Robert Francisco

Destination: Just south of Bishop Pass Trail

Starting Location: Wrong side of the Kings River

Today’s Miles: 15.50

Trip Miles: 831.80

South Fork Kings River (814, 10,623) to Just South of Bishop Pass trail (830.5, 8590) ascent (2865) descent (5010)

Well we did walk to the headwaters & when we finally turned to head up the pass, the south fork of the raging King River was completely suspended in an enormous seasonal glacier. We just walked across it.

Okay I finally understand mountain climbing’s appeal. Mather Pass was covered in snow & tracks indicated that a newly direct ascent via the SW bowl was doable. With crampons & ice axe I headed straight up. The pattern was hypnotic. Kick step, plant ice axe, breathe, sweat, heart beat, . . . kick step . . . I really enjoyed the climb up and the gear worked great. I was confident in my footing & the axe was always planted. Just before the top I had to do some crawling over boulders which is always difficult with a pack but I was amazed at the strength my legs have developed. With a foot high on a ledge above me, I could straighten that leg & life the whole program. Very cool. At the top the wind had created a lip on the cornice so the slope was actually greater than 90% as it “lipped” over. Others had kicked steps however & I got right across. Mather was by far the most technical pass, but our snow timing was excellent & I did well.

I upped my calories significantly last night & this morning. That will likely mean I will be on fumes by the time we hit Vermilion Valley Resort (VVR) & our next resupply. I am pretty sure the extra food made the difference today. I am really beat, but damn yesterday I thought I was going to die of exhaustion.

Below Palasades lakes we finally got some clear trail & the golden staircase below the lakes was a series of beautiful water falls running down the trail.

When we actually hit the trail again we all celebrated & shouted. The days of snow travel had built up a lot of emotion & to be rid of snow even for a little while was cause for celebration.

Came around a corner below Deer Meadow & there he was. A huge cinnamon bear. Given the size I am presuming it was a male. He was in great shape, with a shiny coat & probably weighed in around 350 – 400 lbs. He took a look at me & then he was gone. And I mean gone . . . disappeared in a matter of seconds. It has been a long time since I have seen a bear while hiking on the PCT & I am super grateful that I saw one today. Bears are just cool.

We hiked late (7:30) to get set up for Muir Pass tomorrow. We are still 7 miles away & I think we are going to be late going over. That could mean hours on the stair step machine that is the PCT under soft snow.

I walked the last several hours into dusk alone. We are in Le Conte canyon & the middle fork of the Kings is in total flood stage. An enormous avalanche complete with car sized boulders & very large trees has completely obliterated the trail. Walking through this area certainly demonstrates the ongoing power of natural forces.

Destination: Just south of Bishop Pass Trail

Starting Location: Wrong side of the Kings River

Today’s Miles: 15.50

Trip Miles: 831.80

South Fork Kings River (814, 10,623) to Just South of Bishop Pass trail (830.5, 8590) ascent (2865) descent (5010)

Well we did walk to the headwaters & when we finally turned to head up the pass, the south fork of the raging King River was completely suspended in an enormous seasonal glacier. We just walked across it.

Okay I finally understand mountain climbing’s appeal. Mather Pass was covered in snow & tracks indicated that a newly direct ascent via the SW bowl was doable. With crampons & ice axe I headed straight up. The pattern was hypnotic. Kick step, plant ice axe, breathe, sweat, heart beat, . . . kick step . . . I really enjoyed the climb up and the gear worked great. I was confident in my footing & the axe was always planted. Just before the top I had to do some crawling over boulders which is always difficult with a pack but I was amazed at the strength my legs have developed. With a foot high on a ledge above me, I could straighten that leg & life the whole program. Very cool. At the top the wind had created a lip on the cornice so the slope was actually greater than 90% as it “lipped” over. Others had kicked steps however & I got right across. Mather was by far the most technical pass, but our snow timing was excellent & I did well.

I upped my calories significantly last night & this morning. That will likely mean I will be on fumes by the time we hit Vermilion Valley Resort (VVR) & our next resupply. I am pretty sure the extra food made the difference today. I am really beat, but damn yesterday I thought I was going to die of exhaustion.

Below Palasades lakes we finally got some clear trail & the golden staircase below the lakes was a series of beautiful water falls running down the trail.

When we actually hit the trail again we all celebrated & shouted. The days of snow travel had built up a lot of emotion & to be rid of snow even for a little while was cause for celebration.

Came around a corner below Deer Meadow & there he was. A huge cinnamon bear. Given the size I am presuming it was a male. He was in great shape, with a shiny coat & probably weighed in around 350 – 400 lbs. He took a look at me & then he was gone. And I mean gone . . . disappeared in a matter of seconds. It has been a long time since I have seen a bear while hiking on the PCT & I am super grateful that I saw one today. Bears are just cool.

We hiked late (7:30) to get set up for Muir Pass tomorrow. We are still 7 miles away & I think we are going to be late going over. That could mean hours on the stair step machine that is the PCT under soft snow.

I walked the last several hours into dusk alone. We are in Le Conte canyon & the middle fork of the Kings is in total flood stage. An enormous avalanche complete with car sized boulders & very large trees has completely obliterated the trail. Walking through this area certainly demonstrates the ongoing power of natural forces.

Destination: Wrong side of the Kings River

Starting Location: Woods Creek

Today’s Miles: 13.20

Trip Miles: 816.30

6/19/06

Woods Creek (800.8, 8492) to Wrong side of the Kings River (814.0, 10,623) ascent (4646) descent (25.43)

Several times today I asked myself what the hell am I doing up here this time of the year. This is beyond my experience level for sure & is exhausting me to a level of literally staggering into camp. Today we worked for nearly 13 hours & we achieved less than 1 mph.

The morning started off beautifully & we found perfect bear prints on a snow bridge over the trail. Those guys have some big feet.

Then the snow . . . deep and widespread. After hours of working our way to Pinchot Pass I thought I finally saw switch backs up a far pass. I kept heading that way & then I heard the whistle from Pang & Swiss Miss waving her arms. I stopped while they caught up and Pang explained that he thought we were headed up the wrong pass & that we needed to turn west per the map reading. After discussing I concurred that indeed we were headed in the right direction but the trail was going to turn NW & what I was seeing was something but not the PCT.

We kept progressing & made our NW turn where we thought it should be. When we got around the next ridge we could with certainty see we were headed towards Pinchot. Great work Pang! Now getting there was tough. We had been off trail all morning and the snow & approach to Pinchot made Forrester & Glen look like child’s play. Our challenges were still growing exponentially. We ultimately chose a very good route that was mostly difficult snow that was deeply cupped by the sun, combined with what Swiss Miss called “only suitable for a mountain goat”. On the final pitches of snow Sugar Daddy & I estimated the slope at 45% with a short section exceeding 60%. So much for Glen being the steepest. At one point I thought this is really, really steep & I felt myself beginning to freeze up. So I gave myself a Marine Corps oooh-ra and took the final needed steps. On top we all collapsed & shoved in calories.

Going down was not technically difficult but what a slog. The snow was soft & we routinely post holed to our shins and occasionally went buried to the hip. No chance of finding the trail & we did not have expansive vistas to help illuminate distant objectives. Se we navigated point to point on the map. For example we knew the trail crossed the outlet of a lake. Find the lake, find the outlet, cross. Find another point & repeat for hours through deep snow. During this phase I partially redeemed myself for my earlier blunder by hitting a couple of way points perfectly by dead reckoning (bearing over distance). What a rush to predict an upcoming feature & walk over a hill or around a ridge & hit it perfectly.

Once we got to the tributary of the Kings River we had found parts of the trail. Crossing the tributary was manageable but it got my attention & I consider myself a very good wader. The Swiss went up stream & found a high suspended log & opted for balance over wading ability.

And then we arrived on the south side of the Kings River. And we are still there but now we are approximately 1.5 miles above the crossing. The Kings at this crossing is not doable for everyone in our group & the spot I first tried nearly ripped me down river as the water was huge & chest deep on me. I backed out quickly, we consulted the maps again and agreed we would follow the Kings up stream past several major tributaries & we would cross only when reasonably safe. We have gone up far enough now that the size is ½ of what it was below & it is still not doable with a pack. The good news is that the trail, which is on the other side, follows the river for a long way. So in the morning we will walk to the headwaters if we have to, but we are crossing this river.

