Saturday, July 26, 2014

Pokemon

The hike from Castella west toward Etna Summit is one hundred miles. For this stretch of trail my friend Peter Wright joined the adventure. He taught all three of my daughters when they were in fourth grade. Peter grew up in Dunsmuir, on the outskirts of Castella, and has lived in Etna for more than forty years. This was an incredible undertaking for Peter. He is in great shape, and is seventy-one years old!  

The trail is at a low elevation in Castella, in the depths if the Sacramento River canyon. That meant the first couple of days of Peter's hiking consisted of steady elevation gain. 

He had the chance to meet some of the characters of the trail, and see some of the beauty. A trail name came to him. 

The first days were slower than before, and the days were then filled with fascinating stories of a remarkable childhood, and unmatched resilience. Peter has been my friend for about 25 years so I thought I knew much about his background, but the slow trek and atmosphere allowed me to learn so much more. 

A childhood with Rheumatic Fever and polio, followed by being drafted and serving in Korea, and then battling prostate cancer recently with surgery and radiation couldn't dampen his spirit.  

He let me know he would donate to The Painted Turtle if he survived up to Scott Mountain Summit (60 miles).  There would be double the donation if he survived all the way to Etna Summit (100 miles).  The challenge was on to get Peter to those key checkpoints......alive. 

Friday-July 18-Hiking with a Partner

After a double nero Peter joined me for a seven mile slack pack. To get in place for the tough grind of a climb the next day we did a seven mile slack pack to Dog Trail where we were met by Theresa and Georgia with dinner. 

Peter, with Castle Crags in the background. 


One more National Forest visited on this hike, the Shasta-Trinity NF. 


We were joined by Blanco, from Bavaria. We thought he was from Germany, but were corrected by my German friends Princess and Mr. Sandals. I didn't get the joke, they thought it was quite funny. Blanco joined us for dinner. 


Saturday-July 19-Castle Crags-Leapfrog Day


The Castle Crags are gorgeous, and were in view the entire day. 


Castle Crags


We met Penny Royal on the way. We met Penny Royal repeatedly on the way. I've leap frogged with hikers before, but the consistency of our leapfrogging was exceptional. She'd break and we'd go by, then we'd break and she'd go by, for the better part of two days. 

Penny Royal is a section hiker going from Donner Pass to Ashland, Oregon. She's going to visit her kindergarten friend, who has been her friend for fifty years. 


Peter cooking with Mt. Shasta in the background. 


Castle Crags in the background. 

This was the toughest day in a while, gaining elevation without many, if any, downhill or flat grades. Peter was exhausted. The camping spot that appeared just as he was about to snap was fantastic, with breathtaking views of Mt. Shasta and Castle Crags. 


Sunday-July 20-Record Breaking Pace


Sunrise from our camp


We were thrilled to meet String Bean.  String Bean is attempting to break the speed record (assisted version) for the PCT. He was running, not jogging. With the pace he's running he would finish the entire trail in 53 days, which is about 50 miles per day, with no zeroes. He has a little over 20 days to go. When he started the trail below Campo I had already finished the High Sierras!  He's on about day 30, and I'm on day 112. He'll be done with the trail before I'm done with Oregon.  His body's holding up, and his support crew is solid.


Porcupine Lake was our campsite for the night. When we got there Penny Royal was already there with tent up. Another leapfrog. 

This was a surprisingly popular spot. An Outward Bound group and many other thru-hikers stayed there for the evening. 


Monday-July 21-Peter Gets a Trail Name

Hiking in the Shasta-Trinity NF we came up to the Parks Creek Trailhead. As we chatted with another thru-hiker an older white pickup pulled up. The woman who hopped out looked familiar. I finally went up and started a conversation. She told me her name, Laurie Bundy. I responded with "I know you, and you know me."  This was fun. She didn't recognize me at all. I had contact with her when I was the Happy Camp District Ranger as she works with NRCS in Yreka. Also I knew her through her husband Lee Bundy, and they are both friends of my daughter, Ashley. 

