Down in the Desert

Here's the snail-mailed blog that Nick mentioned in his last one. Enjoy!-KW

So last you heard I was enjoying the comforts of Hiker Heaven at the Saufely's in Agua Dulce. It was hard to pull myself away from such comfort knowing there were numerous desert miles ahead. I'm no fan of the desert, but it has become, to me, as a right of passage before entering the High Sierra. So far, it's proven to be a challenge.

We shoulder our packs, heavy with a full supply of food and water. It's 25 miles to Green Valley and the Andersons, another known trail angel stop. The Andersons proved to be a clutch player over the next couple of days, for they maintain 3 water caches along the dry miles to the north and south of them. One of which, the Oasis Cache, was quite a treat. Along with water they had lawn chairs, gatorades, and cold beer waiting for weary hikers. The Andersons were great. We slept in their hammocks and enjoyed taco salad for dinner and pancakes before we left in the morning. It was quite different from the Saufley's, where there was a system and everything had its place. The Anderson's was "wherever you want, anything goes." Their place, or Casa de Luna, got its name, we found, because Terrie mooned us while her husband took our picture before we left. All in all, a memorable stay.

Next stop was Hikertown on the 138, 40 miles away. We camped 16 miles in because it was more than a mile off trail to water at a remote campground. The problem came the next day when Ron and I missed a turn back to the trail. After a 4 mile round trip detour we were back on track, but our costly mistake turned a 24 mile day into 28, and 2 extra hours in the hot sun. We made it anyways and got a shower and a place to stay at Hikertown.

Richard Skaggs is a Hollywood guy working for Warner Bros. that built some western themed sets on his property so hikers could take a rest. We rested the next day with the same folk that were at the Anderson's. Me and Ron, Dan and Anna, Chase, Kirt, Monarch Lady, Mr. Chips, Get Out, and Stinky Butt.  We decided to avoid the heat and leave at 6pm that evening. The trail follows the L.A. aqueduct so it would be easy to stay on course. We made it 16 miles to Cottonwood Creek bridge at 1:30am and went to sleep. Waking up at 5:30am, we started looking for the water that we were informed was there. The creek was dry, but the guide book said we could access the aqueduct water anyway. We couldn't...everything was locked up. Luckily, Ron still had a bit of water and there was a small cache. One liter would have to last another 7 miles.

It was somewhat overcast so we decided to push on to Mojave. Not realizing it at that point, we would be moving 40 miles in one 24 hour period. After topping off our bottles at Tylerhorse Creek, we started a terribly grueling section of steep climbs on loose sand. The heat and terrain were unbearable, but we made it to the highway and after a 2 hour wait were able to get a hitch into Mojave for rest and resupply. We saw Stinky Butt just before the highway along with Dan and Anna (DNA). Then, in town, Monarch Lady, Kirt, and Chase all caught up. We all agreed the trek in was a miserable section.

The next stop is Kennedy Meadows Gateway to the Sierra. It'll be a 7 day, 140 miles section. It'll still be dry the first 2 days but will get a little easier after that. The next time you hear from me, I'll be hiking in what some say is the most beautiful area in the country. I can't wait. Goodbye desert, hello alpine wonderland.

A lot can happen in a week. One week ago I was in Mojave sorting through my resupply box and resting from a tough hike in. A week ago I was still in the desert. A week ago I wasn't in the Sierra, but now I am.

Ron, Burning Daylight, and I left Mojave last Wednesday on a 25 mile waterless stretch. There was excitement only 2 miles in when I had my first close encounter with a western diamondback rattlesnake. Without so much of a tick of its tail to warn me of its presence, I walk up within three feet of it before noticing its proximity. Taking flight, I'm surprised how high I can jump with so heavy a pack. As I touch down my terror manifests itself in a string of curses at the sneaky serpent. As Ron caught up, I apologized for my eccentric behavior, but he only thanked me for a more-than-sufficient warning of the upcoming danger. We threw some rocks close to it so it would coil for a good picture and then moved on.

