Inside the thoughts of an outside person.
CAMPING • HIKING • BACKPACKING • SELF HELP • TRAVEL • GENERAL OUTSIDENESS • WEEKEND WARRIORS • SPARE-TIME VANLIFERS
A different kind
All last night I couldn’t sleep. It was a good “can’t sleep” though. Scheduled for today was the first group hike for my local chapter of Mountain Chicks that I had planned a couple weeks ago. I am sitting here now, 13 long hours after my alarm has gone off for the day. Thinking about how happy I am and how incredible this morning and afternoon was. I stepped outside of my box and I think it was the best thing I could have ever done.
Being mostly an introvert; group outings can be daunting and overwhelming for me. However, this was a different kind of gathering. It wasn’t for something I didn’t want to do. It wasn’t an obligation. It was something I volunteered for; something that I chose to do to challenge my ever-changing-self. Meet up with a bunch of strangers (outside of the safety of my phone or computer) and hike around the forest.
Let me just tell you, after we left our late lunch and said our goodbyes this afternoon, I couldn’t wipe the dorky smile off of my face. There wasn’t one lady today that I didn’t connect with for a brief time. Each individual brought an element to the table that made for the perfect first group meeting. WE HAD SO MUCH FUN.
Aside from the very first moments when we nervously introduced ourselves and recognized faces, we all got comfortable fairly quickly and were joking and sharing stories in no time. After all, we all came here to do the same thing. To be outside and to meet other women who love and appreciate hiking on a hot Midwestern day, just the same.
I learned so much today! We talked openly about the struggles of trying to play it cool when really, you’re breathing as heavy as Fernando, Sara’s GIANT Mastiff-Lab mix, and trying to hide it.
We discussed future goals and our bucket list locations (JMT 2019!) We shared water purification and carrying preferences. Talked about gear with people who actually care and understand your obsession. Wireless headphones or wired headphones?! (Heather!!!) Excitement for our overnight backpacking trip in October. It was truly, just a wonderful experience for the first time I have ever hiked with more than one person besides myself or B. It was a relaxed day. There were no expectations and we just enjoyed our walk in the woods; in the company of each other. Pics or it didn’t happen:
I have a feeling that great new friendships built on a passion for the outdoors will be born from this, distant adventure dreams will soon become realities, and seeing as how we can talk about bodily functions and fluids with nobody flinching…lots of camping trips and weekends well spent.
Stepping outside of my comfort zone has never been more satisfying. This month has by far contained the the most incredible and rewarding things. Everything is falling into place and I am so grateful to be given the opportunities that are in my hands right now. Being a representative for THREE (yes, you read that right – I have another announcement) great organizations, running my business at max capacity (and voted best salon in the county…unreal!), having a seamless and liveable schedule, and starting my new Monat business…I am thoroughly hashtag blessed. Thank you to every person that supports me in any way. By reading, by following, by being a client, by being a friend, or even by being just a quiet observer.
With that being said, here is my NEW news! I was accepted by Madera Outdoor to be a brand ambassador! This company is changing lives, people. For every hammock purchased, they plant TWO trees (#hammocksneedtrees). “With our support in developing garden forests, Madera provides farming families within the countries of Uganda, Senegal, Kenya, Tanzania, and Cameroon with sustainable sources of food, livestock fodder, fuel, and forest products to consume and sell at nearby markets.”
And my gift to you for supporting Madera when you purchase a hammock + straps (sold separately!) is 30% off of your order using the code JPTT30 at checkout! If you have been thinking of buying a hammock, now is your chance! Treat yourself, and help people at the same time.
Can you even handle all of the good things?! I cannot!
I am going to sleep well tonight, and look so forward to the events to come!
J
100
This number will signify a few things in this post. Firstly – my Facebook page has ONE HUNDRED followers! How cool is that. Thanks so much!!
Secondly – besides the last couple days, the Midwest weather has felt like 100+ degrees. Ugh. Is it fall yet?
Lastly, and the most important thing I have to say – is my hair has been 100% AMAZING the last month. Because of MoNat.
YES – ANOTHER HAIR POST! This is my third hair post in the year I’ve been blogging. (If you’re new here, I am a hairstylist and I make the occasional beauty post for those of us outdoorsy women looking for natural fixes for hair tricks.) I try to stick with my nature theme here – even in my non-hiking/traveling posts.
