Happy Trails Slim Jim

I talked to Zac yesterday from the Whitehouse Landing Wilderness Camp. This is a small place where you can get a bite and a dry place to sleep. It was about a mile off the trail along side a lake. He had to sound an air horn at the dock and the owner came and picked him up in his boat and took him back across the lake to the lodge. There was no electricity there except in the kitchen. That was supplied by a wind turbine generator. It was a nice change considering the night before he was in a lean to playing host to a herd of mice that were after the food in his pack. He said that there were mice everywhere. He could hear and feel them dancing around on his sleeping bag in the pitch dark all through the night. Hard way to end a long day of walking in the rain with a swollen ankle and sore knees. The next day his ankle was hurting more and he was finding it harder than ever to walk the shortest of distances. This part of the trail is covered with large roots and deep ruts. Zac said it was like doing a tire drill in football practice only with smaller tires and deeper holes. He needs to average about 20 to 25 miles a day to beat the snows in the White Mountains and make it back to Georgia by Christmas. The pain he was having caused him to make a decision that he struggled with for days. Not being able to walk as far each day meant he was not going to make the miles he needed to beat the coming snows in New Hampshire. He told me that he was going to call it quits for now and try it again next year. He is catching a flight home tomorrow and will be arriving in Atlanta around 11:30 P.M. I could tell he was tearing up some when he was telling me he could not go on anymore. He said that he felt like he was letting everyone down and asked me to tell people following his blog that he was sorry. He was very depressed and feeling defeated. I told him that he has not let anyone down and he needs to concentrate on his great accomplishments. Hiking the PCT was a fantastic adventure and he took all of us along with him. I told him it was not a defeat, it was only a postponement. I think he understood what I was trying to tell him but he still feels awful about it. Thank you again for all of your support and letters. There are still videos to come as well and updates on Zac's plans.

First night on the AT

I spoke with Zac this morning and he was on his second day on the AT. He had to reach the start of the trail on the top of Mt. Katahdin. This was approximately 5 miles from Baxter State Park. Then, he could start the journey south. He reached the top at 10:45. His goal was the get back down and out of Baxter Park before it got too dark. If he was unable to get out of the park it would cost 30 dollars to camp. He camped just on the outskirts of the park. Unfortunately, his head lamp batteries died and he had to set up his tent in the dark. He was too tired to eat much. He was able to stop a store today and pick up some new batteries and he will have some light tonight. Unlike the PCT, there are numerous lean to type shelters that will keep him from sleeping in the rain. He said he had passed by a few northbound through hikers that were almost through with their own trek. I am sure was remembering his own excitement when he was that close to the Canadian border. He said he had received some valuable information about trail conditions ahead. The trail has many roots and rock ledges to maneuver over and around. The going is slow. His foot was giving him some problems and he was not sure how far he was going to go today. He wanted to make it at least to the lean to shelter at Rainbow Springs. You can follow along if you go to postholer.com, click the AT and you can get an idea of where he is.

If you want to send him a note or package the nearest address is: (send by tomorrow to make sure it gets there on time)
Zac Finley AT hiker
c/o Shaws Lodging
P.O. Box 72
Monson, Maine 04464

Eastside!

Last night I arrived to the day's final destination after having being on the move for over 12 hours from Bozeman, Montana. The day's travels ended in Millinocket, Maine, a very small town with a friendly local community where everyone seems to know everyone.



I was unable to finish my previous post I started to write while I was in Bozeman, but it seemed be summed up quite well by my dad in the next post. I do want to personally thank David and Susan for their generosity and hospitality, as they invited yours truly, a complete stranger, wet and smelly, into their wonderful home overlooking Lake Washington and the downtown Seattle area. David, you are a courageous human being to be, and continue to strive for more accomplishments! Truly inspiring! Susan, you keep up your fantastic artwork, including baking those amazing blackberry pies. Delicious!



I also would like to thank Shea for treating me to a wonderful trail's end and birthday celebration at Chico Hot Springs, and for everything you have helped me with while transitioning from the PCT to the AT. The visit I had in Yellowstone couldn't have gone much better. I was able to see and catch up most of my friends I have made over the past seven years in the park while visiting the Old Faithful Inn and Lake Lodge. Unfortunately, I did miss one of my best friends, Julie. I only mention it, because I know she will be reading this soon. Sorry, Jules. Will call you soon!



A small propeller aircraft carried me and only about seven other passengers from Bozeman, Montana to Denver, Colorado. I only had about 5 minutes to run across the Denver airport to catch my next jumbo jet to LaGuardia airport in New York City. Flying into New York was exciting. I was able to catch airiel views of the Brooklyn Bridge, the Statue of Liberty, and all the massive skyscrapers, including the Empire State Building. It was quite the change in scenery from having a bird's eye view of timber lined lakes and snow capped mountains. After a couple hours in New York, I was off in my smallest plane yet to Bangor, Maine. Before touching down there, I was able to enjoy an amazing sunset above the clouds from my seat. Once in Bangor, I had just enough time to buy a bus ticket for Medway, Maine and grab a chicken sandwich and jr. bacon cheeseburger from Wendys, my first meal of the day! Darkness had fully set in by the time I arrived in Medway and the owner of the Appalachian Trail Lodge was there to pick me up and drive me another 12 miles to Millenocket, Maine, the closest town to the AT's northern terminus. Surprisingly, I met my first two thru hikers that also had arranged for Paul to pick them up. Two of a Kind, a couple from Jacksonville Florida, were flipping forward from southern Maine to start the end of their northbound hike. They had started their trek from the AT's southern terminus in north Georgia, March 12th. The three of us grabbed a bite to eat at Paul's Appalachian Trail Lodge Cafe before finally settling down at the Lodge itself after a long day's worth of travels. At the lodge, other AT thru hikers that had just finished their trek from Georgia were celebrating. Trinket and Toothpick were among a couple of the hiker's present.



Today, I will take a day off! I woke up slow and late and enjoyed a giant breakfast at the local cafe. Hopefully after getting a few chores done, like getting food supplies, researching my next junt across Maine, and post office duties, I will relax, get some ice on my ankle, and wait for a decsion to come to whether or not I should stay another night in town before firing up the hiking engines again from Mount Katahdin. Until them, I will continue to discover the differences from being out west along the PCT and the older, more historic, sites along the Appalachian Trail. Without even looking around, it's easy to tell I am in a new world, New England, by listening to the chatter of voices amongst the local town people. Accents have changed dramatically! Buildings are smaller and older. Streets are narrower. More hardwood trees with leaves are begining to change into exploding organge, yellow and red blasts. I can hardly wait for my trekking adventure to continue southbond across this beautiful country I have already, and will continue to admire and love in slow motion. Thank you for your continued support and prayers. Happy trails!

Mt. Rainier

Connections

Getting from point A to point B was a real journey in itself. Point A being Manning Park Canada and point B being Katahdin Mountain, Maine. Saturday morning around 11a.m. Zac left Manning Park by bus to Vancouver Canada. He took another bus back to the states arriving in Seattle around 10:30 p.m. He had almost 24 hours before he was to catch his flight to Bozeman the next day. He had to walk about ten blocks in the rain from the bus station to the A line metro station that would take him the the airport. While on the train trying to dry out a couple from the Seattle area began talking to him and he told them about his journey. He told them he was going to sleep in the airport that night. They would not have it. These people insisted that he come home with them and get a good hot meal and spend the night in a warm bed. Zac could not talk them out of it and next thing he knew he was in his own room with his own bathroom. The couple were Susan and David and they treated him to what ever he needed. A trip to the post office and the library. He thanked them and took the A line to the airport. He flew to Bozeman Montana where he was picked up by Shea, a very close friend from Yellowstone. She treated him to a day at the spa for his birthday. I'm sure his body had an overhaul there. He spent a few days in Yellowstone relaxing before heading back to Bozeman. In Bozeman he went to see a doctor about his ankles and feet. The doctor told him that nothing appeared to be broken and he should try to take it easy and buy some insoles for his shoes to ease the pressure on his feet when he walks. He flew out of Bozeman at 6:00 a.m this morning with a stop in Denver and New York before landing in Bangor Maine tonight around 6:20 pm. He was able to catch the only bus going to Medway that day. The shuttle from the Appalachain Lodge met him there and took him to the lodge where he will be staying. After a night or two there, getting prepared, he will be shuttled to the trail head and the beginning of a a new adventure. I will keep you posted throughout the trail south. In the mean time I will post some of the last videos received from the PCT.

Heading East

I've finally got some time to put a bit more time into a post, being in the familiar Holiday Inn in Bozeman, Montana. I've got much to share from the last moments on the PCT to celebrating my 25th birthday in my old backyard, Yellowstone National Park.



