Today was much better than yesterday.
We packed up camp at around six-thirty and took off uphill. I messed up my food budget after Idyllwild, so I skipped breakfast and trudged through to lunch. Steve gave me some beef jerky to tide me over. He's a cool dude.
After lunch, we hit a good stride. The area around us had changed dramatically from yesterday's hot, dry, shadeless canyons. We found ourselves traveling along mountainsides well shaded by trees, with cool breezes pushing us along.
At around three, we hit a water cache supplied by either nature's inn or the hostel in Big Bear. Just as we were leaving, we ran into the managers of the hostel, who pulled up in a truck to refill the cache. We ran into them again a mile down the trail at another cache. This one had coolers full of bananas, apples, grapes, and cookies. There was even a beat-up recliner facing the view of the mountain. The hostel manager had a dog, a big German Shepard/wolf named Chief. I put my hand near him to pet him, and he growled loudly. I thought about punching him, but did not.
After the water cache, we hit our groove and covered a lot of ground in a short amount of time. By we, I mean Tom, Steve, and I. We left Jerry far behind, and now it is nighttime, and he has not found our camp. I hope he's alright out there on his own, the poor dear.
'Night.
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Sunday, May 10th -- Day 18
- What a day!
Another late start, then three hours in the rising heat until we hit a gorgeous stream, complete with a small waterfall. We stripped down to boxers and laid down in the water. It was awesome. Had lunch there, and moved on.
Then, everything started to suck. The sun was glaring down, and, although the trail followed the stream all day, criss-crossing over it, there seemed to be little long-term relief. As evening approached, I took the lead. Coming up a hill, I suddenly heard something that sounded exactly like an automatic sprinkler. I stopped and looked around, bewildered.. Then I saw a rattlesnake, like, three feet away. Bravely, I yelled and leapt back. Tom threw rocks at it until it moved far enough away for us to pass safely. Half an hour later, the same sound shot out, and there was another one to my right. This one was coiled and ready. I walked past carefully, and he drew back, preparing to strike. Made it safely away and hiked on.
As the day faded, we ran into several other hikers in a dry creek bed, and made dinner, which was good because I was completely out of energy. After dinner, we packed back on and started a sudden ascent through the San Bernadino National Forest. The sun set, and we pulled out our headlamps for night hiking. The trees formed a canopy, and the mountains around us formed a basin that we climbed over the next three hours. The air got colder, and the mountains became black shapes against a starry sky. We finally made it up to a sandy lot, and set up camp. It's actually quite cold, and my fingers are numb, so goodnight!
Another late start, then three hours in the rising heat until we hit a gorgeous stream, complete with a small waterfall. We stripped down to boxers and laid down in the water. It was awesome. Had lunch there, and moved on.
Then, everything started to suck. The sun was glaring down, and, although the trail followed the stream all day, criss-crossing over it, there seemed to be little long-term relief. As evening approached, I took the lead. Coming up a hill, I suddenly heard something that sounded exactly like an automatic sprinkler. I stopped and looked around, bewildered.. Then I saw a rattlesnake, like, three feet away. Bravely, I yelled and leapt back. Tom threw rocks at it until it moved far enough away for us to pass safely. Half an hour later, the same sound shot out, and there was another one to my right. This one was coiled and ready. I walked past carefully, and he drew back, preparing to strike. Made it safely away and hiked on.
As the day faded, we ran into several other hikers in a dry creek bed, and made dinner, which was good because I was completely out of energy. After dinner, we packed back on and started a sudden ascent through the San Bernadino National Forest. The sun set, and we pulled out our headlamps for night hiking. The trees formed a canopy, and the mountains around us formed a basin that we climbed over the next three hours. The air got colder, and the mountains became black shapes against a starry sky. We finally made it up to a sandy lot, and set up camp. It's actually quite cold, and my fingers are numb, so goodnight!
Saturday, May 9th -- Day 17
- Full moon tonight. The moon is spectacularly bright here, and bathes our campsite in light.
It turns out that we hiked about thirty miles yesterday. Big day. Today we hiked 17 or 18, and I don't feel bad at all about not breaking 20. We made our own trail through a stretch of desert where there was none, and found coolers full of pop under a bridge. After relaxing for a short while, we moved on. The terrain was pretty flat for once, but the rising heat made it unenjoyable. At around noon, we came across the Mesa wind farm. Bottles of water had been left out next to a huge truck that several hikers were relaxing under. I had lunch, then crawled into the shade beneath the truck and dozed for a while.
After nap time, Tom, Jerry, Steve, Bactrack (another hiker. Duh) and I took off for the hills at a pretty good pace, which slowed dramatically as we hit the trail approaching San Gorgonio Pass. Te ground was sandy, giving way under each step, and the trail switched back and forth at hideous angles. This section, however, was short, and we made it through the pass to strong winds and firm ground on a steady descent. I'm not kidding about the strong winds. We were getting blasted, and I had to struggle to stay on the trail. Finally, we made it to a stream? River? It's flowing fast and powerful, and I've never been so happy to see flowing water in my life. We set up camp in the sand of a dry creek bed close by, and made dinner. I had a chicken dumpling backpacker's pantry meal, and it was the most fulfilling camp dinner I've ever had. I'm not stuffed, but it just felt so good to eat that mess.
Anyway, stars are out and beautiful. I'm sleeping without the fly on my tent tonight.
G'night.
It turns out that we hiked about thirty miles yesterday. Big day. Today we hiked 17 or 18, and I don't feel bad at all about not breaking 20. We made our own trail through a stretch of desert where there was none, and found coolers full of pop under a bridge. After relaxing for a short while, we moved on. The terrain was pretty flat for once, but the rising heat made it unenjoyable. At around noon, we came across the Mesa wind farm. Bottles of water had been left out next to a huge truck that several hikers were relaxing under. I had lunch, then crawled into the shade beneath the truck and dozed for a while.
