We're writing here to share a couple of things with the community: the story of Jessie’s thru-hike, and our journey of providing keto-friendly food options for the hikers, campers, and outdoor adventurers out there.
We thought a quick introduction would be helpful (written by each other, because talking about ourselves felt awkward).
Jessie: (as written by Christopher)
Jessie is quick-witted, outspoken, and tough as nails. She completed her thru-hike in one of the all-time heaviest snow years in the Sierra, and despite Christopher’s protestations and warnings from home, she didn’t skip over any of it.
She’s been ketogenic full-time since June 2016; though she may have a love for peanut butter jars, she started her PCT planning with keto in mind. From the beginning of the first section of trail, she was impressed with how her body handled it, and hasn't looked back.
She’s an avid photographer: she worked in a zoo in a previous life, and has a great visual eye. She took fantastic photos of the trail all along her thru-hike, and it made it hard to stay home and watch from afar.
She has a beautiful singing voice: it’s no accident that her trail name is Pipes. Underpasses and wide-open trail are great venues for practicing song covers, it turns out.
On her first date with Christopher, she asked one peculiar question: "What would you do if you could have any job?". He answered, "I'd head out into the wilderness, and take photos in faraway places", just the same as she’d always wished, and we haven’t looked back since.
Christopher: (as written by Jessie)
Christopher is a captivating storyteller, capable of entertaining friends and strangers alike with his gregarious personality, and capable of knocking over coffee mugs and wine glasses with his enthusiastic gesticulating.
He lied to Jessie about his self-proclaimed backpacking prowess (he had taken just three trips prior) when she challenged him to join her on the Wonderland Trail—a 7–10 day trip around the base of Mount Rainier—only two weeks into their relationship. Undaunted by the prospects of a potentially stressful experience, sleeping in a very tiny tent, and hiking with a new (and unwashed) partner, Christopher showed up with a well-researched pack of gear, and a natural skill for hiking and camping. He proved himself to be an ideal empathetic coach for new hikers, and the perfect hiking buddy for seasoned veterans.
He shares an equal enthusiasm for the outdoors as he does in over-preparedness. One of his unofficial and yet-unaccepted trail names is “Mission Control”, for his fastidious planning and managing of Jessie’s thru hike from our home in San Francisco. But he also goes by “Bottleneck”, as his attention to detail and optimization leaves him late to all things, including packing up camp.
When Jessie is asked by would-be thru-hikers for her biggest piece of PCT advice, she replies, “Find yourself a Christopher”.