DAYS 56-65: The Sierra Nevada
DAY 56
6-18-2013
Miles: 702-716, + plus a walk off of the trail to pick up gear and camp.
-Day 1 of the Sierra Nevada Mountains!!!!!! So exciting! I'm finally here!
-I've decided not to rush this hike...
-Slack-pack out of Tom's!!!!!! Shoulders hurt because my slack pack was an improvisation of my purse being turned into a backpack; it was miserable. I've never been happier to wear my real backpack!
-Slack-pack:
-Finally escaping "the vortex."
-Vortex intervention, lol
-Kelso, Shark Rider, & Larry again... and Captain
-"Stole" a car and drove around in the forest.
-Beautiful meadow... picturesque
-Bulls and wild cows
-Campfire, hung food bags, cooked fettucini Alfredo
-Cold and happy
DAY 57
6-19-2013
Miles 715-730.82, + 1 or so miles from my hike back to the official PCT trail from where we (me, Shark Rider, Larry, Kelso, and Captain) camped.
-HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!!!!!!!!!!
-Day 2 of the Sierras
-First day back on trail with a FULL pack... uggghhhhhh! My pack is ridiculously heavy because I just added cold weather and ice gear, a bear canister, a week's worth of food, and a stove to my pack. Yikes! My pack is probably 55 pounds which is KILLING me! In addition to the added gear and weight, I am climbing into higher and higher altitudes. High altitudes put stress on your body. Your body is deprived of oxygen and it requires more energy (calories) to do usual activities. Hunger, drowsiness, muscle soreness, shallow breathing, nose bleeds, headaches, dizziness, and nausea are all symptoms of altitude sickness. Moving up in elevation is making my body work hard! Warming up after taking 5 zero days at Tom's, having a much heavier pack, and climbing in elevation has made this day very challenging.
-Camped with a big group- very fun and refreshing
-Cooked again tonight... stuffing
-Tired!
-Everest
-Not in a rush
-Feel badly I can't call Dad on his birthday
DAY 58
6-20-2013
Miles 730.82-746.8
-Day 3 of the Sierras
-Self Acceptance
-Self Awareness
-Need for affection realized
-Need for socializing and not isolating discovered
-Disappointment and how to handle it (any farm vs. trail)
-Motivation
-Air Force jets overhead
-Feeling tired and moving slowly
-Talked to dad on top of a mountain... I finally got cell reception!!!!!!!
-Hiked with Captain, Indie (Charlie from France), Rufio, Kaitlyn, Stealth, Linley, Plato (John), No Rush, Erica, Kara, Monkey Wrench.
-Camped with Captain, Indie (Charlie from France), Rufio, Kaitlyn, No Rush, Erica, and Kara. Awesome camp site near water. Uneven ground but I dug a trench so I can lay flat. Great fire. No Rush helped me hang my bear bag.
-Larry, Kelso, and Shark Rider went on. I hope to see them again soon. Those guys make me laugh until it hurts!
-Really loved talking to my dad today. I could tell he is proud of me by the sound of his voice. He says he is shocked I've made it this far, that its great, and that he is speechless. I'm not sure words can express how wonderful it was to hear him sound so proud of me and what I am doing. I feel very loved and supported. Talking to my dad helped give me that extra push I needed to get a second wind and hike more miles than anticipated. I'm excited to hike with my Daddy-yo!
-Challenging hiking, but I love it here! The views are breathtaking and entirely worth all the effort put in to getting there. It's all about the journey.
DAY 59
6-21-2013
Miles 746.8-760.38
-Day 4 of the Sierras
-Church
-Community
-Happy Solstice
-Hike Naked Day
-Skinny dipping in Chicken Creek
-Cried because my breath was taken away at how beautiful the Sierras are
-Enjoy the journey
-Comparisons lead to rushing and disappointment
-Be content
-Slow down!
-How do I battle that which is against me while completing this hike?
-River! At the base of Mount Whitney!
