Today Zac got a ride from a trail angel named David who lives in Idyllwild up to Cabazon. His plan is to leap frog ahead of the trail north and hike south giving the snow some time to melt. The thru hikers who make it over the pass might leave a good tail in the snow as well. Before heading to Interstate 10 he had a little lunch at Burger King. He ate a Whopper Jr., A-1 steak burger, a chicken sandwich and a Dr. Pepper. I guess if he had gotten a full size Whopper it might make him look like a glutton. He began the 4 mile hike to the HWY 10 from Cabazon when he was picked up by a guy named Tim who was going in that direction. Zac said that he was a really nice guy who was on his way to buy a watch for his son’s birthday. The beginning of the trail he said was very flat. He saw many wind turbines and was enjoying the easy grade. His elevation was 1300 feet there. By the time he set up camp for the night he had climbed to 6800 feet.
Last time I talked to him he was getting ready to go to sleep. The wind was so strong he was afraid his tent would get damaged. The temperature was so cold he could not stand to be outside long enough to cook any dinner so he had a few power bars and was crawling into his sleeping bag. Tomorrow he will decide if he is going to try to make Fuller Ridge or not. He said he had spoken to a thru hiker earlier and was told that Fuller Ridge was in bad shape as far as the trail is concerned. I guess we will have to wait and see.
I received a photo card from Zac today that has video and pictures. I will try my best to figure out how to add some of these to the blog. The videos were amazing. He wanted me to mention some of the people he had met along the way. Their names are: Uncle Tom, The Mayor, Psycho, Apricots, Train, and Axilla. There are more, but these are the ones he could remember at the moment.
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Slim Jim Lives!
When we last heard from Zac he was having a hard time finding the trail in the snow. Around 10:30 this morning I finally got a spot from him. He had moved about a quarter of a mile from the last spot but he was moving. It was good to see that he was on his way again. As the day went on I waited for another spot. After five hours with no spot I began to wonder what was going on with him and his GPS device. Another three hours passed and still no spot, 5 hours, 7 hours. 10 hours had passed since his last spot this morning. Checking his bank account on line about 8:30 pm showed that he had just purchased a giant deluxe pizza from the Idyllwild Pizza Company. Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm ……
Zac’s sister Erin called his cell and surprised him with her physic powers about his dining practices. I still don't think he has figured out how she knew that he was chowing down on a super supreme pizza. He was doing fine and out of the weather eating pizza with old friends and new ones as well. I called him shortly after and got the scoop on his ordeal over the last 24 hours.
The scoop:
Zac hiked up the ridge with little problems for most of the day. The weather was nice and he had met two other hikers along the trail and things were going smoothly. The group hiked most of the day until the two through hikers pace put them ahead of Zac and out of sight. The snow at the higher elevations was patchy and the trail was easy to make out. At 8000 feet, Zac was alone now and the snow was getting deeper. By 5:30 the snow was four foot deep and every step was a chore. The trail was covered and if it were not for the tracks of the hikers ahead of him, it would have been impossible to follow. The tracks of the two hikers split at one point and Zac decided to follow the tracks that were most prominent.
He walked and walked following the one set of tracks for a few hours until he found that he had walked in one big circle. Zac had been following the tracks were of a hiker who was as lost as he was. Luckily for Zac the other hiker whose trail he had been walking was there as well. The two soon found the third member of the party and all three agreed that they had to try to find the trail before the sun went down. After trying to read a map and follow a compass using head lamps, the three decided that a camp should be made. After a night’s sleep the trail might be easier to locate in the morning.
Setting up a tent on top of 5 feet of snow with only one pole for support will not work. Zac had no choice but to lay the tent down and use it as a ground cloth. For dinner he cooked up some Ramen noodles in melted snow and a Snicker bar. Then he brought some more snow to a boil and filled a Nalgene bottle and tossed it into his sleeping bag to warm it up. This is an old trick her learned while working at Yellowstone. His sleeping bag served him well and he stayed warm through the night.
The morning brought new hope and better light and after an hour or two the trail was picked up and Saddle Junction was in sight. Getting there entailed hiking along a snow covered cliff side where just days before a hiker had fallen and had to be rescued by helicopter. The steps had to be dug out and the going was very slow. The group reached Saddle Junction and the town of Idyllwild was only a few miles away. They picked up a dirt road and walked until the town sheriff stopped them and offered them a ride into town. He dropped them off between the pizza joint and the grocery store. Sort of like Rambo but with a less violent ending.
Zac made some new friends at the pizza place and they invited his group to share their cabin with a full kitchen, TV, fireplace, and running water as well and free laundry service. So tonight he is in a safe, warm cabin with 14 other hikers who will share their own stories of the PCT.
