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Walker Pass to Kennedy Meadows (50 miles) conclude

Walker Pass to Kennedy Meadows (50 miles) concluded my PCT hike in Southern California (about 100 miles in 2021, and 600 this year). Cousin Andy joined me for this segment, which was great. I probably never would have developed into a long distance backpacker if Andy hadn’t invited me on the John Muir Trail (Indigenous call it Nüümü Poyo) several times starting in 2005. Our section started among Joshua trees and ended within sight of the High Sierra. We enjoyed the transition from desert to mountain scenery. I spotted lots of snakes, including a big rattler which hissed at me! On our second night, we reached a campground where trail angels joined forces to provide next-level trail magic: beers, burgers, steaks, mashed potatoes, ice cream and much more. That led many hikers to cut short our trail day and hang around. As a result, we had to push 22 miles to reach Kennedy Meadows on the third day. Kennedy Meadows, home of 58 people, is a spacious village by the Southern Sierra Wilderness. At its general store, hikers congregate on a large deck enjoying food and drinks, and cheer to congratulate each arriving hiker for finishing SoCal’s 700 miles. That felt great. I’ve now completed more than 90 percent of the full 2,650 mile PCT (most of that in the last two years). This year I ate more on the trail and reduced my weight loss. I’ve still got 200 miles of unfinished business scattered in California and Washington. I hope to do most of that this summer. Congrats to my teacher friends for finishing another year. I look forward to joining you again in the fall, really! Happy trails.

PCT update, May 25: My last section of SoCal inclu

PCT update, May 25:
My last section of SoCal included an ascent of San Jacinto Peak. Before that, I enjoyed a visit and dinner with my old friend David, who drove me to Idyllwild. He and his wife Marie-Antoinette kindly supplied me with stove fuel and other supplies. Thank you both! After hiking from Idyllwild up the mountain, I discovered that the highest SoCal peaks still have plenty of snow. Summiting San Jacinto with my spikes on was fun and not overly hard. The descent took longer than I expected, though, as did the next several miles on the PCT. Snow makes for slow hiking and tricky route finding, and I lost the trail for an hour during a thunder shower. The next day took me below the snow line and down a long, steep ridge walk, covered with blowdown trees. This day was uncomfortably hot and dry (with a 20 mile water carry, no less) until dark clouds rolled in, leading to a tremendous thunderstorm that lasted an hour! There was no shelter on the steep mountain side, so though I was soaked, I just kept moving through the downpour. Thankfully, the sun returned and dried me off, mostly, before nightfall. Beneath the mountains, I returned to the desert terrain of Cleveland national forest. Two long days of that brought me to Warner Springs, where I finished my first SoCal segment two years ago. My brother Steve and his wife Galina picked me up and hosted me for a night in Vista. That concludes my southbound push through SoCal, about five weeks and 550 miles. Next, I’m catching a bus for Bakersfield to meet cousin Andy. He and I will hike north through the southern Sierra for a week. Happy trails.

PCT update, May 20: The adventure continues! A box

PCT update, May 20:
The adventure continues! A box of homemade cookies from Cookie Queen Connie powered me as I hiked south through San Bernardino National Forest. Thanks Connie! San Gorgonio Mountain, 11,500 feet tall and the highest peak in SoCal, had been in view for several days. The shortest route from the PCT to its summit and back totals 20 miles. No cheapie, but I have long wanted to climb it so I set aside a day to try. I rose at four, left camp at five, and got about halfway up by 9 AM. The approach trail was hard and slow, covered with blowdown trees, loose rock, and eventually miles of snow. From neighboring Lake Peak, 10,100 feet tall, I got a great look at San Gorgonio, and I badly wanted to finish. But at my pace the effort would take at least 16 hours, finishing well after dark. So I made myself turn around, but I’ll be back. The next day I made a long descent down a river canyon, crossing Mission Creek 30 times. That took me to Whitewater Preserve, a privately owned public park and part of a statewide network which I’ve never heard about before, the Wildlands Conservancy. The preserve offers hikers free camping, restrooms, electricity and water, and I gladly spent a night there. Today as I hiked through Sand to Snow National Monument, I passed a wind farm which is known to support hikers. When I went in the building, the staff had provided low cost snacks, drinks, and even frozen meals, which we were welcome to cook and eat. I made a second breakfast out of a Dr Pepper, frozen burger, Doritos, rice crispy treat, and ice cream bar. I also met a biologist named Eric, who just adopted two puppies he found in the desert, they look like huskies to me. When I reached interstate 10 in Whitewater, I got lucky again and quickly caught a ride (in the back of a pick up, with four other hikers). Soon I was in Banning at the home of a trail angel named Nitsy. She offered me sloppy joes for lunch and let me shower and wash my clothes. Her whole backyard is like a hiker hostel, and she sometimes has dozens here at once. Next up is San Jacinto Peak. Happy trails.

