Near0 at Walker Pass to Mile 656 Trail Camp
The decision to stay in camp for a near0 instead of hiking on was an easy one, especially because we expected the rest of the Wolfpack to show up. Started the day with morning pancakes, which were amazing! I'm not usually one for sweets in the morning, but ever since Casa de Luna pancakes and syrup, there's been a little corner of my hiker hunger especially devoted to those tasty treats, and I ate 3, sans guilt!
We did laundry down the road in an old trough and then hung out most of the day, which was perhaps a bit of a mistake. I started feeling weird hanging around for so long, especially so close to Kennedy Meadows - I was so ready to be gone and on my way to KM, but I just couldn't bear the thought of actually hiking out and doing the work to get myself there. Lunchbox scored a ride from Aloha straight to KM, and it took every fiber of my being not to hop in the car with them. I knew I'd regret skipping 50 miles, but the thought of relaxing for a few days before everyone else arrived was SO tempting. Instead, I spent the day with Chik Chak talking about the trail, life, and everything else.
We hit the trail after dinner because we knew an early morning departure would probably turn into another day at the campground. We made it a little farther than expected, which put us a mere 46 miles from Kennedy Meadows and in good shape to arrive by the 8th. Hooray!
Showing posts with label trail magic. Show all posts
Showing posts with label trail magic. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 5, 2013
Tuesday, June 4, 2013
Day 49, June 4 - Trail Magic is Magical!
Mile 627 to Mile 652, Walker Pass
7 weeks on trail! I can't believe this crazy journey has come so far. And we are finally in spitting distance to Kennedy Meadows - I can't remember the last time I was so excited to move on to a new chapter!
Once again, I didn't sleep a wink last night. Well, not until 3am - and alarms went off at 3:30. Awful. I snoozed for a while (it seems the only time I CAN sleep these days is when I definitely shouldn't be sleeping...sigh) Hit the trail by 5am, which isn't too bad, and managed to catch an absolutely magnificent sunrise - one of our last in the desert! It was nice to be reminded of the beauty here, especially towards the end. The cache at mile 631is the last water source for at least 33 miles, and is maintained by the same trail angel who stocks the previous cache. Without these two caches, there would be a stretch of well over 50 miles without water on trail. Everyone who provides trail magic is an angel in my book, but the woman who maintains these two caches is probably the most important and unsung hero of the trail. As we arrived, Trail Angel Mary pulled up in her blue pickup truck to do her daily restocking of the cache. This woman defines angel - she's probably in her 80s, lives in the middle of the desert, and singlehandedly maintains both caches during hiker season from the well on her property - shuttling over 100 gallons of water to the trail every day during hiker season. We helped her unload crates of gallons to the trail and tie them such that once drained, empty bottles won't blow away. The crates are heavy - I could hardly carry them - but this is Mary's daily routine for months of the year! She told me that she has sleepless nights worrying about hikers out in the desert without enough water. This section would have been incredibly challenging without Mary's help. I'm consistently amazed by the generosity of strangers on this trip.
We hustled to the top of the mountain after filling water bottles and the climb was refreshingly easy! I hustled my short legs up that mountain with the fear of heat in me, and I was on top before I knew it! We cruised through pines and forest the rest of the day. Took a lunch break under some shade and LunchBox caught up to us, on track for a 30 mile day to Walker Pass! We wanted to make it to Walker Pass before dark, because rumor had it there was the possibility of trail angels and root beer floats. Imagine my surprise when I rounded the last corner to see a cluster of tents in the campground filled with people providing more trail magic! The one and only Yogi of hiker fame - she is the author of our guidebooks - and a handful of others including Jackelope and others served us cold drinks and cooked dinner for the dozen or so hikers who arrived as well. I went to bed with a full stomach and the knowledge that I'm only 50 miles shy of the Sierra Nevada. Life is good!
7 weeks on trail! I can't believe this crazy journey has come so far. And we are finally in spitting distance to Kennedy Meadows - I can't remember the last time I was so excited to move on to a new chapter!
Once again, I didn't sleep a wink last night. Well, not until 3am - and alarms went off at 3:30. Awful. I snoozed for a while (it seems the only time I CAN sleep these days is when I definitely shouldn't be sleeping...sigh) Hit the trail by 5am, which isn't too bad, and managed to catch an absolutely magnificent sunrise - one of our last in the desert! It was nice to be reminded of the beauty here, especially towards the end. The cache at mile 631is the last water source for at least 33 miles, and is maintained by the same trail angel who stocks the previous cache. Without these two caches, there would be a stretch of well over 50 miles without water on trail. Everyone who provides trail magic is an angel in my book, but the woman who maintains these two caches is probably the most important and unsung hero of the trail. As we arrived, Trail Angel Mary pulled up in her blue pickup truck to do her daily restocking of the cache. This woman defines angel - she's probably in her 80s, lives in the middle of the desert, and singlehandedly maintains both caches during hiker season from the well on her property - shuttling over 100 gallons of water to the trail every day during hiker season. We helped her unload crates of gallons to the trail and tie them such that once drained, empty bottles won't blow away. The crates are heavy - I could hardly carry them - but this is Mary's daily routine for months of the year! She told me that she has sleepless nights worrying about hikers out in the desert without enough water. This section would have been incredibly challenging without Mary's help. I'm consistently amazed by the generosity of strangers on this trip.