Now that we have stopped for the day, & I have eaten, I am feeling better about our prospects for tomorrow. But this is incredibly difficult.

Another thing about all of this snow travel is the intensity of the light. Daytime highs have been in the 70’s but the radiant heat reflecting onto your face from the snow generates enormous heat to your head & your legs are constantly abraded by the snow all the while they are getting sunburned. Add a few postholes into unseen rocks that remove skin from your shins & you have one hell of a day on your hands. And the team work is incredible, the scenery beyond description & the experience priceless.

I am pretty beat up & I do wonder about my ability to finish this thing I started but I am ready to do it again tomorrow & that is all that matters for now.

Destination: Wrong side of the Kings River

Starting Location: Woods Creek

Today’s Miles: 13.20

Trip Miles: 816.30

6/19/06

Woods Creek (800.8, 8492) to Wrong side of the Kings River (814.0, 10,623) ascent (4646) descent (25.43)

Several times today I asked myself what the hell am I doing up here this time of the year. This is beyond my experience level for sure & is exhausting me to a level of literally staggering into camp. Today we worked for nearly 13 hours & we achieved less than 1 mph.

The morning started off beautifully & we found perfect bear prints on a snow bridge over the trail. Those guys have some big feet.

Then the snow . . . deep and widespread. After hours of working our way to Pinchot Pass I thought I finally saw switch backs up a far pass. I kept heading that way & then I heard the whistle from Pang & Swiss Miss waving her arms. I stopped while they caught up and Pang explained that he thought we were headed up the wrong pass & that we needed to turn west per the map reading. After discussing I concurred that indeed we were headed in the right direction but the trail was going to turn NW & what I was seeing was something but not the PCT.

We kept progressing & made our NW turn where we thought it should be. When we got around the next ridge we could with certainty see we were headed towards Pinchot. Great work Pang! Now getting there was tough. We had been off trail all morning and the snow & approach to Pinchot made Forrester & Glen look like child’s play. Our challenges were still growing exponentially. We ultimately chose a very good route that was mostly difficult snow that was deeply cupped by the sun, combined with what Swiss Miss called “only suitable for a mountain goat”. On the final pitches of snow Sugar Daddy & I estimated the slope at 45% with a short section exceeding 60%. So much for Glen being the steepest. At one point I thought this is really, really steep & I felt myself beginning to freeze up. So I gave myself a Marine Corps oooh-ra and took the final needed steps. On top we all collapsed & shoved in calories.

Going down was not technically difficult but what a slog. The snow was soft & we routinely post holed to our shins and occasionally went buried to the hip. No chance of finding the trail & we did not have expansive vistas to help illuminate distant objectives. Se we navigated point to point on the map. For example we knew the trail crossed the outlet of a lake. Find the lake, find the outlet, cross. Find another point & repeat for hours through deep snow. During this phase I partially redeemed myself for my earlier blunder by hitting a couple of way points perfectly by dead reckoning (bearing over distance). What a rush to predict an upcoming feature & walk over a hill or around a ridge & hit it perfectly.

Once we got to the tributary of the Kings River we had found parts of the trail. Crossing the tributary was manageable but it got my attention & I consider myself a very good wader. The Swiss went up stream & found a high suspended log & opted for balance over wading ability.

And then we arrived on the south side of the Kings River. And we are still there but now we are approximately 1.5 miles above the crossing. The Kings at this crossing is not doable for everyone in our group & the spot I first tried nearly ripped me down river as the water was huge & chest deep on me. I backed out quickly, we consulted the maps again and agreed we would follow the Kings up stream past several major tributaries & we would cross only when reasonably safe. We have gone up far enough now that the size is ½ of what it was below & it is still not doable with a pack. The good news is that the trail, which is on the other side, follows the river for a long way. So in the morning we will walk to the headwaters if we have to, but we are crossing this river.

Now that we have stopped for the day, & I have eaten, I am feeling better about our prospects for tomorrow. But this is incredibly difficult.

Another thing about all of this snow travel is the intensity of the light. Daytime highs have been in the 70’s but the radiant heat reflecting onto your face from the snow generates enormous heat to your head & your legs are constantly abraded by the snow all the while they are getting sunburned. Add a few postholes into unseen rocks that remove skin from your shins & you have one hell of a day on your hands. And the team work is incredible, the scenery beyond description & the experience priceless.

I am pretty beat up & I do wonder about my ability to finish this thing I started but I am ready to do it again tomorrow & that is all that matters for now.

Destination: Woods Creek

Starting Location: Second Lake

Today’s Miles: 10.60

Trip Miles: 803.10

Second lake up from Onion Valley (9200) to Woods Creek (800.8, 8492) ascent (3232) descent (5003) 10.6 PCT miles, 6 off trail miles, 16.6 total miles

Ryan Brizendine, my nephew, saved me today. We had to climb both Kearsarge & Glen Pass today & it took us 12.5 hours to go 16.6 miles. In a different environment 10 days ago we could have done 25 miles with much less effort. Anyway I teased myself with a promise of one of Ryan’s homemade chocolate chip cookies for half of the afternoon. The thought of those cookies got me to Woods Creek. I ate two, & I have to tell you those were the best two cookies I have ever eaten. Thank you very much for sending those Ryan, they were awesome.

Now for my other nephew, Christopher, I got a photo from your mother of you eating my cookies before they were sent. Boy are you in trouble . . . never get between a long distance hiker and his food. I was thinking today about all of that Kentucky Fried Chicken you and the guys eat at your work, and you know what? That junk really sounded good. I miss you guys & am really glad you are a part of my life. You still owe me my cookies however Christopher.

Today was a total butt kicker. The reports of snow clear to Arrowhead Lake were exaggerated but Glen Pass was no less of a challenge. The ascent was tough with a steep traverse across snow that ran out into a mostly frozen lake. Swiss Miss fell for a second & I heard several gasps from the team. But she fell up slope & bounced right back to her feet & kept walking & laughing.   I also managed to find myself cooling off by lying in the snow unintentionally about 10 times today.

Just before the summit we had a bit of a nasty scramble to get up some rocks. The pack added to the fun as we were on all fours, using our legs and arms to pull us up the mountain. The south side was 100% snow for the first 1500 feet of descent. And that pass is a bit steep. After I summated I only spent about a minute on top because I was over thinking the descent. So I grabbed my ice axe in one hand, a hiking pole in the other & took a very direct route down the snow. When I got to the rocks I saw that Pang was leading a more reasonable descent that included a few switch backs. I was not scared coming down but I was really focused & when I got down I felt both relief & a sense of accomplishment.

We took lunch at Raw Lakes & I asked Swiss Miss & Pang if they wanted fish for lunch. They said sure laughing. Now my fishing buddies, mostly my dad and good friend Nick, know I can be a bit of a show off sometimes when it comes to fishing. This was no exception. I tied a 15 foot piece of #3 fly line to my hiking pole, attached a leader & piece of tippet, and a #14 parachute adams. It did not cast well but I got a nice drift over some Brook trout & I caught one on the first cast. Hit it over the head, cleaned it & served it up for lunch. I got a few amazed looks by that trick. But truthfully I taught my buddy Shower Shoe Lee how to fly fish in that exact spot in 2003 & if I remember right he did pretty well after a few minutes of simple instruction. Now if anyone cares a Brook trout is not a trout but rather a char. Taste good regardless.

One thing I have noticed with each group I have hiked with is that no one is the leader. Rather, everyone leads at different times based on their strengths. It is a really neat thing. Everyone has the same goal, & everyone helps everyone else achieve that goal. No hidden agendas, no misalignment of goals, no selfishness, just pure team work.

Had a serious creek crossing this afternoon. Falling was not likely life threatening, but you would have gotten beat up pretty good & maybe worse. It was up to just below my groin, white water & cold. Everyone worked together, we all crossed safely, and we moved on heading north.

Sugar Daddy has had a bit of bad luck with gear. This morning he realized he did not repack his spoon in Independence so he ate his cereal with a candy bar. Thinking he could improve on this design he asked the Swiss if they had a multi-tool. But of course & naturally theirs was a one pound McGiver model. So Sugar Daddy widdled a very attractive & highly functional wooden spoon. “Necessity is the mother of all invention”.

