K'lena Update #3 4-30-25

We have a few new people so welcome! (We're up to over 70 following now! This still blows me and K'lena away!) 

Let's try a Blog...

I took the plunge and decided to test out a blog....... please visit the following link and follow the blog! When I write a new post I'll send you all the link and you can visit the site. Give me feedback if you don't like this style. We're still trying to figure it all out! Follow along here: hikingherstory.blogspot.com 

The first 2 updates are also on the Blog as well. 

Saturday, April 26th The Tramily got back on the trail around 10am our time (8am her time as planned). I kind of expected to hear from her Tuesday, April 29th as that's when I thought she would be arriving in Warner Springs. I was a day off apparently. I don't know what I was thinking?!  

Monday, April 28th

Actually I did try to text K'lena to check in, but it was alerting me that she was only connected via satelite GPS so I wasn't sure if it would go thru.. I did text her and asked how it was going and said you must be off the grid. From conversation on Tuesday, April 29th with my dad she did end up in Warner Springs on Monday and got her sleeping bag. She chose to send her sleeping quilt up to another destination. (Unknown detail to me for what location & didn't get to ask her if that cost or not) 

Tuesday, April 29th

I did receive a text back from last night's message around 11:30am..... I was working an event and she said yep, no cell service last night! Followed by 6 other text messages..... now keep in mind I'm working an event serving food and taking donations for Seward County. My phone is just going crazy with her texts, phone calls from my husband and other people trying to reach me about this event, and email alerts from my job. I had to pause and look at my phone quickly because I thought something was wrong and someone was trying to get ahold of me. All I could really read on the front screen was "had a crazy night" then one that said "IT WAS SO BIG"........ then my dad text me "Did K3 call and tell you about last night?...It is a story for the ages" so I left them until I could read and process what was happening.

"K" System

If you are not familiar with the "K" system..... let me explain......Our parents would get tongue tied when calling our names so we go by:

K1= me, Katie

K2= my brother, Kolten

K3= my sister, K'lena

Now you'll know if I say K3 in a text thread..... it's just easier in the family group chat 

Back to the story..... 

CRAZY NIGHT! ....... What do you think happened? What do you think was so big? My mind immediately went to a nasty snake! K'lena told me her fear was a rattlesnake so immediately my mind started panicking.....I'm still serving the event and can't read my text messages until about 1:30pm...... man my mind is just filled with all kinds of what ifs  and what was it?! Finally 1:30pm rolls around....we're finishing up the event, but I have about 3 other errands to run then back to work. I had to take a few minutes to read the messages.... 

"Had a monster of a mouse on my FACE last night!" 

"Threw it off of me"

"IT WAS SO BIG!"...................

FOR REAL?! I wasn't thinking of a mouse, but ok maybe not so bad right? My questions....But how big was it?! How long had it been in there? How did it get in her tent? So many questions are circling in my head! 

"Then it went to Jenna's tent and ate a massive hole through her tent and some of her food!"

Again....so many questions and because I had to wait so long to respond to her text I sit here and update this blog while I waited for her to answer! I asked for a photo and to call me to tell me the story over the phone....so more to come! I guess I'd rather have a mouse than a snake, but on my face?! NO THANK YOU! 

K'lena did text me off her GPS tracker and said she would try to call tomorrow (Wednesday, April 30th), but no guarantees. Cell service is VERY LIMITED right now. I can't wait to hear her side and how animated she will be over the phone about the situation! 

**After my phone conversation with K'lena (you'll see below with a pretty interesting story) they stayed with a Trail Angel Tuesday, April 29th. "Mike's House"- She made herself eat some of the food that she had packed in her bag to get a small amount of weight off and the host made them pizza. She didn't talk much more about this. Our phone call was pretty short. They will also stay at another Trail Angels house tonight Wednesday, April 30. 

Wednesday, April 30th 

The tracker alerted me about 9:15am (our time) that she started her journey. She ended up calling me about 11am (our time). They were in a spot with cell service and they had stopped for a break and some shade. 

Here is what happened...... 