Detour’s PCT update, May 15: I hiked 100 miles f

Detour’s PCT update, May 15: I hiked 100 miles from Wrightwood to Big Bear City in the last five days. In the “town” of Cajon, a McDonald’s stands just a quarter mile from the trail; famished hikers talked about nothing else for miles. Then it was up and over the San Bernardino Mountains. A highlight was Deep Creek, which looked and felt like a miniature Grand Canyon. Within it are hot springs that attract tourists from miles around. They were having quite a party (some dressed, some not ) when I stopped by, with a totally different vibe from the typical PCT. Heat is picking up, making water planning even more critical. Glad I went through the Mojave desert in cooler temperatures. This segment featured interesting, wildlife sightings, including iguanas, a coyote and a rattlesnake! I gave them all plenty of space, especially the rattler. Summit detours of the last few weeks include Skinner, Gleason, Winston and Bertha. There are some bigger mountains on the horizon, so we’ll see what happens. Happy trails.

Greetings from Wrightwood, a rustic little town in

Greetings from Wrightwood, a rustic little town in the San Gabriel mountains, north of Los Angeles. I got back on the trail four days ago. My old friend and track teammate Raffi drove me to Acton, hiked out four miles and camped a night with me. His wife Melissa picked me up from the airport and fed me lunch. They both join the ranks of trail angels. I met another one right after Raffi turned back. At north fork station in Angeles National Forest, a caretaker named Todd has been helping hikers for 25 years. He gave me a Gatorade and a bag of cookies. After that, things got tough. To get through the San Gabriels in four days, I had to hike 20 miles plus each day. The last two were hardest because the trail climbed up into the realm of endless snow. PCT purists are sticking to the trail, no matter what. To escape the snow, others hike on Highway 2 for a dozen miles. I did some of both. Got lucky with the timing of my week off; while I was home, rain and snow fell down here, making plenty of hikers miserable. Packing light as we do, most of us are ill equipped for late season storms. I even met some who sheltered in outhouses overnight! I’m packing enough gear to stay warm at night, even if it makes my pack heavier than I would like. Several packages awaited me in Wrightwood, including a food box, my new tent, and shoes. Most exciting, I got a big box of homemade cookies from Pam! She’s an old friend of my mom who’s known me and my brothers for our whole lives. Now she’s a Trail Angel too. Thanks Pam! I needed a shower badly so I sprung for a room tonight. The next stops are Cajon and then Big Bear City. Happy trails.

