O, CANADA!

With glowing hearts we see thee rise,
The True North strong and free!

DAN CHASED THAT GECKO.......ALL THE WAY TO THE CANADIAN BORDER!

September 30, 2012

7:03 EDT / 4:03 PDT

Latitude:49.00027
Longitude:-120.80191

Began March 20, 2012

Provisions included a hand-rolled Ybor cigar, Makers Mark and what I hope is a s#%*-eating grin.

If you care to, leave a comment, I'm sure he'll appreciate it.

Last Posting by the Guest Hiker

Ok then, Dan is hiking the last 100 miles (insert bluegrass working song here) before the Canadian border. Tonight he'll be in Stehekin, Washington - accessible only by foot, small plane or boat. It is 90 more miles to the border and a hand-rolled Ybor cigar dipped in Maker's Mark. He and Alex, who have hiked together off and on since before the Mojave Desert, (oft-times with Joe who is a prolific blogger!) have hiked the last 2 or 3 hundred miles together.

Big shout out to Alex's folks the trail angels! They drove Dan to the doc when he rolled his ankle near Big Bear, Ca, and put Joe and him up for a few days, in addition to driving all 3 back to near the Mexican border for the PCT Kickoff! Also a big shout for Joe and his wife. Joe arranged for Dan and Alex to be picked up and taken to his place in Oregon, making his poor family deal with two smelly hikers. Reports are Joe has a wonderful family who took care of Dan and Alex spectacularly.

Alex and Dan should be in Canada within 4 days. Unless, of course, a bear, wolf, psychotic mental hospital refugee or beguiling local gals delay their departure. Check out the GPS Spot postings and see when he reaches the border!

I promised a last post from me, sorry it has taken so long. I know why Dan slowed way down on the postings....it takes a good bit of time! The info is dated now by 8 weeks...but here it is. (I got to meet Alex one day in Drakesbad, but we were leaving as he arrived. All we got to share was a beer. Sadly, I never got to meet Joe.)

Read past the old photo for more recent events.

This hiking thing must be in the DNA. Below are pictures from the summer of 1977 with the old man (me, thankfully in the longer shorts) when I wasn't so old, a college buddy (do you recognize yourself Buck?) and Dan's grandfather (still kicking though not hiking much anymore) at a cemetary on Fort Bragg. Dan's grandfather was researching an article he wrote about a Civil War skirmish. We were on the way to a 4 day hike on the AT near Asheville, North Carolina. No comments about the shorts please.

 The following pictures are all out of order and I mess it up worse when I try to fix it. Sorry.

This is a lava tube caused when an eruption created molten rock tunnels just before Hat Creek Rim on the way toward Burney and Mt.Shasta.



 




The guest hiker standing by a geothermal vent the sign said was a geyser. It was steaming hot and very noisy.


Below is a panorama of Hat Creek Rim - over 20 miles of waterless, dusty and hot hiking. Did I mention hot? We did some night hiking to avoid some of the heat. Very rough and rocky. Had to share the trail with some cows who were none-too-pleased we were there. Did I mention hot and dusty?

Dan a few miles before the lava tube. He met a lady in the post office who was a National Park campground host. She and her husband agreed to let us drop some of our gear with them so we could hike the Rim into Burney with less weight. Janice was meeting us in Burney and we came back 2 days later to collect our gear and give them some wine. What a nice couple, he retired from CHIP's and they live full time in the RV.

 Here is Dan by the vent....... "Get closer" I holler over the noise..... He did, but whined it was hot.

Then it went all "Old Faithful" on him...........that guy can move pretty quickly!

A closer pic of the boiling water.

Dan by the vent........ "Hey, I can't see your face."

Much better, your Mom will be happy.

A mile or so from the vent was this mud lake........gurgling, muddy, sulphuric steam. Hard to see, but it was boiling.

Here you can almost make out the boiling and bubbles.

We stayed in Drakesbad, which has a hot spring pool and a chow hall. They are fabulous to hikers: showers, towels and use of the facilities are free. They even wash your clothes for you! They give discounts on the meal, but wisely, not the beer. We soaked in the hot spring pool and drank more than a few! We saw these newborns poking out of a hole on the way from the chow hall. No they aren't chipmunks, California Ground Squirrels is the proper moniker.

