Father Pepe gets official in NYC - mile 1020

The last two weeks have been unlike any other since I started this trip.  First, the trail:

Leaving Mammoth the general feeling rang something like, "Hey we're through most of the big stuff.  We're gonna be below 10 grand for the most part and yeah, I hear there are some rivers we gotta deal with but I'm a tall guy with a steady step.  It's going to be cruiser!  Right?"  WRONG.  The hundred miles or so from Mammoth to Sonora Pass kicked our butts big time.  I remember one day in particular when I couldn't believe all the crap we walked through and over to get our 15 miles in for the day.  From return creek to the far side of Piute creek we did something like 6 scary crossings over rippin' "seasonal creeks" mostly on the convenient balance beams place near the trail, hopped over a pass, did a little map and compass work on the snow (now in the trees), bushwacked next to a waterfall to avoid circuitous trail miles (found the 40 foot cliff that sent the trail southward and the snow shoot that let us glisade down the thing) and wait for it, my favorite - walked through what felt like a quarter mile of chest deep water!  Yeah!  Big day!  Clawing for those miles.  Other highlights included walking on a bridge that was 3 feet deep itself to get past the lake to Falls Creek which was another trip in itself.  Water water everywhere!  And hell yeah you can drink it all!  Hit the 1000 mile mark the day before hopping off the trail and like magic our path was revealed.  Finally, some dry ground to cruise on for a little while.  

This trail can be such a tease!  You don't see it for a whole day and just when you're starting to get really fed up it comes back and is all like "hey baby.  I'm here.  I'll stay with you.  Just follow me and it'll all be okay.  I promise"  And you come crawling back all relieved and pathetic like nothing ever happened.  And right when you get your momentum going and things are back to business as usual it runs off again!  What a hussy.  But hey, we made it to Sonoran pass and I'm still having an awesome time!  

I've heard about a lot of people skipping sections in the Sierras it all kinds of ways - bumping ahead and walking south, bumping ahead and walking to Canada with plans to come back, road walking 100 mile sections to avoid scary trail miles (really?!), etc.  Maybe it's the right decision for those folks.  I'm not here to judge (well maybe I judge the road walkers a little bit... just skip the section guys.  It's all good).  But I definitely made the right decision for me.  Even if all this slow walking means not getting to Canada before the snow starts falling up north I'd be 100 percent satisfied.  The walking has been great adventure and I wouldn't give it up for any trophy. 

The only disappointment I've had with other folks with all the moving and shaking around is the fear mongering that's been going on the trail.  If something doesn't feel comfortable or safe to you, by all means, turn around, go a different way, skip the section... do what you need to do to stay safe, happy, but still challenged.  But PLEASE, don't come away from that experience and tell others that the trail is impassible or not safe.  We all came out here to challenge ourselves and by the time we get off the trail we will all have pushed our comfort levels.  But where and how that challenge occurs will be different for everyone.  It's those moments of pushing ourselves (yeah, in a safe way) to make hard decisions, manage risks, take on physical challenges, etc. that we learn most about ourselves and what we're capable of.  If you tell someone not to do something then you rob them of that experience - even if that experience is simply walking to a point, realizing you're out of your element, and turning around.  That is just as valuable as successfully fording the giant river that scared the crap out of you - maybe in some ways more so.  I just hate hearing about people that were planning on climbing Whitney but then heard a bunch of war stories and because of that didn't even go and look at it.  I'm all for informing hikers of conditions they may face, especially if you're concerned with a particular person's abilities.  But let's try to leave the ego out of it as much as possible and present the facts as close to objectively as we can so folks can make their own decisions.  OK. Rant over.

So got to Sonora pass and thumbed a quick ride to Bridgeport to spend the night and get my ducks in order for heading to NYC.  Yeah yeah!  Wedding time.  I knew the hiatus was going to be a head trip but honestly being back at home with the friends and fam has been amazing.  The most shocking part was Reno!  Holy crap!  Coming off the trail and winding up in a windowless casino with flashing lights and ringing bells everywhere was a trip.  The buffet was well worth it though!  Being the minister at my sister and friend's wedding was super fun and rewarding.  The ceremony went great and the festivities were a blast.  Everyone's psyched about how it all worked out.

