Robert Francisco

Destination: Knoll
Starting Location: Painted Rock Trail
Today’s Miles: 22.20
Trip Miles: 1169.30
Painted Rock Trail (1146.0, 7550) to Knoll (1168.2, 8120) ascent (4318) descent (3914)

Reached Donner Pass on Highway 80. From here I could go 80 miles & be home in 80 minutes. I thought about it but did not call for a ride.
Talked to my mom as she was returning from her chemotherapy orientation class. Sounds like the class was good & informative. She told me she was going to drive up to Sierra City with the family & was making deviled eggs. Now I love deviled eggs & my mom who is about to start a pretty awful medical treatment is making them & delivering them in person. As many hikers have commented what a great family I have. Sounds like my nephew Chris & his new beautiful bride Korbi are also coming. I am very excited and am looking forward to congratulating them in person – I am gong to be a great uncle. Is a backpack or fly rod an appropriate gift for a baby shower?
Now rumor has it my buddy Joe Sobinovsky is on record as saying my hike is looking a bit soft & sounding a lot like a “Hilton” hike. He is not talking about Paris or her sister but rather about mutual friends who thru-hiked in high style with a support vehicle following them. Like me they hiked the miles which maybe more than we can say about Joe. Seems like I heard something about him mounting a 4 legged creature for a, albeit very small, portion of the trail. Of course I would never repeat that as it is only a rumor.
Camped on a lovely knoll looking west. We stayed up higher tonight in an attempt to thwart the blood suckers. The strategy worked. Water does not typically occur on knolls but we found a patch of melting snow & were able to use Pang’s filter to get water. I have been treating my water for a few days now as we are in the realm of indiscriminate poopers as Rolling Thunder would say. Turns out that Agua Mira does have a taste. It seemed tasteless before but I realized that was because I am used to drinking municipal water which is often treated with chlorine dioxide in the gaseous form. Agua Mira is liquid. High Sierra spring water does not have a taste & yet it tasted wonderful.
Saw some major trail damage in the Granite Chief Wilderness from motorcycles. After looking at the map I am certain that they came into the Wilderness from the western boundary. Don’t get me wrong this hike has demonstrated the wonderful good in people but as a trend I still think we are in trouble. Our society has an insatiable appetite for more, we have come to expect it, & we are never satisfied. It is pervasive in corporate governance, and in our private lives. And while we often hear we have a supply side problem (oil for example) we actually have a demand side problem. This demand calls for more of everything and promotes a culture that makes it okay to take whatever we want regardless of the consequences. We deserve it don’t you know, and we will ride our motorcycles any damn place we please.
Smog creates nice sunsets & as I look west the influence of the San Francisco Bay area & Sacramento is evident. We are all taking many less photos now because the sky is hazy. The mountains are still beautiful but they seem shrouded by evidence of our excesses.
Not my idea but I have been thinking about the idea of no-fly zones over Wilderness & National Park areas. It first seemed a bit extreme but now I am a supporter. Okay high military or commercial traffic is fine but F16 horsing around or helicopter tours over parks & wilderness – no.
Gogo, 3 Bar & Sean passed us just out of Echo & seemed to be really moving out. We understand our buddy Cadence who was forced off the trail in Tehachapi with a stress fracture is now back on & is a few days north after starting again from Sonora. Hope to catch her. We know Rolling Thunder, Tadpole, & Sunny were at Pooh Corner & we think we are a few hours ahead. If so they will catch us in the a.m. Rita is missing and is ahead or behind but we can not agree on the most likely option. 3 Gallon is probably behind unless he passed us at lunch. Iniki is probably a full day behind. Hoping the stinking doze get back together at Sierra City. Jorgey from Canada also passed us.
I started across a steep & very frozen snow field this morning & turned around. After not finding an alternate route I went across but a little shy after my slip last week. Rolling Thunder calls that once bit, twice shy. It did not help that I took off my snow baskets at Echo Lake. The baskets suck when off the snow but make an indescribable difference on the snow. With forward momentum & poles going into deep I often walk right out of the poles. It is pretty funny actually – you are walking along and your poles get pulled out of your hands. Often someone behind me pulls them out while laughing hysterically.
Heard Judith had signed my guest book. Very cool. How many times has JC had you rearrange his travel plans, at the last minute, this month? I miss you and all the laughs we had as we like most if not all corporate employees lived out Dilbert.
Met a group of senior hostel folks out for a hike south of Highway 40. They were great with the elder stateswoman likely pushing 85. They all cheered and clapped for us but it was they who deserved the applause.
Many people, most weekend or day hikers, have said something like they would love to hike the trail but they could not get off work, or how could you get off work? It is interesting how work is such a dominant driver in people’s lives. I loved my job but in general work is often over rated & certainly over emphasized as being all important. So who does the trail? In our group: a court reporter, a landscaper, a truck driver/forest worker, an anesthesiologist, a cell phone computer code writer, a missionary, an electrical engineer & 2 outdoor educators for troubled youth. Economics – basically broke to financially secure. The point is, it is about choices and often excused are simply another way to demonstrate choices we are embarrassed or not honest enough to admit. Something about “lives of quiet desperation”.

