Withdrawal

The PCT Addict, aka The Incredible Bulk, is having withdrawal symptoms. Being 3000 miles away from the PCT is hurting. Time will not heal this wound. Eventually I will return to California and the PCT for good. Until then, I will while my time away working and hiking the northeast trails, rocky as they be.

Severe thunderstorms are due to arrive this afternoon. This may be a repeat of last weeks tornadic activity in Mass. where three twisters touched down, killing four people. I love weather, but this is going to far.

I live on the top flow of a four story convered loft. It was a Joanne Fabrics mill years ago. I have setup an amateur radio station, complete with an antenna about ten feet high in the living room. I am sure Sharrel will make me take it down, but I am having fun for now.

Two attempts to summit Mt Monadnock failed. The first time was due to fear of an approaching thunderstorm (the mountain is the tallest in the area!) and the second was due to slippery rocks, fog and wind. Bottom line - I need to loose weight again, as I did in 2008, because I was too slow. Faster, and I would have summited the first time. I'll be spending my nights listening to the weight loss hypnosis audiobook. It really works.

Back to work...

Spoonful

If you love blues, touched by hand of hard acid, rock, then I suggest you listen to Spoonful as performed by Cream on the Wheels of Fire album. It is 16 minutes and 46 seconds of some of the best blues ever recorded. Clapton, Bruce and Baker have never been able to repeat this performance. It is a fresh today as it was more than 40 years ago.

The Thing...

So apparent about the east coast is the struggle between the natural world and humans. Nature seems to be trying to regain a foothold in the cities here, but it is not winning. It is not much different out west. I guess it's just the fact that there is much more space - more distance between cities in the west, and that seems to soften the damage done.

I look forward to spending time with my girl in the west. I look forward to spending time in the wildest places in New England. Mt Greylock. Mt Monadnock. Mt Washington. Mt Marcy. With her, and these places, I can recharge and renew my view of what is important, and what I can let slide, and just be in a place where nature rules and we are mere visitors.

Eastern Glow

http://www.nwhikers.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=7989777

No, not an east coast glow.

Thanks to Bryan K., I just watched a youtube video (link posted above) of Bryan and a friend summiting all of the 10,000 peaks in the San Jacinto range, in the winter, with lots of snow and ice and hoar frost and clear blue Southern California skies. What a trip. And the music they chose for the video is by The Album Leaf. The song is "Eastern Glow." A perfect song for a perfect hike. Thanks guys. But you just made me that much more homesick.

Here I Sit, Keyboard In Hand...

in a quaint Massachusetts coffee shop. I'll have to bring Sharrell here when she visits. It's still winter here, though today's temperatures are in the 50s (everyone is so happy about that). I can't find a place to day hike because of deep snow or deep puddles. I will have to change some of my gear around to suit these conditions. Water, in its various forms of precipitation and state on the ground, was a non-issue on the PCT, and California in general. I see a second set of snow shoes in my immediate future. My old wooden shoes are somewhere in California.

I found that the AMC has local hikes and overnight backpack trips. I can't signup yet because my gear is in NY. I'll need to pick it up next weekend because I miss backpacking on snow. This means I'll probably need to purchase boots. Limmer is nearby, and highly recommended by Ned Tibbitts. But for now, I'll just get some mid-top Goretex shoes that can handle Kathoola spikes.

Work is busy. My learning curve is steep, since I am to replace a guy who is retiring. I'm learning processes I have never worked with. At this stage in my life, where learning is supposed to slow down, I'll need to eat lots of brain food to stay on top of my game. All in all, it is good to be back on the east coast after a 23 year absence (North Carolina being the last stop here). I can visit with my family and still travel to our Independence place for vacation. The best of both world? I'll see...

The iPhone Curse

Complaints have soared about AT&T's slow data service and dropped calls. I have an iPhone and both the provider and the phone have caused me to expel plenty of explitives. It seems poor service is not just AT&T's claim to fame. Verizon now has the same problem.

