oh, canada

i've been back in civilization for a few days now, letting myself get used to not hiking. the usual questions of "what next?" continue to come up, but so far i'm just letting them roll off me like water in a three-day rainstorm. "next" will take care of itself. i mean, it's coming no matter what i do, so i'll just enjoy some rest for now.

the final stretch of trail from stehekin to the border was magnificent. one evening i even got chills as i walked the final few miles to camp. the rugged peaks, crisp air, and late sunlight combined in a special way and i had to stop and just soak it in. i'm glad i had such perfect weather for the finish, as many hikers end up in rain - or even snow - and miss out on much of the scenery.




my last day felt a little anticlimactic. hiking alone, i came around a corner and there it was: a few pieces of wood and some words telling me the path i was on was at an end. i took a long break there, waiting for some profound feeling of enlightenment - or at the very least a feeling of loss - to set in. alas, i was largely void of thoughts or feelings and finally roused myself enough to take the requisite pictures. i knew that i would want them later, especially if/when i had stronger feelings about the moment. then, i hiked the unremarkable and endless 8+ miles of trail and roads to the manning park lodge.

it was a canadian flavoured tourist trap replete with colorful clothes, overpriced food and lodging, and people intent on cramming as much relaxation into a weekend as possible. but they all seemed so happy... in something akin to shock i inquired about the bus that runs to vancouver once a day and a room, but was happy to learn they had a hostel available for less than a fifth of the cost of the lodge. after a very big, very expensive meal, i settled in at the hostel as the only guest for the night. oliver, the caretaker, was an oasis of hospitality and friendship - even letting me do my laundry in the non-guest-laundry room.

the next day i caught the only bus to vancouver, b.c. whereupon i began figuring out where and with whom i was going to stay that night. my friends calhan and liz stepped up to the plate and i pitched myself down to bellingham for the night on an amtrak fastball (where is this baseball metaphor crap coming from??). finally, on wednesday i took a train the rest of the way down to vancouver, wa and was finally "home."

the end.


this photo is the end product of over thirty attempts. and it's not even that good.

got to manning park yesterday afternoon. you could almost smell the universal health care up there. Ill be back in the couv tomorrow and get this blog updated.

glacier peak wilderness

to any hikers reading this: take the original trail through the glacier peak wilderness.



yes, there are blowdowns, some really big ones too, but there are obvious ways around, under, or over all of them.







yes, there are potentially difficult water crossings, but nothing worse than what any thru-hiker has already had to deal with.






yes, it is a physically demanding section to get through, but it was also one of the most beautiful and rewarding sections and possibly my favorite time on the trail. the views are simply stunning.




as for specifics, the trail condition update here was pretty well done. the trail is actually in fantastic shape all the way up to pumice creek. there is obvious evidence of major trail work in the form of cleared blowdowns and new bridges. this means there's really only about 20 miles of difficult trail to get through, and as i said before, it's not that difficult. the milk creek crossing was probably my most dangerous moment. i chose to jump between two large boulders where the original trail crosses the creek, but several other hikers i spoke with took the new, uncompleted trail down to the newly constructed bridge. this sounded like a much safer option, though a trail crew was actively blasting down that way when i hiked through.

it was great to reach stehekin in time for the last shuttle. a big meal and a trip to the world famous bakery was just what i needed to fuel up for the home stretch.

stevens pass, wa

Made it to stevens pass. Less than 200 miles to go and feelin good.










in skykomish i purchased the single most weirdest, yet most excellent resupply foodstuff of my entire hike. i loved this stuff. on cookies, on sandwiches, on dry ramen, straight into my mouth, etc... it made my day every time.

snoqualmie pass, wa

my three hiking days between white pass and snoqualmie pass can be summed up with one word: wet. from the time my friend john dropped me off in a light mist, until my cousin hanna picked me up between heavy rain showers, i was basically soaked (and usually in some stage of cold). the original plan had been for me to take four days to get into snoqualmie but as i grew more fed up with the conditions i kept speeding up my hiking.

