Krystal's Trail Journal: July 12, 2007

"Glen Aulin Camp" July 12, 2007

The sun feels warm on my skin as I sit on a rock next to the gigantic cascade of the Tuolumne River. We made it to Glen Aulin camp early today and are only 6 miles from Tuolumne Meadows, our first re-supply.

Glen Aulin has a backpackers camp w/composting toilets & bear boxes -- talk about luxury. It also has tent cabins & catered meals for mostly older folks who have the money & want to experience "wilderness" without the hassle of a backpack.

So here I am, feeling the mist of the mighty falls on my face, feeling more clean than I have in days after a "shower" in the falls & basking in the sun's warm rays, grateful that I am sitting in it next to a magnificent river rather than hiking up switch backs on a 2000 ft climb under her scorching rays. What a difference.

There's an older couple, maybe in their mid-forties, doing yoga in a meadow across from me -- seems fitting I suppose. Makes me more aware of my stiff spine & tense back -- suppose it wouldn't hurt to do a little stretching, eh?

One of the best lessons I'm learning out here on the trail is that of gratitude & recognition. Gratitude for life, for breath, for health, for beauty and diversity, mystery, & community. Recognition that happiness come in simplicity, in working hard for what you need & in honoring the sustenance that nature provides us.

When you have to carry everything you need on your back -- your shelter, food, clothing, stove, filter, entertainment -- then do all your work by hand (filtering water, washing clothes, gathering firewood, hanging your food, putting up your tent) it really make you both appreciate the luxuries of modern society and stop to think about if I really need or would even miss all the things I left behind in "civilization."

It seems society has become so fast-paced and mechanized that we have become detached from the natural world. Strange, since our ability to live & thrive is intimately & utterly reliant upon it. I'm not saying we should all go back to live in the wild...but...being out here, exposed to the elements & the pending dangers inherent in the "wild" world is a testament of the importance of protecting these wondrous places and the importance of visiting these places often.

Out on the trail I am humbled by mother earth's power & majesty. I feel my lungs breathe up & down in my chest -- and I am so grateful to have breath! I see a many-colored spectrum of hardy alpine flowers & shrubs blooming & thriving in harsh conditions and I am grateful for sight & inspired to be strong in the face of adversity.

I feel the sun, wind, & river touch my face all at the same time, & I am grateful for the simple pleasures, & refreshing delights that nature smiles upon us! I see others taking a dip in a pristine powerful cool mountain river and am so grateful for the privilege to even be here among them. It is a privilege to be here and I hope none of us take it for granted.

Krystal's Trail Journal: July 11, 2007

"Do you think they sell blood by the oz. ?"

The PCT is pretty hard core. It's true. There are lots of ups & downs -- up to high 10,000+ ft passes then back down steep canyon ravines, only to go back up more passes -- then back down to beautifully clear stream & lakes. It's wonderful! And tiring, and sometimes frustrating, I admit.

But worth every second at the end of the day when we take a dip in a clear mountain lake & sun bathe on the sandy lakeshore of Miller Lake, eat a hearty meal of mashed potatoes & turkey gravy, then sing songs by the campfire, marvel at the billions of stars in the universe, and lay our tired bodies down to rest in a cozy, mosquito-free tent. Yay.

The bear bag is hung, we've definitely entered Bear Country -- we've officially been in Yosemite Park boundaries for 3 days now & bears will get more frequent the closer we get to Tuolumne Meadows. Lucky for me, Glenn is a pretty excellent bear bagger, so not too worried about losing food. We have seen a lot of bear prints, but no bears yet. I'm okay with that. Hopefully we won't get a visitor tonight!

Sweet dreams.

Harriet Lake: July 9, 2007

"Harriet Lake" July 9, 2007

Krystal's Trail Journal: July 7, 2007

We did a lot of silent climbing today following Carson River multiple times & little snow melt creeks up the saddle & around Sonora Peak -- what a beautiful view! We hiked 8 miles to Wolf Creek Lake, met a nice day hiker named Eric & had lunch with him there, took a dip (pretty cold water up @ 10,000 ft) and rinsed our clothes a little bit -- I think we have a new standard of clean now -- "clean-er" -- less dirt than before, looks great.

We had a nice conversation w/ Eric & he gave us a piece of rotisserie chicken to share -- what a treat! Everything tastes so much better out here! We saw our first view of the High Sierras in the distance, Yosemite here we come! We're half way to Tuolumne Meadows & everyone we pass on the trail says it gets better & better from here! We saw another maybe 15 thru-hikers today -- I liked what one guy said, "We're just doing a long series of day hikes."

