Robert Francisco

Destination: Trapper Creek Campground
Starting Location: Shelter Cove
Today’s Miles: 0.00
Trip Miles: 1913.30
Trapper Creek Campground – Zero

I got up early with the hikers who were heading to Canada. My leg is absolutely trashed and I hobbled to the outhouse. Not wanting to be there when they walked off, I said quick goodbyes & wished my friends luck on their journey. The scene was awkward until Thunder over dramatized the situation and we all laughed. I slowly walked over to the resort, ordered a latte, and called Lucky Liz. I thought I was okay but when I explained the situation I began to cry. I have worked so hard to get here. She was great as always and agreed to come pick me up, and take me to Sisters, Oregon in hopes I can walk again after 5 days rest. Called mom & dad as well and they were quick to point out that “we” will finish next year if need be. Mom had been real sick again due to dehydration after chemo but she is fighting hard & staying positive.
Bill and Karen, the Trapper Creek camp hosts, helped me move to a smaller spot, brought me a chair so I could elevate my leg, and told me to hobble over at 5 pm for a BBQ steak dinner.
Before dinner, Bill said grace and asked God for some help with healing my leg so I could continue my journey. I quietly said amen and did not feel awkward at all. I figured any potential help was certainly welcome.
New York steak, fried potatoes, corn on the cob, & salad were served to perfection & we enjoyed a nice evening. Karen commented that she knew I had to be totally bummed as my friends hiked on and she was glad they were able to fill in a small part of the void I must be feeling. Great people – thank you.
As I write this I reach over from the picnic table and pick perfectly ripe huckleberries by the handful. They are delicious and remind me that everything is exactly as it is supposed to be.
My hike had turned into a journey where as my life would start over after Manning Park. It was as if I was on an ocean and if I did not get there (to shore) I would most certainly perish at sea. At some point today I realized I was still on land. Yes, I am bummed beyond compare. However sometimes in life it is how you deal with disappointment that really develops you as a person. My hike may be over for 2006 but I am not done with any aspect of my life, so I will move on. A friend used to tell me that “out of seemingly bad, always comes good – always”. This setback will be no different.
I know for sure that even if I get back on the trail this year I will not be able to keep pace with my friends. So I will not try because they would slow down and potentially jeopardize their hikes. And I would have to skip ahead to do so. I plan to go to McKenzie Pass with Liz, pick up the gang & go to Sisters. Then I will rest another day & evaluate. From Shelter Cove, Elk Lake Resort is 44 miles and I may try to do that section in say 3 days as a test to my legs ability to carry me & my ability to endure a bit of discomfort.
Bill is learning to play the fiddle and practices each evening. He is pretty rough but he plays away & watching his efforts reminds me that it is the trying that is important. At this point I have given it my best shot and I will continue to do so. I could sure use some good luck about now as well.

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Destination: Shelter Cove
Starting Location: Shelter Cove Resort
Today’s Miles: 0.00
Trip Miles: 1913.30
Shelter Cove – Zero

Sunny, Tadpole the hippo, & Rolling Thunder opted to take a day off as well in hopes my leg would miraculously heal. We stayed at the Trapper Creek federal campground adjacent to Shelter Cove Resort. Everyone slept a lot, organized gear, and called friends & loved ones. I was down most of the day as I came to realize I would not be able to push on tomorrow. I can barely walk without a pack and the pain is excruciating. The bruise option looks nearly impossible at this point.
Chris & Gina, section hikers from Australia who we have met several times before, joined us in the afternoon. Tracker also showed up after spending a few slower days hiking with his father. Gina described a remarkably similar injury she suffered last year after hiking all of California. Her diagnosis was unfortunately a stress fracture and the consensus is growing that my injury is likely as serious.
The people in the campground are wonderful & we easily secured a ride to Willamette Pass to pick up take out pizza. We had a bit of a party but it felt more like a wake to me.

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Destination: Shelter Cove Resort
Starting Location: Summit Lake
Today’s Miles: 18.20
Trip Miles: 1913.30
Summit Lake (1894, 5510) to Shelter Cove Resort (1912.2, 5003) ascent (1998) descent (2762)

Toughest miles of the entire trip with 12 miles of down hill. My stubbornness was either an asset or a liability today. Yes I made it in – good. Yes I am now totally broken physically – I can not walk. My doctor who I talked with on the telephone has two possible diagnoses. One – a bruised shin resulting in a subsurface hematoma that is irritated by walking – painful, but not a huge deal. Two – stress fracture to the tibia or fibia that is causing a hematoma because of bleeding around the break. Big damn problem & potential deal breaker. Tomorrow I rest and maybe even pray a bit. Double damn.
Oh yea, the scenery was nice when I looked up.

