AND.....HE'S BACK AT IT AGAIN!!

Hi there, One to continuously teach me determination and perseverance, my dad has done it again. He started his hike on another portion of the Pacific Crest Trail on Monday, June 4th. He warned me of the fact that I would not be hearing from him too much the next few weeks and he was right. I found myself a couple of times wanting to just pick up my cell phone and call him to see how he was doing; part worry and part curiosity! On Saturday, June 9th he left a voicemail on my cell phone that said "Hi Kim, sorry I missed ya. I'm standing up on top of Mt Whitney, 14,494 feet. Doing pretty good, sorry I couldn't reach ya. Talk to you later. Bye." When I listened to the message I cried. My dad, standing on top of Mt. Whitney, the tallest peak in the continental United States and what does he do? He calls me. Boy I love him and am oh, so proud of what he's doing. He's doing it for him, but you know how kids are (even old ones)...they are proud of their dads and what they can do. That desire to not only begin, but to continue is so strong. I'm so thankful that he feels this way not only on this natural walk, but spiritually also. Today, June 20th, I received an email from him sent this afternoon at 1:37 PM! I was so excited to read it as it had been a week and a half since last hearing from him. This is what it read: "Just a quick note from the Vermillion Valley Resort. We arrived here yesterday (6/19) after 14 days on the trail. Needless to say we were glad to be at some place where we could shower and get laundry done. The trip has been. Good and no special problems, we have climbed the highest mountain in the continental United states, and also crossed the highest pass on the trail. We have gone over a dozen passes and forded many streams. They have not been past the knees so have not presented any problems. We are staying here for two days. And then on to Mammoth Lakes (which is almost straight east of Modesto, CA) where we will be for a couple days. I plan to retrieve my car from there as it is still in Lone Pine. The folks that I am with are really super to be with, although one had to leave the trail with an ankle injury. I retrieved a box of stuff a couple days back at Meier Trail ranch. I had been eating top Ramon noodles for 12 days, so a change in the menu was much appreciated. My shoes are coming apart so will have to get a new pair when I can and if I am able to continue, have covered about 200 miles. I will be glad to get to where I can make a call. Haven't had any service yet. All in all the trip has been good but very difficult trail. I had an eye infection for a couple of days so only had the use of one eye. Anyway I finally put some neo sporting (Neosporin) cream I had in my pack, and it seemed to do the trick. It is fine now. Got some real sun burn on my face coming off Mt Whitney, but it is starting to heal. Only have one blister to contend with so has been good. I am still the old man on the trail. Have really appreciated the hymns as I walk along the trail. Blessed footprints of my savior have come to mind many times. I wonder, do we really appreciate all he did for us? I will let this be all for now and will call when I can." Love dad So that's the latest info I have for this post. I will be adding more as I receive it. I'd love to be able to find his Dr. who did both of his knee replacements and let him know what his "patient" is doing. He'd be proud too, I'm sure. I'll try and do a better job of keeping this current this time. I apologize the last post (8/11) kind of just stopped. I didn't realize dad was off the trail until about 3 weeks later. He had fallen and got scraped up (but of course, didn't want to tell me that.) Dads... Until next time . . .

A few pictures of the trail....

I APOLOGIZE...I'M A LITTLE BEHIND AND DAD IS WAY AHEAD ON THE TRAIL...

Hi there....

What a busy summer this has been, however that is absolutely no excuse for not updating dad's Blog in a timely manner! Shame on me...(slaps wrist). Ok...

I can't even remember exactly when/where dad joined the trail again (that's so bad!), but he is back on it and is progressing well!! To make it a little easier, I'm going to "insert" his email to me recently, which explains his doings/goings as of recent. The weather has been warm but I'm feeling at ease with the fact that he reminds me (and I remind him, if he DOESN'T remind me) that he is listening to his body and takes a ZERO day when he feels the need. He hasn't been able to share too many pictures but has said that he's taken numerous with his phone.

Here is the email that dad sent about a week ago on the 8th of August...