Sunset on Hat Creek Rim.

Daylight view from our camping spot on the Rim.

 I got up early and it was chilly. Dan doesn't greet morning with quite the same enthusiasm as his old man.

I felt a bit nauseous so I decided to leave Sleepyhead and set out. I figured he'd catch me in a couple of hours. As I hiked, drank and thought....I figured since we'd already been doing over 20 miles a day..I'd show him I was still fit and see if I could make it 20 miles before he caught me. 
Ah, testosterone induced competition!!!!!
I made it 18 and was pretty proud of that....he was only mildly impressed.

 I wasn't very hungry because I still felt a bit nauseous. I opted for gummi bears and kept downing the water (I carried over a gallon as it was a waterless stretch and we'd left some gear with the nice RVers.) Dan caught me as I was resting in some rare shade on a pumice rock.We hiked a bit further and then I stopped. I leaned over and heaved mightily, tossing all the water I had just consumed. It was a pretty violent wretching episode but I managed to keep the splatter off my feet. I marvelled at the pieces of gummi bears shining like colored jewels as the sun shone on my puke. Red and green were the prettiest.

Dan was amazed I directed the stream so far to avoid my shoes. He chastised me for some reason I haven't yet fathomed.

We hiked on and I tossed a few more times, ending up with the dry heaves. We had about 5 miles to go to the road to Burney. Obvioulsy not absorbing any of the water anymore, I didn't want to risk the humiliation of getting dehydrated and having to be dragged from the woods. I knew that had the potential to dog me with the entire family and most of my friends the rest of my days (Bruce, Curt and Buck would all have had a field day!) ........... No thank you!

We crossed another road and opted to hike that road and hitch if we could. We hiked, but there wasn't much traffic.

It was looking bleak and I was fading pretty fast from not keeping any water down. Finally a nice guy in a Jeep took mercy on us and rode us into Burney. It took a yeoman's effort, but I made it in without puking. He dropped us off at a motel. After dry heaving a few times, we checked in.

I was feeling worse so I soaked in the tub..... feeling puny ......and pale.

About that time Janice arrived and sort of blew me a kiss. She seemed concerned I might be contagious.

"You look like a stray cat" she pronounced matter-of-factly. "A wet stray cat."

I'd lost about 10 pounds and really was pretty dehydrated by then. She apparently ascertained I would live, so she took Dan and went out to dinner. I wallowed in my misery.

The next day we picked up our gear and headed for the coast. We saw more than a few sights. ( I will spare you any pictures of  restrooms...............the locations of which I kept an acute awareness.)



 Here is a lighthouse that can be reached only at low tide. It had a bunch of kid's toys in the yard. Pretty cool to have parents who are lighthousekeepers.





Some offerings from the 3 Rivers Brewery...... an all women owned and operated establishment.
Great food and beer, although I am relying on Dan and Janice's word. Alas, me being the sickly one, my rice was served plain in a bowl and not fermented.

A redwood tree trunk hollowed and laid over. Amazingly huge!

Trail magic in the Redwood forest.

Janice by a giant trunk. Here Dan and J thought I was lost and dead. I merely went off in the woods to be sick by myself. They were none too happy.......... and I heard about it. I'd tried to call, but cell phones apparently don't work in redwood forests.

Burney Falls

Burney Falls!!!! Teddy Roosevelt called it the 8th natural wonder of the world!
Amazing! The river pops up out of the ground about a half mile above the falls because the aquifer meets hard stone and then it plummets over this falls. The pourous rock is the reason it has so many bridal veils on either side of the main falls.This is one of the many, mightily moving natural wonders we saw!

 Dan and Janice.

The stray cat and Janice.

I went to a walk in clinic and the doc said I either had a bug or bad water. He treated me for both and I recovered eventually, though the meds kept me from having any of the wonderful local brews and wines Janice seemed to enjoy at every restaurant!

