The Traveling VORTEX!

July 10 - Hat Creek Campground
mile 1384

Some new terminology I have learned in the last few days.

• the Vortex - aaaah.  be careful not to get caught in the vortex!  this can be a trail town, trail angel, nice people at campgrounds, etc.  you get the drift?  I, apparently, have the Traveling Vortex (that being the camper!)  by going to trailheads and being at nice campsites, hikers are all welcome to "hang-out" for how ever long they like.  I have a cooler full of cold drinks of various beverages!, cookies, and are always welcome for dinner, breakfast or lunch.  Apparently, you can easily get stuck in this vortex of mine.  Midnight Choc. and Cowgirl have been somewhat stuck, but I love it.  They have been hiking with Chief for the past few days and feel like they may be stuck in the "traveling vortex!"
• SOBO and NOBO - southbound and northbound thru hikers.  The NOBO's (which is the more common path) are always hoping to meet up with a SOBO to get more detailed trail info, for example..."is that water cache really there at Hat Creek Rim?"  If the data book, halfmile, guthook says there is a water cache, one begins to doubt if it really is there.  1 litre weighs a bit over 2 lbs.  to have to carry 3 ltrs over 20+ miles is not the preferred method of travel!  NOBO's are a great source of knowledge for the SOBO's and trail rumor spreads once someone gets to chat it up with them.  
• DNF - the dreaded term of DID NOT FINISH.  
• Yellow-blaze - hitchike or drive a section and not go back and walk it.  This is not in CHIEF's agenda. (In WILD, Cheryl did this in the Sierra section and she was a Section hiker)
• NERO - less than 10, just a few miles that day
• ZERO - no miles, essentially a rest day
• The Log Books - oh so important for the hikers.  Chief has made some really great friends with other thru's, but with some taking Nero's and Zero's for various reasons, you either get ahead or fall behind with previous groups of hikers.  I picked up a couple hithchiking in Chester, IceMan and Kattywompus, that had been with Chief in the 700 mile range.  They all got along, but somehow with a zero in between, they haven't seen each other.  The log books are at the major Trail Angels and trail sections.  You can then check to see who's ahead of you...they knew Chief was 2 days ahead. When I picked them up they pleaded with me to tell him to SLOW down!  
• so many more terms that just escape me now.  When you sit around a table with a bunch of hikers it's almost like listening to a different language sometimes.

Ari...Cowboy and BirdMan say "Hey SeaLevel!" and hope you are well.  Saw them when I was on the trail with bodie at around mile 1370 (outside of Old Station). 

So here I sit in a reststop/overlook area with hikers sleeping under the truck in the shade.  Taking an afternoon siesta getting ready for the long, hot stretch of the Hat Creek Rim trail heading towards Burney Falls State Park.  They already did a 7 mile stretch to get here, now waiting for the right time to start off on the exposed 30 mile rim walk.  They talk about a lot of different strategies, planning, looking and re-looking at maps, possible water cache sites, etc.  It's lots of talking through things together.  Everyone has their own ways to manage these situations, but this group is going for the late afternoon/night hike to Burney.  

I wish them well and hope to see a large group come into Burney Falls State Park tomorrow evening.  They will be hungry, thirsty and tired.  I'm ready.

Chief's Wife

Looks pretty good after a 24 mile day

Kattywompus getting her ride

IceMan and Kattywompus

Cowgirl siesta in shade of truck

Midnight Choc in the shade

it works!  Duct tape for bad hipbelt sores

off in the wee morning hours

SHANE!!!  Dad thinks these are Happy's boots?  Don't you think?  Hope he is still on trail. 

Why does his bag look bigger than everyone else?

Bodie doing the trail

Hey SeaLevel!(Ari)  Check out our beards now! birdman and cowboy

Mt. Shasta .... way over there!

Can't thank you enough Jeanette

Wine tasting the Local wines

Talking with Stagecoach about the next 30 miles

This is for you Dan the Postman.

Slack Packers!