Zac’s sister Erin called his cell and surprised him with her physic powers about his dining practices. I still don't think he has figured out how she knew that he was chowing down on a super supreme pizza. He was doing fine and out of the weather eating pizza with old friends and new ones as well. I called him shortly after and got the scoop on his ordeal over the last 24 hours.
The scoop:
Zac hiked up the ridge with little problems for most of the day. The weather was nice and he had met two other hikers along the trail and things were going smoothly. The group hiked most of the day until the two through hikers pace put them ahead of Zac and out of sight. The snow at the higher elevations was patchy and the trail was easy to make out. At 8000 feet, Zac was alone now and the snow was getting deeper. By 5:30 the snow was four foot deep and every step was a chore. The trail was covered and if it were not for the tracks of the hikers ahead of him, it would have been impossible to follow. The tracks of the two hikers split at one point and Zac decided to follow the tracks that were most prominent.
He walked and walked following the one set of tracks for a few hours until he found that he had walked in one big circle. Zac had been following the tracks were of a hiker who was as lost as he was. Luckily for Zac the other hiker whose trail he had been walking was there as well. The two soon found the third member of the party and all three agreed that they had to try to find the trail before the sun went down. After trying to read a map and follow a compass using head lamps, the three decided that a camp should be made. After a night’s sleep the trail might be easier to locate in the morning.
Setting up a tent on top of 5 feet of snow with only one pole for support will not work. Zac had no choice but to lay the tent down and use it as a ground cloth. For dinner he cooked up some Ramen noodles in melted snow and a Snicker bar. Then he brought some more snow to a boil and filled a Nalgene bottle and tossed it into his sleeping bag to warm it up. This is an old trick her learned while working at Yellowstone. His sleeping bag served him well and he stayed warm through the night.
The morning brought new hope and better light and after an hour or two the trail was picked up and Saddle Junction was in sight. Getting there entailed hiking along a snow covered cliff side where just days before a hiker had fallen and had to be rescued by helicopter. The steps had to be dug out and the going was very slow. The group reached Saddle Junction and the town of Idyllwild was only a few miles away. They picked up a dirt road and walked until the town sheriff stopped them and offered them a ride into town. He dropped them off between the pizza joint and the grocery store. Sort of like Rambo but with a less violent ending.
Zac made some new friends at the pizza place and they invited his group to share their cabin with a full kitchen, TV, fireplace, and running water as well and free laundry service. So tonight he is in a safe, warm cabin with 14 other hikers who will share their own stories of the PCT.
Monday, April 26, 2010
Zac had to decide Sunday if he was going to hitch a ride into Idyllwild or take the trail up to the ridge in what could be a snow covered trail. He called before deciding and asked if I could check the internet to see what the weather is going to be for that area. The weather looked like it was going to be clear. Zac stayed on the trail and headed north. He asked if his gloves could be mailed to him by way of the Idyllwild Post office. He is hiking a trail that is between 8000 and 9000 feet in elevation. He is hiking alone right now hoping to catch up with a friend who is about a day ahead of him. He is sending more spots than he had been which makes his progress easier to track. He called around 10:00 pm, saying he thought he may have taken a wrong turn and was not exactly sure where he was. He was in snow and it was getting dark. His feet were wet and he was going to make camp. According to his last spot he was very close to Saddle Junction. This puts him about 178 miles into his hike. He has gone about 70 miles since leaving Warner springs. He might take a well deserved break and rest a day in Idyllwild.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
So a typical day on the trail! Wake up early. Usually before the sun, which usually means its quite chilly, and maybe even a little wet with the morning dew. So, it can be somewhat slow going breaking down the tent, drying the down sleeping bag before stuffing it into the bag, and packing away everything in your pack. Its been critical to chug lots of water, at least 2 liters, and eat something loaded with calories, power bar or snickers bar, before you head out on the trail each morning. And don't forget to filter water and fill your nalgenes and bladders with more water for the day, because there isn't much on the trail, not even rivers or creeks in the desert. Everything is very dry and hot. Once you've strapped into your pack and had something to eat, you get on the trail and hike, hike, hike.
The trail through the desert mountains is gorgeous, with hardly any trees and small brush the views are always open and expansive. The flowers have been in bloom on the different cactus and other desert plants, with lizards running all over the place. Good luck soaking a lot of it all in without stopping in your tracks though. The trail tread itself is rough, and full of loose sand and small rocks from gumball to football size. So its important to constantly watch your step for sure footing to avoid rolling an ankle or worse. Didn't mention that many of the beautiful cactus, are cactus, with thousands of very sharp prickly needles leaning into the trail you got to avoid, along with the rattle snakes lurking between them and boulders.