"I'll just give you a summary of thr last couple of weeks, Have hiked over 250 miles and over some rough country. Left the Castle craig area the first stop was Etna Mount Shasta continued to dominate the horizon, as I left interstate 5 and climb to the crest; where the terrain is more rocky and sparsely treed, the expansive views were incredible as i wound along the route changing directions often, finally reaching Etna summit. The Town is 15 miles NE but got to the road and a couple was just getting ready to head down the mountain and gave me a ride so diden't have to wait at all. I was glad for the day and 1/2 that I spent there, as i had twisted my ankle and needed some down time. There is a place there that the hikers meet so was glad to hear some of the stories, and also an update on the trail and snow conditions. I had slipped going around some snow and tore my britches and shirt, so got some dental floss at the store to use for thread on the britches, but the shirt I had to use duct tape to hold it together, I have been pretty much alone as the couple I was going to hike with never showed up or were out of sync with the schedule.

Anyway after a good rest and some good meals the next stop was the little town of Seiad Valley, This section makes a beeline north through the Marble Mountain wilderness with only minoe elevation gain and loss in the beginning followed by a dramatic decent to the Klamath River and Hwy 96 Then you go west through the town famous for it's 5 poung pancake challenge. This is also the last town in California that the trail goes through. The next section follows Hwy 96 briefly before clombing steeply to complete the final leg of the Calif PCT. You are soon in Oregon. The route turns east and finally reaches I-5 12 miles from Ashland at Siskiyou Summit.

In summary the hike has been good. Very steep and long climbs made it difficult to make really good time. I have been getting som 20 plus mile days but hike about 12 hours to do it. A funny experience, I use that foil wrapped Tuna Fish as a suppliment to my top ramon noodles, anyway I didn't use the whole package so put the rest in a zip lock bag. Well, it leaked all ove my pack and got all over the tent, Not a problem, except we are in bear country, My understanding is bears like fish. So I thought maybe I could put the remaining fish in the creek and it would wash downstream and fool the bears. Well it just sank, so i took some rubbing ointment and rubbed on the tent, thinking that may fool them, anyway I didn't get much sleep but my sinuses were clear in the morning.

I have been a couple of days with Dell and Janel (my Cousins here in Medford) and will depart in the morning headed for Crater Lake 107 miles North, Want to get as far as possible as will leave the trail for convention at Boring, and looking forward to that.

Will keep you posted..."

So, there you have it! I will attempt to post a couple of pictures that dad has emailed me, however, 3 of them are from his hike in May. The most recent is title "The Trail". Again, thank you for following dad on this journey. He sounds great when I talk to him and know that he will continue to do good as long as he "listens to his body".

Tootle-doo until next time!!

Sunday, May 29th - Winds blowing at 50-60 knots and rain.

Dad called this afternoon and said that he was back in Tehachapi...what? That's backwards. Well, here's the story. They left Tehachapi on Saturday and got about 6-7 miles out (approx. 4500' level) and decided to put up for the night right there. There were winter warnings and gale force winds (approx. 50-60 knots, he said) and he couldn't even set up his tent, so laid his sleeping bag right out on the ground and crawled in. At about 2 am it started to rain. Not what a hiker wants when the wind is already blowing ferociously!! He put on every article of clothing he had and put a garbage bag around the bottom of his sleeping bag to try and keep partially dry. At around 6 am he decided that he'd just get up and walk on ahead to see if he could reach a wind break. So on ahead he went to approx. the 6200' level (by himself, mind you). At this point the wind was blowing so hard that he could literally push his body forward and not fall down. He did come around a ledge however, and the wind got him and knocked him down. His reaction was "Well, this is nuts". So he got up and decided that it wasn't probably the safest thing to continue on by himself. So back down he headed. He reached the other party that had gone as far as the night before with him - still in their tents (smart people). Dad decided since the wind was still howling and he was drenched to the skin and his sleeping bag was sopping wet, that he'd head back to Tehachapi to dry out and warm up.

