some baden powell - kennedy meadows pictures (posted by kate)

1500+ year old limber pine near the crest of mt. baden powell

burn area south of agua dulce

from right to left:

white buffalo man, marshall, mark, serena, jeramy

at the kennedy meadows general store

into the sierra

friends,

the days and hills keep rolling on by as we walk and wander these southern california lands. we returned to the trail after the break in berkeley to find snow in the san gabriel mountains. a foot had fallen over 7000 feet and we sloshed through climbing to the summit of 9399 foot mt. baden powell. up into the clear alpine air and ancient old limber pines cragged and grown with the wind. clouds rolling through us atop the peak appearing and disappearing the mountains to the west. we walked westward through the san gabriel before dropping into the desert town of agua dulce. incredible hospitality continued as we stayed with the legendary saufley's at "hiker heaven" (www.hikerheaven.com). a couple who have been housing, cleaning, and resting pct hikers for over 10 years. their entire yard set up as a camp with canvas tents, trailers, coolers, free boxes, firepit, and a fleet of bicycles for trips to town. we stayed a night before walking through the heat to meet another set of legendary trail hosts, the anderson's, for an entirely different experience. we camped in the manzanita grove just beyond the tarped oil-wresting pit for two days of beer drinking, frisbee golfing, taco salad-filled debauchery. eventually made it out alive and the contrasts continued as we set back out into the heat and brush wilderness. that day while searching a dry stream for water i met white buffalo and marshall who were out for 5 days for a rite of passage inipi ceremony. our paths had brought us together and after speaking for a few minutes white buffalo invited us to join them for a sweat lodge. with that we were preparing for the sweat, serena, mark, and i gathering pine and cedar branches for the lodge, building a stone fire pit and cutting kindling. the wind hurtling by we carefully started a fire and began heating the stones. the sweat lasted well into the night, a beautiful experience to be a part of out on this walk.
the next day we dropped out of the oak forests atop liebre mountain and into the controversial route throught the mojave desert and antelope valley. cracking autos rusting in the fields, grass pushing through shattered computer monitors and sun-baked electronics on a stretch of trail that traverses private plots and yards and through the gnarled joshua tree forests that line the cemented l.a. aqueduct. we spent the day in howling wind and flying sands crossing this valley where the trail skirts the edges of the expansive tejon ranch. this 75 mile length of trail from the antelope valley to the tehachapi mountains and the southern sierra is mired in troubling land issues. conservation easements are slim and numerous signs warn walkers not to deviate from the trail tread under penalty of prosecution. these are some of the threatened spaces that we hope to help protect through our partnership with the pacifc crest trail association for the hike.
on we've walked through the long waterless stretches and the last of the desert country to reach the southern sierra range. steep scaping peaks, pinyon pine, old juniper, sage, hillsides of lupine returning health to burn sites, and eventually dropping into the valley of the south fork kern river. we find ourselves now in the settlement of kennedy meadows, 40-50 off the grid residents, most more grizzled than the hikers, solar panels, generators, a general store, and this silver cyber trailer where i'm typing. a great place to spend some before venturing out into the high country...with cold rivers, snow, and towering old mt. whitney looming ahead.

peace, jeramy

Heading for the Hills

Today I find myself sitting in the quaint little town of Kennedy Meadows, it consists of a general store with a small diner restaurant attached to the store, surrounded by rising mountain peaks, though nothing compared to the mountains we are about to enter. Kennedy Meadows is the official end of the desert and the beginning of the Sierra mountains. We have traveled 700 miles to get here, walking the entire way through the hot, dry, water deprived and at times incredibly windy desert.

Today we set off, heading for the high country and beginning a new chapter of this journey. Soon we will be fording ice cold mountain rivers, swimming in glacial lakes surrounded by alpine forests and hiking the tallest mountain in the lower 48, Mt. Whitney, standing at 14,505 ft. As excited as I am to be entering the mountains I have loved being in the desert. Yes, there were time when it was so hot that the thought of walking made me sweat and all I could do was lay under the tiny piece of shade we found under a Joshua tree. All is all we were incredibly lucky with the whether, there were only a handful of days that I remember being too hot to walk, it could have been a lot worse. There were even days when it was cold.

