My hope of getting used to the elevation quickly was in vain. The day started out good, my achew from yesterday were almost gone and I was cruising the first 10 miles. After those however, I got suddenly really tired. It became a struggle to keep my eyes open and not take a nap right …
My first day in the Sierra’s was characterized by beautiful, green scenery and knee and hip pain from carrying my now very heavy backpack. The bear canister, microspikes and 6+ days of food had added a lot of weight. I was worried about the pain in my knee but that luckily disappeared after a couple …
Finally! We’re out! I was so tired of Kennedy Meadows. The overflow of people making me feel more exhausted than when I arrived here. It was really nice to see so many people I hadn’t seen since the start though. Early Bird, Fry, Pippin, Lumberjack, Molly, Becky, Luka, Mermaid and even Sunshine, the one who …
I’m starting to itch to get back on trail. Kennedy Meadows is not a nice place to spend multiple days. It’s hot, dry, loud and everything takes an eternity, from ordering food to doing laundry. The worst offender would have to be Triple Crown Outfitters, a gear store that had been talked about non-stop on …
What slovenly figures come trudging down the road? A film of dust covers their ragged clothes and sun-burned skin, a ravenous look of hunger glimmers in their eyes. As their skinny forms approach the general store, cheers erupt from the people sitting on the porch, welcoming those who have completed the desert. Completed the desert. …
With Lucky Charm in tow, Mash and I continued our advance into Kennedy Meadows. We took a break at the first water source to have a second breakfast. Then, something happened. From around the corner, another hiker arrived. Quite uneventful, were it not for the pool noodle sticking out of his backpack. I didn’t realize …
Mash and I woke up early to continue. I had slept so good in our almost wind-free campsite. Christopher and Jive Turkey accompanied us on the first stretch. Mash was a little ahead of me and waiting at the spot where we agreed to take a break.‘I just saw a bear’, he announced. It hadn’t …
A 1000km. That was the milestone we achieved this morning. It only meant something to Half ‘n Half (Canada), Spice (Australia) and me, but that didn’t make it any less significant. Almost 1/4th of the trail. Who in their right mind walks that much? Although I am proud that I did this, every kilometer also …
The advantages of a trail family are numerous: cheap accomodation, mental boosts when you need it, always someone to talk to. And yes, I realize I have been critical of trail families as well. But hey, Coyote and I tried to overtake my current family and we failed, so yeah, not much to be done …
A day of both elation and sadness. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw McLovin and Busy Bee sitting at the water source, after I was so sure they were way behind. McLovin had hiked the Hikertown – Tehachapi section in one go, 49 miles over the course of 17 hours. I’m glad he …