Well now it's back to the trail.  I'm excited to jump back into what will prove to be a healthier lifestyle.  Staying on California time was a good call - staying up late and sleeping through the morning.  Thank god the metabolism is still high or there would have been a few nights there when I would have wound up passed out on the street.  Trying to get to see everyone in NYC and get my kicks in is always a whirlwind but I did pretty well this time 'round.  Hopefully by tomorrow night I'll be sleeping on the ground again and on my way to Tahoe.  It's time to start runnin' to Canada.  We'll see what the trail dishes out next.

High Sierras Part II - mile 908

Finished up the second big section of the Sierras moving from Kearsarge pass into Red Meadows and Mammoth and I'm STUFFED.  Great breakfast at The Stove (gravy on everything) big ol' BBQ spot, a little pizza here and there, and just got done with the Mexican.  Yeah.  Food has become really important.  Maybe it's going over a pass every day... maybe it's the cold weather we ran into... maybe it's the tortuous rationing going on during these long sections... but this boy's gotta eat a lot and has been doing a pretty good job.  Helping speed that process along and providing good company and tasty beverages has been my cousin Mike (trail named "Cousin Mike" or "cus" for short) who came from his new spot on the west coast.  It's been a good and lazy time recovering from lots of big walking.

So every day in the Sierras involves some of the biggest adventure I've ever been involved in.  Big passes and lots of snow walking.  Forester was exciting and all but the days only got more intense down the trail.  More snow (Muir, Pinchot) steeper slopes (Mather), and lush lush canyons (Palisades).  Then the big water crossings that at 6'2" I do alright in but can be exciting bringing my 5'1" friend through (you're a champ Bubbs).  It's hard to do the walking and the landscape justice.  You all will have to wait for the photos I'll post on my week long hiatus to NYC for my sister's wedding - crazy culture shock.

After getting over all the 12 granders we took a "wrong turn" coming down silver pass and wound up in fish creek.  We had big plans to hop on a different trail to get back to the PCT at Purple Lake but when we got to the junction a mind-bending sign said PCT right, Red's Meadows left!  Left?!  We don't have maps that go left!  Whatever, that's where we're going.  If going right was the "right" way to Red's Meadows the sign would point that way.  The fish creek trail was gorgeous!  Awesome river, beautiful cliffs on the canyon, a warm bivy spot off some switchbacks looking over it all.  Love it.

So from here it's another longer section through Yosemite to Sonoran pass.  The elevations drop but word along the trail is that the rivers are gonna get big.  We'll sort it all out.  Boots and Bubbs are gonna hang in town for another day while I run off with Spicerack so I can catch my flight in Reno on the 12th for a whole different kind of adventure.  Town has been good but I'm ready to get back on the trail.  I'll catch you all up from the big apple.

Well into the Sierras mile 789

I'm short on time and computer patience so here's a quick update on what was a big week.  About 2 days after leaving Kennedy Meadows we were smack dab in the middle of the Sierras.  I knew the landscape was going to change quick but my god!  Just a few miles down the path and we were walking on lots of snow, looking at granite giants around us everywhere and planning to climb the tallest mountain in the lower 48 - Whitney.  It's a wierd world out here.  Snow everywhere at 80 degrees!  After staging at crabtree meadow we went for the summit, a little snow travel, some rock scrambling, a few experiments with the new ice axe and we were on top of the world.  Or atleast everything we could see around us.  Incredible views, incredible weather, way to many cell phones out!  I know it's a novelty that you can get service in the middle of nowhere because you're the tallest thing around but really guys?  Let's put the techno-gadgets away for a while and see some of the cool stuff we're living in these days.  Nothing was going to ruin my summit experience though especially with the altitude buzz I had going on (a little celebration whiskey helped that out too.  We're making sure we got the most out of our little flask.  That stuff is efficient at elevation!)  Came down with no problems and then it was on to the next challenge - Forester Pass.  Little did we know that navigating to the base of this thing was going to be a greater task than getting over it but our little detour over Bighorn Plateau gave us some of the best scenery I've encountered yet.  Can't wait to get the photos up.  Forester wasn't nearly as scary as some would make it out to be.  The traverse over the don't fall here shoot definitely got my blood pumping but a few careful steps was all it took to get across.  Then the fun part - bum sliding (ie. glisading) down the other side to get out of the snow fields and back into the trees.  Then a little boot scooting through Bubbs creek valley and WHAT?! a trail angel in the middle of NOWHERE with a tarp full of hiker food looking for takers!  Honeybuzz' pops Sherpa Shamus was out helping out his son with a little restock and making the magic happen for everyone around him.  It was cool to run into this guy who's done a lot of guiding in the Sierras and who I got a chance to get to know at the ADZPCTKO hoopla.  The man says he'll be around again with more goodies and a BBQ at Donner Lake.  I'm excited to rip some red meat off the bone there.  Gotta get the genuine experience.  Anyway until then thanks Shamus.  Finally we hiked 8 miles off trail to get to the nearest road and with the help of some trail angels down to town.  All in all, the Sierras are great, the views are breathtaking, and there are still wonderful people everywhere making this trip an amazing ride.  Catch ya'll in Mammoth!

