Oh man have things gotten good. The beauty that we have experienced in the past week or so has truly blown us away...& continues to blow us away. Every day it just seems to get better. We feel like we're finally in a place where we'd CHOOSE to go backpacking if we were to just take off for a few days to find a cool place. We definitely appreciate the challenges we have faced & feel that we had a lot to learn by pushing through the desert & parts that weren't quite in our comfort zone & I'm sure going through all of that has truly made this part all that much more magical. Just glad that's all over...& now we're right where we want to be!
We had the most beautiful time on Mt. Whitney. Mt. Whitney was a 8+ mile side-trip off the PCT but since we were so close to the summit, we couldn't pass up climbing it seeing that it is the highest point (14,505 ft.) in the U.S. aside from Mt. McKinley in Alaska. As we approached our planned base camp, 5-miles from the summit, Unicroc kept hinting that he wanted to keep going & try to camp on top. At first, I didn't even take him seriously because those last 5 miles were going to be entirely uphill, into an elevation that neither of us had ever experienced hiking into & that would make it a 25+ mile day for us total (which is the most we've ever done) & the thought of sleeping up there sounded so crazy because it's above treeline & there was possibly no shelter from wind or cold...BUT...he kept dropping hints & slowly...I started to consider it. After all, this was probably going to be the only time we'd ever climb Mt. Whitney. We ran into a few other hikers who were just coming down from the summit & they said that the weather on top was actually quite tame - the wind wasn't bad at all & the skies were entirely clear so we felt safe from the threat of storms. So I said, "I'm in if you're in." So we did it! We made it to the top JUST as the sun was going down & it was SO lovely, I can't even possibly describe in words. And pictures can't do it justice. Four other PCT thru-hikers made the same decision & we each found rock structures past people had built to cozy up behind for the night. But the weather was amazing...we were very lucky. We set up our tent, ate our second dinner & went to sleep. I have to admit I felt nauseous & Unicroc felt dizzy throughout the night due to elevation sickness but by the time morning came, we felt great...our bodies had adapted. The others who had stayed behind at base camp all woke up at 2am or earlier to climb to the top for sunrise so as we awoke, they all joined us, we gathered on rocks & watched the Earth come to life from atop the highest point around.
That still doesn't quite seem real...it feels like it was more of a dream.
The following day, we had to do another large climb to Forester Pass, the highest point on the PCT, somewhere above 13,000 ft. Got the most amazing night's sleep, woke up to beautiful clear blue skies & had 6 miles to go to get there. It was a lovely climb & we were feeling great but just as we were about to reach the top, we noticed dark clouds were rolling in the distance. Sure enough, after we got about 4 miles beyond the pass, it started to snow! And then it turned to rain. And then we found a giant rock to hide under for shelter & cooked a warm lunch & decided to hike on because it's actually warmer to hike through weather like that than to stay still & try to wait it out. Shortly after, the precipitation stopped but it remained cloudly & moist & we had some of the most lovely hiking we've had yet.
Independence is a small town, we had to hike 7.3 miles off the PCT, over another pass, just to reach a trailhead to then get a hitch into town. But that 7.3 mile hike was BEAUTIFUL. This whole area is BEAUTIFUL. We're staying at Mt. Williamson Motel & the owners, Doug & Strider have been so good to us. They even have a cat! Small towns like this are part of why we're out here.
Unfortunately, the library is about to cut off my time - I only get a half hour! So that's all I have time for for now.
Much love & goodbye for now!
Wednesday, June 12, 2013
Wednesday, June 5, 2013
Kennedy Meadows, mile 702.2, the start of the Sierra's!
Wowza, so much has happened since our last post! Some good, some not so good. We were unable to post anything while in Tehachapi, about 140 miles ago, because we were in town over Memorial Day weekend, so the library was closed. However, we met some lovely ladies in the most amazing German bakery who let us use their Smartphone (first time ever using one & I found it a bit confusing) to check our email at least, although we weren't able to post to the blog or respond to any emails. So, we got all your messages, just weren't able to tell you so. But thanks. :)
Things are good...now. The desert is now (pretty much) officially over & we couldn't be happier because it was really really really difficult/daunting/tiring/exhausting/hot. We spent a lovely afternoon at Hikertown & loved hearing stories of how it came about & enjoyed being fed vegetarian foods, although we were kind of in low spirits at the time. The two days before we arrived in Tehachapi we were both feeling pretty down & I got to a point where I was ready to get off trail. I hated feeling that way & I found it so frustrating because we NEVER felt that way while hiking the AT. A few days spent in Tehachapi (eating, drinking, resting in a crappy motel, watching the new Star Trek movie, & eating giant tubs of popcorn & soda) helped. I found that at the end of those two days, I was still very much looking forward to what was next on the trail. Only 140-ish miles until the end of the desert (which is where we are now!) kept my hopes of happy hiking alive. Turns out that the next stretch of trail would be much more of an adventure that I imagined...
