PCT Mile 375

Brad left Wrightwood, California this morning.  To date, he has hiked 375 miles from Campo and been on the trail for 25 days, for an average of 15 miles per day.  His hiking goal was 20 miles per day but then zero days or partial rest days mess with the average.  Leaving Wrightwood he will enter the   Pleasant View Ridge Wilderness and then Vasquez Rocks Natural Area Park and the town of Aqua Dulce.   Aqua Dulce might be most notable for the films shot at the Vasquez Rocks including Blazing Saddles, Flintstones and the "Arena" episode of Star Trek.  It appears he will be another four or five days on the trail before I hear from him again.

Vasquez Rocks Natural Area Park

Pleasant View Ridge Wilderness

Trail Angels

Have you wondered  what exactly a thru-hiker is?  Or what a slack pack, zero day, or Yo Yo is?  I found this site on my search for trail angels, and it answers all questions about trail vocabulary.  But, it's still trail angels that fascinate me, entice me, and almost (not quite, but almost) make me want to move to property right on a trail.  The definition of a trail angel is simple yet enticing:  "A non-hiker who helps a hiker in some way." 

I think when Ed and I meet Brad in Northern California this summer, we'll try to set up our little trailer to be a hikers' soup coupe, or some such.  All will depend on being able to find a suitable stop, close to the trail.  But, not knowing in advance where we'll be, because we won't know Brad's location until the last week or two, will present challenges.  At the very least, I think we'll leave cookies and cold drinks along the trail from time-to-time.

Early on, Brad told of a retired couple who purchased property right on the PCT Trail so they could be trail angels.  He reported that Big Bear and Ziggy are indeed angels extraordinaire.  Big Bear and Ziggy maintain their home as the Whitewater Trail House .  They have been angels before and post this message on their website:

Stop by for a zero day or hour, its all good with us.  We have hosted hundreds of hikers at our previous location in Anza, and we look forward to meeting each and every one of you hiking the PCT!!

The Bear and Aaron

Ziggy and Charllie

Some angels wash clothes, give rides to grocery stores or post offices,  provide showers and sometimes even have foot soaking tubs or hot tubs available.  Internet and mail drops are additional services offered by trail angels.  The angels come in all shapes, sizes and ages, offering free gifts to charging small fees or suggesting donations are welcome.

Other trail angels, called roving angels, leave water and cold drinks along the trail when there is a long, hot stretch with no water resupply options.   They might also leave food, clothing or first aid supplies when they deem it necessary.   Pretty anonymously they help the hikers.   Angels!  Indeed angels!

Life Saving Water Cache in the  Desert

Helpful Signage

Cold Drink Cache

The Fun Facts of the PCT!

PCT Fun Facts

dbBrad in 1211 did much of the Washington PCT with his much-loved pup, Sir Benton Cowboy.

Cutest Aussie Even

The Seiad Valley Cafe in Seiad Valley, California, right on the PCT, challenges thru-hikers to eat 5 one-pound pancakes in under two hours.  If they can do it, the pancakes are free.

Seiad Cafe

Seiad Valley Cafe pancakes

 The triple crown winner, Brian Robinson, completed the Pacific Crest Trail, the Appalachian Trail and the Continental Divide Trail for a total of 7000 miles in one year.

Brian Robinson

In 1970, Eric Ryback, a 17-year-old student, won acclaim as the first PCT thru-hiker.  He published a book in 1971, The High Adventure of Eric Cyback:  Canada to Mexico on Foot.  Ryback carried an 80 pound pack, with only five resupply packages on the entire trip.   

Eric Ryback

Susie Burns and her father Frank McCubbins (72) did a first on the Oregon PCT using four different pack animals:  goats, Bactrain camel, llamas and mules.  Their favorites were the goats.

Pack Goat

Pack Llama

Pack Bactrian camel

Pack Mules

The Quick Swirl!

