Day 103 to 104 - Trail Magic and The Russian Wilderness

August 6 to 7
Day 103-104
Miles:  10+35
Total Miles:  1601

View from The Russian Wilderness

After just ten miles we made it Highway 3 where Unload was set up with a grill, picnic table and loads of beer.  Unload had hiked the PCT in 2011 and he had spent the winter on a fishing vessel up in Alaska.  He was back for the summer and decided what a better way to spend his time than to hang out with some green 2012 thu-hikers.  He cooked us burgers and dogs and we drank beer and soda and whiskey.  Even with only ten miles behind us that day, it took very little to convince us to stay that night and keep the party going.  Once other hikers showed up, Weather Carrot and Bobcat, we were in for the night.

Day 95 to 97 - Burney Falls to Shasta

July 29 - August 1
Day 95 to 97
Miles:  21+24+25+27
Total Miles:   1505

Burney Falls

Jubel and I hiked to Burney Falls Stat Park today, July 29th.  We caught up with others at the park store - Mellow Yellow, Action Pack, Smiles and others.  After a long six-hour siesta eating over-priced but still appreciated hot dogs, ice-cream cones and burritos, we hiked on to a bridge spanning a waterfall, where we camped.  Sleeping on a bridge is a treat because I get a flat spot and security from ants and other dirt dwelling insects, and the sound of the waterfall below is a pleasant white noise that puts me to sleep.  Besides we had no choice, the only other flat spot nearby was occupied by a couple thru-hiking with their seven-year old son, and we did not want to hike farther down the trail.

Day 93 to 94 - JJ's Cafe and Hat Creek Rim

July 27 -28
Day 93 to 94
Miles:  25+30
Total Miles:  1408

Mt. Shasta from Hat Creek Rim

The morning of July 27th started with a can't-miss breakfast at the Drakesbad Guest House.  Jubel and I then made an escape, leaving the camp near Drakesbad at 10:30 AM, feeling the pull of the trail.  Old Station was our next stop and we made it to the "trailer park" after a long flat hike past OHV roads, tree farms, hunting trails, far off gun-shots accompanying our hike much of the way.  Besides some great views of Lassen today, the scenery in trees and the trail flat.  The Old Station trailer park turned out to be a big trailer campground (I was imagining a retirement community) and the neighboring burger joint was closed when we arrived.  We cowboy camped in a pine tree forest past the trailer park on a thick layer of pine needles - a soft bed.

Day 92 - Drakesbad and Volcanic Gysers

July 26
Day 92
Miles:  18
Total Miles:  1353

Jubel the Outlaw at Boiling Springs Lake

After the amazing breakfast at the Pipers, we have just 18.5 miles to Drakesbad Guest Ranch in Lassen Volcanic National Park.  Drakesbad takes care of thru-hikers.  After serving their paying guests in their restaurant, they bring the food left un-consumed out to hikers on large platters.  For a mere $5 (or was it $10?) they fed us all we could eat of the turkey, bread rolls, veggies, bean salad, etc.  Joining Jubel and I was Lava Goat, Sierra and Happy Feet (both section hikers).

Day 90 - Entering the Cascades

July 24
Day 90
Miles:  25
Total Miles:  1315

First Views of Mt. Lassen at Sunset (center)

The climb out of Belden and the north fork of the Feather River was long - twelve miles - and took me to an altitude of 7,000 feet from a starting point of of 2,000 feet at the river .  I left, as planned, before that orange hydrogen flame-ball in the sky penetrated through the trees to the canyon wall where I would zig-zag up out of the poison oak covered canyon and reach, at last, the first volcanic rock encrusted ridges and peaks of the Cascades.

Day 85 - The Sierra Buttes Fire Tower

July 19
Day 85
Miles:  11
Total Miles:  1208

Jubel arrived in Sierra City today at about noon.  After he resupplied with food from the general store we accepted a ride from the Red Moose Inn owner to the trail, and then headed north up to the Sierra Buttes - a series of jagged crags overlooking Sierra City and upper and lower Sardine Lakes and surrounding valleys.  This was a steep hike but it soon revealed some beautiful views.