It was SO windy when we left Tehachapi & we were hiking right through giant wind farms so one could expect high winds but it was quite obviously windier than normal, even for a wind farm in the desert. We cut that day short in hopes of less wind the following day...but unfortunately, it just got windier. And then the very moist clouds rolled in. We were grateful it was cooler but eventually it got so windy that we could barely stand upright on the trail & even though it wasn't actually raining, we were getting very wet. We were being blown all over the place & I eventually got knocked over. I am not one to swear but swearwords were all that were coming out of my mouth during that section of the trail...but the wind was so loud, Unicroc couldn't make out what I was saying. Eventually, we ducked behind some shrubbery with some other hikers & tried waiting it out but realized we were getting cold just waiting for it to pass through. So we continued on & not even 30 minutes later we hiked out of the clouds & into beauty all around us & eventually the wind died down as well. The following day, we hiked back into clouds but this time there weren't high winds & we had the most pleasantly cool & lovely hike through pine woods & we saw our first 2 white-tailed deer of the trip (although we'd been seeing scat & tracks all over the place), which made us very happy. The sun eventually came out & it turned out to be one of our favorite days of hiking yet. We thought we were done with the desert at this point but we were trying not to get our hopes up too high...& good thing we didn't. Because we went right back into it, hardcore. For an entire day, we were hiking through the most intense & sandy desert yet (absolutely zero shade at mid-day, with the exception of a few Joshua trees). It was SO hot but keeping a lookout for desert tortoises helped us keep our minds busy (didn't see any). Thankfully, at the end of that day, we climbed back up into higher elevation so we were able to camp under a canopy of pine trees/shrubbery. But we had just entered into a 31-mile stretch of trail with ZERO reliable water. So we had packed ourselves full yet were still concerned about making it all the way to next water source & keeping ourselves happily hydrated. We were going to be crossing through Walker Pass, though, which is a road that could take us (if we could get a hitch) 37 miles into the nearest town, so after walking through the heat of that day, we decided that would be our goal. So we aimed & went for it & I was literally brought to tears when we arrived down at the pass & saw that there were people set up with tents & a sign that said "TRAIL MAGIC - THIS WAY!" They applaud whenever hikers arrive & so as they were applauding our arrival, we were still trying to wrap our brains around what was happening because we were just in such desperation (so hungry & so thirsty for something COLD) & all of a sudden, there was the most amazing oasis right in front of our very eyes. Meadow Ed, Yogi, Jackrabbit & her 5 3/4-year old son Bearbait, Weathercarrot & other volunteers were there along with many many hikers, most of which we knew, & as we walked up they delivered us an ice cream sandwich. And then there were endless cold drinks, & then there was fresh fruit, & then there was chips & hummus, & then there were Tofurkey brats (which were supposed to be saved for the following night but Jackrabbit was kind enough to make some especially for us) & then there was a spaghetti dinner with salad & bread & then there was cake & the list goes on & on. Needless to say, we decided to stay for the night. We even squeezed in a few games of Euchre with Red & Dufresne, Mud & Dingo & then Cuddles & Legend. It was so lovely & these people were so good to us. We woke up the next morning late (surprise, surprise), yet Yogi was kind enough to still make us some pancakes & we were finished by 8am & had plans to hike out but as soon as we stepped out into the sun, we realized it was HOT...too hot to hike on exposed trail, we thought (although so many other people hiked out just an hour earlier), so we decided to hang out for a while longer. Unfortunately, the mood of this day quickly turned around when Meadow Ed, the trail angel in charge of this whole operation, experienced a medical emergency around 11am & we were all quite concerned for his well-being. He was eventually taken away by paramedics & taken to the nearest hospital. The rest of us were hanging around the rest of the day, wishing the best for him & waiting for news on how he was doing. I spent a majority of the day tracking lizards & animal scat with Bearbait, which kept us both distracted through the whole ordeal. Unicroc & I were so easily coaxed into staying for dinner & just before it Jackrabbit informed us that Meadow Ed would be returning just after dinner & that it also was his birthday & that we would be singing Happy Birthday & eating cake in celebration! Such great news & it was such a great ending to what was just such a stressful day! We applauded his arrival (many new hikers had arrived by this time) & he came back & gave a speech on his many years of doing trail magic through this stretch of the trail & then we had such a great time celebrating him on his birthday. We decided to hike out shortly after, since it was finally cooling down & as we left, I again had tears in my eyes because these people truly felt like our family & this place felt the closest to "home" we've felt since we started this adventure. Much love to them.
We hiked only a few miles that evening & hiked into the dark & we saw our first scorpion! So wild. We decided to cowboy camp (sleep in our bags on top of our pads, without a tent) for the first time ever that night & we had a lovely night's sleep & it made for a quick set-up that night & take-down the next morning. The following day, we saw our first bear! A young bear (we were instantly on alert for mother...but the bear must've been old enough to be without mother) who was unafraid of us yet completely non-aggressive. Dusty was collecting water at a spring when he looked over & the bear was just standing there in the trail, about 10 feet away, just watching him, which is when Dusty said quite calmly to us as we were reading, "There's a bear just to my right!" We all stood up & attempted to scare him away, throwing rocks, yelling & banging our poles together & eventually Dusty chased it down the trail with his poles in hand. But the bear just turned right back around & clearly was intent on getting where he was wanting to go. We realized we were standing at some of the only water around so we decided to gather our things & back away, down the trail to see if that's what he was after. That seemed to work...he eventually walked through, possibly took a drink of water & then climbed up the hill & then eventually climbed a tree & sprawled out & that's where he stayed...we decided to leave to give him his space. We were on a huge high after this experience. Later that day, we got rattled at again by a rattlesnake in a bush. These are the experiences that make me never want to leave...
