Day 42 - Kennedy Meadows At Last

June 6-8, 2012

Day 42-44
Miles: 21
Total Miles: 702

Chilling in front of Tom's "Internet Cafe"

Kennedy Meadows!  After 702 miles of Southern California desert hiking, I have finally arrived at the "Gateway to the Sierra's".  This marks the entrance to the Southern Sierra Wilderness and the end of hot deserts, cactus and carrying liters of water.  In the desert we often carried four or more liters of water to get us through long dry stretches.  In the Sierra's, I will rarely carry more than 1.5 liters, and often less!  The weight I save in water (2 lbs per liter) will be replaced with extra food (longer stretches between resupply) and a bear canister which is a required food storage container that is bear-proof. (well...some brainy bears have learned to break into these canisters but the majority can not.)  Bear canisters are required until we exit the Yosemite Wilderness, 400 miles north.

But first - some well deserved R&R...and some beer and ice-cream...

Siddartha and Ben at the KM General Store & Cafe

Hiker Trash enjoying coffee at Tom's Place

My heaviest pack yet - 43 lbs!

Day 41 - Thirty Mile Club!

June 5, 2012

Day 41
Miles: 30
Total Miles: 681

Ben keeping the pace with his american flag

My first thirty mile day!  Ben T. and I hiked out of Okie Girl's camp after coffee and donuts.  From the start I had the energy to keep up with Ben - probably due to the donuts and coffee breakfast.  We hit three large inclines today but kept the pace up to pull thirty miles out by the time the sun set at Chimney Creek Campground.  At the campground we both threw down our bags on top of picnic tables and rested for the next days hike which would take us all the way to Kennedy Meadows.  Sierras, here we come!

Mile 666...

Day 40 - Okie Girl

June 4, 2012

Day 40
Miles: 20
Total Miles: 651


I got an early start this morning, started climbing at 5:30 up from Willow Spring Road (I think), and was rewarded with some amazing views.

At the end of the twenty miles today, at Walker Pass Campground, another trail angel - Okie Girl - had tents setup and was feeding hikers soda, beer, chips and lots of other good grub.  She gave me a ride into a small town, Lake Isabella, where she dropped me off at a cafe with a two-sided list of milkshake flavors.  I enjoyed a cheesecake/chocolate milkshake and a hot beef sandwich with potato salad.  That evening, back at the camp, Okie Girl fed us rice with breaded chicken and beer.  The wind picked up and did not stop all night.  I hunkered down in my tent and made the best of it while the wind flapped my tent all night long.