Detour’s PCT update, April 28: Continuing south

Detour’s PCT update, April 28: Continuing south through Angeles National Forest, weather heated up to the high 80s. So I don’t have to bundle up at night so much but hikers do have to plan for the long water carries. I made my first big mistake when I left behind my water bottle at a rest stop, forcing me to go without on the hottest afternoon yet. Dumb! At least I was well hydrated at the start of that push, and I arrived in Agua Dulce thirsty but not desperate. A trail angel couple opens their property to hikers here, calling it Serenity Oasis, named for their granddaughter Serenity. They own several acres and have set up a shower, bathroom, picnic tables and a camping area. On the day I arrived, they prohibited alcohol because of a fight between (I was told) German hikers and Navy Seals, who were visiting for some reason. Everyone hates to hear about those abusing trail angels’ hospitality; they are so generous and we rely on them so much. Unfortunately, most of the small town’s hiker-supporting businesses were closed for various reasons, including a general store and several restaurants. We did get to indulge in a big Mexican dinner. Then the trail leads through Vasquez Rocks, a park which has hosted at least ten Star Trek filmings since the original series in the 1960s. A short 10-mile day took me to a campground outside Acton, where I had a food box waiting. But I had to make a decision there. The next push was 75 miles, up into the mountains and through snow, to the town of Wrightwood. My foot and ankle have become irritated and swollen. I strained it somewhere, not too badly, but pushing 20 miles per day has prevented it from healing. To keep hiking through a committing segment on difficult terrain seemed like a bad idea. So I decided to take a break, hitched to LA and flew home; this update comes to you from Castro Valley. The good news is the hiatus will let me see Karen’s choir concert this weekend, my foot and ankle feel better already, and I hope to return to the trail next week. Thanks for reading and happy trails.

Detour’s PCT update, April 24: here comes a rare

Detour’s PCT update, April 24: here comes a rare post from the back country (instead of town) since I have a signal here in Angeles national Forest. I spent two nights in Tehachapi thanks to an extra great Trail Angel named Split, who hosted me, drove me around and even fed me! This allowed me to have a day of slack packing, or hiking without a big backpack. Heaven! Then it was south for two days through the desert, over low mountains, past about a million windmills and beside the Los Angeles aqueduct. More trail angels have set up a permanent base near their property at Trail mile 549. I stopped there for lunch, and they offered me water, snacks, and a popsicle. Great people! I pass northbound hikers all the time, and have met a few south bounders also. Last night I stayed at Hiker Town, a modest base for hikers with $25 closet-sized rooms, an outdoor shower and a wild West theme. Today I started my push for the town of Aguadulce. The weather has warmed up and I’m hiking about 20 miles a day. Just hope the snow will be manageable by the time I reach the higher mountains. Hope you’re doing well, and happy trails.

Detour returns to action! Seven months after I fin

Detour returns to action! Seven months after I finished my PCT push in 2022, I got back on the trail this week in Southern California. I had planned to hike north, but the epic winter has thrown all hikers’ plans into disarray, including mine. Heavy snow in the SoCal mountains has thwarted hikers for weeks, so I started further north to hike southbound, hoping the mountain snow will recede by the time I get there. Dan drove me to Walker Pass, east of Bakersfield, where I started on Monday. This is high desert, full of cacti, Joshua trees and little water. In fact, long distances between water sources requires hikers to plan carefully and put in long days. On my first day, I hiked 22 miles to reach and camp beside a water cache; thank you Trail angels! So far so good, but that first night featured an intense windstorm which ripped a big hole in my light tent! Ugh. So I had to “cowboy camp” for the rest of the 85-mile segment, which means sleeping under the stars. By wearing all of my warmest clothes into my sleeping bag, I managed to stay warm for the next three nights. The wind died down, and the cool temperatures actually helped me cross the long distances between water sources, up to 20 miles (and up to 35 miles if you don’t count water caches). The environment shifted from desert to forest to grassy hills, and back to desert again. I saw a few hikers each day, but nothing like the flocks on the trail last summer. When I reached Highway 58 today, I found trail angels had left water and even beer at the roadside for hikers. An angel named Joy pulled up immediately and gave me and two others a ride to town. Another angel named Split is putting me up for the night. A hot shower and big dinner hit the spot, to say the least. My bivvy sack (which is like a cocoon for a sleeping bag, to keep heat in and rain and wind out) was waiting for me here thanks to Karen and Dan who shipped it quickly. Thanks for reading and happy trails.

