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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.

PCT August 29: I covered about 160 miles in the la

PCT August 29: I covered about 160 miles in the last nine days through Mount Rainier national Park and Wenatchee, Snoqualmie and Mount Baker national forests. Elevation gained over that distance: 32,000 feet, greater than the height of Mount Everest! Suffice it to say, it’s been a work out. As one hiker observed, “Comfort kills, hunger fills.” Make of that what you will. For anyone following on a map, I’m talking about Washington PCT sections I and J. The support of Tamara and Dan made these much more enjoyable. Dan flew up to hike section J, and Tamara drove him out to me and re-supplied me with food twice so far. Dan and I hiked from Snoqualmie Pass to Stevens Pass, about 70 miles. Tamara and her father Richard hiked the first few miles of this section with us. Sure was nice to see Richard, who had a lot to do with getting me started hiking and climbing in my 20s. We met many hikers along the way, like Turtle, Drama and Bahama Mama. We visited and swam in pristine lakes and generally enjoyed the magnificent scenery of the Cascades. Yesterday we detoured to hike/climb to the summit of Surprise Mountain. Dan tried and succeeded in making me slow down and eat more. Great to have company on the trail for five days. Today Tamara picked us up a Stevens Pass and drove him to the airport. I’m staying at her beautiful home in Snohomish tonight. Showers, large meals, heaven! I’m visiting my in-law cousins near Seattle tomorrow. Canada is less than 200 miles away and everyone’s getting excited about reaching the finish line. Though it’s not really the finish line… more on that later! They say Wi-Fi is scarce from here on but I’ll post again when I can. Happy trails!

PCT August 20: Today’s post comes from White Pas

PCT August 20: Today’s post comes from White Pass on Highway 12. I just finished my trek through Gifford Pinchot national forest and goat rock wilderness. I crossed my first snow field of the journey, steep enough to warrant caution but thankfully uneventful. We have emerged from the “green tunnel.” Thankfully, that means climbing above the realm of the blood sucking mosquitoes. Dark clouds clouds parted and blue skies returned recently. Highlights of the segment include summiting Old Snowy Mountain and Hogsback Mountain. Even better, my old friend Tamara and her daughter Sienna hiked in and brought me dinner last night! We camped beside a beautiful lake and hiked out together this morning. I’m about to enter Mount Rainier national Park and Wenatchee national forest. Happy trails.

PCT August 17: Greetings from Trout Lake, Washingt

PCT August 17: Greetings from Trout Lake, Washington. The last four days covered 80 miles in Gifford Pinchot national Forest and Indian heaven wilderness. So far the 42nd State continues the “green tunnel “ theme of Oregon. Trees are so thick that they obscure most views, even when the trail passes large mountains. But I have caught a few glimpses of Mount Saint Helens and Mount Rainier (which I climbed in 2000) and mount Adams (on the to do list)

More great trail angels eased the path last few days. Mr. goblin, Mrs. goblin and goblin dog provided grilled cheese sandwiches to I don’t know how many hikers over the weekend. Mrs goblin hiked the trail last year and felt compelled to return and give back. Then on Tuesday as I was pushing for town, low on food and hungry, i met Guru, who drove his van out to a forest road to make camp and cook pancakes for passing hikers! I ate about seven of them. I had to hustle to catch my ride to town but I still managed a little detour to the summit of sawtooth mountain.

In Trout Lake, I bought food for the next segment and devoured a giant burrito, burger and milkshake. I stayed the night with a nice family which hosts hikers in a trailer in their yard. They leave their doors unlocked and bikes unsecured in the front yard. Sure is different from the bay area. Next up is Mount Adams wilderness, Canada is 400 miles away.

PCT update August 12: My hitch from Chemult to Mou

PCT update August 12: My hitch from Chemult to Mount Hood went far better than I expected. Two trail angels, Chuck and Stewart, teamed up to drive me past all the fire closures, nearly 200 miles. Where would we be without the Trail Angels? Thanks a million guys.

A pretty hike past Timothy Lake and frog Lake took me to Mount Hood, which I enjoyed climbing six years ago. Fun to look up at it and reflect back on that day. No detour to the summit this time, that takes a full day plus an ice axe and crampons which I didn’t bring. But I enjoyed a buffet lunch at the timberline Lodge, all you can eat for $25. Hungry hikers stuffing themselves filled the dining room as amused tourists looked on.

Two more days of hiking brought me to Eagle Creek Gorge, a thrilling segment full of picturesque waterfalls. Tunnel Falls was the highlight. As the name suggests, the trail leads through a tunnel right behind the waterfall. The river gorge featured several other waterfalls and pools on the way to Cascade Locks, the last stop in Oregon.

My friend Afton Atwood from Castro Valley and now Portland drove out to visit me. We toured several other scenic waterfalls of Columbia River Gorge and then went out to dinner. We also FaceTimed her brother and my old track teammate Jason Atwood. What a fun evening we had!

