Wednesday, April 30, 2014
A New Hope - Wednesday, April 30
Here is another generation separating question (see previous blog "Notes In A Bottle - Friday, April 4"). As Maria in the Sound of Music prepares to report to the Von Trapp Family for the first time she sings a little song called Confidence. Do you remember what the first words of the song are? They were going through my head this morning as I lie awake in bed before the start of the day. Actually, the first two lines. Should I tell you or wait for you to look them up and listen to them on YouTube? . . . "What will this day be like? I wonder. What will my future bring? I wonder." What would the doctor find in Sally's foot? Is our hiking over? Will we be back on the trail shortly? I wonder?
We were up at 7 and off to the doctor's suite of examining rooms by 7:45. Sally limped into the reception area, filled out the forms and was quickly-by doctor office standards-escorted into an examining room.
The nurse came in for the preliminary questions. She asked how the injury occurred. We told her we were hiking the PCT. It meant nothing to her. When we explained the concept to her she was very interested and asked lots of questions. The X-ray tech was next. I waited in the exam room while Sally was irradiated. The lively discussion between Sally and the tech as they entered the exam room following the X-ray let me know that she too knew nothing of the PCT but thought it a pretty cool adventure.
The doctor entered and graciously introduced himself. He was fit, lively and full of fun. As he examined Sally's foot and listened to the PCT story he was very intrigued by the idea. He located the point origin of the pain and then showed us on the X-Ray. It was not Plantar Fasciitis as we had feared, rather inflammation where the outside metatarsal bone joined the main bone of the foot. He brushed off our concern about another cortisone shot to the foot (Sally had 3 before she came) saying a small injection very localized to the point of irritation would be perfectly acceptable.
When he returned with the syringe I asked if I could take pictures of him injecting Sally and he heartily agreed, thinking it would be fun to be on the blog. So as Sally winced and Dr. Seiberg poked I shot the scene.
As we stood at the reception desk after the procedure chatting with the doctor and nurse another doctor walked up. Dr. Seiberg exclaimed, "These two are hiking from Mexico to Canada!" The doctor replied in the most sarcastic tone imaginable, "Why!?! Get a car!"
We laughed and talked with Dr. Seiberg and the receptionist for about ten minutes, explaining our "size 16 to 6 plan", and some of the events of the trail. We reluctantly left, having enjoyed our doctor visit and the positive results.
Although the day is not over the important event is, yet the morning question has still not been answered. It will take a few days before we know "What will our future be?" Hopefully the healing will allow us back on the trail soon.
Luxury of Time - Tuesday, April 29
Bummer, dude.
We woke this morning, hoping the restorative power of sleep would bring new life to Sally's foot. Not to be. Her first step from the tent this morning was a pain induced wincing one. As we packed up in the dark by headlamp we knew we were not going on today. In the 100' walk back to the trail from our campsite it was confirmed. Every step brought sharp pain to Sally's left foot. At the trail a left turn would take us north up the PCT, a right turn would lead us south back down the steps we had taken the day before. To turn left meant 40 miles of trail before the next services at Big Bear City and irresponsible behavior. A right turn meant backtracking 11 miles to Whitewater Preserve, a doctor and hopefully a solution to the pain. Neither of us wanted to retrace our steps of the day before, but going on put us in danger of being stranded multiple miles from a trailhead, waterless and dependent on outside help to extricate ourselves. So with determination to do the right thing we began the walk back down the trail we had traversed the day before.
We knew our trip wasn't over. We would get out, have a doctor look at it, do the necessary treatments and PT to get it healthy and continue on. The one luxury we have is time. We can wait for it to heal, even a week or two, and then continue on. At least this is the attitude and hope we held as we dejectedly headed south on the trail we wanted to be going north on.
One thing about going south on the PCT is that you meet everyone going north. We passed well over 30 people heading north today as we hobbled south. We saw some familiar faces but mostly new ones. There were vigorous people proudly moving north and eager to talk about their tremendous daily milage, reserved people who shared little of themselves, young people rich with excitement to be out in the wild but all had that bright glow of excitement in their eyes, happy to be pursuing a huge challenge and fulfilling a dream.
When we gained the ridge we had descended the day before. Here we acquired cell service and texted Sue to see if she could pick us up. She said of course and we set 4 pm as the pickup time, giving us lots of leeway to get there at a slow pace.
We expected to run into Far Out and Crotalus as they headed north . . . and we did, about noon. They were about a mile apart, with Far Out in the lead. Crotalus' ankle was still very painful. Far Out was doing okay. We talked with each for a while, catching up on their adventures and then bid each goodbye, hoping it was not for the last time but fearing it was.
We made the trailhead about 2:30 and rested in the shade of the picnic area while we waited for Sue. She arrived about 3:30 and we headed for town.
As soon as we had cell service we used the iPhone to search for sports medicine doctors in the Palm Springs area. We found a podiatrist in a sports medicine clinic and called for an appointment. Trail Magic was working for us as the first doctor we called worked us into a 8:20 am appointment the next morning. We scoured the Blue Cross website to make sure he was in network, which he was. A stop at the 99¢ store for some groceries, pop and vegies and we were back where we started three days earlier.
Sue had dinner cooking in the crock pot after which we played a game of pinochle. Sally and Sue went swimming in the pool at 9:30 while I laid down to watch some Neil Degrasse Tyson explain how the universe works on Netflix on my iPad.
As I closed my eyes I wondered what the fate of our grand adventure would be. A serious injury would perhaps end our walk and cause us to change activities. A moderate injury, taking a few weeks to heal, would see me hiking alone a couple hundred miles while Sally hung with her sister after which she would rejoin me to continue on. The best case scenario would be some doctor magic with a couple days of rest and then back on the trail. By mid morning we would know our fate.
We woke this morning, hoping the restorative power of sleep would bring new life to Sally's foot. Not to be. Her first step from the tent this morning was a pain induced wincing one. As we packed up in the dark by headlamp we knew we were not going on today. In the 100' walk back to the trail from our campsite it was confirmed. Every step brought sharp pain to Sally's left foot. At the trail a left turn would take us north up the PCT, a right turn would lead us south back down the steps we had taken the day before. To turn left meant 40 miles of trail before the next services at Big Bear City and irresponsible behavior. A right turn meant backtracking 11 miles to Whitewater Preserve, a doctor and hopefully a solution to the pain. Neither of us wanted to retrace our steps of the day before, but going on put us in danger of being stranded multiple miles from a trailhead, waterless and dependent on outside help to extricate ourselves. So with determination to do the right thing we began the walk back down the trail we had traversed the day before.
We knew our trip wasn't over. We would get out, have a doctor look at it, do the necessary treatments and PT to get it healthy and continue on. The one luxury we have is time. We can wait for it to heal, even a week or two, and then continue on. At least this is the attitude and hope we held as we dejectedly headed south on the trail we wanted to be going north on.
One thing about going south on the PCT is that you meet everyone going north. We passed well over 30 people heading north today as we hobbled south. We saw some familiar faces but mostly new ones. There were vigorous people proudly moving north and eager to talk about their tremendous daily milage, reserved people who shared little of themselves, young people rich with excitement to be out in the wild but all had that bright glow of excitement in their eyes, happy to be pursuing a huge challenge and fulfilling a dream.
When we gained the ridge we had descended the day before. Here we acquired cell service and texted Sue to see if she could pick us up. She said of course and we set 4 pm as the pickup time, giving us lots of leeway to get there at a slow pace.
We expected to run into Far Out and Crotalus as they headed north . . . and we did, about noon. They were about a mile apart, with Far Out in the lead. Crotalus' ankle was still very painful. Far Out was doing okay. We talked with each for a while, catching up on their adventures and then bid each goodbye, hoping it was not for the last time but fearing it was.
We made the trailhead about 2:30 and rested in the shade of the picnic area while we waited for Sue. She arrived about 3:30 and we headed for town.
As soon as we had cell service we used the iPhone to search for sports medicine doctors in the Palm Springs area. We found a podiatrist in a sports medicine clinic and called for an appointment. Trail Magic was working for us as the first doctor we called worked us into a 8:20 am appointment the next morning. We scoured the Blue Cross website to make sure he was in network, which he was. A stop at the 99¢ store for some groceries, pop and vegies and we were back where we started three days earlier.