After nap time, Tom, Jerry, Steve, Bactrack (another hiker. Duh) and I took off for the hills at a pretty good pace, which slowed dramatically as we hit the trail approaching San Gorgonio Pass. Te ground was sandy, giving way under each step, and the trail switched back and forth at hideous angles. This section, however, was short, and we made it through the pass to strong winds and firm ground on a steady descent. I'm not kidding about the strong winds. We were getting blasted, and I had to struggle to stay on the trail. Finally, we made it to a stream? River? It's flowing fast and powerful, and I've never been so happy to see flowing water in my life. We set up camp in the sand of a dry creek bed close by, and made dinner. I had a chicken dumpling backpacker's pantry meal, and it was the most fulfilling camp dinner I've ever had. I'm not stuffed, but it just felt so good to eat that mess.
Anyway, stars are out and beautiful. I'm sleeping without the fly on my tent tonight.
G'night.
Friday, May 8th -- Day 16
Today was, so far, the most physically challenging day of my life.
Woke up at 5:15 to a shout from Steve, another hiker we camped with last night. Took way too long taking down camp, but we were moving by six-thirty. We crossed deep snow drifts, and lost the trail a few times, although not for long. After we crossed Fuller Ridge, it was finally time to descend. Tom and I pulled far ahead and started making our way down the mountain. We'd been under the impression that the trail leading to the desert floor would probably be about seven miles. It turned into a much longer hike. The trail led around a basin at a very, very gradual decline, switching back every once in a great while. We could see a town far below that never seemed to get any closer, no matter how far we'd gone. As the sun set, we pulled out our headlamps for night hiking. I saw a tarantula, and another spider that I can only describe as truly horrifying. Altogether, it took us about five hours to make our way down to the desert floor. Legs were killing me. We found a note at the bottom telling PCT hikers that there was water at a certain address. We followed the directions to the house and found two men sitting on a deck watching a baseball game that was on TV inside. Tom and I sat with them and a woman came out and offered us cold drinks if we rooted for the Angels. Of course, we did. After demolishing big cups of lemonade, a bowl of peanuts, and a box of M&Ms, we made our goodbyes and headed to their garden hose to fill up our water bottles. There, we found a cooler full of oranges, which we pigged out on.
Also, I found a big rock that looks like a shark! I took a picture.
G'night!
Woke up at 5:15 to a shout from Steve, another hiker we camped with last night. Took way too long taking down camp, but we were moving by six-thirty. We crossed deep snow drifts, and lost the trail a few times, although not for long. After we crossed Fuller Ridge, it was finally time to descend. Tom and I pulled far ahead and started making our way down the mountain. We'd been under the impression that the trail leading to the desert floor would probably be about seven miles. It turned into a much longer hike. The trail led around a basin at a very, very gradual decline, switching back every once in a great while. We could see a town far below that never seemed to get any closer, no matter how far we'd gone. As the sun set, we pulled out our headlamps for night hiking. I saw a tarantula, and another spider that I can only describe as truly horrifying. Altogether, it took us about five hours to make our way down to the desert floor. Legs were killing me. We found a note at the bottom telling PCT hikers that there was water at a certain address. We followed the directions to the house and found two men sitting on a deck watching a baseball game that was on TV inside. Tom and I sat with them and a woman came out and offered us cold drinks if we rooted for the Angels. Of course, we did. After demolishing big cups of lemonade, a bowl of peanuts, and a box of M&Ms, we made our goodbyes and headed to their garden hose to fill up our water bottles. There, we found a cooler full of oranges, which we pigged out on.
Also, I found a big rock that looks like a shark! I took a picture.
G'night!
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Thursday, May 7th -- Day 15
- Back on the trail. We slept in 'til around seven, and then took way too long cleaning up and packing to meet our 8 a.m ride, so we decided to leave around noon. This gave me time to completely empty my pack, reorganize my things, and throw away or discard to the hiker box any items that I don't need. After realizing that there were still things to be done in town, and the 12:00 time of departure drawing near, we pushed it back 'til 2:30.
Got a lot done in town. We sent out a box of things that we don't need anymore, picked up some long-sleeved dress shirts (sun protection in the desert) and some books (!) from a thrift shop, weighed our packs at the outfitter's (45 lbs. with 5 days food and two liters water) --
I just became bored while writing that stuff. Here are the important things, in list form:
*Devil's Slide wasn't as tough an ascent as I'd feared.
*My lungs aren't used to this altitude, which makes hiking up here a slow, gasping, breathless chore.
*Despite the altitude thing, despite the fact that I broke one stake and bent another trying to hammer them into this mountain, despite the cuts, scrapes, pains, sweat, dirt, and awful smells, I am so glad to be back on this stupid trail. I can't figure out why. I just feel, right now, like this is the most real and meaningful thing I can remember doing in my life.
Bedtime. 'Night!
Got a lot done in town. We sent out a box of things that we don't need anymore, picked up some long-sleeved dress shirts (sun protection in the desert) and some books (!) from a thrift shop, weighed our packs at the outfitter's (45 lbs. with 5 days food and two liters water) --
I just became bored while writing that stuff. Here are the important things, in list form:
*Devil's Slide wasn't as tough an ascent as I'd feared.
*My lungs aren't used to this altitude, which makes hiking up here a slow, gasping, breathless chore.
*Despite the altitude thing, despite the fact that I broke one stake and bent another trying to hammer them into this mountain, despite the cuts, scrapes, pains, sweat, dirt, and awful smells, I am so glad to be back on this stupid trail. I can't figure out why. I just feel, right now, like this is the most real and meaningful thing I can remember doing in my life.
Bedtime. 'Night!
Monday, May 25, 2009
Wednesday, May 6th -- Day 14
- Short entry tonight.
We zeroed in Idyllwild and hung around town all day. Good people, good food, good memories, I'm sure. Saw Wolverine at the movie theatre. Yes, the writing was kind of bad, but lots of things blew up, and Hugh Jackman cut people up, which is what I went there to see.