We hustled to the top of the mountain after filling water bottles and the climb was refreshingly easy! I hustled my short legs up that mountain with the fear of heat in me, and I was on top before I knew it! We cruised through pines and forest the rest of the day. Took a lunch break under some shade and LunchBox caught up to us, on track for a 30 mile day to Walker Pass! We wanted to make it to Walker Pass before dark, because rumor had it there was the possibility of trail angels and root beer floats. Imagine my surprise when I rounded the last corner to see a cluster of tents in the campground filled with people providing more trail magic! The one and only Yogi of hiker fame - she is the author of our guidebooks - and a handful of others including Jackelope and others served us cold drinks and cooked dinner for the dozen or so hikers who arrived as well. I went to bed with a full stomach and the knowledge that I'm only 50 miles shy of the Sierra Nevada. Life is good!
Friday, May 10, 2013
Day 24, May 10 Breakdowns...and Beer
Well, today was interesting! Broke camp nice and early, but I had the hardest time getting going. The climb started last night continued, and I foolishly didn't have any breakfast, so I was pooped - quickly. I could tell that Slosh was stressed ever since we left Idyllwild that we're a little behind schedule and that people we started with are now ahead of us. I felt really bad about being the "anchor" on the team, and hit a low point. I feel like I'm always the weakest link, and that's a tough feeling. I realized I usually stick to things where this isn't the case, because (duh) nobody likes to be the one who can't keep up or isn't as good as everyone else. Being out here is really challenging because a lot of the people out here have down thru-hikes before, OR are seriously fresh out of college or high school and have boundless energy and seem to feel no pain. I realized that my 22 year old self would run circles around me now, too. Anyway, I had a little bit of a breakdown and felt really sorry for myself for a while. Always productive! (Did I mention my trail name is Smiles? If only they knew...!)
I decided to hike completely alone for a while. I needed some time to myself, and I didn't want to worry about keeping up with anyone. Usually, I'm afraid to hike alone, but it was really nice! Sounds weird, but it was nice to know I could just hike, totally on my own without anyone else around, at my own pace and everything, no comparisons to anyone else. I'm constantly stressed that I'm not going fast enough, so hiking alone was nice because I just didn't worry about anyone but me! My competitive nature has been a challenge to this thru-hiking ordeal - I've taken a little blow to the old ego, methinks. After 20 mile days day after day, it seems like some people are up for doing another 30! I envy them! But spending a day on my own was pretty relaxing. I did everything on my own and still made the same miles that everyone else did - so I can do this too! Instead of thinking about the finish line, I need to start thinking about the day I'm living and hiking in.
The actual hiking wound up being one of the prettiest days so far. We're up in the mountains and the pine trees are so amazing. They smell so fresh and stand so tall and proud. I love them. Near the end of the day, I turned the corner and stumbled upon some Trail Magic! Cold soda, beer, and camp chairs set up in the middle of the trail! I couldn't help snagging a beer - there was one of my favorites, Mirror Pond on ice! We met 2 brothers from Orange County who were interesting guys - they're attmepting to live entirely off the land by forging and hunting. They spent the last year and a half learning, applying for, and collecting all the tags they need to be able to do so. One of them worked at McDonald's to save up for all their permits, etc. They were nice enough to play a few songs for us - they were carrying a canteen as a drum AND a guitar. They treated us to a mini concert! Now, if that's not an awesome end to what started out as a tough day, I don't know what is!
I decided to hike completely alone for a while. I needed some time to myself, and I didn't want to worry about keeping up with anyone. Usually, I'm afraid to hike alone, but it was really nice! Sounds weird, but it was nice to know I could just hike, totally on my own without anyone else around, at my own pace and everything, no comparisons to anyone else. I'm constantly stressed that I'm not going fast enough, so hiking alone was nice because I just didn't worry about anyone but me! My competitive nature has been a challenge to this thru-hiking ordeal - I've taken a little blow to the old ego, methinks. After 20 mile days day after day, it seems like some people are up for doing another 30! I envy them! But spending a day on my own was pretty relaxing. I did everything on my own and still made the same miles that everyone else did - so I can do this too! Instead of thinking about the finish line, I need to start thinking about the day I'm living and hiking in.
The actual hiking wound up being one of the prettiest days so far. We're up in the mountains and the pine trees are so amazing. They smell so fresh and stand so tall and proud. I love them. Near the end of the day, I turned the corner and stumbled upon some Trail Magic! Cold soda, beer, and camp chairs set up in the middle of the trail! I couldn't help snagging a beer - there was one of my favorites, Mirror Pond on ice! We met 2 brothers from Orange County who were interesting guys - they're attmepting to live entirely off the land by forging and hunting. They spent the last year and a half learning, applying for, and collecting all the tags they need to be able to do so. One of them worked at McDonald's to save up for all their permits, etc. They were nice enough to play a few songs for us - they were carrying a canteen as a drum AND a guitar. They treated us to a mini concert! Now, if that's not an awesome end to what started out as a tough day, I don't know what is!