It was exactly 5:45 pm pacific standard time on September 16th, 2010 when I completed my walk to Canada from Mexico on the Pacific Crest Trail. A few hours before crossing the border I remember very well, standing atop an unnamed summit, 7126 feet above the sea. I stood there alone with aching ankles and sore shoulders gazing down on the surrounding stunning Washington landscape. Rugged mountains, some with glaciers slowing gauging deep ravines into their bellies, in all directions. The mountains that would usually lay in front of me to the north while standing atop a mountain resembled the next few days' challenges. Not on this day. The mountains north of me that Friday were ones I would not traverse. They towered over land beyond trail's end in the heart of British Columbia, Canada. Stepping off that summit onto the rocky trail is when my emotions began to fly in every direction like the views that surrounded me. I knew it would be my last mountain top on the PCT. I realized I really was, "almost there" this time. Only eight more miles of downhill to the Canadian border.



Before I knew it, I could hear the booming voice of Baby Steps, chatter of Fox Trot and pure joy of Flash Back trickling through the trees from below three switchbacks in the trail. I let out a loud "YEEEEEEEEHAW!!" It was of course returned with more hootin-n-hollern as they waited for me on the United States-Canada border. I made sure to wipe the remaining tears of joy off my smiling cheeks before arriving at the bottom of the hill and in the arms of Baby Steps with a celebrating hug. There are too many, and not enough words to fill in the blank of how I felt to be finished. Pure joy! Proud, relieved, and completed are a few others. A monument, very similar to the one at the Mexican border, where I started 5 months and 3 days prior, stands on the Canadian border in the middle of a long clear cut, that is the international boundary in a thick forest. The only difference, one of the wooden tiers reads: Pacific Crest Trail Northern Terminus. The rain started to fall from the heavens no more than ten minutes after my arrival. So the four of us took the classic pictures of celebrating by the monument, quickly gathered our trash of Snicker bar, Hostess cherry pie, and Slim Jim wrappers and emptied and dried celebratory beer cans into our packs and decided to push on to the real trail's end, eight more miles into Canada's Manning Provincial Park, where we'd get to the closest road into civilization. Flashback, Fox Trot, and Baby Steps are much faster hikers, and I knew this meant I'd get to the lodge in Manning well after them, and all of us would not finish there before the skies turned black and filled with more rain. It didn't matter though, because we would be DONE!

Could it be Bigfoot?

Early one morning deep in the Washington wilderness Zac heard a sound...........

Better Times at Goat Rock Pass

Later that day the weather took a turn for the better.

Goat Rock Pass

This is an example of some of the conditions that Zac had to endure. If I know Zac, he loved every second of it.

Welcome to Washington

Canadian border!

This evening around 9:00 I received a spot from Zac showing he was about 200 feet from the border. Then, about 10 minutes later, I got another one that put him around 25 feet across into the Canadian wilderness. (49.00042,-120.80167) I have not spoken to him in a few days so I am not aware who he crossed with. I know he wanted to cross the border with so many of his friends he had met along the way. There are so many great people who endured the same hardships and joys. He received so much encouragement from people all over the country. Each one holds a special place in his heart and I am sure he wished that everyone could have stepped over the border with him. He started his journey back in April with so many hopes and prayers to go with him every step of the way. Thank you all for your support. Keep it coming. I can only imagine that when he did step into Canada he had each of you in the back of his mind, taking us with him to the end of this half of his journey. He carried us all in his heart. Good job Slim Jim!

Trail days celebration

Zac had some down time while crossing into Washington at the Trail Days celebration. There were vendors and get togethers with other hikers past and present. To find out more about this check into the blog written on August 27th.

Bridge Of The Gods

Zac and company had to cross the Bridge of the Gods to cross into Washington. This was a big day and they all seemed to enjoy it.

Snoqualmie is Yummy!!

I smell bacon!!!!!!!

Zac camped last night along side Coon Lake. The elevation there was a low 2180 feet. The temperature was in the mid fifties and the weather was dry. This morning he had gone ten miles by 10:00 and was making good time. He crossed McGregor Creek, Buzzard Creek, Canim Creek, Cross Berry Creek, Bridge Creek and Maple Creek in that ten mile stretch. This afternoon he crossed over Porcupine Creek and into Cutthroat Pass. By the looks of his last few spots, it appears that he is trying to make it to a large campground 3 miles past Granite Pass. This is going to be an increase in elevation of almost 5000 feet. Last I heard from him he said his ankles were swollen some making it a little tender to walk. The distance between him and the border is in the double digits now. He is only 63 miles from being able to witness Canadian Geese and Canadian bacon in their natural habitat.

Tip Toe

Perserverance

The past four days Zac has been hiking through some of the wettest trail he has seen so far. It has rained every day it seems and all of his gear is wet. He has been walking through muddy trail and eating his meals in the dripping rain. At night he sleeps, or tries to sleep, in a damp sleeping bag that just wont dry out. The temperatures are getting colder too. On top of that his left achilles tendon has flared up. It is swollen and painful to walk on. To compensate for the pain in his left foot he has had to put more pressure on his right foot. This is causing some pain in his right foot. Oh yeah, by the way, he got stung about four or five times on his right foot by some yellow jackets. But, he loves what he is doing and still manages to hike the 30 mile days getting closer to the Canadian border with every step. Tonight he is resting in a dry bunk in the Cascadian Inn in the town Skykomish Washington. He says the landscape is beautiful even in the bad weather. He is excited that he can see the light at the end of the tunnel and finishing the PCT. He will start in the morning at 7 A.M. on the trail head. 2,480 miles away from his start at the Mexican border. Side note: The weather in Baxter State Park in Maine is nice and dry and the temperatures are in the 70's.

Care packages

Thanks for all the notes and goodies that have been sent to Zac along the way.

Image/egamI

This is a video Zac sent me that he shot during a stay alongside a lake somewhere. You have to watch it closely. It is a very reflective scene.

Gorge-ious!

WHOOOA!

Veiws of Mt. Hood

Its been another wild and soggy journey through Washington state to my next resupply point at Snoqualmie Pass.The PCT crosses under Interstate 90 at Snoqualmie Pass, and is just under an hours drive from the Seattle suburb of Bellevue, Washington. Linda and her daughter Cathy, both of which I met last Thanksgiving while roadtrippin cross country, live in Bellevue, and also, been following my trek from Mexico. Linda met me today at the interstate with snacks and drinks and a ride to her place for an overnight visit. Boat and Golden Child tagged along as well after having walked past my camp last night and on to Snoqualmie overnight. They're insane! That made for 58 miles in 24 hours that I was happy to decline their offer to join in on. The two of them, are now sleeping in Linda's basement, after having showers, soaking in a jet bubble bath tub, drying gear out on the deck and ejoying an amazing homecooked meal. Linda had planned for some dirty stinky hiker trash to come into her clean house, so she had towels for showers ready, laudry ready to go and even blue booties to wear over our nasty feet in her house before we could get cleaned up. The meal included Linda's famous beef stew with biscuits and fresh salad, plus a surprise for dessert: a chocolate cake in honor of my upcoming birthday in two weeks! Thanks so much Linda and Cathy for spoiling me before returning to the wet trail tomorrow afternoon. 263 more miles to trail's end at Manning Provincial Park in British Columbia, Canada. Included above are pictures of my birthday cake, Boat, Golden Child, Linda and myself and us hikers in our blue booties. Happy Trails

Mile 2,346 and going strong

It looks like Zac camped last night (Friday) at a place called Martinson Gap. His last spot was (46.89386,-121.50284) From Snow Lake, where he camped the night before to his camp last night, he had travled 34 miles. He is moving through the Snoqualmie National Forest. During his trek yesterday he crossed Pothole trail, Laughingwater trail, American trail, Dewy lake trail and the Bullion Basin trail. He went over Sourdough Gap, Blue Bell Pass, Scout Pass, Barnard Saddle and Hayden Pass. He also saw Snow Lake, the Bumping River, Anderson Lake, Dewy Lake, and Sheep Lake. His goal is to make it to Hwy I-90, (another 50 miles) by Sunday. There, he has plans to meet with his friend Linda, the Thanksgiving mom, and her family. She plans to give Zac and whoever is in his party a ride back to her house for a good meal and some rest before the final push to the Canadian border. The weather, according to my research has been and should continue to be dry and calm. The elevation is in the 5000 ft. range and getting lower. He is having the time of his life.......so far.

Northern California High Country

Camp on Fisher Lake

Just Margieilous!

Since leaving Cascade Locks, it has rained everyday. The day before yesterday it rained the entire day leaving everything a soggy mess. Zac said the trail was a continuous running creek. The tent and sleeping bag were soaked and there seemed to be little refuge from the cold dampness. This did not slow down his progress. He managed to make 30 miles or more each of the days and was well into Washington by Wednesday. No spot had been received for about five hours as of late Wednesday night. He had mail to be picked up at a general store near White pass. The store said that he had not been by there yet. Margie, a friend he had met while working at Old Faithful driving a snow coach, has been following his blog. She lived only an hour away from White Pass and wanted to meet him there and feed him a good meal. She called a few times to check on his location so the meeting would go as planned. There was no real information to share with her since I had not received a spot for quite some time. She drove up there anyway and was going to wait in her car to see if she could spot him. Knowing that Zac had not picked up his mail we knew he had not been by the pass already. It was getting late and Marge was still waiting. She was by herself and it was getting dark. A hiker came by but it was not Zac. It was Drug Store, a PCT hiker who had met Zac and told her that Slim Jim was behind him some six miles. There was no way of telling if he was going to camp back there or try to make it to the store. He has been known to night hike. Margie fed Drug Store some goodies she had brought and the two waited a little longer. The night had come and Margie was getting ready to pack it in and head back home. Then, through the darkness she spotted a light, a head lamp. It was our hero, Boat and Golden Child coming down the trail. Margie fed them and offered them a ride to town to do laundry and dry out. By the time they got to town everything was closed. So what does she do? She takes them an hour away to her home and gives them a place to stay for the night. This could be where trail angels are born. This morning the group got a ride back to the tail head and the the store where Zac could get his mail. Thank you Margie for everything. Your persistence and patience have brightened up and dried out some soggy souls. You have earned your wings!

