Destination: Marie Lakes Trail
Starting Location: Agnew Meadows
Today’s Miles: 11.90
Trip Miles: 927.70
Agnew Meadows (914.5, 9200) to Marie Lakes Trail (926.4, 10,000) ascent (3688) descent (1850)
Today was like backpacking & boy is that easy. Our yesterday afternoon thundershower morphed into steady rain mid morning, and we made fast miles on snow free trail. During breakfast Herman from Belgium & Mike Unger from Seattle caught us. We hiked until the sun came out & then enjoyed basking on the warming rocks with the marmots. The afternoon threatened more rain but as we donned gear it would quit.
Very surprising was that we had some navigation problems in an area that should have been easy. In our defense the Rush River Trail is not depicted accurately on either set of our maps & when we came to a log bridge we assumed incorrectly it was the PCT. We realized our error quickly but resolving it was a two hour problem. So much for our idea of getting to camp by 3 pm and relaxing. By the time we found the PCT route we noticed fresh prints and a yodel quickly got a response from Sunny & Tadpole.
Nine of us are now together & everyone in the group is being helped by dad in some way & we all have a rendezvous with him on Friday morning. Our tents are side by side in a very small snow free zone (see photo) & we just enjoyed an evening of tales of the PCT. Naturally most discussions centered on the hairy stuff.
Pang has a new stream crossing strategy that entails bridge building. I was laughing so hard I was crying as I looked up and saw him carrying a 12” x 9’ log down the opposite bank trail. A couple of well placed 100 lb rocks and the log made a swell platform for the rest of us. I suggested to Pang that he simply carry a saw and fell trees as needed to provide crossings. He is seriously considering it.
Like snow cups mosquitoes are evil. I asked Sugar Daddy why in the world God would make mosquitoes. He says that after the fall from grace (eating the fruit) women were to suffer in childbirth & God basically added thorns and pests to the garden. Hey before I forget, did you know the bible does not say Eve ate an apple bur rather keeps it generic and says fruit? Me either. Think about the possibilities. Hell it could have been a kumquat or a tomato. Anyway intrigued by this question I asked a follow-up: “Given that man likely figured out that mosquitoes were evil, than why the hell did Moses, I mean Noah, let them on the ark?” Apparently the bible is silent on this issue. So Sugar Daddy & others have told me that it takes more faith to believe in evolutionary biology than it does to believe in a literal bible. I must be the slowest heathen on earth because I am having a time of it believing that this babe ate a tomato and how we have mosquitoes.
Regardless anything that sucks my blood is not a friend of mine. I actually tried the head net thing this morning to keep the bastards (actually it is only the females that bite) at bay. It worked great except I could not see well enough to prevent me from walking into things and besides it started raining and solved the problem. Deet does work very well on warding off mosquitoes and as well as dissolving polymers. How come I am skeptical about “no human health risk” claims? Not that it matters – I would use it anyway.
It is hard to hike in full rain gear because of thermal regulation. I simply overheat once my exertion level (climb a hill) increases. My solution sounds crazy but works. I have, but do not wear rain pants. Instead I wear shorts & let my leg get really cold & dissipate enormous amounts of heat from my thighs. This allows me to keep a rain jacket on without overheating. I do not mind dripping wet legs but water running down the back is cold & uncomfortable. I am also really impressed with this fabric called skin. It is totally waterproof, breathable, flexible, & self repairing to small damaged areas.
Destination: Marie Lakes Trail
Starting Location: Agnew Meadows
Today’s Miles: 11.90
Trip Miles: 927.70
Agnew Meadows (914.5, 9200) to Marie Lakes Trail (926.4, 10,000) ascent (3688) descent (1850)
Today was like backpacking & boy is that easy. Our yesterday afternoon thundershower morphed into steady rain mid morning, and we made fast miles on snow free trail. During breakfast Herman from Belgium & Mike Unger from Seattle caught us. We hiked until the sun came out & then enjoyed basking on the warming rocks with the marmots. The afternoon threatened more rain but as we donned gear it would quit.
Very surprising was that we had some navigation problems in an area that should have been easy. In our defense the Rush River Trail is not depicted accurately on either set of our maps & when we came to a log bridge we assumed incorrectly it was the PCT. We realized our error quickly but resolving it was a two hour problem. So much for our idea of getting to camp by 3 pm and relaxing. By the time we found the PCT route we noticed fresh prints and a yodel quickly got a response from Sunny & Tadpole.
Nine of us are now together & everyone in the group is being helped by dad in some way & we all have a rendezvous with him on Friday morning. Our tents are side by side in a very small snow free zone (see photo) & we just enjoyed an evening of tales of the PCT. Naturally most discussions centered on the hairy stuff.
Pang has a new stream crossing strategy that entails bridge building. I was laughing so hard I was crying as I looked up and saw him carrying a 12” x 9’ log down the opposite bank trail. A couple of well placed 100 lb rocks and the log made a swell platform for the rest of us. I suggested to Pang that he simply carry a saw and fell trees as needed to provide crossings. He is seriously considering it.
Like snow cups mosquitoes are evil. I asked Sugar Daddy why in the world God would make mosquitoes. He says that after the fall from grace (eating the fruit) women were to suffer in childbirth & God basically added thorns and pests to the garden. Hey before I forget, did you know the bible does not say Eve ate an apple bur rather keeps it generic and says fruit? Me either. Think about the possibilities. Hell it could have been a kumquat or a tomato. Anyway intrigued by this question I asked a follow-up: “Given that man likely figured out that mosquitoes were evil, than why the hell did Moses, I mean Noah, let them on the ark?” Apparently the bible is silent on this issue. So Sugar Daddy & others have told me that it takes more faith to believe in evolutionary biology than it does to believe in a literal bible. I must be the slowest heathen on earth because I am having a time of it believing that this babe ate a tomato and how we have mosquitoes.
Regardless anything that sucks my blood is not a friend of mine. I actually tried the head net thing this morning to keep the bastards (actually it is only the females that bite) at bay. It worked great except I could not see well enough to prevent me from walking into things and besides it started raining and solved the problem. Deet does work very well on warding off mosquitoes and as well as dissolving polymers. How come I am skeptical about “no human health risk” claims? Not that it matters – I would use it anyway.
It is hard to hike in full rain gear because of thermal regulation. I simply overheat once my exertion level (climb a hill) increases. My solution sounds crazy but works. I have, but do not wear rain pants. Instead I wear shorts & let my leg get really cold & dissipate enormous amounts of heat from my thighs. This allows me to keep a rain jacket on without overheating. I do not mind dripping wet legs but water running down the back is cold & uncomfortable. I am also really impressed with this fabric called skin. It is totally waterproof, breathable, flexible, & self repairing to small damaged areas.
Robert Francisco 
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