He found/called a trail angel to see if he could get a ride into town and she said she'd be there in 15 minutes. Sure enough!! She took him into Tehachapi where he decided to forego the typical Best Western for a po-dunk hotel. Po-dunk was right. It had no heat and no towels in the bathroom, which he didn't discover until he'd already taken the last layer off. Needless to say, it all ended up ok. He took the longest, hottest shower he could stand, got something to eat and was ready to wait the weather out until it decided to let up; wind and rain.

To be continued....

Saturday, May 28th - Tehachapi!!

Dad called briefly this morning and said that he reached Tehachapi. They were gearing up to start out on their next 80 miles. There is some rugged terrain to maneuver as they are getting up into the mountains. Please be careful dad!!

I have 120 miles behind me now!!

Dad left me a voicemail on Thursday evening, May 26th and said that he now had 120 miles behind him. He didn't mention "where" he was, but my guess was out in the middle of no where. He was having a ZERO day that day and would hit the trail again in the morning. Goal is still to reach Tehachapi by Saturday.

I've got 75 miles behind me!!

On Tuesday, May 24th dad called and said that he'd put in 3 16+ mile days so far and had approx. 75 miles behind him. He was getting ready to settle into a little hostel in a "hiker town" in the middle of the dessert (possibly called Lonepine-sorry, can't remember). At one point he needed to write something down and said "wait a second sis, I need to go and put my head lamp on so I can see." :) Somewhere along the way, he managed to find/talk to someone that coincidentally was heading up to Kennedy Meadows, exactly where he wanted to meet his car at the end of this leg. So now he doesn't have to worry about his car getting to where he hopes to end up; but now just needs to focus on getting to his car! Dad said that according to weather reports, they are about a week ahead of the heat which is perfect for the desert walk ahead this week.

Dad sounded good and said the hike was going really well. He hopes to reach Tehachapi by Saturday, the 28th. I'll keep you posted...

And he's ready to go at it again ... Dad's return to the Pacific Crest Trail

On May 17, 2011, dad called and said that he was going to join the trail again, for a few weeks anyway. He's starting out where he left off almost exactly a year ago, which is at or near Agua Dulce, Calif. He was going to leave the next day from Madras, OR (his home) and drive down to where he'll hit the trail.

After almost a year "off" (off the trail), dad's been busy working on this, that and everything in between, leaving little time for rest, relaxation and recuperation. As of late, he's felt the need to get away. What better way to relax than to walk a trail and enjoy God's creation all along the way and even meet new friends!!

Dad plans to keep in touch every week, give or take, so I will update his blog as soon as I have something new to share! Thanks for following him!!

The Trek is not to continue.....for now.

Okay, let's see...a lot of time has gone by since I posted and I'm not really sure exactly why, however I guess I'll just start off by saying that the trek is not to continue, for now. While off the trail, dad has dr. appts, some miscellaneous jobs to complete, a massive garage sale and a family reunion to attend. So....his time was taken up with things of necessity!!

This past week, not sure which day, he did travel back down to Ashland (sp?) to commence his trek along the PCT Trail once again. However, within an hour of getting on the trail, he received a call from the couple he was to meet up with as to not have to walk the trail alone. This was the same couple he was with when he had to leave it. Low and behold "Mr" had just blown out his knee and couldn't continue on the trail and he and his wife had to leave it - with great disappointment. So....this left dad feeling a bit uneasy as he didn't want to go it alone and not many were walking it as the snow pack was still too great to allow anyone to pass through, in certain areas. This year has been very unusual as far as snow is concerned. Not many people are brave enough to continue on a trek that has with it so many dangers.

So dad wondered exactly what to do....then, not long after the first call, he gets another one from a fella that he's done a lot of work for in Bend. He asks dad to help him do a "fire cleanup". It was a freak situation where an old house got struck by lightening, the lightening travelled through the wires to the electrical box and started a house fire. Unfortunate. So facing no companions in his trek and the offer of some work, he decided to go off the trail himself. In his words, "It's on the back burner for now".

