PCT: chg timing & logistics - Onion Vly swap car & bicycle

Slight chg in timing and logistics. To avoid cloudiness & forecast chance of snow while climbing Whitney, and then later in week bicycling in forecasted 104+ temps in Owens vly to get back to car, I did the bike trip today leaving car at Onion vly and am about to leave bike at the hostel here in Lone Pine before trying to hitch up to Horseshoe Vly to my backpack.

Tomorrow will hike to Chicken Spring Lk just beyond Cottonwood Pass and take my time getting to Whitney by probably Weds. During next weekend's hot spell I"ll be up around Forester or Kearsarge Passes or at most at Onion Vly at my car.  Will probably hang there till Owens Vly cools before fetching bike & stuff left at Horseshoe.

PCT: Olancha to Horseshoe done. Onwards to Whitney

So I'm back in Lone Pine having completed the section from Olancha Pass to Horseshoe Meadows.
The bus dropped me off at Sage Flat Rd Monday morning and I promptly got a short ride up a portion of the paved 2 miles leaving a 3 mile hike to the Olancha Pass trailhead. At the TH I rested for about an hr under a large Canyon Oak and then with many rests through midday made it to where I had stashed some water when I came down that trail abt two weeks ago. Good that I left the water because the next source was poor quality - Many of the usual sources are dry this yr.

This section was exceptionally scenic and I think I took more pictures here than in any other part of the trail so far. I still need to download them off my CF cards to make room for the next section.  Here in town so far I've showered, laundried, shopped for new pocket knife I lost, food.

Still battling problems with the stupid windows app I'm forced to use to access the data from my new Holux M1000C GPS logger.  This time it goes through the motions of downloading 700,000 bytes but then says no track log data on the device. Device status says 14% full, which makes sense.  Aargh!  I think I will continue to use but also log data with my phone and/or Garmin GPS.

So I want to camp tonight back at Horseshoe Meadows and tomorrow pack up for the next six or more days past Whitney to Kearsarge Pass where my bicycle is stored.  Gotta hurry now to copy my picts (will do that back at the Laundromat where they have power plugs.)

Still need too check weather as well. Heard some mention of showers on the radio but reception was static-ey at the time...

PCT: chg logistics: bus to Olancha, car at Horseshoe

[originally emailed noon 16June2013 from my N1 phone, goofey autospellcheckwordswaps corrected]

Slight change in the logistics.  I've left the car at the Cottonwood Pass trailhead (the Horseshoe Meadows area actually) and will catch the Monday morning bus south to be dropped off 5 miles south of the town of Olancha, at Sage Flats road which goes to the Olancha Pass trailhead, so I'll be able to recharge my camera batteries without having to hitch to town when I make it back to Horseshoe Meadows.

So, last night I did overnight on the trail between Mulkey and Cottonwood Passes, giving me a chance to break in my new shoes and also try out the new bear canister.  The canister fits in my pack OK without it being felt by my back thanks to the design of my Osprey pack with it's curved frame and webbing intended to provide an air-space between the pack and my back.  I've heard complaints from other hikers that the big can digs into their back.
The shoes may be a problem. Some spots on the insole feel like pressure points I'm worried may become blisters. I'm packing my Teva sandals along so I could switch back to them.
Having now done that stretch of PCT above Horseshoe Meadows,  I can take the Mullkey Pass Trl to my car, then resume the Trl at Cottonwood Pass.

So tonight I'm at the hostel in Lone Pine, in a room with two other hikers.  One of them has just aborted his hike to accept a new job with the Conservation Corpse. The other is continuing, although he's talking about spending more time to take more side trips in the sierra, at the expense of not making it to Canada this year.

Earlier today I got a ride down to town from a Game Warden who had stopped to ask us (I was talking to another hiker) whether we had seen anyone fishing - because the season didn't start til July.  On the way down the hill, he griped a fee times about cars parked in random spots on the road that he thought might be fisherman.

PCT: KM to Olancha done, GPS setback, scouting logistics past Whitney

[originally emailed 10am 15June2013 from my N1 phone, goofey autospellcheckwordswaps corrected]

So a lot of spinning wheels these last few days.
I made it through Olancha Pass back to my car by 10am of I guess the third day after leaving Kennedy Meadows, so just one full day of hiking in fine cooler weather than the hot days preceding.

Drove to Lone Pine hostel to shower, then tried downloading my tracklog from that new Holox M1000C GPS logger that gave me grief before, using my klunky old laptop with broken screen, (which I have to hook up to a small external monitor to use...) only to find out that all these days from Walker Pass on, the device has been blinking happily but not logging anything: I had changed the settings to log every two meters and stop when storage was full, which was an improvement over my initial default settings of one Hz frequency and overwrite old data when full.  I guess I assumed it would somehow let me know when it was full by stopping its happy blinking or something.  Anyhow, my big mistake was to not explicitly clear the log from it's memory after I had downloaded last time.  This is a big setback! Now I have no location info for over a week's worth of hiking!

Bummed, I decided too go home.  I thought I could make it to my storage unit to fetch my real laptop before it closed at 7:30 that evening.  I called Mike in Santa Rosa to confirmed I could overnight there (paying him $30 for two nights.)

Except I then decided to stop at the Manzanar historical site just north of Lone Pine and spent over an hr there.  So I didn't get to Santa Rosa til 9:30pm.

Next day I fetched my laptop and backed up my picts - completely filling my 4TB drive - 2.5 yrs of picts.  I'll have to buy yet another drive next time I'm back.

Then I tried printing out maps (from Halfmile's PCT trail maps that most all hikers are using.)  I had bought a new print cartridge and ream of paper for Mikes printer earlier for this purpose, but never got around to printing them out.  Now I found it would take forever to print even a few pages (it would print one half inch strip of map every few minutes.  After trying to troubleshoot the problem all day I just went to Kinko's and printed them out in a few minutes in exchange for 60cents per pg.

Managed to get myself sorted out by late afternoon two days ago now, drove till about midnight overnighting in my car in a turnout somewhere on hwy 89, enjoyed the early morning drive over Monitor Pass, got stopped by a CHP for a burnt out headlamp, but still made it to Bishop just as Galen Rowell's Mountain Light photo gallery opened.  Spent an hr there, then to a sporting goods store to buy my bear canister.  (Oh, about the other canister, that I had ordered back in Agua Dulce to arrive "too late" at Kennedy Meadows, that I was trying to get the company to redirect to Lone Pine? Well, we ended up cancelling that order. Simpler, less expensive.)

So, I then drove up to Onion Valley (above Independence, CA) which is where I plan to exit the trail via Kearsarge Pass after hiking the section that passes by Mt Whitney (which I do plan to climb.)  I left my bicycle with the campground host there, and overnighted there.

This morning I drove to Lone Pine to do some errands (including buying a new headlamp - forgot to do that in Bishop while I was passing through there yesterday, now will need to remember next time I'm in Bishop to show the CHP there that it's fixed.)

So, now I plan to drive up to Horseshoe Meadow, the trailhead to Cottonwood Pass, which is just south of Mt Whitney.  Horseshow Meadow is going to be a resupply point for me, since I will be starting my hike at Olancha Pass where I left the trail a few days ago.  I plan to leave food for myself in one of the many bear boxes in the parking lots at the trailheads there.

