Bong - Monday, June 2

When Sally and I decided to do the PCT we knew it would not be like any other hikes we had done. Usually, we seek solitude, camping off the beaten track, planning our routes to avoid the more
popular locations or the more popular times. But, we knew the PCT was not about wilderness or solitude. With 1300 people starting this year, an average of about 30 each day, we knew this was to be a social experience, a chance to meet like minded people and establish new friends to share the trail with and beyond. And it has not disappointed. As you can tell if you have followed this blog we have met many, many people. Most are younger than our kids, but a few are our age.

We also knew with a preponderance of twenty something's on the trail there would be a fair amount of drug use, particularly marijuana. However, we were not prepared for the high level of use, both in numbers of kids involved (at least 99.9%) and frequency of imbibing. At the same time itnis both startling and disappointing.

The social pressures of society on the trail mirrors that of off trail. There are those individuals on the trail whose focus is drug use, a kind of "stick it to the man-I don't cow tow to rules" mentality. They are continuously high, taking breaks on the trail to smoke pot as regularly as most hikers stop for water or food. These individuals create a peer pressure to join them, so other kids on the trail who would probably do without or use less frequently join in, not against their will, but because it is easier to be part of the culture than to refuse.

There are casual users, ones who might relax at the end of the day, but they are rare. Mostly, we see the pack mentality, one drug addled, brain fried, A type personality setting the standard for in camp activity centered around drug use rather than simple conversation or other activity.

Some of the trail angels are accomplices in the culture, supplying pot along the trail as well as beer. Terry Anderson emerged from her house, Casa de Luna, with a bag of pot and asked who wanted to join her. Mike's Place, north of Warner Springs was a haven for pot use. By all means not all trail angels behave this way or support the culture, but unfortunately there are enough to perpetuate and support this aspect of trail life.

Alcohol consumption on the trail is moderate for the most part, simply because it weighs to much to carry where pot is quite light and easily packed. In trail towns alcohol consumption can and does reach high levels if there is access to a store or bar. There are a few individuals who are in serious need of help, as they are drunk in trail towns every day by 10am and stay inebriated all day. Trail angels leave beer in streams and coolers all along the trail, and most hikers respect the ideal of having one beer so they leave some for the next dry hiker coming along.

Today, we rose a little later than usual
and were on the trail by 7:30. We made the three miles to the bridge that crosses the South Fork of the Kern river. As I approached the bridge footings imbedded in the meadow grasses along the shore I saw a hiker seated on the grass with his back to me huddled over something. At the noise of my approach he turned, a little startled to see who was approaching and emitted a large cloud of smoke, having just taken a huge toke on his bong. In the voice and cadence of a long time pot user he greeted me with a hello and asked if I would like a hit off his bong. I told him I didn't drink, smoke nor use drugs. He gave me a blank disbelieving stare as if I had just told him I had flown in from the planet Zargon to enslave the human race. We introduced ourselves to each other, his trail name was Beeline. As we talked about where home was and what we did while not on the trail I recognized his voice as the one that had returned from the bar our last night at Kennedy Meadows at midnight and woke every camper in the area, at least 40, with his screaming about getting a bong to get high on and enticing others to join him dropping more F-Bombs per sentence than a B-52 carpet bombing an Iraqi held position.

Sally soon arrived and in her good natured voice asked him to explain the advantages of a bong over joints. In that fried brain cadence and vocabulary particular to heavy pot smokers he explained how the smoke passed through the water and removed unhealthy tars and other undesirable elements from the smoke. It struck me odd that A) he would worry about his health while being stones all day and B) that as an ultra light hiker he would carry a heavy glass bong. We continued our conversation as we washed socks, underwear and bodies. Beeline soon left and we talked with Wee Viking and Don Quixote before leaving ourselves.

We hiked 9 miles this day. Water is still scarce even though we are in the Sierra. The Water Report was extended through mile 742 to help hikers find water, and we used it to find a trickle at mile 721.9. As I was finishing filling our bottles first Horrible & Terrible then Event Horizon and Backup caught up with us. We made plans to camp together, then Sally and I walked the 0.3 miles to a flat camping area while they filled up with water and then joined us. It was Horizon's birthday tomorrow, so I prepared a backpackers freeze dried chocolate cheese cake for the occasion which we enjoyed after singing happy birthday. The wind was quite strong, blowing sand and dust into our tents, but it was fun to spend an evening with Backup and Horizon, who due to an incident with a water bottle dousing him while filtering water was renamed Waterfall. We had known him as Kit from the start and had a hard time calling him Horizon, but Waterfall fit well.

With my drug of choice coursing through my veins, sugar from the cheesecake, I crawled under our quilt and brought the day to a close.