I bought a new pair of running shoes in LA. I didn't want to hike without a safety net so I kept the old shoes with me just in case something went wrong. As it turns out the new shoes work great - my feet and legs were less fatigued at the end of the day. However, I also developed a new blister on the ball of my right foot. It's a deep blister that formed under the existing callous. The other foot was just fine so I only switched the shoe on the problem foot and I've been hiking in two different shoes.
I just went through the Mojave Desert. Much of that section is flat and follows the LA aqueduct. I got a late start - heading out at 8:30 but tried to make up for it by being consistent. There wasn't much to do out there but walk anyhow. The next spot to resupply for water was 16 miles in. I took a good long break there and then went for another 7 miles to the next water source where I set up camp and planned on calling it a day. However, at 10:00 the wind kicked up and shook the tent violently. I've seen this movie before and I know how it ended, so I packed up camp and struck out for some night hiking. I didn't know how far I'd go, but I knew I wasn't going to sleep in the wind.
The section I night hiked through had been burned in a fire a couple years ago and it destroyed ALL vegitation. The mountainside was literally just soft sand. It was like trying to walk across the side of a dune in many places. The trail was just inches wide. My flashlight could only shine so far and the light got lost in the great gulf of darkness yawning to the side. I had no way of knowing how far down it went. But the night was comfortable for once and I hiked until midnight at which point I found a nice level spot on a ridge top. It was a little breezy but not windy. In the distance there was a large city that stood out in the darkness like a sea of light. It was a nice place to camp.
This next section is daunting in that I have to resupply with 5 days of food AND carry enough water to make it for 23 dry miles. The combined weight of a full resupply and 12 pounds of water isn't a good combination and I'm worried that it will cause further trouble with the blister on my right foot. Such is the trail though.
In a week I'll be at Kennedy Meadows which marks the end of the desert section and the beginning of hiking in the high Sierras.
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Sunday, May 25, 2008
454 miles in
I'll be honest, this trail has been anything but easy so far. The weather in particular has made it difficult. I expected extremes heat but instead it's been cold. Cold is one thing but it's also been extremely windy.
A few nights ago I was set up at a trailhead. After dark the wind kicked up and became stronger. At midnight my tent came down. I could hear the wind gusts coming through the tree tops before it hit me. Staying put wasn't an option so I had to pack up everything which took a long time because of the wind. I moved to the other side of the parking lot and slept in front of the concrete outhouse which was the only place that protected from the wind. Needless to say it was a rough day following.
Two days ago when woke I was on a mountain top and thought it chilly but wasn't sure if I was just exhaustion and reduced body fat making me wimpy. Not long after when it started to flurry I knew it really was chilly. Later on thunder clouds built and it began to rain. Keep in mind that I'm in the desert and this is extremely rare for this time of year. There was a continued mix of snow and rain, but my frustration grew when the trail lead up and over a bald peak while the thunder grew in frequency all around.
I was determined to get down in elevation by the end of the day no matter what it took. I'd had enough of the wind, cold, and wet over the past few days. I did a total of 26 miles that day to insure that I was down to 2600 feet by the time I set up camp in a burned out section of trail. The following day I was grateful that I had dropped in elevation. As the day dawned cloudy once more I looked back from where I'd come to see the clouds hanging low and heavy on the mountain tops and lots of precipitation soaking them. Hikers that came in behind me showed me digital photos of inches of snow that fell on them.
However, took my first zero-mile day yesterday since mile 100. I spent the day with a good friend from off-trail and it was relaxing and rejuvenating. I bought new pair of shoes in hopes that my knees and feet survive the long days a bit better. I'm nervous that they may cause more blisters, but that's a risk that comes with changing shoes.
I'm at a hiker hostel today and I'm going to take my time getting out. It's still cloudy and cold, but the weather is supposed to improve later in the week.
A few nights ago I was set up at a trailhead. After dark the wind kicked up and became stronger. At midnight my tent came down. I could hear the wind gusts coming through the tree tops before it hit me. Staying put wasn't an option so I had to pack up everything which took a long time because of the wind. I moved to the other side of the parking lot and slept in front of the concrete outhouse which was the only place that protected from the wind. Needless to say it was a rough day following.
Two days ago when woke I was on a mountain top and thought it chilly but wasn't sure if I was just exhaustion and reduced body fat making me wimpy. Not long after when it started to flurry I knew it really was chilly. Later on thunder clouds built and it began to rain. Keep in mind that I'm in the desert and this is extremely rare for this time of year. There was a continued mix of snow and rain, but my frustration grew when the trail lead up and over a bald peak while the thunder grew in frequency all around.