When we returned to the trail after taking a short break in Berkeley we learned that there had been a large snow storm (for May) and Mt. Baden-Powell, the mountain we were to climb next was still covered in it. A little reluctantly we made our way to the top and it wasn't until we were half a mile from the summit that the trail disappeared completely and all I could see were footprints where people had scrambled straight up the mountain side. With some work and being very grateful that I had my trekking poles we made it to the top. The view was spectacular. Snowy peaks showing through the thick layers of clouds flying by. It was well worth the climb and not nearly as treacherous as I thought it would be.
Perhaps that was a little taste of what the Sierra's will be like, though I doubt there will be any fresh snow we will be breaking trail through as so many people have come before us.

Entering the Sierra's we also leave behind the desert wildlife, most notably rattlesnakes. We have encountered more than I can count. The last one we saw just the other day as we were walking past a small creek with barley a puddle of water in it. I stopped, thinking that perhaps this was where we needed to get water (one can never be too careful or picky when it comes to finding water in the desert) and upon closer inspection Jeramy noticed a large rattlesnake laid out over rocks and sticks with its head in the pool of water, drinking. It didn't notice us and so we slowly moved closer (still staying a safe distance away). We were able to watch it for over five minutes before it finally noticed us, curled up and began rattling. It seemed more irritated that we had disturbed its drinking of such a precious resource than the fact that we were so near to it and as soon as we backed away it went right back to drinking, as if it hadn't seen us at all.

I know rattlesnakes are not the only poisonous snake out there, but the only one that gives you ample warning when you are encroaching on its territory. This should be seen as a good thing, however I am still more jumpy around rattlers than I am around other snakes that don't make a sound but could very well be just as poisonous as a rattler. But this fact is easily forgotten when I hear that distinct sound.

The day we arrived in Kennedy Meadows we finally hit a major river, the Kern, the first body of water we have seen in weeks. Not being able to pass up the opportunity to take a dip we found a nice spot to stop and swim. The water felt cold at first but after getting in it was incredibly refreshing, especially after not having showered in a week. Afterwards we were sitting on the rocks relaxing and I noticed something out of the corner of my eye. Not more than three feet from me was the most colorful snake I have seen to date. It had bright bands of black, red and yellow and was about two and a half feet long. It was not a rattler so naturally I was not as concerned, though we didn't know if it was poisonous or not. We're still not sure what kind of snake it was but most likely it was a King snake, which is not poisonous. Either way it wasn't bothered by us gawking, it just went on its way trying to find shade from the hot sun.

While I am sure we are not out of snake country yet we are getting close (though rattlesnakes can live at around 7,000 ft and have been seen, albeit rarely, at 11,000 ft) and we have already seen signs of the wildlife to come. The other day, while coming down off a mountain through a forest of Pinyon Pine trees we saw bear tracks on the trail. Jeramy stopped and pointed them out to me. At first I wasn't sure what they were, I though maybe it was a person with really wide feet walking barefoot. It was the first time I had seen bear tracks before, they were large, and in strange way they did look like a human footprint. We stopped and looked around but there were no other signs of a bear. I was slightly relieved, though there is a part of me that is excited to see one (as long as it's not too close)!

