Trail Logs for May 1 through May 31, 2001

May 1  10:00 PM.  Warner Springs, CA. I did 32 miles today, including the infamous 23 waterless miles through the San Felipe Hills.  Although it was a reasonably warm day, perhaps 80's in the shade, it didn't seem as tough this time as in '97, when I was a very green thruhiker.  Last time 6 liters of water each barely got my dad and me through the waterless part.  Today, 6 liters got me all the way to Warner Springs.  The difference was conditioning, cooler temperature and an early morning start.  I saw two rattlesnakes today and one yesterday.  So far it seems there are fewer around than in '97.  At Barrel Spring today I met four hikers.  Amy and Brent are newlyweds on their honeymoon!  They met while working at Glacier National Park, so they're obviously both outdoors people.  They were hiking with "Griz" and another guy whose name I didn't catch.  Griz was wondering what happened to Wayne, who I saw last night camped out before Scissors Crossing.  Wayne was having foot trouble and was considering a hitch into Julian for a rest.

May 2  8:30 PM.  A couple miles past Tule Spring. Today was another good day for visiting at the expense of hiking.  Hikers kept showing up at Warner Springs throughout the morning as I was waiting for the Post Office to open and as I was going through my box.  They were all people I've mentioned earlier, except Meadow Ed who is not a hiker, but helps out now and then and is really good at keeping track of who's where.  So I finally got out of town a little after 10 AM.  Still, I managed about 30 miles by 8 PM because it was cooler today and there was considerable downhill at the end. May 3  9:00 PM.  On the edge of the Tahquitz plateau overlooking Palm Springs.  Mileage today, 36.5.  I'm at 8,400 feet in the San Jacinto Wilderness, getting close to Idyllwild.  I felt pretty good today considering the mileage and the almost 5,000 feet of net climbing  much more with the ups and downs.  I came within a mile or so of passing three campsites from my '97 hike!  But in "97, Dad and I were definitely still adjusting to life on the trail when we were here.  We were feeling poorly enough to take a nearly zero mile rest day in Idyllwild, too. By contrast, I'm zooming up the hills, feeling great.  The differences are my 4 months of on-the-trail training and my much lighter equipment.  Even with a full load of 6 liters of water today, my pack weighed less than 30 pounds, which is less than the base pack weight I was carrying in '97 without food or water!  This is definitely much more fun! May 4  9:00 PM.  On the trail between San Jacinto & I-10. I'm a little over halfway down what, in '97, I called "the switchbacks from hell!"  The trail loses about 7,000 feet of elevation between Mt. San Jacinto and Interstate 10, so there are a fair number of switchbacks here.  It's nice to break up the descent, but I didn't plan it that way.  It just took a long time to get through the snow on San Jacinto today.  There were a lot of people in Idyllwild wondering if it was passable or not.  It is  barely.  There are lots of tracks from other hikers, so the route is easy to follow, but there are some very steep places on Fuller Ridge that would have been much safer to cross with an ice axe.  But I didn't bring mine, so I took it slow and easy.  I'm camped with a small trail crew from the PCTA.  (Tom Cowen, Don Bennett & Gail Hanna.)  They're up here clearing brush.  Their campsite is flat, but exposed to the wind.  And it's blowing hard tonight.  I won't light my stove for fear of starting a fire and I'm afraid to set anything down for fear it will blow away.  But it's a warm night, so it's not too uncomfortable. Mileage for the day is about 25 due to snow and time spent in town.