Speaking of gear, I used my crampons on the ascent of Kearsarge as it was early & icy. I could have taken a more even traverse but wanting to try the crampons I headed straight up. Once again Brian Frankle from ULA Gear has created an awesome product specifically designed with a long distance hike in mind. The crampons are light weight & highly functional. These things rock. I probably will not need them as Glen Pass should have been the steepest, but I am happy to have them with me.

A few more words on bear cans. Seems like more than half of the thru-hikers are carrying them this year. They are required unless you hike from box to box. The box to box approach does work but logistically & long miles between them do make it complicated. The others are choosing not to comply and without exception every one of them I have spoken to has tried to sell me on the biological reasoning of their decision. They say things like: I stealth camp, meaning they camp away from popular spots. I do not cook where I sleep. And the best anecdotal one – a bear has never gotten my food & besides we are going so early bears are not out yet. Okay, without judging too much, while these practices are good ideas they are only marginally effective at best and are not effective at all to a people food habituated bear that is out now. Not one hiker has said I do not carry a can because I do not want to carry the weight or it does not fit in my ultra-light ultra small packs. But observations suggest these are more likely the reasons. Anf for the weight of a liter of water you can protect your food, but much more important you can protect one of the last great omnivores of the Sierra Nevada. I hate my bear can . . . it is a pain to deal with, but I think it is a good program & the real biological data is very clear – cans are the only truly effective method especially for problem areas with habituated bears. Enough.

Finally, Happy Fathers Day. I can not remember the last time I was not with my dad on this day. It was the one day of the year that he had control of what he wanted to do & that meant we typically went fly fishing or maybe motorcycle riding. Sometimes we even stayed home for a family BBQ. I am bummed my dad is not out here as originally planned, but it was not meant to be. And instead we get the most awesome trail angel who has been providing great support all along the way. Thank you Dad. I appreciate your continued support & love you very much.

Destination: Woods Creek

Starting Location: Second Lake

Today’s Miles: 10.60

Trip Miles: 803.10

Second lake up from Onion Valley (9200) to Woods Creek (800.8, 8492) ascent (3232) descent (5003) 10.6 PCT miles, 6 off trail miles, 16.6 total miles

Ryan Brizendine, my nephew, saved me today. We had to climb both Kearsarge & Glen Pass today & it took us 12.5 hours to go 16.6 miles. In a different environment 10 days ago we could have done 25 miles with much less effort. Anyway I teased myself with a promise of one of Ryan’s homemade chocolate chip cookies for half of the afternoon. The thought of those cookies got me to Woods Creek. I ate two, & I have to tell you those were the best two cookies I have ever eaten. Thank you very much for sending those Ryan, they were awesome.

Now for my other nephew, Christopher, I got a photo from your mother of you eating my cookies before they were sent. Boy are you in trouble . . . never get between a long distance hiker and his food. I was thinking today about all of that Kentucky Fried Chicken you and the guys eat at your work, and you know what? That junk really sounded good. I miss you guys & am really glad you are a part of my life. You still owe me my cookies however Christopher.

Today was a total butt kicker. The reports of snow clear to Arrowhead Lake were exaggerated but Glen Pass was no less of a challenge. The ascent was tough with a steep traverse across snow that ran out into a mostly frozen lake. Swiss Miss fell for a second & I heard several gasps from the team. But she fell up slope & bounced right back to her feet & kept walking & laughing.   I also managed to find myself cooling off by lying in the snow unintentionally about 10 times today.

Just before the summit we had a bit of a nasty scramble to get up some rocks. The pack added to the fun as we were on all fours, using our legs and arms to pull us up the mountain. The south side was 100% snow for the first 1500 feet of descent. And that pass is a bit steep. After I summated I only spent about a minute on top because I was over thinking the descent. So I grabbed my ice axe in one hand, a hiking pole in the other & took a very direct route down the snow. When I got to the rocks I saw that Pang was leading a more reasonable descent that included a few switch backs. I was not scared coming down but I was really focused & when I got down I felt both relief & a sense of accomplishment.

We took lunch at Raw Lakes & I asked Swiss Miss & Pang if they wanted fish for lunch. They said sure laughing. Now my fishing buddies, mostly my dad and good friend Nick, know I can be a bit of a show off sometimes when it comes to fishing. This was no exception. I tied a 15 foot piece of #3 fly line to my hiking pole, attached a leader & piece of tippet, and a #14 parachute adams. It did not cast well but I got a nice drift over some Brook trout & I caught one on the first cast. Hit it over the head, cleaned it & served it up for lunch. I got a few amazed looks by that trick. But truthfully I taught my buddy Shower Shoe Lee how to fly fish in that exact spot in 2003 & if I remember right he did pretty well after a few minutes of simple instruction. Now if anyone cares a Brook trout is not a trout but rather a char. Taste good regardless.

One thing I have noticed with each group I have hiked with is that no one is the leader. Rather, everyone leads at different times based on their strengths. It is a really neat thing. Everyone has the same goal, & everyone helps everyone else achieve that goal. No hidden agendas, no misalignment of goals, no selfishness, just pure team work.

Had a serious creek crossing this afternoon. Falling was not likely life threatening, but you would have gotten beat up pretty good & maybe worse. It was up to just below my groin, white water & cold. Everyone worked together, we all crossed safely, and we moved on heading north.

Sugar Daddy has had a bit of bad luck with gear. This morning he realized he did not repack his spoon in Independence so he ate his cereal with a candy bar. Thinking he could improve on this design he asked the Swiss if they had a multi-tool. But of course & naturally theirs was a one pound McGiver model. So Sugar Daddy widdled a very attractive & highly functional wooden spoon. “Necessity is the mother of all invention”.

Speaking of gear, I used my crampons on the ascent of Kearsarge as it was early & icy. I could have taken a more even traverse but wanting to try the crampons I headed straight up. Once again Brian Frankle from ULA Gear has created an awesome product specifically designed with a long distance hike in mind. The crampons are light weight & highly functional. These things rock. I probably will not need them as Glen Pass should have been the steepest, but I am happy to have them with me.

A few more words on bear cans. Seems like more than half of the thru-hikers are carrying them this year. They are required unless you hike from box to box. The box to box approach does work but logistically & long miles between them do make it complicated. The others are choosing not to comply and without exception every one of them I have spoken to has tried to sell me on the biological reasoning of their decision. They say things like: I stealth camp, meaning they camp away from popular spots. I do not cook where I sleep. And the best anecdotal one – a bear has never gotten my food & besides we are going so early bears are not out yet. Okay, without judging too much, while these practices are good ideas they are only marginally effective at best and are not effective at all to a people food habituated bear that is out now. Not one hiker has said I do not carry a can because I do not want to carry the weight or it does not fit in my ultra-light ultra small packs. But observations suggest these are more likely the reasons. Anf for the weight of a liter of water you can protect your food, but much more important you can protect one of the last great omnivores of the Sierra Nevada. I hate my bear can . . . it is a pain to deal with, but I think it is a good program & the real biological data is very clear – cans are the only truly effective method especially for problem areas with habituated bears. Enough.

Finally, Happy Fathers Day. I can not remember the last time I was not with my dad on this day. It was the one day of the year that he had control of what he wanted to do & that meant we typically went fly fishing or maybe motorcycle riding. Sometimes we even stayed home for a family BBQ. I am bummed my dad is not out here as originally planned, but it was not meant to be. And instead we get the most awesome trail angel who has been providing great support all along the way. Thank you Dad. I appreciate your continued support & love you very much.

Destination: Second Lake

Starting Location: Onion Valley Road (off trail)

Today’s Miles: 2.00

Trip Miles: 792.50

6/17/06

Onion Valley Road Trailhead (9200) to Second Lake (10,400) ascent (1201), descent (49)Nero

The Mt Williamson Motel turned out to be a fantastic lay over & resupply spot. In the morning we were served scrambled eggs, Italian sausage, hash browns, toast (with homemade preserves), juice & coffee. The owners told me they are committed to having the best motel in Independence & given what I saw they likely have a good shot at it. And why? Because they love what they are doing. I keep hearing that lesson.

Sugar Daddy found an unsecured WiFI connection after we discovered the library connection was not working. I was able to spend a few minutes reading messages on my trail journal site & want to thank everyone for the support, kind words, and offers for providing assistance. After being away for nearly 2 months, I can’t express how wonderful it is to hear from family, old friends & new friends who have discovered my journal.