And so today we head for the hills, with a little more gear than before (ice ax, bear canister and mosquito net) ready to experience all the magic, beauty and challenges that lie ahead.

entering the san gabriel mountains

big rattler

Barrel Cactus, San Felipe Hills

chollo

A.T. '01 reunion with Buzzard and Wren

3+ weeks into this journey and getting into a solid rhythm of walking. rising each day with the sun, the slow process of it all step by step passing through waves of heat, the wind, lizards scattering snakes rattling and buzzards drifting the thermals overhead. switchbacking wandering our way through these diverse landscapes.
the deserts are beautiful, so many different complexities and network communities that we've experienced in just this small piece of time. the changes and transitions are constant...dry crackling sage and chaparral hillsides, cactus valleys, cool canyons with clear running waters passing oak and cottonwood, sliding through snow crisp air sub-alpine reaches of jeffery and ponderosa pine, incense cedar, white fir, and the vast stretches of land scorched by fire...canyons and mountainsides, skeletal seas of bleached branches slowly being enveloped by the new growth.
with rainfall this year an incredible bloom of wildflowers are covering the lands...vivid colors all around, paintbrush, lupine, lilac, the cactus flowers bright and miraculous, thousands of yucca blooms across the hillsides. inside and around it all hummingbirds, wasps, bees, ants, moths and butterflies hovering and dancing.
we've been humbled by the kindness and generosity extended our way throughout the trip. in wrightwood we met the moore family who took us into their home to share stories and food. at the big bear hostel (www.bigbearhostel.com) grayson toured us around the town and lent out some cruisers and we pedaled the town from china buffet to the health food store laughing in our puffy jackets.
and now after a wonderful little break with the family to see my sister graduate we start back at it...to continue being humbled, walking on through the landscapes, skies above and city lights below, in heat and hunger, tired, frustrated, elated, mind wandering to some dreamed up foodstuff, alongside the spaces of presence, walking meditation...small bodies passing slowly through canyons and mountains, tiny dust clouds gathering and disappearing with each footstep.

From the Desert to the Mountains

After quite the drawn out and complicated transportation ordeal we made it to Berkeley for Jeramy's sister Chrissy's college graduation.

The last few weeks on the trail have been wonderful. I feel like I have finally begun to settle into the pace and lifestyle of hiking on a daily bases. My body has adjusted well, with the exception of the first week of painful blisters and achy legs. I can already feel the muscles in my legs getting stronger though. The mountains we have climbed thus far will surely pay off once we get to the Sierra's.

It is truly amazing to walk from the hot, dry, cactus and rattle snake ridden desert to the cool forests of the mountains and walk among pine and fir trees and even through the snow at times.

Our first encounter with real mountains was entering the San Jacinto Wilderness Area just outside of the cute mountain town of Idyllwild. That evening we camped near the highest point we will hit before entering the Sierra's, around 9,000 ft. I felt the effects of altitude sickness for the first time, luckily it didn't last long. In the San Jacinto's we hit our first snow and hiking down Fuller Ridge Jeramy took his first fall of the trip. We intend to keep tabs the entire way. Currently Jeramy is in the lead. Mark and I have no falls so far. I'm sure that will change though.

The climb down San Jacinto the following day was one of the windiest I have experienced. Perhaps this should not have been too surprising considering we walked through a wind farm in the valley below. After hiking through the wind swept valley below the San Jacintos we entered the San Gorgonio Wilderness Area. I had hoped it would be less windy on that side of the pass but we were out of luck.

Eventually, as we descended into Whitewater Canyon the wind began to die down. The San Gorgonio Wilderness was gorgeous. We followed Mission Creek up into the hills, winding through the canyon, crossing the creek over 20 times and watching life regenerate after a fire burned a large portion of the canyon not more than a few years ago.

The following day we hit Big Bear City, a smallish winter ski resort town. It was a wonderful place to stay, especially once we met Greyson, who ran the one hostel in town. He drove us to the grocery store and let all three of us borrow his cruiser bicycles. We took them for a stroll through town. My front tire was bent out of shape and it was not the most bike-friendly town, but it was fun riding a bike after only traveling by my own two feet for the past few weeks.

After leaving Big Bear we hit some of our hottest days yet. Luckily we were hiking along Deep Creek, a beautiful and strong flowing river rather. Though half of the time we were 100 ft above it on the trail. When we finally reached the spot where the trail and river met we were blessed to find an amazing swimming hole and natural hot springs flowing into the river. It may not sound appealing to sit in a hot spring with the temperature hovering around 100 degrees but it sure felt good on our aching bodies.

