I just saw the three hikers over a cup of coffee in Devin’s back yard.

There was some serious learning and growing going on in the last 3 weeks.

These guys now how more experience hiking in their years than I ever accumulated in mine and I am proud of them.

It was scary at times. They lost weight. They gained confidence. They appreciate the good things we all take for granted. And I sense it was the hardest thing any of them ever did. And it was certainly harder than the hardest thing that I ever did.

My hat is off.

Hey guys,

We are at Muir Trail Ranch right now.  We got our last food drop and hope to make it to whitney on 9 days worth of food.  I have 15 minutes to use this old computer for, which I paid 10 dollars to use.  We are beat.  This is incredibly difficult for all of us, and we have blisters, sore feet, 200+ misquito bites, and we are tired all the time.  We are doing fine, and we end up to make it out to whitney portal on the 31st.  However, if we do not have enough energy to make it at 13/14 miles for the next 9 days, we will have to hike out to bishop and resuply.  this will add 26+ miles to the total trip and 3 or possibly 4 days.  we are not sure though what will happen.  we are having an awesome time, but we are finding our 16-18 day window too short.  Our packs are super freaking heavy and we mailed a box of crap to Garret’s house in San Diego of stuff we don’t need.  This lightened our packs, but we are still tired and still suffer from heavy packs. 

On the bright side, we are walking through beautiful and endless, valleys, cliffs, gorges, rocks, streams, sunsets, lakes, ponds, animals, mountains, boulders, plants, flowers, and especially endless trail.  everything is awesome here and we are doing well.

Expect to hear from us on the 31st.

-Devin

Trisha took Devin, Luke and Garrett to the trail head for the John Muir Trail, a 20 day, 199 mile hike through the California Sierras High Country – a lifetime dream of mine that I am having to experience vicariously only through my son. I never even came close. Since I am on a business trip in Florida, I was not able to take the boys myself, but Trisha sent to all the parents this message.  Here it is, without asking for her permission:

 (click image to enlarge)

Left to right: Devin, Luke and Garrett

Hi Everyone,

I promised the boys that I would send out an email to all of you confirming that they arrived safely and started their trip as planned! Since there is a fine line between “they all got off just fine” and giving you every detail that lead up to their first steps onto that trail, I decided to divide the email into two sections. To the “Dads” and to the “Moms”.  Based on comments from the boys, they knew that their mom might ‘worry’ more – and therefore might enjoy some of the details. And perhaps the dads might just want to know the basics –“ Did they get there or not?”   Enjoy, Trisha

To the Dads:

• We left the house around 7:30 and drove non-stop to Lone Pine,  where we dropped off Luke’s car and had lunch.
• Next stop was the Mammoth area where Luke, due to car restrictions,, had to take a shuttle into the area where their food box was to be stored.
• We arrived at camp around 6:30pm, set up tents, and had dinner.
• Tuesday morning by 8:15, everything was packed up and I drove them to the ranger station to get their permits.
• By 9:00 – they took their first steps onto the JMT for an adventure of a lifetime.
• They have plenty of food, have prepared well and will have access to lots of water along the way.

To the Moms:

I arrived at the house at 7:00am to see the boys quite tired after a long night of packing and last minutes preparations. I don’t know what time each went to sleep, but I believe the last one to hit the bed was Devin at 4:00am. Needless to say, they would sleep tonight.

We managed to drive close together on the way up, and met at the Subway in Lone Pine around 12:30 for lunch.  Though exhausted, their excitement became evident as they ate their footlong sandwiches and started to discuss what they would eat as soon as they got off the trail!  We parked the car at a small town hotel, where it will be waiting for them after their hike.

The weather was at least 85 degrees, hot and dry, as we took off to Mammoth where their box of trail food would be stored. Feeling confident that we were making good time, we arrived at Mammoth at 3:00 with plenty of time to deliver the food box and get to the ranger station by 5:00 to pick up the trail passes. However, it turns out that due to car restrictions into the access area,  Luke would end up taking the $7.00, 40-minute shuttle ride (each way) into the area for the food drop.   In the meantime, Devin, Garrett and I relaxed on the deck of an outside restaurant and marveled how different the ski resort looked like in the summer.