Sue had dinner cooking in the crock pot after which we played a game of pinochle. Sally and Sue went swimming in the pool at 9:30 while I laid down to watch some Neil Degrasse Tyson explain how the universe works on Netflix on my iPad.
As I closed my eyes I wondered what the fate of our grand adventure would be. A serious injury would perhaps end our walk and cause us to change activities. A moderate injury, taking a few weeks to heal, would see me hiking alone a couple hundred miles while Sally hung with her sister after which she would rejoin me to continue on. The best case scenario would be some doctor magic with a couple days of rest and then back on the trail. By mid morning we would know our fate.
Tuesday, April 29, 2014
A Painful Ascent - Monday, April 28
After our 1am "Battle for the Candy Bars" victory over the raccoon, the 3:50 am alarm rousted us from our sleep at Whitewater Preserve. We cooked up some oatmeal while we packed and were on the trail by 5.
We knew we would be stopping a lot today. Sally's new shoes would take some tinkering to adjust and my new pack would need the same.
An hour up the trail Sally uttered words I have not heard for months, "My feet feel great! These shoes are really comfortable!" Music, sweet music. But, in the same breath she also said, "My foot pain is as bad or worse than before the four day rest". Discord, nasty discord.
The trail was gentle uphill for the first six miles, except for a half mile descent. During the downhill the foot pain intensified, then we were back on uphill and it lessened a bit.
We soon reached a 950' drop into a creek valley-one with actual running water. The descent was very painful. By the time we reached the bottom the foot was aflame and the limp that developed to compensate for the pain had angered the knee on the same leg.
An hour soak in the cool creek water and a nap by yours truly and Sally was ready to hike the final three miles upstream to camp.
Her knee pain was lessened, but the foot still stung with each step.
We found a wonderful camp site on hard packed sand near the creek in the shade of a scraggly willow tree. Tent up. Wash cloth out. Heavenly bath by the creek. Nap time. A little exploring.
Our campsite was off the trail so we were worried that Far Out , Crotalus, Coyote and Grasshopper might pass by and we would miss them. We had gotten ahead of them because they had hitch hiked back to the Kick Off celebration at Lake Moreno and taken a couple zero days. I put a note in the middle of the trail with our names, an arrow directing them and the statement "Come Visit Us". It directed three parties to us and we made some new acquaintances. They knew of our friends, and told us they were still a day behind, so I pulled my note before we gathered a crowd at our site.
Due to the raccoon incident we have decided to move our packs inside the tent. We put them at the head of the tent where they made great head rests for reading.
A dinner of Kraft Macaroni and Cheese (more please!), a deep tissue massage on a sore left leg and a slow drift into restorative slumber ended our day.
We knew we would be stopping a lot today. Sally's new shoes would take some tinkering to adjust and my new pack would need the same.
An hour up the trail Sally uttered words I have not heard for months, "My feet feel great! These shoes are really comfortable!" Music, sweet music. But, in the same breath she also said, "My foot pain is as bad or worse than before the four day rest". Discord, nasty discord.
The trail was gentle uphill for the first six miles, except for a half mile descent. During the downhill the foot pain intensified, then we were back on uphill and it lessened a bit.
We soon reached a 950' drop into a creek valley-one with actual running water. The descent was very painful. By the time we reached the bottom the foot was aflame and the limp that developed to compensate for the pain had angered the knee on the same leg.
An hour soak in the cool creek water and a nap by yours truly and Sally was ready to hike the final three miles upstream to camp.
Her knee pain was lessened, but the foot still stung with each step.
We found a wonderful camp site on hard packed sand near the creek in the shade of a scraggly willow tree. Tent up. Wash cloth out. Heavenly bath by the creek. Nap time. A little exploring.
Our campsite was off the trail so we were worried that Far Out , Crotalus, Coyote and Grasshopper might pass by and we would miss them. We had gotten ahead of them because they had hitch hiked back to the Kick Off celebration at Lake Moreno and taken a couple zero days. I put a note in the middle of the trail with our names, an arrow directing them and the statement "Come Visit Us". It directed three parties to us and we made some new acquaintances. They knew of our friends, and told us they were still a day behind, so I pulled my note before we gathered a crowd at our site.
Due to the raccoon incident we have decided to move our packs inside the tent. We put them at the head of the tent where they made great head rests for reading.
A dinner of Kraft Macaroni and Cheese (more please!), a deep tissue massage on a sore left leg and a slow drift into restorative slumber ended our day.
Monday, April 28, 2014
Interface 2 - Sunday, April 27
Trail towns should be called trail traps. Especially when swimming pools, margaritas and clean sheets are involved. Our old friend Coyote stopped in Mt. Laguna and it took her three days to break free. Danger Zone was in Warmer Springs for 3 days before he escaped. And we were at Sally's sister's house in Palm Springs for four days before we made it out late this afternoon.
Of course we would like to think we had some extenuating circumstances. Sally's sore left foot needed rest. I had to hike the 32 mile Idyllwild to Interstate 10 section. Saturday was Sally's birthday which she wanted to share with her sister. And Sunday we needed to run to REI an hour and a half west of Palm Springs to buy me a new pack and some other assorted gear. All legitimate reasons to delay our departure, but also long enough to create an interface with high impedance. So when it came time to actually leave . . . We were battling the barrier.
Somehow, despite our best efforts, we managed to spread gear, clothes and food throughout Sue's house and patio. As we began packing up the double checking became ridiculous. Where did I leave the tent bag? Are my poles on the deck? Did we wash my red shirt and where is it?
It goes beyond the physical packing. Mentally there is a barrier to cross. A hiking frame of mind must be attained. We must be self contained and self sufficient rather than sprawl contained and cupboard/store sufficient. Also, we had not thought about route, water nor camp sites for four days other than to ask Siri for driving directions and to learn how to use Sue's kitchen faucet water filter.
We were up at 7 and on the road in Sue's Toyota by 8, headed for the REI in Rancho Cucamonga. My REI Flash 62 pack of 5 years was not up to the task and needed to be replaced. The waist belt seams were rapidly separating. I had already reinforced the stitching on one of the shoulder straps with needle and thread where it had been beginning to tear, and it had held well since, but the strain on the waist strap looked ominous.
So, we visited REI and walked out with a new Flash 62, three new Platypus bottles, some toe socks, a compression stuff sack for our down quilt and some 1st aid supplies. We were back at Sue's by 1:30 after burgers and fries at In and Out.
Food organization and packing were completed by 4:30, so we loaded into Sue's Toyota and 35 minutes later she deposited us at Whitewater Preserve, a nifty campsite just 1/2 mile off the PCT.
As we set up camp Roy and Sarah, the couple from Israel came to visit. This was a surprise as we had not seen them since just after Mt. Laguna on about day 7. Turns out Roy plays the ukulele so we visited their camp at the other end of the campground after dinner for some songs. There we also found Sunbeam and Tent Stake who we had last seen at Warner Springs and met Guzzler, Levity and Arctic for the first time. Roy played a few songs on the uke-he is very good-interspersed with lively discussion. We headed for our tent about 8 with warnings from the group about raccoons. Sure enough, at 1 in the morning I heard my pack being drug away from our tent. I scared away the raccoon and found he had been trying to pull my nylon stuff sack full of energy and candy bars out of my pack. Luckily I caught him before he succeeded.
Sleeping in the tent, cooking dinner on our stove, visiting with old friends and making new friends securely anchored us on the other side of the interface.
Of course we would like to think we had some extenuating circumstances. Sally's sore left foot needed rest. I had to hike the 32 mile Idyllwild to Interstate 10 section. Saturday was Sally's birthday which she wanted to share with her sister. And Sunday we needed to run to REI an hour and a half west of Palm Springs to buy me a new pack and some other assorted gear. All legitimate reasons to delay our departure, but also long enough to create an interface with high impedance. So when it came time to actually leave . . . We were battling the barrier.
Somehow, despite our best efforts, we managed to spread gear, clothes and food throughout Sue's house and patio. As we began packing up the double checking became ridiculous. Where did I leave the tent bag? Are my poles on the deck? Did we wash my red shirt and where is it?
It goes beyond the physical packing. Mentally there is a barrier to cross. A hiking frame of mind must be attained. We must be self contained and self sufficient rather than sprawl contained and cupboard/store sufficient. Also, we had not thought about route, water nor camp sites for four days other than to ask Siri for driving directions and to learn how to use Sue's kitchen faucet water filter.
