped locations so you have a sense of where they're going. Just click on the pictures if you want to enlarge the map.

the adventure begins

Hi! This is Rachanee, Ky's assistant and the gal who will be relaying the adventures that Ky and Thomas will have on this awesome trip.

Ky and Thomas tested out their equipment over the last few days and we're glad to say, everything is working smoothly. I'm going to be able to share with you not only their thoughts on the hike, what they're seeing and experiencing, but also their exact location at a given time. So you'll be able to follow along (with online maps, or using good old-fashioned longitude and latitude on paper for you map-savvy types) on their journey.

I can tell you that our intrepid duo left for the launch site today. They'll be getting in some last minute training before they head out this week.

Keep an eye on this hike journal for the latest updates!

Heading out...

Sitting at the computer now, I can hardly think of what to write about. So many thoughts rushing through my head. This is it - the time when words have to be turned into actions. It's been easy to talk about doing this hike but it is now time to commit. My emotions change between being so excited to be out there in the wild, having the adventure of a lifetime and living from moment to moment on our wits and knowledge to being nervous about whether I packed enough batteries for the cameras or if we will find the sustenance to be comfortable on this 125 mile hike. Will I get enough sleep without my comfy camp mattress and will the reflector wall for the fire keep me warm at night? Have I prepared physically enough? I lost 5 pounds from working on Pirates of the Caribbean which most girls would rejoice at but it is not a good state to be in when heading out on a survival hike. But all these things aside, I just want to begin. I want to be doing and exploring and adventuring. My assistant Rachanee will be updating this site with short messages that we can send from the wilds so you the blogs will continue. I look forward to sharing my experiences with you all on my return...

The wonders of technology :)

In my 24 hours off from Pirates 4, I managed to head up north to join Thomas in Tehachapi to check out all the technology we will be taking on the hike. We loaded up our backpacks with Sony handheld cameras, solar rolls and power inverters and Thomas mounted his Go Pro camera on his hat and I tried out the chest strap mounting and we headed out for a hike. Once out there we tried to download our footage into a storage unit and hooked all electrical equipment to the solar roll to make sure all attachments worked and charged. The Go Pro helmet cameras were a real success. We did learn the best angles for the 'hat cam' and the 'chest cam' - too much sky is not so good, too much hat doesn't work either :). The stills camera took awesome photos and our Sony CX550 was an incredible HD video camera. Gorgeous footage and all automatic so takes the guess work out of filming. The solar roll has such power and I am really impressed with it but we have realized that much of our rest breaks will be filled with charging and recharging all the equipment we are carrying. We will need to be really on it. We found the gaps in our equipment and ordered more stuff online that night from a local restaurant. Hopefully UPS delivers quickly :)

Foiled by nature... (just a little)

As part of our preparations, Thomas headed north to check out the state of the acorn bloom. We are very reliant on the first leg of this journey on the acorn bloom to make bread for the first few days of hiking. If we were going in spring, we could head out any old time and feast on the huge range of flora but after summer, pickings are slim. This is the time when the hunter/gatherers of old would eat foods stockpiled from spring and summer hunting. We don't have that luxury. The blooms are a little later this year so we have delayed the hike by 5 days. The start date is now the 15th of September. I hope that you will all still join us then... - Ky

Techno - phobe

I have come to realize that the first thing that goes with me in the event of extreme fatigue is my problem solving ability. This is good to know as I am assuming that in the event of a true survival situation, I may very well be fatigued :). Luckily this affliction only seems to affect my problem solving ability when it comes to technology. Thanks to our sponsors, Brunton solar roll and Go Pro Cameras, the technology for the trip is coming together. However, I have found myself time after time, holding the pieces of technology and staring vaguely at the plugs and wondering how on earth they will fit together. Which button does what and how come all the instructions seem to be written in gibberish even when it says English on the title. Thank goodness for Thomas' patient explanations and encouragement and the fact that I have a week and a half to figure it all out before we leave. If I can't figure out this technology, then all this preparation, indeed the walk itself, will be for nothing. Then again, if I can figure it all out with this level of sleep deprivation, then it should be no problem to figure out on the hike itself ;) - Ky

Feeling the crunch...

I looked at my phone today and noticed the date. The 24th of August! We are almost at the end of August and scheduled to do this adventure on the 10th September. Time is flying by towards d-day and I feel slightly unorganized. I think it's the fact I am shooting at night right now. It leaves my days a little fuzzy but when I look at my lists of things to do, I seem on top of it all. Thomas is busy running classes with his school too so there is hardly any time to communicate about what needs to be done still but our hurried phone calls and texts seem to be on the right track. Probably just pre-trip nerves. It comes with the territory of being a perfectionist I guess. I like everything to be over-organized and will stress till it is. The most relaxing part of this whole journey may well be the hike itself :) - Ky

Never enough time in the day...

So I am really feeling the time crunch now. I have just begun working on Pirates of the Caribbean 4 and have been told that I will be working every night until 4 days before we leave on the hike. Now night shoots are hard enough but to have no days off to organize anything else for HFS has left me a little nervous. The toss up now comes between getting enough sleep or forgoing sleep in order to train and prepare for the hike. Hhhmmm... There may need to be a bit of both.