El Chalten, Argentina marks the final stop on my m

El Chalten, Argentina marks the final stop on my month-long trip through Mexico and Patagonia. This small town beside Los Glacieres National Park attracts top climbers from around the world who ascend challenging mountains like Fitz Roy. For the rest of us, there are great hiking opportunities and smaller climbing objectives. In eight days here, my day hikes included Laguna de los Tres, Mirador de los Condores, Laguna Torre and Lola del Pliegue Tumbado. One day I rented a bike and rode about 30 miles through a scenic river canyon. I also met climbers from Argentina, the US, Switzerland, Brazil, and Chile, roped up with them, and enjoyed some easy and medium-level rock climbs. The wind here is no joke, it blows hard and often, so much that I gave up on camping (before my light tent was torn to pieces) and sprung for a room and bed. But I got pretty lucky with my "weather window" (one hears that phrase a lot here) and got outside to do something new each day. This whole experience has renewed my motivation to learn more Spanish. Now for the long trip home.

Pico de Orizaba concludes the Mexican volcanoes tr

Pico de Orizaba concludes the Mexican volcanoes trilogy! We camped at 13,000 feet to acclimatize and facilitate another early start: up at midnight, hiking at 1:30 a.m. The "trail" to the mountain was a labyrinth-like maze of rock, snow and ice. Not exactly easy to navigate in the dark, but Christian knew the way.

At 4 AM., we got out our harnesses, ice axes, crampons and rope for the main event: a long push up the mountain's northern glacier. Three of us roped together for safety on the icy slope that seem to go on forever and got steeper as we ascended. I think it's the toughest glacier I've ever climbed. There was no place to rest, and since the three of us were roped, we had to climb at exactly the same pace. We eventually found a rhythm that we could all handle: step, breathe, step, breathe, then repeat thousands of times until you summit or collapse. Progress felt painfully slow, but we seemed to climb faster than the others on the mountain, whose headlamps we could see. We labored in the dark for hours until finally day broke on the horizon. Later, the sun cast a shadow of Orizaba that stretched for miles in the shape of a giant pyramid.

Hurra! We reached the summit at 7:30 AM. Another party welcomed us there with congratulations and hugs. Kevin even got a kiss from a young Mexican chica! We lingered there a while to rest and enjoy the view of the surrounding mountains, including the other two that we had climbed. Two from our group had to turn around with altitude sickness, but a Russian newcomer named Anna summitted an hour later. That just left the long descent back to camp, which was also tough and took three hours. I doubt any of us would've gotten far without the first rate support of our Mexican guides. Gracias, amigos!

Next I'm going to spend a day in Mexico City. After that, I'm going further south, you'll have to check back to see where. I sure am glad I took some adult school Spanish; a little goes a long way. Several times I've mixed in some German by mistake, like saying ja instead of si, but It's been great to use Spanish for basic interactions. Gracias Emilce Olroyd and Castro Valley Adult School! Hasta la proxima vez.

Iztaccihuatl, a 17,160 foot volcano, provided my n

Iztaccihuatl, a 17,160 foot volcano, provided my next Mexican adventure. Izta's name comes from an indigenous word meaning "white woman" because its peaks look like a woman lying on her back, and snow colors her white every winter. She is also called La Mujer Dormida, which means the sleeping woman. "I hope she doesn't roll over while we're climbing," said my companion Eric.

We camped near Izta's base at 12,000 feet, tried to sleep at 6 pm, rose at midnight and started climbing at 1 am. In our group were three Americans, two Mexicans, and one Norwegian. The temperature was comfortable at first but got colder the higher we went, eventually well below freezing, as my icy water bottle proved. During a break, mice got into my food bag when I set it down and I had to shake them out! Before dawn, we could see the distant lights of both Mexico City and Puebla. One steep section near the top was iced over and required crampons. All six of us reached the summit by 8 a.m. Muy feliz!

That makes two volcanoes down and one to go. Today we're resting. tomorrow we'll get in position to attempt Pico de Orizaba, 18,491 feet, the highest peak in Mexico. It will be steeper and colder than the other two mountains, and the highest peak most of our group has ever climbed (second highest for me, after Kilimanjaro). When one climber expressed doubts that we could do it, Christian said "Si se puede!" Hasta luego.