i think i took two pictures in that entire 100 mile stretch since most of the time i had my camera buried deep in my pack to keep it dry. as a bonus, being constantly wet led to some new blisters and chafing in places i've never had the pleasure of experiencing them before.

but my stay with andy and hanna was great. lots of food (misir wot for breakfast? absolutely!!), laughs, and dry clothes - the perfect cure for what ailed me and i thoroughly enjoyed my three nights with them. thanks guys!

white pass, wa

i'm at the tail end of a triple zero back in the 'couv. i've hiked to white pass so far and definitely feel i'm on the home stretch now - only 350 miles to go. with another day off planned at snoqualmie pass, trail angels at stevens pass, and the stop in stehekin being the last one of the entire hike, these next couple weeks are going to fly by.

as for the most recent bit of hiking: a couple guys from e.n.d. shoes met tomato and i at the bridge of the gods as we entered washington. they brought us some new shoes and took a few pictures. overall, i've been pretty happy with the stumptowns i've hiked in. i like the lightweight shoes and the lightweight impact e.n.d. is trying to have.

the trail in washington feels great. i don't know what it is exactly - the green forests, soft trails, beautiful mountain views, berries coming into season, fewer mosquitos (so far), etc... - but there's no place like home, and the trail in washington feels like home to me.

went over the goat rocks on friday and john grisso met me at white pass. we'd intended to hike through the goat rocks wilderness together, but a back injury prevented him from hiking and i went ahead and finished the section a day early, which is what led to my triple zero. hope my body remembers how to hike! the last time i hiked the goat rocks it was in a storm with rain, hail and snow, so i was really looking forward to seeing some great views this time. i was pretty bummed when it was cloudy and foggy the morning i started out. it did clear somewhat by the afternoon and i got a few good seconds of views southward as i ate lunch. when i reached white pass and the car, tomato was getting ready to hike on and we said our goodbyes. he's got to keep up a quicker pace because of scheduling back home so i probably won't see him again until after the hike is over.

time to get back out there...

washington, my home

what, you've never heard our state song?

the past couple days i've been mulling over the theme of "feast or famine" on a thru-hike. hmm, maybe "highs and lows" is more appropriate. but i digress...


recently, the weather has been hot. really hot. if you live on the west coast, perhaps you've noticed? and as i've continued to put in high-mileage days, my thoughts turn towards huge, cold drinks more and more frequently. just before getting to sisters, oregon i was really feeling drained. my body was still recovering from the 62+ miles i'd hiked the day before, and the temperature was climbing well into the 90's as i toiled upward through an old, shadeless burn - i was thirsty. i mean, thirsty. as in, actually looking forward to the "lillypad pond" water my guidebook told me was coming up. then, a half-hour after drinking the pond water (delicious) we made it to the road and found a cooler full of trail magic. ice-cold pepsi and coors beer and probably 50 snickers bars and oreo packs. after i downed two beers in about a minute we hitched into sisters. then, as tomato and i were plowing through our 32 oz milkshakes and he was telling me he'd also just drunk two 32 oz mountain dews while i was in the post office, we contemplated the emotional highs and lows of the feast or famine lifestyle.

friday afternoon as i was climbing up the shoulder of mount hood, fixated on the oasis of timberline lodge, i was once again in the throes of extreme thirst. it is such an unpleasant, and consuming feeling. then i hit the wyeast cafeteria and proceeded to gulp down 96 ounces of lemonade and blue powerade from their soda fountain. it was shocking how quickly i went from desire to almost being nauseous i was so full. i still managed to get down a pesto sandwich and fries, and went back to order a bowl of chili. that's when the cook came up to the counter and asked if i wanted some garlic and cheese breadsticks. apparently they were left over from a lunch and going to be thrown out. i said absolutely and took the entire pan - about 14 i think! talk about a freebie.