We were up at 7 and on the road in Sue's Toyota by 8, headed for the REI in Rancho Cucamonga. My REI Flash 62 pack of 5 years was not up to the task and needed to be replaced. The waist belt seams were rapidly separating. I had already reinforced the stitching on one of the shoulder straps with needle and thread where it had been beginning to tear, and it had held well since, but the strain on the waist strap looked ominous.
So, we visited REI and walked out with a new Flash 62, three new Platypus bottles, some toe socks, a compression stuff sack for our down quilt and some 1st aid supplies. We were back at Sue's by 1:30 after burgers and fries at In and Out.
Food organization and packing were completed by 4:30, so we loaded into Sue's Toyota and 35 minutes later she deposited us at Whitewater Preserve, a nifty campsite just 1/2 mile off the PCT.
As we set up camp Roy and Sarah, the couple from Israel came to visit. This was a surprise as we had not seen them since just after Mt. Laguna on about day 7. Turns out Roy plays the ukulele so we visited their camp at the other end of the campground after dinner for some songs. There we also found Sunbeam and Tent Stake who we had last seen at Warner Springs and met Guzzler, Levity and Arctic for the first time. Roy played a few songs on the uke-he is very good-interspersed with lively discussion. We headed for our tent about 8 with warnings from the group about raccoons. Sure enough, at 1 in the morning I heard my pack being drug away from our tent. I scared away the raccoon and found he had been trying to pull my nylon stuff sack full of energy and candy bars out of my pack. Luckily I caught him before he succeeded.
Sleeping in the tent, cooking dinner on our stove, visiting with old friends and making new friends securely anchored us on the other side of the interface.
Sunday, April 27, 2014
Zero Day/Birthday - Saturday, April 26
Today we were so far from the trail both physically and mentally that it felt like we weren't even doing the PCT. It is Sally's birthday.
Still in Palm Desert at Sue and Bill's, we slept in. Faced with no immediate replacement for my seam busting pack, I sat down outside under the sun cover and began to hand sew the seams that connect the waist belt to the pack. Bill soon brought out some fishing line, so I double stitched the seam, once with regular thread and once with the monofilament line.
My work was interrupted for lunch. We drove to Palm Springs for Chinese, then to Big 5 to look again for shoes for Sally. We settled for a pair of Asiacs trail shoes. We were hoping to try on a pair of Brooks Cascadias, but could not find a pair in town. The Asiacs fit well. As per what we learned from many hikers, we bought the shoes a size too big to accommodate toes on downhill descents.
While Sally was trying on shoes and walking the store to assure fit, I called REI about a new pack. I had called two days earlier and was told the Flash 62 had been recalled but the warehouse had some ready to go. I thought there might be an off chance that some had arrived at the store. They said they had some and stowed one at the cash registers for me. We will drive the hour and a half route tomorrow morning to pick up the pack and various other small necessities. When we returned to Sue and Bill's I completed repairs in the old pack, just in case.
Sally loves to swim, so we headed for the pool. A couple hours in the pool and hot tub, then back for dinner.
We made flight reservations for our return to Toledo on July 8th, then sorted gear and semi packed. We hope to be at the trail head tomorrow night and putting miles under us before dawn Monday morning.
Still in Palm Desert at Sue and Bill's, we slept in. Faced with no immediate replacement for my seam busting pack, I sat down outside under the sun cover and began to hand sew the seams that connect the waist belt to the pack. Bill soon brought out some fishing line, so I double stitched the seam, once with regular thread and once with the monofilament line.
My work was interrupted for lunch. We drove to Palm Springs for Chinese, then to Big 5 to look again for shoes for Sally. We settled for a pair of Asiacs trail shoes. We were hoping to try on a pair of Brooks Cascadias, but could not find a pair in town. The Asiacs fit well. As per what we learned from many hikers, we bought the shoes a size too big to accommodate toes on downhill descents.
While Sally was trying on shoes and walking the store to assure fit, I called REI about a new pack. I had called two days earlier and was told the Flash 62 had been recalled but the warehouse had some ready to go. I thought there might be an off chance that some had arrived at the store. They said they had some and stowed one at the cash registers for me. We will drive the hour and a half route tomorrow morning to pick up the pack and various other small necessities. When we returned to Sue and Bill's I completed repairs in the old pack, just in case.
Sally loves to swim, so we headed for the pool. A couple hours in the pool and hot tub, then back for dinner.
We made flight reservations for our return to Toledo on July 8th, then sorted gear and semi packed. We hope to be at the trail head tomorrow night and putting miles under us before dawn Monday morning.
Saturday, April 26, 2014
200 Miles?, Friday, April 25
When is 200 miles not 200 miles?
It makes sense. At first it seemed too institutionalized but now that a couple of weeks have gone by it wears better. Especially when trying to communicate to others where you are and where you hope to be. Still, it just seemed too organized, too linear, too codified.
Like freeway mile markers, every mile on the PCT is measured from the Mexico/California Border, so water caches, pipe gates, road crossings, campsites, trail junctions and more are all given a numerical designation. The PCT crosses Hwy 74 at milepost 151.7. Barrel Springs is at milepost 101.2. Scissors Crossing is at 77.5. It detracts from the idea of wilderness, but this hike is anything but wilderness, at least so far. The trail parallels roads, goes through towns, water is obtained from faucets, etc. So having a system of measurement and location makes sense.
Today, I woke up with 12 miles to cover (from mile post 195.4 where I slept to mile post 207.1 where Sally would pick me up). I started before sunrise but the early dawn light was sufficient to light the trail and my way. I endured the same ridiculous trail construction as yesterday, wandering all over the mountain, going back and forth, up and down while my destination was visible and not that far away below me (see photos accompanying this entry for a map of the trail). As I followed this wandering ribbon of dirt I came upon a wooden post near the trail with 200 carved in it. I knew I would pass the 200 mile point today, but I had not expected a mile marker! There was not one at the 100 mile mark, just 100 spelled out in stones in the trail by some other hiker. So I took a selfy and continued on, feeling a little guilty that although I had passed the 200 mile marker and had a photo to prove it, I had not actually walked 200 miles due to the trail closure and intervening car ride. Still, it's a good picture!!
I got to the road crossing at mile post 207.1 almost exactly at 10, but did not see Sally. There was a strong wing blowing and although I was now on the desert floor the temperature was only about 80°. I found a sign post to set my pack against on the shoulder of the road, sat down with my pack as a back rest and began to wait. I knew Sally would have been early unless she had trouble finding the road. I had no service on my iPhone so I could not call her. I pulled out my iPad and determined I would just watch a movie until she showed. If I didn't see her by noon, I would walk the 2.7 miles to Ziggy and the Bear, trail angels that purchased a house very near the trail and opened it to all hikers, providing free meals, showers, rides to town and a place to sleep.
As I started my movie a ding announced a text message had arrived on my iPad. This surprised me, because my iPad uses T-Mobile as a carrier and it rarely has service. But, more importantly, this meant I had a way of communicating. So I tried to text Sally's sister, Sue, but the text failed to connect. So I texted Jeff, teaching at PLU, and asked him to call Sue's phone on the off chance Sally had it while trying to get to me. It was now 10:50. About two minutes later I saw Sue's blue Toyota coming up the desert road through the heat waves with Sally at the wheel. I quickly texted Jeff that he could ignore my last text as mom was here. As I closed the cover on my iPad Sally whisked right by me, phone to her ear never spotting me. Yet, she slammed on the brakes as she passed, so I was sure she had seen me at the last minute. I stood up from my seat in the gravel shoulder, turned around to gather my belongings as she backed up, began to walk the 20' separating me from the car when she threw it in drive and headed down a side road! I texted Jeff that mom had just passed me by never seeing me. Jeff was in front of his class at the time sharing the debacle with them, which they found uproariously funny. Sally was on the phone to Jeff and he relayed to her she had just passed me. It took a few more minutes, but she finally returned from the side road and we connected.
We returned to Sue and Bill's house in Palm Desert, showered and headed for lunch at one of the country clubs with Sally's childhood friend, Christy. Sally and Christy were inseparable friends from ages 3 to 14, riding bikes to Point Defiance, movies in downtown Tacoma and more. Christy has a home here in Palm Desert where she spends her winters. We had a great time.