K'lena was "cowboy camping" on Monday night. She had already made it thru Warner Springs and had called it a night. Cowboy camping is where you sleep with no tent, just your sleeping bag/quilt pad or a sheet and you in the open gazing upon the stars. She closed her eyes and had been in and out of it for a little while. She thought she was dreaming and all of a sudden felt something on her face...threw it off and looked and in the bushes there was a huge mouse just staring at her! This all happened around 8:30pm so not too long after she had been in and out of it. Still not sure if she was dreaming or if this was really happening. So she decided to set up her tent. The mouse just kind of hung around the area. Then once she got all set up she could hear the mouse trying to get into her tent so she took her headlamp and turned it on and pointed it in the direction and it finally left. I don't know about you, but I wouldn't be sleeping much after that experience. Let's be honest......I'm more of a glamper...I need a camper with a bed, AC or heat, and a bathroom! Kudos to those who tent camp or cowboy camp! The story CONTINUES.... K'lena got up and went about her morning routine and then Jenna appeared and she told her the story of what happened....NO WAY!!! Jenna then tells her at 3am she was woken up to a HUGE mouse in her tent! It had eaten some trash outside the front of the tent then it went to the back of the tent and ate a massive hole. Then it tore into her food bag. Jenna had been so excited to eat these specific fruit pies....welp not now! The mouse had gotten into them and there was jelly all over the tent and the food bag. Can you imagine?!

K'lena was pretty animated when she was telling the story.... I just can't imagine! I did ask....so Jenna didn't hear you screaming originally and you didn't hear Jenna making a fuss over the mouse at 3am? She said no because when they are able to spread out when sleeping/camping overnight they try to get some space and spread out. So Jenna was a little further down from her. 

Blast from the past....

This reminds me of a funny story back in 2015 when a mouse, K'lena, and a van were involved..... K'lena was watching my son, Creighton (he would have only been about 5-6 months at the time. It was New Years Eve and I had to work until Noon and she was watching Creighton at my house that morning. I had gone home to pick her and Creighton up to take her home. We had a van at the time. I was driving down the gravel road and thought I saw something in the rear view mirror but it just was a quick blur so I didn't think anything of it. Probably just dust or a rock that threw up in the air behind us. Then I saw it again, A MOUSE..... the little brown fur ball was just sitting on the 3rd row headrest. I'm trying not to crash and stay calm, but know I will freak out if that nasty mouse comes up front. I said "K'lena, don't freak out, but there is a mouse in the back seat. I need you to turn around and make sure it doesn't get in Creighton's car seat and watch where it goes!"......Instant FREAK OUT & panic mode! She grabbed all her items off the floor of the van and got her legs up on the seat. (I think she was thinking there was no way the mouse could climb onto HER seat!) She turned around to watch and we called my dad telling him to be prepared to catch the mouse when we got to their house. We pulled up to my parents house, opened the sliding door, grabbed the car seat, and my dad got in the van. He had traps and a fishing net. He was able to get the mouse into the fishing net and was able to take care of it. Sorry K'lena, dad wasn't there to save you with the fishing net this time! Ha ha 

Upcoming destination....

They plan to be in Idyllwild by/on Saturday. I'm not sure how long they will stay there/details. I expect to hear from her when they arrive/have better cell service/etc. Because of the cell service there has not been any photos added to our photo album so I don't have anything to share with you yet. When we were talking she was constantly saying "hi" to people and "I'm just talking to my sister, go ahead sit down."- so I'm guessing the Tramily is still together and there was probably not a lot of shade in this area they had stopped. 

The PCT is all about planning......planning your destinations but also your water sources! 

Today, Wednesday, April 30- Hike 16 miles when I talked to her 11am our time they had already gone 4 miles

Thursday, May 1 - Hike 15 miles

Friday, May 2- Hike 14 miles

+ whatever they had hiked already this week between Warner Springs and their location now. There is NOT a lot of water in the area they are in now. They are hiking that many miles so they can get to the water caches to hydrate so they don't have to pack so much water so they don't have to pack that much weight. 

Until next time....I didn't have a lot to share, but that's how it goes. At least maybe you'll laugh over the mouse?! Hopefully next week I'll have an update from the weekend and other things along the way. Talk to you soon! 

K'lena Update #2 4-25-25

 

First off I am BLOWN AWAY! We are up to 68 people on this email thread of updates..... THANK YOU all for taking this journey with K'lena! 