Day 66 - Toiyabe National Forest

June 30
Day 66
Miles:  23
Total Miles:  1012

I hiked over Dorothy Lake Pass this morning leaving Yosemite National Forest and entering Toiyabe N.F..  The landscape is changing to a more volcanic landscape - less granite and more rust-colored volcanic rock.  The change is striking and I feel as if I have left the high sierra, though officially this will not happen until I pass the town of Belden in 300 miles.  I am camping up near Leavitt Lake at 10,500 feet tonight.

Day 59 - Silver Pass

June 23, 2012

Day 59

Miles: 7

Total Miles:  886

I hiked from VVR to just pas Silver Pass today.  I took the 4 PM Ferry across Edison Lake where I crossed paths with Rapunzel who told me that her friend Kristina quit the hike and flew back to Germany - too bad.  She had her reasons and top of the list was missing her boyfriend.  She also had bad blisters and other problems that became too much for her.  If I'm not enjoying my hike at some point it would make sense to quit - but I don't see that happening.

I ran into Histo (Bryce) on the way up to Silver Pass and we hiked over together.  I hiked with Histo the first day out of Kick-Off at lake Moreno so it would great to see an old face.  We cowboy camped atop a plateau overlooking the trail and it was a cold night but the views were spectacular!

Day 56 - Muir Pass

June 20, 2012

Day 56

Miles: 17

Total Miles: 842

Self-Portrait on Muir Pass

Muir Pass was impressive - the best yet!  The climb was a long one:  ten miles of ascending from 8000 ft to 12,000 ft.  Around every bend was a new alpine lake, a snaking river or another amazing view!  There were several snow crossings on the way up as well - unusual this year.  Several times I came up to a peak up ahead and anticipated the summit only to be shown a much taller peak - false summits!  But I was never dissapointed with the accompanying views.



Sunset over Sapphire Lake after Muir Pass

Finally at the top - I found Creeper and Twisted exploring the Muir Hut, which was built by the Sierra Club to honor the contributions of the founder - John Muir.  I was tempted to sleep in the hut but instead decided to hike down four miles to Sapphire Lake and set up camp as the sun set over the lake.  I found a nice spot and snapped some pictures of the sun reflecting off the lake.  

Jamaican Jerk Rice & Chicken and some green tea for dinner.  A fantastic day!

Day 55 -Two Passes

June 19, 2012

Day 55

Miles: 21

Total Miles: 825

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I hiked over Pinchot Pass and Mather Pass today.  After Mather Pass there was a long slog down past the Palisade Lake on the "Golden Staircase".  This section of trail descends down a cliff face very steeply.  The trail is cut into the cliff and many spots are extremely steep and winding.  Here is a link on the staircase with it's history.  This section was the final section of the John Muir Trail completed in 1938.  I hiked down the staircase in the evening after already hiking 18 miles over two passes earlier in the day.  My feet were really sore and if I knew about the descent before I climbed down it I probably would have camped at the lake instead.



Sierra Waterfall

But I can't complain, for I just climbed over two gorgeous passes on the JMT - arguably one of the most scenic trails in the world!  There is a saying that I recently read concerning another long distance trail - the CDT (Continental Divide Trail) - that says "Embrace The Brutality".  It refers to the point you get to on a long-distance hike where you know you can handle anything and everything thrown at you.  Once you're out here for weeks on end and have experienced the gail-force winds, desert heat, cold and frosty nights and bone-chilling river fords enough times you gain a sort of confidence that you will make it through and cope with whatever conditions you find yourself in.  And once you begin to embrace that, you can relax and let go of the fear and enjoy the knowledge that you will get through it no matter what it is and you will be rewarded.  I think I am beginning to get to this point.  It's an incredible feeling to know you can handle it - whatever it is.  The feeling of freedom that comes from this is amazing.

Day 50 - Forrester Pass

June 14, 2012

Day 50

Miles: 20

Total Miles: 790

Siddhartha, me and Threshold on top of Forrester

Today the four of us - Siddhartha, Denise, Threshold and I - hiked up and over Forrester Pass.  Forrester Pass is the highest point on the Pacific Crest Trail at 13,200 ft. in elevation.  The pass was daunting viewing it from below.  I see a huge granite wall with a large steep rock fall in front of you and could't imagine where a trail could take me to the top.