After dinner we went shopping for new foot ware for Sally and found a lightweight hiker that should work well for her, then returned Far Out's sleeping bag to him at the Marriott where he and Crotalus were sharing a room. We had a good visit, compared notes as to where we might cross on the trail again, then headed back to Sue and Bill's. A little John Wayne on the tube and to bed.
It makes sense. At first it seemed too institutionalized but now that a couple of weeks have gone by it wears better. Especially when trying to communicate to others where you are and where you hope to be. Still, it just seemed too organized, too linear, too codified.
Like freeway mile markers, every mile on the PCT is measured from the Mexico/California Border, so water caches, pipe gates, road crossings, campsites, trail junctions and more are all given a numerical designation. The PCT crosses Hwy 74 at milepost 151.7. Barrel Springs is at milepost 101.2. Scissors Crossing is at 77.5. It detracts from the idea of wilderness, but this hike is anything but wilderness, at least so far. The trail parallels roads, goes through towns, water is obtained from faucets, etc. So having a system of measurement and location makes sense.
Today, I woke up with 12 miles to cover (from mile post 195.4 where I slept to mile post 207.1 where Sally would pick me up). I started before sunrise but the early dawn light was sufficient to light the trail and my way. I endured the same ridiculous trail construction as yesterday, wandering all over the mountain, going back and forth, up and down while my destination was visible and not that far away below me (see photos accompanying this entry for a map of the trail). As I followed this wandering ribbon of dirt I came upon a wooden post near the trail with 200 carved in it. I knew I would pass the 200 mile point today, but I had not expected a mile marker! There was not one at the 100 mile mark, just 100 spelled out in stones in the trail by some other hiker. So I took a selfy and continued on, feeling a little guilty that although I had passed the 200 mile marker and had a photo to prove it, I had not actually walked 200 miles due to the trail closure and intervening car ride. Still, it's a good picture!!
I got to the road crossing at mile post 207.1 almost exactly at 10, but did not see Sally. There was a strong wing blowing and although I was now on the desert floor the temperature was only about 80°. I found a sign post to set my pack against on the shoulder of the road, sat down with my pack as a back rest and began to wait. I knew Sally would have been early unless she had trouble finding the road. I had no service on my iPhone so I could not call her. I pulled out my iPad and determined I would just watch a movie until she showed. If I didn't see her by noon, I would walk the 2.7 miles to Ziggy and the Bear, trail angels that purchased a house very near the trail and opened it to all hikers, providing free meals, showers, rides to town and a place to sleep.
As I started my movie a ding announced a text message had arrived on my iPad. This surprised me, because my iPad uses T-Mobile as a carrier and it rarely has service. But, more importantly, this meant I had a way of communicating. So I tried to text Sally's sister, Sue, but the text failed to connect. So I texted Jeff, teaching at PLU, and asked him to call Sue's phone on the off chance Sally had it while trying to get to me. It was now 10:50. About two minutes later I saw Sue's blue Toyota coming up the desert road through the heat waves with Sally at the wheel. I quickly texted Jeff that he could ignore my last text as mom was here. As I closed the cover on my iPad Sally whisked right by me, phone to her ear never spotting me. Yet, she slammed on the brakes as she passed, so I was sure she had seen me at the last minute. I stood up from my seat in the gravel shoulder, turned around to gather my belongings as she backed up, began to walk the 20' separating me from the car when she threw it in drive and headed down a side road! I texted Jeff that mom had just passed me by never seeing me. Jeff was in front of his class at the time sharing the debacle with them, which they found uproariously funny. Sally was on the phone to Jeff and he relayed to her she had just passed me. It took a few more minutes, but she finally returned from the side road and we connected.
We returned to Sue and Bill's house in Palm Desert, showered and headed for lunch at one of the country clubs with Sally's childhood friend, Christy. Sally and Christy were inseparable friends from ages 3 to 14, riding bikes to Point Defiance, movies in downtown Tacoma and more. Christy has a home here in Palm Desert where she spends her winters. We had a great time.
After dinner we went shopping for new foot ware for Sally and found a lightweight hiker that should work well for her, then returned Far Out's sleeping bag to him at the Marriott where he and Crotalus were sharing a room. We had a good visit, compared notes as to where we might cross on the trail again, then headed back to Sue and Bill's. A little John Wayne on the tube and to bed.
Solo-Thursday, April 24
We have seen many PCT hikers taking a few days in a row off to let injuries heal. Injuries range from large and bloody blisters to strained liniments and tendons from overuse. We have now joined that club.
Sally's left foot has been quite painful the past three days. She has had to hike about 17 miles on it to get to Palm Springs and her sister's house, but now that we are here we will hang out until some healing occurs before we venture out again. We suspect hiking in her sandals, which offer minimal support, caused the overuse injury. We were switching between her Keen boots and her Teva Sandals on the trail to minimize blisters caused by her boots. But, regardless the cause we will give her feet a rest and try to find a better fitting shoe in Palm Springs before heading out.
Last spring a large wild fire burned across a 15.4 mile section of the PCT, from milepost 162.6 to 178, closing that section of the trail. The only workaround requires walking a heavily traveled narrow winding road or crossing private property, so except for the purists who are trying to walk every step from Mexico to Canada most hikers are hitching a ride around the closed area from the Paradise Valley Cafe to the small mountain community of Idyllwild. From Idyllwild one must hike a side trail (2.7 miles and 1800' of elevation gain) back to the PCT at milepost 178. This puts the hiker on the ridge of Mt. San Jacinto at about 8500'. For the next 13 miles the trail winds along near this elevation before plunging 8000' down to Interstate 10 just a few miles west of Palm Springs.
Before her injury Sally was considering skipping this section due to the long decent and the possible overuse injury she might inflict on her artificial knee. So when the foot pain appeared skipping this section became a certainty. But, while she nurses her foot back to health and visits with her sister she insisted that I hike the section. No complaints were heard uttering from me, so this morning she drove me the hour and 15 minutes to Idyllwild to hike the 32 miles across Mt. San Jacinto, Fuller Ridge and down to Interstate 10.
Our hiking companions Backup and Event Horizon were staying in Idyllwild so it worked well that we could pick them up in town and deliver them to the trailhead a few miles out of town in Sue's car at the same time.
Sally dropped the three of us off about 8:30 and we hiked together for the next 14 miles through tall timber of Lodge Pole and Jeffrey Pines, firs and protruding granite very reminiscent of the Yosemite area. A very welcome change from the previous 150 miles of chaparral desert hiking. The temperatures were very cool, in the 50's which made for excellent hiking. 8000' below us in Palm Springs the temperature hovered in the mid 90's.
I really enjoyed hiking with Backup and Horizon. They are both very kind, resourceful and sharp kids. Horizon and I share a scouting background, both Eagle Scouts, both in Explorer Search and Rescue and Horizon even tried to apply to be on staff at Sheppard during our efforts to revive the program a few years ago. He is a solid, steady soul. Backup tried the PCT in 2012 but had to quit after about 400 miles due to injuries. This year she is applying all she learned on that attempt to guarantee her success. She is starting at a slower pace, paying close attention to pains and potential repetitive use injuries and taking zero days to let muscle and sinew heal and toughen. She is fun to talk with, has a great sense of humor, is kind and considerate. Not to mention very smart. I will miss hiking with them as they pull ahead of us in the coming days.
At mile 14 I left Backup and Horizon. They were to hike another two miles and then set up camp. I needed to make about another 6 miles to get closer to my 10:00am scheduled pickup by Sally at the bottom of the descent the next day. So I hiked another 6 miles, putting me within 12 miles of the pickup at Snow Creek Road. I pulled out my earbuds and listened to an audiobook for the rest of the descent.
As I descended I realized I was on perhaps the worst conceived and most poorly maintained trail in the history of trails. It wound all over the mountainside barely dropping and oftentimes climbing instead of descending. Switchbacks a mile long with little elevation change made me feel like I was in that "Ok Go" video with the treadmills-doing lots of walking and getting nowhere. The trail had not been brushed and was therefore overgrown with spiny desert bushes. I had to put on long pants to stop the laceration of my legs. And often the trail tread disappeared and I was sidehilling. Regardless, I reached a spot to camp 20 miles from my start of the day and 12 miles from my pickup point about 6:30, laid out my Tyvek ground tarp, munched a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for dinner, slithered into the sleeping bag I had borrowed from Far Out and called it a day. I listened to my book for another hour as the sun set, then drifted off to sleep.