We also came to our first real "river" crossing, the south fork of the Kern River. We went for a swim & decided to camp next to it instead of hiking into town right away & we arrived in Kennedy Meadows early yesterday morning. It's not quite a "town" but rather just an awesomely hiker-friendly general store & Tom's place - a trail angel who has computers for our use & the most adorable outdoor theater ever - where we all watched "Cowboys & Aliens" last night & we've never had so much fun watching a sucky movie. We received our boxes, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU & are getting ready to pack up & head out later today, after Unicroc orders & eats a triple-decker veggie burger from the grill at the general store.
We're ecstatic to be entering the high Sierra's (& water & trees) & are greatly looking forward to summitting Mt. Whitney - the highest point in the lower 48 later this week!!!
Until next time...much love to y'all!!
Things are good...now. The desert is now (pretty much) officially over & we couldn't be happier because it was really really really difficult/daunting/tiring/exhausting/hot. We spent a lovely afternoon at Hikertown & loved hearing stories of how it came about & enjoyed being fed vegetarian foods, although we were kind of in low spirits at the time. The two days before we arrived in Tehachapi we were both feeling pretty down & I got to a point where I was ready to get off trail. I hated feeling that way & I found it so frustrating because we NEVER felt that way while hiking the AT. A few days spent in Tehachapi (eating, drinking, resting in a crappy motel, watching the new Star Trek movie, & eating giant tubs of popcorn & soda) helped. I found that at the end of those two days, I was still very much looking forward to what was next on the trail. Only 140-ish miles until the end of the desert (which is where we are now!) kept my hopes of happy hiking alive. Turns out that the next stretch of trail would be much more of an adventure that I imagined...
It was SO windy when we left Tehachapi & we were hiking right through giant wind farms so one could expect high winds but it was quite obviously windier than normal, even for a wind farm in the desert. We cut that day short in hopes of less wind the following day...but unfortunately, it just got windier. And then the very moist clouds rolled in. We were grateful it was cooler but eventually it got so windy that we could barely stand upright on the trail & even though it wasn't actually raining, we were getting very wet. We were being blown all over the place & I eventually got knocked over. I am not one to swear but swearwords were all that were coming out of my mouth during that section of the trail...but the wind was so loud, Unicroc couldn't make out what I was saying. Eventually, we ducked behind some shrubbery with some other hikers & tried waiting it out but realized we were getting cold just waiting for it to pass through. So we continued on & not even 30 minutes later we hiked out of the clouds & into beauty all around us & eventually the wind died down as well. The following day, we hiked back into clouds but this time there weren't high winds & we had the most pleasantly cool & lovely hike through pine woods & we saw our first 2 white-tailed deer of the trip (although we'd been seeing scat & tracks all over the place), which made us very happy. The sun eventually came out & it turned out to be one of our favorite days of hiking yet. We thought we were done with the desert at this point but we were trying not to get our hopes up too high...& good thing we didn't. Because we went right back into it, hardcore. For an entire day, we were hiking through the most intense & sandy desert yet (absolutely zero shade at mid-day, with the exception of a few Joshua trees). It was SO hot but keeping a lookout for desert tortoises helped us keep our minds busy (didn't see any). Thankfully, at the end of that day, we climbed back up into higher elevation so we were able to camp under a canopy of pine trees/shrubbery. But we had just entered into a 31-mile stretch of trail with ZERO reliable water. So we had packed ourselves full yet were still concerned about making it all the way to next water source & keeping ourselves happily hydrated. We were going to be crossing through Walker Pass, though, which is a road that could take us (if we could get a hitch) 37 miles into the nearest town, so after walking through the heat of that day, we decided that would be our goal. So we aimed & went for it & I was literally brought to tears when we arrived down at the pass & saw that there were people set up with tents & a sign that said "TRAIL MAGIC - THIS WAY!" They applaud whenever hikers arrive & so as they were applauding our arrival, we were still trying to wrap our brains around what was happening because we were just in such desperation (so hungry & so thirsty for something COLD) & all of a sudden, there was the most amazing oasis right in front of our very eyes. Meadow Ed, Yogi, Jackrabbit & her 5 3/4-year old son Bearbait, Weathercarrot & other volunteers were there along with many many hikers, most of which we knew, & as we walked up they delivered us an ice cream sandwich. And then there were endless cold drinks, & then there was fresh fruit, & then there was chips & hummus, & then there were Tofurkey brats (which were supposed to be saved for the following night but Jackrabbit was kind enough to make some especially for us) & then there was a spaghetti dinner with salad & bread & then there was cake & the list goes on & on. Needless to say, we decided to stay for the night. We even squeezed in a few games of Euchre with Red & Dufresne, Mud & Dingo & then Cuddles & Legend. It was so lovely & these people were so good to us. We woke up the next morning late (surprise, surprise), yet Yogi was kind enough to still make us some pancakes & we were finished by 8am & had plans to hike out but as soon as we stepped out into the sun, we realized it was HOT...too hot to hike on exposed trail, we thought (although so many other people hiked out just an hour earlier), so we decided to hang out for a while longer. Unfortunately, the mood of this day quickly turned around when Meadow Ed, the trail angel in charge of this whole operation, experienced a medical emergency around 11am & we were all quite concerned for his well-being. He was eventually taken away by paramedics & taken to the nearest hospital. The rest of us were hanging around the rest of the day, wishing the best for him & waiting for news on how he was doing. I spent a majority of the day tracking lizards & animal scat with Bearbait, which kept us both distracted through the whole ordeal. Unicroc & I were so easily coaxed into staying for dinner & just before it Jackrabbit informed us that Meadow Ed would be returning just after dinner & that it also was his birthday & that we would be singing Happy Birthday & eating cake in celebration! Such great news & it was such a great ending to what was just such a stressful day! We applauded his arrival (many new hikers had arrived by this time) & he came back & gave a speech on his many years of doing trail magic through this stretch of the trail & then we had such a great time celebrating him on his birthday. We decided to hike out shortly after, since it was finally cooling down & as we left, I again had tears in my eyes because these people truly felt like our family & this place felt the closest to "home" we've felt since we started this adventure. Much love to them.