Soon though, as we climbed closer to the wall, a faint trail appeared weaving through the rock fall.  The climb up was steep but soon I was standing at the top and taking in the view of Kings Canyon National Park to the north and Sequoia National Park to the south.  In past years climbing this pass would have required traversing a steep snow bank near the top of the pass - an often treacherous crossing requiring an ice axe and micro-spikes.  This year, however, the snow was melted and no crossing was necessary. This year is an almost recored low snow year and crossing over snow in the passes will be rare and I have not carried an ice axe or micro-spikes.

Climbing down into Kings Canyon N.P. into the tree line was impressive as the views never stopped.  I winded my way down next to a river with the canyons towering above me to the left and right.  At the Kearsarge Pass trail we left the PCT and hiked toward Kearsarge Pass toward our destination the next day - the town of Independence and then a hitch to Bishop for a zero day.  We camped for the night at Kearsarge Lake after rain and thunder clouds threatened us from the high peaks.

Hikers climbing toward Forrester Pass

View north from the top of Forrester Pass

Siddhartha and I camped out at Kearsarge Lake

The views in Kings Canyon N.P. never stopped!

Day 49 - Mt. Whitney Sunrise!

June 12-13, 2012

Day 48-49

Miles: 14 (+18 on Whitney Spur Trail)

Total Miles: 770

Sun rising on top of Whitney

I will forever remember summiting Mt. Whitney - absolutely amazing!  

On June 12 I hiked to Crabtree Meadows and the spur trail that leads to the top of Whitney.  Another mile up the spur trail leads to the Ranger Station and Upper Crabtree Meadows.  After several solo days it was great to see so many familiar faces at the meadow - some had hiked to the top already and were resting before moving on.  Others were preparing to summit the following day.  I made plans to do a sunrise summit with a group of other hikers that I had the privilege of suffering through many desert hikes with.  The plan:  crawl into my tent at 6 PM, wake up at midnight and hike up 4,000+ feet of elevation to the top of Whitney - in the dark.  The afternoon was relaxing - washing laundry in the river, watching a marmot dance in the meadow and bask in the sun, and eating Annie's shells and cheese dinner.  I learned that others were camped three miles up the trail at Guitar Lake - I would likely see them tomorrow at the top.

Fairway set the pace for the first 4 miles.  At 12:45 AM we met by the river with our slimmed-down packs:  only down jacket, gloves, hat, long-underwear and camera.  The rest of my gear was stowed in my tent in the trees next to the meadow.  Breakfast was cold oatmeal with dried fruit out of a zip-lok bag, and a Cliff Bar.  Yankee Son, Fairway and I made our way up mostly gentle inclines for the first few miles at a blistering pace.  Fairway led and Yankee Son and I kept up through the dark - headlamps flashing this way and that to keep us on the right trail.  The gloves and hat soon came off as the effort of hiking heated my body up despite the cooling night air.  Water was flowing and swishing all around us and trees disappeared - we must be passing Guitar Lake and it's river inflows and outflows.  Guitar Lake is above the tree line so though we could not see it, we knew we were passing it in the dark.  

Then the switchbacks started.  We were climbing now, steeper and rockier than before.  Fairway was pushing too hard and I had to pause for a breath and a moment of rest.  I let them hike on at a corner of one of the switchbacks and I was happy to catch my breath.  Behind me I heard a shuffling but no light - shining my headlamp back I saw Wasabi approach in the dark.  Her lamp had run low on batteries and she was feeling her way up the switchbacks in near darkness!  I told her to follow me and we made our way slowly up the rocky path - her following close behind.  

The climb was brutal the rest of the way - often climbing between rock cliffs and several times traversing over or near snow fields.  Wasabi was struggling to see the trail and was going to give up and sit on the trail wrapped in her sleeping bag.  I suggested she walk in front of me so that my light could illuminate the ground for both of us.  This worked beautifully and we trudged on.  The air grew cold and every time we stopped, we chilled to the bone.  At one point she exclaimed "why did I ever think it was a good idea to climb this silly mountain" in her thick New Zealand accent.  I knew what she meant and at that moment I was tired and miserable and couldn't help but agree.