I was determined to get down in elevation by the end of the day no matter what it took. I'd had enough of the wind, cold, and wet over the past few days. I did a total of 26 miles that day to insure that I was down to 2600 feet by the time I set up camp in a burned out section of trail. The following day I was grateful that I had dropped in elevation. As the day dawned cloudy once more I looked back from where I'd come to see the clouds hanging low and heavy on the mountain tops and lots of precipitation soaking them. Hikers that came in behind me showed me digital photos of inches of snow that fell on them.
However, took my first zero-mile day yesterday since mile 100. I spent the day with a good friend from off-trail and it was relaxing and rejuvenating. I bought new pair of shoes in hopes that my knees and feet survive the long days a bit better. I'm nervous that they may cause more blisters, but that's a risk that comes with changing shoes.
I'm at a hiker hostel today and I'm going to take my time getting out. It's still cloudy and cold, but the weather is supposed to improve later in the week.
Monday, May 19, 2008
360 miles in
OK, I have a few moments now to update.
I felt my first ever earthquake. It registered at 3.5 and was located just 2 miles from where I was sitting at the time. It was one single tremor and felt much the same as when a sudden powerful gust of wind hits a wood-framed house. It was there and gone so fast we weren't sure what happened til we had it confirmed on the news. I was in a town when it happened.
I finally have my hiker legs under me. I've increased the mileage substantially from my earlier days. In the last 3 days I've knocked out 75 miles. Yesterday was the hardest at a 28 mile day with 5000 feet gain in elevation and carrying 12 pounds of water over a dry 22 mile stretch. I didn't get into camp til 9:00 pm and was fairly exhausted. I'll be slowing down a bit after I reach the next town in 90 miles.
I'm in Wrightwood, CA at about 360. I'm here for a simple resupply and then I'll be out again tomorrow morning. Next stop Agua Dulce.
The heat has finally kicked in. Up until the last few days it has been unseasonably cold with occasional frost on the tent. One day I even hiked all day with an extra long sleeve shirt. But now it is stifling hot outside with temps in the 90's. It's a bit better at elevation, but not much.
I've hiked through several burned out sections of trail. One section was a burned out in '04 when I was on it. In fact Sarah and I were among the last ones through it as the fire chased us up a steep sided canyon. We saw the smoke behind us and didn't dare stop til long after we would have otherwise. This time I got to hike through the devastation and get to see the extent of the damage and it was considerable. I didn't know that so much had been burned in '04.
I had to skip a section of trail this year since it was closed for a fire. The fire was out but it was still closed to hikers. As in '04 this fire was started by a careless PCT hiker. I don't think that some hikers can really comprehend just how explosive the grass and other plant matter is in this area. It really takes next to nothing to start the fire ball rolling. I hope that in the future the hikers will stop setting fires. The resulting destruction will take decades to heal in such a water-starved area.
I've seen 6-10 rattlers. I don't usually jump at the sound of them, but a week ago one scared me right off the trail, which wasn't all that good since one side was a cliff and the other side was a drop-off. The rattler was right at chest height in a niche on the cliff-side and didn't rattle til I was right next to it. The snake was black as night and coiled. Once I was at a safe distance I got a photo of it. Oh, when I jumped off the trail I was able to pick a rock to hop on and didn't plummet down the hill side.
I haven't seen much other wild life except for a grey fox and hundreds of 5 inch lizards and a few horned toads.
My time is about up. More from further up the trail.
I felt my first ever earthquake. It registered at 3.5 and was located just 2 miles from where I was sitting at the time. It was one single tremor and felt much the same as when a sudden powerful gust of wind hits a wood-framed house. It was there and gone so fast we weren't sure what happened til we had it confirmed on the news. I was in a town when it happened.
I finally have my hiker legs under me. I've increased the mileage substantially from my earlier days. In the last 3 days I've knocked out 75 miles. Yesterday was the hardest at a 28 mile day with 5000 feet gain in elevation and carrying 12 pounds of water over a dry 22 mile stretch. I didn't get into camp til 9:00 pm and was fairly exhausted. I'll be slowing down a bit after I reach the next town in 90 miles.
I'm in Wrightwood, CA at about 360. I'm here for a simple resupply and then I'll be out again tomorrow morning. Next stop Agua Dulce.
The heat has finally kicked in. Up until the last few days it has been unseasonably cold with occasional frost on the tent. One day I even hiked all day with an extra long sleeve shirt. But now it is stifling hot outside with temps in the 90's. It's a bit better at elevation, but not much.
I've hiked through several burned out sections of trail. One section was a burned out in '04 when I was on it. In fact Sarah and I were among the last ones through it as the fire chased us up a steep sided canyon. We saw the smoke behind us and didn't dare stop til long after we would have otherwise. This time I got to hike through the devastation and get to see the extent of the damage and it was considerable. I didn't know that so much had been burned in '04.
