Mike & Kimi's PCT Adventures

22 May 2017 - Day 36

Trail Mile 534.9 - 17.3 miles walked - 495' ascended - 455' descended

Highlights:

• Beautiful sunset and star show along aquaduct
• Saw kangaroo rat
• Camped among windmills

20 May 2017 - Day 34

Trail Mile 493.4 - 16.0 miles walked - 4580' ascended - 3465' descended

Highlights:

• "Country Gold" is one of Kimi's new favorite people, a genuine and compassionate soul
• PANCAKES!!!
• Our hearts go out to the Anderson's who had to put their dog "Porky" down today
• Also TREMENDOUS gratitude to the Anderson's and their volunteers for their generosity and hospitality
• Camped with ~2.4 million red mites at an abandoned RV campground (and will half a dozen other hikers who have no sense of elbow room, deciding to pitch their tents RIGHT next to ours instead of in any of the 16 other empty lots)
• We found a couple of caves, and Mike went spelunking

18 May 2017 - Day 32

Trail Mile 478.2 - 26.1 miles walked - 5845' ascended - 4990' descended

Late start today due to lack of sleep last night due, in turn, to the "laugh track" in the camper until ~2am. BUT we made it to the Anderson's nonetheless NEARLY completing the marathon distance.

Here are the highlights:

• Saw "Lost&Found" at Hiker Heaven in the morning
• Saw a hawk go after a small bird then chill on high voltage power line tower after his unsuccessful attempt to snack
• Felt really great about opting out of the 24-24-24 (24 cans of beer drunk within 24 hours and over 24 miles walked) challenge after to passing a group who were not looking so great
• Rested on "Kimmerly Bench"
• Hitched in bed of pick-up truck (after walking ~halfway to the Anderson's)
• Great welcome, dinner (taco salad), and relaxation at the Anderson's (aka "Casa de Luna")
• Danced to M.C. Hammer to earn our official PCT bandannas
• Rested in a QUIET tent site

16 May 2017 - Day 30

Trail Mile 440.2 - 21.6 miles walked - 4190' ascended - 6420' descended

Woke to frost in and out of the tent, shook it off, and started our day. Needless to say, it was cold, everything still wet or frozen from, apparently, having slept in a cloud.

Other highlights:

• Poodle Dog Bush from mile ~400 - ~440
• Yard sale'd at mountain top to dry out gear
• Planned to camp at ~436, but wind was too crazy. Continued on toward Acton, but found a sweet tent site ~4 miles shy of town (mile ~440). Early to bed and early to rise to get in line for showers at "Hiker Heaven" in Agua Dulce.

14 May 2017 - Day 28

Trail Mile 395.2 - 17.3 miles walked - 4514' ascended - 5539' descended

Highlights:

• Cold & windy (gusting) last night
• Summitted Baden-Powell (9,406')
• Mike also summitted Mt. Williamson (8,215') (Kimi opted for a cat nap)
• First legitimate, unassisted hitch hike, picked up by Oscar & Henry, a little boy (who would not give me his name; something about "stranger danger"), and their four small dogs. We bypassed a section of the trail closed to help the Mountain Yellow Frog population increase.
• We were interviewed at Little Jimmy Spring by YouTube personality "TinyKiva"
• It snowed on us in the evening

12 May 2017 - Day 26

Trail Mile 364.3 - 17.25 miles walked - 6525' ascended - 1885' descended

Ugh.

HUGE water carry day (no water sources until Wrightwood at mile 370) and pretty much all of the trail today went up. Just up. So much up that it almost broke Kimi. Today sucked balls. We camped at Guffy Campground where it was cold and windy AF. Planning a "quick" (few hours) stop in Wrightwood, then hitch back to the trail and keep on trekking.

Other highlights:

• We saw a new snake: Red on yellow can kill a fellow. Red on black: you're OK, Jack. We were OK.

