Alright! Made it to Big Bear Lake (Big Bear City). The last week has been a wild one. Started off the section by taking a little loop off the trail to hit up Mt. San Jacinto. This snow covered volcano was our first test at snow travel and navigation. The trail to the top was easy enough to follow but the way down was a good game of point and shoot. The view from the top looking over Palm Springs, I-10, San Gorgonio, and the desert we came out of was icing on top of our big ol' adventure cake. We were the only crowd that went for the peak that day and we all came down the got over fuller ridge with the sense of accomplishment floating us over the last snowy sections.
The next day was a learning experience! We all had about 15 miles of sun scorched hillside to get down to drop 6,500 feet into the windswept valley just outside of Cabazon, CA. I got stubborn and wanted to get down that thing as quick as possible and wound up pushing it in the hottest part of the day. By the end of day my feet looked like I'd put them through the toaster - three big ol' blisters right on the bottom of both feet and the rest red and tender. Bad idea! The rest of my crew pushed through the windy valley and slept under I-10 (where they found beers, burgers, and a crowd of hurtin' hikers). I decided to tuck in close to the ridge to try to get out of the wind (we all found out they have big windfarms there for a reason) and nursed my feet a little bit. The last 4 days of the section involved a lot of hobbling around (it's called the "hiker hobble" around here). My ankles are a little upset from tiptoeing around the trail trying to stay off the sore spots but I was still able to push a couple of 20 mile days. A slow pace had me arriving into camp after dark but with some cabins built at one camp and a quick hitch at rt. 18 into town both days were well worth it. Now that I'm in town I'm doing Epson soaks and lots of rest to get the pads back in shape. It's working out well.
Folks are freaking out because we're getting a little weather out here. (I thought it never rained in SoCal!) Us east coasters are laughing all the way to the next town. A little sleet won't keep us inside!
A little shout-out to trail angels at whitewater preserve. Rolled into there a day after the foot roast and was psyched to see an ice cold wading pool and dogs, burgers, pasta salad, roasted chicken, THE WORKS thanks to Buck-30 and Kay.
OK! We're going to head out of town this afternoon but here's where I'll probably be in the coming couple of weeks and addresses you can reach me.
General Delivery, Wrightwood, CA 92397 5/23 <--- a little later than before so OK to send mail
c/o The Saufleys 11861 Darling rd., Agua Dulce, CA 91390
Remember to check out the how-to on mailing before sending anything. Talk to ya'll in a bit!
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Goin' Idyllwild!
Hey hey! Made it to mile 178! The past week has been a blast. I'm getting into the rhythm of the day - waking up at 5:30 and then hiking until I'm hungry, stopping for breakfast, and then going for 2 hour (about 5 mile) walks broken up by tons o' snacks to rack up something like 17 miles a day. The biggest day has been 24 miles so far. At the end of the day it's time for a quick meal, a few sentences in the journal (Today I hiked. It was fun. I'm tired.) and then it's in the bag and dead asleep by 8:30. Rinse (if you can find water) and repeat.
I've really enjoyed walking by myself. I zone out. Let my mind wander. It watch the miles roll by. Then I reconvene with some friends for a break or to camp out and go off on my own in the morning. In the last few days I've been hanging out with a real good group of folks that I hope to hang around with for a while - shoutout to Bubbles, New Homes, Seahorse, and Tiny Dancer to name a few. Welcome to the PCT circus. Funny names, strange smells, and funky food abound. It's good to be with a positive crowd especially with the weather we've had in the past few days - did a little climbing to about 8000 feet and were met with high winds and hail storms. A bunch of people waited out the weather but I was psyched to go right through it with some good people. We all stayed pretty dry and had sunshiny smiling faces on our way down the mountain. Best to hit the bar in town with a few good stories!
Today I took a "zero" and didn't hike at all. I've mostly spent my time eating food, drinking beers, and hanging with hikers with a few big spurts of productivity in between to get myself ready for the next leg. My itinerary still looks on point for Big Bear and whatever the next town is (wrightwood?). You can see that info here. Best email AND toss me a voicemail if you plan on sending anything out.
Tomorrow we head out for a first summit - Mt. San Jacinto with the intimidating Fuller Ridge leading up to it. People have been freaking out about high snow levels and slick conditions but I have the gear to make it happen. It's gonna be good adventure. Hopefully I'll be able to get some photos online sometime soon and show you all what I've been looking at - it's freakin' beautiful out here! Plus I have good photos of roadside beers and greasy spoons diners we happen to come upon at road crossings (man that french toast was good).