Again, not much time to write much here this morning....

Been a rough go of it from Cascade Locks and the first 100+ miles in Washington with lots of rain. Tuesday I walked in rain all day with the trail being more like a trench of puddles ankle high in some areas. With all the rain, there wasn't a lot to see walking in the clouds. Tuesday night I crawled into a wet sleeping bag after stripping out of my wet clothes into a wet tent while the rain continued to fall. Needless to say the morning was not fun as temps dropped and the rain continued. But, with not much else to do but just keep walking, I did so over the Goat Rocks Wilderness into the clouds over a sketchy knife edge ridge. By early afternoon the clouds started to break up and the rain finally seized. This opened the skies up to some amazing views that gave me the impression I wasn't in the states anymore. It was what I imagine trekking through Scotland would look like. Very green open mountains with waterfalls abound. I had Celtic music blasting in my head all afternoon as I climbed through the beautiful mountains.

Still with wet gear in my pack I was dreading sleeping out again, so I decided to push on for a long 29 mile day to White Pass. I arrived at the road just as darkness was setting in to find a women calling my name. It was Margie Van Cleve! I had given her and her husband a tour last winter in my snowcoach through Yellowstone National Park. She has been following my progress from the Mexican border had been in contact with my mom through email the past few days trying to figure out when I'd be at the road. Dave and Margie live in Yakima, Washington about an hours drive from the trail. She waited over three hours at White Pass for my arrival, to bring myself, Boat, Golden Child and Drug Store to her home for a warm meal, laundry, showers, and cozy sleeping arrangements. What an amazing surprise! Thank you Margie!

With dry everything, its back to the trail this morning after a few burritos. Weather seems to be changing for the better. Can't wait for more Washington! The race is on for the border! Happy Trails!

Real quick before I leave for the trail again in about 5 minutes....

Decided to stay one more night camping on Thunder Island floating on the Columbia River last night. With the Trail Daze event going on, many of my hiking friends from the entire length of the trail were showing up, which made it hard to leave. It was like a great class reunion. Names from past miles I had not seen as far back as mile 101 in Warner Springs, California: Tarzan, Zelda, Flashback, Fox trot, Baby Steps, Chipmunk, Golden Child, Train, Axilla, Uncle Tom, General Lee, Dick Wizard, Duff, Genius, Gut Hook, Little Engine, Plain Slice, Physco, Apricots, Colter, Zero Zero, Iron Man, Free Bird, Dona Sauffley(southern Cal trail angel), Lone Ranger, Trash Pocket, Happy Camper, Pat, Hui!, Chocolate Bandito, and many others I am running out of time to list. It was great to catch up with everyone, and meet new friends as well. The Island was sprouting small backpackers tents all over from every shape, color, and design. Had to have been over 100 tents pitched spotted the green island on the Columbia River. It was quite the scene. I even won some gear at the raffle gear-giveaway as part of all the events going on. Former thru hikers were in attendance as well with great slideshows and movies to share with all on a giant projection screen. It was entertaining trying to keep the screen up on the very windy island.

Anywho, I off this morning, back to the trail, for a race to Canada! And it will be a race now. I have booked travel arrangements from Seattle on the evening of the 18th of September, so I've gotta get moving with about 460 miles of beautiful Washington trail to cover. I can hardy wait for Goat Rocks Wilderness, Glacier Peak Wilderness, Mount Rainier, North Cascades Natioanal Park, and finally Manning Park! Looks like rain is in the forecast today and may be the commmon trend in Washington, another reason to get to Canada sooner before it gets any colder!

Thanks again for all the support and your prayers as I wrap up this last chunk of the Pacific Crest Trail! Yee Haw!

Lazy Day on the River

It's been a long time since I've had internet capabilities to write on my blog or even read the updates my folks have been feeding you all. Many thanks to my dad and mom for keeping the blog current. They've done an amazing job with the videos and articles of my daily life on the trail.

I'm camping tonight in the middle of the Columbia River. Yes, actually in the middle of the river on Thunder Island in the small town of Cascade Locks. I'm really trying to take it easy today. I have already done much of my logistics and food drop planning for the remainder of trail to Canada, so I don't even have much homework and chores to do in town. I have an excellent place where I have set up my tent, looking downstream on the Columbia River. I can look across it and see the Washington border. I can look downstream under the Bridge of the Gods, and think about what it must have been like to float down this river on a raft made of trees back in the 1800's as families were moving their lives across the country in a covered wagon on the Oregon Trail and finishing their journey downstream from where I'm sitting in my tent. What an adventure! So, I'll rest today, with not much to do, and be ready to tackle Washington and all its wet chilly challenges that lay ahead for my adventure to Canada. Sometime Saturday early afternoon, I will be back on the Pacific Crest Trail with only 500 miles to the border. 500 miles doesn't seem like much after having already walked 2100+ miles.

I've already gone over my time limit that they have giving me here at the Best Western Inn to use their computer, but I may try to sneak a few more minutes in to look into some transportation East. I have to start thinking about Maine and the Appalachian Trail soon! Thanks again and always for your support, encouragement, letters, care packages, and prayers!
Happy trails- Zac

Cascade Locks

Zac is in Cascade Locks tonight cowboy camping next to the Columbia River. Today he made it to the Post Office and found mail from Sue Levine, David Craig, the Reynolds and the Singletons. The food, notes and cash were greatly appreciated. Tomorrow he will enjoy a zero day and take in the sights there. The annual weekend long party for PCT hikers past and present will be going on and it should interesting. There will be hiking supply vendors and live music. The group of four will start back on the trail Saturday.

Toad Truckin

Fire On The Mountain

The fires that are burning ahead of Zac on the trial are causing him to change his route. Hikers are being hit with big fines if they are caught in a restricted area. It would take about 100 miles of walking on paved roads to walk around this section and make it back to the trail. The problem is gettiing back to the trail after you go around the fire zones. There are no roads or trails above the burning areas to get back to the trail for miles and miles. The group had to make a decision. The best solution was to catch a bus from Sisters to Portland where they would have a free nights stay at a friend's house. Then catch a ride north to catch the trail at Timberline Lodge, Oregon (this is the lodge where they filmed the movie "The Shining") . Here is the plan: They will pick up the trail and hike north from Timberline Lodge, Oregon to Trout Lake, Washington. They have arranged a ride with "Nobody" (trail angel) back to Cascades Locks where Zac will collect his mail. He plans to be there by Friday night. There is a big PCT gathering in Cascade Locks this weekend that is similiar to the kickoff party in southern California. Many people attending will be PCTA people, trail angels, and former PCT hikers. Many current PCT hikers will travel from the north and the south to be there. Zac hopes to meet up with old hiking friends that have gone ahead of him and behind him on the trail. Sunday he will get a ride back to Trout Lake, Washington where he had begun the southward journey and then head north again. This way the least amount of the PCT will be skipped over. It is frustrating to miss any of the trail but it is out of his hands. The decision to skip over this scenic part of the trail was a tough one to be sure. Due to this detour he changed his mailing address in Cascade Locks:

US Mail Letters or Packages:
Zac Finley
c/o Best Western Columbia River Inn
PO Box 580
Cascade Locks, OR 97014

UPS or FEDX:
Zac Finley
c/o Best Western Columbia River Inn
735 Wanapa Street
Cascade Locks, OR 97014

If you have already sent a letter or a package do not worry because Zac will be hiking through Cascade Locks on his detour and will advise the Post Office to forward any mail to the Best Western Columbia River Inn.

Going to see Sister

On Friday Zac had what he called the easiest day so far. He had hiked 30 miles by 6:30 pm. During the day he said they had passed at least twenty lakes. Although many were small and nameless, they were clear and a wonder to look out on and just as spectacular as the big name bodies of water. The only bad part of the day were the mosquitoes. At one point the group look like they were doing the Macarana dance, swatting wildly at the devilish beasts. He was wearing a bug net to keep them off his face but still it must have been tough being tormented by such a relentless hoard. They spent some time at the Elk Lake resort where they got a burger and caught their breath. On Saturday they hiked around the Three Sisters Wilderness range. Named after three volcanoes in the area, all above the 10,000 ft elevation mark. They hiked through old lava flows that had turned to shiny obsidian rock. Zac said it looked like a million crushed glass bottles covering the ground. After a 30 mile day the group was tired and the night was getting cold. The group looked for a warm place to camp. The best they could find was an old observatory on a mountain top. I am not sure how he got inside but I'm almost positive that no laws were broken. (maybe bent a little) The observatory was built back in 1935 during the depression by the Civilian Conservation Corps. It was made from lava rocks from the suronding area and stands about 5,187 feet above sea level. The group will stay in the town of Sister tonight, all chipping in for a room somewhere. There are forest fires near the trail north of him and decisions need to be made about alternate routes if needed. Today he also collected his mail and packages from the mail drop at Big lake Youth Camp. He has 2006 miles behind him now and one more state to conquer before reaching Cnanda.
(44.3717,-121.86548) was the last spot I received so far today. Keep hiking Zac. One step at a time.