Dining outside at the Langley Village Pizzeria

As Ed and I sat enjoying our Village Pizzeria salad last evening, a quick swirl of wild wind and rain came up driving the outside diners inside, while the servers dived for the umbrellas that were  about ready to launch themselves; throwing branches hither and yon;  and kicking up quite the wild weather of white water and flying debris.  It was such a quick and unexpected little swirl that the folks in town giggled with delight as they ran about on the streets twisting and turning with the wind.  The whole storm lasted only about 10 minutes, but on our one-mile jaunt home we saw this:

Fir down on Camano Avenue

Edgecliff Restaurant tree topples

Redwood breaks off at Lash residence
Photos by Barton Cole

This morning I noticed my neighbor's 15 foot fruit tree tipped over.  All of this in Langley.  Meanwhile, Brad, on the PCT in Big Bear Lake territory in California, is experiencing high winds with projections of snow and night time temperatures in the 20's.  Checking the Big Bear Lake forecast this morning at 7:24 a.m. it was still only 31 degrees, but expected to get into the 60's later in the day.  I hope that new sleeping bag was up to the task of a cold, cold night, and the tarp shelter remained secure.

Big Bear Country

Googling Big Bear in California you find a  Big Bear City, unincorporated, and the city of Big Bear Lake, incorporated, but not to be confused with the lake called Big Bear Lake.   Brad was at  the city of Big Bear Lake yesterday.  At the time I spoke with him  he was uncertain whether he was taking a morning of rest, day of rest, or moving on right away.  Another call this morning disclosed that he took a zero day yesterday and is headed out this morning.  He will  be out of touch for about four days, as he heads into Silverwood Lake State Recreation Area and Sheep Mountain Wilderness with a stop in the town of Wrightwood, 66 miles northwest (but mostly west) as the crow flies (where a letter awaits him).

Grizzly Bear

Black Bear

With the name Big Bear I got curious about the animals, specifically bears, in that region.  So, once again, I turned to my trusty oracle for information.  I find that the name came from the Grizzly Bears of the 1800's that roamed that area.  There are no wild Grizzly Bears left and can now only be found at the Moonridge Animal Park in Big Bear Lake.  Replacing the Grizzly is the introduced Black Bear.

Sheep Mountain Wilderness
Photo by Michael E. Gordon

Silverwood Lake
Photo by Shara Rogers

The Feat of the Feet of the PCT

After a long day of hiking, soaking one's feet is heaven.

There's a book here -- "The Care and Maintenance of Feet on the PCT!"   Or, "Oh Man, my Dogs Hurt!  Or, "Ouch!"

I've just started reading Wild - From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed.  Wild, in even the first couple of chapters, has a lot to say about sore feet.  But, the most alarming story, enticingly mentioned in the book's prologue, is about the removal of her hiking boots on a steep slope in Northern California, just to watch one boot tumble irretrievably over the edge.  The second boot, now useless without its mate, she hugs to her breast and then tosses it over the edge too.  There she stands barefoot,  on a trail far far away.  The Prologue leaves Cheryl right there.  For the predicament's solution, one must read on...

Strayed began her PCT adventure at Mojave, close to Tehachapi Pass; Brad started in Campo, at the Mexican border.  A distance of about 250 miles by car and no doubt considerably more by trail.  As a result, the beginnings of Wild - From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail has yet to be seen by Brad.

Ug, Facebook! Really?

To the many in my life dismissing Facebook, here's an example of why I enjoy it.  When Brad was tramping the Te Araroa Trail in New Zealand I "liked" a number of the Te Araroa facebook pages to see what was being said.  In the process I became friends with a few of Brad's tramping friends -- Charlie Barran, Richard Wagner and Ludovic Lemoine.  I was also following Brad's adventure on his blog, doing my own parallel blog and following other trampers' blogs as well.  With the delightful benefit of social media I followed along with Lude & Flore, Floppy Adventures, and more.

My computer adventure was clearly not as good as actually being in New Zealand, but quite the adventure nevertheless.  I researched every mountain, river, town and track.  I followed the weather and trail challenges.  Each estuary waded through, beach walked, hut stayed in and swinging bridge crossed was vicariously enjoyed from home.  And, the blogs, plus facebook,  filled in even more details with comments, photographs and tramping friends exploits.  Not quite, but almost, I feel like I've been to New Zealand.  I fell in love with the kiwis, adore many of Brad's unmet friends, and am in awe of the beauty of that country.  Sure beats the postcard every three weeks that my mother got.

Just yesterday I had a lovely Facebook chat experience with Charlie Barran about db's (all Brad's friends are calling him db) latest adventures on the Pacific Crest Trail, pros and cons of blogging and his photographs.  Charlie put together some fabulous panoramas of the Te Araroa Trail, which I'm sharing here:

Photos by Charlie Barran

My life is richer as the result of Facebook and blogging.  Viva la social media!