Wonderful surprise this morning as Lucky Liz found me via my dad’s cell phone. I miss her a great deal & while I am having an experience of a lifetime I truly wish we could be sharing it together. It is sometimes difficult to explain to Lucky what I am seeing & experiencing because I believe you can only truly understand if you participate yourself. I have read nearly every book on the PCT, watched countless videos & slide shows, followed many trail journals, and nothing prepared me for the emotional highs, the tough periods, & the experience of trying to thru-hike the PCT. This trail is changing my life. I can not explain how & in what ways but I feel it. It is a strong feeling & a good one.

Saw many hikers in town today. Some had skipped ahead to here & many had, like us, hiked in. We saw: Pro Deal & Jeremy, Sunny & Tadpole, Twisted Sister, Lawn Ornament, Leprechaun, ?, Chuckie V (Funnybone). Yesterday we saw T-minus, Chance & Billy goat who were going to Kennedy Meadows for Ray’s memorial service. We will miss the service but we think of him often.

Left the trailhead at 3:00 pm & went a few miles to gain back some altitude & set up for hitting the snow early. We have received word via a southbound section hiker that Glen Pass (our next crossing) is holding a huge amount of snow & we want to cross as much as possible when the snow is firm.

Rita decided to skip this section & likely get back on trail in Mammoth in about 10 days. We are going to miss hiking with her. We do still have our crazy Swiss friends to keep us laughing. Every time we think we have seen every luxury item, they pull out yet another. We are so envious but our backs are so grateful. They are younger for sure and very strong.

Thank you Zis (Berkley) for the advice on the plantar fasciitis. I have been stretching regularly & ironically I think the cold snow crossings & the even colder stream crossings have helped. It now looks like it is under control. My dropped metatarsal is stable. It hurts some if I think about it, but I have gotten used to the new baseline so in a way it now feels like it always feels. The mind & body working together . . . amazing.

I am actually a bit worried about bears tonight. We are close to a campground, bears are known for the area, & I do not have all of my food in my bear canister. I tried, & I will be eating crumbs for the next week as a result, but it would not all fit. I truly support the bear can requirement & believe we can coexist if humans act responsible & do not habituate bears to human food. And I don’t want to lose my food. And as Scotty would say “I am giving it all she got Jim, but it won’t fit”. Tomorrow we can get to a bear can & the problem will be mitigated. After that, the food I eat will make enough room for the remainder. Tonight I have food out & I plan to defend it . . . within reason.

Another difficult conservation issue I have negatively participated in is the physical impact to the trail. More accurately the areas near the trail. These impacts occur as a result of early season hikers getting off the actual trail because of water or snow on the trail. This may seem minor but I now believe that “most” cutting switch back problems on the Sierra section of the PCT can be attributed to early season (mostly thru) hikers. This unintentional & necessary behavior does cause significant impacts. I have seen the impacts first hand and they include erosion, vegetation trampling, visual (from Kearsarge Pass you can see multiple social paths that early season hikers have created), and attractive nuisances for later hikers to follow. What to do? I propose, because I do not possess any solutions. Instead I commit to do some more maintenance work on the PCT to help repair or restore areas negatively impacted by me or others because we choose to hike early.

Destination: Second Lake

Starting Location: Onion Valley Road (off trail)

Today’s Miles: 2.00

Trip Miles: 792.50

6/17/06

Onion Valley Road Trailhead (9200) to Second Lake (10,400) ascent (1201), descent (49)Nero

The Mt Williamson Motel turned out to be a fantastic lay over & resupply spot. In the morning we were served scrambled eggs, Italian sausage, hash browns, toast (with homemade preserves), juice & coffee. The owners told me they are committed to having the best motel in Independence & given what I saw they likely have a good shot at it. And why? Because they love what they are doing. I keep hearing that lesson.

Sugar Daddy found an unsecured WiFI connection after we discovered the library connection was not working. I was able to spend a few minutes reading messages on my trail journal site & want to thank everyone for the support, kind words, and offers for providing assistance. After being away for nearly 2 months, I can’t express how wonderful it is to hear from family, old friends & new friends who have discovered my journal.

Wonderful surprise this morning as Lucky Liz found me via my dad’s cell phone. I miss her a great deal & while I am having an experience of a lifetime I truly wish we could be sharing it together. It is sometimes difficult to explain to Lucky what I am seeing & experiencing because I believe you can only truly understand if you participate yourself. I have read nearly every book on the PCT, watched countless videos & slide shows, followed many trail journals, and nothing prepared me for the emotional highs, the tough periods, & the experience of trying to thru-hike the PCT. This trail is changing my life. I can not explain how & in what ways but I feel it. It is a strong feeling & a good one.

Saw many hikers in town today. Some had skipped ahead to here & many had, like us, hiked in. We saw: Pro Deal & Jeremy, Sunny & Tadpole, Twisted Sister, Lawn Ornament, Leprechaun, ?, Chuckie V (Funnybone). Yesterday we saw T-minus, Chance & Billy goat who were going to Kennedy Meadows for Ray’s memorial service. We will miss the service but we think of him often.

Left the trailhead at 3:00 pm & went a few miles to gain back some altitude & set up for hitting the snow early. We have received word via a southbound section hiker that Glen Pass (our next crossing) is holding a huge amount of snow & we want to cross as much as possible when the snow is firm.

Rita decided to skip this section & likely get back on trail in Mammoth in about 10 days. We are going to miss hiking with her. We do still have our crazy Swiss friends to keep us laughing. Every time we think we have seen every luxury item, they pull out yet another. We are so envious but our backs are so grateful. They are younger for sure and very strong.

Thank you Zis (Berkley) for the advice on the plantar fasciitis. I have been stretching regularly & ironically I think the cold snow crossings & the even colder stream crossings have helped. It now looks like it is under control. My dropped metatarsal is stable. It hurts some if I think about it, but I have gotten used to the new baseline so in a way it now feels like it always feels. The mind & body working together . . . amazing.

I am actually a bit worried about bears tonight. We are close to a campground, bears are known for the area, & I do not have all of my food in my bear canister. I tried, & I will be eating crumbs for the next week as a result, but it would not all fit. I truly support the bear can requirement & believe we can coexist if humans act responsible & do not habituate bears to human food. And I don’t want to lose my food. And as Scotty would say “I am giving it all she got Jim, but it won’t fit”. Tomorrow we can get to a bear can & the problem will be mitigated. After that, the food I eat will make enough room for the remainder. Tonight I have food out & I plan to defend it . . . within reason.

Another difficult conservation issue I have negatively participated in is the physical impact to the trail. More accurately the areas near the trail. These impacts occur as a result of early season hikers getting off the actual trail because of water or snow on the trail. This may seem minor but I now believe that “most” cutting switch back problems on the Sierra section of the PCT can be attributed to early season (mostly thru) hikers. This unintentional & necessary behavior does cause significant impacts. I have seen the impacts first hand and they include erosion, vegetation trampling, visual (from Kearsarge Pass you can see multiple social paths that early season hikers have created), and attractive nuisances for later hikers to follow. What to do? I propose, because I do not possess any solutions. Instead I commit to do some more maintenance work on the PCT to help repair or restore areas negatively impacted by me or others because we choose to hike early.

Destination: Second Lake

Starting Location: Onion Valley Road (off trail)

Today’s Miles: 2.00

Trip Miles: 792.50

6/17/06

Onion Valley Road Trailhead (9200) to Second Lake (10,400) ascent (1201), descent (49)Nero

The Mt Williamson Motel turned out to be a fantastic lay over & resupply spot. In the morning we were served scrambled eggs, Italian sausage, hash browns, toast (with homemade preserves), juice & coffee. The owners told me they are committed to having the best motel in Independence & given what I saw they likely have a good shot at it. And why? Because they love what they are doing. I keep hearing that lesson.

Sugar Daddy found an unsecured WiFI connection after we discovered the library connection was not working. I was able to spend a few minutes reading messages on my trail journal site & want to thank everyone for the support, kind words, and offers for providing assistance. After being away for nearly 2 months, I can’t express how wonderful it is to hear from family, old friends & new friends who have discovered my journal.