10 May 2017 - Day 24

Trail Mile 323.69 - 25.59 miles walked - 3518' ascended - 4915' descended

Today's highlights:

• Rainbow bridge
• Hots Springs!!!
• Encountered old man douche canoe again
• Hiked the afternoon with Daniel
• Saw the Mojave Dam (pretty impressive structure and area, despite the lack of water and quicksand)
• Accidentally set a new daily mile record due to burn area and high winds
• Deep Creek area is Mike's new favorite part of the trail
• Met "Brewhiker" again offering hikers soda and beer

08 May 2017 - Day 22

Trail Mile 275.0 - 8.9 miles walked - 1230' ascended - 817' descended

We departed Vegas around 8am through a cloud of hangover and regret. For the entire drive back to Big Bear, Mike and Kimi fought the temptation to simply stay in the van and join the other back to the comfort of home in Alaska.

But we didn't. After some resupply and one final icing of Mike by Jordt, we rejoined the trail around 1:30pm and progressed ~9 miles to the next water source and camp site for an early night with some new friends (Brian, Robert, and "McGuyver"). Leaving the van may have been a mistake. Only time will tell.

Other highlights:

• The remaining contingent in the hockey van became accidental trail angels, offering some other hikers a ride into Big Bear (after dropping Mike and Kimi off at the trail head) along with some doughnuts and beer
• Kimi's new camping pad was more comfortable than the mattress at the Vegas hotel
• Cooooooold night

2-3 May 2017 - Days 17-18 (Hanging out in Big Bear)

Trail Mile 266 - 0 miles walked - 0' ascended - 0' descended

Highlights:

• Pickup resupply boxes
• Watched Fate of the Furious
• Visited the Big Bear Brewery
• Walked through the Farmer's Market
• Medic got sick (either rufied, or poisoned with sour orange juice)
• Loitered at the incredibly friendly and accommodating Broadway Cafe waiting for our ride to pick us up

30 April 2017 - Day 15

Trail Mile 243.5 - 17.5 miles walked - 6048' ascended - 714' descended

Little bit of a late start today, and we just never got out of the slog. The 6,000'+ elevation gain didn't help; we're all feeling the altitude. Our hopes of reaching Big Bear by the evening of 1 May were perhaps damaged, but our spirits were not; the promise of pizza, beer, and ice cream still awaited.

Other highlights:

• Mike got a cold
• Fireball is delicious at 8,500' elevation
• We met Tom ("Oracle" from Calgary) and Matt ("Prefect" from the U.K.) and camped with them for the night
• We intended to camp just outside the fire/camp closure, but had to walk an addition 1.5 miles (and up 500'+) to find a suitable camp area
• We passed through (most of ) a former fire closure (just matchsticks everywhere)
• Refilled our water supply from a natural spring (delicious!)

28 April 2017 - Day 13

Trail Mile ~207.3 - 19.8 miles walked - 831' ascended - 8265' descended

Medic, Mike, and Kimi descended via Fuller Ridge, passing Lost&Found's tent along the way, assuring them that he was alive. Lost&Found later caught up with us; he had broken a trekking pole and was feeling pretty down for the count. He descended at his own pace and planned to take another "Zero" with Janet and Roger.

Other highlights:

• The descent down Fuller Ridge was pretty sketchy, but not nearly as bad as others had warned
• The views of town taunted us as we slowly neared our destination
• Rusty Pipe (apparently an important PCT feature)
• WATER FOUNTAIN!!! after a long water-less stretch
• Janet picked us up and drove us into Cabazon to see dinosaurs and get fast food (MILKSHAKES!!!). She also brought us personalized trail magic treats

26 April 2017 - Day 11

Trail Mile ~179.4 - 17 miles walked - 2140' ascended - 3243' descended

Medic, Lost&Found, Mike, and Kimi reluctantly left their generous hosts for Idylwild. There we met another trail angel, Michael, who took our packs while we day hiked a 15-mile section (Fobes to Paradise) backwards, delivering oranges and juice (donated by Michael) to PCT hikers who chose to complete that section. (Most hikers skipped straight to Idylwild, since the section beyond was still closed due to fire damage.)

Despite being packless, we all struggled a great deal with the altitude and ended up fighting to get back to the cafe in time to meet Michael, who would bring us back to the trail head in Idylwild.