An hour and half later, with Luke back with the group and map in hand, the boys navigated us up to Tuolumne Meadows campground.  Even though the campground was full, there are several “walk in campers” campsites for hikers. There was a fire pit, bear proof food storage, bathrooms and tent sites. I parked my car (though illegally) by the other campsites and set up “house” in the van.  By this time, the boys were chomping at their bits to start their adventure.  Soon the tents were pitched, sleeping bags rolled out — and bug repellent was generously applied! Since our arrival, the mosquitoes were making their debut in groves attacking every chance they got.  

After camp was set up, we enjoyed chips, salsa and guacamole, and a bottle of red wine I brought up.  Devin cooked dinner and the boys feasted on hot chili with spices and fresh vegetables.  I ate the other half of my subway, and was amazed at how well they had prepared for their meals on the trail.  Apparently the only thing that they forgot – was the butter!  Butter + Camping = who would have thought?  

Dinner was followed by a small campfire, light conversation and they were tucked in by 9:30.

Tuesday morning ,7:30am I woke to a knock on the window and a smile from Luke, returning the food I had stored in the locker. Temperatures dropped to around 40 degrees but the first night out was a success for the campers.  When I met up with them, they were ready to go with backpacks full and smiles on their faces, albeit perhaps a little anxious about what was ahead.

We  (LOL – heck no, THEY) loaded their 50lb+ packs into the car then we drove one mile down to the ranger station to pick up their passes. While they adjusted their packs they asked me to send you their love and pictures of their send off. In addition, Garrett asked to please give them until August 2 to arrive – before you begin to worry mom!  Depending on the hike, they might take an extra day on the trail or at the end. Also, please do not feel offended that they wanted to drive themselves home.  It will give them a chance to wind down, absorb the experience and be on their own, before they are ready to share all the details (and get their stories straight – I say!  LOL) We’ll all be excited to hear about the trip details when they return home, but I bet some things “that happen on the JMT” will stay on the “JMT”!!!

At 9:00 am, hugs were shared, smiles were once again ear to ear and the backpackers hit the trail.

To Moms and Dads:

As I watched them walk away, at that very moment, I pictured each of you watching your son prepare for the first day of school, then sending them off with love, pride and concern hoping that they will do well on their own; knowing that they will be forever changed.  And now, as young men – they were about to get an education of a lifetime.

I was honored to be the one to drive them up to Yosemite.  I learned that these three young intelligent men are products of wonderful parenting and homes full of love and support.  They are each very mindful of the world around them, have tender yet intelligent hearts, and have a quest for adventure.

Yes, they will do well.

Devin is doing conditioning and practice hikes for the John Muir Trail hike in July, and this was one I got to go along with. We had planned for a long time to do a several-nighter together. Not that Devin needs conditioning. He’s 21 years old. When I was that age, I was a hiking and mountaineering machine. And he is today. He could leave me in the dust if he wanted.

Vivian Creek Trail is the steepest and shortest way up San Gorgonio Mountain, the highest peak in Southern California. Here is our route:

  (click to enlarge and view map)

We started out at the trailhead at about 5800 feet (blue arrow), spent the night at High Creek Camp at 9300 feed (green arrow) and made it to the peak at 11500 feet (orange arrow) the next day. We then backtracked to High Creek again, spent another night, and trecked out the next morning.

Here is a picture of Devin, the mountain goat, on the way up:

Later on Devin cooked pasta, with fresh sauteed vegetables in the sauce and noodles boiled, nothing instant here. The two meals on the mountain, cooked by Devin, were the best cooked meals I have ever had in my lifetime of backpacking. Here we have the camera sitting on a water bottle in timer release, and I barely made it there for the shot. You can see that in both our eyes. But you can also see our “kitchen” for two days:

Finally, we got another hiker to take our picture together at the peak experience:

This morning Devin and I did a nice hike at Mission Trails in San Diego. We were out for 3.5 hours, walking for 2.75 hours, a total of 8 miles, with some very steep climbs. It was a great workout. We only brought 32 ounces of water for each of us, and that was short. If we had had more, we could have also hiked across the ridge to South Fortuna. We’ll just have to go there another time.

And again, I forgot to bring a camera. From the top, at 1289 feet, you can see all of San Diego, up to Ramona and Palomar Mountain to the north. A very nice vantage point.