Wake Up Call

The Pancake Challenge

Meet Mr. No Shoulders

1.870 miles down

After a day hiking around Crater lake, Zac was back on track northward. He said the time hiking around the rim was beautiful. The lodge porch at Crater Lake was a good place to sit for a while. Today he has hiked about 16 miles as of his last spot. ( 43.2932,-122.002) He reached the highest point on the PCT in Oregon and Washington, 7,560 feet. Total mileage so far is 1,870.

Rim Roosting

Zac has reached mile marker 1835. Yesterday he payed 13 dollars for an all you can eat buffet for lunch. He picked up packages and mail at Mazama campground. He got packages from himself, from home, a letter from Monty and another from his Aunt Jo. That night he was invited to eat with a group of Indian families. His group was treated to some Indian cuisine and I am sure they all got their fill. The group hiked into the night for a few hours and camped. They got up and moving before dawn and made it to the rim of the crater to see the sunrise. I am sure video will be here soon. The last spot I received was (42.96181,-122.15724) The next few mail drops will be the following:

He will be in Big Lake Youth Camp around August 21st. the address is:

Zac Finley
PCT hiker northbound
c/o Big Lake Youth Camp
13100 Highway 20
Sisters, Oregon 97759

The next mail drop he will reach will be Cascade Locks around August 27th. The address is:

Zac Finley
PCT hiker Northbound
General Delivery
Cascades Locks, Oregon 97014

Day at the Office

Day at the Office

Zac starts his day just like everyone else. He wakes up and goes over in his head what he must accomplish this day. He thinks about what he needs to do to be successful. He tries to plan his day out and line up step by step what must take place to reach the end of the day. Most of us do this before we get out of the bed. Same with Zac. When he crawls out of his sleeping bag he must prepare some breakfast that will give him enough energy that will get him through to lunch some 6 hours and 15 miles away. He must then break camp and pack his backpack in a way that he has done since he started his trek back in mid April. Only now he has learned a few tricks that will make the weight seem less on his shoulders, back, and hips. Maybe he puts a water bottle in a different place or his tent a little lower in the pack. Through trial and error he perfects his packing style. By now it is second nature to him and he packs his gear away without thinking twice. He starts to work before the sun comes up just like most of us do. He does have to worry about traffic, but a fallen tree over the trail or a rattlesnake or bear who has the right of way may slow him down. We all have goals and deadlines we try to meet at work. His goal might be 9 before 9 which means 9 miles before nine O'clock or to reach a certain pass before the sun gets up too high in the sky. As the day stretches on he begins to hear and feel the dinner bell ringing in his belly. Like us he may start to feel it an hour before he wanted to so he walks on just like we work on keeping an eye on the clock. When he reaches a good spot he stops for lunch and lays his pack down for the first time since the morning. The weight off his back makes him feel light as a feather. The coolness on his back feels good as the breeze blows against his sweat drenched shirt that is seeing the light of day for the first time. His break room has beautiful vistas with endless skies that are blue and clear. The sound of co-workers chattering away are replaced by birds, wind and maybe if he is lucky, a babbling steam. After lunch it is back to work. He will walk and walk occasionally stopping to look over his trail book that has become his bible so to speak. It tells him what creeks he will cross and if the water is good or not. It lets him know the elevation and grade of the trail. He relies on it to get him through the wilderness like we might look at diagrams and procedure guides to get through our day at work. When the day is done, just like everyone else he feels satisfied knowing he has reached his goal for the day and can rest at home. Zac's home is made of nylon and has a 4 foot tent pole in the center. His Lazy Boy recliner is a good rock with a smooth surface. His wide screen TV is a nice little fire just big enough to cook on and keep him company. By the time he falls asleep, his friends and family back east have all been sleeping soundly for a few hours. The stars are his nightlight and the ground his mattress. During the night, nature happens all around him. God only knows what sounds he hears in the bushes that would leave most people rattled and wide awake for a hours. (including myself) The sounds like breaking twigs, screeches in the middle of the night, splashes in a nearby creek, bugs humming all around are probably like a sweet lullaby to him by now. I imagine he rest easy knowing that he is accomplishing one of his life's dreams and over coming unbelievable obstacles. I am sure that as he drifts off he reflects on the day and the day to come. To him this is not a day at work at all. He also takes great comfort in knowing the has support from family and friends as well. We have talked about it before that he is never alone on the trail. He has many people who are walking with him in spirit every step of the way. Every mail drop is like Christmas to him. In my mind I can see him sitting on the Post Office steps with the sun beaming down on his smiling face reading letters and eating homemade brownies, Slim Jims and Power Bars. (hopefully not all at once) Thank you all again for sending all your letters, prayers and words of encouragement. Yeah, I miss him.

Dam video

Pelicans and helicopters

Zac was watching some white pelicans catching and eating some fish in the Shasta National Forest. There were some forest fires in the area and the forest service was using helicopters to help control the blaze. In the background of this video you can hear the choppers flying in to collect water to drop.

Box Lunches

Zac took a zero day today to prepare for the trail ahead. He spent a few hours at the grocery store buying enough food for the next 19 days. There are very few places between Ashland and the Canadian border to get supplies. He thinks this will be enough to get him to Canada combined with the food sent from home. The group bought enough dry goods and power bars to ship to mail drops along the way. They boxed up the food and then mailed the boxes to the mail drops ahead of them. He will be back on his way by Thursday.

Hitching a ride 101

When there is a town close by, you always try to hitch a ride in to check mail and maybe get a bite to eat. If you are lucky you can get a ride back to the trail head too. This video is showing how Zac, the sisters, Boat, Blackberry and Symbiosis were trying to get a ride into Burney. Notice the boys letting the girls be in charge of getting a ride. I guess they figured out that they have a better chance of getting the driver's attention that the fellas did. Go figure.

The Oregon trail

Zac is out of California and into Oregon! He made it to Asland Oregon today and is doing well. He received 5 packages at the post office. Thank you Nana and Gdaddy, Lou and Dwight, and Mr. Craig. He was having trouble with his trekking poles and will have them checked out at the local sporting goods shop. He has been hiking with Aya, Sayo, (the sisters) Bote and Blackberry. The sister's parents showed up and took their packs on to Ashland so the group could slack pack into town. Slack pack is when you hike without your heavy pack. Bote and Zac are staying the night in The Commons in Ashland. A well deserved rest after 10 days of hiking and camping. One of the girls had a nasty sting from a scorpion the other night and everyone's feet needs some TLC . He has hiked 1.726 miles so far. There are 422 miles to go to the Washington boarder. He said the scenery was beautiful in northern California and southern Oregon is amazing. Thank you for keeping up with him and his trek.

Halfway there

The good, the bad, the ugly

Yellowstones cousin

Zac has been away from phone service for the past five days. The GPS device seems to be working. I have been receiving more spots than I had been in the past few weeks. The last time I spoke with him he told me that he had packed enough food for seven days. He was doing fine. The last spot I got from him was (41.49689,-123.10515) He was near Kidder Creek. The elevation there is close to 6000 feet. The trial is heading westward before turning north again and into Oregon. I have been adding some videos to the blog. Some are scenic and some are informative and some are just plain gross. He said he wanted me to add the human element to the blog. Thanks for the comments some of you have been adding. He is glad to know that someone is following hs journey. He could not transfer any of his old numbers into his new phone so he is asking friends and family to please text him your name and number. His number is the same as it was. He is close to 1620 miles traveled.

Bear buggin out

Ski Lift Camp

My Aching Feet

Can you hear me now?

Zac was in Mt Shasta when his cell phone went haywire. He could not get it to do anything. He is not sure why. I mean seriously, what could have possibly happened to it? Maybe it was caught up in a snow storm on the top of some mountain in the Sierra's, or over heated while crossing the desert. Maybe it was damaged while crossing a raging river that was swollen by the snow melts. The phone could have been dropped while escaping the clutches of an angry mama bear or the fangs of a disturbed rattlesnake. Maybe a boulder fell on it while rock climbing up a cliff face to find the perfect camping spot. I am sure that what ever the reason it was not any fault of his and just a device malfunction. Zac has some friends who live in Redding Calf. who came to his rescue. Kimberly and Tom drove some 50 miles to Mt Shasta and picked him up and then drove him back to Redding to a mall where he could get a new phone. They are going to drive him back and he will continue on the trail. Thank you so much Kimberly and Tom!
Zac has gone 1510 miles so far. He has 194 miles to go before reaching Oregon. He received his shoes and several other packages from friends and relatives. The GPS device is still giving everyone fits. I am still hoping to get this worked out before too long. Thanks for tuning in folks!