I guess maybe these updates are going to be lengthy..... so much information to share! Maybe they will all be like this? Maybe they will get shorter? We will see how this goes...this is something new to me and out of my comfort zone. Happy Reading....  

Correction:

I have spelled their new friends' name wrong in my original update. Her name is Nohemy. (don't want to confuse you with a new spelling- it's the same person) 

Random things that K'lena sends or photos that are in a family album that we can see: 

-- "Tramily" = a group that hikes, camps, goes into towns together. There was a photo of the Tramily hiking.... Jenna (original hiking partner- they became friends at the rock wall when they climbed), Nohemy (from California, quit her job as a talent recruiter for an engineering company), Larissa (same age as Jenna & K'lena. Lived in New Zealand this past year), Johannes (German, just graduated from University. He's got a job lined up in Germany as a Civil Engineer), & K'lena. It will be interesting to see who else they all meet up with and all their trail names and if the 5 of them stick together the whole trip. 

- Trail Names: Everyone gets a trail name at some point on the trail. K'lena hasn't gotten her trail name yet. What do you think it will be?! 

Jenna: Jailbreak. Jenna has been recovering from knee issues & has a knee brace that she wears on and off throughout the day. When she's not wearing it it sits around her ankle & gives the appearance of an ankle monitor. That same morning we named her that, she tried crawling through a cow gate rather than opening the gate (she was tired) & so that solidified the name for her. 

Nohemy & Johannes doesn't have a trail name yet. 

Larissa: Chopsticks. When Larissa came to California, she forgot her trekking poles in Idaho. So she bought new ones. Then, when she started the PCT, she forgot them...again. Her tent requires trekking poles to set up, so she spent the first night attempting to rig her tent up with bushes in the rain. She definitely won't be forgetting them again! 

- Water 

She got water from a water cache recently. There was a photo that I eliminated from this update of what the bottom of the tank looks like....NASTY! She said it did filter out clean BUT it tasted HORRIBLE! The other water sources she's had hasn't been like this one. Water is also the heaviest thing in her pack. 1 liter is 2.2 pounds. The biggest water carry has been 4 liters, so 8.8 pounds in just water. She has the capacity to carry 6.5 liters. 

Zero/Zero Day: hiking zero miles in a day, usually when you go into town and stay 2 nights. 

Wednesday, April 23rd 7:41pm text from K'lena: 

"The chances of me mentally making it through the night are very low"

Dad: "What's wrong?"

K'lena: "So windy, on top of a ridge with a broken tent & flimsy tent poles...not going well. I will definitely probably see another tent while on the trail. I'll be in a hotel tomorrow." 

She was asked when she could replace her tent and she wasn't sure, but she was going to go back and forth with "Big Agnes" (turns out that is the tent company...I thought maybe it was someone's trail name that would help her. LOL) and see what they can do for her. She will look at ordering one later down the road, probably a trekking pole one. 

K'lena "Otherwise today was great! My legs were so strong!" 

**As of Friday, April 25th- she hasn't worried about her tent issue- she has it so it will work and will figure it out maybe tonight or later on the trail.....living life on the edge! 

Thursday, April 24th 8:15am text: 

"Luckily I was able to find this TINY just barely big enough space for my tent behind some bushes that helped SO much. Before my tent was collapsing on itself & couldn't stay up. Here the bushes helped break the wind & I could use them to support the tent too! Woke up a bit not as much as I thought I would! Just would put in my earbuds & be sound asleep before the first song ended." 

Tracker started at 9:34am and ended at 12:17pm...Short hike today....heading into town for a ZERO DAY! K'lena plans to write more details and share those with me so I can update everyone. 

 

Friday, April 25th: 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO K'LENA! 

We were able to Face Time with K'lena around 5pm tonight (our time, 3pm her time). The kids sang her Happy Birthday (she started to tear up). Here is what she said on the phone/wrote in her update that she shared with me as well. 

First FULL week on the trail! "I'm at mile 77! That means I'll hit mile 100 before Warner Springs!" 

"I'm in Julian! It's a small town. Here, my tramily is having a zero day on my birthday (not related haha). We hiked 6 miles to a road crossing and hitched a ride into town this morning (this was wrote on 4/24)." 

