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Pleasanton hiking couple to share tales from the trail

Monday, November 24, 2003

KEN and Marcia Powers enjoy sharing photos and stories from their long-distance hikes almost as much as they enjoy their hikes in the great outdoors.

The adventuresome duo recently joined a small and elite group of hikers when they completed the Triple Crown of long-distance hikes -- the Pacific Crest, Continental Divide and Appalachian trails.

The Pleasanton couple will share their trail tales tonight at the Pleasanton library and on Dec. 4 at Sunrise Mountain Sports in Pleasanton.

"Every time we do the slide show, it's like we're reliving it again," Marcia Powers said. "It's very exciting and wonderful for us.

"There are an incredible number of people who are armchair travelers. I want people to get out there and enjoy the woods. A lot of people have no intention of going out there, but this is a way of enjoying the whole experience vicariously."

Ken Powers, a retired database analyst for Chevron, has long been an avid hiker with his two sons' Boy Scout troops.

When the boys were grown, Marcia, a retired flute teacher, got the hiking bug. The duo's first long-distance hike was in 1998, when they tackled the strenuous 212-mile John Muir Trail from Yosemite to the top of Mt. Whitney, the highest point in the lower 48 states.

The scenic hike left the couple longing for more, so they researched and planned for a months-long journey in 2000 on the Pacific Crest Trail, which runs from Mexico to Canada through California, Oregon and Washington. It took them nearly five months to complete the 2,658-mile trail.

The next quest was the Continental Divide Trail, a more challenging trek because much of the relatively new trail wasn't completed. The 2,800-mile Mexico-to-Canada trail took five months to complete in 2002.

The Powers didn't waste any time completing the elusive trifecta of long-distance hiking by completing the 2,174-mile Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine this year.

The three National Scenic Trails are considered the Triple Crown of long-distance hiking.

"It's quite an accomplishment," Ken proudly stated.

"There are 37 people on the official list who have done it. We know some people who have done it but aren't on the list. We're not on the list. There are probably fewer than 50 people who have done it."

Folks who fantasize about hiking the national trails can live vicariously through the Powers' experiences during their two-hour slide presentation.

"You're going 8,000 miles in two hours," Ken noted. "There are a lot of stories and a lot of pictures."

The Powers have a strong support group, which includes their sons and several friends.

The couple packs several boxes of food and gear that are shipped to them at specific points along their routes.

They've honed their skills so that each carries a backpack weighing less than 30 pounds, including the food, water, clothing and camping gear.

The Pacific Crest and Continental Divide trails run through sparsely populated areas. The Appalachian Trail, the granddaddy of the three, frequently passes through or near towns. Many day hikers join the route for short jaunts, making it the most populous long-distance trail in the country.

"On my report card, I'd get a check on the part that says, 'Does not hike well with others,'" Marcia said with a chuckle. "We just like to hike by ourselves. When you hike with other people, you talk and you don't notice what you're passing. You also make joint decisions. We did lots of that this summer."

A side trip into town for a burger and fries easily shaves two hours of hiking time from the day. The couple averaged at least 20 miles a day on their previous two treks. Their daily mileage dropped to an average of 17 on the more populated Appalachian Trail, which took five months to hike.

Despite the distractions, the Powers enjoyed the many people they met on the Appalachian.

"We met people from all over the world," Ken marveled. "We hiked with an Irish Catholic priest and a girl who had just gotten out of the Israeli army. We finished with a man from New Zealand."

Marcia estimated they each burn a whopping 5,000 to6,000 calories a day when they hike. They snack on high-calorie, lightweight foods such at Pop Tarts, Snickers and trail mix as they walk. Meals often consist of macaroni and cheese with olive oil for the added calories and fat.

They quickly learned on their first hike that they must eat at least every two hours to maintain their energy. Despite their near-constant eating, they still lose a great deal of weight on each trip.

"You just can't eat that much," Ken said. "You can't carry that much food."

"If you see somebody way too skinny and too brown, you know they're doing something physical like us," Marcia added.

The Continental Divide was the most challenging trail, and the Pacific Crest Trail was the most scenic, Ken said. The Appalachian Trail had more steep climbs, including many places where they were forced to climb sheer granite rocks that jutted at least 30 feet straight up toward the sky.

"It's called bouldering," Ken explained. "You use your hands to pull yourself up the rocks. We did that from Pennsylvania on. We'd heard that (the Appalachian) was harder, but we didn't expect that much (bouldering)."

The couple will share some of their many trail tales, such as the time on the Appalachian when a hot, humid day left them longing for a refreshing cold Pepsi.

"When we got to the next road crossing, someone had left a cooler of cold Pepsis," Marcia said. "It's called trail magic. It's from people who have hiked in the past and have been recipients of trail magic. Or maybe it's people who want to be hikers and just like to do that. It really is cool."

Though Ken, 59, is reluctant to commit to another long hike, Marcia, 56, admitted they're already eyeballing the nation's newest trail -- a 5,000-mile trek that starts at Point Reyes and ends in Delaware.

"Some people have personalities that after they've done something, they just want a little bigger challenge," Marcia said.

"We're like that. More is more fun."

The Powers will present their hiking slide show at 7:30 p.m. today at the Pleasanton library, 400 Old Bernal Ave. There is no charge.

The Dec. 4 presentation is a fund-raiser for the Livermore-Amador Symphony. Tickets are $10 per person, with all proceeds going to the symphony. The slide show will be at 8 p.m. Dec. 4 at Sunrise Mountain Sports, 2455 Railroad Ave., in Livermore. Tickets can be bought at the store or by calling 443-9997.

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