May 5  8:30 PM.  Mission Creek, southern California. Today I crossed under I-10 and started up into the San Gorgonio Mountains.  I'm slightly higher than I was last night  5,000 feet  but at I-10 it was just 1,200 feet.  Mileage for today  low 30's. It has reached the time of year when the night is no longer long enough to be a long, restful period for me.  It's reasonably dark from 8 PM to 5 AM, and that's just 9 hours.  Since I like to sleep 8 hours, I find I'm now rushing to set up camp, cook dinner, clean my feet, eat, write in my journal and get to sleep.  It's nice to have the daylight, but now it's not just for hiking.  It was a hot day, over 100 in the sun.  So, the Whitewater River was a welcome spot at 2 PM.  It was warm enough to feel really good to wash in.  I washed myself and some of my dirtiest clothes.  It was a popular spot with six other PCT hikers there.  That's too many for me to remember all their names, unfortunately.  There was a mother there with two adult daughters named Brooke and Willow.  They reminded me of my dad and me doing our hikes together.  There was also a woman from Israel hiking with a lot of camera equipment and making a presentation (video, I think) for back home.  Another woman had hiked the AT recently and carried the ice axe I wish I had on Mt. San Jacinto.  Finally there was a man named Guy, I think, who is a friend of Fiddlehead.  He knew who I was since Fiddlehead is also planning a Calendar Triple Crown hike later this year.  We all had a good chat for about an hour.  After moving on down the trail, I met three more people.  Joe, Jocelyn and John, if I recall correctly.  We only chatted for a few minutes.  May 7  7:30 AM.  Big Bear City Fire Station. I got into town last night as it was getting dark and found about 15 people camped on the fire station lawn!  That's a lot more than in '97 when I came through at a more normal time.  Today is just a few days ahead of the crowd.  So there are obviously a lot more hikers this year even considering that this group is backed up waiting for the Post Office to open this morning.  (It's Monday.)  On the trail yesterday I saw another seven hikers, none of whom are here this morning.  I'm definitely moving faster than anyone else.  In fact, two guys who I gave a ride to in Warner Springs when I picked up Sage on April 27 are here.  They had a 110-125 mile lead on me and I caught them at mile 276.  Most of the hikers have heard about my trek, and me, although they don't know my name.  So in a way they all know me, but since I see each person only once or twice, I never get to know them.  I feel badly about that because one of my fondest memories from '97 is of the sense of community that grew among the hikers.  We were all friends and knew each others' quirks.  There was even a lot of gossip!  Now I'm the outsider who gets talked about.  Too bad.  I suppose it's another part of the price I pay for my quest.

May 7  9:30 PM.  Deep Creek, San Bernardino National Forest, Southern California. My stay in Big Bear City was very enjoyable.  There were lots of hikers to talk to.  So many, in fact, that I didn't get out of town this morning until 10:30 AM!  Even so, I've already got around 30 miles in and I'm planning to night-hike another couple hours so I can get to Deep Creek Hot Spring.  A quick dip tonight and a good soak in the morning will really be worth the trouble.  But it's also a good night for hiking.  The moon is full and the temperature is still in the 60's.  This was a hot afternoon walk in '97, but it's a very nice night hike this time.

May 8  8:30 PM.  Above Silverwood Lake Recreation Area, CA. I got in to Deep Creek Hot Spring just about midnight.  The full moon was high in the sky and the place was ethereal.  Since it was mid-week, there were only 15-20 people camped in the area and many of them were up enjoying the warm night and full moon too.  My arrival didn't even surprise anyone.  People had been showing up all evening.  What was a shocker was that I'd walked all the way from Big Bear City, 36 miles, that day.  Many of the locals, who had driven to the nearby trailhead, had come fewer miles. The weather is such that the nights are much more comfortable than the days.  Even now, as I sit on a point watching the moon rise over the next ridge, I'm in shorts and a tee shirt.  All day I was on the verge of dehydration as I drank almost 2 gallons of water.  And the same was true at Deep Creek.  By 9:30 AM it was getting too hot to enjoy the water.  So I hiked out at 10:30 AM and covered about 25 miles in the shortened day.  I suppose I could claim a 25-mile "rest" day! Since someone's bound to ask, and everyone's dying to know, no, there was no clothing in use at the springs, including mine.  Even the young and shapely, who, with a weekend crowd might have attracted unwanted attention, felt secure.  Deep Creek Hot Spring was a very difficult place to leave. May 10  6:15 AM.  The Pines Motel, Wrightwood, CA. After my "rest" day, I felt really strong so the climb up to the Acorn Trail from I-15, 5,250 feet in 20 miles, was not too bad.  Total for the day, 32 trail miles plus 2-3 more down the Acorn Trail into Wrightwood before I got a ride the rest of the way into town.  It continues to be over 100 degrees in the sun at the lower elevations, but I've been carrying plenty of water.  I saw 10 more hikers on the trail and 2 more in town.  There was a group of 3 guys who are already getting too skinny from weight loss, 3 girls doing fine in the heat under their umbrellas, and a mixed group of 3 doing a section hike with 10-pound packs.  That's even lighter than mine and certainly the lightest weight I've ever seen among non-throughhikers.  The other 3 people I saw were single guys. This town has a great supermarket.  When I got into town last night, I went there for dinner.  They have some hot, prepared food, so I ate a whole chicken and a Sara Lee strawberry cheesecake for dessert.  I was unusually hungry.  I think I'm running a caloric deficit even though I have more food in my pack than I'm eating.  The heat has been making me a little sick to my stomach.