Burney

Zac called tonight and filled me in on his progress. He was in the town of Burney Ca. about 7 miles off the trail. They hitched a ride into town and have gone in for a room at the Green Gables Motel. The owner set them up in an apartment type dwelling with kitchen, laundry, and even a pool table. This is a well needed resting spot. He had only gotten 9 hours of sleep in the last 48 hours and hiked 60 miles in the past two days. The full moon last night made it a great night hiking experience and they also took long breaks. They only saw one rattlesnake this time. There was a water cache close to road 22 that was a welcome sight.
In the room, the other hikers, Symbiosis, Bote, Aya, Sayo and Blackberry got together and filled the trash can with ice foo Zac to soak his feet in. They were hurting a little according to Zac. His shoes are falling apart on him. He still has some 90 miles to go before reaching Dunsmuir and the new pair I sent him. He seems to think they will make it. A 6th hiker, Lone Ranger, stayed at the trail back on Hwy 299 and will rejoin the group later. Tonight they were going to enjoy some fine Mexican cuisine before going to the Safeway for some supplies. Zac said he wanted to cook breakfast for everybody. The owner of the motel has offered to give them a ride back to the trail head in the morning. I want to thank everyone family and friends near and far for keeping him in their thoughts and prayers.

Night hike

Zac is starting to go through a section of trail that has little if any water along the way. It is thirty miles of heat and dust with a 40 pound pack on his back. He has hooked up with five other hikers. The group spent part of the day yesterday climbing in and around some lava tubes out side the town of Old Station. He has decided to tackle the waterless section by conducting a night hike. Why fight the sun if you don't have to. I received a few spots and it shows he walked 12 miles last night. One spot at 3:00 A.M. and the last spot (40.74191,-121.40328) at 7:30 A.M. I have mailed him another pair of hiking shoes which he should get at his next mail drop in Dunsmuir. He said the pair he has now are falling apart on him. The pair I am sending him are a pair he bought before his trip for this very reason. I'm also sending some items he never received that were in the lost box that finally ended up back here in Ga along with some new batteries for his GPS device in hopes of getting more spots. His spirits were up and he sounded excited about the night hike. Having some company makes a difference too I'm sure. Since returning from the wedding in Ga. on July 7th, Zac has hiked about 450 miles. If he can keep up this pace he should reach Oregon in approximately 14 days.

moving right along

Zac' last spot sent to me was (40.44251,-121.4036) He was near Hot Springs Creek. He is doing well and making some good time. He is averaging about 25 miles a day. I received a package from Big Bear, California yesterday. It was the missing package that Zac could not find a month or so ago that had some of his clothes in it. Apparently it had been lost and then found and to be on the safe side the Post Office just sent it back to sender. He is going to be hiking through a waterless stretch of about 30 miles in a few days. He is going to have to be ready to conserve water and prepare for some hot temperatures. I will will keep you posted on that. he should be at his next mail pick up by Friday.
General Delivery
Dunsmuir, CA 96025

The Red Moose Cafe

spartan camp

mile 1305

Today is Saturday the 24th. Zac's total mileage for the trip is approximately 1305 miles. The elevation is getting slower and he is trying to get in as many miles as he can while he is going downhill. He told me the last time we talked that he came across two bears recently, a sow and a cub. The trail went right between the two. He said the pair looked surprised at him as he walked by. Risky thing to do but he had no choice but to go on between them. The cub was up a tree and mom was keeping a close eye on both of them. Not sure if any video was taken.
I am also trying to add some new videos and trying to put them where they go in his blog so you might want to go back and see if you can find them. I hope to hear from him soon so I can add some more detailed information.

Correct Address for Burney Falls

The correct address for the next mail drop is:

Recreation Resource Management
Attn: PCT Hiker Zac Finley
24900 Hwy 89
Burney, CA 96013

This is only 100 miles from Zac's spot for today so he will probably be there in 3 to 4 days.

Honker Pass

Sierra City at the Red Moose Cafe was wonderful! They 2 new owners of the place closed their place to public that night to cater a private party for the 6 hikers that were there. Ribs and other fixings for dinner with all you can eat pancakes the next morning. Had lots of mail at the post office in town that Monday morning as well. Thank you Monty and Grandaddy, Lou and Dwight for the letters and special thanks to Miss Mary, my new aunt in-law, for a huge care package filled with some awesome food and other luxurious amenities!

Since leaving Sierra City I have hiked about 70 miles in the past three days, with one of which covered 31 miles. I saw two black bears on Tuesday during that 31 mile day. Yesterday I arrived at the Big Creek Road and hitched 2 miles down to Honker Pass to the William's nice cabin near Bucks Lake. Very friendly family that really made me feel right at home. Nancy Williams has been inviting thru hikers into her home as of last summer, and now has the help of her son's family including his wife and two young kids, 1st and 3rd graders. I was the only hiker to be here at Honker Pass yesterday, so I had the run of the house and most importantly had the opportunity to share more personal time with the Williams while watching the Giants game. Shelly and Nancy's son, Dennis had breakfast for me this morning with a full plate of eggs, fresh fruit, berries, potatoes, biscuits and gravy! Don't have much time to write much more before the family will be taking me back up the road to the trail where I left it. My next certain mail drop will be at mile 1423 at Burney Falls State Park. Here's the address:

Zac Finley PCT Thru hiker
McArthur-Burney Falls State Park
24898 Hwy 89
Burney, California 96013
(530) 335-4214

This address may change actually! My mom will be checking into it by tomorrow and will update the blog for a definite accurate address.

Thanks, as always, for your support and prayers. Happy Trails!

Sierra City

Zac called me today about 7:00 pm from Sierra City. He is at mile marker 1197.6. Of course I asked him right away about the mountain lion. "Oh yeah, it was really neat! I only saw it for about ten seconds and then it was across the trail and into the woods. So I ran (I'm thinking ran as in ran away from the thing but he meant he ran toward it.) HELLO!!!! He wanted to see where it crossed so he could get another look. He told me that it was no where to be seen. When it moved through the brush it did not make a sound. He said it was an amazing sight. He camped that night at what he called a Spartan camp. He said it was on a small flat spot on the edge of a cliff that was just big enough for one tent. From his site he could see the reservoir and the Sierra mountains and all their glory. Today he met two hikers named Johnny Law and Missing Link. It was nice to have some company along the trial. The spot device is not working as well as I want it to. He is sending them, I'm just not receiving them. When he got to Sierra City this afternoon, the dinner, The Red Moose Cafe, was closed for lunch and only serving dinner. There was sign instructing any PCT hikers to come on in. The owners offered him fresh fruit, shower, laundry service and told him he could camp in their back yard if he wanted to. Down the street at the grocery store he found out that he had a package from the Vermilion Valley Resort. This is where Zac worked a few days for some free room and board. The package was a box containing: giant Slim Jim's, homemade chocolate chip cookies, bags of popcorn, energy bars, chocolate bars (the good kind), granola, Jolly Ranchers, chap stick and some glitter stickers. There were also some hand written messages from friends there. He wanted me to say a special thanks to Roy, Jamie, Denise, Rock Star, Olive, Byron, and everyone else at the VVR. It was like Christmas to him. They were smart to send it to the grocery store instead of the P.O. Zac said that everyone in town was real nice to him. In one place a lady claimed to have accidentally made an extra milkshake and gave it to Zac. Good grief! He also said the lower elevation has made the temperature warmer. He is gong to be mailing home some of his heavier clothing. He has a blister on his foot that he looks like a sixth toe. All this wonderment and blessings in one day! Life is good. Thanks so much for your prayers. I don't believe he would be having such good fortune without them.

Watch your step!!

On Saturday I spoke to Zac as he was heading away from Pooh's Corner. He was moving on at a fairly good pace. He had been having trouble with the Spot device. He was sending spots and not all of them were being received. He told me that some other hikers were having the same problem. It might be a problem with the satellite. I will do the best I can with the blogging with the spots I get. I am sure it will be resolved soon. He was trying to make it to Sierra City some time Sunday. He plans to camp there and collect the mail first thing Monday morning and continue his trek north. I received a text from him later that said, "Saw a mountain lion not thirty minutes after I talked to you" How nice. What a wonderful message to receive from my only son, hiking by himself, a few thousand miles away and in the middle of no where with a GPS device that is on the blink, not to mention miles away from the nearest pizza joint. He sent a few spots later that evening that let me know he was camped out and I presume doing fine. He had hiked 25 miles and was camping near Jackson Meadow Reservoir. (39.47021,-120.51536) His mileage total so far is 1186. Last time I spoke to Zac he mentioned that if anyone has any questions about his trip they can write them in the comment box on the blog. I will relay them to him and then relay an answer back on the blog. Thank you again for all of your support and prayers. Zac is aware of everyone following his journey and is very appreciative.