Destination: Summit Lake
Starting Location: Before Howlock Trail Today’s Miles: 30.50
Trip Miles: 1895.10
Howlock Trail (1863.5, 7057) to Summit Lake (1894.0, 5510) ascent (1859) descent (3110)

With my teeth clenched and breathing through my nose I limped the last eight miles into camp. Somehow a simple day went very bad. Coming down a hill around mile 20 I felt a slight pain in my right shin. It felt like a shin splint and I slowed down a bit. Two miles later I was limping and in a lot of pain. 800 mg of vitamin I took the sharpest edge off, but it hurt really bad and I winced on each step of the down hills. Have no idea what the problem is but it is not going away quickly, of that I am sure. Damn.

Destination: Before Howlock Trail
Starting Location: Past Rim Drive Today’s Miles: 21.50
Trip Miles: 1864.60
Past Rim Drive (1842, 7057) to Before Howlock Trail (1863.5, 7306) ascent (4173) descent (3970)

Truthfully, my balls were in my throat as I pulled myself up the last 80 feet of Mt Thielsen Pinnacle Summit. Sunny, an accomplished climber, had advised us to not go up anything without looking to ensure we could get ourselves down, and Rolling Thunder gave me a 10 second lesson on 3 points of contact at all times. I would have never tried this alone but my friends helped me summit a route that is reported to be the toughest scramble in Oregon. Both Sunny & Thunder were surprised the route was advertised as not needing ropes and commented that it was as difficult as you would want to without rope safety. And it was awesome! I was so excited as I summated first while Thunder coached me on the route from below. Then came Thunder & Tadpole who was being coached by Sunny. The 4 of us on top of an amazing pinnacle of rock. I will never forget this experience and those who helped me achieve something I did not think I could do.
The quote of the day: Tadpole – “what if farting was considered attractive?” Sunny – “Then you would be a super model”.
New Balance shoes are not making the grade on this hike. In the desert they were okay but were shot at 400 miles. In the rough volcanic rocks of Oregon my current pair is trashed after 200 miles. The Montrail Hardrocks, that Thunder is wearing, in contrast are wearing great I will switch to Hardrocks in Sisters and anticipate 1 pair will take me across all of Washington.
We talked a lot today about where we each draw our ethical lines & how the decisions are made. I decided not to camp on the rim of Crater Lake as it is against park rules. In contrast I crossed a fire closure area & I camped at Deep Creek (also prohibited). Each one of these decisions was completely conscious. I do not feel good about being selective regarding which rules I follow yet I will continue to do so. I think being mindful is the key while evaluating my own ethics in each situation that comes up. Once again a continuum of options is available & we each choose our own spot on the continuum which we are comfortable with.

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Destination: Past Rim Drive
Starting Location: Crater Lake Trailhead Today’s Miles: 11.60
Trip Miles: 1843.10
Mazama (1830.4, 6108) to Past Rim Drive (1842.0, 7057) ascent (2690) descent (1660)

The Rim Trail around Crater Lake was a highlight of this trip & the PCT. What a beautiful lake – the blue is so blue it is hard to describe & Wizard Island, the volcano inside the caldera, is simply cool.
Met a motorcyclist on the rim who had come from Prudhoe Bay Alaska on his way home to Argentina. We said he was crazy and he returned the compliment.
I learned about a Bassoon from the Hippo who plays one. How cool is that. It has two reeds, is a woodwind, and is difficult to play. It also closely matches the range of the human voice.
We stopped at the Rim Lodge in our formal hiker wear. We ordered salads with candied walnuts & crumbled cheese along with seafood chowder. We ate on the deck and smiled broadly at everyone wearing expensive polo shirts who looked at us with distaste. It is our National Park also – maybe even more so.
go-BIG

Destination: Crater Lake Trailhead
Starting Location: Water before Honeymoon
Today’s Miles: 22.40
Trip Miles: 1831.50
Water before Honeymoon Creek (1808, 6650) to Crater Lake Trailhead (1830.4, 6108) ascent (2425) descent (2838)