-Captain
-"The reasons we come out here are different than the reasons we stay." -Safari
DAY 60
6-22-2013
Miles 760.38-767 @ Crabtree Meadows + 3.5 to Guitar Lake
-Woke up semi-late next to a beautiful river. I was on the trail by 10:20am. The day started with an uphill climb- just my luck! I find it humorous that I can't stand uphill climbs, yet I am hiking the PCT! Haha. I guess it's the challenge and the adventure I seek. I made it to Crabtree Meadows by early afternoon. The hike was difficult, but not horrible. Every consecutive day I hike I feel better and more apt to climb in elevation than the day before. I think the zero's and the nero's really impact my muscles. A body in motion stays in motion... I should try not to take so many "off-days." I think my body would be better prepared for the hike and upcoming climbs.
-Counting game
-Words of affirmation game
-Goals. What were they then? And now?
-Cooking and food system
-Saw Marshall and Jodi the Coyote at Guitar Lake. They had just come down from summiting Whitney.
-Really can't believe I am here. I say the word "WOW" over and over again throughout my days here on the PCT. Every sense is called upon. I cry and I laugh at the same time. Scenic views leave me speechless. Towering mountains surrounded by green valleys with snow-melt rivers cascading down into alpine forests... I am stopped right in my tracks. It feels majestic, dreamy, peaceful, overpowering, and awe-inspiring. I love it here because I am so alive. And I get scared here because I am so small and vulnerable. I am starting to think life is more about making memories and sharing experiences with others than what I previously had thought. I thought I needed to learn how to walk through this world alone... to not be so reliant on others... to not need others and to not feel vulnerable. I am discovering that my realities are largely solidified when I am connected to and sharing things with others. This means a lot when my realities of being overcome with happiness and awe when walking around a ridge are shared with others.
-Camping by Guitar Lake, near Double D. Gotta get to bed. Night!
DAY 61
6-23-2013
Guitar Lake to Mount Whitney Summit to Wallace Creek Trail to PCT mile 770.3... a lot of miles!!!!!
-Summited Whitney today. It was surreal... an experience I will never forget. I got teary-eyed on my way up the mountain- thinking about how lucky I am to do this, about how I was such a victim of negativity prior to backpacking, about how far I've come as a person and as a hiker on the trail, about my childhood, my friends, my family, loved ones I have lost, my goals and dreams, how I felt like I was never good enough, how I have sought approval from others... my head and my soul went into overdrive thinking about all these things. I was laughing and crying at the same time. I kept telling myself to save it for the summit- but when I got to the summit I was so excited, I took so many pictures, and there were so many people that I didn't really have time to reflect. But it's okay- I reflect every day I hike.
-Hiking up Wallace Creek Trail to the PCT was beautiful, but then it got dark, cold, and scary much more than I had anticipated. I was singing out loud and clicking my hiking poles together to make noise in order to scare of bears and other animals. I was singing at the top of my lungs. I even practiced speaking Arabic for a while. I finally came to PCT mile 770.3 where I heard voices. I came across a group of fathers and their daughters who were backing for just a few days. I set up camp with them. They made me hot chocolate! Such nice people!!!!! They also said that they'll give me some food in the morning since I'm running semi-low on my own food. Some guys on Mount Whitney overheard me saying that I needed food, so they have me a Mountain House Mac n' Cheese dinner and some brownie mix. Another guy gave me half a link of some summer sausage. People are so nice and helpful!
-Talked to a 74 year old man named Mañuel on Mount Whitney. I think I convinced him to attempt to hike the PCT. He and I spoke for a while; I told him my story and he said I am an inspiration. His wife has had similar issues as mine (spine and mentality), so he said he felt encouraged that she can get better after talking to me.
-Should in write a book? Almost everyone out here that I speak to, I mean REALLY speak to, says I have an amazing story and that I should write it down and share it. I feel like that's a bit narcissistic, to write a book about my life... but I'm thinking maybe ill give it a go one day? I dunno.
-Cleaning dishes with dirt...
-Everyone cries
-Freezing cold!
-Was trying to catch up to Captain, Rufio, K Dirty, Indie, and Stealth... but Mt. Whitney took longer than expected and I was too tired to try and catch up. Hopefully I'll see them in Bishop!