Wonderful surprise this morning as Lucky Liz found me via my dad’s cell phone. I miss her a great deal & while I am having an experience of a lifetime I truly wish we could be sharing it together. It is sometimes difficult to explain to Lucky what I am seeing & experiencing because I believe you can only truly understand if you participate yourself. I have read nearly every book on the PCT, watched countless videos & slide shows, followed many trail journals, and nothing prepared me for the emotional highs, the tough periods, & the experience of trying to thru-hike the PCT. This trail is changing my life. I can not explain how & in what ways but I feel it. It is a strong feeling & a good one.

Saw many hikers in town today. Some had skipped ahead to here & many had, like us, hiked in. We saw: Pro Deal & Jeremy, Sunny & Tadpole, Twisted Sister, Lawn Ornament, Leprechaun, ?, Chuckie V (Funnybone). Yesterday we saw T-minus, Chance & Billy goat who were going to Kennedy Meadows for Ray’s memorial service. We will miss the service but we think of him often.

Left the trailhead at 3:00 pm & went a few miles to gain back some altitude & set up for hitting the snow early. We have received word via a southbound section hiker that Glen Pass (our next crossing) is holding a huge amount of snow & we want to cross as much as possible when the snow is firm.

Rita decided to skip this section & likely get back on trail in Mammoth in about 10 days. We are going to miss hiking with her. We do still have our crazy Swiss friends to keep us laughing. Every time we think we have seen every luxury item, they pull out yet another. We are so envious but our backs are so grateful. They are younger for sure and very strong.

Thank you Zis (Berkley) for the advice on the plantar fasciitis. I have been stretching regularly & ironically I think the cold snow crossings & the even colder stream crossings have helped. It now looks like it is under control. My dropped metatarsal is stable. It hurts some if I think about it, but I have gotten used to the new baseline so in a way it now feels like it always feels. The mind & body working together . . . amazing.

I am actually a bit worried about bears tonight. We are close to a campground, bears are known for the area, & I do not have all of my food in my bear canister. I tried, & I will be eating crumbs for the next week as a result, but it would not all fit. I truly support the bear can requirement & believe we can coexist if humans act responsible & do not habituate bears to human food. And I don’t want to lose my food. And as Scotty would say “I am giving it all she got Jim, but it won’t fit”. Tomorrow we can get to a bear can & the problem will be mitigated. After that, the food I eat will make enough room for the remainder. Tonight I have food out & I plan to defend it . . . within reason.

Another difficult conservation issue I have negatively participated in is the physical impact to the trail. More accurately the areas near the trail. These impacts occur as a result of early season hikers getting off the actual trail because of water or snow on the trail. This may seem minor but I now believe that “most” cutting switch back problems on the Sierra section of the PCT can be attributed to early season (mostly thru) hikers. This unintentional & necessary behavior does cause significant impacts. I have seen the impacts first hand and they include erosion, vegetation trampling, visual (from Kearsarge Pass you can see multiple social paths that early season hikers have created), and attractive nuisances for later hikers to follow. What to do? I propose, because I do not possess any solutions. Instead I commit to do some more maintenance work on the PCT to help repair or restore areas negatively impacted by me or others because we choose to hike early.

Destination: Onion Valley Road (off trail)

Starting Location: Kearsarge Pass Trail

Today’s Miles: 0.00

Trip Miles: 790.50

Nero

Kearsarge Pass Trail Head to Onion Valley Road 7.4 miles off trail ascent (1,430) descent (2,920)

My shoes froze inside my tent last night & I actually thought they might break as I pulled them apart enough to push my foot in. They were like wearing wooden shoes until I found some flowing water to walk through & thawed them out.

Getting over Kearsarge was pretty straight forward as I knew the route well. Lots of snow with some good & very fun glissading. Going back up with 6 days of food will likely be more interesting (hard). We easily caught a ride down the road to Independence & ran into go BIG Daddy (Bob, Dad) as he was heading up to pick us up. As we got out of the car we hooked up with the Europeans (who got a ride first because they needed to get to the post office before it closed) and some locals immediately flagged us down and gave us what appeared to be the remains of a huge birthday sheet cake. They said we were doing them a favor & saving their lives by taking the leftovers. How could we refuse? ¼ sheet cake gone in 30 seconds as we shoveled in handfuls. Then we went to lunch.

Rooms in town were hard to find as a fishing derby was taking place. We went to the Mt Williamson & totally lucked out. The owners were Swiss & German & we got royal treatment. Laundry, room, sewing, all for a very reasonable rate.

While Pang & Swiss Miss (formerly Claudia but we named her yesterday) were walking down town Independence (about the size of Mayberry) a car pulls over and it is Pang’s best friend from Switzerland who is on a 3 week holiday headed for Mammoth Mountain. We all had a good laugh about what a small place the USA is especially compared to Switzerland.

Heading down yesterday we met “Story”, Herman (from Belgium) & Mike who were headed up. They had spent 4 days in Independence in the hope of rapid snow dissipation. We informed them there was still plenty for their next leg enjoyment.

On my pack I have an international “no whining” button that was given to me by thru hiker & Southern California Region Volunteer Trail Maintainer Pick Axe Pete. Upon presenting me the button Pete told a story about how his grandson (about 6 at the time) was required to wear the button when he was acting up. Then one day when Pete was preparing for his thru hike, his grandson said “Here grandpa, you are going to need this more than me”. While hiking people would ask Pete if the button was meant for them & he would always reply “no it is for me”. I look at that button every day & remind myself that it is “for me”. And every day thus far it has brought a smile to my face.

Destination: Onion Valley Road (off trail)

Starting Location: Kearsarge Pass Trail

Today’s Miles: 0.00

Trip Miles: 790.50

Nero

Kearsarge Pass Trail Head to Onion Valley Road 7.4 miles off trail ascent (1,430) descent (2,920)

My shoes froze inside my tent last night & I actually thought they might break as I pulled them apart enough to push my foot in. They were like wearing wooden shoes until I found some flowing water to walk through & thawed them out.

Getting over Kearsarge was pretty straight forward as I knew the route well. Lots of snow with some good & very fun glissading. Going back up with 6 days of food will likely be more interesting (hard). We easily caught a ride down the road to Independence & ran into go BIG Daddy (Bob, Dad) as he was heading up to pick us up. As we got out of the car we hooked up with the Europeans (who got a ride first because they needed to get to the post office before it closed) and some locals immediately flagged us down and gave us what appeared to be the remains of a huge birthday sheet cake. They said we were doing them a favor & saving their lives by taking the leftovers. How could we refuse? ¼ sheet cake gone in 30 seconds as we shoveled in handfuls. Then we went to lunch.

Rooms in town were hard to find as a fishing derby was taking place. We went to the Mt Williamson & totally lucked out. The owners were Swiss & German & we got royal treatment. Laundry, room, sewing, all for a very reasonable rate.

While Pang & Swiss Miss (formerly Claudia but we named her yesterday) were walking down town Independence (about the size of Mayberry) a car pulls over and it is Pang’s best friend from Switzerland who is on a 3 week holiday headed for Mammoth Mountain. We all had a good laugh about what a small place the USA is especially compared to Switzerland.

Heading down yesterday we met “Story”, Herman (from Belgium) & Mike who were headed up. They had spent 4 days in Independence in the hope of rapid snow dissipation. We informed them there was still plenty for their next leg enjoyment.

On my pack I have an international “no whining” button that was given to me by thru hiker & Southern California Region Volunteer Trail Maintainer Pick Axe Pete. Upon presenting me the button Pete told a story about how his grandson (about 6 at the time) was required to wear the button when he was acting up. Then one day when Pete was preparing for his thru hike, his grandson said “Here grandpa, you are going to need this more than me”. While hiking people would ask Pete if the button was meant for them & he would always reply “no it is for me”. I look at that button every day & remind myself that it is “for me”. And every day thus far it has brought a smile to my face.

Destination: Kearsarge Pass Trail

Starting Location: Shepard Pass Trail

Today’s Miles: 15.20

Trip Miles: 790.50

Shepard Pass Trail (775.0, 10,930) to Kearsarge Pass Trail (790.2, 10,710) ascent (3,868) descent (4,196) High – Forester Pass (13,180).

Oh my, we are all howling answers to the coyotes just away from our camp & we are laughing like crazy. Now what the hell is a coyote doing at 10,700 with 80% of the ground covered in snow?