July 8, 2013 (Erin's 28th birthday!!!)
Drakesbad - Lassen National Park mile 1353

I do believe that I just had the most perfect campsite ever.  Drove from Chester on the Warnervalley Road until it ends.  This is Drakesbad.  It's not really a town, it's a resort, located within the boundary of Lassen National Park.  Unfortunately!!!  couldn't really stay at the resort as it's just a bit out of our spending range ($350/per person, per night!), not that we would have wanted to anyway!  There is a National Park campground with 12 sites and the coolest Host, Steve (who stayes in a Teardrop).  Stayed in site #10, directly on top of the PCT.  Literally.  I hope you can tell in my pics. That's my rig right next to the logs which run alongside the trail.  So cool.  Got to see hikers throughout the day and give them fruit, lemonade, beer, whatever they wanted.  Saw about 4 hikers, all one's that I have met along my resupplies.
Wasn't really able to walk Bodie on the trails as we are in the Park, so decided to walk down the road to Drakesbad Resort.  Well, I had read many accounts that the managers were pretty friendly to thruhikers and even offered up the pool and showers.  Not really so nice this time around.  As I was hanging out, Kiddo came down the trail with her little pigtails and sweet disposition.  She tried asking if  she could have lunch and they agreed, if we sat away from the guests.  Well, it all worked out, but really not as friendly right now as they have been in the past.  Flippers (named at Campo because he wore those "funny" shoes)..didn't last long, arrived a few minutes later.  Now that he is in regular shoes and always looking so clean, I was able to give him a new trail name.  "mr. clean".  My first trail naming!  He was a bit shy, but accepted name.  He's a 29 year old, Arabic translator.  Cool guy.  As he was walking through the campground later in the day, he spent 3 hours hanging out with me.  Waiting for the heat to subside before climbing the big mtn ahead of him.  Chief arrived early afternoon. It was a "light" day with only 18 miles under his belt.  I can't believe I'm even saying that?  This group talks about 20's being a light day.  They are all up in the high 20's and low 30 mile/per day group.  Still that gets him into a campsite early/late afternoon.  I will see him tonight after a 22 mile day and then he has the big walk along the dreaded HAT CREEK.  It's a 30 plus mile stretch of nervousness.  Hot, dry and no water.  Rumor has it that there is a water cache alongside a FS road.  I will check it out and add 30 gallons of water if not supplied.  The plan for a few of them is to stay at the "subway cave"(Old Station) during the heat of the day and then leave to do the 30 mile stretch at night.  I can tell they are all a little anxious about this stretch as the heat just has not subsided much.  Water is an issue.

We had Cowgirl and Midnight Choc. stay with us last night as they were coming through right around dinner time.  Made cookies in the camper and a bit of red wine, how could they leave.  They both thought they were in heaven.  Up at 5am, served the 3 of them a big, hearty breakfast and off they went.

I love this trail and I love all the hikers I have met.  What a special community this is.  I have really enjoyed driving through these little mtn towns and roads.  I love that they all have little library's and wonderful hardware stores!  And Dan (my postman)....still some cute litte Postoffices! Happy to see this.

Off to Old Station where I will stay for a couple of days.  The three of them should be arriving this afternoon.  They will fly today as they are SLACKPACKING.  Left their backpacks in the truck and just carrying day packs with water and lunch.  Pretty nice.  They actually felt a bit quilty when they left!  The best was that Chief used my PINK day pack....Just for you Hilly (BreastCancer Awareness walk today).

Until later.
Chief's wife

PCT groupie

my little notes

The door to the Restaurant...not so friendly though?

Drakesbad

Kiddo and Mr. Clean eating at Drakesbad

That's my Golden sign I keep looking for

Kiddo on the trail

Bad Bodie on the Natl' Park Trail

Chief

Chief, Cowgirl, Midnight Choc

Saying goodbye

Site 10 on the PCT!

The Official Hiker picker-upper!

July 7, 2013 Chester, CA

Well, its seems official.  I am the thruhiker pick up mobile.  Yesterday as I was leaving Chester's grocery store, I saw Walking Home with his thumb out. The hitch from Chester back to the PCT is about 8 miles on Hwy 36, not such an easy hitch.   Picked him up and it was so nice chatting with him again.  I hadn't seen him since my big resupply at Walker Pass.  He fondly remembered Bodie and the big salad I made for all the hikers that came through that day.  What a nice guy. He is 2 days ahead of Chief and unless he takes a zero day soon, they will most likely not see each other for a week or so.  He had to come into Chester to pick up his resupply box and was surprised to see that his brother had sent him a Care Package with tons of goodies - just a little trail Magic to share with all the hikers.  The trick is that they can't carry any extra weight, so the goodies have to stay at the trailhead and hopefully, in this part of the country, the bears don't get it before the hikers do!  