Sally's left foot has been quite painful the past three days. She has had to hike about 17 miles on it to get to Palm Springs and her sister's house, but now that we are here we will hang out until some healing occurs before we venture out again. We suspect hiking in her sandals, which offer minimal support, caused the overuse injury. We were switching between her Keen boots and her Teva Sandals on the trail to minimize blisters caused by her boots. But, regardless the cause we will give her feet a rest and try to find a better fitting shoe in Palm Springs before heading out.
Last spring a large wild fire burned across a 15.4 mile section of the PCT, from milepost 162.6 to 178, closing that section of the trail. The only workaround requires walking a heavily traveled narrow winding road or crossing private property, so except for the purists who are trying to walk every step from Mexico to Canada most hikers are hitching a ride around the closed area from the Paradise Valley Cafe to the small mountain community of Idyllwild. From Idyllwild one must hike a side trail (2.7 miles and 1800' of elevation gain) back to the PCT at milepost 178. This puts the hiker on the ridge of Mt. San Jacinto at about 8500'. For the next 13 miles the trail winds along near this elevation before plunging 8000' down to Interstate 10 just a few miles west of Palm Springs.
Before her injury Sally was considering skipping this section due to the long decent and the possible overuse injury she might inflict on her artificial knee. So when the foot pain appeared skipping this section became a certainty. But, while she nurses her foot back to health and visits with her sister she insisted that I hike the section. No complaints were heard uttering from me, so this morning she drove me the hour and 15 minutes to Idyllwild to hike the 32 miles across Mt. San Jacinto, Fuller Ridge and down to Interstate 10.
Our hiking companions Backup and Event Horizon were staying in Idyllwild so it worked well that we could pick them up in town and deliver them to the trailhead a few miles out of town in Sue's car at the same time.
Sally dropped the three of us off about 8:30 and we hiked together for the next 14 miles through tall timber of Lodge Pole and Jeffrey Pines, firs and protruding granite very reminiscent of the Yosemite area. A very welcome change from the previous 150 miles of chaparral desert hiking. The temperatures were very cool, in the 50's which made for excellent hiking. 8000' below us in Palm Springs the temperature hovered in the mid 90's.
I really enjoyed hiking with Backup and Horizon. They are both very kind, resourceful and sharp kids. Horizon and I share a scouting background, both Eagle Scouts, both in Explorer Search and Rescue and Horizon even tried to apply to be on staff at Sheppard during our efforts to revive the program a few years ago. He is a solid, steady soul. Backup tried the PCT in 2012 but had to quit after about 400 miles due to injuries. This year she is applying all she learned on that attempt to guarantee her success. She is starting at a slower pace, paying close attention to pains and potential repetitive use injuries and taking zero days to let muscle and sinew heal and toughen. She is fun to talk with, has a great sense of humor, is kind and considerate. Not to mention very smart. I will miss hiking with them as they pull ahead of us in the coming days.
At mile 14 I left Backup and Horizon. They were to hike another two miles and then set up camp. I needed to make about another 6 miles to get closer to my 10:00am scheduled pickup by Sally at the bottom of the descent the next day. So I hiked another 6 miles, putting me within 12 miles of the pickup at Snow Creek Road. I pulled out my earbuds and listened to an audiobook for the rest of the descent.
As I descended I realized I was on perhaps the worst conceived and most poorly maintained trail in the history of trails. It wound all over the mountainside barely dropping and oftentimes climbing instead of descending. Switchbacks a mile long with little elevation change made me feel like I was in that "Ok Go" video with the treadmills-doing lots of walking and getting nowhere. The trail had not been brushed and was therefore overgrown with spiny desert bushes. I had to put on long pants to stop the laceration of my legs. And often the trail tread disappeared and I was sidehilling. Regardless, I reached a spot to camp 20 miles from my start of the day and 12 miles from my pickup point about 6:30, laid out my Tyvek ground tarp, munched a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for dinner, slithered into the sleeping bag I had borrowed from Far Out and called it a day. I listened to my book for another hour as the sun set, then drifted off to sleep.
Thursday, April 24, 2014
A Much Welcomed Rest-Wednesday, April 23
Tales of the wonders of the food at the Paradise Valley Cafe, just a mile off the trail on Hwy 74 had started clear back at Warner Springs. Phrases like "best burger on the trail" and a "breakfast to die for" floated by trail veterans gave us all an incentive to cover the 43 miles from Warner to Hwy 74.
In normal years the cafe is a quick side trip, then back on the trail. But a huge wild fire last year closed most of the 35 miles of trail north of Hwy 74 to the mountain town of Idyllwild, so most PCTers were hitch hiking up the road from the cafe to Idyllwild. Two hikers are rumored to have tried hiking the closed section and were fined $2500 each, so the incentive to skip the burned section of trail is large.
We hiked the 7 miles to the highway from our bouldery campsite by 9:30 in the morning. A sign at the trail head placed by the cafe owners said to call for a free ride, so we did and a few minutes later a white SUV picked us up and drove us to the cafe.
Sally's sister Sue, who lives in Palm Spring was going to pick us up at 2 after she got off work, so we had 4 hours to kill. Far Out and Crotalus soon joined us and large quantities of food were consumed.
Sally and I then moved to an outside table to plan the next leg of the hike, from Palm Springs to Big Bear, about 63 miles. We won't start on it until Sally's foot heals, so we may be at her sisters for a while, although we hope to be out on Sunday. Stay tuned.
Sue arrived at 2, and lunch at the cafe ensued. By 3:30 we were loaded in her car and heading down to Palm Springs. Crotalus and Far Out joined us, Sue and Bill graciously opening their house for our two new friends. Rest and conversation on the covered patio, a wonderful dinner of soup and salad and this day was over.
In normal years the cafe is a quick side trip, then back on the trail. But a huge wild fire last year closed most of the 35 miles of trail north of Hwy 74 to the mountain town of Idyllwild, so most PCTers were hitch hiking up the road from the cafe to Idyllwild. Two hikers are rumored to have tried hiking the closed section and were fined $2500 each, so the incentive to skip the burned section of trail is large.
We hiked the 7 miles to the highway from our bouldery campsite by 9:30 in the morning. A sign at the trail head placed by the cafe owners said to call for a free ride, so we did and a few minutes later a white SUV picked us up and drove us to the cafe.
Sally's sister Sue, who lives in Palm Spring was going to pick us up at 2 after she got off work, so we had 4 hours to kill. Far Out and Crotalus soon joined us and large quantities of food were consumed.
Sally and I then moved to an outside table to plan the next leg of the hike, from Palm Springs to Big Bear, about 63 miles. We won't start on it until Sally's foot heals, so we may be at her sisters for a while, although we hope to be out on Sunday. Stay tuned.
Sue arrived at 2, and lunch at the cafe ensued. By 3:30 we were loaded in her car and heading down to Palm Springs. Crotalus and Far Out joined us, Sue and Bill graciously opening their house for our two new friends. Rest and conversation on the covered patio, a wonderful dinner of soup and salad and this day was over.
Quick Change Artist-Tuesday. April 22
How can conditions change so fast? Yesterday we were sweltering in the heat. Today, it is fleece on, gusty winds and chilly. A very dramatic change-and welcome! High clouds obscured the sun for the entire morning making hiking very enjoyable.
We left the comfort of water at Tule Springs (we actually bathed a bit the night before) about 4:30am by head lamp light with a short day on our agenda to rest Sally's painful foot. Luckily, the pain had shrunk overnight from a level of 6 to 1. 6 miles ahead lay the water cache at mile 143.
The trail wound down to Nance Canyon 3 miles ahead where we stopped to cook some Cream o Wheat for breakfast in the early morning light. Just as we were finishing up Far Out caught up with us. He had slept in a bit.
We climbed out of Nance and soon passed "The Guzzler", a cistern dug into the desert. It appeared to be made of fiberglass, covered in cement, the top flush with the desert floor. Someone had recently put a shiny chrome pump in its top, but it did not work when I pumped with it. We still had plenty of water from Tule, and knew water lay ahead at the cache, so we continued on.