One last thing. Had my first real deal trail magic yesterday when we came upon a couple unsuspecting day hikers. We wound up heading the same way and by the end of the day these two fellas were feeding us beers and cheetos and giving us rides to town. Thanks to Brian and Lee for San Diego and LA for making the end of a long day a dream come true!
I've really enjoyed walking by myself. I zone out. Let my mind wander. It watch the miles roll by. Then I reconvene with some friends for a break or to camp out and go off on my own in the morning. In the last few days I've been hanging out with a real good group of folks that I hope to hang around with for a while - shoutout to Bubbles, New Homes, Seahorse, and Tiny Dancer to name a few. Welcome to the PCT circus. Funny names, strange smells, and funky food abound. It's good to be with a positive crowd especially with the weather we've had in the past few days - did a little climbing to about 8000 feet and were met with high winds and hail storms. A bunch of people waited out the weather but I was psyched to go right through it with some good people. We all stayed pretty dry and had sunshiny smiling faces on our way down the mountain. Best to hit the bar in town with a few good stories!
Today I took a "zero" and didn't hike at all. I've mostly spent my time eating food, drinking beers, and hanging with hikers with a few big spurts of productivity in between to get myself ready for the next leg. My itinerary still looks on point for Big Bear and whatever the next town is (wrightwood?). You can see that info here. Best email AND toss me a voicemail if you plan on sending anything out.
Tomorrow we head out for a first summit - Mt. San Jacinto with the intimidating Fuller Ridge leading up to it. People have been freaking out about high snow levels and slick conditions but I have the gear to make it happen. It's gonna be good adventure. Hopefully I'll be able to get some photos online sometime soon and show you all what I've been looking at - it's freakin' beautiful out here! Plus I have good photos of roadside beers and greasy spoons diners we happen to come upon at road crossings (man that french toast was good).
One last thing. Had my first real deal trail magic yesterday when we came upon a couple unsuspecting day hikers. We wound up heading the same way and by the end of the day these two fellas were feeding us beers and cheetos and giving us rides to town. Thanks to Brian and Lee for San Diego and LA for making the end of a long day a dream come true!
Friday, May 6, 2011
Mile 110: Angels, Parties, Names, and Magic
So I'm well into the desert. I got through a little nervous energy in the start but not without some silly results. Things I did while running around like a chicken with no head on aderall included: leaving my cell phone in a car, leaving my trekking poles in someones truck, dropping my camera in a stream at miles 2.5 (no the warranty does not cover submersion), and popping my precious water bag on one of the many spiky things in the desert. All maters were resolved and I'm again with phone, poles, camera and plenty of water storage but my forhead is still red from slapping it so many times. Unfortunately I can't get photos up at the moment but here are some big to-do's that went down in the first 110:
TRAIL ANGELS
**************
Trail Angels are total strangers that for one reason or another have taken it upon themselves to provide hikers with necessary services or totally unecessary luxury items as we trod north. Southern california is known specifically for having a high concentration of these beautiful people who set out to make what we all call "trail magic" happen. Examples have included:
-being picked up in san diego, fed, and driven to the trail ala scout and frodo
-given beer and snacks at almost every road crossing (don't worry there have only been 5 so far) ala D.O.T.
-provided over 200 of gallons of water in the middle of the desert at a crucial point in an otherwise 54 mile dry stretch ala Mulestomper
-one big ol' BBQ, campfire, and all around good party at mile 101 ala Princess
-ice tea and snacks just after eagle rock ala Hamburger Helper and Tabasco (people not the corporations)
And this shit as only started. In a couple days I'm expecting to walk up to a house that's hosting a home smoked chicken BBQ and then a few weeks after that we'll hit the famous trail angels the Saufleys and then the Andersons. By the time we hit the Sierras we're all going to be super spoiled and majorly dissapointed. But we're taking it all in while we can now. My favorite thing about these folks besides the effort and generosity they throw our way is how militant they are about making sure you get the best of whatever it is they have to offer. The other night I was trying to get a hot dog at the BBQ after a long 24 mile day and it was not happening until I got a cold beer, all the necessary utensils, and a seat by the fire first. I was pretty antsy to get my hands on that dog but I wasn't about to argue with orders!