Had a campfire (our first) after the movie, and a pack of hikers that we didn't know materialized out of the darkness with beer.
At midnight, Tom and I brought out a cake and a card signed by all the thru-hikers we could find for Jerry's Birthday, which is technically now. More good times, and lots of talking around the campfire.
Today deserves much more writing than I'm bothering with, but it's very late, and we have lots of cleaning up to do before leaving tomorrow morning. So goodnight!
We zeroed in Idyllwild and hung around town all day. Good people, good food, good memories, I'm sure. Saw Wolverine at the movie theatre. Yes, the writing was kind of bad, but lots of things blew up, and Hugh Jackman cut people up, which is what I went there to see.
Had a campfire (our first) after the movie, and a pack of hikers that we didn't know materialized out of the darkness with beer.
At midnight, Tom and I brought out a cake and a card signed by all the thru-hikers we could find for Jerry's Birthday, which is technically now. More good times, and lots of talking around the campfire.
Today deserves much more writing than I'm bothering with, but it's very late, and we have lots of cleaning up to do before leaving tomorrow morning. So goodnight!
Monday, May 18, 2009
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Tuesday, May 5th--Day 13
We are in Idyllwild.
Started off the day at six am, and hiked to Fobe's Saddle, our first potential water source. We skipped it, deciding that we had enough water to get us to Apache Spring 3 miles down the trail. That's when things started to suck.
Just past Fobe's Saddle, I lifted my foot to take a step and got a sudden sharp pain deep in my lower back. I took a few more steps before the pain made me sit down. After resting and wondering what to do for a few minutes, I took some ibuprofen, stood up, and started creeping up the trail. There was a lot of climbing, and I was out of water, and it SUCKED.
Eventually, I caught up with Jerry, and we made our way uphill until we ran into Tom. By then, the pain had worked itself out somewhat, so I could almost hike at my normal pace. We moved on to the Apache Spring Trail Junction. All of us were out of water, having foolishly passed up several opportunities for Apache Spring, which was supposed to be only half a mile off the trail. Unfortunately, it turned out that the half mile was a quick plunge down the side of the mountain. We scrambled down, filtered the water from the mountain spring (cold and delicious) and had a long lunch. Then, it was time to climb back up.
The ascent on the Apache Spring Trail was by far the most difficult climb we've encountered yet. It consisted mostly of fierce switchbacks, punctuated by brutal direct climbs at a hideous angle. I climbed it twenty feet at a time, stopping in between to lean on my trekking poles and try to shake the tension out of my legs.
At long last, we made it to the top, only for more climbing. The trail became thin and treacherous. At one point I ducked to the outside to avoid a low branch, and my right foot went too far. The ground gave way, and half of me slid down the cliff. My left leg scraped hard against a rock as I landed on it, tearing my pants. I came out of it with nothing more than an ugly scrape, instead of a broken shin, which I imagine would have been probably the most painful thing in the universe.
Oh, ok. So, after a long, long day of climbs and descents, we made it to Devil's Slide, a trail that descends 2,300 feet over 25 miles. Not as ominous as it sounds, but I am not looking forward to climbing back up. As soon as we hit the bottom, a pickup truck pulled up, and a man and a woman (Ron and Sherrie) offered us a ride into town. They dropped us off at a pizza place and we stuffed ourselves before hiking to the state park campgrounds to camp for the night. G'night.
Started off the day at six am, and hiked to Fobe's Saddle, our first potential water source. We skipped it, deciding that we had enough water to get us to Apache Spring 3 miles down the trail. That's when things started to suck.
Just past Fobe's Saddle, I lifted my foot to take a step and got a sudden sharp pain deep in my lower back. I took a few more steps before the pain made me sit down. After resting and wondering what to do for a few minutes, I took some ibuprofen, stood up, and started creeping up the trail. There was a lot of climbing, and I was out of water, and it SUCKED.
Eventually, I caught up with Jerry, and we made our way uphill until we ran into Tom. By then, the pain had worked itself out somewhat, so I could almost hike at my normal pace. We moved on to the Apache Spring Trail Junction. All of us were out of water, having foolishly passed up several opportunities for Apache Spring, which was supposed to be only half a mile off the trail. Unfortunately, it turned out that the half mile was a quick plunge down the side of the mountain. We scrambled down, filtered the water from the mountain spring (cold and delicious) and had a long lunch. Then, it was time to climb back up.
The ascent on the Apache Spring Trail was by far the most difficult climb we've encountered yet. It consisted mostly of fierce switchbacks, punctuated by brutal direct climbs at a hideous angle. I climbed it twenty feet at a time, stopping in between to lean on my trekking poles and try to shake the tension out of my legs.
At long last, we made it to the top, only for more climbing. The trail became thin and treacherous. At one point I ducked to the outside to avoid a low branch, and my right foot went too far. The ground gave way, and half of me slid down the cliff. My left leg scraped hard against a rock as I landed on it, tearing my pants. I came out of it with nothing more than an ugly scrape, instead of a broken shin, which I imagine would have been probably the most painful thing in the universe.
Oh, ok. So, after a long, long day of climbs and descents, we made it to Devil's Slide, a trail that descends 2,300 feet over 25 miles. Not as ominous as it sounds, but I am not looking forward to climbing back up. As soon as we hit the bottom, a pickup truck pulled up, and a man and a woman (Ron and Sherrie) offered us a ride into town. They dropped us off at a pizza place and we stuffed ourselves before hiking to the state park campgrounds to camp for the night. G'night.
Monday, May 4th--Day 12
Today was the hardest day yet.