You want to be on the trail early in the morning to take advantage of the lack of sun and scorching heat. By 10 am, its hot. By noon, its blistering, and stays that way till about 4pm. If you're looking to take a break for water or one of your daily 3 snacks(snickers bar, power bar, peanut butter, or pop tarts), you had better do it in some shade. Sitting and taking a break in direct sunlight is just as bad as walking in it. Without many tall vegetation, shade is just as scarce as the water. So, when you must rest, you are scrambling to find anything that will offer you a shadow. Laying on the trail, under chest high bushes, or under a massive boulder. I;ve found myself even cutting away at small bushes to make shade to crawl into. Each time you break for shade, water, or a snack, your socks and shoes ought come off your feet too so they can breath and lower the risk of blisters, or more blisters.
Anytime there is a chance to fill up on water or filter some, you stop and do so. Because you never know when the next water hole will be. And if you feel like you've hiked enough for that day, or think the next water source for camp is too far to reach before daylight fades, you start looking for a place to camp in the area. There are a few designated campgrounds along the 2667 mile trail, but most nights, yo are just looking for a flat, sheltered area on the desert floor, away from poison oak. Once you've found it, and finally gotten to the trail's end for the day, and your feet, legs, back, and shoulders are sore, you still have a couple hours worth of chores to attend to before laying down for bed. I usually start by unpacking my tent and getting it set up. Hopefully the spot you've picked is flat spot without many uncomfortable rocks to sleep on. With the tent set up and your sleeping pad and bag inside, its time to fetch the evening's water for dinner. That entails walking down to the creek or whatever water source you hopefully camped near by with your water treatment. I use the platypus gravity bags, which i think is described in an earlier post on this blog. Usually sitting on the ground, fending off the ants and spiders, you start cooking dinner with the water. Make sure you position yourself so the wind doesn't blow out your fire from the pocket rocket stove while you're waiting patiently for your water to boil and food to cook. Again, the food you eat for dinner is crucial to how well you do the next day. It should include well over 700 calories at least, some protein, carbs, and maybe some starch or veggies. The smart thing to do immediately after eating is to clean the pots and other dishes used, so they are easier to do so. But sometimes after eating a big meal, usually in the dark by now, it's easier, or tempting to just leave for the morning and get ready for bed. Either way, sleep is still yet to come, with a few more tasks to complete before retiring. I always make sure everything is packed away in my backpack, minus the gear I'm using to sleep, so it's one less thing to pack and organize in the morning when its cold and you just want to get to walking again. usually about this time, I'm thinking about using the little boy's room, which is actually more like a small secluded spot away from camp in the bushes, hopefully with no hiding cactus. Now with your pack packed and inside the tent, you can crawl inside the warmth of a sleeping bag and go over tomorrow's agenda. Know where water will possibly be next. How far will I, or may I, get tomorrow? Get the maps and literature for tomorrow's trail ready. And go ahead and get tomorrow morning's breakfast unpacked, and ready to eat. Then, with the last bit of energy you have left, write a bit about the days adventure and sights in your journal. Goodnight!
Looks like one more night here at Warner Springs resort, thanks to the best trail magic I've encountered yet. Tom, from Vail, Colorado, was giving rides to the kickoff party back at Lake Morena county park, and bought my room for the night. Refusing any payment at all from me, he only gave me a load of oranges, two bundles of firewood for the room, and his information so i could contact him later for any other help. Unbelievable! I was completely humbled and could not thank him enough. The room has three beds so I've been searching for other thru hikers to share the room with so they can have a free warm place to stay the night too. They are calling for more snow tonight again, but I will be leaving rain, snow or shine, first thing in the morning, and will be leaving the blog to the family again after this post. I should be on the computer again later tonight, just to answer any questions any of you all may have for me. Just leave comments and questions by clicking the comments button just below this post. Thanks again for the support and reading up on the trails.
The trail through the desert mountains is gorgeous, with hardly any trees and small brush the views are always open and expansive. The flowers have been in bloom on the different cactus and other desert plants, with lizards running all over the place. Good luck soaking a lot of it all in without stopping in your tracks though. The trail tread itself is rough, and full of loose sand and small rocks from gumball to football size. So its important to constantly watch your step for sure footing to avoid rolling an ankle or worse. Didn't mention that many of the beautiful cactus, are cactus, with thousands of very sharp prickly needles leaning into the trail you got to avoid, along with the rattle snakes lurking between them and boulders.