finally, on saturday i limped down (way, way, way down over 4000 feet) into cascade locks in the late afternoon sun, just happy to be taking a couple days off and my friend john was patiently waiting for me in the charburger parking lot. on the drive back to vancouver i drank a half gallon of chocolate milk and an entire box of ice cream sandwiches - over 2700 calories - then headed to a wedding with a great dinner and microbrew beers. between all the family and friends and the fantastic comestibles, i was on sensory overload.

peaks and valleys. highs and lows. feast or famine. call it what you will, it's living life and it sure ain't boring.

beauty and the beast. my toe hasn't been the same since my 62 miler.

getting spoiled

well, mom and john showed up friday afternoon on schedule at the northern edge of crater lake park. they were a welcome sight, and i couldn't stop grinning as i looked through all the bags and coolers of food they had brought with them. for weeks i've been fantasizing about what i'd like to eat - hours would pass as i fixated on cheesecake, donuts, macaroni, etc... - and mom made every effort to fulfill those dreams. (i'd just like to point out that the slice of cheesecake is on a full-size plate. see the fork peeking out from behind? so good.)


tonight we're staying in a chalet at willamette pass. tomato and i both hiked pretty big days (i ended up walking just over 44 miles, but tomato broke the 60 mile barrier!) and everyone was tired as we ate a late dinner. my laptop was calling to me though, and i'm staying up far too late enjoying my unlimited internet access. i still won't get everything done though, especially as my eyes are beginning to close involuntarily.

mom and john have been amazing - picking up and dropping off tomato and myself at different trailheads at all hours of the evenings and mornings. today they even met me halfway with cold drinks and fresh fruit - if only every hiking day were like that! but i felt bad when the road i asked them to pick me up on this evening turned out to be little more than an off-roading dirt track. they made a heroic effort to reach the trail junction, but the van just couldn't do it and they were forced to stop a 1/2 mile away. it took an hour each way to drive the 6 miles of "road." we're looking at other options for my drop-off in the morning...



tomato and i are still on track for arriving at the washington border on the first of august, though it will certainly involve some tough hiking days. i'm going to shoot for a 50+ on monday. we'll see how it goes.



sunrise on crater lake

oregon trail

yup, made it to oregon. we rolled into ashland on saturday afternoon as planned. between june 29th and july 18th i hiked 634.8 miles. that's 31.7 miles a day, including all resupplies in towns along the way. my feet got a little sore, and i may have developed a blister or two under some calouses... but all in all, it was cool to see what i was capable of. tomato and i are headed out this afternoon and hope to be at the oregon/washington border on august 1st. more big days ahead.

thanks again to tomato's parents gene and susan for being such generous hosts in their rv the past couple nights. it was a much needed and much appreciated rest. (our only scheduled day off in july)

now i'm really looking forward to meeting up with mom and john next weekend around crater lake for some more good food and pampering! :)




can't seem to eat enough! 1/2 gallon of ice cream? just an appetizer now. the seiad valley pancake challenge however, is a near-impossible undertaking. it easily defeated me.


hiking is dirty business sometimes


view of mt shasta in the early morning

old station, ca

boy, my posts have started dwindling as my momentum has picked up.

since i hooked back up with tomato in truckee, we've been moving right along. since my stay in south lake tahoe i've averaged just under 30 miles a day. i've had really great stays with trail angels in bucks lake, belden, and now old station. bucks lake has great new trail angels in nancy and terry williams who shared their family's 4th of july barbecue with five of us hikers - tomato and i were their 5th and 6th hikers ever. belden trail angels laurie and brenda braaten are legendary and lived up to their reputation with shuttles and an incredible, all-we-could-eat breakfast for eight hikers. i bet brenda flipped over 70 pancakes that morning. and my stop here in old station with the heitmans has been short but sweet. they're going out of town for a wedding (hikers that met on the trail in '05) and Frodo (of the infamous Scout and Frodo trail angel couple) is here to help run the place along with Buck Larsony and Tadpole. in the four hours i've been here i've had a shower, done laundry, ate a fantasticly huge and delicious dinner -veggie lasagna (specially made for two of us), green salad (w/ avocado!), garlic bread (real garlic!), obcene amount of berry cobbler (frodo's mom made it!), and orange ice cream (homemade and hand cranked!)- and tomato and i borrowed a car to rush to the local store to resupply. now i'm yawning and trying to quickly finish up here.