I may also decide to take an overnight hike there, from the TrailPass trlhead along a section of PCT and back out via the Cottonwood trlhead.  This way I can skip that section doing my resupply via TrailPass and going on via Cottonwood Trl.

That all assumes. I won't have to charge my camera batteries.  To do that I'll have to hitch to Lone Pine & probably overnight at the hostel here.

So after setting up my resupply etc. at Cottonwood, I'll drive back to Olancha Pass where I'll leave my car and resume my hike.  I'll probably start hiking late afternoon when that slope will be shaded, overnight midway up to the PCT - 3500ft climb I think. Should be at my resupply pt in 2 or 3 more days, then will allow about 5 or 6 days for the Mt Whitney segment.

Then to unwind: bicycle down to catch the bus along 395 to just past Olancha, walk the 4 miles along Sage Flats Rd back to my car at the Olancha Pass Trailhead, then retrieve stuff left at the other two trailheads.
Then process picts etc before going on.

PCT: leaving KM for Olancha

3PM 6/9/2013
OK, done hanging around here - some clothes washed, enough food for next few days, weather promises to cool off next few days.  Should be able to give another update  after I've made it across Olancha Pass back to my car probably three days from now.

PCT: Walker Pass to Kennedy Meadows done

1PM 6/8/2013
I've added a few more people to this email list (which has been quite small and will probably remain so because I end up having to retype all the names in half the time when I'm using my Android phone on which I haven't figured out how to "reply to" a bcc list or view the bcc list of a msg I've sent - works on windows, just not on my Android with the basic gmail app... (If anyone knows "the secret" ...I promise not to tell anyone else... ;-)  (Guess I could workaround and send me a msg with "the list" in the msg sent just to me... later when I have the time...)   Anyway, also hope to eventually catch up the newbys with my older msgs ... but not today...)

I got to Kennedy Meadows (here: http://hikethepct-km.com/ ) this morning at 9, after a six day hike from Walker Pass, after Ben dropped me off there Monday evening after I caught up with him and the other CNPSers at the conference last weekend in Big Pine, after I raced to drive there after visiting Rebecca & family at her new home in Davis after spending a few days in Santa Rosa to see Sandy off on her trip to Alaska and fetch my mail (which included my PCT permit for the upcoming leg of my hike) and fetch my big laptop to do the stuff I was having trouble doing "on the road"..., after having raced there from Inyokern where, in my last msg, I was trying to decide whether to go to Santa Rosa or check out whether my Bear Canister had arrived at Kennedy Meadows yet and/or check out some of the other east sierra trailheads to the PCT before catching up with the CNPSers at the Big Pine conference.

Whew! Did I ever mention that I like long sentences and used to like the HP calculators that used "Reverse-Polish" algebraic notation?

Anyway, to unwind some of that...

Yeah, so I was in Inyokern worried I might miss the "next" bus after having missed the 8am bus which I had made sure I was there in time to catch by bicycling from Inyokern from Walker Pass by moonlight the night before and getting up at 5am to walk 20 minutes to the - oops - wrong busstop for a different bus company!  So, I did manage to catch the other company's bus at 11am, get to Mojave with an hr layover (enough time to have a Carl's Jr burger) before catching the bus towards Bakersfield that dropped me off at the Tehachapi Pass trailhead on HWy 58 around 3pm, enough time to make it to the top of the first ridge where I camped with a nice view of windmills going full bore on the ridge to the west, because it happened to be still blowing fiercely from the ongoing strong wind event (60+mph winds) which continued for the duration of my hike back to my car at Walker Pass, from where I drove back to Inyokern to fetch my bike and plan my next steps.

(If I seem to be focused on logistics here, yeah, guess so - I think details of the hike itself will have to wait till I get around to my picts...)

So, my next steps involved a timing issue, wanting to be in several places at once: SRosa to fetch mail, Big Pine to camp out with a few other CNPSers for the conference, and check out some of the potential next places I could leave my car and via bicycle and/or bus or hitch or road-walk, make it back to my starting trailhead. Or visa versa.  Also, I was expecting to change my mode of travel to a more traditional PCT hiker mode, mailing myself re-supplies at the handfull of designated places. Checking my email around 6pm in Inyokern I saw that Sandy was "leaving for Alaska tomorrow" and so I just figured I would act now and decide later, and drove all night to arrive in SRosa at 4am the next morning.  Unable to sleep I checked my email, got some breakfast, rechecked my email, and fetched my laptop etc at my storage, then returned to Sandy's place (actually Bud's place...) where I learned she had gone to take Mike to the Dr's and would then meet with Bud and the Parkinson's group at Sonoma Bagels.  So I chased them down there, finally settling down for the rest of the day copying all 4x64gb+3x6gb+16gb of the CF cards I'd filled, and my GPS track logs from 3 different devices, and troubleshooting the tech problems that made my track logs incomplete.  Also visited Tom at the EC and learned people had been asking about the books & maps & otehr stuff I'd left there, so I took some old pc's that others had "donated", to the Recycling Ctr, returned some of my "computer books" to my storage, and emailed the board explaining why I thought the CNPS books should remain there, and "donated" some money for my continued access and to leave my desktop cptr which I had available to share, there.  Also returned my "new" boots to REI.  (I've been hiking the Teva sandals which seem to be "good for my feet" after nearly 200miles now.)

Then I decided to give Rebecca a call, and ended up overnighting at her new place in Davis "on my way back to the trail", walked to the nearby park with little Kaylee the next morning, went for a Subways for lunch, then off via hwy 50 & 89 to 395 to try to catch up with the CNPS folk in Big Pine, arriving there just as dinner was served (after having "dinner" at various McDonald's to use internet to try to contact some of them - another story of technical issues: missing phone#s in my contact list, probably because some were only on my AT&T SIM card when I currently was using my TMobile SIM card - and neither of these SIM's lists transferred to my Google contact list that I mostly depend on.)

Learned at the conference in Big Pine that Ben's car had radiator problems that would be repaired Monday, and I asked him whether I could get a ride back to Walker Pass thereafter, after figuring out to-where exactly I would be hiking, which I spent all of Sunday investigating, driving all the way down to Kennedy Meadows cheecking out all the potential trailheads on the way down.  In kennedy Meadows I leqarned that my bear canister had not yet arrived (my screwup - I stated I'd be there later than I would actually be...) so on the way back to Big Pine I checked about possibly renting a canister until it arrived, and decided to hike only to Olancha Pass which was before the area that a canister was required.  Olancha Pass is only about 25 trail miles from Kennedy Meadows (plus the spur-trail over the pass to the road.)

So, at 3pm Monday, Ben's car was done, we caravanned to the Olancha Pass trailhead where I left my car (left my bike in the car this time...) he drove me with my pack to Walker Pass where I spent the night while I think he drove all night back to the bay area like I had done (though I lent him some maps of the area so maybe he did some "exploring" & overnighted on the way...?)

Hiking from Walker Pass was in pleasantly warm weather in pleasantly wooded terrain for the most part for the first few days, then got really hot these last two days in burned terrain.  Yesterday I quit, exhaused, about 5pm at the S Fork Kern River even after taking hr-long breaks frequently during mid-day - otherwise I would have been here yesterday evening.  I did get washed up in the river etc and asleep before dark.

Will probably leave KM Sunday late-afternoon or early Monday and should be back at my car in two more days.  (Hope to update this once mere before I leave.