We hiked only a few miles that evening & hiked into the dark & we saw our first scorpion! So wild. We decided to cowboy camp (sleep in our bags on top of our pads, without a tent) for the first time ever that night & we had a lovely night's sleep & it made for a quick set-up that night & take-down the next morning. The following day, we saw our first bear! A young bear (we were instantly on alert for mother...but the bear must've been old enough to be without mother) who was unafraid of us yet completely non-aggressive. Dusty was collecting water at a spring when he looked over & the bear was just standing there in the trail, about 10 feet away, just watching him, which is when Dusty said quite calmly to us as we were reading, "There's a bear just to my right!" We all stood up & attempted to scare him away, throwing rocks, yelling & banging our poles together & eventually Dusty chased it down the trail with his poles in hand. But the bear just turned right back around & clearly was intent on getting where he was wanting to go. We realized we were standing at some of the only water around so we decided to gather our things & back away, down the trail to see if that's what he was after. That seemed to work...he eventually walked through, possibly took a drink of water & then climbed up the hill & then eventually climbed a tree & sprawled out & that's where he stayed...we decided to leave to give him his space. We were on a huge high after this experience. Later that day, we got rattled at again by a rattlesnake in a bush. These are the experiences that make me never want to leave...
We also came to our first real "river" crossing, the south fork of the Kern River. We went for a swim & decided to camp next to it instead of hiking into town right away & we arrived in Kennedy Meadows early yesterday morning. It's not quite a "town" but rather just an awesomely hiker-friendly general store & Tom's place - a trail angel who has computers for our use & the most adorable outdoor theater ever - where we all watched "Cowboys & Aliens" last night & we've never had so much fun watching a sucky movie. We received our boxes, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU & are getting ready to pack up & head out later today, after Unicroc orders & eats a triple-decker veggie burger from the grill at the general store.
We're ecstatic to be entering the high Sierra's (& water & trees) & are greatly looking forward to summitting Mt. Whitney - the highest point in the lower 48 later this week!!!
Until next time...much love to y'all!!
Monday, May 20, 2013
Agua Dulce's water is very sweet.
Thanks for all the love! No worries on the heat stroke thing, Keith's sickness wasn't related to that, we were sure of it. He got some sort of bug, don't know where from but it was quick-ended & short & we were SO happy that it only lasted through the morning. He had to force himself to throw up & felt better but not 100% better until after receiving that amazing trail magic from Shepherd & resting in the shade throughout most of the heat of that day. We take many breaks throughout the day & as soon as we feel out of sorts at all, we stop, find any kind of shade that's there & force ourselves to drink & eat.
Got in early yesterday morning into Agua Dulce & stopped first thing at Sweetwater Cafe for a very yummy breakfast. Reunited with No. 2, then went to the grocery store for round #2 - more food & cold drinks. Our favorite lunch right now is a tomato, avocado, spinach, cheese & mayonnaise sandwich on wheat bread. So we bought ingredients for that (again) after eating it back in Wrightwood as well. Speaking of Wrightwood, we stopped in to check the post office & were pleasantly surprised at receiving a few packages/letters from people/cats we love. It supplied us with enough food to make it all the way here, which was amazing! Wrightwood was very friendly to us, we were given some free food from the grocery store & we were bummed we weren't spending more money there. We passed on staying in town because we had just spent the night at the Best Western down in Cajon Pass 1 1/2 nights before, so we were focused on making it here, to Agua Dulce next.