- They are resupplying (meaning they are getting more food & fuel)- they are predicting 6 nights to Idylwild. (3 days Warner Springs). They will get up tomorrow, Saturday, April 26th and have a shuttle scheduled to take them back to the trail to continue on. 

Things she was excited for on this zero day: 

- Going to eat "real" food- I sent her some money on venmo for her birthday (figured she can purchase what she wants vs me sending her a big package so she doesn't have to fight weight issues)- she bought herself some donuts this morning for breakfast, a Coke, and is looking forward to a Burrito, a beer, & dessert tonight to celebrate her birthday! 

- Sleep in a HOTEL!!! (all 5 of them are sharing a room.....cost is about $77 per person for 2 nights). 

- Wash hair! (I asked her how many times she's taken a shower since yesterday when arriving. Just once.....she was looking forward to showering and washing her hair before they leave tomorrow morning.) 

"I'm so excited to wash my hair! I didn't feel that dirty on the trail but now that I see people with clean clothes, I see how dirty I am." 

This is a pretty normal rate for her clothes washing and taking a shower when she was with RMYC in Colorado. She told me she could have gone longer without the luxuries, but doesn't mean it doesn't feel nice. 

Sleeping Bag/Quilt Issues: In the previous update she was getting cold with the sleeping quilt she had so my dad sent the sleeping bag. She should get it early next week....however she's been warm now even tho the thermometer has said 42-46 the past couple of nights. She said she might "bump" the sleeping bag to another post office along the trail. She's been told this free...she will find out next week. She will use the sleeping bag in the Sierras tho. 

Aches & Pains: 

"I have aches and pains everyday, but the ache or pain changes day to day. Some days its my hip, one day it was my left quad, another day it was heels. They go away when I start walking or are very manageable. But consistently my left shoulder is usually hurting. I injusred it this winter by opening a weighted dumpster lid & my shoulder collapsed. The doctors said that maybe I tore or sprained a rotator cuff muscle? So if you know any physical therapies that can help me with exercises or stretches to help, that would be amazing! It causes my shoulder to tighten up and pain/numbing pain to shoot down my arm." 

(I know at least 1 person that is pretty close to me in this group that might have some suggestions...wink wink.....I'll have to visit with you soon so maybe we can send some tips and tricks) 

Jenna's problem...Jenna's feet are giving her lots of issues. She got new shoes in Julian so hopefully she gets better! 

New Game from Johannes.... Johannes taught them a new version of rock, paper, scissors. Young German kids play: rock, paper, scissors, well. This is how they have been making decisions in their tramiliy.  

Photos attached (hoping to send this email with 5 photos......fingers crossed this works...if not I might have to reduce photos in this email and follow it up with a few other photos. Next time I'll save the photos and label them better. This is a new learning process for me as well) 

- IMG_4681: Tent situation- rigged up for the night to make it work

- IMG_4658: The view- I'm sure there will be lots of beautiful sights to see along the way! 

- 76719538274....K'lena pointing toward the Valley into Julian

- IMG_4690: Johannes measuring his food. Making lines on the bag to show how much each day he can consume. 

- IMG_4714...: K'lena's food restock. After this photo she has now packaged this into 3 gallon baggies and 3 smaller baggies, plus a couple extra small packages. One big baggie represents 1 days worth of food. She can pull the baggie out the night before, put it in the front pouch of her pack and in her fanny pack. This ensures she doesn't over or under eat. 

Any help would be appreciated.... 

As I am writing this- We're only on update #2 and there are quite a few photos that I would love to share with you. Scenery, experiences, etc....so much to share, but the photo sizes might cause problems down the road when sending an email out. I'm starting to check into a free website or blog site that could potentially house these updates and photos?! Then when I write an update I can just send out the link to the site. Does anyone have any suggestions in this area? Or do you like just a few photos? Let me know some feedback! 

Encouraging words...

Like I said in my previous email....I want to send a card and small package at an upcoming stop. I have a card and some smaller encouraging cards available for you to write a message. If you would like to stop by my office next week and sign the card that would be greatly appreciated! If you are not local but still want to send a note that I can hand write for you, please send it to me! 