PCT: Hwy 58 to Walker Pass done, back in Inyokern, now what?

So that bus did take me to Mojave where I connected an hr later with bus to Bakersfield getting dropped off at the trail on hwy 58. hiked about four hrs that afternoon and then five more days getting back to my car at Walker Pass CG Around 3pm today. Drove another hiker to that great Burrito place in Lk Isabella west of the pass that Sandy's friend Peter H and I stopped at returning from our Death Vly trip earlier this yr. Then picked up my bicycle in Inyokern, where I am now.
Not sure where to now. Maybe check out Kennedy Mdws to see whether I could leave my car there, bicycle down to hwy 395 to catch the bus to big pine to meet up with CNPS friends at a conference there, then this Sunday on their way home, get dropped off at Walker Pass to continue my hike.  That's a bit oversimplified with more prep needed and much more driving.
Alternative plan is to drive to SRosa & check mail & use my big laptop to backup tracklogs & picts.  Maybe I'll try to do both!  Need my big laptop cuz the older one I brought couldn't find the log files on my track logger, severely limiting my logging capacity.
That and some other technological failures added to the cold and strong 60mph winds I was battling throughout this hike. There were a few moments when I was trying to shout curses over the wind at all those engineers, marketing managers and lawyers responsible for the compromised functionality of all those gadgets I was carrying along that were not working.
Reminds me of one of the goodies left at one of the hiker caches: lead weights, with a note saying to take only as many as needed.

PCT: Missed the bus in Inyokern

So, a bit of bumbling and luck both bad and good leaves me killing some time in Inyokern. 

After picking up my bicycle near Devil's Punchbowl, I took the slow route through Lancaster to get some cheap gas, got me to Inyokern early afternoon. Asked around for location of bus stop & was directed to a '76 station. Asked there whether I could leave a backpack ovrngt & bicycle for a week, was directed to try at hardware store across the street.

Talked to the owner there and was given places to keep pack and bike. I then went on to Walker Pass to check out purported campground at the pass, without first leaving the pack at the HW store, which would have been more efficient. Found the campground about a mile west of the pass (Hadn't noticed this on my first scouting drive over the pass.) Talked to some other PCT hikers there, getting updated water info for the next stretch (about every 20 miles for that 100 mile stretch.) 

Sorted out my pack contents, ate dinner, etc., chatted a bit more with the hikers, two of which were from Germany, one had a car - he was just there resupplying the others.  Finally got myself on the road again by about 6PM.

When I got back to Inyokern the hardware store grounds were all locked up surrounded by concertina-topped chain link fence.  Lucky that I hadn't gotten back sooner before they had locked up, or I would have discovered my pack inaccessible the next morning at 6:15am when the bus left, since the store didn't open til 7:30.

So, what now? A hwy patrol happened by who suggested I ask at the Sheriff's office a few blocks west. It was closed but as I drove thru the neighborhood someone asked whether I was looking for a turtle. No, but... and I told them my story, and was offered to stay at their mobile home, leave my bike there, etc.

So with that settled I drove back to the pass where I left my bike, drove to campground and left my car there, hiked the last mile back to the pass, bicycled by full moon (with rear bike flasher) down to Inyokern (tailwind on long downhill, fierce crosswind on 2 mile stretch north on hay 14, tailwind again east into town.)  Got to take a shower, chatted til midnight, woke up 4:30 to walk mile to gas station, had coffee there & chatted with locals in picnic area outside til I saw the bus ...just blow right past me!

Lots of phone calls later I learned there are two bus systems here, mine stopped a few blocks west.
Now I'm waiting for uncertain other system's bus at 10:30 or the other bus 7:30PM.

PCT: leftover Cajon Pass to Wrights Peak done, sitting in Wrightwood

Yesterday I hiked the 16.2 miles from Swarthout Cyn Rd (a few miles
west of Cajon
pass) up the hill to Wrights Peak above Wrightwood.  It was quite a
scenic climb, nice cool, windy weather that made it much more pleasant
than the hot weather last year that caused me to decide to skip it for
the time being then.

Saw three snakes along the way - fist a very colorful ringsnake I think -

got photos and video, then some drab unidentifid snake that slinked off before I

could get my camera ready, then a small rattlesnake that very noisily
bounced around like a spring, lunging at me several times - needless

to say I didn't manage to capture that action, as I was busy jumping back.
It finally slinkered off and I got a photo of that.

I slept at the top, had minimal clothes with me but had my sleeping

bag and biv sack - I stuffed that with pine needles to be a bit

warmer in the brisk wind going on all night.  Chose a spot with
spectacular view to the east over Cajon Pass,  Got sunrise photos in
the morning, with the whole area blanketed with fog.  Hiked the last
2.5 miles down to Wrightwood this morning.

Today I need to download some GPS tracklogs and photos, buy some more
foil packs of tuna, salmon and/or chicken, for the next few day's
dinners on the trail, then head to Walker Pass area to scout around a
bit to verify I can leave my car there, and see what the hills are
like on my bike route from Walker Pass to Inyokern - if too much
uphill, I think I'll arrrange to have the bus pick me up at the bottom
of hwy 178 where it intersects the bus route on hwy 14 (I think thats
the #.)  When I talked to the bus system person dbyesterday they said
I could do that.  I'll need to arrange that today because I'd be
wanting to catch the 7:30-ish AM run.  I'll probably try to leave my
bicycle at the bottom of hwy 178 before I catch the bus, to avoid
having to drag that around.  (Would leave my backpack there the night
before as well, so I won't have to bicycle with it on.

So, this is the weekend I hoped to catch up with that CNPS event near
Big Pine.  I'll be on the trail to Walker Pass instead.

Yesterday I tried using the Teva sandals that I also had bought about
a month ago and did some hiking in.  They are rather tight and
non-adjustable for just wearing around, but for hiking they work quite
well.  My feet felt better in them than in the boots that I still plan
to return to REI.  So, yeah, my blisters seem to have healed, and my
hip is "stable" at the moment - just taking it easy on the
"heavy-impact-stepping" - practicing a "springy" gait, especially
downhill.  I think that's helping to avoid developing knee problems as
well.

PCT: Bike flat fixed, ready to roll Wrightwood to Cajon Pass

Bike tire fix was fairly straightforward.  The valve stem broke off
completely.  Pried off one edge of the tire using  several
"butterknives" I had in the car, then used snubnose pliers to pull out
the innerrtube (also pulled out the "thorn protector" that probably
was the reason the tire slipped so badly on the firsst steep uphill...
put in the replacement innertube, pumped it up, tested it around the
parkinglot, load the bike back in the car.

So, tonight I'm going downhill to Cajon Pass (or actually to Swarthout
Cyn  Rd just west of the pass, a dirt rd crossing the trl that I left
off at last yr skipping the next 15 mile uphill to ridge above
Wrightwood.  Tomorrow I'll leave my pack there, then drive back up to
Wrightwood, leave my car there, bicycle back down to my pack, hike up,
and another 32.5 miles down a side trl to Wrightwood back to my car.
That should finish that.  Day-hike probably, though I'll bring my pack
sleeping bag just in case.

then on to Walker Pass.