Today, Kevin, Angel and I climbed la Malinche in M

Today, Kevin, Angel and I climbed la Malinche in Mexico, near the city of Puebla, 14,567 feet, higher than Mount Whitney or other point in the lower 48 states. The indigenous Tlaxcaltecs called the peak Matlalcueitl. Wild but friendly dogs followed us the whole way from trailhead to summit! This was the warm-up; we have two bigger mountains on deck next week. This is my first trip to Mexico in 25 years. Divertido!

My last adventure of 2022 was a bicycle tour of Jo

My last adventure of 2022 was a bicycle tour of Joshua Tree National Park. Bob and I rode 170 miles over four days. I feel this gave us a far better experience than the many visitors in their cars. Hope you find adventure and happiness in 2023!

Yosemite boasts a snowy look in winter. Check it o

Yosemite boasts a snowy look in winter. Check it out on snowshoes, or better, yet, skis!

I am presenting “Tales and Trails of California’s Mountains” for a Sierra Club group on Monday night at 7 PM. DM me for a zoom link if you’d like to tune in for an hour of mountain adventure, photography, and history.

Pinnacles national park, it has been too long!

Pinnacles national park, it has been too long!

PCT Sept. 21: after Bend, I caught a ride to Odell

PCT Sept. 21: after Bend, I caught a ride to Odell lake. Good thing I picked up warmer clothes. Weather is quickly changing and my summer gear was not adequate, at all, for the next segment!

Heavy rain, hail, thunder and lightning arrived mid afternoon on the second day, forcing me escape into my tent. That was a long, cold, wet night! I wore all my clothes to stay warm in my summer bag. I also used a snow camping trick and filled my bottle with boiling water, making a portable “heater.” The next day was gray and drizzly with just a little afternoon sun to dry my gear. But I still enjoyed my hike through the Diamond Peak/Mount Thielsen area. The trail ran right by Cowhorn Mountain, which demanded a climb.

The segment featured long stretches between water sources, up to 20 miles. Thankfully, Trail Angels like Devilfish cached hundreds of gallons on forest roads. Also, I’m drinking less in the cooler weather and usually camp at water sources to avoid carrying much water.

I camped my last night beside Mount Thielsen, which I hoped to climb. But an approaching storm led me to skip it (they call Thielsen “the lightning rod of the Cascades”) and push for Crater Lake. I shared a lodge room with a hiker and new friend, Karl. We both gorged on the all you can eat breakfast.

I visited Crater Lake before when fires closed the trail northbound. Now that I’ve hiked the reopened sections, this marks my finish line for the year. Huge thanks to Trail Angel Michele, who drove from Ashland to take me to Medford, where I’m catching a flight home. More huge thanks to remote trail angels Matt and Cathy, who picked up gas and dinner. Matt and Cathy publish Adventure Sports Journal which got me started on outdoors writing about 20 years ago. “Earn your beer!” Thanks also to all who followed and encouraged me over the last 11 weeks.

In 77 days, I hiked 1,317 trail miles plus side trips, including all of NorCal, Oregon, and almost all of Washington. That’s half the total PCT. I did another quarter in past years, so I still have about 70 miles of Washington and 650 miles of SoCal left. I hope to finish those next year, so stay tuned. Until then, Detour signing off!

PCT Sept. 15: Hiker numbers have fallen off sharpl

PCT Sept. 15: Hiker numbers have fallen off sharply since I returned to Oregon. In the months before, I saw dozens of hikers a day. Now only one or two, or none! Summer is ending, temperatures are dropping and the peak hiking season has clearly ended. But I’m enjoying my last days of this adventure.

