Uphillhike

Category: PCT Thru Hike

Blogging Uphill’s Nobo thru-hike of the Pacific Crest Trail.

  • Taking a 26-Zero on the PCT

    Taking a 26-Zero on the PCT

    Having hiked 650 miles from the Mexican border at Campo to Walker Pass in 37 days without having a single zero day, I’m now taking a 26-Zero. That’s 26 days off the PCT. Over this break I’ve eaten a lot, but I’ve also started back with some high intensity training by pushing my heart rate to 160 plus during short workouts. I have to admit that the eating has happened more frequently than the training.

    The reason for this planned return to Roswell, Georgia was the expected birth of my first grandchild. It’s a BOY! His birthday is May 9, 2018 so I made it on time. His name is Declan. Here is Declan with me, Grandpa Uphill.

    I also wanted to be back for my daughter, Maura’s college graduation, and to spend time with my wife, Sandra, who I will miss a great deal when I return to hike the final 2000 miles of the PCT. So May 9th was a busy day. Maura’s college graduation and Declan’s birth happened within a few hours of one another. 

    Since I left for the PCT in a hurry, having been in the office at work one day and on the trail the next, there was a lot of incomplete PCT planning. Now I have 26 days to catch up.  First, I need to prepare all of my mail resupplies. I’ve spent the last couple of weeks running back and forth to the grocery store, ordering via Amazon, dehydrating food, vacuum sealing food, sorting food, finding myself short of food, and repeating the process. I’m tired of working on the mail resupply and want it to be over. It has been chaotic. Right now the resupplies are sorted into grocery bags and laid out in the hall in an order only I understand. Here they are.

    The first bag on the left contains the food that I’m carrying with me for the first 4 or 5 days. Other bags on the left at the far end of the hall contain resupply for the High Sierra section of the trip where all food will need to fit into a Bear Vault. 

    Here is a photo of some of the contents of my resupply for the 10 day hike between Tuolomne Meadows and Vermillion Valley Resort in the high Sierras. Before sending, 20 tortillas will be added. All will need to fit in a Bear Vault. I will probably need to empty the oatmeal and almonds out of ziplocks and dump directly in the Bear Vault to make everything fit.

    Even before returning to Georgia, I had been rethinking my PCT hike plan. Many thru-hikers were ready to plunge into the high Sierras in early May or even late April. I, on the other hand, considered the added effort of hiking through snow that would still be present in June. Upon my return, I plan to skip north 440 miles from Walker Pass to Highway 50 near South Lake Tahoe. I’ll be able to cruise through Northern California without trail snow slowing my progress and wearing me down physically. By the time it gets hot, I’ll be out of Northern California. With luck, I’ll beat much of fire season with it’s likely detours and guaranteed hazy skies. After reaching Canada, my plan is to return to South Lake Tahoe and hike south for 440 beautiful snow free miles and finish up at Walker Pass. 

    My first look at PCT Trip Planner predicts that I will reach Canada on September 10th. Here is the PCT planner link for my hike. Click here to see hike plan from South Lake Tahoe to Canada. Returning to South Lake Tahoe, I’ll need to finish the first 350 miles of the remaining 440 miles before any show stopping snow hits in September or October. The last 90 miles between Lone Pine and Walker Pass are pretty safe from heavy snowfall.

    I checked on snow information for the first 70 – 80 miles of my return to the PCT at South Lake Tahoe and found that I may get a little taste of trail snow. Here is a recent graph of conditions showing 100 miles from South Lake Tahoe to Sierra City. The blue line indicates the maximum historical snow water equivalent. The green line is the current percent of historical snow water equivalent. The yellow/orange line is elevation. The green bumps between mile 1095.6 and 1121.0 is the area around Dick’s Pass. The last green bumps is just beyond Donner Pass.