But soon the trail began to level and we knew what that meant.  We were close!  Wasabi checked her altimeter and it read 14,000 ft - only 500 feet to the top!  A hut appeared in the distance - built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the '30's.  Shadows up ahead were moving and voices echoing off the rocks.  We arrived at the top of the continental United States at 4:40 AM, at an altitude of 14,491 ft.  The cold was bitter as we bundled into all layers of clothing, and sleeping bags if we had them, and waited for the sun to make an appearance.  Bronco shared his sleeping bag with me as I had failed to consider it would be this cold on Whitney's summit.  

Soon though, the light began to illuminate the mountain peaks in the east and cast a dark shadow to the west - it was Mt. Whitney's shadow on the mountains.  Amazing views started to fill in around all sides of the peak.  

Yankee Son & Hallmark staying warm

The Views!

Capturing the perfect shot

Happy to be at the top of the world!

self-portrait descending Whitney

Ben waiting for me at Guitar Lake

The hike down was gorgeous now that I could see the views.  I passed Siddartha, Threshold and Ben on the way back.  Others were also climbing to the peak as I was coming down.  I arrived at my tent at Crabtree at 10 AM and jumped in my tent for a three hour nap.  

That evening I hiked out of Crabtree Meadows at 5 PM - Fairway, Yankee Son and the rest of the group had already hiked on.  Where-as yesterday the meadow was bustling with hikers, today I woke up to just one hiker remaining - he had an injured ankle and was resting.  Hikers often come in waves and this was the case today.  I hiked the 2 miles back down to the PCT on the Whitney Spur trail and hiked on for four miles to Willow Creek.  Threshold and Denise (a section hiker) were camped already and Siddhartha wandered in later that night and camped with us.  We had a "tea party" amid the swarming mosquitoes and then settled in for the night. 

Day 23 - The Big "D"! - Part 1

May 18, 2012

Day 23

Miles: 16

Total Miles: 363

Sick, dirty and generally feeling, and smelling, like shit!

This was easily my worst day of the hike so far.  Warning, this journal entry is DESCRIPTIVE and DISGUSTING, so if you are my mother or anyone who would rather not read about these kinds of hard-ships on the trail, please stop here!

Food poisoning at McDonalds yesterday caused diarrhea last night in the middle of the night.  Let me be clear, I shat myself in my sleeping bag last night, and then proceeded to wander into the dark thorny desert to find a spot to relieve the rest of what was dripping involuntarily through my sphincter!  I believe I woke up from the rank odor in my bag, and a warm wet feeling in my shorts, and was therefore spared a full-on soiling of my bag.  It was three in the morning, I had dirty underwear and sleeping bag and wasn't quite sure I could trust myself to sleep while at the same time control this onslaught of diarrhea, so I decided on a plan of action - pack up and hike all morning and get to Wrightwood by lunch so I can check into a room and take care of myself while this passes.  I also wanted to be alone for obvious reasons.  I changed out of my underwear and rolled them up into a tight ball stuffing them into a ziplock bag that I had been using to store food, and simply wore my Patagonia Base Layer during that chilly morning with no boxer-briefs beneath (I only hiked with one pair of underwear).  I quietly packed up the tent and sleeping bag trying desperately not to wake the others camping nearby.  The sleeping bag was stuffed into my pack but only after a futile attempt was made to clean the soiled part with sticks and brush, and started making my way to the base of the morning's climb up 5000 feet of elevation to the Acorn Trail leading down to the town of Wrightwood, about 17 trail miles away.  

I was in a more dangerous situation than I realized, for not only was I sick but I was about to under-take a 5000 foot climb in a dry desert setting while succumbing more and more to dehydration brought on by the diarrhea that had begun yesterday.  My last meal was yesterday's lunch at McDonalds for in my misery and nausea I had skipped last nights dinner.  As I walked I constantly scanned the terrain in an effort to find a place to jump off trail.  When switch-backing up a mountain this can be particularly challenging as more often than not one side of the trail is a rocky slope angling steeply above me and the other side drops off treacherously down the mountain so that there is no level place to hide.  If I did manage to climb up the slope to a tree or large bush, such would be the angle of the hill that squatting down to defacate in a hole while grasping at whatever scratchy and thorny branches were nearby would take extreme concentration and leg strength, that which I did not possess in my state.  I did once manage to make the climb up to such a bush but by the time I reached it, the expelled exertion was so great that the reaction of my body was to speed up the diarrheal urge, so that I barely had time to scratch out a target in the dirt about a half-inch inch deep before pulling down my pants, my chest heaving from the effort, sweat now dripping off my brow, my legs bent and trembling in a squatted position, and completely missing my target.  I loosely covered up what I could with sticks and other plant debri and cautiously slid down the hill to the trail.