The highlight of the last push was definitely climbing South Sister, the tallest of three volcanoes centering Three Sisters Wilderness. At 10,358 feet, it’s the tallest of 20 or so mountains that I climbed along the trail this year. Blue skies and sunshine turned to cold winds and clouds as I ascended, and for a while I thought I would get no view. Thankfully skies cleared for a few minutes at the summit, affording me a brief look at the other sisters and surrounding lands. Miles of igneous rock surround these volcanoes, as you would expect.

Next I hitched to elk lake resort where I sent myself a food box, only to find that it did not arrive! That forced me to hitch into Bend to buy more food. It’s just as well, as I needed warmer clothes with fall setting in. I also needed stove fuel, unless I wanted to try “cold soaking.” That’s how the real light-pack-weight fanatics “cook” their dehydrated meals, without a stove. Not for me!

I’m staying at Bunk and Brew House House, a historic brick building full of hikers, other young travelers and a hostel vibe. A night in town give me another chance to over eat, and save up calories for lean trail days! In the morning I resume from Odell lake. Thanks for reading.

PCT September 12: On my way to Oregon, I visited m

PCT September 12: On my way to Oregon, I visited my niece Laurel in Seattle. She’s an attorney who focuses on representing the underprivileged. I’m proud of her for that!

Then Amtrak took me to Portland and Mount Hood, where I rejoined the trail, heading south this time. Two other hikers were headed for the same trailhead as me. Three guys hitching together is a recipe for failure, but we got lucky, and Trail angels Jessica and Justin drove us to Timothy Lake.

This portion through Clackamas wilderness included a large burned forest that only just reopened. Honestly, Backpacking through millions of burned trees isn’t the most fun kind of hiking, especially when more recent fires fill the air with smoke. There were some nice mountain views and conditions seem to be improving as I hike further south. Rain fell last night and today for the first time in quite a while. Hopefully that will help the firefighting efforts.

This morning I reached big lake youth camp, which through remarkable charity has built a PCT hiker welcome cabin. Everyone who hikes through here is welcome to stop and shower, do laundry, use the kitchen and Wi-Fi, all for no charge. The camp accepts hiker packages for pick up; I sent myself a food drop here. It’s almost like being home for a few hours, and hard to leave!

Next I am hiking through Mount Jefferson wilderness on the way to elk Lake. I hope to bag a summit on the way, we’ll see if conditions permit. Happy trails.

PCT September 7: I have finished hiking section k,

PCT September 7: I have finished hiking section k, reaching Highway 20, 66 miles from the Canadian border. But fire closed the final section of the PCT, so I’ve stopped in Washington for now. I’m returning to Oregon to complete two sections I skipped due to fire earlier.

Backing up, I enjoyed a terrific visit with my in-law cousins in Wollochet, south of Seattle. Howard, Martha, Rebecca, and Joanne hosted me for a wonderful dinner, and then drove me to Stevens Pass the following day and hiked a few miles of the trail with me!

Section K led through Snoqualmie national Forest, North Cascades national Park and the Lake Chelan area, the most rugged section of Washington yet. Most sections have some cell coverage every day or two, but not this time. We experienced a communications blackout as smoke in the distance worried everyone. Eventually we passed through smoky air though thankfully this passed quickly.

When I started the hike , I had only completed a handful of 20 mile days in the past. Now I can’t count them all. During this segment, I covered exactly 26.2 miles one day, my longest hike yet and a full marathon. others topped 30 miles per day frequently. I have now exceeded 1000 miles on this year‘s push.

At the town of Stehekin, hikers learned that fire to the north had closed the last 17 miles to Canada. This news left many hikers in tears, especially international ones who waited years and traveled long-distances to get here. I’m not upset, though. I’ve still got 200 miles of Oregon and 600 miles of Southern California to do. I don’t mind coming back to finish next year. Washington has been so nice that I am glad to have a reason to return.

Thank goodness for Tam who picked me up again. I will soon travel by bus and train to Oregon. Two sections reopened since I hiked there last month, covering about 200 miles. I plan to hike southbound, summit a few peaks along the way, and finish this year’s effort in two weeks. September is a terrific month to get outdoors and I’m grateful for the opportunity.

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