I had to skip a section of trail this year since it was closed for a fire. The fire was out but it was still closed to hikers. As in '04 this fire was started by a careless PCT hiker. I don't think that some hikers can really comprehend just how explosive the grass and other plant matter is in this area. It really takes next to nothing to start the fire ball rolling. I hope that in the future the hikers will stop setting fires. The resulting destruction will take decades to heal in such a water-starved area.
I've seen 6-10 rattlers. I don't usually jump at the sound of them, but a week ago one scared me right off the trail, which wasn't all that good since one side was a cliff and the other side was a drop-off. The rattler was right at chest height in a niche on the cliff-side and didn't rattle til I was right next to it. The snake was black as night and coiled. Once I was at a safe distance I got a photo of it. Oh, when I jumped off the trail I was able to pick a rock to hop on and didn't plummet down the hill side.
I haven't seen much other wild life except for a grey fox and hundreds of 5 inch lizards and a few horned toads.
My time is about up. More from further up the trail.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
A Brief Update
This has to be short. I'm in Big Bear City. I spent most the morning trying to get into town and the rest of the day doing errands so I can get out. It's now past dark and I still need to hitch to the trail. I wanted to let everyone know that I'm alive and well. The feet are much much better, but still have a little way to go, but for now it's tolerable. I have much more to write but it will have to wait til I hit the next town. I'm at about mile 250 or something like that. The next resupply point is in 100 miles.
Saturday, May 3, 2008
Evil, Thy Name Is Post Office
My feet are feeling much better today and I was confident that a different pair of shoes Toby mailed to me would arrive today since they only had a few hundred miles to travel and 2-3 days to do it. However, they didn't arrive today. That means that I have to take 2 more complete zero-mile days to wait for them. This is the exact reason why I hoped to distance myself from relying on the postal system this time around. I could have had them forwarded to the next town up the line but had I walked out in the running shoes I'm now wearing my feet would have been torn up again in no time and this past day of rest would have been for naught. So here I am in Warner Springs waiting til Monday morning. On a bright note - this is a really nice place to spend some time - there's an Olympic sized pool that is fed by a hot spring and it's a real treat to soak in after the sun goes down and the air is cool. And though my feet are much better than when I limped into this place they aren't 100% and will benefit from the extra time off. It's hard to hike such a short distance and then have to take this much time off so soon.
On another good note, it sounds like the fire is now under control and the trail may be open by the time I get to the effected area which means no detour and no road walk. I won't have to miss any part of the trail yet.
On another good note, it sounds like the fire is now under control and the trail may be open by the time I get to the effected area which means no detour and no road walk. I won't have to miss any part of the trail yet.
Friday, May 2, 2008
First 100 Miles
It has been a very challenging start to this hike. A Burning Man friend, Jill picked me up at the San Diego train station, fed me well, gave me a place to crash and generously drove me all the way to the start of the trail.
I got a late start for doing a 20 mile day. I over-estimated my ability given that the last time I did a 20 mile day was 3 years ago. It didn't seem that long ago, but my body sure knew it by the time I finished. I didn't get to my destination until 9:00 pm, and by that time I was hiking in full darkness. I have a headlamp (flashlight) but didn't want to take the pack off to get it. By the end of the first day I already had a rather large blister.
However, my destination that first day was Lake Morena Campground where I could get a hot shower. I also planned on resting for the next two days for the PCT kick-off. I hoped that by the time the hiking would start in earnest I'd be healed and well rested.
I was rested, but the original blister was still giving me trouble by the time I headed out last Sunday morning. My shoes only continued to give me more grief along the way. I tried many solutions to prevent the growing number of blisters but each solution was only temporary. I stopped many times each day to tend to my feet.
The last two days have been particularly entertaining in the challenges they offer. Water has been scarce which has forced hikers to carry a lot of water weight while covering large miles each day. I hiked a 25 mile day while carrying 6 liter for the last 9 miles. 7 of that 9 was described in the guide book as "undulating". Undulating meant that it was routed needlessly over a section that had many pointless ups and downs (PUDS). By the time I got to the end of the day it was well after dark and I was exhausted.
The wind was strong and I set up the tent to stay out of it. I slept like the dead for the first two hours. When I woke it was 11 pm. The side of the tent was buckling in and nudged me awake. The wind had grown strong with powerful gusts. The tent was being buffeted in all directions and I worried that it might be get torn. Not only that but it was too loud to get any sound sleep even though I already had in ear plugs.
Marshalling some energy to cope with this situation I tried a series of solutions which lasted for the next two hours. I tried looking for a location that was more protected from the wind. I didn't find one. I tried pulling out all the tent supports but leaving it staked down - effectively giving it a much lower profile for the wind to catch. But it was like trying to sleep under a flapping flag. I eventually took the tent down completely and found adequate shelter under some low scrub brush.