PCT: contemplating logistics Hwy 58 to Walker Pass, loose end Cajon to Wrights

So, looked into the logistics of the hwy 58 to Walker Pass (hwy 178)
stretch.  I had looked around Walker Pass without finding a good place
to leave the car, but I now learned from the "water report"
that there is a campground near there after all. If so, that's where
I'd leave my car. If not suitable, I may end up leaving my bicycle
there to use at the end of the hike (would also leave a day-pack and
leave my big pack there while I bicycle back to my car - via two bus
trasnsfers: I'd be coasting down the steep east side of hwy 178 to hwy
14 then north about two miles then east towards Inyokern, where I can
catch a bus to Mojave (the Mojave-Ridgecrest Route of the Kern
Regional Transit system.  Trouble is, it runs MWF only, and only two
runs, one on the morning (6:15) and one in the evening (7:20) so the
evening run is the one I'll probably be taking.  From Mojave, there'a
a bus heading for Tehachapi, and I can ask the driver to drop me off
at the trail, at Camron Cyn Rd.  I talked to someone at the transit
agency and they apparently do that all the time for hikers.  The
ttiming of connections in the morning and evening may even work,
though it would be scary close, and in  the evening, I'd get to the
trail after dark.  But the timing may not matter, because I may chose
to arrange to lave the car at a motel in Mojave, and stay there for a
night at the end of my hike. Or, maybe in Inyokern.

In any case, it's 85 miles of trail between the two hwys, with about 6
apparently reliable water sources fairly evenly distributed en route,
and a few other more sketchy sources, so I may not bother trying to
leave extra water for myself along the route as I had planned (turns
out the spots I had thought to leave water already have caches
provided by "angels", and during this peak hiker time they'll probably
be kept stocked regularly.

So, still remaining is to deal with is my bicycle flat.  I'll need
that fixed either way.  That's next as soon as I send this.

Looks like it will be very windy tomorrow and into Thursday which
means I may not want to start the Teh-WP hike tomorrow.  maybe, if I
get the flat fixed quickly, I'll still squeeze in the loose end Cajon
Pass to Wrights Ridgetop hike tomorrow.  Would make sense from efficiency
point of view.  We'll see...

PCT: Devils Punchbowl to Hikertown done, what next

So I made it back to my car yesterday, about a day ahead of when I thought I'd be out (seem to be walking longer per day than my average last yr, despite blisters still lingering.)  Got myself fed, cleaned up, & slept at the "Hikertown" place, then fetched my daypack at the Punchbowl Visitor Center, and my bicycle from the campground a bit east of there.  Bike is still flat - will have to figure out how to deal with the goop in the innertube clogging the valve so I can't deflate it to change it nor pump it up to use further - seems to have just lost about half the pressure, with valve stem stuck at abotu a 45degree angle.) There's a cycle shop in town, but it's closed today.  Some web research or more brute force efforts may be in store.) 

Now I'm at the Wrightwood library again, assuming I'll finish up the last loose end of the hike I was planning to have finished last year - that being still the section from Cajon Pass up the ridge into the San Gabriels above Wrightwood.  (My last attempt was scotched by the very cold weather I talked about near the start of this trip.  This time, forecast this week looks very good for this just over one-day bike/hike, but also looks like a good time to do the very hot section from hwy 58 near Tehachapi north through the very dry section to & past Walker Pass.   If I do that, I may postpone returning to the Bay Area for at least another week or so - I still may try to catch up with some of you in Big Pine for that CNPS outing, but it may be just for the end of the event.   I still need to spend some time today figuring out the exact timing and whether it makes more sense to do the Walker Pass section now.  Also, whether I can fix my flat - that may sway me towards the longer hike.

I'll probably update you on my decision later today. 

PCT: at the Saufly's HikerHeaven in Agua Dulce

I'm now in Agua Dulce at the Sauflys' Hiker Heaven hostel. I arrived here last night about 8pm after being passed by half a dozen people on the trail within the previous two days, all of whom were settled in there. Some left this morning, more arrived today.  Interesting assortment of origins, of course, a group of three from South Africa probably furthest removed. More than half seem to be quite experienced hikers having done the PCT or AT in earlier years.  (I't a bit early, the "horde" of hikers expected to show up here a week or so from now.  (I'll be trampled from behind in another week.) One couple from Swizerland, I tried chatting with in German for a bit - but even though they were trying to speak "Hoch-Deutsch" (high-german) with me, it was somewhat hard for me to understand.  I seemed to have less of a problem talking with Nicole who sounded very much like my dad, both from Berlin. 

I'm showered, my clothes is washed, I got the resupply box I left there just before I started.  But still want to try to join one of the daily rides into the nearest big town where ther's an REI,Walmart, etc, to try to get a USB mini cable that I forgot, so I can recharge my GPS logger.  I do have alternative GPS logging options for the next 60 miles back to my car, but would be convenient.  

Also have developed some blisters (for the first time... didn't have that problem last year...) that I still need to deal with a better.  My new shoes seem to be the culprit, they are wider & looser - can't tighten them enough.  If there is a  trip to REI, I may just buy myself another pair of the Lowa's that I have been wearing (tweo pairs) both of wich developed the same broken seams problem but otherwise seem to fit me better.  Oddly, the hip problem that I though would be my main issue, has not been bothering.

I Plan to leave here tomorrow afternoon. In another 25 miles (two days for me) there's another "host family" I'll probably stay at another night. (this one I didn't know about while planning - the Anderson's.  Then there's another 40 miles to the Hikertown hostel where my car is at. Then I'll pick up my bicycle (which, by the way, developed a flat about a mile from my endpoint! (More on that later I'm sure, when I have to fix it.)  By that time it will be near the end of the month and I likely will come back to the bay area briefly, before continuing into the Sierra proper.

PCT: restarting my hike from Hikertown to bike-bus-bike to Devils Punchbowl

so, what have I been doing this past week since leaving SRosa?

After rushing to clean up after myself at Mike's apartment (leaving a
few bits of furniture & other stuff behind... to make it to Alison's
place in Santa Cruz before she had to go to work that afternoon,
getting there with barely one hour to spare, we had a short chat and
she showed me around her new place in the Santa Cruz Mts -very nice! 
I moved on to overnight at Madonna Mt Park a bit south-east in the
same Mts, though I had to go west to hwy 1 and back up the next canyon
after being told the "more direct" route would be longer.  That overnight 
turned out to be a bit more expensive than expected, because the Sr
discount I noted on the web only applied if you had an annual pass or some such.  The campground was in a pleasant deep-woods setting, and there were a variety of trails that seemed to promise sweeping views of the area, but I didn't stay to seek out these photoops.

Next day I drove almost to Walker Pass at the south end of the Sierra
range, turning off on Kelso Valley Road near the town of Onyx, a paved road that connects to Jawbone Canyon Rd and a web of dirt roads for OHVers and dirt bikes. The PCT passes through this area.  I took a left onto Bird
Spring Pass Rd that crosses the PCT, where I wanted to leave myself a
water cache for when I planned to hike that section later this month.
I camped before the road climbed up the ridge, not sure whether my car
would make it easily and worried I wouldn't be able to turn around.
With still two hrs of daylight left I walked up the ridge with a
gallon of water, but at the trail I found a large existing water cache (a
typical feature along dry sections of trail that are accessible by
jeep or high-clearance vehicles - "trail angels" maintain these caches
periodically during the hiking season.)