It started out easily enough, with a smooth descent and a brief walk up to the road, where we found some trail magic waiting for us. A man who calls himself Tarzan had set up a large tent with tables and coolers. We walked up, and he handed each of us a slice of watermelon. I have never tasted watermelon so good in my life. Tarzan ran around the tent attending to this or that as we sat and enjoyed the foods he kept supplying us with: Pears, lentil soup, granola, yogurt to put the granola in, orange juice, and so on. As we finally prepared to leave, he cut loose with the most impressive Tarzan yell I've ever heard in person, two feet away.
We left very full, and started climbing right away. The trail took us up steep inclines and over boulders, past fallen trees and over dry creek beds. Occasionally it would dip into a canyon before shooting up another mountainside. The sun was hot, but we were doing fine. Then, we hit a saddle, and from there the trail went into a swift ascent and never looked back. We climbed brutal switchbacks up the mountain only to come out to another climb, at an ever sharper angle. Every time we thought we'd gone as high as we could go, we'd turn a corner and the trail would lead up another, taller mountain. I poured sweat and gasped every breath as I climbed, stabbing the mountain as hard as I could with my poles for being such an awful bastard.
Eventually, we made it to the peak, and we climbed on top of some boulders and yelled as loud as we could, the wind roaring around us. We set up came in a wooded area farther down the trail. I am at the highest elevation I've ever been at. Tomorrow we're going to Idyllwild via Devil's Slide. It sounds ominous, no? Night.
It started out easily enough, with a smooth descent and a brief walk up to the road, where we found some trail magic waiting for us. A man who calls himself Tarzan had set up a large tent with tables and coolers. We walked up, and he handed each of us a slice of watermelon. I have never tasted watermelon so good in my life. Tarzan ran around the tent attending to this or that as we sat and enjoyed the foods he kept supplying us with: Pears, lentil soup, granola, yogurt to put the granola in, orange juice, and so on. As we finally prepared to leave, he cut loose with the most impressive Tarzan yell I've ever heard in person, two feet away.
We left very full, and started climbing right away. The trail took us up steep inclines and over boulders, past fallen trees and over dry creek beds. Occasionally it would dip into a canyon before shooting up another mountainside. The sun was hot, but we were doing fine. Then, we hit a saddle, and from there the trail went into a swift ascent and never looked back. We climbed brutal switchbacks up the mountain only to come out to another climb, at an ever sharper angle. Every time we thought we'd gone as high as we could go, we'd turn a corner and the trail would lead up another, taller mountain. I poured sweat and gasped every breath as I climbed, stabbing the mountain as hard as I could with my poles for being such an awful bastard.
Eventually, we made it to the peak, and we climbed on top of some boulders and yelled as loud as we could, the wind roaring around us. We set up came in a wooded area farther down the trail. I am at the highest elevation I've ever been at. Tomorrow we're going to Idyllwild via Devil's Slide. It sounds ominous, no? Night.
Sunday, May 3rd--Day 11
Camped in a field about fifty yards from Mike's house last night. Despite our attempts at waking up and leaving early, we found ourselves caught by Mike's unique sort of hospitality as he made a big pot of oatmeal. He saw some hikers moving along the hills in the distance and joked (?) about maybe being able to "pick them off from here" with what I assume was a paintball gun. Then he told us that the ribs he'd been smoking all night were done. Altogether, we didn't set out until about nine a.m.
The weather was nice for the first several hours, but the sun started glaring down at us around eleven. The day before, I had forgotten to put sunblock on, and ended up with a pair of very red sunburned arms. Today's sun made them feel like they were on fire. I will not forget sunblock again!
Had lunch down by a water tank (filterable) and I managed to burn my finger on the windscreen (Tom's) for my stove as I boiled my water. I'm not having a lot of luck with heat these last few days. After lunch, lots of difficult uphill hiking in the afternoon heat. Fortunately, I finally got a pair of trekking poles in Warner Springs, which made the climbs much easier.
We have a very nice campsite tonight. Tom took pictures. G'Night!
The weather was nice for the first several hours, but the sun started glaring down at us around eleven. The day before, I had forgotten to put sunblock on, and ended up with a pair of very red sunburned arms. Today's sun made them feel like they were on fire. I will not forget sunblock again!
Had lunch down by a water tank (filterable) and I managed to burn my finger on the windscreen (Tom's) for my stove as I boiled my water. I'm not having a lot of luck with heat these last few days. After lunch, lots of difficult uphill hiking in the afternoon heat. Fortunately, I finally got a pair of trekking poles in Warner Springs, which made the climbs much easier.
We have a very nice campsite tonight. Tom took pictures. G'Night!
Saturday, May 2nd--Day 10
Can't believe we've only been out here for 10 days now. Or, maybe I can't believe that we've actually been out here for 10 days now. I guess it's just disbelief all around.
Woke up at 5:45 this morning, packed as silently as possible (we were sharing a room with two other people who were still asleep), and blew out of town. After a long walk along the highway, we picked up the trail, and I could not have been happier to be hiking again. We climbed back up into hills and, as is becoming our routine, put in a lot of miles right away.
Inspired by another hiker, whose name I'm not writing simply because I don't know how to spell it, but he has a pretty cool mustache and he looks like a villain straight out of an old cartoon--Snidely Whiplash! From Dudley DoRight! I knew--
Right. Ok. So, I climbed a giant pile of rocks, a dangerous, stupid move, but well worth it. The jagged edge of one boulder ripped my finger as I pulled myself up, and then I found myself straddling the same edge, hanging on for dear life as the wind picked up and tried to blow me off the rocks and the mountain itself. (The pile of boulders was right at the peak of one of these hill/mountains, on the very edge of a precipice. The view was outstanding, and I did feel so very alive.)
After the rocks, we made our way along the hillsides until the trail poured out onto a dirt road, which led to the house of a Trail Angel named Mike Herrera. We'd heard of him, and his house is listed on the water (?) report, so we headed over to his place.