Pooh's Corner

I arrived at Interstate 80 today around 1:30pm after hiking about 17 miles. Today was the first day I have experienced humidity in the California air. Luckily, I got a very early start, as usual, to beat most of the heat. I awoke this morning atop a ski lift near the summit of some mountain overlooking Lake Tahoe and its surrounding Sierra mountains. The sunset last night, setting the snow aflame of pink and red hues and watching giant Lake Tahoe below settle down to a majestic calmness, was a perfect way to end a long 30 mile day.

As I walked those 30 miles, I didn't run into any thru hikers except for the legendary Billy Goat at mile 29. He was gingerly walking southbound from northern California after 'flippin' to avoid the snow in the high Sierra. We talked a good bit while swatting mosquitoes and filtering some water from the headwaters of Middle Fork American River. Billy Goat is always a treat to run into on the trail. He has hiked the PCT seven times and the AT three, along with several other long trails around the world. You can imagine chatting trailside with such a character. Earlier that day at mile 13, I met someone else while enjoying a roast beef, peanut butter, pepper jack burrito at Carson Pass. She was returning from a trail run with her dog along the PCT to her car at Forest Road 3, where I was enjoying that lunch and had previously spotted her Montana tag. Anywho, after a bit of small talk and speaking of our commons in Montana, we found we both had a close friend in Holly Sheppard. Holly and I both worked in the Lake area as Chefs in Yellowstone last summer, and Neddy, the trail runner with the dog, lives in Big Sky, and is friends with some of Holly's relatives there in Big Sky, Montana. Long story short: its a small world! Holly, if you're reading, hope you are well, and cooking something mean in a kitchen somewhere.

Now, relaxing, at Pooh's corner on Donner Lake, getting laundry done, taking a shower, jumping off the dock in the backyard, eating too much ice cream, and trying to repair a couple holes in my tent. Pooh's Corner is a hiker haven home of the trail angels, Bill and Molly. Bill hiked the AT in 1998 and enjoyed and appreciated the trail magic so much there, he decided to be apart of it here on the PCT since then. After calling the number posted at the highway, Bill was there, to bring down to his lake house before I could get both sandals on my feet. The first thing he instructed me to do when arriving at their place was, "Drop your pack, get a spoon outa this drawer, and eat some ice cream."
Next order of business was to put some life in the cell phone and make the call to parents. Then more ice cream, strawberries, peaches, and a jump in the lake off his back dock with 2 kayaks and dingy boat attached. Then shower, laundry, and some good grub. Dinner included catfish, bratwurst, margarita marinaded chicken, potato salad, Caesar salad, warm peanut butter green beans, vegan rice and bean pilaf, broccoli with cheese, chips and guacamole, with more ice cream and brownies for dessert. Needless to say, I was stuffed and have been wobbling around since then with a much bigger belly. Their house on Donner Lake is amazing. Was built in the early seventies with Bill and Molly as residents since 1985. Their living room has a climbing wall rising around the fire place and up to the second floor ceiling. Myself and the five other hikers staying here tonight, Happy Camper, Patch, Trash Pocket, RT and Shannon, all played a part in getting the feast on the table and cleaning up afterwards. This is the first hiker's haven house in the last 460 miles at Kennedy Meadows at mile 702, before entering into the high Sierra. Do the math, I'm at mile 1158!

I should be in Sierra City, California by Sunday evening camping behind some church. I'll get my mail early Monday morning and head back to the trail. I've got a lot of miles to catch up on in order to finish the PCT in Canada early enough to get a good start in Maine on the AT before freezing to death in the Whites of New Hampshire. Averaging about 25 miles a day, with fewer zeros, and hopefully fewer and dwindling snow fields, I'll make up for lost time on the trail and achieve my goal of a 5000 mile year. Haven't quite figured the logistics of my next certain mail drop for your letters to be sent to yet. As soon as I do, I'll pass the information along to my dad, who has been doing a great job keeping up with the blog. Glad you all can finally get a glimpse of the high Sierra traverses with the new videos he has posted. Here is a shot I took with my phone of a look out the back deck, where we all had supper and Bill digesting dinner and Donner Lake below.

Happy Trails!

swinging foot bridge

Cold trail scenes

Moving On

Today Zac hiked 32 miles from Camper Flat to Squaw Creek. He is camping there tonight. The elevation there is 8270 ft. The highs are in the 80's and the lows are in the 50's. Sounds like the great weather is playing a big part of his progress. He is about 11 miles from the trail angel post called Pooh's Corner. He is making a great effort to catch up with some of his friends he had walked with before leaving for his sister's wedding. I am hoping for a call from him tomorrow to get more information that I can pass on here.

Sliding down the trail

Making Tracks

Zac completed 28 miles on Tuesday thanks to good weather and a determined spirit. While hiking he walked a ways with someone that was heading to the Tahoe Rim Trail. He had lunch during a stop at Carson's pass. There were a few day hikers there who wanted to know all about his hike. They were asking questions about where he had been and where he was going. He held an outdoor classroom on hiking the PCT. They payed him for his information by sharing some fresh goodies for lunch. He had heard that there were amazing milkshakes in the town of Echo Lake. He was afraid that store would close before he got there. He somehow got the number and called. The lady at the store told him they would close in an hour. He was still a mile or more away but with the thoughts of such a great reward rambling around in his head, he was able to make it. If I had only known that I could have bribed him with milkshakes I am sure I would have gotten more yard work out of that boy. He told me that his tent had a hole in it that was making it hard to use the support pole that holds it up. He said that he was using duct tape but wasn't sure how long that would work. He learned that his friends he had walked with before his break, Tooth Fairy and Hot Mess, were only two days ahead of him. He gets this information by looking at the hikers log in town. He can look and see the date when hikers passed through. He is looking forward to reaching a place on the trail called "Pooh's Corner". This is another trail angel spot where hikers can get a good hot meal, dry place to sleep, meet with other hikers and just relax a bit before moving on. He wants to get in at least 20 more miles on Wednesday. He said there may be some snow to slow him down but wasn't expecting it to be a big problem. He sounds so much better now that he is back on the trail and moving. I think it was just what the doctor ordered.

S-K-E-T-C-H-Y!

Zac is back on the trail after a bus ride/hitchhike trek to the trail head. He has decided to skip over a section that is about 25 miles of trial. This portion of the trail has been reported to have snow covered trail and dangerous river crossings. This was a difficult decision for him. He did not want to miss an inch of the PCT. He was feeling kind of low about it but he knew it was the right thing to do. He was able to get some new batteries for his GPS device. His last spot sent to me was (38.61333,-119.8273) He is on the trail north of Hwy 4. I did talk to him today and learned from him that his hiking pal Mango had left the trail and gone home. He was having some sort of pain in his legs. Actually, they were both in Reno at the same time and neither of them were aware of it. Best wishes to you Mango and hope you get back out there soon. If you check out this blog please send a comment so we know how you are doing. You have been a great friend to Zac and I know you will be missed greatly. I have added a few more videos so if you get a chance you might want to check them out.

Gone Fishin

Being back on the trail is so nice. I've been hiking at a faster pace and covering more miles in the day than I thought I would after taking two weeks off. I've hiked about 76 miles in the past 3 1/2 days. Yesterday I walked over the 1000 mile marker at Cascade Creek! I, even, can't believe I've walked that far. Still got a ways to go though. Hitched into the small town of Bridgeport, CA before noon today after reaching Sonora Pass at mile 1018. Haven't decided whether I will stay in town tonight camping behind the elementary school or try hitching back to the trail after I've gotten resupplies at the grocery store, a monster burrito at the bar, and 3 scoops of chocolate ice cream. Looking to cover more ground as the trail continues and eventually, hopefully by Oregon, catch up with hikers I've been traveling with prior to Erin's wedding. I have met just a handful of new thru hikers: NonStop, Whoooooi!, Blackberry, Paparazzi Biscuit, and Annica. The trail goes over 10,000 feet just a few more times in the next 10 miles and then never again. So really its kinda all down hill from here with less snow traversing. Now the river fords will be more difficult and mosquitoes, that are more like underground gangs in New York City. I have had a few river fords in the past few days that have been near chest high. These fords are not only extremely chilly, but very capable of knocking you over, which can be lethal if swept away downstream over a waterfall or just plain hypothermia(freezing to shock or death). The mosquitoes just started to get bad last night. After nearly bathing in bug spray and standing in the smoke of my campfire, the "suckers" were still all over me. The upside of things has been the scenery as usual. The mountains have become more volcanic after leaving Yosemite National Park a couple days ago. More red and orange in the rocks than the silver and gray granite of Yosemite. And, I caught my first fish yesterday!.....Bare handed! That's right, no fishing pole or hook. Just my hands and a dumb fish that swam out of a lake into the flooded trail that was more like a very skinny and shallow creek. Basically just got em into too shallow of water for him to do much more wiggling around to the point where I just snacthed him right up with my hands. No, I didn't eat him. Just got a video with him(which you will have to wait to see on here for at least a couple weeks) and tossed him back into Dorthy Lake. My SPOT seems to be low on batteries and I don't have any extra lithium batteries and neither does this small town. So, if I'm unsuccessful at obtaining the right kind of batteries, my family won't know exactly where I'm at, which may mean less info here on the blog until I get to my next town, which may be Echo Lake. Sierra City is still my next definite stop for mail.
Zac Finley PCT Hiker
General Delivery
Sierra City, CA 96125
(530) 862-1152
I should be there, no more than 2 weeks from now.
Happy Trails!