From K'lena:

"Please tell everyone thank you for being so interested in my adventure & cheering me on! On the nights that it's rough (like my night on 4/23 where my tent was collapsing from the wind or on the first night & second morning where I ripped my rain fly & broke a tent pole) it helps keep me going forward. Like I said to Katie, I knew this wasn't going to be easy & I don't want it to be easy, I want to be challenged & pushed well beyond my comfort zone!" 

Wrapping up update #2

So many of you have been praying for K'lena  & her friends and I thank you so much!  Your prayers were heard the other night when I reached out to some of you specifically when her tent was having issues & she was struggling.....Your prayers were heard and were appreciated!  Please continue to pray for their strength, safety, their mental, emotional, and physical health on this journey, and this time specifically for Jenna's feet issues to calm down. 

(If at any time you want to be removed from the update list- just send me an email) 

K'lena pointing to the Valley into Julian

The View

Tent situation....hard to see in the photo but it is rigged up to make it work

Johannes measuring his food supply. Making lines to 

know how much he can eat per day. 

Hiker Food- K'lena's food supply restock.

K'lena 1st update 4/22/25

I started an email list of family and friends originally to keep everyone updated on my sister, K'lena's PCT Hike in 2025. The first update that was sent included 57 people on the list. By the 2nd update I was close to 70 people. As I was updating and attaching photos in both of the emails I found myself wanting to share more of the photos my sister was sending or uploading to our family photo album. This started the journey to look for a Blog. I'm giving this a test run so we will see how we like it and go from there..... 

 Original email that was sent: 

If you are receiving this email then you signed up to receive updates on K'lena's Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) Trip.  In this group so far we have 57 people including K'lena herself so she can read and save these for future, Family, Kiwanis Members, and Friends from all over that want to receive the updates! (I'm guessing this group will grow as she continues on the journey) 

I can't guarantee when I will update you next because I don't know when I will get any photos, updates, or a phone call from her. This one will probably be the most lengthy because we have some people who don't even know what she is doing so I want to be able to explain this as best as I can to you. For our Kiwanis members and family members who were able to attend her presentation in April, the information directly below is a recap of the trip presentation. The actual update is further down the email.

Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) is 2,650 miles of continuous hiking. She will cross 26 National Forests, 7 National Parks, 5 State Parks, & 4 National Monuments. On average this takes hikers 5 months to complete. This starts at the US-Mexico border and ends at the US-Canada border traveling through California, Oregon, & Washington. Now you are probably asking WHY? K'lena why's: "If not now, when" "To prove to myself I can" "Be an adventure role model-- show Creighton & Lenny they could too" "To put my dreams into action--making it happen & not just saying, 'I want to do...'" "What lessons will I learn?" She also had an initial interest in seeing the Bridge of the Gods and she had worked with a couple who hiked the PCT in 2022. 

There are 5 Main Sections of the PCT: The Desert (Southern California), Sierra Nevada, Northern California, Oregon, & Washington. 

She applied for an overall permit instead of individual permits. This process also works like a lottery system so it did take a couple of times for her to get selected to go on this trail on the specific date range she wanted. 

During this trip there are also what is known as "Trail Angels" or "Trail Magic"- they offer rides into town, or places to stay, food, and support. Several of them are past PCT hikers themselves. K'lena has an app that she is able to locate them/get those details/etc. I reference them below in the update as well. They will be present throughout this trip. 

For a reference of photo- I found this on the PCT website: https://www.pcta.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/PCT-overview-map-on-1-page-by-Magellan-v.1.2018.jpg 

(if you want to make it larger visit the site). I'll reference some of the locations further down in this email. 

4/22/2025 Update/Information: 

- Thursday 4/17 made it to her starting point.  Camped in a campground- details unknown to me. Her friend Jenna is hiking with her. (You will see her in some of the photos going forward). 

- That night she texted and said "I am so exhausted and my cold has progressed throughout the day :( on the last stop of the shuttle, 1 mile away from the campground!"

- Started the PCT on 4/18 (photo of her and her friend Jenna starting- attached)

- Received a 1 mile photo (attached) 

**In the 2 photos attached you can see the gear they are carrying on their backs. This is the only gear they have with them. They will stop for additional food and supplies along the way. 