     

    For a closer look at Dick’s Pass, I used the photo below from Jenn Hikes 2017 PCT blog. Here is the link to her blog entry for the day she hiked over Dick’s pass. Click here go to Jenn Hikes – Day 74, Dick’s Pass . This will be the same trail section I’ll start off with  on the first day of my return to the PCT. By the way, Jenn and her companion, Colton, are my PCT heroes. They braved incredible challenges on their 2018 PCT hike. It’s a blog worth reading. 

    This is the view from the top of Dick’s Pass, looking north toward Dick’s lake. It was taken last year (2017) a full 2 months later in the summer than when I’ll be passing this point in late May. Can you imagine the snow that would have been here in May 2017?

     

    You can see why I have a little concern about the snow I’ll encounter here in late May. My plan was to skip sections that would require my ice axe, but the snow reports give me second thoughts. I haven’t heard stories of treacherous ice along this section, but I don’t really know. For now, I’ll plan on leaving the ice axe at home and bringing only the microspikes. 

     

     

     

  • Tehachapi – PCT Trail Town Review and Guide

    Tehachapi – PCT Trail Town Review and Guide

    Tehachapi owes it’s lively and attractive presence to an event back in 1876.  That year signaled the completion of the Tehachapi Loop of the Southern Pacific Railroad bringing the railroad to Tehachapi. This vital railroad link between the productive Central Valley and much of the rest of the nation was later double tracked to accommodate high demand for transportation needs. Northbound PCT hikers walk across this double track shortly before reaching Highway 58 at the Cameron exit.

    Here is where the Pacific Crest Trail crosses the “double track”. View is toward Tehachapi.

    As important as the railroad was to Tehachapi, trains would only stop only as long as needed to load and offload goods. Few people boarded or disembarked. Much like PCT Thru-hikers, the train was only passing through. In the end, it was up to the citizens of Tehachapi to make something special of this remote town. Today, visitors have a variety of restaurants, accommodations, museums, art, theater, and other entertainment to choose from. Tehachapi hosts a seasonal farmers market and is a center for fruit and seed growers.

    From Tehachapi’s Railroad Museum in the Depot, a photo of the famous loop that enables rails to climb at “grade” up the Tehachapi pass.

     

    In May, on my PCT thru-hike, I overnighted in Tehachapi. At trail crossings near both Highway 58 and Willow Springs Road (8 miles apart), Tehachapi residents cache water and post lists of local trail angels and town information. These two crossings present 2 opportunities to lure hikers into town, perhaps twice for some hikers.

    Hikers have a number of options for staying over in Tehachapi that include trail angel houses, camping and showers at the airport, and several hotel options. I stayed at the Santa Fe Motel ($59) conveniently located in the center of town directly across the street from Kohnen’s Country Bakery, a popular pastry and coffee spot with hikers. For much nicer accommodations, I would recommend sharing a room between several hikers at the Fairfield Inn & Suites ($110) where the rooms and linens are at a much higher standard and there is a hot tub and pool to soak tired muscles. The hot tub alone makes this an easy choice. The Baymont ($94), located a little further from the town center also has a jacuzzi.

    The Santa Fe Motel where I stayed.

     

    Besides a place to shower or soak tired muscles, PCT thru-hikers are craving plenty of good town food. I chose an almond cheese danish and a sausage and egg roll at Kohnen’s Country Bakery. It was hard to choose between a variety of large fresh flakey and gooey sweet baked goods. I also caffeinated up on plenty of hot coffee. For dinner the night before, I had a fried chicken plate at the Village Grill Family Diner. It came with a bread choice (huge slice of cornbread for me) and the daily vegetable which were green beans. I also chose macaroni and cheese as my side. For lunch, the following day, I had a pork BBQ plate at the Redhouse BBQ, next door to the Village Grill.

    The Village Grill Family Restaurant.

    Other hikers I knew were looking forward to Sushi and were planning a visit to Midori Sushi. This group also found a good entertainment option when they hit upon “Line Dancing” night at Big Papa’s Steakhouse.