What a day! I wanted an adventure & I got one. Today we crossed Forester Pass the highest point on the PCT. The approach was completely covered in snow and we spread out in search of the trail. Ultimately we saw the uppermost switchbacks and we headed up. At one point I put one hiking pole away & deployed my ice axe. Not really needed as we had really good footing on the snow but the added security was nice. Upon summiting we were blown away as the North (shady) slope was 100% covered in snow. In 10 hours we had finally made 10 miles of forward progress. Nearly all of that was off trail. Ultimately we quit even looking for evidence of trail or even looking where it should be. Instead we picked a point (Vidette Meadows) far down canyon & we traversed a course roughly following a mapped drainage. The snow got sloppy soft by 10:30 & we began post holing. I went in so deep once that it took me nearly 5 minutes to dig my foot out. We did some glissading (sliding) down the appropriate slopes & Claudia had us all yodeling & laughing while we worked our butts off getting down the mountain.

We are set up to go over Kearsarge in the morning for a re-supply in Independence. We are camped in a snow-free spot about 40 X 30. About a foot deep of snow is a few inches in front of my tent door. It will be much easier to walk on in the morning. I was in this same location in 2003 within a few days & the area was completely snow free.    The basin near our camp is typically a huge sand area with no vegetation. I could never figure out why. Now I know. An enormous ice dam builds at the bottom of the basin and the area holds a huge amount of snow & then forms an early season lake thus preventing tree growth.

Looking out my tent window is a view into another world. The water for a thirsty California is all around me & we covered areas today where the entire mountain side was pouring water forth. No more treating water for awhile. I simply stop, fill a bottle & drink the purest water imaginable.

It is going to freeze again tonight & as the sun just set the temperature is dropping rapidly.

I did well on my food this leg & ate good. I have about one days food left which is an appropriate amount for delay contingencies.

I will never forget this day. . . it was hard, it was exhilarating, & we did it!

Destination: Kearsarge Pass Trail

Starting Location: Shepard Pass Trail

Today’s Miles: 15.20

Trip Miles: 790.50

Shepard Pass Trail (775.0, 10,930) to Kearsarge Pass Trail (790.2, 10,710) ascent (3,868) descent (4,196) High – Forester Pass (13,180).

Oh my, we are all howling answers to the coyotes just away from our camp & we are laughing like crazy. Now what the hell is a coyote doing at 10,700 with 80% of the ground covered in snow?

What a day! I wanted an adventure & I got one. Today we crossed Forester Pass the highest point on the PCT. The approach was completely covered in snow and we spread out in search of the trail. Ultimately we saw the uppermost switchbacks and we headed up. At one point I put one hiking pole away & deployed my ice axe. Not really needed as we had really good footing on the snow but the added security was nice. Upon summiting we were blown away as the North (shady) slope was 100% covered in snow. In 10 hours we had finally made 10 miles of forward progress. Nearly all of that was off trail. Ultimately we quit even looking for evidence of trail or even looking where it should be. Instead we picked a point (Vidette Meadows) far down canyon & we traversed a course roughly following a mapped drainage. The snow got sloppy soft by 10:30 & we began post holing. I went in so deep once that it took me nearly 5 minutes to dig my foot out. We did some glissading (sliding) down the appropriate slopes & Claudia had us all yodeling & laughing while we worked our butts off getting down the mountain.

We are set up to go over Kearsarge in the morning for a re-supply in Independence. We are camped in a snow-free spot about 40 X 30. About a foot deep of snow is a few inches in front of my tent door. It will be much easier to walk on in the morning. I was in this same location in 2003 within a few days & the area was completely snow free.    The basin near our camp is typically a huge sand area with no vegetation. I could never figure out why. Now I know. An enormous ice dam builds at the bottom of the basin and the area holds a huge amount of snow & then forms an early season lake thus preventing tree growth.

Looking out my tent window is a view into another world. The water for a thirsty California is all around me & we covered areas today where the entire mountain side was pouring water forth. No more treating water for awhile. I simply stop, fill a bottle & drink the purest water imaginable.

It is going to freeze again tonight & as the sun just set the temperature is dropping rapidly.

I did well on my food this leg & ate good. I have about one days food left which is an appropriate amount for delay contingencies.

I will never forget this day. . . it was hard, it was exhilarating, & we did it!

Destination: Shepard Pass Trail

Starting Location: Rock Creek Crossing

Today’s Miles: 14.70

Trip Miles: 775.30

Rock Creek Crossing (760.3, 9,550) to Shepard Pass Trail (775,10,930) ascent (4,500) descent (3,500)

The mileage was easy but not without challenges. We had our first creek crossing within minutes of breaking camp. Sugar Daddy was not so sure so he tried a self castration by swimming across a log. That did not look so good to me so I opted for getting wet. It was good to get the first one completed early. We had 3 more throughout the day and they got progressively more difficult. After Sugar waded number 3 & 4 he commented on the huge confidence boost it gave him. I had the same feeling and was thankful for years of fly fishing & wading streams. These were not very tough, but the water was mid thigh level, cold, medium velocity & we were carrying packs.

The snow also got a bit more interesting today & we were off trail for 2 miles amid solid snow fields. Sugar has a great sense of direction combined with my fair map reading, & memory from my 2005 JMT hike we found our way. It was an odd feeling being off trail. We were in no danger but the trail does provide security, and a confidence. Being off trail does just the opposite.

Given that Sugar Daddy has a GPS with him, during a lunch break we decided we should see if we had any clue regarding how to work the thing. Now if you are thinking I should have done that before I left home remember that I did not bring a GPS. Regardless, we have one so we turned it on, and I am happy to report that after 26 years my memory regarding calling in artillery fire kicked in, and thus we owe another positive to the Marine Corps training. We first figured out latitude & longitude, & I made a grid so we could plot it more accurately. Then we focused on using the simpler VTM system & Sugar figured out how to reset the unit to that measurement system. So we can now locate ourselves on a map. If we played with it more we should be able to locate a point on the map & then navigate to it. Of course a compass & a watch does the same thing. I am glad we have the GPS but do not believe we need it. However things were exponentially more difficult today than yesterday & if that trend continues, hell, we may need a satellite link & locator collars around our necks…Hope not.

We are camped with our European friends again & we will head up Forester Pass together tomorrow. Greener went by late and was thinking about trying to summit tonight or setting up just below the final climb.

I am caught up on my sleep after two 10 hour nights. It feels really good. My shoes are soaked from the snow & creek crossings & putting them on tomorrow is going to suck. For now I have on my sleeping socks and have my feet wrapped up in my sleeping bag to get them warmed up (our last crossing was just before camp). Sugar Daddy has his socks hung in a tree & I am betting they will be frozen by morning. I learned that lesson last night & now have every thing in my tent including my wet shoes.

Been thinking about what I want to do with the next chapter of my life; nothing certain but time for relationship building with family & friends and most important Lucky Liz is a key component. I also want to be involved where I can make a difference. This may include continued involvement with the PCTA. I hope so. Living someplace beautiful is also on the list and Sacramento, while a good town, that has treated me well, does not reconcile in the long term. So we will see. That is in the future & this hike is increasingly demonstrating the value of now.

Destination: Shepard Pass Trail

Starting Location: Rock Creek Crossing

Today’s Miles: 14.70

Trip Miles: 775.30

Rock Creek Crossing (760.3, 9,550) to Shepard Pass Trail (775,10,930) ascent (4,500) descent (3,500)

The mileage was easy but not without challenges. We had our first creek crossing within minutes of breaking camp. Sugar Daddy was not so sure so he tried a self castration by swimming across a log. That did not look so good to me so I opted for getting wet. It was good to get the first one completed early. We had 3 more throughout the day and they got progressively more difficult. After Sugar waded number 3 & 4 he commented on the huge confidence boost it gave him. I had the same feeling and was thankful for years of fly fishing & wading streams. These were not very tough, but the water was mid thigh level, cold, medium velocity & we were carrying packs.

The snow also got a bit more interesting today & we were off trail for 2 miles amid solid snow fields. Sugar has a great sense of direction combined with my fair map reading, & memory from my 2005 JMT hike we found our way. It was an odd feeling being off trail. We were in no danger but the trail does provide security, and a confidence. Being off trail does just the opposite.