We came upon a one-story house in the middle of a gap between the hills. Tables were loaded with food, and there were several other hikers helping themselves. A woman named Suzanne introduced herself and told us to eat and drink. I asked about Mike, and a big man lying in a hammock in the far corner of the yard raised his hand, and told us that for each beer we drank, we had to take a shot of tequila. So, we ate, and we drank, and we sat around talking and laughing. We talked to Mike a bit:
Jerry: "How do you like living up here?"
Mike: "It's great. Except for a lot of hiker trash."
Me: "Yeah, we ran into some of those on the trail."
Mike: "You guys are like locusts! Swarm in here and eat!"
Jerry: "You keep putting food out!"
We all laughed. It was like a movie. I'm out of page and that's pretty much all anyway. 'Night!
Woke up at 5:45 this morning, packed as silently as possible (we were sharing a room with two other people who were still asleep), and blew out of town. After a long walk along the highway, we picked up the trail, and I could not have been happier to be hiking again. We climbed back up into hills and, as is becoming our routine, put in a lot of miles right away.
Inspired by another hiker, whose name I'm not writing simply because I don't know how to spell it, but he has a pretty cool mustache and he looks like a villain straight out of an old cartoon--Snidely Whiplash! From Dudley DoRight! I knew--
Right. Ok. So, I climbed a giant pile of rocks, a dangerous, stupid move, but well worth it. The jagged edge of one boulder ripped my finger as I pulled myself up, and then I found myself straddling the same edge, hanging on for dear life as the wind picked up and tried to blow me off the rocks and the mountain itself. (The pile of boulders was right at the peak of one of these hill/mountains, on the very edge of a precipice. The view was outstanding, and I did feel so very alive.)
After the rocks, we made our way along the hillsides until the trail poured out onto a dirt road, which led to the house of a Trail Angel named Mike Herrera. We'd heard of him, and his house is listed on the water (?) report, so we headed over to his place.
We came upon a one-story house in the middle of a gap between the hills. Tables were loaded with food, and there were several other hikers helping themselves. A woman named Suzanne introduced herself and told us to eat and drink. I asked about Mike, and a big man lying in a hammock in the far corner of the yard raised his hand, and told us that for each beer we drank, we had to take a shot of tequila. So, we ate, and we drank, and we sat around talking and laughing. We talked to Mike a bit:
Jerry: "How do you like living up here?"
Mike: "It's great. Except for a lot of hiker trash."
Me: "Yeah, we ran into some of those on the trail."
Mike: "You guys are like locusts! Swarm in here and eat!"
Jerry: "You keep putting food out!"
We all laughed. It was like a movie. I'm out of page and that's pretty much all anyway. 'Night!
Friday, May 1st--Day 9
We stayed in Warner Springs an extra night. I can't bring myself to be happy about this, despite the fact that it is a resort with stylish architecture and a cantina. And a hot spring pool right next to a heated (but cooler than the hot spring) regular pool.
I feel like we've been sidetracked. Here we are at this beautiful resort, eating blue cheese hamburgers until we're stuffed and soaking in the hot spring pool 'til we reek of sulfur, and the trail is still out there, calling. I feel...I don't know how I feel here, but it's not how I feel out there. I didn't realize 'til now how much I've been enjoying this hike. Out there, I lower my head and trudge up hill after hill after hill, pouring sweat. When the pack makes my shoulders hurt, I adjust the straps, shifting the weight to my hips. When my hips become too tired, I put the weight back on my shoulders. When my legs are screaming out and on fire, I stop for a minute to let them catch their breath, and then we trudge on. I Don't Slow My Pace. I was not in great shape when I started this, and I still have a long way to go, but I'm doing it, and my body is listening to me.
I'm being premature in my confidence. The desert is coming up soon. I don't know how well I'll handle the extreme temperatures. But I will try. And I can't believe I'm saying this, but I can't wait to get out of this hotel room and back into my tent, so I can feel like I'm doing something again. I am out of here tomorrow! Goodnight!
I feel like we've been sidetracked. Here we are at this beautiful resort, eating blue cheese hamburgers until we're stuffed and soaking in the hot spring pool 'til we reek of sulfur, and the trail is still out there, calling. I feel...I don't know how I feel here, but it's not how I feel out there. I didn't realize 'til now how much I've been enjoying this hike. Out there, I lower my head and trudge up hill after hill after hill, pouring sweat. When the pack makes my shoulders hurt, I adjust the straps, shifting the weight to my hips. When my hips become too tired, I put the weight back on my shoulders. When my legs are screaming out and on fire, I stop for a minute to let them catch their breath, and then we trudge on. I Don't Slow My Pace. I was not in great shape when I started this, and I still have a long way to go, but I'm doing it, and my body is listening to me.
I'm being premature in my confidence. The desert is coming up soon. I don't know how well I'll handle the extreme temperatures. But I will try. And I can't believe I'm saying this, but I can't wait to get out of this hotel room and back into my tent, so I can feel like I'm doing something again. I am out of here tomorrow! Goodnight!
Monday, May 11, 2009
Thursday, April 30th--Day 8
Warner Springs!
We broke 100 miles today. 100 miles! Tom and I are the fastest hikers we've run into. No one passes us.
Ok.
A 3-hour hike from camp to Barrel Springs, where a water source (contaminated) and a cooler full of soft drinks awaited us. There is a pop (soda) out here called "Cactus Cooler" which is unbelievably good, especially after hiking for ten miles in the San Felipe hills. Many of the other hikers we've met showed up, and we all had a long lunch in the shade, surrounded by bees, yes, but still alive and full of... joy? Life? Something good.
We set off after lunch, and I pulled ahead to explore on my own for a while. The hills soon gave way to prairies and plains, with cows grouped together off in the distance and their smell surrounding me.
I caught up with another hiker (Trainwreck) in the most beautiful field I've ever been in, and we followed the trail as it branched off to Eagle Rock.