People think that being fit is being fit but for every different activity there is a completely different set of muscles that work for it. I may be swimming fit at the end of the next 2 weeks but not hiking fit. And we need to be moving fast when we hike this trail. I can't afford to be too sore to put in a long day or holding Thomas back. I'll let you know how I figure this out :) - Ky

Outa Ware clothing

We have just been so fortunate to secure sponsorship with a truly all American apparel company. Andrew Tuller from Outa Ware (www.outaware.com) has kindly agreed to sponsor us by donating a full set of goretex rain gear, hard wearing traveling pants and warm fleece jackets. This is even more incredible when you realize that Andrew makes all his gear by hand from scratch in his Montana factory. The reviews for his gear are amazing with people saying they have never worn better outdoor gear that fits them more perfectly. He tailors for every different body type. Please check out his site and support small made in America businesses. Thanks - Ky

Lowa Boots

We are so fortunate to have Lowa Boots come on board as our shoe of choice for the hike. Their boots are awesome European made hiking boots of the highest quality. I am sure that we will be totally thankful for their gore-tex lining and thick vibram soles on the 125 mile journey. Check them out at www.lowaboots.com. Thanks so much Lowa. - Ky

This little Aussie may be in trouble....

About a month ago sleeping out in tents was like a trip to the sauna. So when originally planning this trip I had little concern for sleeping without a tent or sleeping bag. Having just slept out last night in a tent, I can tell you, I am in trouble!!!! I had a sleeping bag and a tent and still I woke in the middle of the night FREEZING! The nights have got much colder now and that is not even at altitude, so I can't imagine how frigid it's going to be as we cross the 4 mountain passes that stand between us and our goal. The plan is to build shelters each night but that takes time. A good windproof shelter can take at least 3 hours to build and that is if there are good materials around for it. With shelter building and gathering enough food to burn in the cold, we may be hard pressed to find time to hike the 125 miles. It has made me even more determined to make sure that the products we wear and use are the very best American made products we can find. The hunt is on for warmth :) - Ky

Skills training for this trip...

People often hear about the description of this trip and ask me if I'm mad. Just a pocket knife? But how will you eat? Where will you sleep? What about the bears? The really cool thing about this trip that Thomas and I are undertaking is that the land will provide. I am so fortunate to have Thomas as my co-host on this trip as he brings to this adventure a whole range knowledge that will not only make for a successful trip, but it should be a relatively comfortable trip too. Check out the amazing survival skills that Thomas has been teaching me at his YouTube site: http://www.youtube.com/user/STSCThomas

Now I know that this doesn't answer the bear question but at this stage I am choosing to focus on all the positives :) - Ky

Sleep issues

Having just returned from some more North American plant identification training with Thomas I have identified what I think is my biggest concern about the whole adventure - Sleep deprivation. I love sleeping outdoors but even with a tent and a comfy air bed it takes a few nights to get used to the whole experience. Then there is the sleeping on a thin camp mattress which takes even more getting used to and, I have to admit, my hips do ache a little sometimes. We are taking this sleeping outdoors thing to a whole new level on our trip. No sleeping bags, no camp mats and no tents. Does this mean 12 or more nights of no sleep? Or really bad sleep? How am I supposed to function like that and make survival decisions in a haze of sleep deprivation? Or maybe it's like anything and I will just adapt and soon sleeping on the ground will feel normal and a bed will feel too soft? How will Thomas and I get along if we are cranky from lack of sleep? And most people would have thought I was most concerned about bears! :) - Ky

Leatherman Multi-tool comes on board

The nature of this survival hike is such that the most important tool we will be carrying is our pocket knife. To this end we sought a solid knife that had all the necessary implements on it. Leatherman is made in Oregon, USA and will be supplying us with their very best outdoor tools for the journey. Our very first sponsors, with more companies getting interested every day. How exciting! - Ky

So very excited today. Our official website for Hike for Survival is up and running. It has been a bit of an office slog to get it all going but I am very proud of the end product. - Ky

HFS photo shoot

Thomas and I had a long hot day with amazing photographer, Teren Oddo, in a canyon in Malibu yesterday. We hiked and jumped and played with survival items in order to get some new photos for the website. It was just like a normal day for us except when we stopped playing, someone came and fixed my make-up for me :). It was Thomas' first photo shoot ever which is always a nerve wracking experience. He did really well and held back the "blue steel" until after the shot was taken. Watch the gallery for some of the shots from the shoot. Coming soon...

introduction

Welcome to the Hike For Survival blog. This is where Thomas and I’ll keep you updated leading up to the challenge and hopefully (should technology pan out) during the hike itself. It is where you will read about our fears, our excitement, our own personal training - both physical and mental, our preparations and all our innermost thoughts concerning this massive undertaking. It is where you will be able to experience the journey as if you were along with us for the ride. It will be an adventure. It will be the most challenging thing either of us has done. It will be a beautiful journey through some of the most pristine outdoor areas that California has to offer. It will be a Hike for Survival…