Really, thru-hikers are normal people who have a large goal, but just take it one day & one step at a time...One of them said it was easy to hitch down to Kennedy Meadows for a cold drink & hot grub, so we took their advice. A nice old couple just returning from a backpacking trip picked us up & we had a delightful 11 mile drive in the back of their truck. Cars are so amazing -- you can sit & move at the same time -- how great!

It was strange to be back to "civilization" if you want to call Kennedy Meadows Resort civilized. Families car camping w/ [something], fishing poles, tents, coolers, the works -- lined the river up to the resort, lots of young teenagers showing off for each other [something something] stereotype "red-neck" guys about our age made our [something] meal a little less appetizing, but there were also a lot of really friendly, nice, considerate people too that respected & appreciated smelly hikers like us.

Anyways, we had a filling meal (I got grilled chicken salad) which came w/ soup, bread & dessert. Nothing fancy, but fresh & different & we didn't have to cook it :)

To stay on schedule we wanted to make it back to the trail tonight and fortunately were told by the cashier to ask for a guy named "No Sweat" at the [something]. Sure enough we found an old friendly guy that agreed to take us back up the pass this evening in his old Subaru. At about 9,000 ft we were going about 10-15 mi per hour, the temp gauge was up to red & the car started hissing, but "No Sweat" assured us his little baby would make it, and amazingly enough, we all made it to Sonora Pass in one piece, no sweat.

We only hiked maybe 1/2 mile in by a creek & are camping on another windy bluff [?] with an expansive [?] view of [something...sorry, I can't read this section very well --Cass] of mountains rising the the distance. A slight breeze, the stars are emerging, & no mosquitoes! Tomorrow is another day.

Krystal's Trail Journal: July 6, 2007

"Sonora Peak" July 6, 2007

Today was a beautiful hike through meadows of beautiful wildflowers -- lupin, mule's ear, columbine, red paintbrush, subalpine buttercup -- I'm still learning all the names. We climbed and descended past 9000+ ft. peaks, through saddles & down over small creeks, then back up again.

We managed to get an earlier start today & hiked 11 miles before lunch feeling good & strong. It got a bit hotter & steeper in the afternoon, so it felt good to have those miles behind us. Now we sit, camp set up early with plenty of sunlight left to write, read, cook dinner, & maybe paint!

I think I've decided to keep my trail name from last summer -- "Paintbrush." I paint when I can, I'm kinda spunky [or spiky? -- Cass], & the same name as one of my favorite flowers. That's what I've been introducing myself as, so I guess it's stuck.

We probably passed 20 thru-hikers today! Most of them are doing the entire 2600+ mile trail! Makes 350 sound puny, but almost every one of those hikers have raved about the beauty of this section. I think we can enjoy it better this way :)

The shadows are lengthening across the speckled sandy soil where we have made our home. Chipmunks chirp & chase each other -- jumping between pine cones & anthills, the scaling the bark of the Ponderosa pine who towers above our heads, sheltering us from the wind. A solid mound of creamy granite rises up to the north -- we are subtly changing our geology from dark volcanic conglomerates to exposed igneous granite.

I feel at home. The air is dry, the ground dusty, the wind gentle & soft. The golden sun is peeking at me through the trees -- the dirt on my fingers shimmers. I feel calm & present -- nowhere to be, no rushing to finish...

The ground is flat & soft, my body is strong & ready to relax, my mind is quiet & my heart is content. I can still smell the blend of sage, mint, & fruity alpine flowers. Gusts of cool wind plume though our tent...Sonora Peak proudly stands watch to the south...The clouds are shifting, they're almost gone...The sky is blue with early evening & canyon shadows carve the landscape into deeper angular peaks & bluffs. The mountains surround us, the pine needles cushion us, the sun warms us & the wind comforts us.

This is why I walk.
This is why I sweat.
This is why I breathe & live & love.

My nose is dry & stuffy, my shoulders tight & strained, my feet are covered in mosquito bites & my lips are chapped from the sun. Yet I lie in the wonder & beauty of our planet, and contemplate the vast intricate universe that we are part of, and can't help but be overwhelmed with happiness & gratitude, for being a witness of this magic!

Krystal's Trail Journal: July 5, 2007

Today was beautiful but hot! We left camp around 8:30 and it was already scorching! Sad to leave our peaceful solitary lake on the mountain, but we had a wonderful stay -- warm evening breezes, Glenn caught our first trout -- a beautiful red-striped one which made for a filling meal! We even saw a coyote & bear tracks -- luckily no bear sightings yet! We hang our food every night and hope for the best...so far we've been fine.

