catching up on some pics

crossing upper evolution creek


climb to muir pass and muir hut

feast at crabtree meadows courtesy ranger Rob Peleuski


fun on whitney






morning on olancha peak

More than half way and still in California

We have finally surpassed our halfway point (unfortunately having to skip 100 miles to reach it, due to fire) and yet we are still in California. What an amazing journey it has been so far. I regret not having been able to write for sometime due to lack of access to technology. I won't try to re-cap everything here but just say that since my last post at Kennedy Meadows I have been witness to some of the most beautiful and spectacular landscapes I have ever seen.

Climbing snowy passes, slowly but surely, only to drop back down into hot, smokey and mosquito ridden valley's. Some days smoke so thick I could not see the mammoth mountains that lay in front of me. Eventually the granite rock yielded to the volcanic and I found myself walking over jagged hillside of strange rock formations shaded in red, green and brown. Growing throughout these hillsides were lush, bright fields of wildflowers and grasses. For three consecutive days rain pounded us as we walked over bluffs, at times with no tree cover, hiking as quickly as we could to avoid the thunder and lightning accompanying the dark purple/gray clouds and rain/hail showers.

We eventually hit South Lake Tahoe after our longest stretch without a town stop (only 7 1/2 days, but it feels like a long time when your pack weighs 40-45 lbs. at the beginning). Luckily for us Jeramy and I both had friends in the area. Our first day out of Lake Tahoe we hiked a mile and half before veering off trail to find the cabin of some old friends from Eugene. A little skeptical that we would find it with directions like "find the channel between the two lakes, yell across it and we'll come pick you up". Luckily we found the channel with a little help from one of the neighboring houses and sure enough on my second shout they heard me. It was a beautiful cabin on a rocky bluff over looking Upper Echo Lake. We joined them for a delicious dinner, chatted and caught up and as tempted as we were to stay the night we knew we couldn't if we were to make it 30 miles to Tahoe City by the next evening to meet up with one of Jeramy's old friends. And so with the moon almost full we left around 8:30pm to hike a few miles, leaving us only 27 for the next day.

In Tahoe City we took a much needed full day off, our first since Kennedy Meadows, 100's of miles ago. From there Kate joined us for a 30 mile stretch, hiking 20 of it in one day! We hope to have her join us again as well as many others once we get into Oregon and Washington. And now here in Old Station some 300 miles away from the Oregon border we have to hustle. Our goal is to make it to Ashland, Or by August 13th so that we can than head up north for the wonderful wedding party of Rochelle and Johan. Don't worry, we'll make it. Wish I had time to write more and share with you all more stories but I've got to get back on the trail and off the computer before it tries to break on me again.

oh, sorry for not posting photos but with this computer it would take about 2 hours. Kate did post some on the blog from the Sierra's. You can check them out at our website. www.walkforwild.org

Peace to all.

rambling on

friends,

we're back for another brief taste of civilization, in old station, california staying with the wonderful heitman family amidst tents, treehouses, and hammocks nearly 1400 miles into the trail. not much time to write with a line of folks waiting for the computer, so just a quick little recount of our experiences in the high sierra.
walking the mountain peaks and shining snowmelt waters through in a world coming to life for another season. snow giving way to wildflowers and green meadows, clear cold waters with golden trout drifting the currents, marmots scanning the landscape atop the stones. silent alpine worlds through the sequoia and kings canyon park, sliding through the snow-ice and scrambling boulder channels we crossed the storied passes of the john muir trail. forester, glen, pinchot, mather, and muir. each with its own beauty and silence, snowbound at the highest points scraping into bright blue skies.
after leaving kennedy meadows we headed into the just burned clover wildfire, smoldering stumps beside the trail and gray dust ash covering the hillsides. a sunrise scramble up olancha mountain was our first high peak at 12,000+ feet. to the south smoke from the fire curling, east a barren desert valley, west the mountains of the kern plateau, and north the black snow-capped high sierra. we spent the summer solstice sitting below mt. whitney, beside timberline and guitar lakes, fresh crisp air, surrounded by granite walls. climbed to the peak the next day with clear morning skies and vivid clouds rolling in as the day passed.
the beauty continued to unfold as we walked through the sub-alpine forests, huge half-snag foxtail and lodgepole pines, bright red in the sun, somehow rising from the sand and stone slopes. desolate high lakes frozen and still and others glistening in the light, valleys carved by rumbling rivers deep below the peaks...much more beauty and peace than can be put to words...thats all i'll try for now. peace, jeramy