We have passed through some absolutely beautiful places. The mountains we just went through were so diverse & so beautiful. We especially enjoyed the 8,000 ft.+ parts because there were trees! The Vasquez Rocks, rock formations just about a mile before we arrived here, were breathtaking & blew our minds. Walking through tunnels under highways while taking turns playing our instruments (my Native American flute & Keith's harmonica) makes for some fun & spiritual moments.
I guess we came out here with an expectation of solitude, but we are finding that that's not very often the case. There are a lot of people out here...a lot more than we expected, at least. Perhaps we should have come out with no expectations at all. We stayed last night here at the trail angel's house - The Saufley's, the only place to stay for hikers here in Agua Dulce. They are very kind, giving people & cater entirely to hikers. It's amazing that they open up their property & let us pretty much take over for at least a month straight (as hikers filter through). The part we most have enjoyed is the bicycles they have here for us to use to run our errands. We feel so spoiled...I imagine what it would've been like to hike this trail or the AT 10-15 years ago, or more.
We had plans to zero here but have decided to move on later today, after the heat of the day cools down. We might go to the pizza place to see if we can catch a Red Wings game before we leave. We spent the afternoon yesterday watching a Detroit Tigers game & we have never seen anyone get as excited for baseball as Mud & Dingo! (Mud is originally from Michigan & Dingo is originally from Ohio) Reunited with Acid Glasses, The Blur (Keith gets credit for giving him his trail name because he hikes so dang fast but just recently someone literally got a picture of him hiking early in the morning but all he is in the picture is just a blur!), Faceplate (or is it Licenseplate?) Dan, Paul from England who is now Walkie Talkie, Matt, The Andrews, Mermaid, Thread & many others as well. The remainder of the Mexican Train (many of the hikers we started with at the Mexican border) are just behind us.
Received some more packages here & are thankful again for the love we receive from friends & family. It pulls at our heart strings. Thank you. If you'd like to send us something at our next pick-up location (Kennedy Meadows), you can send it now because we are expecting to arrive there in just over 2 weeks.
Our next destination (where we will for sure zero) will be Tehachapi which has a MOVIE THEATER. We are SO pumped to watch the new Star Trek movie & eat as much popcorn as our hearts desire. We've been dreaming of that for the past few days straight now.
We are currently at mile 454-ish & have been warned that the next 250+ miles are going to be super hot & super exposed. We are so greatly looking forward to the Sierra's & beyond! We'll take it one day at a time & keep on keepin' on.
Life is good.
Goodbye for now. Much love.
Got in early yesterday morning into Agua Dulce & stopped first thing at Sweetwater Cafe for a very yummy breakfast. Reunited with No. 2, then went to the grocery store for round #2 - more food & cold drinks. Our favorite lunch right now is a tomato, avocado, spinach, cheese & mayonnaise sandwich on wheat bread. So we bought ingredients for that (again) after eating it back in Wrightwood as well. Speaking of Wrightwood, we stopped in to check the post office & were pleasantly surprised at receiving a few packages/letters from people/cats we love. It supplied us with enough food to make it all the way here, which was amazing! Wrightwood was very friendly to us, we were given some free food from the grocery store & we were bummed we weren't spending more money there. We passed on staying in town because we had just spent the night at the Best Western down in Cajon Pass 1 1/2 nights before, so we were focused on making it here, to Agua Dulce next.
We have passed through some absolutely beautiful places. The mountains we just went through were so diverse & so beautiful. We especially enjoyed the 8,000 ft.+ parts because there were trees! The Vasquez Rocks, rock formations just about a mile before we arrived here, were breathtaking & blew our minds. Walking through tunnels under highways while taking turns playing our instruments (my Native American flute & Keith's harmonica) makes for some fun & spiritual moments.
I guess we came out here with an expectation of solitude, but we are finding that that's not very often the case. There are a lot of people out here...a lot more than we expected, at least. Perhaps we should have come out with no expectations at all. We stayed last night here at the trail angel's house - The Saufley's, the only place to stay for hikers here in Agua Dulce. They are very kind, giving people & cater entirely to hikers. It's amazing that they open up their property & let us pretty much take over for at least a month straight (as hikers filter through). The part we most have enjoyed is the bicycles they have here for us to use to run our errands. We feel so spoiled...I imagine what it would've been like to hike this trail or the AT 10-15 years ago, or more.
We had plans to zero here but have decided to move on later today, after the heat of the day cools down. We might go to the pizza place to see if we can catch a Red Wings game before we leave. We spent the afternoon yesterday watching a Detroit Tigers game & we have never seen anyone get as excited for baseball as Mud & Dingo! (Mud is originally from Michigan & Dingo is originally from Ohio) Reunited with Acid Glasses, The Blur (Keith gets credit for giving him his trail name because he hikes so dang fast but just recently someone literally got a picture of him hiking early in the morning but all he is in the picture is just a blur!), Faceplate (or is it Licenseplate?) Dan, Paul from England who is now Walkie Talkie, Matt, The Andrews, Mermaid, Thread & many others as well. The remainder of the Mexican Train (many of the hikers we started with at the Mexican border) are just behind us.
Received some more packages here & are thankful again for the love we receive from friends & family. It pulls at our heart strings. Thank you. If you'd like to send us something at our next pick-up location (Kennedy Meadows), you can send it now because we are expecting to arrive there in just over 2 weeks.
