Hooked on Hiking

Trekking trails is more than a hobby for this Pleasanton couple

by Cathy Jetter

Ken and Marcia Powers are hiking veterans of close to 9,000 miles, having traversed snow-covered mountain ranges, barren deserts and acres of wilderness. But ask them to name their most frightening moment on the trail and they relate a night of strange noises that turned out to be two trees blowing together in the wind.

Later Marcia recalls a time they were on the Continental Divide Trail, which has nearly 900 miles that must be navigated without a defined trail.

"Ken had not put on enough layers, and the weather turned really bad - sleet and hail," she says. "We were unsure of our position, had no shelter, and it was apparent that Ken was becoming hypothermic. He had lost the use of his hands, and was not thinking clearly."

When it is pointed out that this, perhaps, is a bit more frightening than the tree story, Ken and Marcia just laugh.

"No, no, no," says Marcia. "We are prepared for situations like that! Hiking is all about assessment and action. We know how to make choices in survival situations. We didn't know what that noise was. We weren't prepared for it."

There is certainly not much else on the trail for which they are unprepared. Since discovering the world of hiking six years ago, they have become devoted members of the backpacking culture, even completing the Triple Crown of hiking by conquering the three revered trails of North America: the Pacific Crest Trail, the Continental Divide Trail and the Appalachian Trail.

It all began in October 1998, to celebrate Marcia's 50th birthday. The Powerses climbed one side of Mount Whitney, a 22-mile day-hike. As they reached the summit and surveyed the quiet beauty of the other side, the duo was immediately inspired to plan their first backpacking quest. The following April, the weeklong excursion along the John Muir Trail was a success and the pair was permanently hooked on hiking.

What prompted the Powers to attempt that most lofty of hiking goals, the Triple Crown?

"Some people have their adventures during summer breaks, or after they finish college," says Ken. "We waited until we had raised our children and put them through college. Now we are just doing what we love to do."

This feat takes more than a love of exploring the great outdoors. Months of preparation include packaging and labeling food to be mailed for pickup at post offices along the way. Supplies to be carried must be refined down to the last necessary ounce. Routes must be mapped, as well as alternate routes and alternate-alternate routes.

"The weather plays a big part in planning our hikes," Ken says, referring to their adventures of several thousand miles. "We have to be prepared to spend months thinking we will go one way, and then just before we begin our trip, be organized enough to start from where we thought we would be ending."

The Pacific Crest Trail, which they conquered in 2000, was the first leg of their three-part quest. This 2,600-mile trail following the mountains of the West Coast from Canada to Mexico was, they say, "The trip of a lifetime."

Tahoe and Europe were the settings for shorter treks in 2001. The year 2002 brought the Continental Divide Trail into their sights. It runs 3,000 miles and divides the United States through Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado and New Mexico. With Ken's family in his home state of Idaho and Marcia's family in Montana, this trip was an opportunity to visit kin and get their yearly trail fix.

While the final trail of the Triple Crown, the Appalachian, did not "call to them" as the others had, they figured with two down, they couldn't pass up completing hiking's hallmark. The Appalachian crosses 14 states in 2,160 miles from Georgia to Maine and is too crowded for the Powers.

"Although it is beautiful," sighs Marcia, "the trail is never more than a couple of miles from the road. There are weekend campers and section hikers everywhere. Part of the appeal of hiking, for us, is the wilderness and the isolation. You just can't find that on the Appalachian."

Each trail of the Triple Crown takes four to five months to complete. Every day of these journeys, Ken and Marcia aimed to put 20 miles on the soles of their boots. They did this on a regimented schedule, knowing even before they left their Pleasanton home what they would be doing at any time, on any given day.

"We got up before dawn, packed and had breakfast," states Marcia, as she recalls details of the adventures. "We were on the trail by first light. We had a snack mid-morning, we ate lunch, and at 4 p.m. we always had 'tea,' which consists of Gatorade and Snickers. One half hour before sundown we found a spot to camp, cooked dinner and fell asleep."

