Jim Gardunia is part of my tramily. He, his wife Julie, and his son Mitchel are a wonderful bunch of folks. They are so kind and warm hearted.
I have been hiking with the Gardunia’s for practically each step since Campo.
Jim was a graphic artist with Costco for 25 years. Now retired, he has moved to Bend, Oregon where he continues to express his artistry.
Before leaving for the PCT, Jim created sharpie-designs on his, Julie’s, and Mitchel’s backpacks. They, like me, have the most common backpack out here (Durston Kakwa) and wanted theirs easily identifiable.
Jim, made his design as a day of the dead skull. Julie and Mitchel each have their own wilderness patterns. All are done with colored sharpie, not just black.
Jim was gracious enough to create a sharpie pattern on my Durston Kakwa. He created a lovely landscape of alpine lakes, meadows, and trees, with a sunset adorning it all.
I am so grateful to have this artwork of his on my pack. It means a lot to me. It is so personal because it encapsulates the things I like, and the bond I have formed with Jim and his family. Thank you Jim for being such a wonderful human and lending me a bit of your artistic skills.
Coincidentally, Jim was literally the first person I met on this adventure. I was waiting for the shuttle to take me to Campo, and introduced myself to him straight away. We, of course, had a lovely chat about the crazy thing we were about to do.
What a great story and a fun share. I’m so glad you have friends like Jim and his family on the trail with you. His design for you is fabulous. Thanks for this fun peek into the extra parts of the hike. 🙌
Wow! Three, parents and son. Incredible.
This is so cool! He’s a very good artist and made your backpack very special! What a wonderful family to have met and by your side.