I use a Verizon aircard at work. I was trying to send my boss a large email, three different times today with no success. I tried sending myself a one word text message and could not receive it. I just tried sending a two sentence message, and no go - sending message 1 of 1 is permanently burned into my screen. The aircard worked until today. What may be the problem?

Vermin (the iphone picked that spelling, not I, but it seems to fit the way I feel today about Verizon and Apple) released the damn iPhone today. Now Vermin will probably have just as many complaints about its service as does AT&T. Serves them right. The iPhone is an evil contraption.

Run As An Indian

Tarahumara Indian, that is. They are the residents of the Copper Canyon, located in Mexico, a canyon larger and deeper than the Grand Canyon. The book, Born To Run, is about a race put on by Caballo Blanco, where he pits the best extreme runners in the world, the Tarahumara, against the best ultra-marathon runners of this day and age. The race is held on the steep, narrow, Copper Canyon trails, where heat and lack of water are your constant enemies. Oh, and coral snakes, too.

I recommend this book to all thru hikers. It contains valuable information about the Indian's diet, their footware, and why they love to run, all applicable to a thru hike. Read the book. You will not regret it.

White Album

Fourty two years ago, my brother and I combined our money and bought the Beatles' White Album for Christmas. I must say that it was the highlight of our vacation. It is still my favorite Beatles record.

Now excuse me While My Guitar Gently Weeps.

Training in New Hampshire

When I move to the east coast, I will have lost my nearby training hill in Palos Verdes. I hope I can find a hill near work or home base, wherever that will be. If I can't, I'll need to find a new way to stay in reasonable backpacking shape. I can't think of a way at this moment.

The Initiative

This would be an amazing feat of endurance and mental strength if four consecutive thru hikes could be completed in one calendar year. I'm staying tuned.

http://www.theinitiativesite.com

Free Pacific Crest Trail Maps

You want free PCT maps, then go to Halfmile's website, http://www.pctmap.net/ , and download the pdfs and print the sections you need. It covers most of the JMT too, except the portion the heads into the valley from Tuolumne. His maps are better than just about anything else that costs mucho bucks. And it is not full of errors, as are some of the super high priced map-based guides. Save yourself about $200 and spend the money instead on paper and ink. The maps are much more useful than the tiny maps found in the super high priced guides.

That is all... for now.

Summer Is Almost Gone

With summer just about finished for 2010, a sense of fall is already in the air. The last few nights in southern California have been unusually cool, almost cold. I heard that some snow fell in the northwest last week. I hope the thrus still on the trail can reach Canada before the snow starts dumping.

I recently realized that I have not backpacked this year. I have been so busy with other chores and events, that the thought had not even crossed my mind. I do have something planned for the next September or October full moon.

Enjoy the last days of summer. But summer for me is just a state of mind. I enjoy being outdoors in any season, especially winter.

Summer Has Arrived

The heat has been turned on, after a very cool spring and early summer in the LA basin. Temperatures that last couple of days here in Long Beach, CA, are in the 90s with east coast type humidity. And you know what, I enjoy hiking after work in these conditions. It seems that my muscles and tendons are relaxed and stretched and everything works well. I've hiked the last two days in the afternoon's blazing sun. There are very few hikers out when I am there, and I like the solitude after a hectic day of work. I can think, sing (it's a stretch calling my croaking singing) and just be myself in the "wilds" of Palos Verdes Reserve.

There were t-storms in the area yesterday, but none passed over Sharrel's place. I did photograph a beautiful sunset last night from Sharrel's porch. It was sticky last night, but not quite like the North Carolina stickiness I recall when I lived in Raleigh in the 1980s. Maybe I'll buy us a window air conditioner.

I hope a t-storm passes by today. I love any type of weather. The clear blue southern California skies, while very enjoyable, enabling non-stop outdoor fun, can be boring for a weather watcher.

Happenings...