May 10  8:30 PM.  Eagle's Roost Picnic Ground, Angeles National Forest, CA.                I got out of Wrightwood at 8:30 AM.  Up the Acorn Trail and along the PCT there were many patches of snow.  Some on the PCT were fairly steep, which made for slow going.  When I saw Mt. Baden-Powell, I was glad that it was not as snowy as Mt. San Jacinto, but as I neared it, it was clear that there was still plenty.  I remember from '97 that B-P and the ridge down the other side are quite steep so I knew that it would be dangerous up there.  Since I do not have my ice axe and the soles of my shoes are quite flat and slippery, I decided to detour around the mountain on the Angeles Crest Highway.  The road walk turned out to be more interesting than I feared because that section is still closed to traffic due to snow.  So, except for the area where they were removing snow, I had the road to myself.  All the avalanche chutes coming down from the ridge above were full of avalanche debris.  It must have been a hard, wet winter here!  So I'm 26 miles further down the PCT than yesterday, but with the 4.5 miles up the Acorn Trail and the road walk, I have no clear idea how far I actually walked today.  I only saw one new PCT hiker today so I may be nearing the front of the pack.  May 11  9:00 PM.  Near Mt. Gleason, Angeles National Forest, CA. Today was hot again, especially at lower altitude and on south facing slopes.  All three hikers I saw today, Nara and a couple girls from Oakland, one of whom knows my fellow snow camping assistant leader, Irene, said the heat was bothering them.  Nara has taken to siestas in the afternoons.  I'm managing to keep going but I slow down and take extra rest breaks when I feel the need.  Other than the heat, conditions are perfect so I put in 36 miles today.  May 12  11:45 PM.  The Saufley's Place, Agua Dulce, CA. Today was a cooler day and it sprinkled a bit in the morning.  It cleared in the afternoon though, so it should be clear tomorrow.  The Vasquez Rocks were the highlight with lots of interesting shapes, nooks and crannies.  It's easy to see why this has been the set for several movies and TV shows.  The Saufley's home in Agua Dulce has lived up to its reputation as one of the premier stops on the PCT.  They dedicate an entire guesthouse to us hikers!  Water, showers, beds, TV, phone, Internet, kitchen, you name it, it's here.  And Donna insists on doing the laundry!  It's truly an oasis in the desert.  Today there are just 3 of us hikers, Nobo, Drew and me, plus two volunteers, Peter and Katrina, helping out Donna and Jeff. They have a scale here and it says that I've lost 5 pounds so far on the PCT!  That's after losing none on the AT or New Mexico.  I believe the heat has dampened my appetite a bit.  I certainly have developed a case of hiker hunger.  I better start eating more of the food I'm carrying.