We camped that night just beyond the canyon at the only source of water around, a small spigot coming out of the ground. The next morning brought us to Silverwood Lake, a popular boating destination for city folk on the weekend. Sitting in the shade by the lake a crew of hikers slowing materialized. Everyone had the same idea we had. Get out of the sun and near the water. Common sense where we were hiking. We lounged around for awhile, killing time until the heat died down. We went swimming, ate lunch and eventually, reluctantly packed up and continued on our way.

The day before we hit our next town of Wrightwood we came to the I-15, a huge interstate located along the San Andreas fault. Hikers had been raving about this freeway for days. Apparently a McDonald's sat less than half a mile from the trail, an acceptable detour from the trail when food is concerned. McDonald's, not being quite my idea of food, did not entice me much. However I was willing to walk the extra half mile beyond McDonald's for Subway. Not much better, I know, but we all compromise when we're on the trail hiking 20 miles a day.

Not wanting to camp near the freeway and having only gone 6 miles that morning we chose to continue on, climbing again into the San Bernardino National Forest. We crossed over the San Andreas fault shortly after leaving I-15. I later learned that the rock formation we walked passed (the Mormon Rocks) has twin rocks 25 miles north of there, the split was created during past earthquakes. The last large quake in the area was over 150 years ago and it is said that they are long over due for another large earthquake. It is one of those things that is in the back of the minds of the residents around there. People talk about "earthquake weather" and stocking up on food just in case.

That night we camped at the top of the ridge after a long climb up. It was a beautiful view, snow caped San Antonio on one side and the rolling desert hills on the other. The next day we only had 13 miles left until Wrightwood and we had done most of the climbing the previous day. It felt like a breeze. Especially once we met our trail angle Bob who agreed to meet us at the road and give us a ride into town. While driving to town we learned Bob and his wife Maria regularly take in hikers and had housed 5 the night before. He offered us a place to stay that night and we didn't turn him down. It was more than I could have asked for. Maria cooked us a wonderful dinner, we took hot showers and left wearing clean clothes.

I've found that in every town we come to "trail magic" always appears. Each town we stop in we have encountered amazingly kind people who go out of there way to help us, make sure we have all that we need and ask nothing in return.

So after resting, eating and getting cleaned up we heading off to Berkeley to live the city life for a few days. Little did we know that getting there would be such an ordeal. But that's a story for another time.

Another Eugene Weekly article

Happening People

By the time you read this, Serena Becker and Jeramy Vallianos will be in the Sonoran Desert, beginning a six-month hike of the Pacific Crest Trail. "We spent two days putting food in boxes for friends to mail," says Vallianos. "Every week or so we'll go into a town to pick up a package." While in town, they will locate an Internet cafe to update the blog on their website, walkforwild.org "It's our first try at blogging," says Becker. "We want to raise awareness of PCT areas that need protection." A South Eugene grad, Becker got involved in human rights activism as a student at Evergreen State College. "I traveled to Rafah, in Gaza, with the Olympia-Rafah sister-city program," she notes. "Rachel Corrie, from Olympia, was killed in Rafah in 2003." In Olympia, she also met Vallianos, her boyfriend of five years, who had hiked the Appalachian Trail in 2001. The pair hopes to attract donations for the purchase of private land along the PCT. "Our goal is to raise $10,000," says Becker. "The money we raise will go to the Pacific Forest Trust to protect land in the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument."

Article in Eugene Weekly (May 1st 2008)

EUGENE HIKERS HOPE TO HELP THE PCT

Last Friday, April 25, Jeramy Vallianos and Serena Becker left Eugene with 15 pounds of gear in their backpacks and boarded a plane to Los Angeles. The pair hopes to hit the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) trailhead, on the border of California and Mexico, early this week.