She was shocked when I told her who I was. She was not used to me with a beard, apparently looking a little more grizzled, and totally out of context for her. It was a fun meeting. Another version of "It's a small world."

We met lots of hikers from earlier on the trail. The most exciting reconnections were Princess, Mr. Sandals, Halfmile, and Deb. I hadn't seen Halfmile or Deb since Forester Pass, more than 800 miles ago. 



Peter got a trail name. He's not a fast hiker, you could say he's pokey. Peter's daughter Lisa works for Nintendo. The perfect name developed...Pokemon. 

Then, as if to discredit his name, Pokemon sped up. About 20 miles were covered before a thunderstorm developed and the wind and rain put an early end to the day's hike. We camped not far from Kangaroo Lake, a familiar place to both of us. 


Bull Lake


Tuesday-July 22-Let's Take a Nero


The evening was wet and windy. Our campsite was inhabited by carpenter ants. It was not the best situation for a great night of sleeping. 

Georgia was hoping, to no avail, to get out of jury duty. Theresa and Georgia were hoping to meet us with food at mile 1566, Scott Mountain Summit, where the PCT crosses Highway 3. 

Theresa showed up with food they had teamed up to prepare and fed Pokemon and me as well as Estero and Acorn. 

It wasn't just food, it was Georgia's pulled pork. When the trail is done I want to try her pulled pork again, because this tasted like the best food I had ever had. Four times in two days I had that pulled pork, and could have had it more. Was it that incredible, or was it because I was so tired of freeze dried and dehydrated food?  The only way to know is to try it again long after the trail is done. 

The senses do seem to be heightened. Food tastes better. Fresh, cold water is delectable. Sit down toilets are heavenly. 

It used to take more to satisfy, now a flat rock about two feet high, an outhouse, and a cold stream and I feel like I hit the lottery. 



The Trinity Alps

Pokemon and I altered plans and decided to slack pack from Scott Mountain Summit to Etna Summit. In addition to many of the benefits of this plan (soft bed that doesn't go flat, shower, non-dehydrated food, time with Theresa and Georgia, charging electronics, etc.), this most importantly allowed us to have light loads for the final forty miles of the hike to Etna Summit. Significantly, this should assure Pokemon's survival on the hike to Etna Summit and will, in return, garner that larger donation to The Painted Turtle. 


Wednesday-July 23-Trinity Alps Wilderness-Wonderful Slack Pack

After sleeping in our own beds we got an early start on the trail, with light backpacks, fresh spirits and legs. 

The reduced weight made hiking considerably easier. We completed a twenty mile day by five p.m..


The Klamath National Forest, where I spent most of my career. 


After not seeing our leapfrog friend, Penny Royal, for a day we crossed paths again. She wants to change Pokemon's name to Pokemon No More. Pokemon hiked fast. 


Three little lakes just above Middle Boulder Lake. 




Pokemon at the headwaters of the Scott River. 

When hiking it is hard to hold in "trombone practice," also known as "backfire," also known as farts. This practice is common in the open air of the trail, and a hard practice to get back in control when one steps back into the real world. We stepped into the bakery before leaving Etna and heading to the trail in the morning. I forgot where I was for a brief moment...embarrassing. 

Firecracker and Tidy Camper caught up with us today. We told them about slack packing and they were interested in joining in the next day. When we reached Carter Meadows Summit two others were at the truck with Theresa. Strawberry, who I met near Burney Falls, and her sister Unicorn. 

The seven of us crammed into the truck and came to our Etna home for dinner of delicious pulled pork and fixings. The house was full for the night. 


Thursday-July 24-Etna Summit!!


Theresa got up early (4:00 a.m.) and fed the five hikers (including me) who stayed the night. The house was quite the zoo. 


The promise was to get Pokemon to Etna Summit, no matter what it takes :)

It's worth it for doubling his donation to The Painted Turtle. 


The sunrise and clouds made for some pretty sights. 


It was so nice to be back in the familiar surroundings of the Russian Wilderness. 


The skyline is the back side of Statue Lake. It looks okay here, but looks fabulous from the other side (the lake side) of the ridge. Pokemon and Tidy Camper are on the trail. 