May 13  9:00 PM.  Leona Divide Area, Angeles National Forest, CA.       This morning I left Agua Dulce at 6 AM, which is an early start for a town stop, but I have 100 miles to cover in 3 days to get to Mojave.  So today's mileage of 31 is a little less than I'd like.  It was another hot day with heavy water loads and lots of hills, although it was foggy in Agua Dulce this morning.  Today is a milestone of sorts for me.  This trip is now longer than my '97 PCT thru-hike.  It's interesting to note that I reached that lofty mileage total in almost the same number of days.  However, this year's hike has spanned winter, and I had more zero-mile days, so it's definitely a faster, harder pace than the numbers indicate. May 14  9:15 PM.  On the Los Angeles Aqueduct, Mojave Desert, CA. 35 miles today.  It was hot and buggy today.  Usually I mean mosquitoes when I say that, but not today.  Gnats were the flying pests, and ticks the crawling ones.  The gnats fly around my head trying to drink sweat or from my eyes. They're a nuisance, but far from the bane that mosquitoes are.  The ticks were the worst I've ever seen.  I picked 22 off me today!  None were dug in, thank God.  They just kept snagging my legs from the tall grass on the Tejon Ranch.  I had to stop every couple minutes and search them out.  As long as I did so regularly, they never got the time to bite me, so I just flicked them off.  Nasty little beasties, though.  This is also the spot where Jack Fair lives.  He's a trail angel of sorts, who provides water and conversation in the Mojave Desert.  I stopped by his house to say "Hi", and get that all-important water.  I had forgotten what a philosopher he is.  His "one last" question to me as I was trying to hold this stop to under an hour was, "Are people basically good or basically evil?"  Not a light topic for conversation.  His answer  People are selfish and, therefore, evil.  Mine  That's probably true, but I care more for the state of individuals, not society as a whole, and I care more where they're going to than where they've been.  I see many people making great progress towards being truly good in spite of the "natural" tendencies.

May 15  7:30 PM.  Tehachapi Willow Springs Road, CA. I'm here waiting for a ride into Mojave.  I'm staying at White's Motel and someone from there will be by to pick me up at 8 PM.  I arranged that time from Jack Fair's house so That I'd be sure to get here before then.  Today's hike was hilly, hot and exposed.  It was 33 tough miles, but with some nice views out over the Mojave Desert.  It's very windy now, but that's normal since this area is a big wind farm with more windmills than trees.  I'm looking forward to pizza tonight.  Since I found out I lost 5 pounds, I've been trying hard to eat more  and succeeding  so I'm not ravenous.  But it will still taste awfully good.  The salt alone will be tasty.  I've been sweating so much I'm a little depleted. May 16  9:00 PM.  Golden Oaks Spring, The Tehachapi Mountains. Today was one of my "rest" days.  I slept in until 8 AM and didn't get on the trail until 10:20 AM.  I was feeling a little worn out and a couple extra hours in a motel room bed seemed like the right prescription.  Still, I got in 25 miles today, making it to the first water spot in this section.  There are bears in this area but they are unlikely to be habituated to people.  Still, I'm going to keep my food close to me this evening.  If there is a problem bear around, I'm likely to see it here.  This is a popular camping spot.  It was windy again today and I'm going to sleep tonight with the sound of wind in the trees and the sound of wind turbines on the hill above.  This is the beginning of the Sierra Nevada and that's exciting, but water will be scarce for the next 115 miles.  May 17  8:30 PM.  Near Mayan Peak, CA. I saw Ursa Major today, and I'm not talking about the Big Dipper.  I mean a big, hairy butt on the trail in front of me this morning with the rest of a very big bear attached out front where it was harder to see.  He didn't see me at first so I had a chance to get my camera out, but he ran off before I could get a picture.  This bear was big enough that it could have given a small Grizzly a tough time.  He even had a Grizzly-like muscle hump in the shoulder area.  But his face was clearly that of a black bear.  I was certainly relieved when he ran off rather than getting territorial the way a Grizzly might have done. I'm still carrying heavy water loads.  The first 18 miles today were waterless and the last few miles start a 35-mile section between convenient water sources.  I'm carrying my maximum 7-liter load to see if I can avoid a side-hike for water.  If it's not too hot tomorrow, I might make it all the way to McIver's Spring.