Spot Blog

Zac has made it to the 1000 mile marker on the PCT! He is near Lake Harriet (38.18592,-119.57569) The elevation is about 9,400 ft. The closest weather report I could find said that the high today was 68 and the low was 47. If he keeps up this pace he should reach Hwy 108 tomorrow. For what ever reason I did not receive many spots today so my information will be limited. I have added a video with a couple of views from the trail. These were shot by Zac a while back but are still interesting to watch.

Back to the trail North

Zac called yesterday and said he had gotten off the bus from Reno at the town of Lee Vining. He still had 20 miles to go before reaching the trail head at Toulumne Meadows. The rain was coming in and it was getting cold as he started walking down Tioga Pass Road (Hwy 120). The third car that passed by stopped and he was given a ride. The driver was a French girl who was on her way to Alaska. She was on the road trip of a life time and I am guessing that she was happy to have some company. Zac said the two of them shared stories during the ride and got along well. When they reached the Meadows it was starting to hail so the two rode on to the valley near Yosemite and camped for the night. The next morning Zac caught the shuttle back to the meadows. While there he checked the post office and the hikers log. He saw that most of his old crew that he had been walking with off and on had already passed through. Much to his surprise, as he was coming out of the post office, he saw his friend Tom, the trail angel that has been helping him throughout his hike. What a coincidence to say the least. He had just dropped off three hikers when Zac saw him. The two talked and both went their separate ways. I have a strange feeling that Tom the trail angel will cross Zac's path again before too long. Zac called today around 11:15 his time. He sounded like he was in good spirits and was eager to get back to what he loves. One spot I got from him today was at 8:30 pm(38.00631,-119.37665) It looks like he was near Return Creek. The last one I received was 10:00 pm(38.00704,-119.39025). He is along Spiller Creek and I believe he will camp there tonight. He has hiked 14 miles today and 955 miles in all. I am sure he is happy to be back on track.

Wedding Bells

It's been almost 2 full weeks since I have been on the Pacific Crest Trail, and I can feel it. I miss it. I'm craving it. The two weeks have been full for the most part though. I spent a few days in Yosemite National Park with friends. I did a lot of hiking there in the valley, mostly climbing to the tops of waterfalls(Yosemite, Vernal, and Nevada). After leaving Yosemite and getting a ride to Lee Vinning, CA and another ride to Reno, Nevada with a German traveling to Yellowstone National Park, I spent two nights in Reno waiting for my early morning flight back to hot Atlanta for my sister's wedding. The first of the two nights in Reno was spent relaxing nicely in a Best Western Hotel. The second night was spent sleeping on the hard floor or massage chair in the Reno/Tahoe International Airport for my 6am flight to Atlanta. No, the massage chairs weren't working, and nor were they comfortable.

Being home was like being in smelly noisy hot sauna when i was outside, and a hetic, busy, stressful, can't-sit-down, chaos when I was inside. I wasn't prepared or excited about the heat and humidity of being back in the southeast. Spending time with the family was quick and usually consisted of getting something done in preparation for the wedding or doing something related to it. It wasn't all bad, it was just HOT HOT HOT and GO GO GO!
I did get to take in a Braves game with the my new brother-in-law and his groomsman and my dad. That was a lot of fun. Tim, my bother-in-law's brother, even got a ball during batting practice. Once the wedding finally arrived on the 2nd of July, things settled down a bit up until the ceremony. My great Uncle Dwight, who has been writing me many letters on the trail, married Stephen and Erin at the church my siter and I grew up in. It was beautiful. I have to admit I couldn't fight back a few tears when the march music played and my dad and Erin walked down the aisle. The reception was a blast down the street at Little Gardens. Lots of catching up with friends and family, answering everyones questions about the trail, drinking, dancing, and somewhat letting loose like I used to in the employee pubs in Yellowstone on the dance floor. My dances with my sister and Grandmother Monty were my favorites. Party continued and flowed over to the hotel where most of the Torrey and Finley families were staying. The fun didn't stop there pretty much all night. The day before my flight back to Reno, I spent mostly with my childhood friends, Andy, Justin, and Joe. Lunch at Friday's bar, putt putt golf, go-carts, batting cages, more drinks, bowling, more drinks, and another bar, which of course meant more drinks. Needless to say, the flight back to Reno was a rough one in the early morning.

Spent yesterday afternoon sleeping and last night watching the fireworks from my hotel window, sucking down as much water as I could to releive the 24hour headache. Today I walked around town exploring the biggest little city in the world. Didn't do any gambling, but did walk around a few casinos and bought a mango-tango smoothie that came with a free lei, I proudly sported around my neck.
Tomorrow I will be back on the trail by the late afternoon, due to the poor bus schedule, and hitching a ride from Lee Vinning to Tuolumne Meadows. I'll be lucky to get 5 miles in tomorrow. So, hopefully by Wednesday, I'll be off and running at 20 to 30 mile days again on the trail and getting to Sierra City, California in the next 10-13 days. That will be my next definate mail drop if any of you kind people would like to send me any letters or other goodies. Here's the address:
Zac Finley PCT hiker
General Delivery
Sierra City, CA 96125
I hope to get more videos of the Sierras, Yosemite, and even the wedding up soon. Thanks, as always for all your support and prayers. Happy trails!

Yo Yo Yosemite!

Will have to be brief with this entry, unfortunately. I've made it through the high Sierras in the high snow year. Was in the first wave of no more than twenty people to make the long snowy trail-less traverse over the high passes of the Sierras. I'm staying with Billy and Virgia, former Yellowstoners, now working in Yosemite. The past couple days, while they have been at work I've been doing some amazing day hikes around and up Yosemite Valley. Tomorrow thte Bryans will take me as far as Lee Vining on their day off. From there, I'll be hitching the rest of the 140 miles to the Reno, Nevada airport to fly home, Georgia, for my sister's wedding. Wedding bells ring July 2nd and I'm back to Reno on the 4th of July and hitching back to Tuolumne Meadows in northern Yosemite to continue hiking to Canada. I've left the trail at mile 942. But with side trips and other days hikes and walks to town, I've done right around 1000 miles since April 13th! Will update more on the Sierras and it crazy stories when i have more time back home. For now, I'm enjoying the company of great friends, Billy and Virgia. Being in their house, is almost like being back in Yellowstone. They had been in the park for over ten years and have brought a good bit back to their new home in California and the other YNP park. Can't wait for some wedding cake and some Grandma's cooking when i get home to Georgia! Happy trails!

Back on the move

Zac is on the move again. He hiked some 21 miles according to the spots I have received. Last nigh he amped on Virginia Lake.(37.51,-118.93) Tonight he is just east of Mill City (37.603,-119.067) There is a chance he will reach Toulume Meadows tomorrow. I do not know if he is hiking alone or with a group. I am looking for a phone call from him any day now. I will relay any information I receive. There is a good chance he will reach Toulume Meadows tomorrow. I have added a few new videos to the blog. I have put them in as close to the date that they actually occurred. You may have to search in the older post to find them.

Working man

Today I received a very brief call from Zac. He is going to stay at the Vermilion Valley Resort a little longer. He took a zero miles day today and will take another tomorrow. He is working at the resort for these two days doing odd jobs and grounds maintenance in exchange for a place to stay and three good meals. The group he was with moved on this morning. Zac said he was feeling great and was comfortable taking a short break from the trail before his push to Reno. He plans to be at Tuolumne Meadows by this weekend. He will pick up any mail and supplies there. I will keep the blog posted with any new information.

Vermilion Valley Resort

Slim Jim and company took a hike a mile off the trail to Vermilion Valley Resort. His last spot was(37.37574,-119.01258) The resort is on Lake Thomas Edison. Still no phone service so I can only hope that showers and laundry are in the plans during the stay. I went to this website and found some information. http://www.edisonlake.com/ There is a campground,store,restaurant and if you stand in the right spot on the dam, you might get limited phone service. If he figures this out, I might get a call. If I do I will pass it on.

Devil's Punchbowl

Evolution Creek 850 miles

Today Zac crossed Evolution Creek at mile marker 850. (37.19574,-118.7951) The elevation there is about 8600 feet. Creek crossings may be rough because of snow melts. Tomorrow the group should make it to Sallie Keys Lake.

G O D Z I L L A ! ! ! !

King's Canyon National Park/Woods Creek

Zac has been out of phone contact for the past 6 days. I am using information I receive from his GPS devise that sends me latitude and longitude of his location. The last 2 spots I received today were almost in the exact same spots. This is his code to me that he is done hiking for the day and will camp there for the night. His last spot was (36.87361,-118.43775) It looks like he is near Woods Creek in King's Canyon National Park. The elevation there is about 8500 feet. Today he passed the 800 mile mark of his journey. I am going to be adding new videos to the blog after receiving a couple of video cards in the mail from Zac. Thank you again for following Zac and keeping him in your prayers.