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Destination: Painted Rock Trail
Starting Location: Miller Creek
Today’s Miles: 23.70
Trip Miles: 1147.10
Miller Creek (1122.3, 7126) to Painted Rock Trail (1146.0, 7550) ascent (4800) descent (4331)

Some days are just easy. This was one of them. The extra hour of sleep last night was great & the walking was pleasant. As the sun sets it is hitting the back of my tent, providing bright light & great warmth. The sound of the adjacent stream is pleasantly loud, my stomach is full & I am perfectly content.
While others use alarms to awaken I am fortunate in that the early morning bird calls are enough to wake me. The timing is perfect as the birds begin singing & just before sunrise it gets quite loud at 5:15 a.m. I can use the woods & be ready to hike by 6:00 a.m. A candy bar typically holds me over until we stop for breakfast at 7:30 or so. If I was hiking alone I would do things differently but this schedule works for me & when I suggested that I wanted to stop walking by 6:30 p.m. everyone consented to the request. Teamwork & compromise; powerful ways to build respect.
I have seen and partaken in some strange food combinations on the trail but a couple of real winners include mac & cheese mixed with mashed potatoes, & peanut butter on anything you can think of. By far, the winner is however, making tea of hot chocolate from the starch water that is left after cooking your noodles. Those who drink it swear the extra starch is good and the taste is “not bad”.
Dropped my snow baskets a few days early and crossing the remaining fields are more difficult without them as I can not push off while climbing and more than once the poles have been walked out of on the down hills.
While skiing down a nice piece of snow I made the mistake of looking at the only tree (about 8’) on the entire slope. When I got stopped the tree was bent about 45 degrees between my legs with the crown touching my nose. Pang, Swiss Miss & Sugar Daddy were laughing so hard they were nearly crying. The phenomenon is called object fixation and literally means if you focus on something while moving toward it, you will hit it. I know & understand this phenomenon, I have practiced ensuring it does not happen (very dangerous on a motorcycle) & yet there I was straddling this poor pine tree.
The inside of my tent looks like the killing fields as I have put my thumb to good use each night killing mosquitoes. It is amazing how much blood one of these evil beasts can hold & what a mess they make after hundreds are smashed above & beside your head.
The sun is really setting now & everything outside is turning golden yellow while casting long shadows. This is a magical time in the mountains. I now also smell the wild onion growing at the creek side. It seems to be getting stronger with the rapid temperature drop & potential rise in humidity. It is too glorious to write – I must take this in.

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Destination: Miller Creek
Starting Location: Aloha Lake Today’s Miles: 21.30
Trip Miles: 1123.40
Aloha Lake (1101.0, 8133) to Miller Creek (1122.3, 7126) ascent (3317) descent (4341)

Some days are just tough. This was one of them. Physically everything is fine but at lunch I fell asleep while leaning on a log. I am simply tired.
My hard boiled eggs (one of my favorite thru-hiker foods) apparently did not like being hard boiled & would have preferred to be scrambled or fried. They were nearly impossible to peel & after one I was really frustrated so in order to practice patience I peeled the other 4 & tried to answer the question as to why some eggs do not like to be hard boiled. I ate them as I slowly peeled them & my frustration was offset by how good they tasted. Now that I ate them all in one sitting I do not have to worry about this frustration for now. Regarding the answer: it has something to do with the eggs.