May 18  9:00 PM.  Nearing Walker Pass, CA. It was yet another hot day, but there have been afternoon thunderclouds forming over the high Sierra for several days now.  Today that cloud partially shaded me in the late afternoon.  Some of the high Sierra peaks are visible from ridge tops around here.  They're a long way off yet, but so far I've seen no snow.  That's a welcome sign after Mt. San Jacinto and Mt. Baden-Powell! According to the trail registers I saw today, a guy named Hirsch expected to make it to Kennedy Meadows today.  As far as I know, he's the first.  He said he might wait a day to see if someone will show up and they can enter the Sierra together.  If he waits 2 days, I'll be there.  Otherwise, I'll be able to follow his footprints into the high peaks area and perhaps catch him before too much longer.  I too would like to have a hiking partner through the Sierra. May 19  9:00 PM.  Between Lamont Point and Chimney Creek, CA. Today I saw my 5th rattlesnake and lots of bear tracks.  As usual, I'm camped well away from water and any popular camping spots.  That should make a bear encounter unlikely.  I saw significant snow on a high Sierra peak this morning.  It had to be there; I just hadn't seen it yet.  The close peaks, even above 8,000 feet, have no snow at all.  That's a big difference from the San Gabriel Mountains just to the south, where there was snow on the trail below 7,000 feet!  I've clearly crossed a rather abrupt boundary between an area with a wet winter and one with a dry one.  And thank God for that! I continue to amaze myself as I travel through this area at about twice the rate as in '97.  I pass one to three '97 campsites per day and I remember each one.  Surprisingly, I'm only working slightly harder than in '97.  The difference is mainly efficiency.  I'm only slightly faster per mile now, but I don't tire so quickly.  I get up earlier, hike later and make fewer stops.  When I have an inefficient stop, like the hour-plus it took me to get water at Joshua Tree Spring today, it reminds me that that was the norm in '97.  Now I know where the good water is and I carry more of it so I don't have to worry about it.  I probably passed the Three Amigos today.  Their trail register note at Walker Pass said they'd be climbing Owens Peak today.  That leaves Hirsch and Lauren, the thru-rider, as the next people ahead of me.  There might be others, but I've not seen any consistent register entries.  I don't know what Lauren plans for the Sierra.  I can't imagine taking a horse through this early.  But there are alternative trails at lower elevation.

E.K., KIP AND RYAN (THE THREE AMIGOS), BRIAN, AND HIRSCH AT KENNEDY MEADOW

May 20  9:15 PM.  Kennedy Meadows Campground, CA. I'm here with my father Roy, who came to visit me and bring my Sierra gear.  He met me on the trail as I was walking in about 2:30 PM.  My day was a short 23 miles or so but the rest is nice before pushing into the Sierra. Hirsch and the three Amigos are here!  They're heading out in the morning also, but they'll be going more slowly than I will.  One of the Amigo's dads is here and will be walking with them to Trail Pass.  Hirsch is committed to staying with them for a while at least, so I'll be breaking trail alone.  It's too bad.  I was hoping to have a partner at least for the Sierra.

May 21  8:30 PM.  Golden Trout Wilderness on Sierra crest between Death Creek and Mulkey Pass.  Elevation, 10,200 feet. Today was a good start on the high Sierra.  After eating breakfast with Dad and packing up about 18 pounds of food, I started up the Kern River from Kennedy Meadows.  Thanks to a 6 AM start, the rest yesterday, and the good mood that seeing Dad put me in, I hiked 34.5 miles today!  That includes a 6,000-foot to 10,500-foot climb in the first 20 miles and a 1,500-foot climb near the end.  Not bad if I do say so myself.  I don't believe I overdid it, but tomorrow will tell.  I remember being affected by the altitude for a bit in '97.  A great start, but still it seems strange to be heading into the high Sierra planning to get to Vermilion Valley in 6 days, a nearly 30-mile average.  I've been here before in much worse hiking shape.  It's a LONG way to Vermilion Valley, over very tough terrain.  In the past, I've struggled to do 10 miles a day here.  In '97, 20 per day was tough.  So I've got a mental block to overcome.  So far, taking it one small section at a time is working.  There's patchy snow above 10,000 feet, especially on the north faces.  So far it's been easy to negotiate.  But I appear to be the first one to hike here since the snow melted.  There are no identifiable tracks in the dirt or the snow except bear and deer tracks.  I'm going to do my best not to get lost and try to leave an easily followable set of footprints for those behind me.  I feel like I'm leading a very long parade.  It's interesting to note, and I hope no one takes this as a boast because it's not intended that way, but I probably am the lead northbounder on both the AT and the PCT simultaneously!  I got as far as Vermont on the AT and I doubt anybody else is that far yet.  I suppose it's even possible, though unlikely, that no other CDT hiker has completed New Mexico yet, either.  Fascinating. May 22  8:30 PM.  Two miles north of Crabtree Meadow, Sequoia National Park, CA. What a beautiful place this is!  I say something like that every time I come here, and it's always true.  I don't think I could ever get tired of coming here, or manage to miss the scenery no matter how fast I'm moving.  It's breathtaking  the Great Western Divide to the west and the Whitney Crest to the east.  Between is the deep Kern River Canyon  out of sight from here.  The snow, though deeper than in June of '97, is manageable so far.  I've only lost the trail for short stretches.  I say that even though I've already covered 66 miles of the 170-something in this leg because the highest passes are yet to come.  Forester and Glen are tomorrow, at 13,180 and around 12,000, respectively.  Today, I got no higher than 11,350 or so.  There were footprints in the snow and mud today around Trail Pass, Cottonwood Pass and again near Crabtree Meadow.  It's possible there's a northbounder ahead of me who didn't sign in at Kennedy Meadows, but it's more likely that these are hikers coming out of Horseshoe Meadow trailhead and Whitney Portal respectively.  They didn't seem to be the same person's prints. A thunderstorm formed again this afternoon and threatened to rain on me, but once again it didn't.  The shade lowered the temperature from the 70's to the 60's.  This is truly delightful hiking weather!  I hope I don't speak too soon, but there've been almost no mosquitoes.  What a Godsend that is!  I guess it's still too early for them.