Wow. Barney & Sandy built up an incredible amount of good trail karma for their 2007 attempt. They thought of everything (extra clothes for while we showered, laundry soap, shampoo…) & then they treated us to a wonderful buffet dinner at the Mazama Restaurant. The food was excellent, the generosity incredible & the formation of new friendships was wonderful.
Lucked out & reached Liz who was supposed to be at the Outdoor Retailer show but cancelled as air travel was apparently a complete nightmare. As our feel good security confiscated water bottles. We had a lovely chat. I told her about our house plans and she was excited to see the drawings. She told me about taking some friends hiking along with their 7 & 10 year old daughters. Sounds like they had a magical trip & the 7 year old said that she loved the wilderness. The 10 year old said she wanted to spend the night next time. All right – let’s get the next generation out here; it is good for the people & the land and likely our only hope for a sustainable future.
Nice hiking today with Sandy & Barney who thought we waked a wee bit fast. They are both very interesting people who you just want to spend more time with. Barney is very active in scouting and I was so encouraged to hear how his local program does not promote discrimination as articulated by the national leadership. Hearing first hand accounts of Muslims & Jews participating in scouting together warmed my heart & I am grateful to men like Barney who are giving their time to promote such tolerance while drawing an appropriate boundary. Sandy is a high school biology teacher and I could not help but think “where was that passion & dedication at my high school?” Maybe it was there & I was blind. Regardless teachers like Sandy rock!
I am really enjoying hiking with Sunny, Tadpole the hippo & Thunder. We all get along swell & the decision making is super collaborative & flexible. I miss Pang, Swiss Miss & Sugar Daddy & should see them tomorrow.

Destination: Water before Honeymoon
Starting Location: Highway 140
Today’s Miles: 27.40
Trip Miles: 1809.10
Highway 140 (1780.6, 498.4) to Water before Honeymoon (180.8, 6650) ascent (3927) descent (2247)

Being self conscious about my half burned off beard I walked through the forest thinking of solutions. And the forest provided the answer – lichen. I took a big bunch and worked it into my beard – kind of like adding synthetic hair to corn rows. It must have been a huge success based on the number of photos taken once I rejoined the group. On the trail you must be able to improvise. I removed my beard piece and put it in a safe place so I can readily apply in Crater Lake in order to blend in with the summer vacation crowd.
I have been hearing about Bonnie & Sandy for nearly six weeks from Thunder. They hosted him in San Diego, and Sandy’s parents Dick & Irene provided us magic way back at Ebbets Pass. Given we are supposed to meet them today I sought to verify that Bonnie is the woman & Sandy is the guy right? Who is Bonnie, his name is Bonnie Thunder replied and his wife’s name is Sandy. Okay a guy named Bonnie? Finally Sunny helped out and reminded me that our friend from the south island of New Zealand does not pronunciate “R’. And thus I was prepared to meet out trail angels Barney & Sandy.
Not knowing what trail they might hike in on, Thunder took the Sky Lakes Trail & Sunny, Tadpole & I stayed on the PCT. We got it right and thus got the homemade chocolate cookies before Thunder arrived. We are all camped together & will hike into Crater Lake where Barney & Sandy will help us tremendously with our resupply needs.
The trail broke out of the trees today and we had a beautiful ridge walk where we could still view out old friend Mt Shasta. We have been seeing that volcano for nearly 3 weeks now & today should have been our last view. I am going to miss her but falling from view signals northern progress.
Met my first government official on the trail today. It took 1805 miles. Super nice guy monitoring the trail conditions & ensuring forest rule compliance. He commented that they see very few problems with PCT hikers & that made me happy. Didn’t even ask for our permits & sent us on our way with warm wishes for a successful journey.
Met some long distance section hikers today and noted a phenomenon we have seen before. The woman was really beat up with bad blisters and we easily recognized the painful walk. When we asked how far they were going they commented that they “had” to make it to Cascade Locks. We suggested they consider slowing down in order to let her feet heal and they repeated that they had to make ti to Cascade Locks because that was the plan and they needed to hike 21 miles per day to do it. Now we are all obviously goal driven as we head to Canada but these aggressive section hikers seem even more so. Go to Sisters or Timberline Lodge – do 15 miles & enjoy yourselves more. Our group does not have to be to Canada on any particular day & I am really glad about that as we are driven but more flexible. We came to a nice spot and someone suggested we stop. Everyone thought that was a swell idea. About 15 minutes later the injured hiker walked by with 3 more miles to go that she “had” to do.
Foot seemed better today even if only slightly – good sign. I have slowed my pace & am soaking my foot when possible.
Shooter wanted to interview us and so we waited after two hours of hiking. Unfortunately we forget how fast we hike and after waiting 40 minutes we moved on. Rainskirt later told us Shooter turned back after about 5 miles. We had gone nearly 7 miles in two hours before our first break. Hiking machines. We entered Oregon Tuesday (4 days ago with a half day off in Ashland) and we have walked 20% of the state.