unfortunately i haven't talked at all about the beautiful and fragrant wildflowers i've been hiking through, or the bear i (sorta) saw, or the pleasant weather, or how my $#@!$ pct atlas is still not in my possession (right now i'm hiking with a couple pictures on my camera of other peoples' guides) or the wonderful staff at drakesbad guest ranch (huge meals, showers, and natural hot springs - need i say more?), or much of anything really. perhaps next time.







tomato and i are shooting for ashland, oregon on the evening of the eighteenth. 350 miles in 10 days. it's a tall order, so we'll see what happens...

pit stop in truckee, ca

when i got to donner pass this morning, i called up bill and molly person who open their home to thru-hikers and call it "pooh's corner." she was kind enough to pick me up, feed me lunch, and let me shower and do laundry. so i'll be headed back out to the trail momentarily, feeling refreshed.

the mosquitos have gotten pretty bad. the cold weather we had in the sierras kept them at bay for a little while, but that brief reprieve is over. check out this video i shot behind me while i was sprinting through a particularly bad stretch.

the miles are coming easier now, and i'm feeling strong. even had a 40 mile day last week.

tahoe buffet: 4 slices pizza, 3 garlic bread,tortellini,rigatoni,macaroni,pasta salad,sauted shrooms,smoked cheddar,lots o fruit,canoli,stuffed pastries...

bridgeport, ca

my feet smell.

seriously, i feel bad for the people at the other library terminals around me. i mean, i know the rest of me doesn't smell all that great either, but even i can smell those dogs. since june 4th, when i left kennedy meadows, my feet have not been dry for an entire day of hiking. add to that the fact that i was initially hoping to have new shoes over 100 miles ago (don't even get me started on that - they're still 75 miles up the trail) and you've got a potent combination. rain, snow, snow melt, mud, puddles that look like mud but are in fact 6" deep puddles, hundreds and hundreds of water crossings - including many major creek fords at knee to waist level, and damp nights have all contributed to my current condition.

on the bright side, it's been sunny for the past 5 straight days. and my side trip into yosemite valley was great. i even climbed half dome (unfortunately on a saturday), passing mere mortals (any non-thru-hikers) on the way up as if they were standing still. yosemite really is an impressive place. oh, and i did participate in hike naked day.

so, aside from no new shoes, the whereabouts of my next guidebook being as of yet unknown (current book runs out in 75 miles), the cheapest (by half) hotel in town being closed only tonight, my cell phone on roam, and not having seen another person on the trail since sunday morning, i'm having a great time.

i think this calls for a milkshake. no, probably a couple.

mammoth lakes, ca

made it into town last night - boy did that make me happy.

despite the strong undercurrent of fear and unrest that seems to be permeating thru-hikers right now (with regards to weather), myself and the hikers i've been around actually up in the high sierras have been enjoying the trail, and for the most part, have had pretty decent weather. the sun has come out almost every day, we've enjoyed long, leisurely lunch breaks and dried out our gear (mostly wet from condensation, not precipitation), and have had great views from the tops of the snow-covered passes. while still deliberating whether or not to leave town last week, i said i wanted to enjoy the sierras, not endure them. and i feel like that's what i've done so far.

except for yesterday.

let me set the scene for you (warning - bodily functions may be described):

sidenote: a couple weeks ago, in a conversation about "natural materials" only hikers would have, tomato told me of the benefits to be had using snow to clean oneself off with in lieu of toilet paper. the relevance of this will soon become apparent.