The first post was a guide to No ‘Poo. A habit I picked up after suffering from crunchy dry and brittle hair for a stretch. I stuck with No ‘Poo long enough to do a follow up post a handful of months later and up until 4 weeks ago – I had No ‘Pooed for 9 solid months. Until MoNat hit my radar.
*Stop reading if you want bad hair.*
Carry on if you want a great change.
I had seen MoNat being plastered all over social media. My first thought was “Great, another gimmick. “ItWorks” in hair form.” Wrong. I reluctantly took a sample and was wowed in one wash. Here’s why I decided to try it though after committing to no chemicals for so long…
MoNat is a botanical and essential oil based line of hair care. Non-toxic and vegan (cruelty free!) and designed by scientists. It is an independent company that will never sell out to diversion – your shampoo will be delivered to your door and will never be watered down. All drugstore and even salon shampoos and conditioners are 80% water and 20% actual product. MoNat is 60% product and 40% reverse osmosis water that contain zero contaminants such as heavy minerals and pesticides. MoNat is made in small batches, guaranteeing you a fresh product, which also comes with a shelf life.
It is the ONLY hair care product that is proven to reverse split ends and aging on your strands. I have been doing hair for 13 years and I have not seen or used products that do what MoNat does. I have had my hardest to please clients won over. I don’t even have to TRY to sell these products. They legitimately sell themselves!
I am just excited to share my newfound love of products that encourage new hair growth, strengthen hair from the inside out, keep blondes from turning brassy, help give body and life to fine, limp hair…spring those dry curls into a shiny ringlet! It is possible to have hair you love. Let me show you!
This is my sister 3 weeks into MoNat Balance System. Her fine, thick but limp hair just hangs when she was using cheap shampoo. The after photo is Monat, DAY 2! She used to wash her hair daily and is now going 2-3 days. Her hair is fuller, shinier and so much healthier.
This is my husband after 2 weeks of MoNat’s Classic Confidence System. Look at all of his new hair growth!! Black and white so you can see the new dark hair coming in.
This little lady has super curly, free spirit hair. She was the flower girl in my wedding! Her mom is a friend of mine and she has tried EVERYTHING on her curly girl. MoNat gave her these shiny and defined curls in one wash. One. Wash. Top before – bottom after.
These photos are MY people. I know their hair. They are not an ad or stock photo. These are real results. They wowed me!
Here is MY before and current. No ‘Poo on the left, last Thursday on the right. Notice the split ends and brittleness in my before photo, and the full, shiny fresh ends in the after. I have not cut my hair since February.
How ’bout that!
I want to see your before and after. Please if you have any questions feel free to comment! If you’d like to order MoNat – visit my distributor site at http://www.jenpotts.mymonat.com – if you are interested in being a market partner let me know! It’s an incredible opportunity.
With a 30 day money back guarantee…you can’t go wrong trying it for a month to see how your hair works with MoNat.
J
June and Hawn State Park (and Rocks)
It definitely feels like summer, but it’s not yet officially. This week started out at 90+ degrees and will carry on until the weekend. Sunday B and I planned on hiking at Hawn State Park and my friend K joined us! We left our house at 8am and made it to the trailhead at 9:45. We had all intentions of keeping it relatively easy since it was going to be hot so we chose White Oaks Trail, an easy to moderate 3.75 mile trail. When we got there however it was pleasantly breezy, not humid and surprisingly not at all crowded for such a popular park. We changed our plans last minute because who doesn’t want to walk along a creek on a hot day?
We started on the Pickle Creek Trail, walking northwest until the .70 mile trail came to a junction. We set off south on white trail connector 1 and got onto Whispering Pines. We did the southwest portion of that trail and hopped on the white trail connector 3, and looped back up on to Pickle Creek to get back to the parking lot. We ended up hiking 7.3 miles total. It didn’t feel like it at all!
Except for that end part where you climb and scramble about an eighth of a mile’s worth of boulders and “watermelon sized rocks” that really tested out my weak ankles in a pair of mid-boots (success!). I didn’t notice the rocks and boulders going in – and I think it’s because I was mesmerized by the trickling creek and the serene, shadowy beauty. Large flat stones crossing the entire creek, making crossing if you had to a breeze. 
When we were leaving there were families enjoying swimming in the deeper spots.