We returned to the same spot where the guy in the jeep picked us up and dropped Dan off to hike on.

J and I left for Oregon and the Columbia River Gorge. It was great trip that included the Bridge of the Gods and the Eagle Creek Trail, both of which we hiked or saw before Dan arrived several weeks later.

This old man was transformed by this trip. If you drink a bourbon or two with me, I might even share how.

To anyone thinking about an adventure....DO NOT PUT IT OFF!!! 

Adventures illuminate within and without. DO IT NOW!

Under Mt. Hood

<p>Hello from beautiful timberline lodge! I finally caught up with some friends I met earlier on the thru hike in Bend and the northward movement has slowed but the fun shenanigan level has jumped up a notch or two. I think the zero day tally is almost equal the hiking day tally. After a quick reunion we finished the brewery tour I had already started and ended up spending an extra day recovering. After getting back on trail I had the first night of rain since the San gabriels in southern California.&#160;The next day was slowed by&#160;abundant ripe huckleberry bushes. The day after we rose early intending to make good time which we accomplished until being derailed by a fire and its accompanying detour. Anyways after a swim in a 34 degree spring called little crater lake we climbed halfway mt hood to historic timberline lodge preparing for our fancy buffet invasion. After clearing out the salmon, brisket and other delicious delicacies of the timberline lodge buffet we pool poached until we were asked to leave by security when a friendly guest I had met the day before came to our rescue buying us a round and claiming us as his guests. Eventually after running into a stargazing party and seeing Saturn and its picturesque rings we stumbled into a stealth camp above the lodge resting under the moonlit mount hood.

Sorry for the lack of posts guys. Thanks dad for updating everyone and putting up great content.
And now for some pictures from the phone many more to come when I reach a computer and can get them of my camera.

On Shooting Stars, a Close Bear Encounter and a Naked Hottie. All on the same day. Another Guest Posting While Dan Hikes.

This is our first view of Mt. Lassen. Look closely, she is in the background, more about her later.

Dan is been busy hiking and has passed mile marker 2000. He was last heard from in Bend, Oregon, most likely in or near the Deschutes Brewery, quaffing several Mirror Pond Ales and meeting up with other hikers Alex, Niko and Liane. I'm making another post with his permission....I think he is grateful he doesn't have to write one. I am encouraging him to post at least some pictures from the last 600 - 700 miles since I returned to civilization. Maybe he will.....maybe not......here is another post from our hike together. Dan took most of these pictures, hence the upgrade in quality from my last posting.

A neat set of clouds for Ken.

We hike up the switchbacks out of weird little Beldentown in bright afternoon sun. Our shirts and bandanas quickly soak through, but we make good time. My feet do much better with toe holes. It is hot and up, but I have my ascent wish granted.  There are few patches of shade. I learn not to stop in the sun. Fortunately, the water resources are frequent, so we can offset our heavier-than-ideal pack weight by carrying less than half a liter at a time.

We run into Southern, a sturdy, bearded young buck from Tennessee with the appropriate accent. He hikes in a kilt and eschews trail runners for traditional hiking boots. Like Dan, he can fly. He has thru-hiked the AT. Southern hit the Fat Tire keg hard in Beldentown and was hungover. He is water hopping and bleary-eyed, we pass each other several times.

[I am surprised  the third time we catch  him when he looks me in the eye. “I give you props for being out here hiking with your son.” It is the first of several young thru-hikers who remark favorably that I hike with Dan. These are not casual compliments and always catch me a bit off-guard. They come from very fit, serious thru-hikers. A mixture of appreciation and wonder (and yes, pride, I try to stay in shape) runs through me. Older people than I thru-hike and I am only a section hiker. Do these remarks come from a desire they have to hike with their parent or  is it to have their parent understand how much hiking and being outdoors means to them? I wonder.....come on now, quit analyzing old man! Accept your aged fate and get to hiking!

I realize what you are thinking: only old hikers get props just for hiking.]

Evidently  Southern can beat a hangover faster than I, he passes us once more and we see his flying kilt no more. I know you ladies are wondering……. I’ll not answer the question..…. certainly you understand the delicate nature of mystery and  wonder.