First thing tomorrow, I cross the bridge of the gods and enter Washington. The last state on the trail looks more rugged than Oregon, but currently has no fire closures. I’m aiming for a mid September arrival at the Canadian border. Meanwhile, my friends and colleagues at Castro Valley High School are back at work educating the next generation. Have a great year, everybody. Thanks for reading and commenting, I enjoy hearing from all of you.

Pct update August 8: wow, Crater Lake is a beauty!

Pct update August 8: wow, Crater Lake is a beauty! I visited once before about 30 years ago, but my memory doesn’t do it justice. I truly enjoyed my 6 mile hike along the rim, and the all you can eat breakfast buffet in the lodge.

Just north of Crater, fire has closed the trail so all the hikers throw out their thumbs to hitchhike. Anyone not willing to hitchhike could never hike the PCT. It’s simply essential to get around closures and to and from trail towns. This time I drove a few miles with a retired couple from Pennsylvania, and then with another PCT hiker, Mosey, and her boyfriend, Mobile Support. She hikes and he drives along from town to town to support her. They took me to Elk Lake. From there I hiked a lovely segment through three sisters wilderness, full of pretty lakes. When you can’t shower, swimming in a mountain lake is the next best thing, so I did that several times. Mosquitoes were the only problem, though they were a big problem. By and large, they haven’t been too bad anywhere else, but here they attack like special force strike teams.

I covered about 50 miles in two days to reach shelter Cove resort at Odell Lake, where my new shoes and a food box were waiting for me. Lots of hikers gather here and it’s fun to talk to them. There were also trail angels coming and going giving out rides, free food, and cold drinks.

Another hitch (in the back of a pick up truck) brought me to the town of Chemult. From here I’m heading north past more fire closures towards Mount Hood. Unfortunately, this year‘s hikers are missing nearly 200 miles of Oregon. I guess that’s a good reason to come back later. From here to Mount Hood is about 175 miles, not a short hitch, so I guess I better go get back to work. Happy trails.

PCT update August 4. I have hiked from Ashland to

PCT update August 4. I have hiked from Ashland to Crater Lake, around 100 miles, in six days. I would have arrived sooner but I made a detour to climb Mount McLoughlin, 9500 feet, a great outing that took about half a day. This one is for my friend Irene McLoughlin, who should come climb her own mountain sometime :-) I also endured my first serious storm, complete with pouring rain, thunder and lightning right above my tent. Unnerving! Just finished gorging myself at a café near the park entrance. Great to get two packages at the post office: a box of food I sent myself, and a special delivery of cookies from new trail angel Connie Dunphy! Connie, I name you Cookie Queen! :-) Now I’m going out to see Crater Lake. Fire has closed the next trail segment to the north, so I guess I’m going to hitchhike. New challenges every day out here but you’ve gotta love it. Stay tuned.

PCT update July 29: coming up on four weeks and 40

PCT update July 29: coming up on four weeks and 400 miles. I’ve claimed nine bonus summits so far, trying to live up to my trail name (Detour). Triple digit heat has set in. Lots of hikers start early, take a break in the afternoon, then hike more in the evening. I’m also jumping into every lake and stream I come across to cool off and wash off dirt.

For those concerned about my withering figure, I’ve been carrying more food and eating more, so don’t worry! But I’m still stuffing myself in every trail town.

Last stop in California was Seiad Valley, a candidate for capital of the State of Jefferson! Folks around here like to pretend that they live in their own imaginary state, posting signs to that effect everywhere.

Ich bin froh dass ich etwas Deutsch kann. I spoken more German in the last few weeks then I have many years. There are lots of Germans, Austrians and Swiss out here. They are always pleasantly surprised to find an American who can speak any amount of German. Danke, Frau Failing!

Hello Oregon! All hikers celebrate crossing the remote border, although I still have a big chunk of Southern California to finish later. I’m spending tonight in Ashland and I’m glad that my brother Dan arrives soon. He’s going to hike a few days with me. I’m now hiking 20-plus miles on every full day fairly easily and am several days ahead of schedule. Seeya!

PCT notes: 100 mile push from Dunsmuir to Etna com

PCT notes: 100 mile push from Dunsmuir to Etna complete in six days. Highlights include summiting Eagle Peak and Mount Eddy (one of few California mountains named for a woman, Olive Eddy, who made the first known female ascent of Mount Shasta), climbing Eagle Peak, and visiting mosquito lake. My gear is getting lighter: I traded in my big sleeping bag for a smaller one and sent other unneeded items home. I’m losing weight too, and not on purpose, I need to eat more on the trail, working on that. I made a short stop in Callahan and another in Etna. A wonderful trail angel named Molly drove my tired bones into town and showed me around, even help me find an inexpensive inn to sleep in for a change. I demolished a whole pizza for dinner and plan to pig out again tomorrow before getting back to work. Happy trails.

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