Saturday, June 27, 2009
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
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.
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.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
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.
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.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
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.
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.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
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.
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.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