You want to be on the trail early in the morning to take advantage of the lack of sun and scorching heat. By 10 am, its hot. By noon, its blistering, and stays that way till about 4pm. If you're looking to take a break for water or one of your daily 3 snacks(snickers bar, power bar, peanut butter, or pop tarts), you had better do it in some shade. Sitting and taking a break in direct sunlight is just as bad as walking in it. Without many tall vegetation, shade is just as scarce as the water. So, when you must rest, you are scrambling to find anything that will offer you a shadow. Laying on the trail, under chest high bushes, or under a massive boulder. I;ve found myself even cutting away at small bushes to make shade to crawl into. Each time you break for shade, water, or a snack, your socks and shoes ought come off your feet too so they can breath and lower the risk of blisters, or more blisters.
Anytime there is a chance to fill up on water or filter some, you stop and do so. Because you never know when the next water hole will be. And if you feel like you've hiked enough for that day, or think the next water source for camp is too far to reach before daylight fades, you start looking for a place to camp in the area. There are a few designated campgrounds along the 2667 mile trail, but most nights, yo are just looking for a flat, sheltered area on the desert floor, away from poison oak. Once you've found it, and finally gotten to the trail's end for the day, and your feet, legs, back, and shoulders are sore, you still have a couple hours worth of chores to attend to before laying down for bed. I usually start by unpacking my tent and getting it set up. Hopefully the spot you've picked is flat spot without many uncomfortable rocks to sleep on. With the tent set up and your sleeping pad and bag inside, its time to fetch the evening's water for dinner. That entails walking down to the creek or whatever water source you hopefully camped near by with your water treatment. I use the platypus gravity bags, which i think is described in an earlier post on this blog. Usually sitting on the ground, fending off the ants and spiders, you start cooking dinner with the water. Make sure you position yourself so the wind doesn't blow out your fire from the pocket rocket stove while you're waiting patiently for your water to boil and food to cook. Again, the food you eat for dinner is crucial to how well you do the next day. It should include well over 700 calories at least, some protein, carbs, and maybe some starch or veggies. The smart thing to do immediately after eating is to clean the pots and other dishes used, so they are easier to do so. But sometimes after eating a big meal, usually in the dark by now, it's easier, or tempting to just leave for the morning and get ready for bed. Either way, sleep is still yet to come, with a few more tasks to complete before retiring. I always make sure everything is packed away in my backpack, minus the gear I'm using to sleep, so it's one less thing to pack and organize in the morning when its cold and you just want to get to walking again. usually about this time, I'm thinking about using the little boy's room, which is actually more like a small secluded spot away from camp in the bushes, hopefully with no hiding cactus. Now with your pack packed and inside the tent, you can crawl inside the warmth of a sleeping bag and go over tomorrow's agenda. Know where water will possibly be next. How far will I, or may I, get tomorrow? Get the maps and literature for tomorrow's trail ready. And go ahead and get tomorrow morning's breakfast unpacked, and ready to eat. Then, with the last bit of energy you have left, write a bit about the days adventure and sights in your journal. Goodnight!
Looks like one more night here at Warner Springs resort, thanks to the best trail magic I've encountered yet. Tom, from Vail, Colorado, was giving rides to the kickoff party back at Lake Morena county park, and bought my room for the night. Refusing any payment at all from me, he only gave me a load of oranges, two bundles of firewood for the room, and his information so i could contact him later for any other help. Unbelievable! I was completely humbled and could not thank him enough. The room has three beds so I've been searching for other thru hikers to share the room with so they can have a free warm place to stay the night too. They are calling for more snow tonight again, but I will be leaving rain, snow or shine, first thing in the morning, and will be leaving the blog to the family again after this post. I should be on the computer again later tonight, just to answer any questions any of you all may have for me. Just leave comments and questions by clicking the comments button just below this post. Thanks again for the support and reading up on the trails.
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!
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!
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Zac made it to Warner Springs today around 12:00 his time. His friends greeted him with a meal of pasta and hamburgers. He picked up his mail and did some laundry in town. He is staying in a hotel room with 6 other hikers in Warner Springs tonight. I am sure that the snoring from that room will shake the shingles. He plans to hit the trail again tomorrow. A restful night will do him good. He has hiked some 109 miles as of today. He is hiking with a group and that is good for his moral and security. He was in a good mood and had no complaints. The conversations are short and not very in depth when he calls on a borrowed cell phone. I am trying to piece together information so I can present something on the blog. After tonight he will hopefully have a full charged for his phone. When he has time to talk I will drill him with as many details as he will divulge and I will relay that information here to all are following Zac's trip.
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