We saw 3 ticks and B found 3 turtles!
There were a couple of moments I had that really put into perspective how much work I have to do the next three months to prep for 8-9 mile hikes every day for a week. There are muscles in my back and calves I haven’t used in too long that came out to yell at me and new tiny blisters developing on my pinky toes. I was only carrying about 6lbs on my back and I hurt much worse after that hike than I do when we take overnight trips carrying 25 pounds.
I blame the rocks.
When we got done, we stopped at a little winery called Watertower Winery in Ste. Genevieve for some sangria and to take in the scenery of the beautiful Missouri countryside.
Hawn State Park is highly recommended! We plan to come back this fall and spend a couple nights at the campground with Hank and the dogs. I miss fall and winter van camping. I am not a summer person!
—
Today marks exactly 3.5 months until we head out to Virginia for our Shenandoah section hike! Yesterday marked day one of training for it. Ugh.
Training for me includes eating more protein and less carbs and sugar, hiking more when I can, walking more, wearing my boots to work, doing lots of squats, and using a stair stepper with a 30lb backpack on.
Lots to do! *ugly cry face*
My entry later this week will be another hair post! After nearly a year I have ventured away from No ‘Poo. I have found an incredible, all natural product. Stay tuned!
J
Oh what a whirlwind.
The last 4 weeks have gone by so quickly and here we are in June. JUNE! So much has happened and I really have missed making my weekly posts. How can I possibly catch everything up?!
Goodness. My last in depth post was April 30th. May was a blur. We adventured in California, hit snow in Oregon, and played in Washington. If you’d like an actual “here’s what went down on our trip” play by play, check out our video diary!
Yosemite and Beyond Adventure Vlog!
Here are a few of my favorite photos from our epic roadtrip:
That was a hard to detach from vacation. I spent a good week or more bummed out that I didn’t actually live in the PNW. My favorite area hands down was Cascade Locks and the Columbia River Gorge. Absolutely stunning!
We got back on Monday, May 8th, and I had a root canal procedure the very next morning. Welcome home! That was the first of 2. The second one I had done on the 24th. All went well. Now I am in the process of getting my crowns done and some fillings. Gah. Teeth.
(Also in between all of that, M and C had their baby!!! He’s the cutest little guy. I am so happy for my best friends!)
Memorial Day weekend, B and I left for a backpacking trip down in Southern Illinois on the River to River Trail. We had every intention of hiking all 27 miles from Garden of the Gods to Lusk Creek trailhead…but were greeted with severe storms and what I thought was a stomach bug. It turns out, I am lactose intolerant. Let’s just say I was grateful to not be trapped in a tent during an intense thunderstorm during that discovery. =)
You can also catch that video diary here:
River to River Trail Section Hike
Not everything we do will be documented and shared on YouTube; I will still be utilizing this blog for local dayhikes and such! YouTube channel will be more for our bigger outings.
Another great and exciting event that has happened is my acceptance as Midwest Chapter Ambassador for MtnChicks! Check it here:
Summer Update!
You can also find links on my sidebar here on this page to the website, and through the website a link to the Midwest Mountain Chicks Facebook group.
This is going a be a crazy busy summer between planning events and prepping for some other stuff. We still have a 10 day trip to Florida coming up and a weekend at Mammoth Cave soon.
I’ve been missing this outlet. I’m not done here. I will be back!
J
Shawnee
Tomorrow we leave for a 3 night, 4 day backpacking trip and I’m starting to get a liiiittle nervous. We’ve never done a trip this long yet (30miles) and some bad weather is expected.
Part of the adventure, right? I’m super excited and also anxious to get out there. I know once we start all will be well. I always get so worked up with butterflies, “maybe we should stay home” thoughts and what ifs.
Naturally, all this week has been cool, mild and sunny. This weekend is going to be stormy, muggy and hot. Eye roll.
I loathe the Midwest sometimes.
All of our stuff is sprayed down with Permethrin.
Our packs are ready to go (mine weighing in at 28.8 total and B’s 30.0 total.)
Wish us luck! Training and a reality check for Shenandoah begins tomorrow!
We will be blogging, Instagramming, and YouTubing this adventure. See ya soon!
J
Oh my blog!
I haven’t forgotten you this month of May. I have been so busy. It’s 9:30am on a Saturday, I’m still in bed and this is the latest I’ve slept in weeks.
