Trail Talk

This is the story of my hike on the Pacific Crest Trail from its start at the border of Mexico, across the mountains of CA, OR and WA, to its end at the Canadian border. Over five summers since 2005 I have backpacked sections of this trail totalling over 1300 miles, about half of its entire length. My goal is to keep trekking and finish it all someday.

Let me repeat my thanks to my cousin, Charlie Dvorak, for posting and editing my photos on this blog to illustrate the story. He can be reached at cdvorak@optonline.net. Let me also thank again the Pacific Crest Trail Association for their hard work in maintaining and protecting the trailway. They are at www.pcta.org. Enjoy!

September 21, 2010 to Sept. 26th: Truckee to Sierra City

In this 42 mile hike I headed north on the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) from a trail head close to Interstate 80 near the ski town of Truckee. Nearby ski resorts include Squaw Valley and Sugar Bowl, both skirted by the PCT. At this point the PCT is leaving the Lake Tahoe area for the northern Sierra Nevada, with mountains covered by ancient lava flows and carved by erosion and glaciers.

The hike started at a well-travelled route across Donner Pass over the mighty Sierra Nevada. As the PCT went past Donner Pass I could see the railroad track tunnelled through rock cliffs, a famous feat accomplished by Chinese labor. (Railroad Tunnels and Sheds) Here's a vista of Donner Lake from the PCT. (Donner Lake) At the far end is where the ill-fated Donner party was trapped by deep snows in the winter of 1846 and lost dozens of emigrants. Nearby Truckee gets the coldest winters in CA. Hence, I did this late-season hike with one eye on the sky in case of snow.

The PCT went under I-80 and soon entered a wild area featuring majestic Castle Peak. (Castle Peak 1) Truck noise faded quickly in the dense forest and I set up my tent next to giant fir trees. This wild tract in the Tahoe National Forest is considered a "roadless area" by the Forest Service, meaning that it is natural and unroaded enough to qualify as "wilderness" but has not yet been so designated by Congress. Thus, this 16,000 acre roadless area could some day be the "Castle Peak Wilderness." This area would make a superb wilderness, with its scenic beauty and exceptional backcountry recreation.

Back in 2001 the Forest Service under Clinton adopted a rule not to build roads or log in the 58.5 million acres of national forest roadless area nationwide. In CA there are over four million acres of roadless areas on its national forests, almost as much land as all the national forest designated wilderness. Obama has largely continued this policy of preserving potential national forest wilderness. The PCT benefits by maintaining its wildness in special places like Castle Peak.

The next day I climbed up to Castle Pass at about 8,000' (Sign at Pass) at the head of Castle Valley with more stunning views (Castle Peak 2) Far to the south was the mountain skyline of the Granite Chief Wilderness (Granite Chief Wilderness) I felt right at home too as I have snowshoe hiked to Castle Pass many times over the years. The area is also very popular for cross-country skiing.

On the other side of the pass the PCT leads to one of the few overnight structures along its entire length -- the rough and rustic Peter Grubb Hut. (Peter Grubb Hut) I stayed here one winter night in 2004. The snow was so deep visitors entered through the door on the second floor!

For much of this section the PCT travelled along high, exposed ridges with views of meadows and peaks in the distance. (Meadows and Peaks) Many of the springs and brooks had gone dry by fall so it was always a challenge to find water. Thus, it was a luxury to camp next to this creek (White Rock Creek) on night two on a bed of soft pine needles. Night three was a delight also, on top of an open ridge with vistas of lakes in all directions: Webber Lake (Webber Lake) and Fordyce Lake (Fordyce Lake) From my perch I also heard gunshots the next AM. I was puzzled as deer hunting season did not start for a few days but put on my orange vest to be safe. I learned later these were hunters doing target practice, or "plinking" as they call it.

At last came the first view of Sierra Buttes, a multi-pointed peak above Sierra City (Sierra Buttes 1); it was to be my beacon for the rest of the hike. Along the ridges also were large fields of dried-up "mule's ears," a plant with large gray leaves, like the shape and size of mule's ears, and showy yellow blooms, like sunflowers. By late fall, the blooms were gone and the leaves were brown; the plants rustled in the wind and, oddly, gave off a smell like lit cigars. (Mule's Ears and Mountains) The PCT also wound past colorful volcanic rock formations, rough to the touch. (Rough Rocks)

At a dry creek I came across a group of hunters, who kindly gave me a couple of quarts of water. We discussed their complaint that sightings were way down this year -- for deer, for turkey and for black bear. I had just read an article in the Sacramento paper that poaching is sharply up due to the recession. They agreed and reported that non-local folks came and hunted the woods year-round, regardless of the limits on seasons.