Given that Sugar Daddy has a GPS with him, during a lunch break we decided we should see if we had any clue regarding how to work the thing. Now if you are thinking I should have done that before I left home remember that I did not bring a GPS. Regardless, we have one so we turned it on, and I am happy to report that after 26 years my memory regarding calling in artillery fire kicked in, and thus we owe another positive to the Marine Corps training. We first figured out latitude & longitude, & I made a grid so we could plot it more accurately. Then we focused on using the simpler VTM system & Sugar figured out how to reset the unit to that measurement system. So we can now locate ourselves on a map. If we played with it more we should be able to locate a point on the map & then navigate to it. Of course a compass & a watch does the same thing. I am glad we have the GPS but do not believe we need it. However things were exponentially more difficult today than yesterday & if that trend continues, hell, we may need a satellite link & locator collars around our necks…Hope not.

We are camped with our European friends again & we will head up Forester Pass together tomorrow. Greener went by late and was thinking about trying to summit tonight or setting up just below the final climb.

I am caught up on my sleep after two 10 hour nights. It feels really good. My shoes are soaked from the snow & creek crossings & putting them on tomorrow is going to suck. For now I have on my sleeping socks and have my feet wrapped up in my sleeping bag to get them warmed up (our last crossing was just before camp). Sugar Daddy has his socks hung in a tree & I am betting they will be frozen by morning. I learned that lesson last night & now have every thing in my tent including my wet shoes.

Been thinking about what I want to do with the next chapter of my life; nothing certain but time for relationship building with family & friends and most important Lucky Liz is a key component. I also want to be involved where I can make a difference. This may include continued involvement with the PCTA. I hope so. Living someplace beautiful is also on the list and Sacramento, while a good town, that has treated me well, does not reconcile in the long term. So we will see. That is in the future & this hike is increasingly demonstrating the value of now.

Destination: Rock Creek Crossing

Starting Location: Second Saddle

Today’s Miles: 22.70

Trip Miles: 760.60

Second Saddle (737.6, 10260) to Rock Creek Crossing (760.3, 9550) ascent (3760) descent (4465) high (11,320)

I really enjoyed hiking today. The scenery was amplified by snow covered ridges & a deep blue sky. I can not describe the beauty of this place but I walk most of the day with my jaw dropped in awe.

This morning started very cold with a strong wind & some very ominous looking clouds. The clouds appeared to have dropped a dusting of snow on the highest peaks but fortunately we stayed dry. We encountered snow and in some areas it was significant enough that we managed to lose the trail above Chicken Spring Lake. There were some tracks but they were obviously misplaced as well & were as we, simply heading in generally the right direction. After 20 minutes or so we were back on track. Because of the cool temperatures the snow stayed reasonably firm for most of the day. I post holed (sinking in deep . . . sometimes to the crotch) a few times but nothing serious & managed to fall on my butt as well. We did not deploy either ice axes or crampons today.

Surprisingly we did a big mileage day & this sets up the rest of the leg nicely. Tomorrow we will get close to Forrester Pass & set up for an early ascent on Thursday. Then we should be set up for Kearsarge Pass on Friday. One thing we just recently learned is that we are now close to the front of the class of 2006. It is certainly not a race but being in the first wave to close the mountains adds a bit of excitement for me & it certainly has cut down on the tracks to follow. Chuckie V thought we were behind approximately 30 people.

Sugar and I started thinking we were the only people left on earth as we had only seen one section hiker early this morning. Then just before camp we caught Rita from Frankfurt Germany, & Claudia & Pang from Switzerland. We just enjoyed a wonderful meal together while sitting in the glow of a setting sun next to a beautiful meadow complete with deer. As always the conversation about food came up and we began to discuss cheese. Claudia then proceeded to take off her bandana to show us, as depicted on her bandana, the alpine cheese making process & cultural significance in her country. It was a great story and to hear it trail side while helping each other with language barriers was a memory I will cherish from this trail.

Have not seen a rattlesnake for several days now & that is fine with me. I saw about 7 & Sugar Daddy had over 15 in the first 700 miles. We may see a few more near Lassen but the large numbers of snakes are behind us now. Instead we get yellow bellied marmots and deer so far & we are looking for our first bear.

Well it is 8:00 pm & past my bedtime. I have my down jacket on in my down sleeping bag and it feels like the mercury is going to drop fast tonight.

Destination: Rock Creek Crossing

Starting Location: Second Saddle

Today’s Miles: 22.70

Trip Miles: 760.60

Second Saddle (737.6, 10260) to Rock Creek Crossing (760.3, 9550) ascent (3760) descent (4465) high (11,320)

I really enjoyed hiking today. The scenery was amplified by snow covered ridges & a deep blue sky. I can not describe the beauty of this place but I walk most of the day with my jaw dropped in awe.

This morning started very cold with a strong wind & some very ominous looking clouds. The clouds appeared to have dropped a dusting of snow on the highest peaks but fortunately we stayed dry. We encountered snow and in some areas it was significant enough that we managed to lose the trail above Chicken Spring Lake. There were some tracks but they were obviously misplaced as well & were as we, simply heading in generally the right direction. After 20 minutes or so we were back on track. Because of the cool temperatures the snow stayed reasonably firm for most of the day. I post holed (sinking in deep . . . sometimes to the crotch) a few times but nothing serious & managed to fall on my butt as well. We did not deploy either ice axes or crampons today.

Surprisingly we did a big mileage day & this sets up the rest of the leg nicely. Tomorrow we will get close to Forrester Pass & set up for an early ascent on Thursday. Then we should be set up for Kearsarge Pass on Friday. One thing we just recently learned is that we are now close to the front of the class of 2006. It is certainly not a race but being in the first wave to close the mountains adds a bit of excitement for me & it certainly has cut down on the tracks to follow. Chuckie V thought we were behind approximately 30 people.

Sugar and I started thinking we were the only people left on earth as we had only seen one section hiker early this morning. Then just before camp we caught Rita from Frankfurt Germany, & Claudia & Pang from Switzerland. We just enjoyed a wonderful meal together while sitting in the glow of a setting sun next to a beautiful meadow complete with deer. As always the conversation about food came up and we began to discuss cheese. Claudia then proceeded to take off her bandana to show us, as depicted on her bandana, the alpine cheese making process & cultural significance in her country. It was a great story and to hear it trail side while helping each other with language barriers was a memory I will cherish from this trail.

Have not seen a rattlesnake for several days now & that is fine with me. I saw about 7 & Sugar Daddy had over 15 in the first 700 miles. We may see a few more near Lassen but the large numbers of snakes are behind us now. Instead we get yellow bellied marmots and deer so far & we are looking for our first bear.

Well it is 8:00 pm & past my bedtime. I have my down jacket on in my down sleeping bag and it feels like the mercury is going to drop fast tonight.

Destination: Second Saddle

Starting Location: So Fork Kern River in Monache Meadows

Today’s Miles: 20.90

Trip Miles: 737.90

South Fork Kern (716.7, 7820) to Second Saddle (737.6, 10,260) ascent (5220) descent (2799) High (10,633)

I am exhausted beyond description. And while it is only 7:30 I can barely keep my eyes open. The extra weight, ascending 5000 + fet and the altitude took everything out of me. Had hoped to do about 24 miles today in order to set up for better timing (condition) of the snow, but we simply could not go on.

But it is so worth it. The mountains are spectacular and by being this early we get to see a lot of winter storm damage across the trail. Natural forces are amazing and to see huge trees uprooted or exploded by lightning demonstrates it.

This morning was by far our coldest & we woke up to heavy frost & frozen water bottles. It was so hard to get out of my bag and get going that it was 6:15 before our first steps. I am really glad I brought extra clothes for the Sierra. In the last 24 hours I have used them all.

Scott passed us about 9:30 and while we tried to keep up we could only hang with him for about 10 minutes. I hope he completes another yo yo. We will likely see him again in Southern Oregon as he is heading back to Mexico.