Mt Shasta in background.  


1600 miles


Paynes Lake. 

In 2010 on the PCT near Paynes Lake my daughter, and other recreation crew members, rebuilt a section of the PCT to ensure stock accessibility.  I tried to figure out, to no avail, the portion they rebuilt. 



Pokemon made it to Etna Summit. He hiked one hundred miles from Castella. He was fantastic company!


Kyle and Brady Fournier went to Etna Summit to hike part of the PCT and be support.

Now it was really home to Etna for a zero day!!!  My last zero was in Sierra City. Before that my last zero was at Sonora Pass June 20th.  I've had some good/great neroes, but was really ready for an entire day off at home. 

Georgia made an incredible dinner. We were joined by Princess, Mr. Sandals, Moxie, Roi, and Sarah. It was great entertainment and dinner conversation, but when it got about 8:00 everyone started fading. It was getting close to hiker midnight, 9:00 p.m..

They all stayed at our home for the night. It was great to have such eclectic guests from all over (Germany, Isreal, and San Bernardino) in our home. Our health was covered by having an Oncologist and an ER Nurse. 

Theresa is ready for the steady onslaught of rotating hikers in the home to slow down. The Harris Hikers Bed and Breakfast will be closing Saturday morning :)


Friday-July 25-Zero Day at Home!

Before the hike I weighed on the scale at home. Checking now shows a loss of 20 pounds. That equates to two notches on the belt. The extent of weight loss is a concern of many on the trail. Weight loss caused Mr. Cup to have to get off the trail and go back to Japan. A friend from two years ago had to get off the trail at Donner Summit when his wife saw how much he had lost.

Mr. Sandals is very slender, and apparently never had an obesity problem when in Germany. When he and Princess started talking about a "chocolate based diet", I thought they were joking. Then they went into details. They went grocery shopping in town and spent over $200, on chocolate!!!  They spent over $500 total. In addition to their regular meals he eats six Snickers bars each per day!  Princess eats five. I mentioned in another blog that Snickers has the greatest number of calories, by weight, which is their key in deciding what to buy. I thought I was going really wild when I had two Snickers in a day. They laughed at me for my naïveté. 

It is sad when hearing of folks dropping out from their thru-hike, for whatever reason. Twisted knees, sickness, off trail family issues, ankles, lack of funds. There are many reasons hikes aren't successful. For some it's just mental, the hike is a day to day grind. The Hat Creek Rim, and some of the hike from Burney to Castella, seemed to depress many. Two of the toughest hikers on the trail compared their crying breakdowns on the Hat Creek Rim. I feel lucky to have not been impacted by the Northern California duldrums. The anticipation I had about getting to familiar haunts, and exciting news from off-trail, and hiking with a friend, made this easier for me. 


Roi and Sarah with Theresa and I at our Etna home. They are concerned about events and their loved ones in Isreal. Real world events sometimes creep in to the bubble of the trail. 


One-Speed and Just Paul, who I met at Bucks Lake, stayed at our house. They are getting back on the trail after One-Speed was treated in Yreka for Giardia. 


A gathering of hiker friends at a restaurant in Etna. It was fun to meet with local folks I hadn't seen in quite a while, while socializing with new hiker friends. 
It made me think of an old song the girls used to sing from Girl Scout camp, "Make new friends, but keep the old...one is silver and the other's gold."

Tuesday, July 22, 2014

Burney Falls to Castella-Big Miles and Big News

Big miles were needed for me to get to Castella, and the previously scheduled meeting with Theresa, on Thursday. The import of my getting there on time became evident with a series of messages, voicemails and other activities of Monday. 

Life goes on outside the realm of the trail. 

Three months on the trail definitely increased my strength, endurance, and speed. I took advantage of those changes in this four day period. 

Air mattress frustrations continue. I keep fixing slow leaks near the valve stem. I am able to find these leaks when there are places with bathtubs or quiet, standing water.  After repairs there were repeated new slow leaks. Consistently I have to refill the air mattress one, two, or even three times a night. It works like an unscheduled alarm clock, waking me up during the nights. 