Why "Eagle Rock?" I thought as I walked towards a group of boulders at the top of a hill. When I stood in front of them, my perspective lined up, and the answer was clear: in front of me, in the middle of this field, was an eagle rising out of the hilltop and frozen, at the moment of flight, in stone. A GIANT EAGLE. I climbed on it and had my picture taken, and Tom and Jerry showed up and did the same. What a magnificent place.
After a long break at Eagle Rock, we trudged the next four or five miles to Warner Springs.
Warner Springs is a resort. They have hot springs!
We checked in, paid for a room for 3 (each with their own bed!) and walked to our building. I finally showered! I am clean for the first time in over a week!
After getting our rooms set up, Tom and I headed out to the market for beer, only to find out that it had closed. We followed another group to the cantina, where we both had lots of beers and got drunk and ate hamburgers. Then Jerry finally met us there, but we left soon after and went swimming (!) in the hot spring (!!!).
I smell like rotten eggs. Or sulfur. Which is still eighty times better than I smelled earlier. Good night!
We broke 100 miles today. 100 miles! Tom and I are the fastest hikers we've run into. No one passes us.
Ok.
A 3-hour hike from camp to Barrel Springs, where a water source (contaminated) and a cooler full of soft drinks awaited us. There is a pop (soda) out here called "Cactus Cooler" which is unbelievably good, especially after hiking for ten miles in the San Felipe hills. Many of the other hikers we've met showed up, and we all had a long lunch in the shade, surrounded by bees, yes, but still alive and full of... joy? Life? Something good.
We set off after lunch, and I pulled ahead to explore on my own for a while. The hills soon gave way to prairies and plains, with cows grouped together off in the distance and their smell surrounding me.
I caught up with another hiker (Trainwreck) in the most beautiful field I've ever been in, and we followed the trail as it branched off to Eagle Rock.
Why "Eagle Rock?" I thought as I walked towards a group of boulders at the top of a hill. When I stood in front of them, my perspective lined up, and the answer was clear: in front of me, in the middle of this field, was an eagle rising out of the hilltop and frozen, at the moment of flight, in stone. A GIANT EAGLE. I climbed on it and had my picture taken, and Tom and Jerry showed up and did the same. What a magnificent place.
After a long break at Eagle Rock, we trudged the next four or five miles to Warner Springs.
Warner Springs is a resort. They have hot springs!
We checked in, paid for a room for 3 (each with their own bed!) and walked to our building. I finally showered! I am clean for the first time in over a week!
After getting our rooms set up, Tom and I headed out to the market for beer, only to find out that it had closed. We followed another group to the cantina, where we both had lots of beers and got drunk and ate hamburgers. Then Jerry finally met us there, but we left soon after and went swimming (!) in the hot spring (!!!).
I smell like rotten eggs. Or sulfur. Which is still eighty times better than I smelled earlier. Good night!
Wednesday, April 29th--Day Seven
Been out here for seven days now. Seven days. It feels longer to me. I haven't showered or bathed in that time. The dust that I kick up with each step passes right through my pants and cakes my legs. My pants themselves are pretty nasty. I've dropped a peanutbutter-coated tortilla on my lap. I tore one of the legs on a branch. I sat on a tar-covered telephone pole in Mt. Laguna, which left a stain that amuses Tom. And, just tonight, I managed to splatter gravy on them. (The gravy came from a hiker box in Mt. Laguna, where hikers drop off unwanted items for other hikers to sift through. I picked it up because I have mashed potatoes, but the mess was terrible when I finished eating. NOT WORTH IT.)
Where was I? Oh. Right. Out here for a week now. I'm homeless.
Today we finally descended from the mountains, and into the desert. It was early morning, so the heat wasn't that bad. A flat walk to Scissor's Crossing, where a water cache was set up, then back up again, into the San Felipe Hills. It was hot. I walked, head down, and watched the same drop of sweat roll back and forth along the brim of my hat for an hour. When I bent to rest, the sweat streamed from my hat like water from a faucet, ceaselessly.
We finally caught up with Skywalker, and Tom and I rested in the shade with him as he told us stories of the Appalachian Trail.
We finally made it to the third pipe gate, where another water cache is set up, and made camp along with several other hikers. It's the nicest camp I've had yet, finally not freezing, and we put in about twenty miles today. Still, tonight I really miss home. I miss my family, and my friends.
Still a long way to go. We're 91 miles in.
Good night.
Where was I? Oh. Right. Out here for a week now. I'm homeless.
Today we finally descended from the mountains, and into the desert. It was early morning, so the heat wasn't that bad. A flat walk to Scissor's Crossing, where a water cache was set up, then back up again, into the San Felipe Hills. It was hot. I walked, head down, and watched the same drop of sweat roll back and forth along the brim of my hat for an hour. When I bent to rest, the sweat streamed from my hat like water from a faucet, ceaselessly.
We finally caught up with Skywalker, and Tom and I rested in the shade with him as he told us stories of the Appalachian Trail.
We finally made it to the third pipe gate, where another water cache is set up, and made camp along with several other hikers. It's the nicest camp I've had yet, finally not freezing, and we put in about twenty miles today. Still, tonight I really miss home. I miss my family, and my friends.
Still a long way to go. We're 91 miles in.
Good night.
Tuesday, April 28th--Day Six
We covered a lot of distance today. Woke up at six, took down camp, and set off, only to find several other hikers down the trail about half a mile. Skywalker was there, and he told us that the park they'd camped at sucked, because it was windy all night. High winds turned out to be the theme of the day, as we sat down for lunch at a horse trough and the constant gusts coming down from the mountains blasted us the whole time.
I am a person who is frequently cold, and I've been cold for most of the time I've been out here because of the never-ending winds. I asked Geoff, who is sending our food out, to put my winter gear into the next box. I'm ready for it now, but I won't get it until Idyllwild. Guess I'll have to hold out for a while longer.
We've come about 70 miles so far, and I'm still able to walk, although my feet (which are awful to look at) are pretty taped up. I'm hanging in there, and so are Jerry and Tom.