Next day I wanted to go further south along Kelso road to other
spur-roads crossing the trail, but the southbound rd was closed that
Saturday due to a Bike Rally going on in that popular ORV area.  So
I backtracked and drove east over Walker Pass looking for possible
places to park my car for a few days and checking how feasible it might 
be to bicycle from the pass down to hwy 14 where I think there's a bus
that runs south to the town of Mojave, that connects with another bus to Tehachapi, ideally stopping near where the PCT crosses.  I haven't yet checked out the details of these routes.

But I didn't see any side-roads or big turnoffs near the pass, so I'm not sure how
feasible this will be - I may have to go all the way from Tehachapi to
Kennedy Meadows before accessing my car again.  Or maybe I could time my hike it in coordination with the Bristlecone CNPS Chapter's "conference" in Big Pine near the end of the month, and persuade a friend from there to drop me off there on their way home.  And maybe it would be convenient to do the hike in reverse direction, southbound.

I drove south on hwy 14 then hwy 58 towards Tehachapi and stopped
at the Jawbone Visitor Center, a very ORV-oriented place, got a bunch
of good maps of all the ORV roads that also showed the PCT and very
clearly the "jurisdictions" (BLM, Park, Forest, private, etc) for much
of the southern sierra.  Going on, I stopped where the PCT crosses hwy 58, then cut south across the valley trying to paralell the temporary route
of the PCT, to the Hikertown Hostel, and chatted with the host there to verify that I could leave my car there for a
while in a few days.

I also asked for any news about the progress of the planned rerouting
of the trail into the Tehachapi's through the Tejon Ranch property.  He
said it would be routed along 300th street about a mile or two west of
here, which was disappointing to hear, since that was still well down
in the valley although apparently the trail would then turn north-west up the
first set of low ridges of the Tehachapi's, and then rejoin the current
route still south of the rte 58 hwy crossing.  Anyhow, I next drove to 300th street to look around - it's just a bit further west along the aquaduct, seems to me.

I then checked out the abandoned "Old Ridge Route" road that roughly parallels hwy 5 at the west end of Liebre Mt, that I would have thought the trail could be routed along or across.
There is an existing trail branching from the PCT on Liebre Mt that
goes westward with a trailhead on the Old Ridge Route, and I did find that trailhead.  I also wanted to see whether that trail could be extended further west to ideally cross hwy 5 and enter the Hungry Valley ORV area that is just southwest of the hwy 5/hwy 138 junction.  Very steep topography west of the old road, however.  

I then drove on east along Pine Canyon Road to
three points Rd to hwy 137, eastward, stopping at the "Desert
Woodland" park that was closed, and the Poppy preserve that was open
but bloomless, through the urban sprawl of Lancaster and Palmdale to
Pearblossom and on to the Devils Punchbowl park, following the route I
planned to bicycle & bus.  Got to the park after hours, near sundown,
too late to talk to the ranger about leaving my bike & Pack, so I
hurried on east to Valleyermo Rd and on to the campgrounds east of the Punchbowl and
overtnighted there. That was Saturday night, very crowded with
families chatting well into the evening, campfires blazing dangerously in very windy weather in tinder-dry surroundings. I decided to sleep in the car, ready to evacuate the area on short notice.

Very cold and windy next morning still, I walked the first leg of the
PCT detour in reverse up the ridge to Islip Saddle where I had quit
last year.  most of the hike was in clouds.  This trail traversed an
extremely steep slope most of which was an active landslide, sliding
into a ravine so obviously an active fault.  Returned from this 11
mile round-trip early afternoon, and decided I'd drive up to the ridge
above the town of Wrightwood, planning to overnight at Guffy
Campground, expecting to wake up the next morning to snow.  Actually
only made it to the lower "Blue Ridge" campground. Slept in the car.

Woke up next morning to sleet but little accumulated snow.  A
backpacker iin shorts walked by and I offered him a ride back to town
to warm up. (He said he was 70yrs old.)  I brought him to the hardware store
in Wrightwood that had a "welcome PCT hikers" sign posted. They had a
notebook there with a bunch of info on local "Angels" that hosted PCT
hikers.  A few other hikers showed up.  He called many of the angels leaving
msgs or learning that they no longer did that. He also called some
Hotels and most were closed for the summer (Wrightwood has some ski
slopes nearby.)  He bought himself some rain pants and we had some
lunch.  He decided he'd try to hike on so I drove him back up the
ridge, drove a bit west along the ridge to the saddle at the base of
Mt Baden Powell, that he would be climbing the next day (these were
areas I had already done last year - sections of trail criss-crossing
hwy 2 on the ridge, that I did in various combinations of forward &
backward using my bike to "close the loop".  It was getting colder &
windier.  He decided he'd rather try again in town at a more expensive hotel.
I dropped him off at one hotel and we parted ways.

I had been vacillating between many alternative plans.  I had
originally thought I could take advantage of the cooler weather to
finish up the only section of trail I had skipped last year because it
happened to be very hot at the time - the climb from Cajon Pass up to
the ridge above Wrightwood.  (I had instead out&back-hiked the upper
section of that climb.) What I needed to do (should have done last
year) is leave my car on the ridge at Guffy CG, bicycle back down the
ridge through Wrightwood, leave my bike near Cajon Pass and hike back
up.  An alternative was to leave my car in Wrightwood, bicycle down
hike up the ridge and take a spur trail (that most hikers take) back
down to Wrightwood.  A third alternative reason for me to be up there
is to complete a section of trail along "Pleasantview Ridge" that had
been detoured but not specifically closed as part of the frog closure.
 None of these alternatives were attractive today. I didn't want to
bicycle in sleet on wet roads, and I didn't want to hike a trail with
spectacular views while the views were obscured by clouds.  So I
decided I'd take care of another piece of unfinished business, to drop
off a resupply package for myself at the "Hiker Heaven" Trail-Angel
Hostel in Agua Dulce that I would be passing by midway through my 120
mile hike from the Punchbowl Park to the "Hikertown" place where I
would have my car.  Also, I wanted to work out some details about my
bike ride from the Pearblossom bus drop-off point.

So first did the resupply dropoff, then explored some alternative routes
from Pearblossom to either the park or the campground, and found that
Vallyermo Rd to the campground would avoid climbing a small ridge to
the park, and the park was also at higher elevation. The campground
would also put me in position to hike the other two legs of the
detour in proper direction and without another out&back of the bottom
leg. (now that I had already hiked the first leg up&back.) So, I would
be leaving my pack at the park, but my bicycle at or near the
campground. Also, since  the "first afternoon bus" would get me to
Pearblossom at around 6pm with another hour of bicycling to do, I
could just camp "legally' in a campground, whereas there was no camping permitted in the park. I decided I'd check with
the ranger to make sure I could leave my pack with then for two days,
but found the park closed on Mondays.  So back to the campground for
another night. Packed my pack the next morning, dropped it off at the park's visitor center, having a nice chat with the ranger there, then drove
back west to "Hikertown".

Parked behind a bunch of boats stored at that place per instructiuons,
sorted some things for the bike ride, tried to copy my picts to date
onto a disk drive using my little eeepc but ran into problems (disk drive would not spin up.)  Started this email, now its
much later than I would like.  Still need to T-shoot the disk drive
issue and another problem - for some reason my cell phone is hung up
"out of memory" even though I've been deleting apps I don't absolutely
need for this trip.  Aargh.  I'm writing this on the eeepc. 
I've left my big laptop safely in storage in Santa Rosa. Ah well, get some sleep, worry
about it in the morning.