as i passed a trail junction (cascade valley, for those who care) i took note that i was about 13 miles from my intended campsite for the evening, and had also done the majority of my climbing for the day. i also noticed that it was only 11:30 and red's meadow with it's diner and town shuttle was only a further 6 miles beyond that. i began the familiar game of "it's not that much farther" and when i caught up with tomato eating lunch, asked him if he was interested in going into town that night instead of in the morning. citing reasons of money and soreness (he'd taken a hard fall in a stream crossing the day before) he declined. i told him i was going to eat lunch and then "see what happens." this translates into "i will do whatever it takes, up to and including permanent injury, for a giant cheese pizza this evening." i also mentioned to him that i'd been having hunger cramps in my stomach and felt i may need to carry more food in the future. we ate lunch.

when i packed up to leave at 12:30, we both knew i was going to take a shot at it, the only question being that red's closed by 7:00 and i still had 18.5 ish miles to go, over some high lakes with probable snow cover. it was go time.

i flew up the first 1000' climb, feeling pretty good, but still having some "hunger pains" which seemed odd, since i'd just eaten lunch. coming down the other side of lake victoria there was indeed some heavy snow cover, and i got a little turned around, but eventually sorted it out and found the trail. tick... tock... then, just before arriving at purple lake, i needed to go. right now. this is when i discovered it wasn't hunger pains. apparently not every drip, drop, trickle and flow of water in the high sierras is clean and pure.

in my quest to only bring exactly what i need with me, i often run out of things - food, sunblock, body glide, and yes, occasionally, tp. i had been pleased with my timing since i was so close to town, but this time my plan backfired. enter the convo with tomato.

my frustration with all the snow and how much more difficult it was making the hiking soon turned to me frantically looking for a patch of snow around every corner. i ended up having to make eleven stops before finally arriving at red's meadow moments before the 6:45 shuttle left for mammoth lakes. eleven. in three and a half hours. and don't be fooled - just because snow is able to function as a cleanser, does not mean it is a pleasant experience. especially for the fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh... time in an afternoon.

and as if this wasn't enough, i had to walk through rain, hail, and snow. snowing hard enough it was beginning to make following the trail difficult after only half an hour. and my hands were numb and locked frozen around my trekking pole handles. this didn't make scooping snow and using it in a delicate manner a simple task either.

but i did make it. and the off-duty bus driver went out of his way to take me to the part of town i needed. and i got a hotel room with a warm shower (and unlimited toilet paper). and i bought a giant cheese pizza, which i ate with much enjoyment and not a little trepidation.

all of which led to my standing in a supermarket aisle, on the phone, discussing the merits of various diaper rash ointments with my sister back home.

thru-hiking. it's the best.

bishop, ca

via kearsage pass, also known as mile 791 (ish).

i've got some great pictures of the sierras, though my whitney summit was pretty cloudy on top. forrester pass was a perfect day though. when i have a way to upload them, i'll try to update this post.

forrester pass

the weather has been cold (into the 20's at night) and we've had a couple short bouts of light precipitation, but mostly we seem to be behind the storm moving through. there've been moments of sun pretty much everyday, and the mornings have been really nice, despite the cold. i still cling stubbornly to my 35 degree sleeping bag. it will make it through at least two successful thru-hikes! and my shoes have done well for me too, even in the snow and going over icy passes. i did replace my hiking pole tips today, which was overdue. especially since without them i couldn't put up my tent.

the scenery has been nothing short of spectacular, and sometimes it's difficult to get the miles in because i keep stopping to take in the view and make pathetic attempts at capturing it on my camera. i've already filled up the card i used for my entire AT hike last summer, and have bought an additional 8 gig card. we'll see how long it lasts...

bullfrog lake - not on pct but passed it during my resupply.

i'm very full right now from the ayce (all you can eat) salad bar at sizzlers. in an attempt to outdue my four plate binge at the last ayce (mexican food = delicious) i had four plates and an ice cream cone. somehow i don't have the same pain in my belly from today's efforts though.