Monday-July 14-Big Question


Burney Falls State Park was the starting point for the day's hike. I have driven by here many times in the past thirty plus years, but never seemed to have the time to stop and see the falls. It is worth seeing. 


The trail goes right over the dam which forms Lake Britton. 

After crossing Lake Britton I climbed and then stopped at Rock Creek in the heat of the day.  There was a little pool and it was nice for cooling off. Later I learned from many others othat I had missed the "best swimming hole on the PCT" downstream about 200 feet. That's what happens if one doesn't pay attention to some of the available PCT information. 



I had the same pair of reading glasses for the entire hike. At Mill Creek, about mile 400, I stepped on them and broke off one arm. They still worked. I took gentle ribbing about finding another way to cut down weight like a true ultra light hiker. Finally, the second arm broke off and it was very inconvenient. Theresa brought a new pair when she and Ashley came to Burney. I lost the new pair the first day somewhere near Rock Creek.  The old, broken glasses came out of reserve.  They lasted 106 days, and would have to work a few more. 


Quite a vegetation change takes place from a few days before and the desolate Hat Creek Rim. 




The views of Mt Shasta dominated the horizon. 

Luckily, when I was a bit above Lake Britton, I realized I had cell service. A text message and a voicemail came in indicating Travis, my daughter Ashley's boyfriend, would like to propose to Ashley in the evening.  He wanted my okay. I never had the chance to talk directly with him, but I left a voicemail and a text letting him know I was absolutely okay with him proposing, in fact thrilled. This was Ashley's birthday, and I think she'll remember this one for quite a while. 

There wasn't service later in the day so I had to wait until the next day to learn she said yes!


July 15-Tuesday-Big Mile Day

With the excitement of the proposal, and Ashley saying yes, plans were made for me to meet Travis' parents for the first time for dinner on Thursday evening. To accomplish this my pace had to increase.   The trail was perfect, but a little hot, for a big day. Twenty-eight miles later I had no problem sleeping!  I was confident after this day I would even be able to clean up a bit before meeting the Dooleys on Thursday. 


With the excitement came early hiking and nice views. 


The sound of log trucks, feller-bunchers, and logging activity were in the air. It brought back so many memories. 

I was thrilled with a 28 mile day. Someday I hope to get a 30 mile day, maybe in Oregon. 

July 16-Wednesday-Two Hills to Slower Progress


There were warnings about poison oak. Yes there was plenty around, but I could show folks some places in Happy Camp that would make this look like child's play. 

Out of caution for the poison oak I wore long pants for most of the day, until the zipper failed for the last time. 


I tried for a while going with one long pant leg, and one short. That didn't work. It was shorts the rest of the way to Castella. 

Max, a computer networker from San Jose, and I leap frogged quite a bit for a couple of days. 

Two inclines slowed progress, but it was still good for me, about 24 miles. 

We camped at the same campsite, and it rained a few times through the night. After discussions he realized he had met Theresa a few months ago near The Painted Turtle. 




July 17-Thursday-1500 Miles



I passed the 1500 mile mark on the downhill journey headed toward Castella. This screen shot of the Halfmile app shows location on the trail, and is extremely useful with information on what is ahead, and navigation. 

The overcast, sprinkles, and cool made for quick hiking in the morning. Theresa met me where the PCT crosses under I-5 by the Sacramento River.  

There would be plenty of time to clean up, I thought. Then Theresa informed me we would be meeting Travis' mother on the way through Yreka to transfer house keys. The first time she met me I was filthy, had the hiker smell, and was lucky I had only gone four days without a shower and running around in the same trail worn clothes!  What a first impression. 

Travis' mom, Patty, was very polite about my appearance. 

It was time to clean up for the real meet and greet with the new part of the family in the evening. One shower isn't enough for such an occasion with such deep filth. 


Ashley and Travis showed me their new home. It is such an exciting time for them, a baby on the way, a new home, and getting married. The last few months have been a whirlwind for them. 

I was ready for a nero and a night at home for the first time in nearly four months. It's nice to be close enough to home for such a treat!

Done hiking for the day at mile 1505 near Castella, California.