Gonna try to get some sleep now, which may be difficult, because the walls of my tent are whipping around in the wind.
Feelin' ok.
Good night!
I am a person who is frequently cold, and I've been cold for most of the time I've been out here because of the never-ending winds. I asked Geoff, who is sending our food out, to put my winter gear into the next box. I'm ready for it now, but I won't get it until Idyllwild. Guess I'll have to hold out for a while longer.
We've come about 70 miles so far, and I'm still able to walk, although my feet (which are awful to look at) are pretty taped up. I'm hanging in there, and so are Jerry and Tom.
Gonna try to get some sleep now, which may be difficult, because the walls of my tent are whipping around in the wind.
Feelin' ok.
Good night!
Monday, April 27th--Day Five
Today was good. Woke up at 5:45 with very little soreness, except the pain in my ribs and back from sleeping on the ground. I'm not really complaining, because, based on how I felt when I went to bed last night, I'm surprised I could even move at all when I got up. We packed quickly and made an early start. After about four hours of solid hiking, we made it to Mount Laguna and the post office therein. Unfortunately, we arrived at ten-thirty, and the post office didn't open 'til noon, so we had a long wait. There was a shop next door, way overpriced but well stocked, and I blew too much money there to feel good about.
After taking care of post office stuff, we hiked back down the road towards the trail, and passed it by, like, half a mile without realizing. Just as we figured out our mistake, the shop owner pulled up in his pickup truck and gave us a ride back to the trail.
Today's hike took us through some beautiful country. We climbed more mountains, of course, and descended into canyons. We followed the trail along a valley and were hammered by intense wind that almost blew us off course. Light began to fade, so we made camp in a valley not quite so windswept, but breezy all the same. The walls of my tent will not stop flapping, and I'm not crazy about it.
See you tomorrow.
After taking care of post office stuff, we hiked back down the road towards the trail, and passed it by, like, half a mile without realizing. Just as we figured out our mistake, the shop owner pulled up in his pickup truck and gave us a ride back to the trail.
Today's hike took us through some beautiful country. We climbed more mountains, of course, and descended into canyons. We followed the trail along a valley and were hammered by intense wind that almost blew us off course. Light began to fade, so we made camp in a valley not quite so windswept, but breezy all the same. The walls of my tent will not stop flapping, and I'm not crazy about it.
See you tomorrow.
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Sunday, April 26--Day 4
Started today with a light breakfast that turned into a heavy breakfast, generously supplied by a organization whose name I don't know. It's printed on the T-shirt I got, but I'm wearing that shirt underneath another shirt and I'm cold and I'm in my sleeping bag so no. Anyway. Breakfast! Eggs, sausages, black bean and egg burritos, hash browns, granola, yogurt, and fresh fruit! I ate more than I meant to, and we sort of took out time before setting out. This time, we were accompanied by a guy named Dirk, although only briefly for Tom and I. Our pace is much quicker than Jerry's, although his is steady, and Dirk's pace matches his. It wasn't long at all before Tom and I left Jerry and Dirk behind.
Unfortunately, the fast pace definitely took its toll on me as the day progressed. So far, this trail seems to have been merely uphill, with some downhill mixed in for brief periods. Today was no different. Up one mountainside, down the other a bit, then up the next, higher and higher but never reaching a peak. All this climbing is killing my legs, butt, and lower back, and the pack, loaded with six liters of water, is killing my shoulders. If we don't get out of these mountains soon, I'm in trouble.
Things aren't all bad. After one steep climb, we suddenly hit a highway with pickup trucks parked on the roadside and people lounging in chairs. These people are "Trail Angels," and they pointed us towards coolers full of water, pop, and beer. I sat on a rock, airing out my feet and sipping a beer for maybe twenty minutes.
It was glorious. After the trail magic, as people call it, we took off on another brutal climb. A couple of miles farther, we hit a patch of trees in a valley, and plopped down on the grass in the shade to wait for Jerry. He caught up with us eventually and we powered up another set of mountains.
We managed to find a decent spot to set up camp right before the sun set. I'm not sure what we would have done if we hadn't, but it doesn't matter.
Ok. Exhausted again. G'night.
Saturday, April 25, 2009--Day 3 (Lake Morena)
Woke up at 6:30 to fog. We took down camp and hiked down one mountainside, then up another. It was brutal. I did not spend nearly the amount of time that I should have training for this, but I'm glad for every second I did spend. Tom is an unstoppable machine. I can keep up with him on even ground, or on slight inclines, but on the way up this mountainside my legs, back, and lungs were screaming at me, and he showed no desire to slow down. I'm going to kill him and steal his power.
After crossing the ridge, we eventually made our way down to Lake Morena, where, by sheer coincidence, there just happens to be a PCT thru hike kickoff party going on this weekend! We signed in and a man with the trail name "Capt. Bivy," unable to find us a camp site, gave us the keys to a cabin half a mile down the road. We dropped our gear off and headed back to the park for a seminar about desert hiking and the water report. After that, another trip back to the cabin, where I washed my feet (which were disgusting!) under a spigot and then lounged in bed and read a few chapters of "The Executioner." At five, we headed back down to the park for "Burgerama," which is exactly what it sounds like. Imagine six hundred hikers milling around tables loaded with burgers, hot dogs, buns, potato salad and brownies. Tom, Jerry and I got our food and sat in the grass soaking up the evening sun and looking out towards the mountains and the desert that awaits us.
After pounding down four burgers, half a veggie dog, a Gatorade, a Sobe, and three helpings of potato salad, I picked up a T-shirt from a tent and we headed back to the cabin. The temperature here seems to shift radically as the wind blows, and I frequently find myself freezing one minute and pouring sweat the next. The extra layer will be a welcome addition, at least until I can have more clothes sent out.
I know I've only been out there three days, but I miss home. More mountains tomorrow. Better get to sleep.