RoadTrip: enjoyed a wonderful lakeside home in Michigan

7AM 10/12/2012

Hi Sandy, & Keren & Michael, et. al.

I got your message about you now having a greeting for your cell phone (reminds me that I need to update my google-phone msg...)

In Michigan, (a few days ago now) I did go up to Bob's house and got some shots of the awesome autumn foliage there - though it was cloudy at the time) and ran into Linda and we talked for a few minutes (she showed me some of her daughter's framed photo-prints of the Sawtooths and described the remodeling that Bob had done on the ground floor.)  That was sure a nice place you stayed at while here in Michigan!

Karen & Michael made me a delicious two-cook meal. Karen did the salad and Risoto, and Michael made the salad dressing & roasted the chicken, while I just had my hands in my pockets asking "is there something I could do or contribute to?"  I did offer my trail mix... and copied to their thumb-drive a bunch of picts I had  taken of Karen's garden in autumn-garb.

I left the next morning (yesterday) taking with me a bunch of cherry tomatoes and two books from the boxes of books that didn't sell at an event she had donated the books to (we drove somewhere during the day to retrieve the remainder - gave us a chance to talk - and do a bit of grocery shopping...)  I really enjoyed my stay and the chance to meet your sis and Michael.  I'll have to create an excuse next spring to veer from my planned return-route to revisit ...if only to take a closer look at all the plant books in Karen & Michael's collection!  

Thanks Karen & Michael!

Gary

Hi Gary,
I'm so glad you had a good time at Karen and Michael's and got a chance to meet Linda.
Sounds like you had a stroll down memory lane in Cleveland. Did you get a chance to visit your mom's grave? Is your dad buried there, too?
Well, at least you have family to see in CT and it looks like there still might be some fall color when you get there. Let me know when you arrive safely. I guess you're getting a taste of the cold weather back east. I personally dislike it after the leaves fall off the trees.
I've got a mild cold and still recovering from that surgury last week, but I did go for a hike at Armstrong Woods with Kathrin, Darlene and her friend, Randi.
Sandy

RoadTrip: Rapid City... Cleveland

1PM 10/5/2012
I'm much farther east now , in Rapid City, South Dakota, after "blowing through" Yellowstone just one day too early to catch some snow, unfortunately.  two half-day drives later (stopping briefly at Devils Tower yesterday morning and MT Rushmore this morning) I plan to visit a "Geology Museum" this afternoon in Rapid City and some stops in Wall along Hwy 90 a bit east of here then look for a place to overnight around the Badlands, which I hope to spend some time in tomorrow.  I've been snowed on about an inch or so each of the past two nights and expecting a third night of light snow tonight, but supposedly it will clear up tomorrow so hope for some good light in the badlands.
I may then spend another night in the area in order to have a full day's drive (about 10hrs) all the way to the National Forest lands between Lk Superior and Lk Michigan. I may spend a day or two driving along south shore of Lk Superior & Lk Huron, before heading south to visit Sandy's sister Karen in Manchester, Michigan.  May spend a day or so there maybe, then head to Cleveland and onwards eastward along the lakes I think.  So I might be in Ct as soon as end of third week of October?
Gary

3PM 10/5/2012
Hello everyone.
I just added money to my AT&T phone.  depending on how I make the call, it may appear to be from my Google#... (I will normally try to call this way) or, directly from the AT&T#...
Gary


8PM 10/5/2012
Hi Gary,
I got my cell phone fixed so it's ...; haven't gotten a voice mail greeting yet or put any numbers into it. ...
Be safe in the cold, wind and snow. Don't freeze to death in your sleep! I'm not sure if the fall color is through in Michigan, but my sister said they were going to get a frost tonight. Lake Superior wind and weather can be furocious! I'm glad you got out of the mountains in time. I've been to the Badlands but not to Devil's Tower or Mt. Rushmore -- send me a photo of Crazy Horse, ok!

Hey, while you are in northern Michigan (the mitten) look up my mom, Gloria and John ... I'll send her an email telling her you might stop in if it's ok.
They live on the south side of Higgins Lake (which is north of the largest inland lake, Houghton Lake), a short distance on a dirt road with other homes on it in the pines.
She will want to give you a hot meal, I'm sure. I'll give her your phone numbers, too.  From their house, it's about a 4-5 hour drive down to Karen and Michael's. Stop in and say hi to Bob - Karen will tell you how to get there; it's a short walk up from her driveway. Watch out for hunters this time of year in MI.
Please keep this information! ...
Sandy


2PM 10/5/2012
Thanks for the update. Now I know approx when to expect you. Are you visiting Maine and NH and VT?
Liz

7PM 10/5/2012
Hi,
When you are in Cleveland, you can look up Mom's grave at the cemetery. Ann went once on a day the office was open and they helped her find the location. I have the info somewhere but have no idea where I put it. If you email Ann, she may have it handy. I remember the grave is in an area where a tall brick or stone wall marks the boundary of the cemetery. Maybe you can google for info???
We also found the house, the street is still brick! and the house is still there, also the Lutheran/ German church up the street. The neighborhood has changed to mostly black people but much of it is the same, except more tired and run down. Even Grovewood?  swimming pool is still there, but it looks sooooo small! Everything seems small. The Paul Bellamy Elementary School is now a community center, almost like a salvation army center. The pedestrian bridge across the highway with the spiral access is also there, but it looks pretty dirty. Oh, and we stopped at the hospital too. I did not remember this, but the lawn (where we used to play while waiting for Dad to visit Mom), comes right up to the the sea wall at the edge of Lake Erie. I have no memory of that...weird.
We also found the beach we used to go to, that still looks pretty much the same, lots of parking and the tall narrow trees. We also went to the river area, ?Squaw Rock? Park closer to Shaker Heights??? I vaguely remembered certain things, like the cliffs.
I'm sure you will remember more things because you were older. Have fun exploring.
Liz

7AM 10/10/2012
Hi Gary,
Got your phone message yesterday.
I sent this last week, maybe you missed it...has suggestions on what to do in Cleveland.
If you go to our old beach on Lake Erie, please bring me back a few small pretty pebbles. Thanks,
ps   This is from an email I sent to you on Oct 5th:
just googled Lake View Cemetery. They have all the info you need on-line, incl a map, so just google the name of the cemetery. I searched the record and Mom is buried in Section 51, lot 1-88. Good luck,
I remember when we looked for her grave it was in a smaller lot which butted up to a tall stone or brick wall separating the cemetery from a side street. Her grave stone is very small and was a bit overgrown w/ grass. Dad had put on a Bible verse from Thessalonians: "The dead in Christ shall be rising first" . You should be able to find it. It's a very pretty cemetery with lots of trees and curvy roadways.
See you real soon,
Liz

noon 10/11/2012
Hi Liz,
I'm now in Ohio a bit west of Cleveland and have been catching up on email and studying the maps for the cemetery etc.   I'll probably pass through Cleveland today, but hope to find a spot to camp nearby to maybe have another go wandering around tomorrow.