Our next destination (where we will for sure zero) will be Tehachapi which has a MOVIE THEATER. We are SO pumped to watch the new Star Trek movie & eat as much popcorn as our hearts desire. We've been dreaming of that for the past few days straight now.
We are currently at mile 454-ish & have been warned that the next 250+ miles are going to be super hot & super exposed. We are so greatly looking forward to the Sierra's & beyond! We'll take it one day at a time & keep on keepin' on.
Life is good.
Goodbye for now. Much love.
Monday, May 13, 2013
342 miles down & back in the hot hot HEAT.
Record heat, a high of 105 degrees today (although Mud & Dingo saw it got up to 107 degrees at one point!) halted us after a 13 mile morning hike up to Interstate 15. We arrived before noon, looking forward to the chance to walk .4 off the trail up to a gas station for some cold drinks & snacks...had plans to skip out on the heat & hide under trees until it cooled down enough to hike on another 7 or so miles. BUT...then we discovered there was a Subway on the other side of the highway. Fresh ingredients & fresh bread sounded SO GOOD. THEN we remembered there was a hotel here & after much thought...we decided to get a room because it was just so dang hot! Hiking through much wide open, exposed area has again begun to wear on us...we must remember to listen to our bodies & to take good care of them. Turns out, we weren't the only hikers who made the decision to cool off in a hotel room. We caught up with some & are sure others will still show up yet tonight. There are constantly new faces & new names we have to remember...there seems to be so many people out here on the PCT.
We are at the part of the PCT where we crossed when we drove out here & we had taken a picture & posted it earlier in the blog. We were at this exact place just under 4 weeks ago & so much has happened since...
27 miles to Wrightwood, which we will now just go in & out all in one day to run our errands, but not stay. We plan to push on all the way to Agua Dulce next & will (hopefully) be able to zero there. There will be some HOT hiking in between here & there but apparently it's supposed to get cooler within the next few days & possibly even get down to 80's at one point? That would be so magical...
Keith woke up yesterday feeling very sick & nauseous but determined to hike at least a little bit. We got a late start so it started out pretty hot already but we were pleasantly surprised to come across some TRAIL MAGIC set up under the lone shady tree at the end of a road. Shepherd, a PCT section-hiker had some tables set up & whipped us up some ROOT BEER FLOATS! It was truly a dream come true! There were also oranges, other snacks & eventually...watermelon, which is something I'd been dreaming of ever since we left the Mexican border. Truly magical & after a few hours of rest & relaxation in the shade, Keith felt a lot better. We ended up hiking on quite a few more miles, which is when it just got soooooooooo hot but we cannot complain because we came across 3 more water caches/coolers full of things like fruit, hard boiled eggs, candy bars & other goodies. We eventually made it to a ranger station to fill up our water for the night & as we were desperately searching for the water (because it was actually going to be cold!), two men who clearly didn't speak English as their first language started talking to us. Only one spoke English & he started asking us what we were doing & we explained our travels. He explained that they were from France & had rented an RV & would be heading back to L.A. the next morning to fly back home. They were amazed by our adventure & eventually said "Au revoir!" & then headed back to their RV. One minute later, the RV door swung open & two little girls in swimsuits came running up to us to hand us something...which turned out to be half a bar of dark Ghirardelli chocolate! Then they ran back to the RV & came running back again with some slices of pepperjack cheese! It was by far the sweetest thing I have seen in a long time. The experiences we encounter on this trail remind us so often that humanity has such a beautiful & giving side. It's part of what makes this experience so magical. We added the slices of cheese to our single box of macaroni & cheese & it was the cheesiest, most delicious thing ever & was almost like homemade! And the dark chocolate made for the most absolutely fabulous desert.
We swam in the pool & went for a dip in the hot tub earlier today & hope that this (mostly) day of rest will help get us up the mountains & through the next 100+ miles to Agua Dulce healthily & happily.
Until then...still not able to post any pictures, sorry!
Much love.
We are at the part of the PCT where we crossed when we drove out here & we had taken a picture & posted it earlier in the blog. We were at this exact place just under 4 weeks ago & so much has happened since...
27 miles to Wrightwood, which we will now just go in & out all in one day to run our errands, but not stay. We plan to push on all the way to Agua Dulce next & will (hopefully) be able to zero there. There will be some HOT hiking in between here & there but apparently it's supposed to get cooler within the next few days & possibly even get down to 80's at one point? That would be so magical...