Floating the Kern! Mile 705

Nice!  Just put on a couple trail miles "floating" down the south fork of the Kern river.  Boots and I started talking and decided it was time to rally the troops, gather whatever pool toys we could find and make it happen.  Two hours later we had 30 people shuttled up to the campground via Boomer's flatbed and it was go time.  The first minute or two was a little splashy until BAM big rocks, wave trains, lots of brambles, good times had by all.  Even with a few knee knockers and plenty of time in the cold river everyone got to the bottom uninjured and psyched as hell.  F-ya!  First hiker Kern float as far as we know.  For all those wishing to follow in our footsteps just a few words of advice: wear shoes, stick together, don't bother with pool toys 'cause they're done after the first hit, and watch out for barbed wire fences crossing the river.  Adventure!  Now we're ready for the Sierras!

Gateway to the Sierras - mile 703

We're finally here!  The moment has arrived.  Ever since I started researching this trail Kennedy Meadows was a huge talking point.  When will we get there?  What will we send there?  When will we leave there?  What the hell am I going to do there while I'm waiting around for snow to melt or my package to arrive?  And now I'm here!  The desert is finally done.  Goodbye dry heat, rattlesnakes, pokey plants and waterless stretches (for now) hello snow covered passes, cold nights, high river fords, and bears!  The last section was one of our most serious desert walks chalk full of high heat, low water miles and a couple of mojave green (rattlesnake) sightings to top it off.  The trail magic at Walker Pass was awesome motivation (not to mention the hundreds of gallons of water that trail angel Mary puts out in the desert to keep us all in walking shape).    Watching the landscape change has been awesome and, as I expected, is one of my favorite things about this trail.  All of a sudden out of nowhere appears our first big Sierra river sighting - the Kern!  Then the pine trees and oaks are coming up.  Lots of shade everywhere.  I'm getting to be in the woods for real now.  In a few days we'll be on top of Mt. Whitney.  That's right!  I'll be the highest dude in California (and that's saying a lot).  Hell!  I'll be on top of the whole lower 48.

Until then, it's hanging out on the porch of the Kennedy Meadows general store having a few cold ones and waiting for our turn on the ol' laundry machine.  Not a bad way to spend a day.  When that gets old it's swimming time in the river before heading to the campground and getting down with the trail angels that are all coming out to have a good time.  The last couple of nights we've been hanging out with Sprinkles' grandma (appropriately named Grandma Sprinkles) and tonight we'll be with Dr. Sole and the Andersons.  That's right!  The Andersons Part III.  Word on the trail is that they're coming into town today and will be ready for some wrasslin'.

From here the constant trail angeling and booze train are going to hit their last stop.  But the party isn't over!  We have some of the most rugged and exciting sections of trail right around the corner.  It's time to get out and in it for real and bring the celebration to the tops of the mountains (as opposed to someones porchside couch).  The desert has been shockingly good to us with mild weather and enough water to go around.  On top of that, the trail angels have turned something that's been tolerable (and at times damn pleasant) into a part of this trail and my life that I will never forget.  Many many thanks to all of those that come out to support us and join in on the fun!  I hope to join your ranks next season.

Well, it's back to the porch.  We're gonna buy some 5 dollar pool toys and see how many miles we can float down the south fork of the Kern this afternoon.  If we get good enough at it we may be able to put some PCT miles on in the Sierras that way.  Swimming or walking, the miles still count in my book!  Here we go!