Oh ya, from Raymond Lake we could see Lake Tahoe's fireworks in the distance!

Today we hiked about 15 miles. It was a pleasant hike through forests & meadows, meandering up & around mountains, over bubbling creeks from melted snow -- all pretty mellow hiking until our 1000 ft climb to Noble Lake -- a great view, light rain & wind eased the climb with time left for a gourmet meal of noodles & chicken in tomato sauce & quesadillas! Yum, plus time for painting right before the sunset -- yay!

"View from Noble Lake" July 5, 2007

The last few days we've been hiking most of the day, so by the time we set up our tarp tent, filter water, cook dinner & wash-up, there is often no more time for painting or writing. Sometimes reading or star gazing, which is nice -- I think Draco the dragon is my new favorite constellation, besides Sagittarius (looks like a teapot), which is home to a glimpse of "downtown Milky Way."

There's a slight breeze, Nobel Lake Creek is softly bubbling in the background, and I sense the stars coming to life outside our tarp (pitched on slightly slanted ground this evening). Early bedtime tonight -- we've got to get up early to try & beat the heat & hike the next 16 mi. to Boulder Lake.

The temperature right now is perfect. I'm glad I'm safe in my little bug net tent where mosquitoes have no access to my flesh! Bonne nuit!

Krystal's Trail Journal: July 4, 2007

Happy 4th of July! It's our third day out and & a beautiful morning! We camped by Upper Lost Lake last night pooped after a fifteen mile hike -- so our bodies are still adjusting...

I feel amazingly rejuvenated after a good night's sleep though. Being out here really helps you appreciate the simple things in life -- eating, sitting, lying down! They feel so good after being on the move all day long!

It's nice and quiet this morning -- only sounds of a slight breeze & bird chirps. A nice change from the noisy kids splashing in the lake and revving ATV engines -- this lake is drivable to by dirt road so naturally there are big families that want to enjoy the beautiful Sierras too...c'est la vie.

We're off to Raymond Lake today, another 14 miles. I'm hoping today I don't lose or break anything...I've had a little bad luck so far on the trail: lost one of my Crocs, got a little heat exhaustion from going back to look for it, which caused us to not quite make it to our first destination -- Showers Lake -- which made for a long day of hiking yesterday...

That's not so bad, but when I was lying sick in the tent I accidentally rolled on my fishing pole, snapping one section in 2. But wait, it gets better --yesterday I lost my sunglasses -- had to back track, but did find them after not too long -- but broke the end of my umbrella off when I sat down on a rock to rest...Maybe my trail name should be "Back Track."

Glenn was deemed a new trail name -- Stitch -- by our friend Zach (a.k.a. Germinator b/c he sprouts his food on the trail). Stitch is for his handiwork sewing -- he sewed almost our whole net tent, a camera bag, a ukulele bag, & a "ditty" bag among other things. We both sewed our backpacks & mittens but we all know Glenn is the pro.

So I'm still trying to pick a trail name...Some options are "Brushstroke," "Water Color," "Ortvark" [I don't know what this is...maybe Aardvark? --Cass], "Juggernaut," "Lefty" (cuz I only have 1 left camp shoe & leave everything behind), "Pigment," "Palette," or "Paintbrush." I like "Brushstroke" the best so far -- any suggestions?

I have my watercolors & am trying to do one per day, but haven't had time yet. Once our packs are lighter & our bodies are stronger, we'll get to camp faster & have more time to relax. We've run into a lot of thru-hikers (started at camps in So. CA & are heading to the Canadian border), many of them do up to 25 or 30 miles per day! Hiking from about 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. -- No thank you.

Ode to Pine Tree (July 1, 2007)

Ode to Pine Tree
by: Krystal & Glenn & Caroline

Oh, twisty, hardy moss-covered Pine Tree,
your branches reach
out, like solar-powered
sea urchins;
you have pointy
little fingers
like fireworks
in the sky...
Miraculously growing
out of a large granite
boulder, you give us
strength.

(Caples Creek, July 1st, 2007)

Hi!

I'm Krystal's sister Cass, and I'll be your guest blogger for the rest of the month. Krystal sent me some trail journals and watercolors, which I'll be posting here in several installments. Check back often, and don't forget to visit the website for more information about Krystal and Glenn's route and cool photos of their gear.

Comments in [brackets] are mine, everything else has been written, painted, or drawn by Krystal or Glenn.