It was a tough waterless hike, but we made it to Golden Oaks spring where we camped with Dan and Anna, or DNA, whom we had met at the Anderson's place. We hiked with them the next day, but then moved ahead when they went into Onyx for resupply. Up above the desert now, we made it into some nice pine forest for a while, but once again we dropped into the hot, hot Kelso valley. This section is only possible because of a couple of key water caches maintained by a local trail-loving couple. Otherwise it would be a long, scorching 35 miles of dry desert trail. The next couple of days were spent gaining altitude with the goal of Kennedy Meadows just after mile 700 and the decided gateway to the Sierra Nevada Mountains.

On our way, the trail merges with a quite popular off-roading jeep road. It leads to McIver Spring and a small abandoned cabin. When we arrived at the spring we were greeted by some off-roaders and who gave us some ice cold bottles of water, but the real trail magic happened when Rudy and the gang showed up. We were washing our clothes and getting our packs ready to go and about half a dozen dune buggy type rigs show up with a couple of dirt bikes. They had the whole family with them. It was mom and dad, big kids, little kids, grandma and grandpa and the dogs. Anyways, one of the kids starts chatting me up about the hike and dad was close behind. When he asked what was the toughest part of the hike, Burning Daylight seized the opportunity to point out how there are no cold beers along the trail. Then the dad says what every hiker on a hot trail longs to hear, "If you follow me over to the rig I got a cold beer for you."

"Well, okay," I say. That's all I needed to hear. We went over and as he reaches into the cooler I could hear the ice and water sloshing around. His hand comes up holding a cold 12 once can of Coors, a beautiful and serene sight, but this was no time to go back for the camera. As Rudy hands it to me, he jokes with his wife about the smile on my face then says, "Bet you don't keep those in your pack." I didn't answer. I had already crack the can and placed it to my lips. Immediately the cooling sensation of the cold beverage treats my body against the midday heat. Just another good "yogi" for Daylight and I. (A yogi is anytime you can aquire a luxury from someone else on trail. Named after a famous hiker, Yogi, that is particully gifted in this field).

This next day's events hastened our efforts toward Kennedy Meadows. On a high saddle overlooking the small city of Ridgecrest to the east, I notice that I had a faint cell signal and checked my messages. There was one from my friend Julie Johnson that said that she, Jaime and Liz had spent the weekend in Yosemite and would like to see me on their way back to San Diego. I spend the next couple of hours trying to get into position for a cell signal strong enough to get a hold of them. Finally we share a scratchy phone conversation and plan to meet the following day in Kennedy. The problem was that was tomorrow and that morning we started 55 miles away from the goal. That day had three tough climbs but we managed 28miles and 27 the next day to get in by 5:30 quite astonishingly enough. We even found time to jump into the South fork of the Kern River. Boy, were we tired, but I was excited to see my friends. The next few hours were spent enduring a number of jokes and verbal jabs due to the prospect of having three girls come to visit me on the trail. The ladies are quite a rare breed in this neck of the woods. Soon enough we thought the girls decided not to come, but around ten a lone car cruises the road and I go out to great them. I was excited and touched that they had come all this way as it was quite a long drive at the end of their trip. I was then nervous to invite them to the fire I was sharing with about ten other male, female-starved hikers. I was afraid I was throwing them to the wolves, but after talking a big game, the guys said very little and we had a lovely fireside conversation to catch up. It was quite a treat.

The next day was spent getting ready for the next leg. There was showers to take, laundery to do, and food to buy and eat. Musa and Boone left after breakfast. I hadn't seen them since Idyllwild. Stinky Butt and Lenny decided to stay another day and leave with us the following morning. A young Texan named Taylor has been hanging out for a bit with Adam, a firefighter from Oklahoma. Just a few minutes ago DNA got in and UK Andy arrived earlier that afternoon. DNA, Ron and I were making plans to meet up down the line, because we enjoyed their company so much. Hopefully it works out. We are all hold up at Tom's place. He runs internet for hikers and lets us sleep in his camper trailors. We barbequed last night and probably will again tonight. He's been doing this for a few years now and opperates off of donations only. Its a lot of fun, and he's a really nice guy.