Dad did the best that he could when he could and for now is content with that. He's keeping busy with his jobs, getting rid of stuff and proving to us all his version of retirement is a little different than ours!! I don't think he even has a rocking chair!!

Thanks again ya'll for all your words of encouragement during these last few months. I know they meant the world to dad when he needed them. This is another reminder that God plans the way and we just live day to day! And if the trek continues down the road, you can bet this Blog will too! Adios!

DR ORDERS..."GET BACK ON THAT TRAIL".

Had a quick message from dad last night stating that he'd seen the dr. again this week and his report/orders were "Get back on that trail". So sounds like dad is going to work for about a week and then head back out to join others on the PCT. I know that's really where he wants to be. Am glad his body/soul have had rest and been restored; preparing him for his trek, once again. Not sure of the 2nd kick-off date, but will certainly keep you posted. His knee is doing fairly well. Dr. said the litte "ring" between his knee joints may be what is giving him fits and if it wears out, then "we'll just make an incision and put a new one in". Why do doctors make everything sound so....well, simple??

Have a super sunshiny week-end ya'll.
We'll be back....stay tuned!

The "break" is lasting a little longer, for good, GOOD reason!!

Hi again,

Nope, I haven't forgotten any of you! Dad made it back to Madras (home) thanks to his close cousin, Frankie. After a few days of rest for his knee (at Frankie's son's house), it was evident that he was not wanting to go out and hike 300+ more miles with the possibility of something serious possibly being wrong with his knee. So.... on Monday, Frankie drove dad back home so that his Dr. could take a good look (and x-rays) of his knee. Well, this took place on Thursday and on Friday, the doctor called and said that the xray didn't show any damage to bone, etc., and that it was possibly pulled muscle and/or tendons but that he wanted dad to make another appt. with a different dr. down in Bend on June 11th. Dad said that he would most likely not attend that appt. His words were "By that time, my knee will either have fallen off or it will be healed". Sounds just like dad... He did said that each day his knee feels a little better and he contributes that to just taking it easy and letting it heal. Said it was a little swollen, but that he thought it was getting better.

His plan is to take it easy all of next week, making it possible for him to attend one of our annual christian conventions at Walla Walla - lucky duck!! When he gets home from WW he'll take a serious look at "things" and make a decision regarding his next "move" forward. He isn't keen on "giving up" the hike at this point, especially if there isn't anything seriously wrong with his knee.

So, time will tell and hopefully, if all goes (heals) well, he'll be back on the trail putting one foot in front of the other.

Thanks again for following dad's blog and all your words of encouragement. They have meant more than you'll ever know. I will keep you posted as soon as there is NEW news!!

Stand by!! ~Kim

Taking a Break...

Talked to dad tonight. He has decided to take a day or two (or three...) to allow more time for his knee to heal. Hopefully that will do the trick. He tried his pack on and walked a bit and it was a no go. His cousin, Frank's (and Dee) son came and picked him up today from Agua Dulce and brought him back to their house, which is about an hour away. He is relaxing and enjoying his time there with them and his super special cocker spaniel, Lucy. They offered to keep Lucy for him while he was on his journey. He was so happy to see her again, but she had some "forgiving" to do before she'd get too close. After all, he left her!! It wasn't too long and they were cuddling together...fast asleep in the chair.

I will keep you posted on "the next step"...

Pictures!!

Here are more pictures of dad's journey. They start at the top with the most recent and then go back as you scroll down through them.

1st picture is the "view" of Agua Dulce as they were approaching it on Friday morning. They had camped about 3 miles out the night before.

The next picture is of Vasquez Rock, which is the site where some of the Star Wars episodes were filmed.

The next picture is of some rock formations along the trail.

The next 2 valley pictures were taken as they were com'en over yonder the mountain. One of them was taken looking back east where they had come from.

The beautiful picture of the purple flowers was amazing beauty in itself. It was growing out of a burned out bank that was a result of the bad California fires from last year.

The next pictures are of the area where they hiked - either of where they had come from or where they were going.

Picture of a river that they had to cross.

Picture of the trail along the mountain side in a distance.