About a mile from the cash we got cell service again and with it our email of the past 24 hours. We stopped to place a few calls, then continued to the cache.
We found Far Out had been waiting at the cache about 45 minutes for us when we finally got to the wood constructed rack holding many 2.5 gallon water jugs. As I was finishing up filling water bottles a 20 yr old showed up, a traveling guitar sticking out of his pack. With our encouragement he offered to play for us. He started with "Alice's Restaurant", then slipped into "Old Man" by Niel Young. He did not have a trail name yet, so we christened him "Alice" which he seemed to like and signed the trail register by that name and was soon gone.
With enough water for the rest of the day, that night, and the 7 miles we had to cover tomorrow, we left the cache and walked 1 mile to a magnificent campsite amongst large boulders, arriving about noon. The wind had been howling all day, and it continued to gust and swirl around the boulders as we set up camp, took naps and greeted Crotalus into camp. An afternoon of conversation, food and greeting another 7 people into the now more crowded campsite occupied our afternoon. Far Out found a 3 foot gopher snake and Crotalus, being a herpetologist, gave us a lesson on snakes. She is amazingly knowledgable, having worked extensively in this area with studies and the protection of snakes, lizards and the desert tortoise. Crotalus had a very sore ankle way back in Warner Springs, now 36 miles back. She had a brace on that helped her make it this far. She was making her way to Palm Springs with the hope of a few lay over days to let the ankle heal before continuing north up the trail. She is one tough person!!
The cool wind continued all afternoon and night, blustering our tent and filling every nook and cranny with sand.
We left the comfort of water at Tule Springs (we actually bathed a bit the night before) about 4:30am by head lamp light with a short day on our agenda to rest Sally's painful foot. Luckily, the pain had shrunk overnight from a level of 6 to 1. 6 miles ahead lay the water cache at mile 143.
The trail wound down to Nance Canyon 3 miles ahead where we stopped to cook some Cream o Wheat for breakfast in the early morning light. Just as we were finishing up Far Out caught up with us. He had slept in a bit.
We climbed out of Nance and soon passed "The Guzzler", a cistern dug into the desert. It appeared to be made of fiberglass, covered in cement, the top flush with the desert floor. Someone had recently put a shiny chrome pump in its top, but it did not work when I pumped with it. We still had plenty of water from Tule, and knew water lay ahead at the cache, so we continued on.
About a mile from the cash we got cell service again and with it our email of the past 24 hours. We stopped to place a few calls, then continued to the cache.
We found Far Out had been waiting at the cache about 45 minutes for us when we finally got to the wood constructed rack holding many 2.5 gallon water jugs. As I was finishing up filling water bottles a 20 yr old showed up, a traveling guitar sticking out of his pack. With our encouragement he offered to play for us. He started with "Alice's Restaurant", then slipped into "Old Man" by Niel Young. He did not have a trail name yet, so we christened him "Alice" which he seemed to like and signed the trail register by that name and was soon gone.
With enough water for the rest of the day, that night, and the 7 miles we had to cover tomorrow, we left the cache and walked 1 mile to a magnificent campsite amongst large boulders, arriving about noon. The wind had been howling all day, and it continued to gust and swirl around the boulders as we set up camp, took naps and greeted Crotalus into camp. An afternoon of conversation, food and greeting another 7 people into the now more crowded campsite occupied our afternoon. Far Out found a 3 foot gopher snake and Crotalus, being a herpetologist, gave us a lesson on snakes. She is amazingly knowledgable, having worked extensively in this area with studies and the protection of snakes, lizards and the desert tortoise. Crotalus had a very sore ankle way back in Warner Springs, now 36 miles back. She had a brace on that helped her make it this far. She was making her way to Palm Springs with the hope of a few lay over days to let the ankle heal before continuing north up the trail. She is one tough person!!
The cool wind continued all afternoon and night, blustering our tent and filling every nook and cranny with sand.
Tuesday, April 22, 2014
Is This Hell? - Monday April 21
Today was supposed to be easy. What happened?
Yesterday we were on the move for 14 hours (I say on the move rather than hiking, because we took many equipment, shoe, eating and rest breaks). We had planned to stop at mile 10, but the camping area was exposed, sunny, hot, windy and right on the trail, so we pushed on. Before making the decision to keep going we had looked at the next day's (today's) route and found it to be 6 miles of gentle uphill followed by 10 miles of downhill. Foolishly, we assumed it would be an easy day, so a little extra pushing wouldn't hurt. Besides, 6 miles up hill in the cool morning followed by 10 miles downhill in the late morning and early afternoon sounded like good timing!
We should have known we were in trouble when we awoke this morning at 3:50 to a temperature of 65°. Nevertheless, we set out with 16 miles to cover on our minds, buoyed by our success of the day before. Within a mile we both could feel the fatigue from the day before's labors.
3 miles ahead lay Trail Angel Mike's, a house just off the PCT that welcomes hikers in for water, a free meal and, as it turns out, unsolicited hiking advise. We knew Coyote and Grasshopper had stayed there the night before, and we were short on water, so we took the side trail over to the house.
There are welcoming signs placed frequently along the 100 yd route from the PCT to the house so rather than just fill up our bottles at the water tank above the house we ventured down to see our friends and experience what we thought would be some trail magic. We wandered through the assortment of buildings and found Coyote, Grasshopper and a small group of other hikers seated in a circle on lawn furniture. A man of about 50 yrs old, tanned and stocky named Cushy introduced himself as he looked over our packs with a critical eye.
Cushy prides himself on ultralight backpacking and minimalist gear, so when he saw my bulging pack and Sally's chair he was aghast. He commented on our gear a couple of times, trying to encourage us to let him go through our packs and critique our gear weight and choices, but Sally artfully deflected his comments and he soon gave up on us.
After a few minutes we both excused ourselves and headed back to the trail. We really appreciated the water that would get us the next 10 miles up the trail. We were also motivated by the need to get our climbing out of the way before the sun began scorching the landscape.
Unfortunately, even this early she was hard at it. We suffered up the last hill of the day to be greeted by a wonderful view into the southern end of the Palm Springs valley. All downhill from here! Hot downhill. Rocks in the trail downhill. No wind downhill. No shade downhill. Seemingly endless downhill.
About 4 miles from Tule Springs and 7 miles from our destination the outside of Sally's left foot began to ache with excruciating agony. Between the heat, the sun and the pain this became the low point of the entire trip. We quickly decided Tule Springs was our new destination.
We arrived at a campsite 3/4 of a mile from the springs. I ran down to get water for the evening and to checkout the area to see if it was worth the extra effort to get there. I found Far Out, Back Up, Event Horizon, Coyote, Grasshopper, Mark and Rebecca sprawled in the shade under the trees near the spring. They voiced the same feelings Sally had expressed concerning the heat. I ran back up to Sally, presented the situation and she quickly chose to make her way down to the spring and our group.
We enjoyed the shade and their company for an hour or two, then the sun abated, the temperatures dropped and everyone but Far Out and us left to move farther down the trail. Before they left we took two photos. The first was of "Team Washington", Back Up, Event Horizon, Mark, Rebecca, Sally and I, from Olympia, Vancouver and of course, Toledo. The second was of our whole group, as this was probably the last time we would be together. Of course, we have been saying this for the last week +, but this time was truly our last gathering. Their goal was to get to the reportedly best burgers on the PCT, the Paradise Cafe, before closing at 2pm the following day, then up to Idyllwild for two nights in a hotel.
Sally and I set up camp, had mashed potatoes, chicken and vegetable goulash for dinner, then instantly fell asleep.
An Update On Mover:
Turns out our drunken, vomiting camp mate from Lake Morena actually does hike and from all accounts from people we have met on the trail is a not as bad as our first and only impression. We must have caught him at a very low moment.
Sent from my iPhone
Yesterday we were on the move for 14 hours (I say on the move rather than hiking, because we took many equipment, shoe, eating and rest breaks). We had planned to stop at mile 10, but the camping area was exposed, sunny, hot, windy and right on the trail, so we pushed on. Before making the decision to keep going we had looked at the next day's (today's) route and found it to be 6 miles of gentle uphill followed by 10 miles of downhill. Foolishly, we assumed it would be an easy day, so a little extra pushing wouldn't hurt. Besides, 6 miles up hill in the cool morning followed by 10 miles downhill in the late morning and early afternoon sounded like good timing!