On June 21, 2008 – the day of summer solstice – Devin and I went on a hike from the top of the Palm Springs Tram to San Jacinto Peak.

It was a brutally hot day in the desert (guessing around 115 degrees), so we tried to get there early. We caught the tram at 8:40 and were on the mountain by 9:00.

I have been on San Jacinto Peak many times. I have come up from Idyllwild, and along the ridge from the west. I have also hiked the peak from the tram a number of times. Once, I remember it specifically, it was so icy that I kept falling, despite my hiking poles. I didn’t have crampons. I went out and bought an emergency set after that hike, but I have never since had a chance to use them.

San Jacinto is one of the highest peaks in Southern California. The desert floor in Palm Springs is at an elevation of between 400 and 500 feet. The peak is 10,804 feet. The tram starts at 2,600 feet and carries you to 8,600 feet in about 10 minutes. There is a 30 degree difference in temperature between the valley station of the tram and the mountain station.

When you sit atop of the peak on look down into the valley, it looks like you can reach out and  touch it. It is directly below you. There are not many places in the country (probably the world) where there is a 10,000 foot difference in elevation in such a dramatically short distance. Most places in the Rockies and the High Sierras are higher, but you drive up much higher in the first place, so you can never look down so far. Looking down from the peak of San Jacinto is like looking out of the airplane just before a free-fall jump.

Devin on the peak

Father and son on the peak, but who is woman in the picture?

San Jacinto Peak – 10,803 feet

The hike is always much tougher than I remember from one time to the next. Good thing, otherwise you’d never go back. It’s been a while that I was there. This time was tough. Devin is a young buck of 20, and he can leave me in the dust. But he stuck with me, thank you very much. I now get quite winded going up and my knees give me lot of trouble going down. So I take my time.

The hike actually started at the end of the tram line. I didn’t realize that I had my GPS on on the walk from the parking lot to the tram station in the valley. It pays to take a minute to clear the tracks and save them properly, so the documentation is clean afterwards.

The long way back through the valley seems endless.

When flying in and out of Ontario Airport, you often get a great look at the top of this mountain from the window. The distance from the mountain station of the tram to the peak looks like a stone’s throw. It’s a 5.5 mile hike with a 2,200 foot elevation difference, with most of the elevation compressed into the last 2 miles of the hike. The south-east flank of the mountain, where the switchbacks are, is also the one most exposed to the morning sun, so no matter what the actual temperature, it is hot.

We got back to the tram station around 5:00pm, completely exhausted. Everything hurt. The burrito in Palm Springs tasted heavenly, and the hour and a half ride home, Devin drove it all, seemed interminable.

And somehow I am so glad we did it, and I was there one more time. I can’t get enough of San Jacinto.

My left foot has been giving me troubles (I wear orthotics) and I needed a test hike for my foot and boots. So on Father’s Day, June 15, Devin took me on Cowles Mountain, a prominent round desert peak northeast of San Diego, within a 10 minute drive.

The hike goes from an elevation of about 680 feet to the peak of 1,591 feet.

On Father’s Day morning, the trail was full of people of all ages. We only brought one bottle of water between the two of us, per Devin’s recommendation, and that wasn’t quite enough. Twice that amount would have been better on a hot Sunday morning.

My foot worked ok. Check!

Devin took some pictures, but hasn’t sent them to me yet, so I can’t post one.

Devin then took me to D.Z. Aiken for breakfast. If you ever need to get your fill at a classic Jewish diner, there isn’t a better one in town. Their lox and bagel is to die for, their lox and cream cheese omelet is a killer and you’ll be waddling out.

The title of this post is wrong: We intended to go and see the Sill Hill Waterfall. We never made it there.

On May 22, I went with Robert (timeless hiking partner dating back to 1985) and Devin (who wants to learn how to safely hike and backpack).

I still use Jerry Schad’s book “Afoot and Afield in San Diego County” copyright 1986, which is now tattered and in some cases outdated. The trees and bushes he sometimes references are no longer there, and even roads and paths have come and gone. I found a Google books version here (see page 228, 229) and it shows the pages relevant to this hike. You need to buy the book for further information.