Thought a lot about my late great uncle George today. I actually did not know him very well but the man of my memories is still huge in my mind. George was reclusive & spent his summers in the Sierras near Bridgeport, his winters at the Colorado River, and the middle season at Tonopah. We visited him every year in the Sierra & I remember his hot cakes that he would keep warm in a double boiler, his grizzled stubble that he would shave with a straight razor and his willingness to spend time with a young boy who loved the woods. He and my grandfather let me play cribbage with them while they told stories and lies about days gone by. I have not thought about that in a long time and as I write this I find a tear in my eye for those great men. I missed George’s funeral because I was stationed out of the country & when I heard he had died I did not give it much thought. Interesting how 25 years later I grieve the loss but also celebrate the life lived in these mountains.

Destination: Second Saddle

Starting Location: So Fork Kern River in Monache Meadows

Today’s Miles: 20.90

Trip Miles: 737.90

South Fork Kern (716.7, 7820) to Second Saddle (737.6, 10,260) ascent (5220) descent (2799) High (10,633)

I am exhausted beyond description. And while it is only 7:30 I can barely keep my eyes open. The extra weight, ascending 5000 + fet and the altitude took everything out of me. Had hoped to do about 24 miles today in order to set up for better timing (condition) of the snow, but we simply could not go on.

But it is so worth it. The mountains are spectacular and by being this early we get to see a lot of winter storm damage across the trail. Natural forces are amazing and to see huge trees uprooted or exploded by lightning demonstrates it.

This morning was by far our coldest & we woke up to heavy frost & frozen water bottles. It was so hard to get out of my bag and get going that it was 6:15 before our first steps. I am really glad I brought extra clothes for the Sierra. In the last 24 hours I have used them all.

Scott passed us about 9:30 and while we tried to keep up we could only hang with him for about 10 minutes. I hope he completes another yo yo. We will likely see him again in Southern Oregon as he is heading back to Mexico.

Thought a lot about my late great uncle George today. I actually did not know him very well but the man of my memories is still huge in my mind. George was reclusive & spent his summers in the Sierras near Bridgeport, his winters at the Colorado River, and the middle season at Tonopah. We visited him every year in the Sierra & I remember his hot cakes that he would keep warm in a double boiler, his grizzled stubble that he would shave with a straight razor and his willingness to spend time with a young boy who loved the woods. He and my grandfather let me play cribbage with them while they told stories and lies about days gone by. I have not thought about that in a long time and as I write this I find a tear in my eye for those great men. I missed George’s funeral because I was stationed out of the country & when I heard he had died I did not give it much thought. Interesting how 25 years later I grieve the loss but also celebrate the life lived in these mountains.

Destination: So Fork Kern River in Monache Meadows

Starting Location: Kennedy Meadows

Today’s Miles: 11.50

Trip Miles: 717.00

Kennedy Meadows Campground (702.2, 6150) to South Fork Kern River in Monache Meadows (716.7, 7820) ascent (2680) descent (1010)

Awesome! It’s no joke, we are in the Sierra Nevada & it is gorgeous. We are camped along the banks of the Kern River in a giant open valley. Hundreds of mud swallow dart along the river & return to their adobes under the bridge. Scott Williamson & his girlfriend Michelle are also here and Sugar Daddy and I can honestly say we hiked farther & faster than on any day in history. However he basically called this a non-hiking day. We really enjoyed visiting with Scott & Michelle and because we are the only ones (we think) that left Kennedy today we have this entire valley to ourselves.

Typically thru-hikers aim to leave Kennedy Meadows on June 15 (Ray day) during a normal year. It is called Ray day after Ray Jardine who promoted June 15th as likely optimal for manageable snow & river crossing levels while allowing ample time to make it to Canada. One problem . . . this is not a typical year. So do you go early & deal with lots of snow, go late and deal with heavy run-off, or skip the Sierra? Sugar Daddy & I decided that one foot of snow is not unlike 20 or even 30 feet of snow, but one foot of running water is very different from 5 feet of running water. So we are in early. We got a good glimpse of the southern exposed slopes further north & they look to be 50% covered. This will likely mean nearly 100% coverage on the northern slopes at high elevations.

I am apprehensive & excited about what lies ahead. What an opportunity. We left Kennedy with our bellies exploding. Dad made us a huge pan of homemade macaroni & cheese with pounds of cheese for dinner last night. So today after a hash & egg breakfast we had mac & cheese and lots of ice cream. We waddled out of camp with heavy bellies & heavy packs.

The Sierras bring some new weight challenges. First we needed more warm clothes, then we added a bear canister for our 7 days of food, then some crampons & finally an ice axe. This added about 5 pounds to our base pack weight which does not sound like a lot but try carrying around a 5 pound dumbbell all day every day

Based on my belly size index I would say I am down about 10 lbs to approximately 180. Now this section of our trip requires between 4500 – 5500 calories per day (big mountains with snow) and if we are only able to carry about 2.5 lbs of food per day (due to our ability to carry it & the size of our bear can), & if each ounce (40 ounces) total per day of food weighs on average 100 calories, then we are going to lose more weight because if I remember right a pound of body weight is 3500 calories. So, if we burn 5000 per day & we consume 4000 per day in 3.5 days we will lose 1 pound. These factors are going to last for about 35 days so I will likely lose at least 10 pounds in the next month.

If I keep doing this I will starve to death so we eat 10;s of thousands of calories when available to partially mitigate for this phenomenon. Bottom line: if you want to lose weight get more exercise. If you get enough you can literally eat all you want. I doubt this will sell well in our quick fix, instant gratification society. Regardless, I have to pay attention to these real calorie issues in order to maintain enough go-BIG to continue.

Destination: So Fork Kern River in Monache Meadows

Starting Location: Kennedy Meadows

Today’s Miles: 11.50

Trip Miles: 717.00

Kennedy Meadows Campground (702.2, 6150) to South Fork Kern River in Monache Meadows (716.7, 7820) ascent (2680) descent (1010)

Awesome! It’s no joke, we are in the Sierra Nevada & it is gorgeous. We are camped along the banks of the Kern River in a giant open valley. Hundreds of mud swallow dart along the river & return to their adobes under the bridge. Scott Williamson & his girlfriend Michelle are also here and Sugar Daddy and I can honestly say we hiked farther & faster than on any day in history. However he basically called this a non-hiking day. We really enjoyed visiting with Scott & Michelle and because we are the only ones (we think) that left Kennedy today we have this entire valley to ourselves.

Typically thru-hikers aim to leave Kennedy Meadows on June 15 (Ray day) during a normal year. It is called Ray day after Ray Jardine who promoted June 15th as likely optimal for manageable snow & river crossing levels while allowing ample time to make it to Canada. One problem . . . this is not a typical year. So do you go early & deal with lots of snow, go late and deal with heavy run-off, or skip the Sierra? Sugar Daddy & I decided that one foot of snow is not unlike 20 or even 30 feet of snow, but one foot of running water is very different from 5 feet of running water. So we are in early. We got a good glimpse of the southern exposed slopes further north & they look to be 50% covered. This will likely mean nearly 100% coverage on the northern slopes at high elevations.

I am apprehensive & excited about what lies ahead. What an opportunity. We left Kennedy with our bellies exploding. Dad made us a huge pan of homemade macaroni & cheese with pounds of cheese for dinner last night. So today after a hash & egg breakfast we had mac & cheese and lots of ice cream. We waddled out of camp with heavy bellies & heavy packs.

The Sierras bring some new weight challenges. First we needed more warm clothes, then we added a bear canister for our 7 days of food, then some crampons & finally an ice axe. This added about 5 pounds to our base pack weight which does not sound like a lot but try carrying around a 5 pound dumbbell all day every day

Based on my belly size index I would say I am down about 10 lbs to approximately 180. Now this section of our trip requires between 4500 – 5500 calories per day (big mountains with snow) and if we are only able to carry about 2.5 lbs of food per day (due to our ability to carry it & the size of our bear can), & if each ounce (40 ounces) total per day of food weighs on average 100 calories, then we are going to lose more weight because if I remember right a pound of body weight is 3500 calories. So, if we burn 5000 per day & we consume 4000 per day in 3.5 days we will lose 1 pound. These factors are going to last for about 35 days so I will likely lose at least 10 pounds in the next month.

If I keep doing this I will starve to death so we eat 10;s of thousands of calories when available to partially mitigate for this phenomenon. Bottom line: if you want to lose weight get more exercise. If you get enough you can literally eat all you want. I doubt this will sell well in our quick fix, instant gratification society. Regardless, I have to pay attention to these real calorie issues in order to maintain enough go-BIG to continue.