Leaves around here look a bit early, so my guess is in upper-NY Adirondacks may still be close to prime, so I may swing up that way.  But I may decide to save some gas and time and take a more direct route.  I'll let you know within a day or so.  Sorry I'm still so bifurcated on that. I may just be eager to catch the leaves around CT?
Gary

6AM 10/12/2012
Have fun in Cleveland. Don't pass up the highland beach park, because I think you will enjoy hanging out there for a while. Hope the weather is nice.
I recommend you come home through the Adirondacks because the roads thru the park are very nice and the trees should be very pretty now. You can then come down the main highway south of the park, switch to the Mass Pike and then take rte 8 south into CT. Bethany is close to Rte 8. If you come as early as Sunday btw 10:00am and 5:00pm, stop in Litchfield, CT. I am exhibiting with a group of artists at the firehouse. I'll forward the invitation. Otherwise, enjoy yourself and I'll see you whenever,
Liz

7AM 10/12/2012

Got to my old home on Nottingham Rd in East-Cleveland/Euclid in the early-evening after a long accident-caused traffic on the highway through the downtown area.  Took some drive-by snaps of the old house & neighborhood, (nicely maintained neighborhood tucked away inside an otherwise very run-down area of town.)  Drove past OH Perry Jr High school - I recall going to school there with a bunch of rude punk kids, taking the bus thru an "ugly" commercial street to get there - it is indeed ugly and now very run-down with mostly abandoned businesses.  I drove along Lakeshore Drive to the hospital on the shore where mom had stayed, then drove via Euclid Ave through an extremely run-down area with mostly boarded-up store-fronts (stopping at an auto-parts store to replace my again-burnt-out headlamp)  to Lakeview Cemetery which is at the edge of the up-scale "museum district" of downtown (I remember going to concerts in Severance Hall there with my dad  - I had been taking violin lessons from someone who played viola with the Cleveland Orchestra.)  Unfortunately the cemetery gate was closed with tall impenetrable fence all around, so I decided to try to find somewhere to camp around the town of Mentor near Headland Beach that we used to frequent in the summertime.  Ran across a small town park after dark with a bunch of very tame deer and overnighted there.  This morning I made it to Headland Beach before dawn and took a few pre-dawn atmospheric picts of the beach in bone-chilling-cold wind and picked up a few pebbles.  Now I'm working my way back up the coast to have another chance at mom's grave.   

RoadTrip: 2day Overnight at Prairie Reef in the Bob. May traverse a snowy Yellowstone? then continue east

One last? backpack planned for next few days, then probably heading east

4PM 9/30/2012
Hmmm....  I thought I had sent this earlier.  Just found it in my drafts - will update it soon.
Hi everyone,
So I'm back in Choteau, MT after a pleasant 5-day backpack to the northern portion of the Chinese Wall in the Bob Marshall Wilderness.  I've enjoyed the continued above-average temperatures and dry conditions for this time of year, though much of the time it has been quite smoky from fires nearby - and much through forest already burnt just a few years back, though it was a varied mosaic of burnt and mature-growth forest. On the way in the aspen leaves and forest undergrowth were at the peak of their fall bright reds & yellows.  On my return, many of the same trees had dropped half their leaves, remaining leaves brown spotted black, and the undergrowth leaves were drying out and dulling to tans & browns.    

I had managed to wear out my tires on all the gravel roads I've been driving, so today I bought a new set of tires here in town (a locally popular brand purportedly good on the gravel roads in this area.)  I had gotten a quote from a shop near Great Falls for about $600 and these came to $560, though no wheel alignment was included as in the other quote.   Probably missed out on an excuse to visit Great Falls (unless I start heading east from here...)

Tonight I hope to drive a bit further south to Augusta, MT and tomorrow begin another backpack from the Benchmark trailhead back into "The Bob" to take a look at the southern portion of the Chinese Wall - Benchmark seems to be the more popular starting point to the wall, and there is a good vantage point on a hill called Prairie Reef early on in the hike, in case the weather turns nastier than expected sooner than expected on me.  The weather has been changing some and I hope for somewhat better atmospherics this time.  About mid-next week a more significant "pattern shift" is forecast, with rain and much colder temperatures.

After this backpack, I'm considering making it down to Yellowstone for a second brief drive-through, anticipating maybe some snow due to the weather shift, and in any event, fall conditions.  But I may skip that if the weather becomes too nasty.

Then I will be heading east.  Not sure what I should/could see along the way/out of the way in the midwest.  Any suggestions of oughta-see things?  I had thought I would have much more time to look around there, look at some of the tall-grass prairie lands, the major rivers, historic POI's like following the Lewis & Clark trail, etc., but I guess I spent extra time around the northern rockies, which I guess is OK.

I will likely take advantage of an invitation to visit Sandy's Sister who lives in Manchester, MI which is a bit east of Detroit.  I also do want to pass through Cleveland.  I may want to touch other areas around the great lakes.  Not sure what the state of the autumn leaves will be by the time I get east of the great lakes, but passing through northern NY & Vermont has been on my agenda.
Gary


4PM 9/30/2012
Hello again...
So I did follow through as planned and spent just two days up to the "lookout" on Prairie Reef with still disappointingly hazy views of the southern portion of the Chinese Wall.  Unfortunately I was there just a day too soon, or rather, didn't stay another day, because it did start to clear up just as I was driving away from the trailhead!

Now I'm in Helena on my way back to Yellowstone.  I plan to enter at West Yellowstone and leave a few days later via one of the two east-bound roads.  I expect to be there during the first winter-like storm to hit this area (tue-fri Oct 2-5) so it could be interesting, depending on how much it snows.   I'll be trying to find out whether they might close the east-bound roads for the season if there is significant snow - both of these roads go over high elevation passes.  I do have new tires AND two sets of chains (4 total, for both front and back, since I have AWD)  I plan to update you of what I've learned later today or in a day or two.
Gary

6PM 9/30/2012
Hi Gary,
Heard about the cold front that is supposed to move in back your way. Be careful. Hope you have enough warm clothing and a warm sleeping bag. According to the weather channel, the fall foliage has already peaked in the northern great lakes and northern Maine and NH and VT. We're beginning to get color here but peak in CT is mid to late Oct, although I think there is always a lot of nice color into November.
When you get here, we have a good local garage in case your car needs a tune up.
Have fun!
Liz

2PM 10/2/2012
Liz:
I do have warm clothes and sleeping bag at the ready, and just rearranged my car to make it easier to just crawl into the back to sleep without having to pitch a tent and deal with the wind and rain - except - I don't yet have a good solution for keeping windows open a crack without rain getting in - probably will use duct tape to attach a "rain-flap" of some kind.

Forecast is saying most of the snow will be north of Yellowstone, so I think I'll just need to contend with some wind and cold & rain.  (Too bad... no really awsome picts of snow in Yellowstone as I had hoped.)  I probably will still head through there, assuming I can get confirmed that the fax I just sent to take care of some important business (loooong story, groan!!!) did indeed make it and is acceptable...  So at the moment I'm still stuck at the library in Bozeman north of Yellowstone.