It's 80 miles back to the Andersons - mile 565

The stars have aligned! Want to hang out at the Andersons? Hell yes! Want to keep moving north to Canada? Yeah... I guess that'd be good too. Want to run into a bunch of hikers 4 days ahead of you and behind you? Yeah! That'd be cool. What do you call this time/space bending machine?! A CAR. F-yeah! Our friend Mr. F-in' Gentle Spirit was looking to move his ride up to Tehachapi and walk north out of the Andersons to get to it. Solution: drive the beer motivated hikers (that'd be us) to Tehachapi and drop 'em off so they can go on a southbound adventure BACK to the good times and then hop in the car and drive back to the top. Hell, it was so much fun we might do it again!

No no no... we have places to go and snow covered passes to play on. We have enjoyed another night of good times at La Casa de Luna but it's time to continue on north. Maybe I'll have to swing back on my way home in the fall... or come out next year to help out around the house. This place is definitely my speed and the folks who live here work hard to make sure the fun keeps rolling on. Those of you who know our buddy Murph, imagine if he moved near the trail and pulled every hiker he saw back to the ol' garage. That's where I'm at. Soooo gooooood!

Let me tell you a little bit about the last few miles. We started up at the wind farm between Tehachapi and Mojave, CA. Man! They put those windmills in the right place! After trudging through the stiff 40 MPH breeze to the top of the ridge we dropped down in the Mojave. Yeah! The desert! It's brutal out here. Brutally pleasant! No one told me it was going to be 75 with a cool breeze in the dry, desolate, valley floor. Rough living I tell you. We dropped down to the LA aquaduct which amounted to a long flat road walk either on dirt, or the sidewalk (ie cement aquaduct) if you prefer. At one point you get to walk on the big ol' pipe with all of LA's water rushing under you. Headed Southbound (SoBo) that 18 mile stretch landed us at HikerTown. Another trail angel! Like it said... rough living in the desert. As far as I know, the story is that a wealthy set designer from LA bought up this property and took some of his collection (old rolls royce, full on frontier town main street set, celebrity photos, antiques, cats, dogs, chickens, a boat, a few RVs...) and put it all together to build a hiker oasis with lots of character. Crashed there for the night and got a ride from the caretaker Bob to get some snacks before moving on. Ran into some nice folks (read christian camp/retreat center) at Sawmill campground who cooked us some good food and sent us off with a 1 lb bar of chocolate each! May the calories be with you! 12 miles downhill to the road and the Andersons' were on their way to pick us up and roll us straight to the best greasy spoon in town - chicken fried steak, great potatos, biscuits and gravy, eggs, the whole 9. Then it's back to the party zone and you can sort out the rest. Today we'll drive back to Tehachapi to find our friends and get back on the trail. Next party's in Kennedy Meadows. Apparently Sprinkles' grandma is bringing the ol' RV and never travels without a full bar. I suppose you meet people with similar interests wherever you go! But that's another town and 7 days away. Plenty of time to sober up.

Just a little more desert and then it's snow time! Can't wait to get out there. Thanks for all the comments. I love to hear the reactions. Let me know what you wanna hear about too. I have my own journal to keep track of my trip. This blog is for you guys. Anyway, catch ya'll next time!

Marathons, My Lady, and Magic in the Mountains - mile 487

OK. So it's been a while since my last post. Let me see if I can bring you up to speed. Man a lot has happened in the last 2 weeks!

I got the feet all fixed up in Big Bear to the point where I could walk well with a little moleskin and some tape. It would take about 10 days to get my pads back to a solid state but from Big Bear on they only got better. I took a little look at maps and decided I'd have to boot scoot ahead of my crowd to go see about a lady in Agua Dulce in two Saturdays. The big plan was to be able to meet Leigh at the trail angels' house there (the Saufleys) and then take a couple days off the trail with her so that when I got back on, the folks I'd been traveling with would have caught up and we could all continue on happily together. In order to get it done I started stringing marathon days together. A 25 mile pace would get me to Wrightwood in 4 days (and land me at the McDonalds at I-15 for dinnertime the day before town). Suddenly walking became athletic - days were filled with strategies, mile markers, timed intervals. The goal was to get around 15 miles done between 6am and 1pm so that I could take a couple hours off the trail (after the foot fiasco I decided never again to walk between 1 and 3) and then knock out the last ten in the afternoon. A whole new style of walking. Here are the pros:
-getting places FAST
-feeling like miles are blowing by
-sense of accomplishment