A few things have happened since my last post. I have a new laptop which has been pretty handy. I have gone and returned from an incredible vacation that may have changed many things for me in terms of where I would like to live one day. I have had 2 root canal procedures. Ugh. Still lots of dental work to be done! B and I have been experimenting with video editing and working on vlogging; which will only happen once a month or so.
It takes so long to record a bunch of footage, watch all of it through 20 times to decide to only use so much of it. It’s been fun though, and something different. Putting yourself out there outside of just words on a background is difficult to embrace. I don’t do well on camera but adjusting has been entertaining. Maybe one day it’ll feel comfortable!
On that note, I will leave a link to our YouTube channel. I am still figuring it out and so it still has a weird, long link address.
Pottsiepackin YouTube Channel!
We have ONE subscriber, woohoo! Please follow and subscribe if you’d like, and check out our Yosemite and Beyond video diary from our epic roadtrip we took at the beginning of the month.
You’ll be hearing back from me with some photos and a brief breakdown of the trip soon as well.
Thanks for reading!
J
Things to come…
With declaring a large goal, the first thing you want to do is ensure you follow through. The second thing that happens (to me at least!) is pure, adrenaline pumping anxiety and manic thoughts; what do I need to do? How do I need to do it? How do I make sure it’s right? Can I do this? Can WE do this?
Of course those questions keep you (aka: me) awake, literally all night long. Since I’ve posted about our desire and our plan to hike the entire John Muir Trail in 2 summers from now, I have been wide awake until nearly 4am every morning obsessively researching, watching YouTube videos and interrogating Instagram/Facebook friends and strangers that have completed it in it’s whole or who have done sections.
Thoughts I’ve established over the last week:
We have ultimately come to the realization we will have to start at Mount Whitney and head Northbound to Yosemite Valley. That’s great and all, but starting a month long, strenuous hike at the highest point in the lower 48 means acclimating to the elevation, knocking out the absolute most difficult sections in the first 4 days of our trip. Do I even have that in me? Climbing uphill with little oxygen when I can barely climb uphill with all the oxygen? Is this a joke?
I’ll tell you what the joke is. Obtaining a JMT permit from Yosemite. How is there not a better system!? I understand the desire and the growing fascination with backcountry hiking. I fell into it as well. I also understand protecting the integrity of the trail and not sending 70,000 people one way at a time. But my goodness. Planning for this trip is hard enough, but not being guaranteed a spot when you have to practically fight to take off work is horrifying.
Then comes buying better gear. Do I have backpacking gear? Oh, please. I’m a hoarder about it. Do I have a baseweight of 12 pounds? LOLNO. So now comes the purchase of some better UL gear; a new tent we can easily carry for 25 days (I’m really leaning towards Big Agnes Copper Spur UL2), a new sleeping bag and probably pad for ME (suggestions please!) as B (the human space heater) should be fine with his heavier REI Trail Pod 29, and the investment in appropriate jackets.
We also need 2 bear canisters, decent trekking poles and to begin a pretty lengthy strength and distance training regimen. (The upside is, now I can happily donate my used things to Gear Forward!) Gear is one thing, a months worth of food for 2 people is another. We will have to resupply at least twice, if not three times along the trail. I am choosing to send a few buckets out, not caring of the shipping cost (also a potential for it to get lost en route so I’ve read/watched…) and having them brought in to us on trail so we don’t have to leave and hitch into towns.
We also need to save the money to get us out there and back, have enough socked away to ensure all of our bills are paid for the month we’ll be gone, set up care for our two dogs, and try not to kill each other as we take on what will most likely be the most challenging thing we’ve ever set ourselves up for.
Does all of this stress me out? IMMENSELY. Does it also fill me with extreme excitement and pride knowing that I WILL follow through with this, no matter how scary and daunting and awful the preparation will surely be? So much. This is the trip of a lifetime. It’s an opportunity anyone should take if they are able. I am petrified.
Brace yourselves over the next 2 years for me to be just as annoying as I usually am about these things, but with a dose of extra annoying because HOLY CRAP. JMT!
—
In the meantime, today I will be cleaning my house and packing as we leave for Yosemite and beyond on Wednesday! We will be trying something new and vlogging this trip, as well as making the usual post-trip entry here but that will likely be less detailed since we are going to share a LOT on YouTube. I can’t wait to get out to California and spend the next week on the road to Rainier!