RoadTrip: add visit Karen in MI to agenda. Bought new tires in Choteau between backpack trips into The Bob

8PM 9/25/2012
Hi Gary,
I'm at Bud's. Where are you and what have you seen?
Karen, my sister in Michigan said she hasn't heard from you yet. She's off work until November so you should really try to stop in. They will welcome you. Do you still have her phone and address? Let me know if you need it again.
Bud says when you come back you can stay with us if you want to. We can come and go whenever we want to for our travel pursuits. He says he might want to drive up to Alaska with his trailer in June. I had told him I was considering the ferry. Like driving up to Bellingham ... I want to see Mt. Baker and the Northern Cascade National Park on the way up.
...
Let me know what's going on!
Sandy

7PM 9/27/2012
Hi Sandy,
I'm back in Choteau after a nice 5-day backpack to the northern half of the "Chinese Wall" in the Bob Marshal wilderness just west of here.  Since the weather still keeps being "sunny" (though smoky as well most of the time) I may do another several day backpack to the southern portion of the wall starting from Augusta - the Benchmark trailhead, to be exact.  The southern portion seems to be the more popular destination.  I may just go as far as a prominent peak that has a good view of the wall - depending on time and weather.  

I decided I have to bite the bullet and get new tires. one of them is bald and the other three nearly so.  I got a quote from a shop in the Great falls area but decided to go with a local shop here in Choteau - he sells a tread design popular in this area with all the gravel roads - seems appropriate for me... ...and the price is slightly cheaper than the other quote.  I'm getting that done tomorrow afternoon.  Only wrinkle is I can't get an alignment done unless I wait a week - so - I may decide to do that later at some point - which works out with my budget constraints because that's an extra cost...  

So, I'll have limited funds for October for gas & food and my "lodging costs" will have to continue to be near-zero - not a problem so far as long as I stay away from towns.  Tonight, alas, is an exception - $15 for a campground right here in town, convenient since this library is open til 8 and the "tent-city" at the CG has power!!! (Sort of a hexagonal shed arrangement with a "counter-top" etc near the center and 6 "partitions" delineating the different camp-sites.  Also, I'll be doing laundry there (coin-operated - I've gotten to rinsing out  socks & such during my backpacks, but still find the machine and drier hard to wean myself from - along with occasional hot showers...

Anyway, approximately: $600 gone for tires. 1700 miles from here to Karen at $4/gallon and 22mpg on my subaru, or about $300 to drive straight here to Karen's - google maps says it would take 30hrs.  I had about $200 left over from last month so I have a "discretionary" $400 to spend in October.  Ordinarily about $300 of that would be food, but I still have a lot of uneaten food I've been carrying around.  so lets say $200 for more food leaving $200 worth of extra driving I could do.  That could get me back for a 2nd look at Yellowstone in autumn.  hmm...  Or, Michigan to Connecticut by end of October - that was my original commitment.

I don't believe it! several times now you've told me Karen's name, address, email, phone, etc but I STILL don't have her in my contact list, and apparently all of those times were verbally over the phone written down on random scraps of paper, because searching my emails I find NO mention in any of our email conversations of her contact info.  SORRY - all those times I've "intended" to add it to my contacts as soon as I get back to the computer, but alas, I haven't.  (Actually, I do have her phone#)  Would you please be so kind and tell me again - IN WRITING BY EMAIL all in one place - maybe even with an email subject like "Karen ____'s contact info", her full name, mailing address, phone, email.  Thanks.  <end melodrama>

Bud's offer and travel plans sure sound attractive at this time.  Hopefully things won't have soured too much between you and him between now and then! Be sure to be good to him!  

What's Peter up to these days?  Do you two have any travel plans upcoming?

7PM 9/26/2012
Hi Gary,
Glad to hear from you! Be sure and get out of the mountain area before it snows and blows.
Suprised you are still in Glacier area -- ya, it was my favorite of the parks too.
Bud and I get along great; he's positive and mellow.
I don't have any plans to travel with Peter. He's in Venezuela with a friend.

Karen & Michael info ... Manchester, MI
Take I-94 (I-80 turns into I-94 in Chicago) to Chelsea/Manchester exit. Go south until you get to a red light (about 10 miles), turn left that will be Pleasant Lake Rd.
When you get to Schnieder Rd. turn right (it's the only way you can turn) follow until you get to a stop sign with a stone church and graveyard. Just past that about half a mile, look for Bemis Rd. on your right. Follow along the dirt road through the woods and when you come to the top of the hill, turn left down the dirt driveway. If you pass a big beautiful white farm house on the right, you went to far -- that's Bob's house! Stop in and say "hi" to him and or Linda.
Sandy

Hi Sandy,
Thanks.  Finally added it to my contacts (also can search for it in my emails.)
Does Karen have an email address?

Now I'm off to get new tires. will be back in the library later this afternoon before heading south to Augusta and find a camping spot on the way to tomorrow's trailhead - hope to be backpacking again for a few more days.
Gary

I think Karen's email is ... but she responds better to phone since she isn't at work now.
Where is Augusta?
Sandy

3PM 9/30/2012
Hi Sandy & Karen?
Thanks for Karen's email address.  Unfortunately at the moment I've still had virtually no phone service using my providers (AT&T or TMobile) so I haven't had a reason to activate either of these pay-as-you-go plans. But that may change in about a week when I expect to be spending nearly full-time on the interstate heading to Michigan as fast as I can (Or so is my current intention, subject to getting way-laid by any compelling distraction along the way.)

First, though, I'm heading for a 2nd pass through Yellowstone, timed to coincide with the upcoming winter storm due to hit the Rockies this Tues-Fri (Oct 2-5.)  My plan is to enter at West Yellowstone and exit on one of the two east-bound roads.  Hope to have a look at some of the geysers with extra-large clouds of steam due to the cold weather, and if I'm lucky, snow on the ground or at least with snow-covered hills as backdrop. Hopefully it won't be too much snow to keep the roads closed for the season.  (I'll be researching the past history on winter closures etc while I'm here at the Library in Helena, MT.)

Then I plan to head straight east to Michigan.  I expect that'll take me at least 4 days (I guess I'm allowing for some detours to take a peek at on-the-way POI's and/or to find a "free" spot to overnight in some Nat. Forest or such.

Sandy, assuming Karen won't see this email for a while (or at all if the address isn't right)  would you please call her for me and tell her the gist of my plans to indeed come her way within the next two weeks, (and let me know whether this would or not inconvenience her at this time.   Thanks!

I think it would be nice to visit for maybe three days or so - see some things in the area, but I then want to also move on asap to my sister's in Connecticut (with only one specifically scheduled stop in Cleveland) though if I have time I would like to maybe veer north hugging the great lakes and northern NY into VT before turning south thru Mass into CT.

I'd be curious what the state of the autumn leaves are at this time - it's already past-prime as far as rthe aspens here in the Rockies, but that may precede the peak for eastern forests....

Karen, if you are reading this before I've managed to contact you more directly by phone, It's nice to have the opportunity to talk to you, and I'm looking forward to meeting you soon.
Thanks both,
Gary

6PM 10/1/2012
Hi Gar,
I left a message for Karen on her cell phone that you should be there in a few weeks.
...
Please be careful with the snow and road closures!! I know that Wyoming closes I-80 when snow hits and if you don't have chains you get a big fine if they catch you. The wind blows like a bastard through MT, WY and the Dakotas. I don't know about Nebraska or Iowa.
I'm gonna hike to see the tule elk with Darlene, Kathrin and other women tomorrow.
I booked a one month trip to Guatemala to study spanish and see the mayan ruins and such. I return on Thanksgiving day.
Sandy