The plan is to be into Lone Pine Tuesday and then Tuoloume Meadows a week after that. I'm excited because my dad said he'd come down to visit. I can't wait and the next section should be beautiful, with snow and I'll be at the highest point of the trail. Wish me luck and look for another post soon that I snail mailed off before the holiday weekend. I hope everyone had a good memorial day weekend. If you didn't go for a hike last weekend go for one this time around. I love and miss you all.

I'm in Hiker Heaven

When I set out from the beautiful high altitude forests in the San Gabriel mountains to drop into the hot, dry high desert country of the Mojave, I didn't think I would end up at the most beautiful place yet.

Leaving Wrightwood was tough. I had met Susan and Ray who were more than generous with accommodating me, and I had a lot fun with all the other hikers in town. Setting out and pulling away from the Old Ridge Runner, I quickly came across Burning Daylight, Ron, a retired cop from Marietta and Stinky Butt a 27 year old San Diegan. Ron's and my paces seemed to match nicely so we spent the next few days hiking into Agua Dulce together. A day in we were headed up Mnt. Baden Powell, a 9000 ft peak. I was told that on a clear day you can see all the way to Catalina Island, but the smog of the LA basin disappointed my hope of gazing out to the sea. There was a bit of snow on the way up, but it was soft enough to easily kick steps without much hazard.

Up and down for the next two days, Stinky Butt came and went from Ron and I, hiking quickly but stopping early. There was a bit of a road hike on acount of some rare frogs that had a section of the trail closed off. It felt like we logged a lot of miles because the highway is a little more direct than the trail can be. The next day we did log a bunch of miles, 27 in fact, on acount of our water sources being so spread out. But soon we would be to Agua Dulce for rest and relaxation at Hiker Heaven.

True story first: A mile or so from Agua Dulce, Ron and I came across a large congregation of trailors and trucks that we decide is a movie set in the Vasquez Rocks. We both know that movie sets tend to have huge spreads of food for cast and crew so we move in to investigate. No one questions us and we get in line and pick up plates. As we are dishing up, we chit chat with some crew member and he gives us the go-ahead. What a feast, stuffed trout, chicken breasts, bbq burgers, salad bar, fresh friut and cheese cake for dessert. I ate till I was sick and it was the slowest mile walk into Agua Dulce that day.

Agua Dulce is the hometown of Jeff and Donna Saufely. They run Hiker Heaven and are maybe the most famous trail angels along the way. Its obvious why. They give you a room in their trailor/ guest house and wash your clothes. Donna even set us up with their friend Bill that gave us a ride into the nearest REI for weight saving exchanges and can't-get-anywhere-else purchases. They are so sweet and seem to really enjoy having every hiker they can get. There are about seven of us here now, ORR, Chase, Atlas, Strider, the usual gang from the last couple of towns. There's also Burning Daylight, Kirt, Monarch Woman, and Stinky Butt. We're going out for pizza tonight and Monarch Woman wants to play cards later. Sometimes in peak season, they said they have as many as fifty hikers stay for the night.

It will be even tougher to leave HH tomorrow morning than it was to leave Wrightwood. I'm not excited for the week of hot, dry miles ahead, but the anticipation of beginning the high Sierra country is a strong motivation. Hopefully in less that two weeks I'll be in Kennedy Meadows and crossing freezing snow melt streams and racing up snowy, steep passes. In John Muir's The Mountains of California, he speaks of the region with religious intensity and romance. He says, "In every walk with nature, one recieves far more than what he seeks." Although, I don't know exaclty what I seek, I can't wait to recieve it. So far I have been blessed with health and wonderful people along the way, which is as much as I could ask for. Everything else is a bonus.

1. Ron trailname: Burning Daylight
2. Big Bear Lake
3. Sunsets, yeah!
4. A much needed foot soak at Whitewater Creek.
5. I'm not sure exactly where this pic is from but I like it.