They plan to hike 15 to 25 miles a day along the Cascade Mountains, covering 2,650 miles from Mexico to Canada, arriving in late September. Vallianos and Becker hope to raise $10,000 for The Pacific Forest Trust, The Pacific Crest Association and Cascadia Ecosystem Advocates.

"Our main goal is to raise money to protect threatened landscapes" by buying land, says Vallianos. "It's important to be aware of how we impact wild ecosystems and how dependent we are on them." Vallianos and Becker want to spread the news by talking to people about the experience of walking the trail, writing and posting pictures on the Internet throughout the trip.

Becker and Vallianos have both worked in wilderness therapy and know how wilderness can affect people's lives. "I hope to inspire people to get out and experience nature and make positive changes in their lives," says Vallianos.

They have spent the last two months preparing for the trip, and now they are ready to hike.

"I think it's important for folks to get involved to maintain and expand wild spaces and natural communities," says Vallianos. "We love being outside, traveling, backpacking and try to find a way to do the thing we love and have an impact on something bigger."

You can follow their hike (and donate to the cause) by going to their website www.walkforwild.org

The first 100 miles

We made it our first 100 miles. 110 to be exact. Today we are taking our first zero day (trail lingo for a day off) and relaxing at an isolated hot spring resort in the middle of the desert.

Here's a little snipped from the first leg of our travels-

We were dropped off at the trail head by our first trail angles,(those amazing people who go out of their way to do favors for hikers-such as leave soda and water in the middle of the desert)our good friends Tess and Teal.

As we were driving through the rolling hills scattered with rocks and boulders I was reminded of driving through the West Bank in Palestine. Soon we reached the small border town of Campo where we packed up one last box to mail to ourselves along the way.

It was just a short drive from there down the dirt road to the beginning of the trail head, where old wooden posts mark the start of the trail. The land is also marked with a fence/metal wall announcing the border between the US and Mexico. Just behind the tail head lay a barbed-wire fence, from each post hung a metal plate with a phrase along the lines of "in defence of America", beyond that lay a patrol road and a 20 foot high border wall. This scene extended in either direction as far as the eye could see.

I had always wanted to visit the border and see how it compared to the one Israel is constructing in the West Bank. Standing there, about to embark on a 2600+ journey to the border of Canada it somehow seemed an odd and surreal time to be thinking about politics and foreign policy. Yet even when looking for peace and solace it is not hard to see those things about humanity which sadden me.

As we were getting ready to leave we were visited separately by a border patrol agent and two nice elderly men picking up trash along the border. As they were leaving they told us to check out their website campominutemen.com. I was surprised to learn that they were minute men, (A militant anti-immigrant group who patrols the border for immigrants)they were nice and friendly and gave us advice about the trial, than again we are all white hikers.

When we were finally ready to go we said good bye to Teal and Tess and began our trek north. That first night we hiked only 4-5 miles and made camp off the trail so as not to attracted the attention of any border patrol or immigrants who are know to travel the PCT at night. Our evening was quite and we went to bed early as to be well rested for our 5:30am wake up call.

Hiking in the desert in the morning is beautiful. The mild temperature, morning bird songs and wild flowers was not at all what I had expected from reading the guide books. I imagined hiking through a desolate, sandy, dry and shadeless desert. Instead I was surrounded by small to medium sized trees, shrubs, cacti, large boulders, and gently rolling hills. I am quickly learning the subtleties within desert environments.

The use of this portion of the PCT as a thru-way for immigrants is also present. Every mile or so for the first 30+ miles we found abandoned clothes, water bottles, food wrappers with Spanish writing and what I thought were satchels made from woven Mexican blankets with rope attached. I later learned that these "satchels" were used as booties, to cover up their shoe prints. Our friend Mark also found a peso.

Needless to say the first portion of our journey has been a wonderful and challenging adventure. Tomorrow we press on northward, hoping that the blisters have had enough time to heal and that we have packed a little more food than the last stretch. Until next time.