May 23  10:45 PM.  Near Woods Creek, Kings Canyon National Park, CA.  What a day!  31 miles in over 16 hours.  For those who might think 30-mile days come at the expense of looking neither to the right or the left all day, today was an excellent counter-example.  I must have shot half a roll of film today.  Bighorn Plateau, Forester Pass, Glen Pass and Rae Lakes all in the same day!  Wow, what a scenic day!  I was the first person over Forester Pass this season because there was a steep, flat sheet of icy snow with no footprints in it waiting for me at the Forester avalanche chute.  It took over half an hour to chop steps across it with my ice axe.  I took the time to do a thorough job  deep, secure footholds all the way  because I wanted to be safe myself, and I know there are lots of others who will cross there.  But I wasn't alone when I got to the top.  A fat marmot was there looking for his first free meal of the year.  I took his picture but didn't feed him. By the time I headed down the north side it was after noon and the sun was very hot and bright.  I kept putting on more sunscreen and still I baked.  The snow got so soft I could barely glissade down the slope and I post-holed for miles down Bubbs Creek.  Post-holing downhill is dangerous because you can unexpectedly plant a foot and twist a knee.  At one spot I broke through to a hidden rock and went in up to my groin with my right leg.  My knee banged off the rock and I was stuck for a while.  I finally dug myself out and kept going.  I have scrapes and bruises enough for one day.  It was 4 PM and threatening to rain when I reached the turn that heads up toward Glen Pass.  It was not clear if I would make it over the pass before dark.  But I took it on faith that one way or another I'd be okay up there.  It rained as I climbed, but the thunder and lightning just added to the excitement of this fine day.  I made good time in spite of having to pick my own route through the deep snow.  I've been here before so I know the best route.  By 6:30 PM I was on top of my second pass of the day.  By 8 PM I was passing the Rae Lakes and taking some fine sunset photos.  It seemed that if I was lucky, I might get through the worst of the snow before dark.  It was very close, but I did find my way to clear trail just before it was completely dark.  From there I could walk by flashlight, fording dozens of streams looking for a dry campsite.  And I've got one, down near the bottom of the canyon.  The ground is wet from the rain, but the sky is full of stars.  Once I finish my dinner, I'll sleep very well tonight.  It was a most enjoyable day. May 24  9:00 PM.  By the big tree at the head of Palisade Canyon, Kings Canyon National Park, CA. First I should explain the big tree reference.  Unlike most of my location references, this is not to be found on a map.  It's my own landmark, but one as familiar to me as any of the mountains or passes.  When I first came to Palisade Canyon as a teenager, I day-hiked up here.  My intent was to hike as far up towards Mather Pass as I could.  I didn't make it very far, but I remember two things from that hike.  The view down Palisade Canyon and the big tree that stood like a sentinel at the head of it.  Every time I come back, I say hello to this tree and ask its permission to pass through its canyon.  To be in the presence of such a creature is like being near royalty.  To camp here is a real privilege.  It's dark silhouette towers higher than the mountains and the constellation Leo sits in its branches. After the long day yesterday, I slept in a little this morning and didn't get started until after 7 AM.  It was another slow, difficult day with a lot of post-holing through rotten snow.  But the goal for today was not mileage per se, but two more passes, Pinchot and Mather.  That accomplished, I could count the 22 miles today as a success.  I have some easy miles just ahead, so tomorrow will start fast.  I realized today that I have seen no people since I left Kennedy Meadows.  It took four days to realize this because coming to the Sierra is like visiting old friends.  These mountains are young and alive, and full of the memories of people I've hiked with here.  I have seen some footprints, but the freshest set on Mather Pass belonged to a coyote.  Its path was as direct and purposeful as my own.  And it didn't even stop to catch its breath or admire the view at the pass.  Now THERE'S a long distance hiker for you!