Other highlights of the day:

• Medic and Mike bagged Palm View Peak
• Hitched to cafe from a generous passerby and his dog, Ozzy
• LOTS of Poodle Bush (nasty stuff)
• Medic and Mike found a raccoon and fox camera while getting water

24 April 2017 - Day 9

Trail Mile ~151.9 - 21.9 miles walked - 3235' ascended - 3896' descended

We nearly missed our 5am start, as Kimi had hidden the watch in her sleeping bag, hoping not to disturb the VERY close neighbors with her alarm, but miraculously we woke, packed, and departed before 6am. With the promise of a good night's rest and a "zero" (rest day with zero PCT progress miles) at the home of a couple trail angels (Janet and Roger) near Idyllwild, we busted out 11 of the remaining 20 miles toward Paradise Cafe (our rendezvous point with Janet) by 10am, resting at the first water supply for a bit. "Medic" and "Lost and Found" were hot on our tails, and together we hammered out the next few miles to the next water cache (where the rumors of a stock of sodas were substantiated!). The sugar jolt got us through the next climb over 4.5 miles. "Lost and Found" (temporarily renamed "Flash 2.0") ran ahead to Paradise Cafe while Mike, "Medic", and Kimi slogged behind. We regrouped at the Cafe (which closed at 3:00) at around 3:30, but "Lost and Found" saved the day by ordering burgers for all of us before the kitchen had closed.

Paradise Cafe is INCREDIBLY hiker friendly! They kept the bar open for us while they went through their closing duties, and habitually let hikers refill their water supplies, use their restrooms, loiter on their patio, and even stay the night on the premises.

Janet picked us up and brought us to her and Roger's home, where they fed us and let us shower, clean our clothes, and sleep in real beds!!! They have taken decadent care of us. We wrapped up the evening by introducing "Medic" to the cinematic artistry that is the Austin Powers series.

22 April 2017 - Day 7

Trail Mile ~112.5 - 11.36 miles walked (+1 mile for Mike to get our resupply box) - 968' ascended - 1460' descended

Another standard 5am morning to beat the heat into Warner Springs. The trail took us through a pasture of curious, yet skiddish, cows, and to "Eagle Rock" (which, as you may imagine, quite remarkably resembles the form of an eagle), rolling into Warner Springs around 9am. Despite having been warned of the community's cold shoulder toward hikers, we actually received a tremendously warm welcome by the volunteers at the community center, who provided us with bucket showers, foot soaks, laundry buckets (and even spare clothes to wear while washing every other item of clothing in our possession), computer, and WiFi. They even brought in free cookies, fruit, and other snacks. All of these services are provided by donation and volunteer hours.

We utilized the computer and WiFi to transcribe our journal notes and send them out into the interwebs (you're welcome), then packed up and headed out once again. After only two more miles, the tent site appeared too inviting, so we decided to call it an early night. Here are some of the other highlights of the day:

• Mike heroically walked an extra mile to pick up our resupply box from the post office
• Megan ("Stretch") somehow received a used toner cartridge in the box into which she had placed delicious resupply food (?!?!) (The closest-to-plausible theory is that a bunch of boxes broke open at one of the postal transfer stations, and they stuffed the wrong contents into the wrong boxes ... but this is all speculation)
• Ryan ("Lost and Found") was hit with a fiercely persistent bloody nose (we tried to rename him "Carrie", but it didn't stick)
• Mikayla took over the situation with authority to treat "Lost and Found's" nose, earning her the trail name "Medic"