- Each day when she starts her trip- my dad and I get an alert from her GPS tracker. Then when she ends her trip for that day we get an alert.It shows a very basic map of location. For time references of when she's started/ended on some of the days: 

Start 10:45am End 6:30 pm

Start 9:15am End 5:30pm

Start 10am End 8pm

**These are coming in Central time. She is 2 hours behind us.  

- I texted her Happy Easter on 4/20 but she didn't respond until 4/21 with "Thank you!!!" around 11am. I didn't ask if she was doing this but originally when she gave her presentation- she talked about conserving her phone battery so the majority of the time her phone is either off or in airplane mode. I asked for a photo and heard nothing until around 3pm she tried to call me but I was on the phone at work. I tried to call her back shortly after that and we talked for 30 seconds when she said I'll call you back. (Found out they had met some friends a day or so prior and they had met up again just at that time we were on the phone so she was getting an update and information from them)  Then she didn't call me back until around 8pm and we were able to talk for 15 minutes. She asked the kids what they got for Easter and Lenny asked if the Easter Bunny brought her anything and she said a butterscotch candy and a peep. :)  

- They are hiking 9-12 miles per day. 

- 4/21/25 they went into town, but not much of a town, but it was chaotic because of all the hikers that do go into this town. It had a Post Office and a place to get some food. (here is the menu for the next couple of days: Tuna packets, Skittles, Pop Tarts, & Gummy Candy. This is real Hiker food!) The town only had food for hikers. There were cabins you could rent like a hostile situation. But they chose to camp in the campground called Mt Laguna- for reference on the map above it looks like that's about 42.8 miles from the start.  As I was typing this update earlier my dad said he has an app he is following along with her trip- I'm going to try that as well and might be able to give you a better idea down the road. 

- The next 2 days they will need to go 12 miles each day. Then the 2nd day they will have an additional 6 miles into town. They will need to refill on food and supplies again. For reference on the map again looks like Julian is the goal (reference this at the end of the email update as well) 

- Like mentioned K'lena has a cold. She also mentioned she had body aches, but she is still hiking and feeling ok to keep going on. 

- They met a lady named Noami on the first day and have been hiking with her. She's from Sacramento. Sounds like Noami and Jenna have a similar hiking pace and K'lena hikes a little ways ahead of them, but still within distance to be able to see each other. 

- Things she has eaten: Knorr pasta/rice sides, Pesto Mac N Cheese, regular Mac N Cheese, Taco/Rice/Beans/Fritos for suppers. I'm sure there are snicker bars and more candy in there as well. (She mentioned she's brushing her teeth and flossing twice a day because of all the sugars she's consuming). The Trail magic folks have made them quesadillas, provided carrots, oranges, pop, & beer. 

- K'lena called my dad on the morning of 4/22/25. Her sleeping quilt & pad are NOT keeping her warm at night. He's sending her sleeping bag to Warner Springs (reference on the map again looks to be about the 109.5 mile mark on the map. She will be there early next week. It would have cost nearly $200 to get it to Julien, CA by Friday 4/25. Instead she opted for the Warner Springs location. A box with the sleeping bag and some snacks costs roughly $25 and she will pick it up in Warner Springs on 4/28. 

Something in the works.... 

I am working on getting a mailing address for an upcoming stay/stop (places that were mentioned: Idylwild by mid week next week (not enough time to get this going), Big Bear, or Kennedy Meadows (slated to be there next month)- opting for Kennedy Meadows at this time. Since the mail system takes a little while and I want to guarantee her to be in this location and give myself enough time to get this completed and sent off. I am thinking of putting together an encouraging card and a few small things for food/snacks. If you would like to sign it or leave a note, please let me know and I'll connect with you. ***- ( I don't want to send too many pieces of mail or heavy items as she will want the least amount of weight possible.) If you aren't local, but still want to send an encouraging note, please email me and I will include your encouragement in the card. I am saying I will need this information by 5/5/25 to ensure delivery in time. (this could change depending on her pace of the trip). 

Phew....thanks for reading this far along! Please continue to lift K'lena, Jenna, and their new friend Noami up in your thoughts & prayers. Give them the strength to keep going and keep them safe.

Have a great day! 

Jenna & K'lena starting on the PCT Trail! 

Phew! Made it 1 mile....