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Destination: Aloha Lake
Starting Location: Steve & Peggy’s cabin
Today’s Miles: 8.00
Trip Miles: 1102.10

Highway 50 (1093, 7220) to Aloha Lake (1101.0, 8133) ascent (1627) descent (771) NERO
Food comatose is the word to describe our situation. After nearly 48 hours of eating we had great difficulty leaving the cabin. We consumed between 25,000 to 35,000 calories (that is not a typo) in those hours and as we laid around the thought of hiking was not an attractive activity.
The vortex that can suck hikers in was stronger at Steve & Peggy’s than any other I have felt. This is not a bad thing but was the result of the warmest hospitality I have ever experienced. 10 stinking hikers moved in for 48 hours and Steve & Peggy created an atmosphere that can only be achieved in one’s own home. And it was hard to leave because it was like home & I miss that.
I thought the Forest Service could not top the absurdity of the snowmobile issue near Sonora but we saw evidence that they are trying. Two examples of incredibly poor land management decisions: first, two separate mountain bike trails that terminate at the PCT. The trails terminate about 1 mile apart & if you connect them via the PCT you can create a loop ride. Guess what? There is a lot of bicycle use on the PCT between these two points. Second, while walking or riding a horse on the PCT near Highway 50 you come to the beginning or end of a trail labeled the Pony Express Trail. This trail is clearly marked that it is multiple use and mountain bikes are allowed. However to get to it or to finish a ride there requires carrying your bike down the PCT to the parking area or to the start of the trail. Guess what again – a lot of bikes seem to be using the PCT to access this trail or the parking lot. I would really like to talk to the planner who came up with these strategies that make it nearly impossible to comply with the National Trails System Act requirements for the PCT. The Forest Service is the federal agency that the U.S. Congress designated as the lead land management agency for the Trail. They can do a better job in this area.
I am realizing that I am always a bit depressed or even melancholy after a zero day. I do not exactly know why but it has to do with missing my other life & the difficulties of hiking every day. Seeing Liz was wonderful & made leaving more difficult. Fortunately she headed home first. Liz & I had not seen each other for about 5 weeks and that is long enough to make the heart grow fonder while also creating some unfamiliarity. While hiking up the trail I longed to be home. But I know that is not what I really desire. I am supposed to finish this thing and I plan to.
Our stinky group is dispersing & tonight we are only 6 (Sugar Daddy, Pang, Swiss Miss, Tadpole & Sunny). Everyone has different plans & schedules & we will not capture these great group dynamics ever again. But there will be new groups & new experiences as the trail keeps me focused not on the past or future but on the now.
Liz liked my Swiss friends and that made me very happy. I overheard Swiss Miss & Lucky Liz discussing a potential trip to the Alps. I heard they yodel there & I like that.

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Destination: Steve & Peggy’s cabin
Starting Location: Highway 50
Today’s Miles: 0.00
Trip Miles: 1094.10

Echo Lake / Steve & Peggy’s
Zero
When Peggy arrived I had to laugh as she unloaded an amount of food equal to or greater than what Liz brought. They had apparently compared notes before hand and then they independently added some. Egg & cheese soufflé, tater tots & smoked sausages was a distance hiker’s dream breakfast.
Reached the former girlfriend and after some interesting but unimportant talk we asked ourselves why we were having this conversation. Because we never had a chance to say goodbye. It is unusual to be able to reconcile a situation as complicated and emotional as a relationship and I am grateful for the chance to do so. After nearly two decades I would have thought that there would be no emotion attached to such things. But when things are left unsaid or I have remorse over things said or done, that little burden is always there regardless if I am conscious about it or not. I was a fortunate man to have an opportunity to love such a wonderful person and have that reciprocated. We did not know what a precious thing we had nor did we know how to nourish it. And thus it failed. But we learned, we moved on, and we got it right with our current marriages. I feel good about this situation and feel a bit freer as a result.
go-BIG

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Destination: Highway 50
Starting Location: Headwaters of Truckee River
Today’s Miles: 13.00
Trip Miles: 1094.10
Headwaters of Truckee River (1080, 8560) to Highway 50 (1093, 7220) ascent (1407) descent (2474) 13 miles NERO

Had a casual hike to the highway & there was Lucky Liz – wonderful to see her. Helped the team with logistics & headed up to Steve & Peggy’s summer cabin that overlooks Tahoe. The hospitality here is incredible with 9 hikers getting hot showers & a real bed. After cleaning up you know where we had to go – the all you can eat buffet at Harrah’s at Tahoe. They lost money on our group as we ate for 2 hours.