more sierras to come. sweet.

kennedy meadows

that's right, kennedy meadows. gateway to the sierra nevadas. mile 703.

got here on tuesday afternoon and took a zero yesterday. it turned out to be a good thing because the weather turned sour and rained pretty much all day. which actually translated to snow up higher (at least, according to some motorcyclists who came through in the evening). this also meant i didn't do laundry because it's air dry only, and i was busy with a trip to the store for my resupply food anyway. so i'm rockin' the foul, week-old hiking clothes, with another six days before the next town. hopefully i find the time and weather for a little on-trail laundry.

with the promise of more sketchy weather for the forseeable future, a group of five of us, as well as close to twenty other hikers in various groups, are gonna go for it while we have this beautiful, sunny (and cold) morning. i'm letting some others get a headstart on me - no reason to break trail if i don't have to, right?

my bear cannister is packed to overflowing (naturally) and weighs an ungodly amount (naturally) and has created new and uncomfortable protuberances in my back (naturally). i'm already well on my way to eating it back under control with a near-4000 calorie breakfast of donuts, chocolate milk, and goo-like substance sold under the auspice of "pie." delicious.

still have plans to attempt a mt whitney summit on sunday, weather permitting. and i'll be headed into independence, ca on tuesday.

tehachapi, ca

short and sweet:

567.6 miles

had a very relaxing, very high calorie day yesterday. i think i was a little light on food for the last stretch of trail, so i happily made up for it here in town. a big thanks to tom for picking me and a couple of my friends up bright and early so we could enjoy our nero day to the max.

gearing up for the big entry into the sierras, should be awesome.

oh, and mama hillybeans is unbelievably nice to hikers. such a huge help.

agua dulce!

the trail angels/legends donna and jeff saufley are running at full capacity now as the big push is coming through. i arrived yesterday and last night was their first night of 50 hikers. it's amazing to watch the efficiency of this place, and how it allows everyone to relax in the midst of apparent chaos.

there seem to have been more bugs lately. sometimes while i'm hiking the little gnats that love my eyes and nose drive me crazy, leading me to take extreme measures - waving my poles erratically in front of my face as i walk, tying my bandanna over my mouth, yelling at them, etc. and there've been mosquitoes lately too, even when dry camping. i still prefer sleeping out in the open, but the other night i had to set my tent up in the middle of the night to get some sleep.

i had my friend john mail a new pair of shoes to me here, and there are few things more exciting to a thru-hiker than new shoe day. the shoes i've been wearing have been great, and i was pretty happy to get 450 miles out of my first pair since they're so lightweight. i'm kind of hoping to get a few more out of this next pair, but we'll see. in other gear news, i dropped my camera in a stream yesterday, while recording a video, and i was worried i'd lost all my pictures up to this point. after quickly taking the battery out i used a small screwdriver to open the camera body up a little and let it dry out overnight. it's probably one of the few times i've been grateful for the dry desert heat and the camera (and more importantly the memory card) seems to be fine. another crisis avoided.

planning a trip to magic mountain tomorrow in a rental car with four other thru-hikers as i try to make the most of my zero/nero days here!


an early morning time lapse.

wrightwood, ca

the trail climbed almost a vertical mile to get here today. got a nice early start so i was able to do most of it in the cool morning, but i still drank almost two gallons of water before finishing the 22 miles around 1:30. the town of wrightwood is very friendly to hikers, and several people in and around town have opened their homes to the smelly strangers that wander through town each spring. i'm staying with an incredibly nice lady named molly ann(e?) and her family.



looking forward to a big meal and some open-mic?! tonight. apparently, mystic is going to perform the world debut of his "ultralight man" song. should be good for a laugh. (that first picture is actually at the silverwood lake campground.)


flower along the trail.


rinse cycle on a full load of hiker clothes.

2000 calorie order at cajon pass mcdonalds. Wonder what i'll have for seconds? (mystic just ordered 10 double cheeseburgers+fries+drink)