Well, it has been a long time since I posted "beef" to this blog. So here is some of the latest news in my world.

My company is closing its Torrance wafer fab. I have been offered a position in the Massachusetts and I will probably take it. It is a chance to be close to my parents and sister, after a 30+ year absence from the area. Another plus is that I will be close to the Adirondacks and the Appalachian Trail. I haven't spent much time on the AT, but I spent lots of time in the Adirondacks in the 1970s, even during the winter, backpacking. I love the High Peaks region and the Northville - Lake Placid Trail.

Took a short vacation to the Owens Valley area during Memorial Day weekend. Stayed one night in Wrightwood at The Pines Motel and one night at The Williamson Cabin in Independence. The Pines is run down, but quiet. The Mt Williamson is real nice, but tiny. I took lots of photos in the Alabama Hills. I've posted a few to this blog and my facebook page.

That's it for now. Need to wrap up things here for the day at work, and then go for my evening training hike, since my achilles is not bothering me to much anymore.

The Owens Valley in California

This is a photo, facing north, of the Owens Valley taken from the switchbacks leading to Horseshoe Meadows. Elevation is about 9000 feet above sea level. Sierra Nevada Mountains frame the valley to the left, or west, and the White Mountains frame the valley to the right, or east. The photo was taken on May 30, 2010. This is my one of my favorite playgrounds.

2010 ADZPCTKO

Sharrel and I have been hosting a Swiss hiker, AnnA, for a couple of weeks. She stayed at Sharrel's Long Beach house, putting her resupply boxes together - all told, 25 boxes. She has already mailed off four. My job will be to mail the remaining boxes by a specific date, which she worked out, to ensure it arrives before she does. Typically, the boxes will be mailed to a post office, but some will be sent to trail angel homes and even businesses will hold boxes for hikers where a PO is not available. It is a lot of work to put together 10 boxes, let alone 25 boxes. I saw it first hand and I am not sure I would go to that trouble. I may buy my food along the way. She spent all but the last day in Long Beach, riding my bike every day to Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, the little Mexican grocery store, and Ralphs during the day while Sharrel and I were working, buying food and repackaging. She spent lots of time rerolling toilet paper. Sharrel's son, Rich, named her Charmin. She didn't like it at first. But I can say that as we dropped her off at the border, she seemed to be warming up to the name.

We drove to Lake Morena and the ADZPCTKO on 4/23/10. Camped in site 2, with Manyon (aka Meadow Ed) and several other ADZ staff, though we were not staff. Ed is a close friend, and mentor. I am looking forward to another trip into the Grand Canyon with him.

AnnA camped with her class of 2010. We attended some of the presentations together, such as the water and snow report, Dicentra's food talk, and the mountain lion talk. The UC Davis researcher did a fabulous job explaining mountain lion behaviour. Learned that a pet is lion bait on the trail.

Saw lots of hiking friends, and a few new ones. Manyon, Erwin, AsABat, Dicentra, Sierrashade, Peter Shaw (class of 2009), Switchback, Halfmile, Leapyear, Alien March, Big Foot, Kelty, Jackass, Joel, Patrick, Jackalope and Bear Bait. For the most part, Sharrel and I vegetated. We both work stressful jobs, and it was good to relax and watch others work their butts off for a change.

I did get the Leki guy to rebuild my poles, after trying to have this done for the last 2 years. They wouldn't collapse, and that made setting up my tarp difficult. They are like new now. Thanks, Leki.

The days were comfortable and the nights were cold, the coldest of the last 4 years. AnnA let us use her Hillenberg 2 person tent. It had very little headroom. Did not like it, and would have preferred to cowboy camp. Any time I spend outdoors is good time.

My achilles tendonitis was bothering me at the KO, which is surprising because it did not bother me the week before on two hikes with AnnA in Palos Verdes. I wanted to hike to Hauser Canyon. It wasn't to be. I hope this thing heals, or my hiking days are over. I just need to follow the doctors advice, and maybe enter into physical therapy.

