Thursday, April 22, 2010

It's your's truely this time! The swanky Warner Hot Springs Resort has two computers for us, thru hikers, to use when availible. But, because there is at least 30 hikers staying here, time is limited so everyone can have chance to stare into a computer screen for a bit. So, I'll due my best give you a good first hand update. Thanks to my folks back home, the blog looks to be updated everyday with some interesting tidbits from the fragments of info I can relay to them. And thanks be to all you for reading and following along. It means worlds to me when I see how many people are interested in my travels and giving me so much support. Your encouragement helps heal the bubbly blisters on my feet, shade the blazing desert sun and level the steepest of climbs. Really, thanks!

So, to say the least, this adventure, just 110 miles in/one week, has been extraordinary. My first night I spent alone along Hauser creek just 16 miles from the border. Honestly, every frog croak, leaf ruffling, and twig popping had me shining my headlamp out into the darkness. It took some time for sleep to come. Each night after that has been a bit easier. I'm currently sharing a nice big room with three beds and lots of floor space with five others at the resort in Warner Springs. Splitting the room six ways makes it very affordable at only 13 dollars a night.

I arrived here yesterday, with a surprise waiting for me. My friends, Amy and Jilly, had spent three days waiting for my arrival at Warner Springs with the grill fired and hamburgers, gatorade, chips, salsa, cookies and even a delicious breakfast burrito! When you are on the trail, and walking all day, you are constantly eating, building up your calories for energy. You can always eat. So all that food was amazing! Thanks Amy and Jilly!

After the huge lunch, I was already being invited by other thru hikers to share a room at the resort. Since then, I've been meeting many other friends that are thru hiking the PCT, and catching up with others I had already met along the trail. They are all very friendly and interesting in their own regards. The other thru hikers remind me of the other Yellowstone employees I've met and befriended for so many summers. Last night I sat in the dining room for dinner with 15 other thru hikers all at one massive table. Everyone has a story, and no one really goes by their real name. Each hiker has, what we call, a trail name. Zorro is from Spain, and helped me decide what to order. The three boys from Isreal, Isreali Gear, were talking across the table to Train, from Seattle. Little Bit, from North Carolina, was learing how Long Toe, from Austria, lost and recovered his room keys while soaking in the hot spring pool. And the two Flying Kiwis, from New Zealand, were just leaving. Other names of thru hikers I've met include: Sand Man, Axzilla, JJ, Half Brew, Rosy, Fuzzy Monkey, Why Not, Skyward, Zelda, Moses, Billy Goat, Monty, Yogi, Tarzan, General Lee and more I can't seem to remember at the moment. I've been given the name Slim Jim, I guess because I do get a craving for the beef sticks often and can be seen gnawing one down hiking down the trail frequently.

My time is short now for computer access, but I will be on again tomorrow before I leave for the trail again to give you all some more insight on what its really like on the trail, and what my daily routine has consisted of, so far. Thanks again for reading and all the support. Happy trails!

1 comment:

Tom M said...

Would have liked to be at that dinner table, it sounds like there are more foreigners hiking the PCT than Americans. If I was there your trail name would be Crash (a snow kayaking reference). Keep it up dude