We should have known we were in trouble when we awoke this morning at 3:50 to a temperature of 65°. Nevertheless, we set out with 16 miles to cover on our minds, buoyed by our success of the day before. Within a mile we both could feel the fatigue from the day before's labors.
3 miles ahead lay Trail Angel Mike's, a house just off the PCT that welcomes hikers in for water, a free meal and, as it turns out, unsolicited hiking advise. We knew Coyote and Grasshopper had stayed there the night before, and we were short on water, so we took the side trail over to the house.
There are welcoming signs placed frequently along the 100 yd route from the PCT to the house so rather than just fill up our bottles at the water tank above the house we ventured down to see our friends and experience what we thought would be some trail magic. We wandered through the assortment of buildings and found Coyote, Grasshopper and a small group of other hikers seated in a circle on lawn furniture. A man of about 50 yrs old, tanned and stocky named Cushy introduced himself as he looked over our packs with a critical eye.
Cushy prides himself on ultralight backpacking and minimalist gear, so when he saw my bulging pack and Sally's chair he was aghast. He commented on our gear a couple of times, trying to encourage us to let him go through our packs and critique our gear weight and choices, but Sally artfully deflected his comments and he soon gave up on us.
After a few minutes we both excused ourselves and headed back to the trail. We really appreciated the water that would get us the next 10 miles up the trail. We were also motivated by the need to get our climbing out of the way before the sun began scorching the landscape.
Unfortunately, even this early she was hard at it. We suffered up the last hill of the day to be greeted by a wonderful view into the southern end of the Palm Springs valley. All downhill from here! Hot downhill. Rocks in the trail downhill. No wind downhill. No shade downhill. Seemingly endless downhill.
About 4 miles from Tule Springs and 7 miles from our destination the outside of Sally's left foot began to ache with excruciating agony. Between the heat, the sun and the pain this became the low point of the entire trip. We quickly decided Tule Springs was our new destination.
We arrived at a campsite 3/4 of a mile from the springs. I ran down to get water for the evening and to checkout the area to see if it was worth the extra effort to get there. I found Far Out, Back Up, Event Horizon, Coyote, Grasshopper, Mark and Rebecca sprawled in the shade under the trees near the spring. They voiced the same feelings Sally had expressed concerning the heat. I ran back up to Sally, presented the situation and she quickly chose to make her way down to the spring and our group.
We enjoyed the shade and their company for an hour or two, then the sun abated, the temperatures dropped and everyone but Far Out and us left to move farther down the trail. Before they left we took two photos. The first was of "Team Washington", Back Up, Event Horizon, Mark, Rebecca, Sally and I, from Olympia, Vancouver and of course, Toledo. The second was of our whole group, as this was probably the last time we would be together. Of course, we have been saying this for the last week +, but this time was truly our last gathering. Their goal was to get to the reportedly best burgers on the PCT, the Paradise Cafe, before closing at 2pm the following day, then up to Idyllwild for two nights in a hotel.
Sally and I set up camp, had mashed potatoes, chicken and vegetable goulash for dinner, then instantly fell asleep.
An Update On Mover:
Turns out our drunken, vomiting camp mate from Lake Morena actually does hike and from all accounts from people we have met on the trail is a not as bad as our first and only impression. We must have caught him at a very low moment.
Sent from my iPhone
Elements-Sunday, April 20
When you are outside day after day there is no escape from the elements. I begin to understand how fire, wind, earth and water gained such importance in the lives and minds of early populations. These four elements are the overbearing influences in our lives as we make our way north up the trail.
We rise at 3:50am each day to avoid the blazing impact of the late morning and afternoon sun, hoping to get most of our hiking done before the fire in the sky roasts us. And that fire in the sky has dried the landscape over the past years, making wildfire a real possibility. We spent an entire day walking through a burned out area, a testament to the power of fire.
The wind can be a blessing or a curse depending on time, temperature and intensity. Under a blazing sun a brisk wind is such a blessing, providing needed cooling. But that same brisk wind in the morning when the temperature is down and we have not exerted ourselves to get warm is a nuisance.
The earth we walk upon is not flat. Contrary to what I envisioned, the southern part of California is mountainous, and beautiful. Today, we followed the PCT as it wound thru magnificent open fields, along side a babbling creek shaded by giant sycamore and oak trees, across open slopes of chaparral and thru rock and boulder fields. Each unique, but all equally beautiful in their own right.
Water is both a curse and a necessity.
When it falls from the sky as rain or dew and wets all our gear and clothing we consider it a pain and wish it would stop. Yet, that same annoying fluid becomes so very precious when water suitable for drinking is found only every 20 miles along the trail. It dictates where we camp, how far we walk and the weight of our packs, for often 6 or 7 liters are aboard, adding 12 to 15 pounds to our packs.
Today we left Warner Springs after the "zero" day yesterday. We made a few adjustments to Sally's boots, taping blue foam to her heels on the outside of her socks to get her feet secure in her boots. It appears we found the correct fit, because we hiked 15 miles while climbing 3000' without inflicting any further damage to her feet.
Something unusual happened today. We walked along a creek for about 4 miles!! For the past 121 miles we have only crossed two creeks and seen one other.
Another treat today was seeing water win out over fire. Afternoons are usually filled with the blazing sun but the clouds formed around noon and shielded us from the sun. We hiked the afternoon in shade with cooling breezes that kept us comfortable.
We camped at 5000' amongst boulders although we did not get a chance to enjoy the scenery much. It was dark within an hour of our arrival and we rose at our typical 3:50am the next morning to start hiking by 4:45 so darkness obscured our surroundings.
We are with our gang again-Far Out, Event Horizon, Back Up, Grasshopper, Coyote and two new comers, Matt and Rebecca. By "with our gang" I mean we are leap frogging each other on the trail. Sally and I left 2-4 hours earlier than everyone else, but by noon most everyone had caught us, but we all made it into camp within an hour of each other.
Tomorrow marks two weeks on the trail. Just like a freshman at a four year school these first two weeks have been exciting-making new friends, checking out the campus, etc. But, the newness is wearing off and the real work is beginning. We have lots of hot days ahead of us with many miles to travel.
We rise at 3:50am each day to avoid the blazing impact of the late morning and afternoon sun, hoping to get most of our hiking done before the fire in the sky roasts us. And that fire in the sky has dried the landscape over the past years, making wildfire a real possibility. We spent an entire day walking through a burned out area, a testament to the power of fire.
The wind can be a blessing or a curse depending on time, temperature and intensity. Under a blazing sun a brisk wind is such a blessing, providing needed cooling. But that same brisk wind in the morning when the temperature is down and we have not exerted ourselves to get warm is a nuisance.
The earth we walk upon is not flat. Contrary to what I envisioned, the southern part of California is mountainous, and beautiful. Today, we followed the PCT as it wound thru magnificent open fields, along side a babbling creek shaded by giant sycamore and oak trees, across open slopes of chaparral and thru rock and boulder fields. Each unique, but all equally beautiful in their own right.
Water is both a curse and a necessity.
When it falls from the sky as rain or dew and wets all our gear and clothing we consider it a pain and wish it would stop. Yet, that same annoying fluid becomes so very precious when water suitable for drinking is found only every 20 miles along the trail. It dictates where we camp, how far we walk and the weight of our packs, for often 6 or 7 liters are aboard, adding 12 to 15 pounds to our packs.
Today we left Warner Springs after the "zero" day yesterday. We made a few adjustments to Sally's boots, taping blue foam to her heels on the outside of her socks to get her feet secure in her boots. It appears we found the correct fit, because we hiked 15 miles while climbing 3000' without inflicting any further damage to her feet.
Something unusual happened today. We walked along a creek for about 4 miles!! For the past 121 miles we have only crossed two creeks and seen one other.
Another treat today was seeing water win out over fire. Afternoons are usually filled with the blazing sun but the clouds formed around noon and shielded us from the sun. We hiked the afternoon in shade with cooling breezes that kept us comfortable.
We camped at 5000' amongst boulders although we did not get a chance to enjoy the scenery much. It was dark within an hour of our arrival and we rose at our typical 3:50am the next morning to start hiking by 4:45 so darkness obscured our surroundings.