More Trail Magic



The Trail. I use the label PCT, but it is the Trail. It deserves to be a proper noun, a proper entity. For me, the Trail becomes a sort of live partner in the hike, infused in me. The outdoors always brings me closer to a deity than any church ever has. She loans her beauties. I accept. I hike her and she delivers.

The picture doesn't really show the insects very well. We were blessed to see hundreds here, back-lit and joyously buzzing and dancing. Look closely, all those little white specks are the bugs. Amazing art.

This guy had his head in a hole chasing something when we disturbed his hunt. See part of his body still down the hole about a foot behind his head? We guessed he was 6 feet or so.

We decide to camp by a lake we see on the map. We hiked up on  the crest of the cliff you see in the background of  this picture and saw this lake below. It was too inviting to pass up, even with a half mile off-trail hike down some very steep rocks.

You mentioned a Naked Hottie?

We made camp, swam (no, neither of us was the naked hottie), rinsed our clothes (we each only have one pair of hiking shorts due to weight), whooped and hollered to listen to the echoes off the cliff and generally had a grand old time. This was to be a night to remember, though we weren't yet aware. Surprisingly, we heard some voices. We quickly climb out to cover up, but needn't have. A young couple of overnighters had hiked to the lake and made camp on the lakeshore obscured from our sight by a large boulder. Shortly, they came by on their way to swim. He, a typical bearded Oregonian-type. She, a statuesque, blonde goddess. We exchanged our stories and trail pleasantries and they then went for a swim in their birthday suits.

Below is a reasonable facsimile of Dan's grin once he realized we needn't have climbed out so quickly to cover.

We are gentlemen and don't stare....though she certainly qualified as Trail Magic.

Something akin to the following conversation ensues when they are out of earshot:

Dan: I need to find a woman like that!

Me: That looks like her?

Dan: One who is adventurous and likes to hike. 

Me: That looks like her?

Dan: One who likes the outdoors!

Me: And looks like her?

Dan: Well.....(insert sh*%-eating grin)....

Now, about the shooting stars?

The only reason you won't see at least a few shooting stars each night, is if you don’t stay awake long enough. We saw plenty and it wasn't even Perseid's shower yet. Fourth of July every night.

 And the Bear Encounter?

I am awakened by the bearded guy with the hot girlfriend yelling and what sounded like a stick pounded on the ground. I can't see them because of the boulder, but I see a flashlight being shined in the woods at the edge of the lake. I turn on my light in the same direction. I hear something large in the bushes about 80 feet away. A pair of eyes shines ominously back at me. I get out of my bag, fully awake. I call to Dan. 

All I hear from Dan is silence.
The noises in the bush get closer.

Me: “Dan….Dan…DAN!!”

Dan: More silence.

One of the rocks holding down my ground cloth sails in his direction.

Dan: “What, what?”

Me: “Get the F*@# up, there is a BEAR out there and it is coming closer!”

We both shine our lights and the bear’s eyes are visible about 35 feet away, blocking our only route of egress. I am now fully aware of the lack of security planning we gave this campsite.

(I know what you’re thinking, back there in the comfort of your home……. “You didn't have a security plan?”)

We plan on the fly and seize upon a brilliant one.

Me: “HHHEEYYYAAHHHH! HHHEEEYYYAHH”

Dan: “YYYYAAAHHHH! YYYYAAAHH!!”

Me: “HHHEEYYYAAHHHH! HHHEEEYYYAHH”

Dan: “YYYYAAAHHHH! YYYYAAAHH!!”

Bear: “….Silent Stare……”

We yell more. I pick up another small rock and throw it in the general direction of the bear.

I don’t want to hit it, just scare it.

It comes closer.

Ok, this bear is serious.

I assess the situation. We are in our skivvies, no shoes on; lights, yelling, and knives our only weapons. Lights and yelling have only encouraged the beast. Why did Dan send the damn bear spray back home 3 weeks ago? I have no desire to try the knives. 

