Here is a copy of the article from the Valley Times:
Published Sunday,
By Melissa Moy
TIMES STAFF WRITER
PLEASANTON -- After returning from a 41/2-month hike that included crossing rivers and climbing mountainous terrain in remote areas, Ken and Marcia Powers are ready to relive the experience right away.
Well, at least she is. She contemplates taking another trek on the 2,638-mile Pacific Crest Trail that would this time go north to south. The rugged trail begins near the Mexican border and ends in Canada and includes the scenic and remote crests of the Cascade Range and Sierra Nevada.
"Hmmmm. ... The changing seasons would make it challenging," said Marcia Powers, who preferred to try a new trail.
The sparkle in her eyes and the energy and excitement she exuded while describing the trip is in contrast to her husband's calm, laid-back demeanor. But both are enthusiastic about hiking.
The Pleasanton couple, who had never been on an "extended vacation or an adventure trip," picked the Pacific Crest Trail because they wanted a challenge. Long-distance hikers need to have discipline, mental strength and physical strength to handle the distance, remoteness and changes in altitude, they said.
They have active lifestyles. Marcia Powers, 53, is an avid runner and typically takes daily runs of 71/2 miles and 11 miles on the weekends. Ken Powers, 55, enjoys hiking and camping and has been involved with Boy Scouts leadership for 12 years.
The experience has given the couple a deeper appreciation for nature and has inspired them to continue embarking on bigger and better trails.
Marcia Powers recalled her first week-long hiking experience at Henry Coe State Park near Morgan Hill. "It hailed, it snowed, we had lightning and waded through water," she enthused. "It was dramatic weather, and I loved it. I just knew I was supposed to be a backpacker."
The couple began training for the Pacific Crest Trail by taking daily 10-mile hikes around Pleasanton, including the Pleasanton Ridge, gradually adding more weight to their backpacks to develop stamina. Later they would take hikes on the Dipsea and Ohlone Wilderness trails and at Mount Diablo and at Henry Coe state parks.
About their hikes along Bernal and Valley avenues, she said, "People were starting to notice us. They'd stare and ask, 'What are you doing? You look like you're training for something.' We are!"
With the Pacific Crest Trail in mind, the couple tackled the John Muir Trail -- a 225-mile stretch through the High Sierras that ranges from elevations of 4,000 to 10,000 feet -- for the second time. Then he took an early retirement from Chevron, and later she quit teaching private flute lessons.
By January, the couple began evaluating their equipment and searching for light, durable items in addition to stockpiling supplies such as 30 pounds of raisins and dozens of boxes of hot chocolate and dried goods.
The couple also took several classes that included emergency medical training and wilderness survival.
In order to complete the trail before winter, they began hiking May 1 near the Mexican border in Southern California. They averaged 22 to 25 miles a day and once traveled 32 miles.
The couple learned to add olive oil, raisins and brown sugar to most of their food for extra calories. Fresh food such as fruits and cheese were not always easy to find. They ate most of their meals while hiking or made quick meals using a lightweight Snow Peak giga-power butane stove -- "so tiny it collapses and fits in a mug."
Some of the physical challenges included icy water crossings -- through which 5-foot-6 Marcia could barely keep her chin above water -- and vertical passes that required ice axes. They kept a quick pace and once forded 15 waterways in two days.
Meeting other hikers and "helpers" -- usually locals who offer rides and meals -- were the "most fascinating part of the journey." The friendly encounters "renew your faith in Americans," Marcia Powers said.
Sometimes the pair met solo or group hikers, including a British headmaster, students and seniors. They found company with a few hikers from Berkeley, Hayward and Walnut Creek, two of whom were also "through hikers" like the Powers, hiking a trail in its entirety.
But for the most part, they hiked alone and did not tire of each other's company.
"You need to backpack with someone who has the same style, same hiking speed and eating habits," Marcia Powers said. "When there's only one person, you're really willing to forgive and not willing to discuss anything that bothers you. The hardest part for us was deciding what time of day to quit, when one would want to continue and the other didn't."
They even celebrated their 33rd anniversary with the "luxury" of espressos and a newspaper.
The Powers said they did not miss civilization too much, except for the news. She said she missed her Palm Pilot, and he said he missed ice. Next time, they'd like to bring a pocket-sized e-mail machine or a tape recorder.
At home, their family and friends noted their progress via their Web site. A friend posted short journal entries accompanied by photos. When the couple resupplied every few days, they would send rolls of film home.
They finished their trip Sept. 21 at Manning Park in Canada.
Now they are enjoying their family, friends and favorite restaurants. However, returning home is somewhat of a "rude shock," Marcia Powers said, and she's wary of going to crowded malls and megastores.
The couple are now searching for an "SUV that gets us into the mountains" and have already ordered an environmental plate: "PCT2000."
But the couple is also contemplating a hiking trip to France next fall, and they still have their eyes on the Continental Divide, Appalachian and Discovery trails, which span the U.S. coasts. And New Zealand, Australia, Europe and the Southern Hemisphere beckon.
"I want to keep up an active lifestyle," Marcia Powers said. "I don't want to sit around in a rocking chair."
"What's wrong with rocking chairs?" Ken Powers said with a smile.
Hiking to a scenic area, pitching a tent and then rocking in some chairs would be OK, she conceded.
Melissa Moy covers Pleasanton.
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