Here are the cons:
-feeling like I have a schedule
-keeping my head down and not looking around
-not seeing many folks
-being in a rush: I ain't just walking anymore
-missing out on stuff - skipped the hot spring I later discovered a good friend of mine from CT was hanging at

That all being said I wanted to meet my lady and whether I liked it or not I was motivated to get the 200 miles or so between Big Bear and where we'd meet done quick. I did a quick one day in and out in Wrightwood to take care of my restock and rocket out of town to get the last 90 miles or so done and done. Along the way I ran into a buddy Roadrunner who felt like moving quick and we all partnered up on our way to Wrightwood. Traveling with someone helped the ol' motivation and we were in Ague Dulce a half day before planned.

Alright that brings us to trail angel house numero uno - the Saufleys. I rolled up around noon on FRIDAY and within minutes my laundry was getting done, I got my shower in, and I was hanging with fellow hikers drinking my beers and hanging out with hikers trying not to anxiously await my lady's arrival. The Saufleys themselves were out of town but a team of four or five regional trail angels were running the show - taking care of laundry, running a full on post office, keeping the place clean, making runs to the trail and into town. The place was run like a well oiled machine. Judging by the canvas tents in the yard alone FEMA could take a few tips from these folks on keeping the homeless and underfed happy.

Around 3 Leigh showed up and we both realized that home was just an hour and a half's drive away. After walking for a month to get there it was hard to imagine being so close to home. We hopped in the car and cruised out hitting up the REI on the way. After moving at a walking pace for so long driving was FUN. Got home and enjoyed a couple days of loving, eating, productivity (organized mail drops, sewed a stuff sack, bought new shoes, put my soaked camera in for repairs...) hanging with the cat, and more eating. On Sunday we went back to the Saufleys so I could show off my Lady to my new found friends and find a funny motel outside of town to crash at before hitting the trail in the morning.

Leigh and I said our goodbyes and it was back on the trail reunited with my hiker friends and with a days walk to trail angel house numero dos - Casa De Luna: the Andersons. For those of us that were anxious to start drinking beer, their cache 8 miles before the road was well appreciated. If the Saufleys is on the business side of thru hiking (laundry, mail, showers, trail updates, etc.) the Andersons bring the party. This place is hotel california at its best. The beers are flowing, the food comes in quantity, the rules are few, and the shinanigans are endless (missed out on the chocolate syrup wrestling this year). Those who arrive are quickly confronted with a hug and a cold one. You can check out anytime you like - but you will never leave. Some folks get sucked in big time to the fun-at-all-hours lifestyle and wind up spending weeks here. As long as you pick up your empties, let the new folks eat first, and contribute to the good times you're welcome to stay as long as you like. On night one someone handed me a guitar and Mr. F-in Gentle Spririt pulled out his band in a box - drums, trumpet, harmonic... we were jammin all night long. The sing alongs were many around the fire and the next morning the taste of beer in my mouth told me I wouldn't be leaving anytime that day atleast. We put 8 miles on the trail that day doing a little slackpacking - when you unload your pack and get a ride up the trail so you can walk back with whatever you need for the day. I put 4 beers, 2 quarts of water, a snickers, and my first aid kit in a transformers backpack that was kicking around and we were on our way. It was a joyous stroll and we were psyched to land back at the casa for round two - a new crew of hikers and the party's on. That was last night. The sing along continued Bohemain Rapsodie being a big hit. Made some plans to leave (Terry Anderson wasn't fooled for a second - "yeah yeah... you're not going anywhere"). She was right. It's night three now and the crowd has only grown. Tonights gonna be a big one. Tomorrow we'll move on... atleast that's what we're saying. No rush to get to the Sierras... the snow's still gonna be there. I think we'll atleast get on the trail though. Plus we're already 8 miles down the road with our slacking around.

I hear the rucus getting on outside and I'm anxious to join up. It's only a couple more weeks to the Sierras! Snow time baby! I'm psyched to get up there and make it happen. The stories will abound. First we have a little more desert and a walk along the LA aquaduct. The trip continues...