We were up at 5:30 AM Sunday to take AnnA and Viewfinder (an AT thru hike veteran) to the border. It was bittersweet saying goodbye to AnnA. She had a tear in her eye, too. I look forward to being an integral part of her hike, mailing her resupplies and corresponding with her family in Switzerland.

We drove Manyon back to his home in Pasadena and another KO was over. This may be the last I attend until I find the time to actually thru hike myself.

I will post photos soon.

One of The Best

SuperDave's 2005 PCT trail journal is one of the best I have read, and the one that got me through the last half of 2005 and inspired me to return to backpacking.

http://www.trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?id=93874

2009 Trail Journal

In case anyone is interested, I wrote a trail journal last year for my shortened JMT hike. http://www.trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?trailname=9353

I am still struggling with achilles tendonitis. Unable to hike/train. Still haven't gone to doctor because my nurse SO and my last landlady/orthopedic nurse said all the doctor will tell me to do is rest, elevate, ice, n-saids. But it is not really improving, so I will go to the doctor while I can and before the medical system goes kaput! Sad, but it looks like I may miss out on backpacking this year.

Missing 2009 ADZPCTKO Post

I saw today that the Kick Off webmaster pointed folks to my 2009 ADZPCTKO post. Well, that post no longer exists. I shut off my blog last year, after the KO, and lost all of the old posts. I am sorry I did that, because there was some good stuff in there. I won't make that mistake this year.

I am signed up for the KO as of today, along with my friend. I'll be bringing Anna, a Swiss hiker, to the KO along with 600 tortillas for Friday night dinner. Looking forward to seeing everyone again.

In the meantime, I may not be able to hike for a while. A "bone spur" on heel is making simple hiking painful. I found a local orthopedic Dr, and I'll make an appointment tomorrow. So, for training for this years PCT hikes, it will be slow walking or balls to the wall mountain biking in Palos Verdes.

Fire Recovery Becomes I Hate Getting Old

Last year, when the Station fire was roaring to life, another fire, the Portuguese Bend fire, destroyed much of the vegetation of my favorite local LA hiking spot. Most of the trails have been closed since the fire for recovery. Well, today, I received good news. All trails have reopened in the Portuguese Bend Reserve. I was tiring of hiking the same trail - that is, when I can hike. I have a bone spur on back of heel. It has been there since last year, but it never bothered me. Now, every step is accompanied with pain. The pain is changing my gait which then causes knee pain in the knee I was strengthening after last year's surgery. Another hiking year ruined? Will see what Doc has to say. I may give up hiking and return to mountain biking.

Anyway, the green grass in the fire area beautifully contrasts against the burnt trees. Photo ops this weekend, between rain drops, if I can hike. But, if I can hike, I should hike with Monty from the border to Lake Morena. Will see after a test hike tomorrow.

Maybe the Who knew it all along... Hope I die before I get old.

Relief

I'm driving to Rancho Barnyardo from Torrance to do a little business today. Then it is off to a Carlsbad resort to spend the next 4 days with a friend in the sun and surf and the mountains. Will show her my fav hiking trails in San Diego county and maybe even take her to the PCT monument in Campo. If time permits, maybe even a trip to the zoo. Going back to work Tuesday will be a real bummer.

Another Burn

I decided to cut my hike short last night in Palos Verdes. I still made it a hard one, however. I climbed the ladder-like trail back to the trailhead, then dropped back down the main trail for a little more pain. I truly believe in "no pain, no gain." My lower back ached after climbing the ladder. Yeah, that is what I will call that steep climb. It takes about 10 to 15 minutes, I think, to climb the ladder. I need to bring my watch so I can time it and gauge progress.

Photo Contest

I entered the photo displayed as the title to this blog in the Adorama iPhone-only photo contest. I entered a few more, but this one is the best. The judges are McNally, Kelby and Peterson, among other famous photographers. Can't wait to see how I do.