Keith woke up yesterday feeling very sick & nauseous but determined to hike at least a little bit. We got a late start so it started out pretty hot already but we were pleasantly surprised to come across some TRAIL MAGIC set up under the lone shady tree at the end of a road. Shepherd, a PCT section-hiker had some tables set up & whipped us up some ROOT BEER FLOATS! It was truly a dream come true! There were also oranges, other snacks & eventually...watermelon, which is something I'd been dreaming of ever since we left the Mexican border. Truly magical & after a few hours of rest & relaxation in the shade, Keith felt a lot better. We ended up hiking on quite a few more miles, which is when it just got soooooooooo hot but we cannot complain because we came across 3 more water caches/coolers full of things like fruit, hard boiled eggs, candy bars & other goodies. We eventually made it to a ranger station to fill up our water for the night & as we were desperately searching for the water (because it was actually going to be cold!), two men who clearly didn't speak English as their first language started talking to us. Only one spoke English & he started asking us what we were doing & we explained our travels. He explained that they were from France & had rented an RV & would be heading back to L.A. the next morning to fly back home. They were amazed by our adventure & eventually said "Au revoir!" & then headed back to their RV. One minute later, the RV door swung open & two little girls in swimsuits came running up to us to hand us something...which turned out to be half a bar of dark Ghirardelli chocolate! Then they ran back to the RV & came running back again with some slices of pepperjack cheese! It was by far the sweetest thing I have seen in a long time. The experiences we encounter on this trail remind us so often that humanity has such a beautiful & giving side. It's part of what makes this experience so magical. We added the slices of cheese to our single box of macaroni & cheese & it was the cheesiest, most delicious thing ever & was almost like homemade! And the dark chocolate made for the most absolutely fabulous desert.
We swam in the pool & went for a dip in the hot tub earlier today & hope that this (mostly) day of rest will help get us up the mountains & through the next 100+ miles to Agua Dulce healthily & happily.
Until then...still not able to post any pictures, sorry!
Much love.
Thursday, May 9, 2013
266 miles in! @ Bear Lake Hostel in Big Bear Lake
Mr. Green informed us as we were hiking the last few miles before town yesterday that once we reached the road (which we did this morning) we were 10% done with the trail....weird to think about it like that. Tented with No. 2 last night about 2 miles before Highway 18, woke up super early to the sound of coyotes howling (which made my day) & as soon as the sun popped up, we packed up & headed to the road crossing. It was pretty early in the morning so it took us a while to get a hitch but soon enough a woman who was familiar with the trail (& said she might someday do it herself) picked us up & took us all the way into Big Bear Hostel in Big Bear Lake. Spotted some coyotes playing in the field on our drive into town as well...which was even more good medicine. Ate the most deliciously filling breakfast at Grizzly Manor Cafe & when Keith asked where he might be able to purchase a bottle of the yummy garlicy hot sauce they gave with his meal, the waitress brought him out a bottle to take, on the house & said "have a good hike!" So he's taking the whole bottle even though it probably weighs a good 2 lbs. It's that good, it's totally worth it.
Our bodies are finally really feeling like they're in the groove...wouldn't say we exactly have our trail legs yet but by the end of the day, our feet aren't killing us, which is a good sign. With the higher elevation & cooler hiking we've been able to hike all throughout the day instead of taking like a 3-4 hour siesta during the hot hot sun. It's been so lovely. We managed to avoid the snow/hail/rain storms that were going on up in the mountains although they were always looming around & hit people both in front of us & in back of us...we just happened to get lucky. The last two nights were freezing, literally. The hoses to our camelbacks froze & we learned our lesson - to sleep with our filter so that it does not freeze. We have been grateful for a switch to the high desert with TREES & cooler air & water (a little more frequently) because the desert was really starting to wear on us. But soon enough, we'll be going back to the desert...we have just been glad to have a little break.
Apparently there is still a huge bubble of hikers behind us - all coming up from Kick Off (which we did not go to). We've kind of bursted through the bubble we were in but we keep hearing...they're right behind us! There are still way more people out here hiking than we ever expected...although we've started hearing here & there where some people have gotten off the trail...
Going to spend the rest of the day in town, running some more errands & are waiting patiently for dinner (when our stomachs are fully ready to fill up) because we've heard such wonderful things about this Himalayan restaurant downtown. Heading out first thing in the morning & our next stop for resupply will be Wrightwood. We will be thinking of "No Way" Ray Echols & his beautiful PCT stories as we cross through the Deep Creek area. We will also be coming up on the Highway 15 crossing - where we found the trail on our drive out here so it'll be cool to cross that spot again, this time on foot!
Sorry, still not able to post any pictures...but, just use your imaginations. :)
Our bodies are finally really feeling like they're in the groove...wouldn't say we exactly have our trail legs yet but by the end of the day, our feet aren't killing us, which is a good sign. With the higher elevation & cooler hiking we've been able to hike all throughout the day instead of taking like a 3-4 hour siesta during the hot hot sun. It's been so lovely. We managed to avoid the snow/hail/rain storms that were going on up in the mountains although they were always looming around & hit people both in front of us & in back of us...we just happened to get lucky. The last two nights were freezing, literally. The hoses to our camelbacks froze & we learned our lesson - to sleep with our filter so that it does not freeze. We have been grateful for a switch to the high desert with TREES & cooler air & water (a little more frequently) because the desert was really starting to wear on us. But soon enough, we'll be going back to the desert...we have just been glad to have a little break.
Apparently there is still a huge bubble of hikers behind us - all coming up from Kick Off (which we did not go to). We've kind of bursted through the bubble we were in but we keep hearing...they're right behind us! There are still way more people out here hiking than we ever expected...although we've started hearing here & there where some people have gotten off the trail...