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Destination: Headwaters of Truckee River
Starting Location: Pennsylvania Creek
Today’s Miles: 23.10
Trip Miles: 1081.10
Pennsylvania Creek (1056.9, 8140) to Headwaters of Truckee River (1080, 8560) ascent (4754) descent (4321)

Two big days in a row. But well worth it as tomorrow we NERO. Today was likely the last day on snow that poses any real risk for this section or the hike. So naturally I almost ate it crossing a 30’ shoot. Just 10 simple steps. The run-out (where you go if you fall) was very steep & nasty & at the bottom (300 vertical feet & 1000 feet total) rocks. We were early & the snow was ice hard. Pang & Swiss Miss crossed by using mountaineering boots while kicking very narrow perches. I knew I could not kick any steps with trail running shoes but I figured they made just enough edge for me to perch on each step by turning my angle. Halfway across – step 5 – the perch for my right foot broke off. I jammed my left pole into the snow basket, dropped my right pole, and grabbed the next perch with my right hand. I know have my face on the snow, left foot on a perch, left arm up high holding a pole, right leg dangling, and right hand holding a perch. When I caught my breath & got my heart out of my throat I heard Swiss Miss say “oh no”. I was in a fix. By pulling on my left pole I was able to stand up, but that meant letting my right hand go. Now I am standing on a perch with one leg, left arm still attached to pole, right hand free, & right leg hanging with no where to put it. I was really focused. Pang dropped his pack and kicked hard enough to break his foot until he got to me. He then kicked a huge platform for my right foot. I took 5 more steps. I said thank you Pang, & he gave that wry Swiss smile & said you’re welcome go-BIG.
After pushing very hard over Elephant Back Ridge (I wanted to call Liz & heard the kiosk at Carson Pass had a phone) I met Joel (class of 2004) who was up for a weekend hike carrying a bunch of fresh fruit for any thru-hikers he met. “You must be a thru-hiker, would you like some fruit”? Best banana I ever had. Connected with Lucky Liz & set up a rendezvous for tomorrow – yippee. People from the parking lot brought over more fruit. Headed up trail & go-Daddy (bob) had left a note with soda & apples. People are so nice. The trail shows you that & I love losing some of my cynicism regarding the human race.

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Destination: Pennsylvania Creek
Starting Location: Boulder Creek
Today’s Miles: 24.60
Trip Miles: 1058.00
Boulder Creek (1032, 8600) to Pennsylvania Creek (1056.9, 8140) ascent (4419) descent (5098)

With rumors of potential trail magic at Ebbetts Pass I joined a break away group that left the peleton (cycling term for main body of cyclists in a race). We had heard lunch time was a possibility and thus we did 17 miles by 1 pm. Ouch! As we neared the pass we began to see day hikers & we inquired if they had seen anyone who was looking to bring food joy into our lives. The answer repeatedly was no. When we reached the parking lot we met some nice folks who were interested in our hike. We were talking nicely & while disappointed we were glad for the break. We were about to eat our hiker food when the women in the group said “oh you must be the hikers the people on the road are looking for. They have a whole table of food & a cooler with beer & soda.” It was so embarrassing. Rolling Thunder nearly plowed over a 12 year old, Sunny & Tadpole cut the trail as a short cut & I was running behind yelling to the nice people that it was nice to meet them but we “had” to go.
Sure enough Dick & his wife had heard Thunder was coming (he had stayed with their daughter & husband who are hiking next year) & fresh fruit, raspberry bars, soda, beer, brownies, were abundant. What luxury.
The rest of the group should have rolled in at about 3 and when they did not show we got concerned. Finally Sugar Daddy made it in and after eating was able to let us know that Pang was sick but was still walking. We waited another hour & Sunny headed back up the trail. Shortly they came in with Sunny carrying Pang’s pack. I knew that was not a good sign. I have been hiking with Pang for weeks & I have never heard a single complaint about his well being. We got Pang a soda & some fruit & he said he was feeling better. Better enough to go 7 more miles? We completely emptied his pack and distributed everything to those with capacity & ability to carry more. Sunny took most of it, & the rest of us picked up a few pounds. When Pang got into camp he went to every person and said the same thing: go-BIG thank you, Rolling Thunder thank you, Three Gallon thank you, Sugar Daddy thank you. You are welcome Pang.
We are now eight as M&M & INIKI did not want to push this hard & they are not trying to reach Tahoe by Saturday afternoon. We are having so much fun & laughing so hard that the trick is to not wet yourself. The scenery is breathtaking with huge volcanic pinnacles & open landscapes.
Three Gallon, who got his name by carrying 3 gallons of water in the Sierra, is becoming a verb. For example if you have a truly magnificent fall in the snow, mud, or a river crossing you can be credited with a great 3 gallon. This is because Three Gallon is famous for spectacular crashes. And he keeps having them because he is living at the edge and he keeps challenging his abilities. At one really steep snow slope he was skiing (on hiking shoes) with a high probability for a crash. I told Three Gallon “this is beyond our ability” & he said “yep, let’s go anyway. We both stayed up on that one but we tumbled a lot keeping pace with the birthday (24) boy Sunny.