barker pass to donner pass

Hi all, this is Kate, Jeramy's sister.  I was able to join the thru-hikers this past weekend, completing about 30 miles of trail from Barker Pass (near Lake Tahoe) to Donner Pass after Jer & Serene had a break in Tahoe City.  While there, Jeramy developed four rolls of amazing photos, a few of which I've posted below.  More will likely be emailed or posted once J & S have internet access (probably in a few days, at Sierra City).  They haven't had much access to computers since the Sierras, but are doing very well and have avoided the destructive fires.  Unfortunately, about 100 miles of trail farther north are closed, so hikers are forced to hitch rides and skip ahead.  But I'll let them tell you about that when they have a chance.

For my part, this past weekend was really spectacular.  I headed to Tahoe with my cousins, quite unprepared for the hike I was hoping to squeeze in.  My school backpack was hardly big enough to hold my clothes and some fresh fruit for the hikers, so I planned to carry my big LL Bean sleeping bag in a cloth grocery bag as I hiked.  Luckily, I was lent a pack that included a spot for my sleeping bag, so Jer amended my name from "bag lady" to "the big purple" - and I made the trail register at Barker.  

We left Chris at about 9 on Sunday morning and began what would seem to be a race against time (an Amtrak bus at 12:35 the next afternoon, 30 miles and a ride into town away).  But the gentle (and sometimes not entirely gentle) climbs, arresting views as we walked for a time along ridges between the gorgeous mountains and lakes near Tahoe, and snippets of PCT: The Musical were well worth my now sore calves and aching shoulders.  

I was struck by the rapid shifts between ecosystems/terrain - in hours, we moved from valleys filled with Washington Lilies through forest trails that could have been in the Northeast, to sweeping slopes struck by the evening and then early morning sun beams that penetrated cumulus clouds.  Even the spotty rain showers that plagued us on Sunday evening couldn't dampen our spirits too much (though it was frustrating that every time I put on Jer's spare rainjacket - yet another article I'd neglected to bring - the rain stopped, and every time I took it off, drops fell...).   

Trail hospitality was graciously extended to me as well as my brother and Serena, and I am very grateful to Molly for the ride down to Old Truckee.  I beat my bus by 2 hours after powering through the last few miles on Monday morning, thanks in great part to Jer's fast pace.  I only wish I'd had more time to spend on the trail - time to better acquaint myself with the interesting hikers I encountered, to become used to the weight of my pack on my shoulders, the guitar by the campfire, the full moon above us as we slept, the comfortable silence, spectacular views, and the daily excitement of not knowing exactly what lies ahead. 

Anyone who has a weekend or a week should join these two.  They are encouraging, will ensure that your trip is successful, that you stay warm and dry, and if your experience is anything like mine, you'll come home refreshed and inspired.  I hope to be back out there with them at some point in August, if at all possible.  And if this summer doesn't work for you, let me know when does - I know I'll be back on the trail (hopefully completing the whole thing, either in sections or in one go) eventually.

be well,

kate

**BIG THANKS to Salomon Sports for providing shoes for the trail for Jeramy & Serena!!**

more pictures

clover fire

clover fire at night from ridge of olancha peak

atop olancha peak

foxtail pines in the southern sierra

timberline lake (top) and guitar lake (just above), on the climb to mt. whitney

looking west from mt. whitney

from forrester pass

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