We are with our gang again-Far Out, Event Horizon, Back Up, Grasshopper, Coyote and two new comers, Matt and Rebecca. By "with our gang" I mean we are leap frogging each other on the trail. Sally and I left 2-4 hours earlier than everyone else, but by noon most everyone had caught us, but we all made it into camp within an hour of each other.
Tomorrow marks two weeks on the trail. Just like a freshman at a four year school these first two weeks have been exciting-making new friends, checking out the campus, etc. But, the newness is wearing off and the real work is beginning. We have lots of hot days ahead of us with many miles to travel.
Saturday, April 19, 2014
Feet - Saturday, April 19
Yesterday a lady who is starting the PCT in a few weeks was at the Warner Springs Community Center giving rides to the Post Office and seeking advice about the trail for her upcoming adventure. She asked Sally and I what one bit of advice would we give. My first thought was the filth we live with each day so I blurted out "baby wipes". Sally gave the question a bit more thought and gave what I consider a much better answer, "your feet".
We walk on them everyday, and I suspect most of us take them for granted. But out here where everyday is totally about walking on those feet you can't pay them too much respect. Muscles can get sore and recover in a few days, but once blisters form it takes weeks before the open sores heal and the pain subsides. On a hiking trip this means walking on open sores all day long. Backup calls it the Hiker Shuffle. Feet so sore they hobble around, wincing in pain.
Blisters are the common ailment. Blisters in the likely and most unlikely places. On the back of the heels. On the bottom of the heels. Pinky toes with blisters twice the size of the toe itself. Between each toe, often where one toe's nail gouges a chunk out of the adjoining toe. Between the row of toes and the ball of the foot. And on the arch. Anywhere a shoe can rub, a blister will form. Walking 10-14 hours a day affords lots of opportunity for friction.
The number of people with blisters and the hiker shuffle far out number those with pristine feet. Here at mile 109 in Warner Springs well over half the people shuffle about their business of getting resupply boxes, washing clothes, showering, camping and repacking. They have changed out of their offending trail shoes and into sandals of some type, looking for relief from the pressure points. Each rely on the faith that their feet will toughen and callus in the coming days and weeks. In the meantime they endure the pain.
The shoe of choice on the trail are "tennis shoes", usually in the form of trail runners or some high bred form of sport hiking shoe. The mesh cloth of the shoe is designed to allow the feet to breath, stay cooler, and dryer to help stave off blisters. Unfortunately, that same mesh allows fine dust and dirt into the shoe, coating the wearers feet. When the shoes come off and the sandals go on often those objects at the end of a hikers legs are recognizable as feet only by their shape, not their color. In a word their feet are filthy.
Sally has been fighting blisters on her feet since day one. She owned a great pair of hiking shoes that we're wearing out, so months ago we bought the same size, brand and style with adequate time to break them in. Unfortunately, they have not fit as well as the originals and are causing blisters on her heels. However, she also has a pair of Teva sandals, so she alternates between the two shoes, letting injured parts damaged by one shoe heal while trying to minimize the damage the current shoe is causing.
Far Out's blisters are finally beginning to heal. This is partly due to care we have been giving them, but mostly due to 3 or 4 low mileage days and a zero day here at Warner Springs. We had hiked 10 days in a row and felt it necessary to spend a day off the trail letting our bodies rest and blisters heal.
We woke in the community center this morning around 6:15-really sleeping in for us! We had the breakfast provided, then spent the morning talking and helping the volunteers by washing dishes and sweeping the floor. About 30 PCT hikers ate breakfast this morning and most of those that spent last night here we're gone before noon. Our group (Far Out, Backup, Horizon, Crotalus, Coyote, Danger Zone, Goldilocks, Grasshopper and 1st Class and I) all decided to take a zero day today and stay put. We ate the hamburger lunch provided, sorted gear, helped each other with cell phones, apps, etc. Far Out had purchased some salad makings, so after the center closed at 4, we gathered in the chairs outside and had a dinner, welcomed a new couple from Vancouver into our group and eventually drifted into our tents for the night.
Sally and I will get up at our usual 3:50am tomorrow morning to beat the heat, predicted to be in the low 80's. The rest will rise later and catch up with us on the trail. Most likely our group will begin to splinter over the next few days. Sally and I do not do enough distance each day to complete the PCT on time ( about 20/day are needed), so the rest will have to start leaving us behind if they hope to make it to Canada in time. We knew this would be the case before we started the trip, that people would be moving faster than us and we would watch them leave us behind. Still, it hard to see friends we have made bonds with over the past 6 days literally walk out of our lives. But the blisters on their feet are healing and it is time for them to put some distances down.
We walk on them everyday, and I suspect most of us take them for granted. But out here where everyday is totally about walking on those feet you can't pay them too much respect. Muscles can get sore and recover in a few days, but once blisters form it takes weeks before the open sores heal and the pain subsides. On a hiking trip this means walking on open sores all day long. Backup calls it the Hiker Shuffle. Feet so sore they hobble around, wincing in pain.
Blisters are the common ailment. Blisters in the likely and most unlikely places. On the back of the heels. On the bottom of the heels. Pinky toes with blisters twice the size of the toe itself. Between each toe, often where one toe's nail gouges a chunk out of the adjoining toe. Between the row of toes and the ball of the foot. And on the arch. Anywhere a shoe can rub, a blister will form. Walking 10-14 hours a day affords lots of opportunity for friction.
The number of people with blisters and the hiker shuffle far out number those with pristine feet. Here at mile 109 in Warner Springs well over half the people shuffle about their business of getting resupply boxes, washing clothes, showering, camping and repacking. They have changed out of their offending trail shoes and into sandals of some type, looking for relief from the pressure points. Each rely on the faith that their feet will toughen and callus in the coming days and weeks. In the meantime they endure the pain.
The shoe of choice on the trail are "tennis shoes", usually in the form of trail runners or some high bred form of sport hiking shoe. The mesh cloth of the shoe is designed to allow the feet to breath, stay cooler, and dryer to help stave off blisters. Unfortunately, that same mesh allows fine dust and dirt into the shoe, coating the wearers feet. When the shoes come off and the sandals go on often those objects at the end of a hikers legs are recognizable as feet only by their shape, not their color. In a word their feet are filthy.
Sally has been fighting blisters on her feet since day one. She owned a great pair of hiking shoes that we're wearing out, so months ago we bought the same size, brand and style with adequate time to break them in. Unfortunately, they have not fit as well as the originals and are causing blisters on her heels. However, she also has a pair of Teva sandals, so she alternates between the two shoes, letting injured parts damaged by one shoe heal while trying to minimize the damage the current shoe is causing.
Far Out's blisters are finally beginning to heal. This is partly due to care we have been giving them, but mostly due to 3 or 4 low mileage days and a zero day here at Warner Springs. We had hiked 10 days in a row and felt it necessary to spend a day off the trail letting our bodies rest and blisters heal.
We woke in the community center this morning around 6:15-really sleeping in for us! We had the breakfast provided, then spent the morning talking and helping the volunteers by washing dishes and sweeping the floor. About 30 PCT hikers ate breakfast this morning and most of those that spent last night here we're gone before noon. Our group (Far Out, Backup, Horizon, Crotalus, Coyote, Danger Zone, Goldilocks, Grasshopper and 1st Class and I) all decided to take a zero day today and stay put. We ate the hamburger lunch provided, sorted gear, helped each other with cell phones, apps, etc. Far Out had purchased some salad makings, so after the center closed at 4, we gathered in the chairs outside and had a dinner, welcomed a new couple from Vancouver into our group and eventually drifted into our tents for the night.
Sally and I will get up at our usual 3:50am tomorrow morning to beat the heat, predicted to be in the low 80's. The rest will rise later and catch up with us on the trail. Most likely our group will begin to splinter over the next few days. Sally and I do not do enough distance each day to complete the PCT on time ( about 20/day are needed), so the rest will have to start leaving us behind if they hope to make it to Canada in time. We knew this would be the case before we started the trip, that people would be moving faster than us and we would watch them leave us behind. Still, it hard to see friends we have made bonds with over the past 6 days literally walk out of our lives. But the blisters on their feet are healing and it is time for them to put some distances down.
Friday, April 18, 2014
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