In the midst of all this I experienced one of the most beautiful desert sunrises.  The morning sun was just beginning to illuminate the valley fog below me which had rolled in during the night and covered my hiking comrades thousands of feet below me in a cold misty fog.  I was above the weather though and graciously allowed the sun to wash over me as it peaked out from behind the San Gabriels.  I caught some beautiful pictures as the sun came up and also took a picture of myself in the early morning light thinking I needed capture this low point on film, for this blog, to help portray this misery.  The picture captures me looking weak and dirty with a tired hallowed look on my face.  It fails to capture the utter desperation I felt at that time due to the circumstances described above.

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Beautiful sunrise over the San Gabriel Mountains

Day 14 - Summiting Mt. Jacinto

May 8, 2012
Day 14
Miles:  5
Total Miles:  184

San Jacinto Peak!

An amazing day!  I summited my first major peak on the trail - Mt. Jacinto.  Mt. Jacinto is the second highest peak in southern California at approx. 10,800 feet.  The miles above do not reflect the miles hiked today as they exclude the 2.5 mile climb from Idylwild to the PCT.  From the junction, the trail continues on an alternate PCT route that is 6.2 miles (skipping about 4 PCT miles) that summit's Jacinto.  The trail reconnects to the PCT at mile 185.  So in total, I believe I hiked close to 10 "vertical" miles before camping about a mile or so before the alternate trail reconnects to the main PCT trail.

I arrived at the summit late - at about 7 PM - which forced me to make a quick decent down the other side to find a flat place to camp before it got completely dark.  Snow covered up to 50% of the ground at that altitude and often disguised the trail's zigs and zags, forcing me to carefully observe footprints in the snow to avoid going off trail.  This can be a bit scary when you're the only one at the top of a mountain in the dark with the temperature beginning to plummet.  I missed the main spur trail connection coming down off the peak and went a quarter mile in the wrong direction (which would have brought me down the mountain the same way I had come up) before I realized my mistake and backtracked.  Even a quarter mile is a costly mistake when you have to climb UP in the dark to find the correct trail and you are already dead-tired.  I found the sign marking the western descent just barely visible a foot above the snow line with a red hanker-chief tied to the top.  Relieved, I quickly moved down to find a suitable camping spot which I found at 8 PM in a designated camping area requiring a state permit.  Nobody was there and most of the ground was covered in snow, but I decided that to keep hiking in the dark could be a big mistake, so I setup my tent and set in for the night.

Just a day earlier near this same spot a hiker had gone missing and search teams were sent out.  This same night as I began to fall asleep in my tent, I heard a helicopter fluttering above in the dark and mega-phone blaring into the night.  I could not make out what was said but I can only imagine another day hiker lost and cold and without the proper gear stumbling around in the cold dark forest.  I slept comfortably knowing I had everything I needed in my pack.

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Cabin built by the Peace Corps on the top of Mt. Jacinto

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Day 11 - Climbing Hell

Day 11
May 6, 2012
Miles:  18
Total Miles:  175

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Hikers enjoying dinner at camp 4 miles from Saddle Junction in the San Jacintos

Today was the most physically challenging day yet.  I climbed up into the San Jacinto Mountains (San Bernardino Forest) from 5500 feet elevation to about 8200 feet elevation.  The entire day was one steep section after another.  The original plan was to get to mile 179 at Saddle Junction, but a few miles early and after an exceptionally steep section, I crawled into a nice camp site that looked too good to pass up.  Each mile up here is like 2-3 miles on more level terrain.  Each step is like climbing stairs - and often you find yourself using hiking poles to literally pull yourself up the trail.  Each short level section holds brief moments of release when your legs can relax and, for a few seconds, you can stand upright instead of in the forward hunched-over climbing posture. 

The site had amazing views from over 8000 feet above the desert floor.  Water was short - I barely had enough to make dinner - but tomorrow would bring water only a few miles down the trail at a spring.