Mt. Whitney

Chicken Springs Lake

Base camp at Crabtree Meadows

Zac will be out of any phone service for a while so the blogs will be brief. I will still try to give as much information as I can, location and elevation etc. Today he hiked north from Chicken Springs Lake to Crabtree Meadows. He is going to leave his gear there and do a day hike to the peak of Mt. Whitney tomorrow. He is into mile 766 from the Mexican boarder and having the time of his life. I should have some new videos to post soon.

Lone Pine

On Thursday Zac left camp on his own. He got into his first big mosquito swarm while hiking along Cow Creek. The bugs were thick and the hike was uphill and very strenuous. If you stopped to rest for more than 30 seconds, the mosquitoes would be all over you. Once he got past that obstacle he could enjoy some very beautiful scenery in the higher elevations. He caught up with four other hikers he knew later that day. He spent the rest of the day hiking with Little Engine, Half Slice, Sunseeker, and Slim. At 10,000 feet they had to cross some snow fields. At the highest point of the day, 10,700 feet, they could look down on the town of Lone Pine.
During the hike, they encountered at least three cinnamon brown bears. That night one came within a stone's throw to their camp. Everyone hung their food up in the trees but Zac buried his in the ground inside a bear canister. A few nights earlier one of the hikers in the group had his tent ripped up by a bear. Zac decided to cowboy camp so he could be more aware of what was around him during the night. Morning came with no bear drama during the night.
Zac got an early start Friday morning in hopes of getting to Lone Pine with enough time to get everything done he needed to do. He hiked to a nearby public campground hoping to hitch a ride into town which was some 22 miles away. Finally after waiting for an hour without seeing a soul, a pickup truck came by and offered him a ride. In the cab was Half Slice and Little Engine and in the back bed were the three Israeli Gears and Zorro. They had all caught the same ride into town.
In the town of Lone Pine, Zac got some things done. He went to the P.O. and bought stamps to mail some postcards. He bought a new compass, spoon, socks,and a piece of sheet metal to use a a wind shield for when he cooks on his stove. He also went by the library to check his E mail. He had phone service so he made a few phone calls to Alex Parker, Bill Ellison, and Corey at Lake Hotel. Alex is well in Boise, Idaho. Bill is enjoying some fishing in Florida, and Corey is cooking up some good food in Yellowstone.
Tonight he is sharing a room with a few hikers at a hostile. After a well deserved and no doubt needed shower, they went to the all you eat Chinese buffet. What a sight that must have been. I hope they sat at the tables and not at the buffet line this time. I'm sure they were stuffed when they left. After dinner, they got together and went over maps and plans for the next few days. They were going to be in remote wilderness for the next 8 to 9 days and preperation was important.
On Saturday he plans to hike 8 miles to Chicken Spring Lake, 11,200 feet. Camp there for the night and then hike to Crabtree Meadows, 10,300 feet, the next day. Then on Monday he plans to hike up Mt Whitney, 14,400 feet, the highest point on the continental United States. This will be a return trip for Zac. He hiked it a few years back. I should be getting some new videos soon and will post them as soon as I can.
Update: While in Kennedy Meadows, Zac was helping the owner of the general store sort and stack boxes that were mailed there for the PCT hikers to pick up when they came through. Zac mentioned how much he liked a certain hat that was hanging up in the store. He asked her how much she wanted for it. She said," Brush the dust off of it and it is yours." He said he really liked that hat. "It is different," he said. As soon as I get pictures of it I will definitely post. I can only imagine what it must look like.

CHOPPER!

The pancakes this morning were delicious. The Israeli Gear group cooked up about 90 pancakes feeding myself, Digger, Smokey the Beard, Lost and Found, Joker, Golden Child, Mike, Andrew, Slim, Zorro, and Smilies and trail angel Tom. I spent most of the day after pancakes, in an outdoor shower, organizing my pack with new gear(ice axe, crampons, bear canister, down vest), laundry(washer only, air dry on clothes line) and discussing plans for resupply throughout the remote Sierras with all the other hikers here at Kennedy Meadows.
Yesterday I woke up on a nose of mountain looking over Fox Mill Meadows, where I left most of the other hikers for the night. I wanted to camp alone that night. Anywho, by the time I had broken camp and started moving up the trail, Smiles had already passed me and Mike was not too far behind. Had lunch on the banks of the South Fork Kern River where I encountered a large rattlesnake. The rattler was angry, but not aggressive or a problem.
Wasn't three miles from there after lunch I was hiking through a sage flat with loose sand and a few junipers and small pines. I had been listening to a low flying helicopter for the past half hour slowly getting closer and closer to me. Afterwhile the helicopter came into view, close enough to see sheriff on the belly of the chopper and two fully armed search and rescue crew members on the deck with legs dangling. I gave a friendly wave up, and within three minutes the chopper and circled around me and started to land in meadow I was hiking through. The chopper was blowing sand across the trail and into my face and tumbleweed rolling by.
Turns out the search and rescue had received an emergency signal from a device from a hiker in the area. A similar device that I have been carrying. They thought I was the hiker they were looking for. "I had NOT hit the 911 button on my SPOT", I told them. I told the men my name. They pulled out their notes on the person they were searching for. The name they had was for a Zack Lee. What a coincidence that I'm Zac Finley. Sounds very similar. Apparently their dispatch was talking to my dad on the phone with more info on the hiker they were looking for. Their notes showed a hiker with a grey sweater on. I looked at my grey long sleeve shirt I was wearing. GREAT! Maybe I had accidentally hit the 911 button on my SPOT....but there's no way I would have hit it twice, which is what the S&R crew had noted. The phone number they had didn;t match mine, and neither did the missing hiker's itinerary. The whole scene was very odd and confusing for myself and the S&R team. Either way, I was obviously fine and did not need rescue. They took my information down and asked if I was OK, if I knew where I was, and if I needed anything. They didn't think it was too funny when I said I could use a cold beer and a pizza. We did share a few laughs anyways in the remote sage field and then they were off.
A couple hours later after walking and worrying that my parents had been freaking out about whatever it was that was calling for a search and rescue for me, I reached Kennedy Meadows where I could use a phone. Called Mom and she had no panic or worried tone to her voice,and no idea of a any search and rescue! Turns out my dad had not talked to any search and rescue, and the whole thing in the sage flats with the helicopter was not for me afterall. I was relieved that no one was worrying and that I had not accidentally hit the wrong the button. Hopefully Zack Lee is OK and the S&R do find HIM.

Here at Tom's place in Kennedy Meadows things are much more relaxing. A perfect place for a zero day before heading into the cold snow covered high Sierras. Tom's place is just a minute's walk from the small general store. There isn't much more to Kennedy Meadows than Tom's and the store. Tom's mini trailer park sits on a sandy dirt hill coming down from the road on about 2 acres. His front yard is home to a large shady Jeffery Pine tree with hikers floating in hammocks. Several picnic tables and couches are also occupied with tired hikers outside on the deck of Tom's Cyber Cafe. The Cyber Cafe is where I'm typing from now. It is a roomy silver airstream trailer with four computers with Internet and a land line phone. Along with trailer there are many other small campers and pop-up trailers in Tom's backyard for us hikers to stay in overnight. Each with anywhere's from one to three beds. Tom also has a outdoor kitchen, or food shack where we all enjoyed spaghetti with meat sauce last night and pancakes this morning. All that Tom offers at his place is free for us hikers with donations accepted. Extremely nice and easy going trail angel.
Tomorrow I will leave Kennedy Meadows and head for the high Sierras. By tomorrow I will be back at 9000 feet above sea level, hopefully with just small patches of snow to traverse. By Thursday I will be hiking over 10,000 feet above sea level, possibly utilizing the crampons and ice axe. By Thursday evening or Friday morning I will hike off trail to the small community of Lone Pine to get a few supplies I can not get here at the even smaller community of Kennedy Meadow. Back on the trail by Friday evening or Saturday morning, I will spend the most of the next hundred miles above 10000 feet, which will surely be covered in snow. By next week I will hopefully peaked Mount Whitney, an off trail detour to the highest peak in the contiguous United States(14500 feet) and traverse the highest point on the trail(Forester Pass: 13180 feet). Should be a tough climbing, cold nights, wet shoes, amazing views and epic adventures to be had in the high Sierras in the next few weeks. I should be in good company leaving Kennedy Meadows with Mike, the Israeli Gears, Mango, Golden Child, Andrew, Digger, Smokey the Bear, Lost and Found, and Zorro. I am very excited and eager to tackle the snow. Thanks for all your support and prayers. It will be much needed and appreciated when traversing the high slopes of the Sierra Nevada.
My next certain mail stop, where I would love mail of any kind from you, will be in Tuolumne Meadows at mile 941. I should be arriving there if travels go as planned in two weeks give or take a couple days. My parents will have a better idea of my ETA there after receiving my SPOTs. Here's the address:
Zac Finley PCT Hiker
General Delivery
Tuolumne Meadows, California 95389

Happy Trails!