After dropping of Walking Home, I found a nice campsite in Child's Meadow, about 8 miles from the PCT.  Bodie and I did a 6 mile hike on a most beautiful FS road into a deep, dense forest with more meadows along the way than I have ever seen. Shasta daisy's, lupine, shooting stars, buttercups, bluebirds and to my surprise, a river otter.  Way cool.  The following day, driving back to pick up Chief at trailhead, I spotted another thruhiker with his thumb out.  Rodger Dodger!  Haven't seen him since Tehachapi!!!  took him into Chester to the grocery store for a 4 day resupply and we picked up burgers, fries and milkshakes.  Came back to the trail just in time for Chief to come walking down.  Nice picnic lunch along side the trailhead before all 3 of us headed back to my campground.  Rodger stayed the evening with us and we had a nice dinner.  Princeton grad currently living in Pittsburg trying to get through his Ph.D. Had done some "sections" of the PCT with his wife for the last couple of years, decided this was the year for him to do the whole stretch. We left at 5:30 from campground back to drop them off at trailhead.  

I'm enjoying this tremendously.  Get to really meet more of the hikers, provide constant Trail Magic, and get to see Chief...atleast every few days.  Bodie was going to hike the trail today with Chief, but at a closer look at the maps, realized that they would be walking through Lassen Natl' Park for a good 5 miles.  bummer.  He is adorned with his official PCT bandana and backpack with PCT patch.  Not today.  It's also been pretty hot, so it may have been for the better.  

Off to Drakesbad Guest Ranch, where the PCT comes through to see my walking man.  I feel so lucky to be able to do this little piece of the PCT with him in this way.  Half way there.......

Chief's wife.

MTA (Mobile Trail Angel)

Sierra City (Tahoe Natl’ Forest) – Buck Lake (Plumas Natl’ Forest) -­‐ Chester (Lassen Natl’ Forest) mile 1197 to mile 1310

This weeks email is from Maureen, aka Chief’s wife.

My lifesaver.  Half mile App.

At my last “goodbye” at Red’s Meadow, outside of Mammoth, I realized I wouldn’t see Kevin again until I flew to Portland on Aug. 19 to drive out to Timberline Lodge, where I am to meet him for 2 zero days at the Lodge. This was a rather emotional goodbye. Until....Kevin suggested that I do a “road trip” through the Northern Sierra and Southern Oregon section of the trail. I’m off work for the summer and had a dear friend lend me her truck/camper combo, it seemed the right thing to do. It sure is!

Great Mtn. Highways

The boys in a BED!

Reunited with Bodie!

Trail Magic from Grandma Pat

Red Moose Inn

Enjoying Pat's Trail Magic

Having mimosa's for breakfast, Day 1!

NEEDS NEW SHOES

NEEDS FOOD

NEEDS UPPERBODY muscles

Hello PCT!

MTA

Wild Plum Campground – Tahoe Natl’ Forest
Met Chief first night at Sierra City at the Red Moose Inn (trail Angels in Sierra City). It was a great start to my road trip. Got to meet up with about 8 of the thru-­‐hikers and had a wonderful evening eating, drinking and chatting with all these amazing people that Kevin has been telling me about for so many miles now. Bill and Margaret, owners of the Inn and Trail Angels extraordinaire were wonderful hosts. Shared some great trail magic from Grandma Pat and Dana at the Inn for all the hikers. They are so grateful for all these “care” packages. We stayed at a FS campground about 1 mile from the Inn along a fork of the Yuba River. It was pristine. Kevin has a zero day the following day and we swam, relaxed, told stories and I continued to feed him lots of food.

Red Moose

Closed the Cafe for our Private Party!

All the ribs you can eat - Bill and Margaret

The party

Dropped him off at the PCT trailhead from Sierra City along with a couple of other hikers, Roger Dodger and Dora. Plan was to meet him in 2 days later at Bucks Lake, outside of Quincy. This is when I heard the news (through cell phone coverage) regarding the Granite Mtn. Hotshot Crew out of Prescott, AZ. It is horrific, awful and unimaginable how something like this could happen. I wasn’t sure where Shane’s crew (Los Padres Hotshots) was and was worried sick for him also. Not to mention our close connection with a member of the Granite Mtn. Crew, Sean Misner. He is a part of our Montecito Fire Department Family, as he is the nephew of Terry McElwee, Division Chief MFD and grandson of former Chief Herb McElwee. We have known this family for over 20 years. I can’t remember when I’ve cried as much as I did that day. I decided to contact Kevin via his satellite locater and tell him the news. I felt it was important for him to know. We somehow were able to communicate that he would meet me on a forest service road that intersects with the PCT in the mtns beyond Quincy. I got there about 2 hours early and hiked the trail with Bodie. It was wonderful to see hikers coming down and letting me know that Chief was not far behind them. Most of them know Bodie now and he is the greatest greeter when he sees a hiker! When we met it was very emotional. He had heard some of the news from Whistler, who carries a portable radio, but was not aware that Sean was part of the crew. After hiking together for a few more miles, we decided it was best for Kevin to stay on the trail and continue his hike. The trail is a magical place and very suited for mourning this loss in one’s own space. Our hearts go out to the McElwee/Misner family and especially his wife and unborn child. Words are not enough to convey our heavy hearts.