May 25  9:30 PM.  Evolution Creek ford, Evolution Valley, Kings Canyon National Park, CA. There was a lot more beautiful scenery today and a lot more post-holing in snow, but what I'm most concerned with now is getting across Evolution Creek.  I'm camped at the ford because it was getting too dark to attempt the crossing when I got here.  I tested the waters a bit.  It's deep enough to get my shorts wet before I even get out in the current!  At the end of June '97, I crossed here in mid-thigh deep water.  It's not going to be easy and I'll worry about it all evening if not all night.  I sure hope I don't have to swim.  My pack is not waterproof and my stuff will get wet.  The patellar tendon of my right knee was sore again today.  I was very careful in the snow not to aggravate it post-holing.  It made slow going, but it needs to heal and I don't wish to take any time off the trail to rest it. May 26  10:00 PM.  On the approach trail to Vermilion Valley Resort, Lake Edison, CA.  Well, basically, I made it to Vermilion in six days.  I'm camped a little short of there because it's quieter here, this being Memorial Day weekend, I believe.  I missed the 4 PM ferry by 3-1/2 hours, so I'm having to walk an extra 5-6 miles along Lake Edison.  I plan to catch the morning ferry back to the trail.  That shouldn't be too hard as long as I get up early and get my "stuff" done at the resort efficiently.  The ford at Evolution Creek was easier than I feared.  In the morning light, I could see the best spot to cross.  It, and the ford of Bear Creek later in the day were about equal in difficulty.  The current was strong, so planting feet and poles was not easy.  Three out of four points were planted at all times.  And the water was not too deep.  Just deep enough to get the 'nads wet  i.e., almost waist deep.  And the 'nads confirmed what the feet have been saying all week.  The water is COLD! Even though this is Saturday night of Memorial Day weekend, I saw no hikers today, just boats and boaters' campsites on Lake Edison.  So I've completed the highest of the high Sierra portion of my trek and not seen a single person!  It's been great to have Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks to myself.  The JMT will be packed with people within a month, but for now, it's all mine.  Truly amazing!

EVENING THUNDERSTORM IN THE SOUTHERN SIERRA

May 27  9:30 PM.  Fish Creek Hot Springs, John Muir Wilderness, California. Yes, I "found" another hot spring to camp at.  This one is miles off the official PCT on an alternate route.  I chose it for the obvious reason, plus it avoids some 10- to 11,000-foot miles that are sure to be post-hole hell this time of year.  I don't know the exact mileage on this alternate, but it appears to be several miles longer than the PCT route.  I got here just before dark and by following the various trails and dipping my hand in the water, I found one nice developed pool.  The water is quite warm, but not really hot at about 100 degrees F.  I appear to have the place to myself on Memorial Day Weekend!  Evidently it's not too popular.  I had to do two tough fords to get here via Cascade Canyon.  The "second crossing" ford was as tough as the Evolution Valley Creek ford.  There may be another ford on the way to Red's Meadow.  I hope it has a bridge because it's downstream where the creek is even bigger.  Today was a bit of a rest day for me.  I'd be surprised if I did even 20 miles because I didn't get back on the PCT until noon.  The main reason is that, to my great surprise and great pleasure, I got a visit from my friends Kris and Gabe!  They drove to the Vermilion Valley Resort just to see me for a few hours.  Wow!  They got there last night, so if I'd gone into VVR instead of camping a few miles out, I could have slept in their tent cabin.  So of course I delayed my departure a bit and we had a big breakfast and a nice long talk.  Since I hadn't seen anyone in six days, the talk was more of a treat than they realized.  I got to hear about Kris's trip to China and the goings-on back home.  Wonderful! May 28  9:00 PM.  Island Pass, above Thousand Island Lake, Ansel Adams Wilderness, California. The alternate route through Fish Creek worked out well.  It was beautiful, I avoided some snow and I didn't get lost.  At Red's Meadow I called home and found out that I am going to be interviewed at Echo Lake for an article in the San Jose Mercury News, my home paper!  I'm very excited by the prospect, but trepidatious about how to make a short list of my favorite places on the three trails.  There are over 7,000 miles of trail and hundreds of unique and beautiful places.  How can I make a short list from such a long one?