AGUA DULCE - MILE 455

Dad called tonight and sounded good. I will attach his email that details his week. He has done so well to communicate via calling and emailing from his phone! That takes patience. He also sent some pictures, which I will down load tomorrow, after I talk to him again so I can add descriptions to them. (He called me from his dark room - no lights - so couldn't read his notes to me about picture descriptions). He rode one of the bikes down the hill tonight for a bite of mexican food and realized real quick, when he was riding back that he uses way different muscles biking than he does hiking!! He could hardly make it back up the hill!!

The fact that he has lost 18 lbs is a bit worrisome .... he did say that he needs to get it figured out (his diet) or else "he won't be there when he gets there". I thought that was quite funny. He said, "I'll just be a shadow".

The trail angels where he is staying tonight and tomorrow night in Agua Dulce drove him into REI 24 miles r.t. to exchange his pack. The new one is a bit heavier, but has wider waist straps and better situates on his back when filled. The other one was rubbing and had thinner straps.

Here is dad's email and remember, pictures will be included tomorrow. Thanks again for sharing in dad's journey.

"Will try to get an update. Monday we were dropped off at the trail head at 10:15 am. Due
to fire closure we had to use an alternate trail. Made 15 miles that day.

Tuesday we hiked 21 miles. Had to do some road walk due to trail closure. It was very hot and
windy.

Wed was a very hard day with over 20 miles covered, only to find out we were in a restricted
area. We were advised we could be fined and imprisoned. Apparently the pcta assn had made a
mistake on the maps they had circulated to the hikers. Anyway we got it straighten out
and were allowed to pitch our tents.

Thursday 18 miles down very steep mtn side and the trail was not maintained due to the
closure. We stopped a couple miles outside of Agua Dulce for the night.

This morning (Friday) we came on into town to the Saufleys. They are trail angels and often have as many as 50 hikers here. They have tents, cots, shower facilities to accommodate all. Pretty amazing. (He had his very own room, complete with bed and is enjoying a bit of privacy for once).

To summarize I have been on the trail 30 days; have hiked 25 of them; have covered 455 trail
miles (plus 20 or so off trail). Figures out a little over 18 miles per day average. I have
lost about 18 lbs. I will have to correct that or I will be all gone pretty soon. I have
had a couple real hard days but am glad for the experience and the help of the holy
spirit. One has much time to reflect and meditate . The hymns have been special. I plan
to take a zero day tomorrow (Sat.) and see how the knee feels after a couple days rest. Its been
biting me on the long downhill sections."

The best to you all. Love DAD.

SUNDAY, MAY 16TH - WRIGHTWOOD - MILE 370

Had another welcomed call from Dad this evening. He arrived in Brightwood around noon today after climbing, climbing and climbing some more. He didn't think he would ever quit climbing and his legs are TIRED. He's sharing a hotel room tonight with a real nice young fella he met either yesterday or today that seems quite motivated as well. The couple he ate with at McD's is still hiking with him also, so he's glad to have some "company" again. The gentlemen (from McD's) is a former park ranger for the Grand Canyon for 24 years, so has some excellent trail experience to share.

The first picture is of the mountains that he will have to navigate (detour) around since they are not passable because of snow. The second picture is of the LA basin in a distance - you can see the haze and fog
The 3rd picture is of the trail and possibly able to see Hwy 15 below...

I think I have the pics in this order, if not, you'll know which one goes with which description.

He was telling me today that the "angel" that had root beer floats waiting for the hikers a couple of days ago; after visiting with her, come to find out her parents live in Ferndale, WA (which is just north of where I live here in Bellingham). Small world.

He was reading his bible along side the trail and another hiker came upon him and inquired what he was reading, Dad replied "I'm reading my guidebook, it's the best one out there". He is keeping encouraged.

They have a ride scheduled for around 10:00 am tomorrow (Monday) to head back to the trail. It will be a long week and possibly that long before we hear from him again. Thanks for your comments, I read them to dad when he calls. He appreciates them ALOT!

Have a great week!