    Tehachapi is very walkable with many options and nearly everything a hiker might want within easy walking distance. A hiker depot of sorts called “Witts End” has been opened up in a house to allow hikers a place to crash in between eating, sleeping, and having fun. At Witts End, hikers can get assistance from trail angels and arrange for transportation back to the trail.  The post office is on the outskirts of town and only open on weekdays. Witts End stepped in and solved this problem by accepting hiker mail resupply packages.

    A railroad “park” with signals and signs. Adjacent to the Tehachapi Depot Railroad Museum.

    Like the train, PCT hikers may only be passing through, but Tehachapi is the trail town that doesn’t mind. With heavy demand, the railroad was “double tracked” so perhaps more PCT thru-hikers will choose to “double zero” at this attractive stop.  (Double Zero is the term for hikers taking 2 full days off.)

     

  • Day 37 – One Man Band

    Day 37 – One Man Band

    Flipped to Walker Pass and hiking south toward Hikertown. Hiked 23.9
    PCT miles. At mile 517. 6.

    One Man Band was walking north along the LA aqueduct with a guitar strapped to his pack when I stopped to chat with him. Everyone who thru-hikes carries a part of themselves with them. For One Man Band, it is the love of music and the way that music opens people up to self expression. One Man Band told me that he found PCT hikers particularly expressive. I’ve seen this myself with the art created at hiker hangouts like Casa de Luna and in a number of PCT 2018 signature banners. One Man Band also carries drumsticks, a small kettle drum (forgot to ask whether this doubles as a cooking pot), and a harmonica. At Hikertown he brought out his instruments and played the Hikertown piano as other hikers joined in with an improv session. Here is the Hikertown piano at the lounging area and kitchen.

    I have completed 134.4 mile flip from Walker Pass SOBO to Hikertown. This completes the first section of my PCT hike from the Mexican Border at Campo to Walker Pass, placing me at mile 652.1. I will take a few weeks to return to Atlanta to see my wife, Sandra, for the birth of my first grandchild and my daughter, Maura’s college graduation.

    I wasn’t cold sleeping in Tylerhorse Canyon. The tarp anchored by tent stakes held down by massive rocks stayed secure through winds that otherwise caused the tarp to violently flap so much that it would push against my body and whack me in the face. At times the wind would completely stop. The gibbous waning near full moon rose. Night clouds drifted, then rested, highlighted in backlight effect by the moon. The bitter cold wind in morning meant that the tarp, the only refuge from bitter wind would be last thing I packed.

    As I pulled on the quick laces of my left boot, the already frayed string snapped. These Salomon X-Ultra boots use Salomon Quick laces so I knew no way to repair and replace. 

    I walked with a loose left boot. By the end of a 24 mile day a blister was springing up on the front pad my of my foot. 

    Here is the view looking back to cloud banks toward the mountains.

    Here are more clouds.

    Here is the Joshua tree that I took a longboard lunch break under.

     

    Here are Hikertown tiny accommodations.

    I pitched the tarp in the dark at Hikertown, right next to what turned out in the morning to be a pigpen.

    Here is the pigpen.

    PCT shorts:

    Walking in dark along aqueduct levy, listening to Dark Side if the Moon.

    While night hiking seeing what comes out of those 2 – 3 inch diameter holes. Catching a large mouse frozen in the headlamp.

    Many NOBO’s were so intent on hiking that they didn’t think to ask me, a SOBO, about trail info and water availability. Some few don’t even respond to a greeting. I was likely the only SOBO most saw in more than a few days. This makes me appreciate the need not to miss similar opportunities myself.

  • Day 36 – Better weather, for me at least

    Day 36 – Better weather, for me at least

    Flipped to Walker Pass and hiking south toward Hikertown. Hiked 16.7
    PCT miles. At mile 541.5.