Saying goodbye after a couple of hours, he was back on the trail and put in a 31-­‐mile day. Walking seemed the only way to manage his emotions. When he arrived at the Feather River that evening he was exhausted, but greeted by his fellow hikers, they all sat and talked about what had happened. Somehow this was the right place to be. 

Whitehorse Campground – Buck’s Lake, Plumas Natl’ Forest

Bucks Summit

Picked up Kevin in the late afternoon at the trailhead near Buck’s Lake. Made lots of food and had lots of beer, snickers, cookies, ice cream, chips, hotdogs !!! Things we would not eat at home!! JULY 4! Drove to the summit to get cell coverage so Kevin could talk to Shane. That is what he really needed at this time. Shane told us about MFD donation at the Pancake Breakfast for the Arizona Crew and how they made the front page of the New’s Press. I’m so proud to be a part of such a great Fire family. Thank you Montecito Fire.
Belden Town – Caribou crossing campground/RV park, Plumas Natl’ Forest
Wow. Let me tell you about Belden Town! RAVE party every weekend along the little 1⁄2 block that is Belden Town. It runs along the north fork of the Feather River. Many years ago Kevin was on a fire here and remembered it as a Resort. Well, no more. It’s a RAVE party weekend getaway. The PCT drops right down into the little haven of craziness. I was lucky enough to see naked, hula-­‐hoop dancers along with music at 5am this morning as I dropped Kevin back off on the trail. Interesting. Wow. Love the mountains, but there are some interesting things going on up here?

Chester – Hwy 36, Child’s Meadow RV park, Lassen Natl’ Forest
Left Belden after dropping Kevin off at 5am to start his BIG climb out of Belden. It is a 5000 ft climb with no shade, due to a recent fire. For all you locals, that’s like doing Little Pine twice in the heat! Or climbing out of the Grand Canyon... And it’s hot here. High 90’s, dropped about 10 degrees from a few days ago. He’s hoping to do a regular 24-­‐mile day and then a second 24-­‐mile day tomorrow where I will pick him up at Hwy 36, where the PCT crosses. I’m staying about 18 miles south of Lassen in a beautiful meadow RV/campground. Took Bodie on a 6-­‐mile hike today where we were in the constant “WOW” factor. Huge meadows with thousands of Shasta daisy’s, waterfalls, creeks, big forests, just gorgeous. This is definitely riding country and I so miss my horse. There are public pastures all around with very few riders to be seen.
Will stay here for a couple of days until I am able to pick up Kevin again. He will spend the night and then off to Drakesbad, mile 1353....the unofficial HALFWAY point. Rumor has it there is a great party there for just that reason!

The Belden Bridge

Our happy little mobile home

A proper meal with a soft cushion to sit on

Leaving for a few days of walking

I am so grateful to be able to do this. I love the PCT community. The hikers are more than amazing. It is so great to be able to pick up hitchhikers that I have met

along the way. It’s so hard for them to get into towns to pick up their resupply boxes at the Post Offices. Most of the time, people tend to believe they are homeless bums, or vagabonds, etc. That is the hardest thing about the PCT. The idea’s one makes about the hikers. Truthfully, I have to say that I would never pick up a hitchhiker around SB carrying a backpack and looking like they’ve lived on the trail a bit too long. This time of the year, most of the local folks in trail towns are familiar with the thru hikers and will help out in many ways, but still not easy. I need to live near the PCT so I can be a Trail Angel for a couple of months every year.
This trip is like a huge scavenger hunt. I love trying to find him along the way. Where will that, oh so familiar, PCT placard be? Thank goodness for my iphone and my handy, Half Mile App. It just gets you right where you need to be. My life has slowed way down. Very simple...find Chief, feed Chief. And the bonus is I get to see a beautiful part of our country and get to see my walking man every few days!

Many, many thanks to Jeanette for trusting us with her camper. We are ever so grateful and I so wish you could hear Kevin say, “Thank You Jeanette,” every time he gets to sit on a soft bench or sleep in a bed or shower with warm water and soap.

Maureen
Aka “Chief’s wife” 

Some little critter had a good time with Chief's hat