I remember our fire ring. (Not what you think Smokey, we didn’t go to sleep with our fire still burning. We had no fire. Like good scouts, we’d doused the fire earlier). I wobble over and pick up one of the large rocks we used to build the fire ring. Things are looking up. I have some decent weapons. I formulate a plan.

 I consider throwing the rock directly at the bear.

Worried he’ll charge, I ponder a high, indirect, arcing shot to its right side with the 5 pound rock. Calling upon my considerable, but long-dormant, Artillery gunnery mathematics skills, I consider factoring in wind direction, air density, humidity, wind speed, rotation of the earth, distance to target, etc. to formulate a firing solution......Nah, maybe not.

I inhale without the benefit of the aforementioned calculations, and, conjuring my best David Price imitation, I heave mightily.

The time of flight is longer than I expect. The eyes stare silently, unblinking.

The rock lands directly on the huge boulder the bear is standing upon. A thunderous CRACK, echoes across the lake and is reflected back by the several hundred foot cliff that forms a partial bowl around the lake.

The eyes disappear and we hear a full-on, branch-crashing, paw-pounding retreat.

We withstood the age-old man vs. beast challenge. We conquered with intellect, fortitude and skill!



(Well, that, and a huge quantity of good luck. That Bear really wasn't that interested in what we had to offer.)

With more mathematical wizardry, I quickly calculate the rock must’ve landed right beside that bear and scared the bear crap right out of him.

Me: “AND DON’T COME BACK!!!”……..

(Ok, ok, I didn’t really say the last line.)

The lucky bearded guy with the hot girlfriend hollers from across the lake.



Guy: You guys ok? 
Me: Yeah, we're fine. You guys ok?
Guy: Yes, we're fine.
Dan: (under his breath)Yeah, I bet he is. I'd be fine too, if I had a hot girl in my tent.

Our campsite and lucky fire ring constructed of decent weapons.

The next morning, I am dissappointed not to find any bear scat. There are no tracks because it is all rock. We hike out, the couple still in their tent. We surmise the bear had been conditioned to expect trash and coolers from campers at public campground at a larger lake not too distant.

We get closer to Mt. Lassen in the Lassen National Volcanic Park. She is a beauty and getting closer, the first of several volcanoes in a string stretching into Washington.

Our lunch time view.

This is my lunch at that view - tortillas, Nutella and Fritos!



More Trail Art.

I am happy to be with Dan when he hits the half-way pole on the Trail - 1325 miles! I whoop for him and offer congrats! He is more subdued than I expect; pensive actually. I take some pics and then hike on, letting him have some space to digest the moment as well as the Hiker log his friends and fellow hikers have filled. He lingers a while.



Dan at the half way pole.

We hike to the road into Chester and Trail Angel "Piper's Mom" just happens to be pulling up to drop another hiker off and gives us ride into town. What a treat and special person Piper's Mom is! I promise Dan a steak, beer and a hotel to celebrate his half-way mark. We end up in the Best Western and I assess my feet. Not too good but I'll survive, I have 3 nails swollen and darkening. They'll be off in the near future. I minister to my blisters. The dirt completely infiltrates each blister.

That right one is disgusting.

There is no steakhouse in Chester so we settle on a pitcher of Magic Hat #9, salad bar and pizza. We hobble back to the hotel and collapse in the beds. The next morning we eat the best breakfast I have on the trail at the Kopper Kettle. Incredible corned beef hash with eggs and fried potatoes!
Resupply, soak of the feet in epsom salts, meet a teacher who is Harleying her way through 18 states, lunch of a burger/fries/shake and we are ready to hitch. I get more head shakes at my lack of hitching skill. A short, tactfully delivered, lesson from Dan improves our luck... we catch a hitch with a visiting German Materials Science Engineering professor (that is Dan's major, so he gets the guy's card and makes a contact) and we are back on the Trail by 2.

I have one final post including a geothermal vent, lake, hot spring and the balance of my piece of the hike into Burney. I'll post that and some pictures soon. I continue to have a great time on the Trail and with Dan. I see him in ways I didn't before. I'll leave you with a picture from the last post, just because it is so damn beatiful!

Mt. Shasta!