Did they ever get bored at night - no books, no television, just each other for company? "Never," says Ken. "We are way too tired to be bored."

From time to time they do meet others on the trails, which is fine for a while, but the Powers prefer to hike alone. They follow the hiker's creed, "Hike Your Own Hike," which is not meant to be isolating, but encouraging.

"Every hiker has their own set of rules to travel by," Marcia says. "For example, some people send their backpacks on ahead of them when it is possible. They are called 'slackpackers.' Ken and I want to be 'backpackers.' Backpackers carry all their own equipment. But everyone has their own way of doing things, and we respect the way anyone chooses to enjoy this sport."

This includes the fact that the Powerses are "thru-hikers," starting the trail at one end and finishing at the other. Some hikers, "section hikers," tackle the trails in segments, taking years to complete a trail.

Even isolated trails will, at times, run into hostels, roads and towns. The crowd-avoiding Powerses are occasionally grateful for this.

"Any town we stop in needs to have a few things," says Ken. "A restaurant, a grocery store, laundromat, post office and a telephone." These stops give Ken and Marcia a chance to restock their supplies, clean their clothes (they do laundry in their raingear so everything can get washed), enjoy a good meal, and especially to check in with their sons, Luke and Adam.

"The hardest part of being on the trail is missing family and friends," says Marcia. "Cell phones don't work on most of the trail, and even if they did - where would you charge the batteries?"

What else do they miss? "Peaches, watermelon and tomatoes," cites Marcia. Ken simply says, "Ice!"

When they return home from their five-month "vacations," Ken and Marcia head for burritos and pizza. Once they have reconnected with loved ones, sorted through the multiple bags of mail, and caught up with the "real world," a sort of sadness can come upon them, they say.

"Hiking is addictive," says Marcia. "After months alone in the wild, at first it can be hard to be home. We feel an emptiness, maybe even a little depressed."

The best cure, they say, is to start planning another adventure.

They are currently contemplating a 5,000-mile trek called the American Discovery Trail. "It would take us about eight months to complete," says Ken. "We would start on the East Coast, in Delaware, and end up in Point Reyes." The amount of planning this adventure will take is enormous, they point out, but their eyes light up and they laugh with excitement as they talk about the possibilities.

In the meantime, the Powerses will walk to coffee with friends, spend time with family, and complete the East Bay Regional Park Trail Challenge - their own way, of course.

"There are 20 trails in the East Bay Regional Park System; the longest is 12 miles. The Challenge is to complete five of those trails in eight months," explains Ken. "We are going to walk all 20 in one month."

The couple also uses their knowledge and experience to help other hikers plan for the tests of the trails.

"Lots of times people don't know what they are getting themselves into," says Marcia, thoughtfully. "The term 'hiking' is very misleading. Preparation is key to surviving trails like those of the Triple Crown, not just completing them."

They have a Web site, www.gottawalk.com, where aspiring hikers can view what the Powerses packed for each of their trips, and what they feel is, and is not, essential equipment.

Recently they traveled to Southern California to share their expertise with anxious beginners setting out on the Pacific Crest Trail.

"We are always surprised by people's failure to adequately plan for an undertaking of this magnitude," says Ken. "This year, we discovered one young man who didn't have a sleeping bag or a tent packed. He thought he would just head out - that it is warm this time of year."

"People took pity on him," adds Marcia. "Before he left, everyone made sure he had what he needed. Experienced hikers are like that - they love the sport, and they want people to be successful on the trails."

They can only hope he doesn't camp next to any noisy trees.

More about trails

National Trails Day is Saturday, June 5, and many events are taking place throughout the Bay Area. Visit www.americanhiking.org for more information. The East Bay Regional Parks District's Web site has local trail information; visit www.ebparks.org. Ken and Marcia Powers can be contacted through their Web site, www.gottawalk.com.

For problems or questions regarding this website contact Ken Powers . Leave the Subject as is or the email will be automatically deleted.

Last updated: 07/09/08 .