Pics, Pics, Pics

1. Skivies, Atlas, and Hollywood in the Yoddler in Wrightwood, Ca. Skivies and Hollywood are from Cal Baptist University hiking to raise money for wells in India.
2. Lizard on a PCT marker. I really like this one.
3. Left to right: Chase, The Old Ridge Runner, and me leaving Big Bear at Van Dusen Road.
4. Mae dropping me off to start the hike up Mount San Jacinto from Idyllwild after the Kick-off weekend.
5. Left to right: Me, Mike, Jared, and Richard- trailname RCBIII. Friends come to visit during the kick-off weekend.

Big Bear to Mountain High

I made it to Wrightwood after a lot of fun in Big Bear, though the hike to Mountain High had a few ups and downs. It started out great with a ride to the trailhead from George. There were beautiful views of Big Bear Lake, and RR, Chase, and I stayed pretty close together due to a couple of wrong turns by Chase and myself. Back on trail, things got a little depressing as we hiked through miles of wildfire burnt forests. Following Deep Creek's long canyon we moved past Mojave Dam the next day.

The following day proved to be the longest mileage yet. I had hiked about 23 miles, separating from Ridge Runner a bit. As I was considering making camp for the night, I met Skivies and Hollywood, two college Juniors from Cal Baptist who are hiking to raise money at churches along the trail for fresh water wells in India. Very cool.  They asked if I wanted to continue another 6 miles to Highway 138 and a Best Western. Tempted by my new friends and the thought of a cheap hotel stay with showers and breakfast, I pressed on. Exhausted, I completed mile 29 around 7pm. 

Two days later and almost 5,000 feet higher, I hitched into Wrightwood with a semi-trucker working on a paving operation on the highway. In town I was reunited with Chris, RR, and the Cal Baptist boys. There I met Susan at the library, who said that I could stay for free at her family's house, so I decided to stay another day and enjoy a day off with the wonderful people I had met.

I'll set out tomorrow morning with the next stop being Agua Dulce, which is a famous hiker hot spot and Trail Angle Location. There is some detour up ahead because of some rare frog or toad, so I might have to do some road walking. Anyways, I should be there by Wednesday where I will try and write again.

Oh, I almost forgot...days back I ran into Ancient Brit, an older English chap. We actually first met in Julian and were reunited close to Deep Creek's natural hot springs. Ancient Brit is a bit of a character; hiking only in a loin clothe thing, which I unfortunately discovered by catching up to him on a blustery day. He's quick to offer plenty of advice and proud to mention the injuries overcome to complete the trail twice before, both in 2002 and 2006. He was also quite fond of going "costumeless" at the hot springs. Just one of the wonderfully interesting people to meet on this trail. I'm quite pleased to be learning that the charm of the trail is not he scenery or wildlife, but the people that are met along the way.

Kick-off

*Note: I think I am a little behind Nick on this one. To no surprise, snail mail proves to be much slower than Nick's pace. Enjoy!-KW

We headed South for the kick-off Thursday morning. Chris and Mae had to stop in Palm Springs to pick up a bike, and since it was their camper we were all riding in, there were no complaints. It was me, ORR, Chase (The Virginian), Jim, Strider, and of course, Chris (Fox Sparrow) and Mae. 

Arriving at Lake Morena Campground we were quickly checked in and off to our designated campsites. To my surprise, little happened that night. Some southbounder had told me there would be wild excitement along with food and free beer. Unfortunately, that never panned out. I did get to see Mike Thursday night and again Saturday morning, along with Richard and Jared. It was awesome to see them. I have missed everyone like you wouldn't believe, so it was just wonderful to see some of my friends along the trail. 

Other than that, the kick-off itself was pretty cool. There were vendors peddling their wares. There were presentations on hiking through the bear country, snow and water reports, and a gear contest. Most interesting of all were the people. As I have mentioned, the community of people surrounding this trail is a fascinating bunch and kick-off is like this family's Thanksgiving dinner. I met hikers I heard and read about, along with other veterans and first timers. There were trail angels making sure everyone knew where to find them on the trail. There is definitely the sense that everyone is taking care of you along the way.