    The weather was on my mind. I didn’t want another windy day. The wind wasn’t as strong and as clouds gathered the wind seemed to stop at times. As I continued to climb toward the clouds, I became a little worried about rain. I never reached the clouds, but at the highest elevation for the day a few snowflakes fell for a short while. As I lay here under the tarpon Tylerhorse canyon, the wind is kicking up and clouds are threatening. Even though I am in the desert with its reputation for heat, it has been cold so far, though I’d rather be in the desert than in the higher mountains. The mountains are blanketed by clouds and I heard that snow was expected higher up. I’m so lucky to have flipped this portion of the hike so that I am in the desert when the really rough weather rolled in.

    Upon arriving at Tylerhorse Canyon, I walked up and sown the canyon looking for the easiest spot to draw water from the meager trickle. I noticed motorcycle tracks in the stream bed and recalled that earlier in the day that hikers had told me that they saw a guy riding his motorcycle up and down the stream. They asked him to stop and he ignored them and continued his destruction of this fragile stream. This water source is the first natural water source out of the Mojave desert. As it is, it dries up each year. Many hundreds PCT hikers use it each hiking season.

    I saw Wallet, the guy that borrowed the trail angel’s car in Wrightwood. The trail angel told him to leave it parked in the driveway when he was finished. Wallet told me that he returned the car, but another hiker decided to use the car and the Trail Angel thought Wallet hadn’t returned the car. After several hours they figured out that another hiker had taken it and found the car.

    I continued to pass Northbound hikers that I know. I was particularly happy to see the Green Lantern. Also saw Google. Saw the Aussies and Brits, but their numbers seem diminished. They had just hiked off trail to retrieve water. One guy had collected 6 liters. I broke the news to them that their was a large water cache sitting for them at the end of a 3.5 mile climb. Oh well, at least they know so they can pour out most of that water rather than lugging it up a 1600 vertical foot climb.

    Some photos from the near highest elevation for the day. The last real tree before much dryer desert.

    Here is what it looked like after I started descending toward the real desert.

    Here are the trail switchbacks along a canyon.

    Flowers

    This is the first time I’ve seen one of these trees bloom. Still don’t know the name.

  • Day 35 – Boy Scouts serving others

    Day 35 – Boy Scouts serving others

    Flipped to Walker Pass and hiking south toward Hikertown. Hiked 8.2
    PCT miles. At mile 558.2.

    I stayed in the Santa Fe motel last night. Hot shower and room to organize my resupply. A plus is that it is across the street from Kohnen’s Country Bakery, a popular hiker spot for delicious pastries and coffee. I had a roll with eggs and sausage cooked inside and an almond danish.

    Witt’s End is a place where Dalton, who happens to be from my hometown, Atlanta, runs a place for hikers to hangout, rest, and find rides and services. Here is the PCT 2018 banner that I signed.

    Here is my signature with the original version of my blog logo. 

    Dalton located trail angels, Melissa and Old Spice to drive me back to the trail. Both had become new people, Melissa when she recovered use of her hands follows stroke, Old Spice when he became Old Spice and left Fox News addict, Jim, behind. Melissa gave me these 2 peace sign pennies that she made with her new hands. Thank you for the ride and the great story of inspiration. Anyone can change, Never believe it isn’t possible.

    Here is the bridge over Hwy 58 that the PCT crosses. The view is toward Tehachapi.

    Here Is where the PCT crosses the double railroad track. The 2nd set of rails were built at great trouble because this was the route from California Central Valley to Las Vegas and points East. Many. Men lost their lives working on the 13 tunnels needed to get the tracks laid over Tehachapi pass. Maybe the Netflix series, Hell On Wheels, makes railroad building seem a little too easy. 😉

    Here is the view of the zig-zag uphill ascent, looking down from above. There is nearly always a climb after every town and why not? After all, “Everything is Better Uphill”.

    Here is a bench at the top of the hill. This was part of an Eagle Scout project. Time and again I see the contributions and involvement of Scouting with the PCT.

    Wind mills. There were hundreda upon hundreds in all directions. There was a lot of wind also. Everyone has had enough of the wind. This is the last photo of a windmill I will post unless a windmill gets in the way of a bear photo.

    Skies and mountains.

    A painted rock left on the aise of the trail wishes hikers well.