Saturday, May 15th - taking off bright and early heading toward Wrightwood.

Dad called last night and also emailed some pictures!! He's going to enjoy his rest in a bed again at the Best Western in Cajon Pass. Even got a soak in the hotel hot tub for a couple hours - yes, it does a body GOOD!

The orange jeep belongs to a man that uses it to shuttle people to and from the trail and town.

The pictures of the steep hillside/cliff is of the trail. If one were to make just one slight wrong step, they probably wouldn't be heard of again, he said. Be careful dad!

The two pictures of Big Bear Lake should go side-by-side, but of course, I can't figure out how to do that. They are beautiful!

The other pictures are of more of the trail - it just winds in and around there. He said hardly any part of the trail is just smooth. It goes up and down, around, etc.

The hazey picture is of Lake Silverwood. That is where he camped out Thursday night (my previous post).

The final picture has some humor - notice all the drink containers and they got them refilled more than once! Dad drank 3 cokes and had a 20-pc McNugget meal!! Guess you gotta get revived at McD's if you're gonna walk the PCT!!

Week in a nutshell:
Monday, 5/10 he left Big Bear around 8:15 am and went 23 miles. It was so cold on Tues am when he got out of his tent, he had to shake the frost (from him breathing inside the tent) out onto the ground before packing his tent up. Brrr

Tuesday he went 22 miles to a hot springs - pools made out of stone. Clothing was optional, but he was glad that those there with him were of the same mind as him and wore "something". Ha That 2 hour soak felt wonderful to the bones.

Wednesday he was in Grass Valley and it was really hot that day. Only hiked 13 miles and came up on a van along side of the trail that served the hikers root beer floats (prev. post) Yum!!

Thursday they hiked 15 miles to Silverwood Campground where he was able to shower and shave again. Whew!

Friday he hiked mostly by himself and arrived at Cajon Junction.

Dad said that he is beginning to understand what he didn't understand and that was just how he would be able to keep up or otherwise. He's found that he's going too fast and most of the people he started with are behind him. So he's going to adjust a bit and take needed breaks. He's been just going at "his pace", but those of you that know him, know that "his pace" is usually faster than everyone elses!!

He feels great and says that his legs usually tell him he's had enough after about 15-16 miles. Feet are great and he's still very motivated and enjoying his experience.

Until next time - walk on dad!

MORE PICTURES!!! MILE 343

HE'S ALMOST TO HWY I-15!!

Dad called tonight around 7:20 pm and he is approx. 14 miles from I-15. He sent up his tent by a stream near Sherwood Lake. Got a shower and was able to wash his shirt too! He's had a busy week; covered 24 miles on Monday 5/10 and also 24 miles on Tuesday. Yesterday (Wed) and today he only did around 14 each day. Said it was really hot, but it's going good. Came across another trail angel yesterday that had root bear floats ready for the hikers. The same "angel" that provided the root beer floats also ended up taking him clear into town (24 miles and back) to get some more hiking clothes and wouldn't accept even a penny! Those angels are amazing, they show up out of nowhere and are always a welcome site indeed. Dad hopes to be at Cajon Junction tomorrow and will send more pictures to share of his journey. He sounded good, but tired and was ready to call it a day. We'll add more hopefully tomorrow night or Sat. am. Thanks for tagging along this "journey" with him. I share all of your comments and encouragement with him as they come in.

Picture Descriptions...

When I uploaded this batch of pictures, they didn't upload normally for some reason and looked like a bunch of gibberish, so I wasn't able to determine where each picture was and add descriptions to each. Sorry. These 9 (I know there is 10, but one is a duplicate, sorry) pictures are from between Idyllwild and Big Bear and are beautiful territorial and scenic pictures. The pictures are of either where dad HAS walked the trail or where he WILL walk. The one of the snow pack was one of the first little snow packs he went through. He said they got wider and wider and deeper and deeper and (he says it got "scarier and scarier"). The mountain picture is looking back at Mt. San Jancinto after he had already walked it. Enjoy!

PICTURES!! Coming into Big Bear