Robert and I were at Sill Hill once before a long time ago, perhaps in the mid 1990ies. I remember the way there a stroll through clean forest floor, over meadows, surrounded by tall trees. Then I went back in November 2004. The fires of 2003 had burned all the brush and there was nothing but tree trunks and forest floor, with the seedlings of poison oak sprouting out of the ground all over the place. You simply had to avoid the green stuff, and you were fine.

When we got to the place on the trail where you leave the fire road, jump what’s left of the barbed wire fence, and start through the forest down to the meadow, we faced a surprise. The woods were impenetrable. We ended up changing our plans entirely, and did the Middle Peak circle hike instead, an 8.25 mile round trip, shown below from my Garmin record.

At the very leftmost point you can see at the arrow where we were going to head down into the forest, leaving the fire road.

We quickly found ourselves surrounded by a green waist to head high ranky shrub with white flowers. For you botanists and naturists, that was a very inadequate description. I have no idea what the stuff is. Furthermore, one more mistake: I had brought a camera, and during the entire trip I never took it out once. This makes for a boring blog entry. I could have taken a picture of the stuff and people could have helped me identify what it was we were dealing with.

Long story short: The fires of 2003 cleared everything living off the forest floor, leaving room for this stuff to grow wild, so wild, that you can no longer walk through the forest and reach the meadow without bushwhacking. There was no way. Further, and I didn’t explain that to my hiking partners, since we were all in shorts, the poison oak beyond the meadow, during the descent to the water fall, would have been huge now and within the green thickets practically invisible. A truly treacherous thought.

So we decided to turn around and do something else,  which resulted in the circle hike of Middle Peak.

But while we were stepping out of the brush in single file, Devin, the novice being last, all of a sudden yelled “there is a snake.” Both Robert and I had presumably just stepped over it. Even with Devin pointing directly at it, we didn’t see it right away. But there it was, a large, completely coiled rattle snake, sitting under a sapling right where we had stepped over it, our boots four inches next to it. We could easily have stepped on it.

Furtunately it was cold and the snake was lethargic. I poked it with my hiking pole and it groggily slithered away.

Lessons:

• There was no way we expected a rattle snake in this lush, moist and cold forest thicket.
• The two “experienced veterans” both practically stepped on the thing without even knowing it was there, and the “novice” alerted us to it.
• Had it been a warm day, with the snake on the alert, we could have easily been bitten.
• Walking in thickets in Southern California is treacherous. You can’t see your feet.

We proceeded on the fire road hike around the peak, for a total of 8.25 miles. We were freezing. A storm came in, and just as we got back to the car it started to rain. We sat down slighly moist and headed for Julian and then down the mountain. On the way, it hailed and there was lightning. The next  day we found out that a tornado had derailed a train in Riverside with 30 ton rail cars. Here is an article.

Devin thought we would have been alright in the storm. We two “veterans” laughed at him. Robert suggested the following experiment via email the next day:

Devin should take advantage of the cool windy weather over the next couple days to do an experiment. Put on a normal set of pants and maybe long sleeve shirt, drench himself with a garden hose, drink a tall glass of ice cold water, and see how he feels after standing outside in a windy corner of the yard for 15 or 20 minutes.

He got to see first hand some surprises in weather, but he ought to safely experience first hand how quickly you can become chilled with a bit of wind and rain.

All in all, it was a successful hike.

Here I am in the redwoods in Mendocino County, California.

Majestic.

Today, my friend Mike and I went on a hike in the Anza Borrego desert, near Borrego Springs. The hike is listed as the Borrego Palm Canyon hike. The “improved” trail ends at an oasis. If you have ever pictured an oasis in your mind — and never seen one — this is the one they are all modeled after. In the middle of desolate dryness, rocks, sand, and temperatures in the 80ies in February, there is a stand of palm trees, deep shade, a year-round creek splashing down the rocks into the pools nearby.

Mike and I, before the hike, at the trailhead.

Mike came to visit from Albany, New York, where they have 20 degrees Fahrenheit right now. He didn’t complain one bit about “heat” in the upper 80ies.

Here you can see the oasis, looking uphill from the trail. We’re still quite a distance away from it.

Here we’re closer. That’s Mike standing in the foreground.

One more closer look at the same picture, zoomed in. We ate our peanutbutter sandwiches right there.