J
Vlogging
Something new we are going to try this year. The word “vlog” or “vlogging” is just so ridiculous sounding I can’t even take it seriously.
But! We’re going to give this a try. Nothing fancy. Smashing together photos and video clips of our outings, and then sometimes me or B talking about outdoorsy things. I made a YouTube channel I linked in my menu section. We’re gonna put something together in the next few weeks after our Cali-Oregon-Washington trip.
A FB friend on my favorite Facebook group (Midwest Adventures – if you’re Midwest, come join us!!!) tossed the idea my way after I shared a 4 minute video I made last year and…why not? I’m terribly awkward in person and even more so on screen so, you’ll get to see all that play out. Fun for all.
My number one main reason for doing it is to continue networking and keep growing my little web of other backpackers (new and seasoned and everything in between) and outdoor bloggers so we can help each other out. I have met some INCREDIBLE people the last year I have been doing this and I want to continue to grow in that way. Also, I have had a couple opportunities thrown my way for reviewing products WHICH IS AWESOME.
So yeah, I’ll be a spaz on a video to try stuff out and tell you about our trips and treks and our plans and share some of our weird, happy little boring life.
What do you think about video blogging?
J
What is it called…
When you can’t sit still.
When you need to be planning the next trek.
When you have your next adventure set in your heart but it’s still too far away?
I think B and I decided we are going to take 3 – 4 weeks off next summer and thru hike the JMT.
I am over the moon excited, scared, happy, anxious. We just need to figure out some dates, but tentatively late July, early August 2018. Which means we have a lot to do between now and then.
Omg.
Edit: We have decided to plan for 2019! Giving us more time to prep and train!
J
11
Eleven is my number. I wouldn’t even say it’s lucky, I just know it follows me everywhere. That being said…we have eleven days until we leave to fly to San Francisco, California where we begin our week long roadtrip that ends at Mt. Rainier. I am so excited for it to get here, but I’m also scared it’s going to go by so fast.
A few things have occurred since my last check in. One of those occurrences being my need for major dental work. Ugh. Along with my regular, every day annoying anxiety comes dental anxiety. I had been hurting since the end of March. I hadn’t been to a dentist in an embarrassingly long while – resulting in not so good news. I have 2 broken teeth in need of either extraction or root canal (I have chosen the RC procedures as I apparently like to torture myself), one of those two teeth are abcessed. Further, I will need 3 crowns, 3 fillings and my wisdom teeth out. All of this coming right at the time our taxes were paid, as well as an unexpected and expensive part/maintenance needed for our car ASAP.
So you might say things have been a little stressful and I have been extra irritable lately; with my mouth in constant throbbing pain for going on 3 weeks, our finances taking a blow and a vacation coming up that I cannot wait any longer for. Did I mention I can’t get any of my dental work done until we get home due to scheduling? So I am praying hard that I have a comfortable trip with no inconveniences or pain. It’s all I ask!
The last few weeks have been very trying in many ways. It seems like nothing has gone right. Work has been awful, my general health is off…I just need to get it together. I don’t mean for this post to be so negative, it’s just that I have to put it out there somewhere because keeping it bottled does me no good. =)
—
So. I have decided that I fit in wonderfully alongside April showers and May flowers. It has come to my attention (thank you TimeHop) and I realized that nearly every year come this time; I begin to emerge from the dark cave I tuck myself into every November. Like a perennial, I find my way back out come April – desperately seeking sunshine and the promise of warmer days ahead. A thirst for rain and shine to help me grow. This past winter was a rough one. I welcome spring wholeheartedly.
Part of this season brings new adventures and the excitement of visiting places unknown to me. I can’t wait to see the wonders of Muir Woods and Yosemite Valley. I am ecstatic to see Multnomah Falls and finally experience the blue of Crater Lake. To spend an afternoon walking among the grounds of Mount Saint Helens and view a looming Mt. Rainier. And everything in between. Being with my best friend. I need this so much right now. We are just checking the National Parks off of our list and having the best time doing it.
—
Happy Earth Day. I didn’t get to be outside today due to laundry and housework but I’m going to try to convince B to take me hiking tomorrow. I hope everyone has had a great weekend!
Talk soon.
J
Follow us on Instagram!