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Destination: Boulder Creek
Starting Location: Sonora PassToday’s Miles: 14.00
Trip Miles: 1033.40
Sonora Pass (1018.3, 9620) to Boulder Creek (10323, 8600) ascent (2697) descent (3619)

My parents are the best. We (the stinky 10 now) realized we could not make it to Tahoe on our desired schedule unless we got an earlier resupply at Sonora. So I sent a message down the hill with the dinner hitch hikers to call my dad & see if they could come early. I knew that would mean an early morning for them but I did not anticipate that they would have birthday guests until 11:00 pm and their alarm would go off at 3:00 a.m. to meet our request. Because of their support we got a needed 14 miles in. We are now set up for a Saturday arrival in Tahoe. Thank you.
Mom’s diagnosis is bad. She likely has a rare form (less than 1% of the cases) of breast cancer. Treatment will entail a minimum of 6 months of chemotherapy before surgery, then a mastectomy and then more chemo. It is going to be a difficult year. I want to thank my friend who took time out of her busy oncology schedule to see my mom & provide an independent assessment. Fortunately but frustrating I know mom will get better treatment now that her primary doctor knows she has access to good information.
“You are full of blood, but now you are dead. Was it worth it?” – Sunny talking to a mosquito he had just killed while we waited for the team.
I enjoyed learning about dynamic (rope) & static (webbing) systems of mountain climbing today along with fall factor calculations as we traveled a valley lined with vertical granite walls. Sunny is a climber and a very humble & thoughtful guy. So when he casually said he was a good climber I knew immediately that he was really good. Tadpole, Sunny’s girlfriend, later confirmed that he is really, really good. Thus the great balance. He practices stringing a static line between two trees in the off season & walks across it – backwards/forward/sideways.
Saw some impressive navigation skills today from Rolling Thunder. A mountaineer from the south island of New Zealand, he looks at the map, finds the location based on the topography & only then looks at the trail. The lesson is to not “make” the topo fit the trail but let the trail fit the topo. I follow the trail on the map & note we crossed this creek or that ridge so we must be here. Thunder looks around then looks at the map & says we are “here”. And he does it in seconds. It is so neat to witness skill at that level as you recognize where you are at on the curve ^ you see the potential.
Back in Tuolumne mom pointed out that the skin over my Achilles did not look so good. I had not really noticed, but on inspection I realized that the snow had nearly completely abraded the skin. Signs of an infection were evident and I could not believe I had not noticed. It demonstrates how the mind can just turn some things (like pain or discomfort (off when it wants to. Bag balm to the rescue. A treatment every night since & the potential for infection is gone, scars have formed, & healing is taking place.
No more 13 or 12, or 11, or even 10,000 ft mountains to climb as we head north. The tall stuff is now behind us & it is all down hill towards Canada with a few ups & downs along the way.
Back at VVR I found a tube of seam seal in the hiker box. A hiker box is a box or crate or barrel located at long distance hiker hangouts that contain other hiker’s discarded items. Sometimes it is junk but often times it holds treasurers. Like seam seal. I had kicked a hole in the toe of my Montrail Hardrock shoes. Days of the snow, kicking steps to create a perch to stand on, had wore a hole completely through the toe. No complaints, these are awesome shoes & they held up well to the abuse they were not designed for. I repeatedly filled the hole, let dry & filled it again. Kicked about another 50 miles of snow steps since then & they are going strong & will get me through the end of it. Good product Montrail.
I got a bit frustrated today when I found out that no pictures were being posted to my journal. I have taken hundreds. Then I realized my gratitude needed an adjustment. While I am hiking the PCT, Lucky Liz, is managing our home, running the PCTA, transcribing my journal, downloading my photos to our home computer, ordering me gear. . . and to download photos to Trail Journals is a slow process & she has not had time. We are going to figure out a solution in Tahoe and I hope to get some photos up. Sugar Daddy showed one to my dad today of me trying to cross Mono Creek. I think the quote was something like “he really is crazy”. Anyway, people have asked to see the photos & we will figure out a way. What I would like to do is have one photo per journal entry that hopefully captures the mood or major events of the day. Stand by.
I am feeling good. Spirits are up & the body is doing well. Eating mom’s pumpkin bread with dinner tonight made me appreciate what I have. I have a lot. I do not seem to get bored hiking 12 hours a day, but I am glad when the day is over. I actually do not like breaks very much because they simply prolong the day. I dread some mornings when I wake up & realize I have only a few short minutes to lay on the hard ground but I am pretty content once moving.