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Destination: Highway 140
Starting Location: Hyatt Lake Today’s
Miles: 30.40
Trip Miles: 1781.70
Hyatt Lake (1750.2, 5090) to Highway 140 (1780.6, 4984) ascent (3835) descent (3901)

I used to have a , albeit pathetic, hiker beard. Then Sunny asked me to blow out Tadpole the hippo’s alcohol stove. Now I have some sort of reverse goatee.
The guide book suggests that no one would choose to hike section B of Oregon because it is uninteresting. Bull. What a great trail through a second growth forest and across jumbled lava fields. The walking was easy & the miles pass easily.
Shooter, who is filming a documentary, was at highway 140 when we arrived. He was looking for Rainskirt (Inaki) who was with us. He is going to follow us in the morning and film our friend from Spain. He joined us in camp but not before running Thunder to the country store for soda, beer & chips. Surprise soda tastes so good on the trail.
Lucky Liz & I own a beautiful piece of property in Mt Shasta City. I have been indecisive regarding building a home there because I was nervous about the crazy land appreciation and how much equity we would tie up. Lucky, like always, has been steady in her resolve that we should build our home on this piece of property. This trip has convinced me of the same thing and now that the fear is gone I am wildly excited. So for about a week I have been designing a home in my head. Then I got smart and got the team working on it. Four heads are better than one, and Sunny in particular has a lot of experience. We have been working on this project for two straight days. Hours of brainstorming & even more hours putting the good ideas together into a comprehensive home. We hope to be able to afford a log house and that is what we are designing but it could be modified to accommodate conventional stick framing if needed. Our criteria has included everything from energy efficiency to snow loading requirements, and our design is totally cool & extremely simple. I can see this home & hope we live in it one day soon.
More bee stings today but fortunately I was spared. My sting from yesterday itches like crazy & Sunny has the same thing going on. My foot is about the same but a cocktail of vitamin I and Aleeve kept me walking 12 hours & 30 miles. Same plan for tomorrow.

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Destination: Hyatt Lake
Starting Location: Ashland Today’s Miles: 23.60
Trip Miles: 1751.30
Ashland (1726.6, 4240) to Hyatt Lake (1750.2, 5070) ascent (1800) descent (600)

After 1700 miles and many attempts at polite conversations with mountain bikers Rolling Thunder took an abbreviated dialog approach.
Rolling Thunder: Do you know this is the PCT and mountain bikes are not allowed? Mountain Biker: Yes.
Rolling Thunder: Then why are you here?
Mountain Biker: I did not expect to see any hikers & if cows are allowed in this area I should be as well.
Rolling Thunder: So basically you are a selfish prick.
At that point the biker turned around and rode off. Tadpole the hippo, Sunny & I were a bit surprised by Thunder’s harsh words but he explained that it had been taking 15 minutes to come to this conclusion during previous encounters &, well, he simply did not want to waste time & thus went directly to the obvious conclusion. For additional impact and intimidation I took out my camera & snapped a photo as the biker rode off talking under his breath.
Foot is pretty sore & I am walking with my shoes completely loosened to take pressure off the instep. I am unsure if this is an injury or a new shoes pressure point issue. Walking slower does help & I will continue that tactic. Vitamin I does nothing for the pain so it is not an inflammation issue. I am going to try Aleeve tomorrow to see if that helps. These types of issues are troublesome & make me nervous as you never know how minor or serious they are & thus I worry a lot.
Today we talked about how nonprofits are governed, what is staff’s role, etc relative to the board’s roles. How do organizations like the Nature Conservancy get so far over an ethical & potentially legal line as they executed questionable conservation easements that provided huge tax advantages while providing no public benefit. Our conclusion, like nearly all subjects that are fully explored, suggested that while there may be black & there may be white most things fall along a grey gradient. We saw a for sale sign during this conversation & I asked the group if it would be appropriate for a nonprofit to help secure an easement or own the property fee title as a way to protect the trail. Everyone agreed this was appropriate & very white. Okay then, how about we buy the property, secure a great trail route through it, and then sell the remainder for a profit & use the proceeds to purchase another parcel that would benefit the trail. Now we are getting a bit grey and the process begins.
Three bee stings today. Sunny got 2 & I got one. Benadryl is my friend and as the histamines began to fire, the antihistamine drug began to buck the production. I got a bit light headed but recovered pretty quickly. Sunny’s hurt like mad, he actually cursed, but he had no reaction.

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