Going to spend the rest of the day in town, running some more errands & are waiting patiently for dinner (when our stomachs are fully ready to fill up) because we've heard such wonderful things about this Himalayan restaurant downtown. Heading out first thing in the morning & our next stop for resupply will be Wrightwood. We will be thinking of "No Way" Ray Echols & his beautiful PCT stories as we cross through the Deep Creek area. We will also be coming up on the Highway 15 crossing - where we found the trail on our drive out here so it'll be cool to cross that spot again, this time on foot!
Sorry, still not able to post any pictures...but, just use your imaginations. :)
Monday, May 6, 2013
Ziggy & The Bear's, mile 210.8
What an oasis Ziggy & The Bear's has been. Ziggy & The Bear are trail angels that allow PCT hikers to come & relax in their backyard with all sorts of goodies for us. We just came here for water so we were pleasantly surprised when we discovered this place. We arrived here this morning after a 5-mile hike across the VERY WINDY valley between two huge mountain ranges. The San Jacinto's were absolutely breathtaking & quite a change from the desert hiking we'd been going through previously. We got up to 8,000+ ft. & we even hiked through small patches of snow! The most beautiful sound we've heard was the sound of a creek rushing down the mountainside just before we began our descent down the mountains. We hiked our first big day yesterday, 22+ miles and although we still had time to hike on, we rewarded our bodies with a good night's rest.
Per Jana's request, here's the address for a post office where we can accept mail/packages, at mile 363.6 (before our first official box drop in Agua Dulce):
General Delivery
Wrightwood, CA 92397
Our Estimated Time of Arrival is May 14th.
Now we're antsy to hike on. Next stop: Big Bear (City or Lake, not sure which yet) - via Highway 18 at mile 265.3. Until then...goodbye for now.
Per Jana's request, here's the address for a post office where we can accept mail/packages, at mile 363.6 (before our first official box drop in Agua Dulce):
General Delivery
Wrightwood, CA 92397
Our Estimated Time of Arrival is May 14th.
Now we're antsy to hike on. Next stop: Big Bear (City or Lake, not sure which yet) - via Highway 18 at mile 265.3. Until then...goodbye for now.
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
Idyllwild!!!
Just got into Idyllwild this morning after an amazingly successful TWO hitches to get here; 13.5 miles down one road & 4.5 miles down another. The first guy even gave us fresh water to drink for the ride! We woke up at the first sign of daylight this morning in order to hike the 11 miles to get to the road crossing in hopes of catching a ride at 10am with Cuddles & his wife, who were also headed to Idyllwild, but we must've been just a wee bit late because we missed them. But we still managed to get here alright & we already have our belly's full of the most delicious gourmet pizza...it was very large...& we ate the whole thing. Yum!
The lady we got a hitch into town from gave us a tour of the town & dropped us off at the outfitter so we could buy some stuff. I, new shoes (going back to the Soloman's that worked so well for me on the AT) & also a new water filtration system. Our MSR ceramic filter broke 2 days ago, so we are giving up on it. It's heavy & apparently unreliable (although magically as we stayed the night on Trail Angel Mike's property, the caretaker, Kushy had a spare of the exact same filter & gave us parts from his to fix ours). But still, if it quit that easy on us, we're not taking another chance.
We got a room at the Idyllwild Inn but are waiting for it to open up for us. At this point, we still have NOT showered since before we started the trail! So we are excited for a shower. We only know one other person who also has yet to shower - Martin from Switzerland, so he is our soul brother. :)
The trail has absolutely kicked our butts the past few days. We are being pushed to the extreme & our bodies are more than ready for a day (or so) of rest. Our bodies are doing weird things & we're trying to work out the kinks & figure out what's normal & what is not...We will be resting today & are still deciding on whether to take the day off tomorrow as well. This town is way too cool so that's making it even more tempting to stick around for another day.
We are at trail mile 151.9...many more to go!
Much love to all you who are reading this. :)
The lady we got a hitch into town from gave us a tour of the town & dropped us off at the outfitter so we could buy some stuff. I, new shoes (going back to the Soloman's that worked so well for me on the AT) & also a new water filtration system. Our MSR ceramic filter broke 2 days ago, so we are giving up on it. It's heavy & apparently unreliable (although magically as we stayed the night on Trail Angel Mike's property, the caretaker, Kushy had a spare of the exact same filter & gave us parts from his to fix ours). But still, if it quit that easy on us, we're not taking another chance.
We got a room at the Idyllwild Inn but are waiting for it to open up for us. At this point, we still have NOT showered since before we started the trail! So we are excited for a shower. We only know one other person who also has yet to shower - Martin from Switzerland, so he is our soul brother. :)
The trail has absolutely kicked our butts the past few days. We are being pushed to the extreme & our bodies are more than ready for a day (or so) of rest. Our bodies are doing weird things & we're trying to work out the kinks & figure out what's normal & what is not...We will be resting today & are still deciding on whether to take the day off tomorrow as well. This town is way too cool so that's making it even more tempting to stick around for another day.
We are at trail mile 151.9...many more to go!
Much love to all you who are reading this. :)
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