After crossing the ridge, we eventually made our way down to Lake Morena, where, by sheer coincidence, there just happens to be a PCT thru hike kickoff party going on this weekend! We signed in and a man with the trail name "Capt. Bivy," unable to find us a camp site, gave us the keys to a cabin half a mile down the road. We dropped our gear off and headed back to the park for a seminar about desert hiking and the water report. After that, another trip back to the cabin, where I washed my feet (which were disgusting!) under a spigot and then lounged in bed and read a few chapters of "The Executioner." At five, we headed back down to the park for "Burgerama," which is exactly what it sounds like. Imagine six hundred hikers milling around tables loaded with burgers, hot dogs, buns, potato salad and brownies. Tom, Jerry and I got our food and sat in the grass soaking up the evening sun and looking out towards the mountains and the desert that awaits us.
After pounding down four burgers, half a veggie dog, a Gatorade, a Sobe, and three helpings of potato salad, I picked up a T-shirt from a tent and we headed back to the cabin. The temperature here seems to shift radically as the wind blows, and I frequently find myself freezing one minute and pouring sweat the next. The extra layer will be a welcome addition, at least until I can have more clothes sent out.
I know I've only been out there three days, but I miss home. More mountains tomorrow. Better get to sleep.
Friday, April 24, 2009—Day 2
Woke up at six to Tom and Jerry’s voices. It was a good long sleep. After taking down camp, we hiked over to the hardware store and picked up fuel for the alcohol stoves. I didn’t buy any, because mine’s a gas stove, and I’d picked up some diesel fuel the day before in El Cajon. After the hardware store, we walked to the post office to pick up out first supply package and to dump extra weight: all of our packs were way too heavy! After a careful reevaluation of what we really need and what we don’t, we mailed out a seventeen pound box to Geoff, who is handling our resupply. Lighter, we set off for the border, and found the monument indicating the trailhead. We goofed around taking pictures for too long, and finally started the trail.
I don’t know if I can really describe how beautiful it is out here. The mountains! My camera does not do the scenery justice.
We met two other thru-hikers, Skywalker and Ralph. Skywalker, who is 6’11”, has thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail. Ralph hasn’t hiked much before. They seem like cool guys. I think we probably covered about sixteen miles today. Because we started so late, we had to set up camp short of Lake Morena, where it turns out a big party is happening for PCT hikers. Oh well. I’m pretty sore and very tired, so I’m done. Goodnight.
I don’t know if I can really describe how beautiful it is out here. The mountains! My camera does not do the scenery justice.
We met two other thru-hikers, Skywalker and Ralph. Skywalker, who is 6’11”, has thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail. Ralph hasn’t hiked much before. They seem like cool guys. I think we probably covered about sixteen miles today. Because we started so late, we had to set up camp short of Lake Morena, where it turns out a big party is happening for PCT hikers. Oh well. I’m pretty sore and very tired, so I’m done. Goodnight.
April 23, 2009—Day 1
I am in California. California! This thing has finally begun. After two days of packing with just a few hours of sleep in between, I had a very touching goodbye with Megan, Darcy, Dave, Amy, Ty, Eric and Jess. I already miss them. Another few hours’ sleep, and Mom and Dad drove me to the airport to check in for the 6:45 am flight. Made my goodbyes to the pparents, who are wonderful, and met up with Tom just in time to find out that our flight was scheduled for 9:45 am, not 6:45. Aha. Jerry showed up soon after, and we sat around until check-in time.
I’ve never been on a plane before today. The idea of flying has fascinated me since I was very small, but, like so many other dreams, I’d never found (made) time to just go out and do it. Well! Today I flew. I stared out the window as we took off, watched the ground pull back and the cars and buildings shrink smaller and smaller until they were only gleaming indecipherable nothings against a patchwork world. Cities stretched into small towns, which stretched into farms and crops, and then, Rocky Mountains just appearing on the skyline, we landed in Denver and switched planes. Then up, up again over the Rockies, clouds sneaking between us and the mountains below. I fell asleep and woke up to canyons and gorges. Finally, we descended into palm trees and city streets. San Diego. Caught a bus, a trolley, and then another bus. Fell asleep once more, and when I woke…
I’m in love. The hills and mountains that surrounded us were not just hills and mountains. They were ancient, mighty giants. Tall, wide, and powerful, they were strewn with massive boulders. Huge molars on a proud, immense jaw, long forgotten but still defiant.
Eventually we did arrive in Campo, where we briefly stocked up on groceries and set up camp in a small park between the border patrol station and the fire station. And now we’re caught up! I would like to write more, but I’m totally exhausted, and the chance to finally get a full night’s sleep is too attractive to pass up. So, goodnight!
I’ve never been on a plane before today. The idea of flying has fascinated me since I was very small, but, like so many other dreams, I’d never found (made) time to just go out and do it. Well! Today I flew. I stared out the window as we took off, watched the ground pull back and the cars and buildings shrink smaller and smaller until they were only gleaming indecipherable nothings against a patchwork world. Cities stretched into small towns, which stretched into farms and crops, and then, Rocky Mountains just appearing on the skyline, we landed in Denver and switched planes. Then up, up again over the Rockies, clouds sneaking between us and the mountains below. I fell asleep and woke up to canyons and gorges. Finally, we descended into palm trees and city streets. San Diego. Caught a bus, a trolley, and then another bus. Fell asleep once more, and when I woke…
I’m in love. The hills and mountains that surrounded us were not just hills and mountains. They were ancient, mighty giants. Tall, wide, and powerful, they were strewn with massive boulders. Huge molars on a proud, immense jaw, long forgotten but still defiant.
Eventually we did arrive in Campo, where we briefly stocked up on groceries and set up camp in a small park between the border patrol station and the fire station. And now we’re caught up! I would like to write more, but I’m totally exhausted, and the chance to finally get a full night’s sleep is too attractive to pass up. So, goodnight!
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