THE CHUTE AT FORESTER PASS. THIS IS JUST BELOW THE SUMMIT ON THE SOUTH SIDE.

THE GUARDIAN OF THE PASS.  A BIT OF GORP WILL ASSURE YOUR SAFE CROSSING. THE SIGN READS: SEQUOIA NATIONAL PARK FORESTER PASS ELEVATION 13,200 FEET.

May 29  9:30 PM.  Virginia Canyon, Yosemite National Park. It was another fine day of ups and downs.  The biggest downs were getting lost heading up to Donahue Pass, and how much snow there was up there.  There was just enough snow to post-hole in yet again.  My shins are all scraped up from all the icy edges as I sink in up to my knees.  Yuck.  And then I found what I thought was the trail.  I followed it one way and that didn't go the right directions, so I tried the other way.  That didn't work either.  So I knew it wasn't the PCT.  But, which way?  There were two possibilities.  The PCT was either one way or the other.  I guessed wrong again and ended up traveling part of the Rush Creek trail FOUR times!  That was not a pleasant way to spend the morning.  But eventually I made it over the pass and into Tuolumne Meadows where, thanks to David, Nancy and Joy, my resupply box was waiting in a bear box in the backpackers' camp.  They drove up a couple days ago to leave it for me because the Tuolumne Meadows Post Office does not yet have staff to run the place.  So, with a little help from my friends, I got through a resupply point in about half an hour  a new record.  That helped overcome the time lost on Donahue Pass, and the clear trail from there allowed me to get in 32-1/2 miles today!  May 30  10:00 PM.  Near Macomb Ridge Pass, Yosemite National Park. Today I walked through the section that Dad and I called our "Groundhog Day" section in '97 because of the repetitious ups and downs.  I haven't calculated how much elevation change I did today, but it was a lot.  It reminded me of doing 31 miles on the southern AT, only here the low points are not gaps but creeks to be forded.  And two of them, Kerrick and Stubblefield were waist-deep!  Kerrick was the hardest ford so far.  My pack was in the current and my poles were completely submerged at times.  There was also a pretty strong current. The mosquitoes have also gotten worse.  I even hiked with the head net on for a while.  But I'm still not out of the snow.  The north side of Kerrick Canyon had lots of steep traverses, and it's below 9,000 feet. I'm also getting behind on my plan to get to Echo Lake on Saturday night.  I now have three days to hike 109 miles.  It will get a little easier toward the end, but I've still got a lot of snow at Sonora Pass to go through.

May 31  10:15 PM.  One mile north of Sonora Pass, Hwy 108, California. After yesterday, my legs are a little sluggish going uphill.  Fortunately today had fewer hills and I logged 34.5 miles.  It helped that the snow around Sonora Pass was excellent, hard enough to support me but soft enough to give good footholds. Tonight I sewed up a seam in my shorts that gave out during the glissade down Sonora Pass.  I also replaced a cord on one gaiter that wore out.  Must be the miles, which went over 1,000 miles on the PCT today.  Today was my 34th day on the PCT so I'm very close to averaging 30 miles per day.

PALISADE CREST AND UPPER PALISADE LAKE FROM MATHER PASS

THE SUN'S LAST RAYS LIGHT THE WAY DOWN TO "THE BIG TREE" IN PALISADE CANYON