    My campsite is in a ravine, the one spot out of the wind.

  • Day 34 – Living on Peanut Butter and a Prayer

    Day 34 – Living on Peanut Butter and a Prayer

    Flipped to Walker Pass and hiking south toward Hikertown. Hiked 16.9
    PCT miles. At mile 566.4.

    Today was to be my day of rest. I would sleep late, take a long breakfast, and leisurely break camp before hiking a few miles to a tent site that would leave me a couple hours hike the next morning for a meet up with cousin Margaret with resupply, trail magic, and town food.

    The weather didn’t agree with these plans. It was cold and windy and although I stayed in the sleeping bag longer than usual, the biting wind urged me to quit this place and get moving. As I hiked, I tried to slow down by taking an abundance of breaks and I succeeded at first.

    I also had to use extreme measures to conserve my phone battery. The previous night I had discovered that my external battery pack was dead with my phone battery in the low teens. I hiked with the phone powered down; meaning fewer photos no Guthook for reassurance that I had not strayed from the trail. I concentrated on looking for the few PCT logo trail markers. I followed a dirt road MK10 for what turned out to be 4.4 miles, always looking for boot prints in case the trail turned off road. Areas where trails intersect and follow dirt roads are the easiest places to miss a turn. I think I may have mentioned U-Turn, a young Belgian, who did just that, finding himself 4 miles off trail before he made a U-turn to retrace his steps. I wonder how challenging it was to hike the PCT before GPS devices. There was few other hikers with which to share information and few water caches. Since few people had ever heard of the PCT, trail magic was really magic because it mostly didn’t exist and seemed to appear out of thin air.

    After the long walk on MK10 ( I don’t like walking these deeply rutted uneven rubbly steep 4WD roads that make it easy to lose your footing.) the trail hit open ridge line. Clouds were sweeping over and the wind increased. The wind was stronger than the day I hiked into Wrightwood. A little bird by the trail was hopping up a foot or two, launching itself against the wind. I was thinking how it could do that without being blown away. Each time it struggled a few seconds, then dropped to the ground in the same place. On the fourth try the bird hopped up and was suddenly blown off the mountain, completely out of site. It was a strange thing.

    For long distances it was an absolute struggle to walk. This was not playing around.

    Photo below looks innocent enough, but wind is harder to photograph than snow. The trail curves around point on far left. The steep slope is what worried me.

     

    I tightened up backpack straps and belt for better center of gravity. I choked up on my hiking poles, lowered my stance with knees bent. Picture a Sumo wrestler who is fighting to be kept from being pushed out of the ring. Even with this stance, I was pushed around and off the trail. My knees became a little sore with the struggle. The relatively flat open meadows were one thing, but where the trail crossed steep terrain it was another matter. I concentrated harder than ever to stay on the narrow 3 foot wide path to keep from being pushed off steep slopes. After what must have been mile or two of the worst piece, I dropped to areas that seemed a little less intense. At that point I was surprised to see a couple of backpackers struggling in the wind as they made their way up to me. I didn’t expect to see anyone attempting this ascent in these conditions this late in the day. It would be miles of climbing and high winds before reaching any reasonable camping spot. Only a few hours before, a NOBO was pleading for info on any camping sites up ahead that were out of the wind. Reaching the pair, I was surprised to find underneath all that wind gear none other than Michael and the Professor! These two determined German men are in their late 50’s or 60’s. Although I hike faster and carry a lighter pack, they seem to persevere and catch up through what must be sheer willpower. I have seen their suffering. Others would take a zero day or at least a shorter day. We exchanged greetings. Michael doesn’t speak English so the professor does the talking. We passed and the pair proceeded upward into ever fiercer winds as I soon dropped into relative calm. As I walked on, I thought of Michael’s tiny pup tent. It always stood out among the better and bigger tents because it looked like a tent that you expected a kid to use for a backyard camp out. How would that tent, or any tent for that matter, hold up in that wind. I worried about Michael and the Professor.

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