20 April 2017 - Day 5

Trail Mile ~79.4 - 15.7 miles walked - 2270' ascended - 2887' descended

Alarm set for 5:00... And we actually got up at 5:00! We weren't the first of our new friends to get going on the trail but it didn't take long to catch & then pass them on the trail. It hurt a bit but we were in a hurry to beat the heat. We made it to the water supply with out much ado and it was thankfully still flowing. But the sun was out and getting hot so we took off in another mad dash for scissors crossing. It was a grueling few hours, but as we finally approached the road, "Brew Hiker" a "trail angel" was waiting for us (well any hiker actually) with beer and a ride into Juilian. He dropped us off at Carmens's, an oasis for hikers. The sign out front reads, "Restaurant Closed" With a banner below that says "Except for Hiker Trash". She offered us a free beer, a foot bath, and laundry service, all for the price of a hug. We relaxed and recovered in the shade of her deck and the pleasure of her company all afternoon, playing music, telling stories, and eating the incredible food from her cafe. We would love to come back some day and just hang with her and her staff. But, wanting to beat the heat once again ( I think this will be a common theme) we eventually said our goodbyes and caught another ride back out to the trail. They dropped us off a bit further along the trail than where we had been picked up. So naturally we had to go back and make up the difference (It's not hiking the PCT if you skip sections). But THEN we started back on the trail. We made it 2.2 miles in and 716' of UP! before setting up camp for the night in a dry sandy drainage. The stars were out and beautiful! But we were le tired. Highlights as follows:

• Safety meeting with Carmen and tequila!
• "Brew Hiker hopes to earn the triple crown carrying and brewing with the same yeast culture, then opening a brewery on the trail with it.
• Amazing free pie at Mom's for Mike. Kimi was too late to get in on it.

18 April 2017 - Day 3

Trail Mile ~47.72 - 17.0 miles walked - 3353' ascended - 2034' descended

Alarm set for 5:15... snoozed until 5:30, and on the trail by 6:20. We passed the 9-10 miles into the small town of Mount Laguna with aches, but relative ease. We each at a Fritatta & had a beer at the local Cafe, then on to gear resupply. Kimi picked up a clean shirt to sleep in. We got food to get us to Julian and sent a 5-day resupply box to Warner Springs. A few odds and ends were sent home. After that we trekked another 6+ miles in search of a good campsite, but found nothing free (even took a 0.7 mile each way detour or out of the wind. (BTW, WINDY AF!) We did however find BEEEEEEES!!! Here are some other fun facts:

• Saw a telescope on top of a mountain! It may have been a LRRS site though.
• Destroyed a non-navigational cairne.
• Mike flew his Kite!
• Kimi's blister count: 4 toes + 1 ball of foot.
• Met an old man douche canoe who wants to fire bomb night clubs in Seattle (because this town is not the same maaaan) but humanely, because he's a pacifist.

16 April 2017 - Day 1

Trail Mile ~20 - 20.4 miles walked - 2871' ascended - 2808' descended

We left Scout and Frodo's at 6:00am precisely (because they have this procedure down), and arrived at the border/Southern Terminus around 7:15am. After all of the group and individual photos, we finally got started around 8:00am. Here are some of the highlights of those very long 20 miles:

• LIZARDS!!!!
• Eagles and hawks
• Crazy guy with his great dane living on the trail ... apparently
• Super positive 5.2+ and 5.3- ascents
• Electrolytes at Houser Creek
• Horned lizards
• Rattlesnake hiding in a bush at the edge of the 2-ft wide trail
• lizards. meh.
• Salt-deprived bulldog licking the sweat off our legs
• THE VIEW OF LAKE MORENA!!! ...and then the longest 1.5 miles down to the campground

14 April 2017 - From Anchorage to San Diego

All business. After a hockey game and a festive farewell, we gathered the last of our things, caught a couple hours of sleep, and rushed off to the airport. A few more minutes of slumber were snatched here and there on the flight to Seattle, where we would organize and stage our resupplies. Mike had a hard time in the cramped airplane seats. Not only is he too tall for airplane seats, but apparently also for pants. our attempts in Seattle to exchange his high water Prana's were foiled by a complete lack of 34-inch inseams. "As a tall person, I can tell you for a fact that we do not have that size in stock," explained the REI salesperson.

Defeated, we returned to Caleb (Kimi's brother) and Megan's house to sort our gear and resupplies. Kimi's parents as well as our friends Jenn and Taylor and their new baby Evelyn were able to come and send us off before we left once more for the airport. More elusive slumber was had before finally landing in San Diego. We stayed the night at a nearby hotel, so that we could head back to the airport in the morning to meet our ride to Scout and Frodo's (trail angels who generously open their homes to hiker trash for the night and provide rides to the trail start in the mornings).

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