At 5:30 I got up and began breaking camp. I had to cover 24 more miles due to water scarcity. I wanted to get an early start for two reasons: 1) it would take a long time to cover that distance, and 2) the section I needed to cross is infamous for being baking hot. I felt fortunate that it was still cool that morning and I was ahead of the heat. The wind was still blowing ferociously. I knew I had a few hours before I'd start consuming much water. As it turned out the wind hardly let up all day and it stayed downright cold for most the day as well. There were some places where the trail was quite narrow along the mountainside and the drop precipitous. The blowing wind made it exciting.
After the worst of it was over, all I had to think about was how much my feet hurt. There's so many places that hurt that it's become a generalized pain. New hot spots are hard to detect because they have to get pretty bad to be noticed. It's never been like this before on any of the other hikes and I believe it has to do with the shoes mostly. Another pair is in the mail to me even as I write this.
I am currently writing from Warner Springs where there is affordable lodging. I took a zero-mile day today to rest and heal up. I hope the change of shoes arrive tomorrow.
The other big news is that there's a fire up ahead on the PCT which has closed a section off. There's a strong possibility that I'll have to do a road walk around the closed section but I'm hoping against it. It will bypass a section I'd really like to hike. The rumor is that the fire was started by a careless hiker. There's a few boneheads each year that don't seem to really grasp that fire, desert, and high winds are an explosive combination.
I got a late start for doing a 20 mile day. I over-estimated my ability given that the last time I did a 20 mile day was 3 years ago. It didn't seem that long ago, but my body sure knew it by the time I finished. I didn't get to my destination until 9:00 pm, and by that time I was hiking in full darkness. I have a headlamp (flashlight) but didn't want to take the pack off to get it. By the end of the first day I already had a rather large blister.
However, my destination that first day was Lake Morena Campground where I could get a hot shower. I also planned on resting for the next two days for the PCT kick-off. I hoped that by the time the hiking would start in earnest I'd be healed and well rested.
I was rested, but the original blister was still giving me trouble by the time I headed out last Sunday morning. My shoes only continued to give me more grief along the way. I tried many solutions to prevent the growing number of blisters but each solution was only temporary. I stopped many times each day to tend to my feet.
The last two days have been particularly entertaining in the challenges they offer. Water has been scarce which has forced hikers to carry a lot of water weight while covering large miles each day. I hiked a 25 mile day while carrying 6 liter for the last 9 miles. 7 of that 9 was described in the guide book as "undulating". Undulating meant that it was routed needlessly over a section that had many pointless ups and downs (PUDS). By the time I got to the end of the day it was well after dark and I was exhausted.
The wind was strong and I set up the tent to stay out of it. I slept like the dead for the first two hours. When I woke it was 11 pm. The side of the tent was buckling in and nudged me awake. The wind had grown strong with powerful gusts. The tent was being buffeted in all directions and I worried that it might be get torn. Not only that but it was too loud to get any sound sleep even though I already had in ear plugs.
Marshalling some energy to cope with this situation I tried a series of solutions which lasted for the next two hours. I tried looking for a location that was more protected from the wind. I didn't find one. I tried pulling out all the tent supports but leaving it staked down - effectively giving it a much lower profile for the wind to catch. But it was like trying to sleep under a flapping flag. I eventually took the tent down completely and found adequate shelter under some low scrub brush.
At 5:30 I got up and began breaking camp. I had to cover 24 more miles due to water scarcity. I wanted to get an early start for two reasons: 1) it would take a long time to cover that distance, and 2) the section I needed to cross is infamous for being baking hot. I felt fortunate that it was still cool that morning and I was ahead of the heat. The wind was still blowing ferociously. I knew I had a few hours before I'd start consuming much water. As it turned out the wind hardly let up all day and it stayed downright cold for most the day as well. There were some places where the trail was quite narrow along the mountainside and the drop precipitous. The blowing wind made it exciting.
After the worst of it was over, all I had to think about was how much my feet hurt. There's so many places that hurt that it's become a generalized pain. New hot spots are hard to detect because they have to get pretty bad to be noticed. It's never been like this before on any of the other hikes and I believe it has to do with the shoes mostly. Another pair is in the mail to me even as I write this.
I am currently writing from Warner Springs where there is affordable lodging. I took a zero-mile day today to rest and heal up. I hope the change of shoes arrive tomorrow.
The other big news is that there's a fire up ahead on the PCT which has closed a section off. There's a strong possibility that I'll have to do a road walk around the closed section but I'm hoping against it. It will bypass a section I'd really like to hike. The rumor is that the fire was started by a careless hiker. There's a few boneheads each year that don't seem to really grasp that fire, desert, and high winds are an explosive combination.
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