Well, I'll be in Big Bear on Thursday where I'll probably stay around Friday to check the PO and take a shower. My clothes could use a good washing too.

Back on the Trail Again

It was wonderful to have a couple of days to relax at the Idyllwild state park. It was even more fun to take a Winnebago trip to the PCT Kick-off in Lake Morena. But after so many days off, it was high time to get back on the trail and get some miles under my feet. Come Sunday morning I was anxious to get started. I had a steep climb back up Devil's Slide trail from Idyllwild to the high ridges of Mnt. San Jacinto. I had hit plenty of snow on the way into Idyllwild and the north slope of the mountain, Fuller Ridge, was rumored to be even more traitorous. It did not disappoint.

I hit the snow a little before noon with ice ax in hand and gators strapped up high. It was the perfect time to start across because the snow had just become soft enough to kick sturdy secure steps without sinking through to the thigh. As I continued over the white stuff, around the northeasterly mountain rim, the day warmed and the latter quickly became the norm. I soon labored with high steps and unstable footings. It made for a sluggish pace. To make things more interesting, the snowy path sometimes ceased under direct sunlight and far from the beaten trail I had to bushwhack up or down the slope to the trail. I barely escaped the snowy ridge before nightfall, and had only logged 14 miles for the whole day. It was tough but I enjoyed the feeling of accomplishment completing the almost technical section.

The next day, dropping some 8000 ft to the valley floor, I had completed the same mileage of the day before by just past noon. I caught up to Old Ridge Runner by then, who had walked a number of road miles with Chase the day before to skip the snowy section. Across the desert valley and 35 to 40 mph winds to I- 10, we eventually caught up to Chase and made camp near a giant wind farm. Sleeping in the midst of giant windmills there are the constant sounds of whistles and whines that can't help but conjure up thoughts of spirits and ghosts. Fortunately exhaustion prevails against any possible worry or concern, and sleep provides a convenient escape from both.

The next two days, like the last, were 20+ mile days leaving only a short 9 mile hike to Highway 18 on Thursday morning. The allure of town and corresponding amenities hastened my pace and I covered the morning mileage in only a couple hours hike. Hitching in with two welders on their way to a job, I quickly found a place to eat and then the Nature's Inn. Recommended to me by an ancient looking hiker Billy Goat, whom I had passed the day before, it opened its hiker room to me which I enjoyed all to myself for no other hikers passed through that day. That night I went to a local sports bar to enjoy game six of the Chicago/ Boston series, which turned out to be a doozy, and met a delightful couple George and Jenny Deisler. We enjoyed wonderful conversation through the second half and the three overtimes. They were so nice to let me in on important information about their small town and were personable and curious about my trip and background. They even gave me a ride back to the inn following the end of the game, which was well beyond the hours of the local transit system.

It has been very interesting to jump in and out of towns. How intriguing it has been to see such a stark opposition between the things I read in the newspaper and the people I encounter. Catching snippets of media, maybe once a week, its easy to see a collective disapproval of our society's direction, contempt for the people that "run" it, and a generally depressed attitude toward any sort of remedy effort. Yet on a personal level, I am continually blessed by the smallest of social interactions between complete strangers. Even today as I walked to the library, a young man named Ian stopped in his mustang, which could barely contain my large pack, and gave me a ride the rest of the way here. I wasn't hitching or anything. He just thought I could use a ride. I understand that failing economies, scandals, and outbreaks profoundly shape peoples lives, however they hold no bearing on how people should be treated. Its refreshing to see that on a daily basis removing these propagated stories can refresh a view and a love for the individual. Its unfortunate that so often in a more conventional daily life, bombarded by a very strong media presence, we can be so smothered by imaginary ideologies of politic or boarder and incomprehensible processes of market or virus that we sometimes miss out on the very tangible everyday encounter with another somebody. Face to face there are no markets, no boarders, no politics.

Quote: "Life is a prayer." George Deisler