Dogs Living With Cats

The most recent storm has certainly caused more mudslides and flooding, and a lot of pain for the people of LA. I tend to look on the lighter side, and I can't help but think of the Ghostbusters skit in the Mayor's office, where the Busting team said to the Mayor that the craziness was akin to "Real wrath-of-God type stuff. Fire and brimstone coming down from the sky! Rivers and seas boiling! Forty years of darkness! Earthquakes, volcanoes... The dead rising from the grave! Human sacrifice. Dogs and cats living together. Mass hysteria!"


Sure, this stuff is serious for Socal, but it is everyday weather for the remainder of the country.

Today's Burn

On my hike today, a young woman caught and passed me. I told her she was the first hiker to pass me going downhill or uphill in some time. She laughed. On the hike back up the hill, we met again. She said she would probably beat me to the top because she was taking a shorter, but extremely steep route. I once started on this trail and bailed due the the steepness but more for the loose scree. I decided to hike with her, and as a result, developed a good burn. I had to stop and catch my breath a few times, and so did she. The footing was very loose, and I would never take this trail down hill. She arrived at the top and waited, not long I might add, for me. I waved to her and she waved back, and hiked back to her car. I sat on the stone bench overlooking the Pacific Ocean. This was one of my best hikes ever in Palos Verdes. I estimate the elevation gain to be 500 ft in less than a quarter mile. The trail I usually take, which ends at the top of this steep climb, is at least one mile long with the same gain. My knee is getting stronger and this trail will be put on my regular hike sked, thanks to the woman with the UCLA sweat shirt. I need a good burn once week.

PCT Related Books

On the PCT-L, folks have been posting lists of PCT related books they know or have. Here is a complilation of what I have found through the contributors, and from what I have in my library, in no particular order. I have not verified the titles nor author(s).

““Along the Pacific Crest Trail” Bart Smith
“A Blistered Kind of Love” Angela and Duffy Ballard
“Pacific Crest Trail – A Hikers Companion” Karen Berger
“Pacific Crest Trail Hike Planning Guide” 1976, Chuck Long
“Journey: Being An Historical Adventure Through the Lands of the PCT” 1975, USFS
“Natural History of the Pacific Crest Trail System” 1936, Clinton C. Clarke
“The PCT Relays: First Exploration of the PCT from Mexico to Canada 1933-1934-1935-1936” Warren L. Rogers
“The High Adventure of Eric Ryback” Eric Ryback
"The Pacific Crest Trail Escape to the Wilderness” Ann & Myron Sutton
"The Trail North" Hawk Greenway
"A Pacific Crest Odyssey" David Green
"2500 - Mile Walk" Karl Ellingson
"Pacific Crest Trails" Joseph Hazard
"A Thru-Hiker's Heart" Ray Echol's
"Zero Days" Barbara Egbert
"Journey on the Crest" Cindy Ross
"The Pacific Crest Trailway" 1943, 1945 Clinton C Clarke
"The Pacific Crest Trail” William Gray
"Trekking Along: The Pacific Crest Trail Through Southern California” Hal Margolis
"The Pacific Crest Trail Volume 1: California" Thomas Winnett
"The Pacific Crest Trail Volume 2: Oregon & Washington" Jeff Schaffer
“Dancing With Marmots”
“The Cactus Eaters - How I Lost My Mind and Almost Found Myself on the PCT” Dan White
"Six Moon Trail – Canada to Mexico Along the Pacific Crest Trail” Tom Mashburn
"Soul, Sweat and Survival on the PCT" Bob Holtel

My Everest

I have always been interested in mountaineering. I have read many books about expeditions to Mount Everest, K2, Denali, etc. When I was younger, and in excellent physical shape, I may even have had a chance to summit one or more of these majestic peaks. Alas, I am now too old and out of shape to even consider attemping one of these peaks. I would probably even have trouble reaching Everest base camp, a mere 17,500 feet above sea level. No, I will be satisfied with just reading about the adventureous few who test themselves.