DAY 61
6-24-2013
Miles 770.3-784
-Day started good, then bad, then super shitty, then better, and then wonderful! :) Most days end on a good note. I fell and skinned my knee- the same one that was recently sprained. It hurt so much, and I was laying there alone in the mud. I was so sad, but even then, I was happy to know that only me could help me. I had to pick myself up, dust off the dirt and the blood, put my pack on, and walk towards Forester Pass- the highest point on the Pacific Crest Trail. There was no going back at this point. The climb was getting difficult and painful for me and I was feeing so discouraged... until Kara, Erica, No Rush, and John showed up. No Rush even took a few things out of my pack and put them into his own pack. He literally helped carry my burden. I was speechless. He also hiked slowly and waited for me. Very sweet guy. It was raining and snowing a little on Forester Pass. Once over the very narrow ridge, the entire landscape changed to snow, rocks, fog, and hardly any visibility. It was nice to have a friend there with me. We met up with the others and hiked until we saw a good camp site. We are by a river right now. After setting up camp, we sat around the fire, cooked, talked, shared food, shared stories, shared thoughts about the trail, laughed our asses off, etc. My trail family really helped me out today and I can't express enough how thankful I am for their effort to help get me through Forester.
-Sequoia to Kings Canyon
-Knee hurts
-Brownie batter, orange tea
DAY 62
6-25-2013
Miles 784-788.5, + 7.6 miles East on Bullfrog Trail and over Kearsarge Pass into Independence, CA.
-Hitched with a nice Christian couple into Independence, CA
-Ran into No Rush and Magic Mullet
-Subway sandwich without meat, annoying door chime
-Hitched to Bishop from Independence with the Mercedes man
-Captain's and Vigazzle's birthdays being celebrated in Bishop at Rusty's Bar
-Tons of hikers crammed into one hotel room at the Comfort Inn
-Got drunk for the first time in ages
-Got sick from drinking for the first time in ages
-Feeling lots of love for my fellow hiker-trash (hiker buddies)
-Got to cuddle with my buddies
DAY 63
6-26-2013
Miles: Zero day in Bishop, CA
-Denny's
-Nap time
-Hungover
-Toenail fell off
-Knee hurts
-My hiker-trash buddies are heading out tomorrow. I'm one day behind them. I'm watching them pack up right now. I always get sad watching people leave, but I think I'll see them again at some point. It's good for me to stick to my own pace, even if it means I stay behind alone. I've gotta do what's best for me without holding others up.
-Proper gypsies
DAY 64
6-27-2013
Miles: Zero day in Bishop, CA
-Tons of trail friends came into town today from the trail... PARTY!
-I love my hiker buddies!
-Laundry with Simba and Appa (John); climbing buildings in town
-Monsters U movie with Simba, Drama Queen, Wolf Paw, and Promethius
-Rusty's Bar with the hiking crew
-Denny's
-Slept in an abandoned car with Safari because my hotel room was full of about 20 passed out hikers
-Tried to find a spot to sleep, but couldn't... so I moved to a small patch of grass in the motel parking lot. I slept great! Hahahahaha. I also slept like a total bum. Lol. My folks would be so proud of me! Kidding!
DAY 65
6-28-2013
Miles: Zero day in Bishop, CA
-Went to Von's to resupply food for the next 10 days in the Sierras. This will be the longest stretch ever of being out in the wild on the PCT. I also just realized I don't have my maps for this section- ill be okay though. I'm heading out from Bishop, CA to Independence, CA. From there I'll head up to Kearsarge Pass where I'll have a hard climb back up into the Sierra Nevadas and back onto the PCT. I'm currently on a bus with Larry, Puffy, Safari, Simba, Drama Queen, Prometheus, Wolf Paw, and Appa/Johnny. Rufio, Kaitlyn/Marmeque, Captain, and Indie left for the trail earlier today. I hope to see them again.
-This bus is so ridiculously hot! Agghhhh!
-I'm nervous to get back on the trail... it's like I'm going from elementary school into junior high school for the first time. Haha. It's going to be great!
-I love everyone back home and I miss you all so much. More than anything, I hope everyone back home can get outside and go on a hike- to experience the beauty that surrounds us, and to feel so small and in awe of what's around you. I wish you all could experience what I'm going through.
-I think The next town I'll be in is Mammoth, CA.