Trail Names
**********
So everyone at one point or another is dubbed some name that will stick with them for the rest of the hike. It's a fun a carefree tradition that allows folks to go by a name that fits their character rather than there parents' naming inclinations. Some names are associated with a story, others by a common association, others just because someone said so. Once your given a name you have the option to turn it down for a better one but you better be quick about it because it'll travel fast along the trail before you have enough time to stomp it out. I got my name because I wore a funny hat to kickoff - my super sun resistant sombrero. Before long people thought of me as that guy with the sombrero or "mexico" but it wasn't until a funny discussion about lost passports near the border and sneaking by the patrol down in Campo that a Floridian by the name of Kilroy dubbed me "Pepe Lopez." Immediately everyone in the group was doubled over laughing so much so that I thought I missed the joke - some pop culture reference or atleast tequila brand. I was reluctant to accept at first. I really wanted a name that had a story behind it not just - I wore a sombrero to kickoff. But when I kept telling people my name I got the same reaction everytime - pure joy and laughter. I can't complain being surrounded by that and it's sure easy for people to remember me and pick me out even miles down the trail. No wonder I didn't see any sombreros at the border.
Alright. I'm getting antsy to hit the hot springs here at Warner Springs. So you know I'm having an awesome time. I love walking alone and getting through 20 mile days and reconvening with newfound friends along the trail at every water source and camp ground. I even started working on my harmonica playing and hope to be rocking out in no time. I wish you all well and hope you're having half the fun that I am. Until next time!
TRAIL ANGELS
**************
Trail Angels are total strangers that for one reason or another have taken it upon themselves to provide hikers with necessary services or totally unecessary luxury items as we trod north. Southern california is known specifically for having a high concentration of these beautiful people who set out to make what we all call "trail magic" happen. Examples have included:
-being picked up in san diego, fed, and driven to the trail ala scout and frodo
-given beer and snacks at almost every road crossing (don't worry there have only been 5 so far) ala D.O.T.
-provided over 200 of gallons of water in the middle of the desert at a crucial point in an otherwise 54 mile dry stretch ala Mulestomper
-one big ol' BBQ, campfire, and all around good party at mile 101 ala Princess
-ice tea and snacks just after eagle rock ala Hamburger Helper and Tabasco (people not the corporations)
And this shit as only started. In a couple days I'm expecting to walk up to a house that's hosting a home smoked chicken BBQ and then a few weeks after that we'll hit the famous trail angels the Saufleys and then the Andersons. By the time we hit the Sierras we're all going to be super spoiled and majorly dissapointed. But we're taking it all in while we can now. My favorite thing about these folks besides the effort and generosity they throw our way is how militant they are about making sure you get the best of whatever it is they have to offer. The other night I was trying to get a hot dog at the BBQ after a long 24 mile day and it was not happening until I got a cold beer, all the necessary utensils, and a seat by the fire first. I was pretty antsy to get my hands on that dog but I wasn't about to argue with orders!
Trail Names
**********
So everyone at one point or another is dubbed some name that will stick with them for the rest of the hike. It's a fun a carefree tradition that allows folks to go by a name that fits their character rather than there parents' naming inclinations. Some names are associated with a story, others by a common association, others just because someone said so. Once your given a name you have the option to turn it down for a better one but you better be quick about it because it'll travel fast along the trail before you have enough time to stomp it out. I got my name because I wore a funny hat to kickoff - my super sun resistant sombrero. Before long people thought of me as that guy with the sombrero or "mexico" but it wasn't until a funny discussion about lost passports near the border and sneaking by the patrol down in Campo that a Floridian by the name of Kilroy dubbed me "Pepe Lopez." Immediately everyone in the group was doubled over laughing so much so that I thought I missed the joke - some pop culture reference or atleast tequila brand. I was reluctant to accept at first. I really wanted a name that had a story behind it not just - I wore a sombrero to kickoff. But when I kept telling people my name I got the same reaction everytime - pure joy and laughter. I can't complain being surrounded by that and it's sure easy for people to remember me and pick me out even miles down the trail. No wonder I didn't see any sombreros at the border.
Alright. I'm getting antsy to hit the hot springs here at Warner Springs. So you know I'm having an awesome time. I love walking alone and getting through 20 mile days and reconvening with newfound friends along the trail at every water source and camp ground. I even started working on my harmonica playing and hope to be rocking out in no time. I wish you all well and hope you're having half the fun that I am. Until next time!
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