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Destination: Sonora Pass
Starting Location: Cascade Creek
Today’s Miles: 18.20
Trip Miles: 1019.40
Cascade Creek (999.9, 8975) to Sonora Pass (1018.3, 9620) ascent (3930) descent (3196)

Happy Birthday America – and if you do not believe time flies & life is short consider that our bicentennial was 30 years ago. More importantly Happy Birthday Mom. You have been in my thoughts every day & every day has been full of smiles.
The dirty dozen dispersed as quickly as it formed. Mike & Herman headed to Bridgeport while Sunny, Tadpole, Sugar Daddy, Pang, Swiss Miss, 3 Gallon & Rolling Thunder hitched to Kennedy Meadows North for a shot at dinner. Iniki, M&M & I stayed here at Sonora. I know this road well as I have ridden my motorcycle over it many times, and one thing is for sure – getting a ride back up after dark could be tough. Given that it is now 8:00 & not one car has gone by for over an hour could mean those who planned to come back tonight will not make it. I really enjoyed my evening visiting with Iniki & M&M. In the larger group it was difficult to have a conversation & when the language barrier is factored in it was quite difficult. Tonight with just 3 of us we were able to have a conversation about living simply and the value of friendships. We spoke in English & with German & Spanish accents it takes concentration and effort to have a conversation. And this is a good thing as it forces me to listen. Often it is so easy to hear the words but not really hear anything. This conversation was not like that.
Today I completed a life long dream’ to hike across the entire Sierra Nevada mountain range. What an opportunity and what an experience. The transition between the glaciated granitic valleys to the volcanic soils was immediate and dramatic. And the ridge walk into Sonora Pass was incredible with 360 degrees panoramic views and an impression of being on top of the world.
Just before Sonora Pass the guide book describes “lethal” snow. It was a bit too steep to walk across safely so we dropped to our bums & slid out of harms way.
The guide book is an excellent book that describes the route but the author took way too much liberty by adding all kinds of subjective opinions & observations that distract from you having your own experience. It is a big joke among hikers – oh what peril awaits us today per the guide book. Quotes like mosquito haunted, seemingly endless switchbacks, child’s play compared to previous sections are some of our recent favorites. You know nearly anything can be lethal but I doubt very seriously if anyone has actually died on that section of the PCT – so please just describe the route.
Near Sonora Pass we began to see bamboo stakes near the trail & realized these were snowmobile boundary signs. Now this is one of the dumbest things I have seen the USFA Forest Service do. First they open up a proposed Wilderness area to snowmobiles & then when they realize the area contains the PCT and it is restricted to hiking & equestrians they decide to make the PCT the boundary for the use area. So you are riding your snowmobile in a proposed Wilderness are & when you come to the PCT you are supposed to turn around. Oh yea the trail is under snow. So they put up a few of these poles (only one was still standing) to demark the area. Everyone loses with ridiculous compromises such as this one. I support snowmobile use on public lands, but in proposed Wilderness atop a National Scenic Trail – it’s ridiculous. And by the way, how about cleaning up the garbage your signage attempt produced.
Sugar Daddy, Pang & I have taken to removing as many down trees from the trail as possible. I am not sure who started it but at first we would simply flick a branch off the trail with our hiking pole. Now we are moving some pretty big trees and if you are in front you are supposed to hurry & clear the trail so everyone else does not have to go around or go over, or go through. If they are really big we team up. 3 guys can move a pretty big tree. The other hikers look at us like we are nuts but we have the time, it is fun & we are helping a bit. Wonder if I can claim a charitable deduction?
Bridges are a wonderful thing and anticipating them relieves all kinds of anxiety. Each time we knew we had a bridge coming up I would joke that we were swimming because the bridge was out. So I started cracking up when Rolling Thunder & Sunny were heading south on the PCT and told me the bridge was out. Naturally I did not believe them & kept walking only to find the foot bridge over Cascade Creek washed down river. After the very wet crossing late in the day I was told no more jokes that come true.

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