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
Day 22, May 8 Happiness at Whitewater Preserve
Mile 206, Desert Water Conservancy to Mile 218.6, Whitewater Preserve
After the long day yesterday, the decision not to set alarms was a welcome one in the morning. Woke up around 7:30 bc it started getting so hot in the tent, but didn't get on the trail until 9ish, which may as well be noon in hiker land! Walked about 4 miles through the desert down to I-10, and on the way down there watched a bunch of helicopters flying directly above us working on a power line project, which was fun. A woman named Lake2Lake maintains Trail Magic under the freeway, and we walked up to find ice cold waters and soda, which was amazing! She happened to arrive while we were there, and offered us tangerines and cold canteloupe, which was just indescribably delicious. The first fruit I'd had in a little while! We met some fellow hikers Hummingbird, Faucet and Sharkbite, who all seem really nice - more friends! In the interest of making it to our campsite this evening, we decided to skip Ziggy and the Bear's house - they're trail angels who live right on the trail and offer foot baths, showers, a place to camp, and runs to get fast food from their home. I had a feeling if I went I wouldn't leave (ahem...reference my reluctance to leave the comfort of Idyllwild...for 4 days...)
Moving on from the freeway, we hiked through the Mesa Wind Farm, which was part cool, part creepy. I felt like these giant windmills were about to come to life! There's not a whole lot else going on around Cabazon (other than the outlets and Casino Morongo, both of which I frequented in high school and early years of college.) The rest of the day consisted of climbs and descents through the desert through a few drainages.
Finally hit mile 218.6 around 4pm, and then walked the 0.6 miles to the Ranger Station at the Whitewater Preserve...which is easily the most amazing place I've been on the whole trail! I feel like I'm at a resort - there are multiple wading pools filled with nice cold water that we're welcome to swim around in, and we're all allowed to camp for free under the giant alder trees on the grass in a picnic area. There is also - wait for it - a river!! Like, a legitimate flow of water! In the middle of the desert! (Are you getting how stoked I am?! I am stoked!) When we first arrived, I heard the water flowing and thought it was the auditory equivalent of a mirage - I honestly didn't believe it could be water. Assumed it was maybe the wind, and then turned the corner to see the lovely river trickling over the rocks. So much water! Spent a few lazy afternoon hours exploring this beautiful place and feeling refreshed and happy to be out here - it's been a great stop for the morale. I never want to leave! Who knew this amazing place existed just outside of Cabazon, CA?!
After the long day yesterday, the decision not to set alarms was a welcome one in the morning. Woke up around 7:30 bc it started getting so hot in the tent, but didn't get on the trail until 9ish, which may as well be noon in hiker land! Walked about 4 miles through the desert down to I-10, and on the way down there watched a bunch of helicopters flying directly above us working on a power line project, which was fun. A woman named Lake2Lake maintains Trail Magic under the freeway, and we walked up to find ice cold waters and soda, which was amazing! She happened to arrive while we were there, and offered us tangerines and cold canteloupe, which was just indescribably delicious. The first fruit I'd had in a little while! We met some fellow hikers Hummingbird, Faucet and Sharkbite, who all seem really nice - more friends! In the interest of making it to our campsite this evening, we decided to skip Ziggy and the Bear's house - they're trail angels who live right on the trail and offer foot baths, showers, a place to camp, and runs to get fast food from their home. I had a feeling if I went I wouldn't leave (ahem...reference my reluctance to leave the comfort of Idyllwild...for 4 days...)
Moving on from the freeway, we hiked through the Mesa Wind Farm, which was part cool, part creepy. I felt like these giant windmills were about to come to life! There's not a whole lot else going on around Cabazon (other than the outlets and Casino Morongo, both of which I frequented in high school and early years of college.) The rest of the day consisted of climbs and descents through the desert through a few drainages.
Finally hit mile 218.6 around 4pm, and then walked the 0.6 miles to the Ranger Station at the Whitewater Preserve...which is easily the most amazing place I've been on the whole trail! I feel like I'm at a resort - there are multiple wading pools filled with nice cold water that we're welcome to swim around in, and we're all allowed to camp for free under the giant alder trees on the grass in a picnic area. There is also - wait for it - a river!! Like, a legitimate flow of water! In the middle of the desert! (Are you getting how stoked I am?! I am stoked!) When we first arrived, I heard the water flowing and thought it was the auditory equivalent of a mirage - I honestly didn't believe it could be water. Assumed it was maybe the wind, and then turned the corner to see the lovely river trickling over the rocks. So much water! Spent a few lazy afternoon hours exploring this beautiful place and feeling refreshed and happy to be out here - it's been a great stop for the morale. I never want to leave! Who knew this amazing place existed just outside of Cabazon, CA?!
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