But I still want that challenge. I have a need to prove to mself that I have the physical, and more importantly, the mental ability to complete the challenge. For me, at this stage of my life, the PCT will be my challenge, my measure. The goal is to thru hike, but I will gratefully accept completing the trail as a section hike.

Will see what happens with my job this year. Being laid off could be the perfect opportunity to take on this challenge.

I have resurrected my old iBook. It is a 1.2 GHz model. It is nice to see old things working again - wink, wink.

Some of My Photos

I want to let everyone know that some of my photos reside at http://picasaweb.google.com/ki6asp .

Enjoy

Merry Christmas To All

Santa, here is my short list.

I wish for lots of Sierra snow, to replenish the water supply and improve the health of the trees.
I wish to spend as much time as possible on a trail, any trail, in 2010, without knee problems.
I hope to have at least one of my photos published in a national publication.
I hope that I can do as much as I did last year to help Mystic create the 2009 PCT Class DVD.
I hope to be able to visit Casa de Luna, and oil wrestle Terri.
Ok, maybe not that last one.

Ho Ho Ho!

Closer to the Edge

I am getting much closer to leaving the life I have known for so long, and move on to something new. Thru hiking. The Slabs. Not sure what it will be, but a change is in the air. Good thing, because I am ready for it. Timing is looking like summer to make the break. 2010 will be an exciting year.

Flower Photography

I spent Saturday, 12/5/09, again at South Coast Botanic Garden with a friend. It was a cloudy day, and that, combined with using a new lens, I did not get the photos I hoped for. The depth of field was wrong for most of the photos. Or maybe it was just a case of not knowing how to use the lens.

I hiked today in Palos Verdes; the first hike since the Thanksgiving disaster. The sky was ominous. The storm is approaching the coast, and should arrive early Monday morning. This was my last chance to hike probably until Wednesday, because the trail is clay, and when it becomes wet it sticks like glue to my shoes. I end up looking like I have platfom hiking shoes after a few hundred feet of hiking, and it is very slippery. The knee felt good, and the blister is just about gone, thanks to Second Skin.

I need to evaluate a possible Christmas in the Grand Canyon hike. I guess I will have to start hiking with a full pack to determine if the knee is good. I will not attempt this trip if there is any doubt. I will not ruin the trip for everyone on my account. Maybe I should get a SPOT with the rescue insurance.

Republican or Democrat?

A woman in a hot air balloon realized she was lost. She lowered her altitude and spotted a man in a boat below.

She shouted to him, "Excuse me, can you help me? I promised a friend I would meet him an hour ago, but I don't know where I am."

The man consulted his portable GPS and replied, "You're in a hot air balloon, approximately 30 feet above a ground elevation of 2,346 feet above sea level. You are at 31 degrees, 14.97 minutes north latitude and 100 degrees, 49.09 minutes west longitude.

"She rolled her eyes and said, "You must be a Republican."

"I am," replied the man. "How did you know?"

"Well," answered the balloonist, "everything you told me is technically correct. But I have no idea what to do with your information, and I'm still lost. Frankly, you've not been much help to me."

The man smiled and responded, "You must be an Obama Democrat."

"I am," replied the balloonist. "How did you know?"

"Well," said the man, "you don't know where you are or where you are going. You've risen to where you are, due to a large quantity of hot air. You made a promise you have no idea how to keep, and you expect me to solve your problem. You're in exactly the same position you were in before we met, but somehow, now it's my fault."



I consider myself an independent. But the results are the same.

Thanksgiving Trip

Found that book lashed to a tree at the first night's camp.

The second photo is Thanksgiving 2009 dawn from my sleeping bag, on the PCT, north of Hwy 74.

The first photo is a result of having to bushwack for about 1/4 mile through thick brush or chaparral. I don't recommend this to anyone.