Hi all,
It's been an exciting week on the trail. Dan and and I have adopted the team name SNAFU (Situation Normal All F-d Up.) The week started out with Dan and I making an attempt on Fuller Ridge on Sunday. It was probably one of the worst days to attempt this section of the trail. We woke up with freezing temperatures and overcast skies camped outside of Idyllwild. As we made our approach toward the ridge line, a full fledged blizzard developed. Dan and I found ourselves struggling to find the buried trail and we got lost for several hours. Temperatures were plummeting and I found myself dangerously unprepared for the conditions. After an hour or so wondering around in the woods, we realized that our footsteps were also quickly disappearing. After a couple of hours of wondering and still unable to find the trail, we made the decision to head down off the mountain and back into Idyllwild to regroup. Thankfully, after very careful trial and error, Dan and I were able to find the trail we took up the mountain and gradually make our descent. After starting the hike around 7:00am, we arrived where we began at 6:00pm. After an exhausting day, we drank hot coffee in the coffee shop in town and camped out in the campground for the night. Here's a few texts from my friend Pete who dropped us off in Idyllwild and who was monitoring the storm from town:
1.) Yo message me when you make it out ok? I know u 2 are gonna be exhausted.
2.) Urgent. all pct hikers are skipping this section. search n rescue is looking 4 people up there! Get down now!
The rest of the week has been great. The folks in Idyllwild were terrific. Many people offered Dan and I rides throughout the day. We received rides to and out of town the first time we extended our thumbs. Once I finally reached the PCT on Monday, the descent out of San Jacinto State Park toward the I-10 was fantastic. Temperatures increased and wildflowers were exploding all the way to the desert floor. We passed the wind farm just outside of Joshua Tree National Park. We spent an insanely windy evening cowboy camped outside the wind turbines listening to their ghostly howl through the night. We've irritated several rattlesnakes, already. In fact, one beautiful white rattlesnake took a nap in the shade of a sage bush and I accidentally placed my hiking pole right between it's curled up body. Thankfully he still seemed lethargic in the late morning, and did not attempt a strike despite my clearly invading it's personal space. Dan and I camped along the White River watching the full moon rise above the canyon. We've met and befriended several thruhikers already. We found ourselves attempting to solve a mystery involving several hundred dollars worth of abandoned gear near Mission Springs. We night hiked with the aid of the full moon with our new friend Jackalope. We drank an afternoon beer with a father, his two sons, and their grandfather who had an uncanny resemblance to Uncle Jesse from the Dukes of Hazard, near Coon Cabin sharing stories of the outdoors. We saw lions, tigers and bears (no, really) as the trail passed an animal refuge that takes care of retired Hollywood animal actors and allows them to live out their final days sleeping in cages. Finally, we have found ourselves staying in a fantastic hostel in the town of Big Bear Lake, taking a well deserved rest, and catching up with our fellow hikers whom we have crossed paths with earlier in the week. So far it's been a great week. We resupply on Tuesday and make our way toward Wrightwood.
Michael., I will send you some pictures in the mail Tuesday. Talk to you all soon...
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Saturday, May 29, 2010
On His Way
I haven't heard from Mark yet, and unless he's had an encounter with a Flying Squirrel Bear, I think it's safe to assume he's happily on the trail and not looking back this time. I hope to have more soon.
Monday, May 24, 2010
Lost!
Now that Lost! is finally through and all of the Island's mysteries were finally revealed and we can move on with our lives comfortable in the revelations that at last we know what the Dharma Initiative was, why babies couldn't be born on the Island, the reason for all the time travel, what Widmore was after, why Hurley could see dead people, and all the rest, what better summer drama to turn our attention to than Mark's long hike up the backbone of the West Coast. I promise to have more posts on the PCT soon now that I no longer have to worry what happened to Walt, or who built the frozen donkey wheel and the giant Egyptian statue, or the significance of the numbers on the Hatch, who were the Others, and so on. So glad it was all cleared up.
More posts to come once I have some time, and hopefully word from Mark.
More posts to come once I have some time, and hopefully word from Mark.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Hotel California
Just wanted to call attention to Hikestrong 2010 one last time before heading out. Hopefully, each dollar raised will go towards coming one step closer to finding a cure for cancer. It's an honor to be a part of a hiking community in which so many of the participants are using their hikes to try and make a difference in the world. Remember that Dan has also joined Hike for Haiti in which hikers are trying to make a difference in the lives of the people affected by the earthquake a few months ago by raising funds.
Anyways, sorry for the interruption Michael. You can take it away, and thanks everybody for reading...
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Inquiring Minds Want To Know
Mark, now that you will be starting the trail in Idyllwild, a couple questions:
1. How will you get there?
2. How will you meet up with Dan?
3. When is your first supply drop and have you adjusted your pack accordingly?
4. What happens when you get to Canada? Is it back to Idyllwild and down to Mexico or the opposite? And how will you get there? Is Dan going to rehike that part with you? (Is this too many questions for one bullet point?)
1. How will you get there?
2. How will you meet up with Dan?
3. When is your first supply drop and have you adjusted your pack accordingly?
4. What happens when you get to Canada? Is it back to Idyllwild and down to Mexico or the opposite? And how will you get there? Is Dan going to rehike that part with you? (Is this too many questions for one bullet point?)
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Kern River
Thursday, May 13, 2010
I'm a Free Man
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
5-12-10
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