To make matters worse, CA has only about 240 game wardens in the field -- for a state of a hundred million acres and forty million people. That's the lowest ratio of game wardens to population of any U.S. state. It's no wonder that experts say that for every twenty active poachers each year only one will get caught. What a sorry record for CA on these environmental crimes!

I was cheered up with another view of beautiful Sierra Buttes across Jackson Meadow Reservoir. (Sierra Buttes 2) I had lunch in a stand of Sugar Pine, the tallest pine species in the world. Their cones grow more than a foot long; notice how they dwarf my gloves -- and I have big hands. (Very Long Sugar Pine Cones)

The PCT began a stairstep descent towards Highway 49, dropping down many tricky switchbacks of loose slate to Milton Creek. (Milton Creek) The PCT paralleled Milton Creek for a spell -- very welcome after all the dry ridges in this section. It was heaven on earth that night camping out at the roaring confluence of Milton and Haypress Creeks near a sturdy bridge. (Bridge)

There were two final treats before the highway. Just past a gorge of Haypress Creek unfolded this stunning view: (Sierra Buttes 3) There's a side trail off the PCT up metal stairs to a fire tower on the peak of Sierra Buttes. That's a good reason to come back. And just before the highway the PCT crossed on a bridge over the narrow, rocky cleft of the North Fork of the Yuba River. (Yuba Canyon) I climbed down to the river and soaked my feet in a calm pool below a falls. Exiting at Highway 49, I was charmed by quaint Sierra City, a short distance down the road.

Back in my car I visited the larger town of Quincy further north, for the purpose of seeing its library -- an odd purpose you might think. (Quincy Library) However, about a decade ago this library was the location for a series of meetings with the timber industry and local interests that resulted in agreement on a plan for logging these national forests. The plan by the so-called "Quincy Library Group" was eventually enacted into law by Congress, over the criticism of national conservation groups like The Wilderness Society. It turned out that the plan was never fully carried out because the logging goals and the impacts on the environment were excessive.

After the stop at Quincy I took a side trip to a beautiful area right next to the PCT called "Lakes Basin." I did a loop trail one day that passed nine (!) sparkling lakes, such as this alpine gem (Silver Lake) with 8,000' Mt. Elwell as backdrop. As I studied the maps I wondered if the PCT could be routed past one or two of these lakes. When I got home I contacted Mike Dawson of the Pacific Crest Trail Association (PCTA) with my question and was pleased to learn that the PCTA is in fact proposing a relocation of the trail past a couple of these lakes and has the support of the Forest Service. Good news to end the hiking season!

August 24, 2010 to August 28: Sonora Pass to Ebbetts Pass

This thirty two mile section of the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) crosses over the Carson-Iceberg Wilderness, located in the Toiyabe and Stanislaus National Forests, north of Yosemite National Park. This 160,000 acre wildland is named after the Carson River, which drains from the area, and after a distinctive iceberg-shaped formation in the wilderness.

Bill Salmon joined me again on this northbound trek, as he did for my last PCT hike back in 2008 across the Marble Mountain Wilderness. I did no PCT trip in 2009, as I was preparing for and taking the CA Bar Exam in the summer. The good news is that I passed!

Here we are at Sonora Pass, with the steep terrain of the Emigrant Wilderness in the background. (Bill and Peter at Sonora Pass) We look and feel refreshed and relaxed after an overnight at Grover Hot Springs State Park in Markleeville, where we took a leisurely soak in the springs at twilight. At 9,620 feet Sonora Pass is the second highest road crossing the Sierra Nevada after Tioga Pass in Yosemite National Park.

At this point the PCT is making a transition from the gray granite mountains and formations of Yosemite NP and the High Sierras to the red and brown rocks of volcanic peaks and flows in the northern Sierra Nevada. For instance, this is volcanic material Bill is examining -- rough to the touch and colorful. (Bill with Craggy Rocks) Here is odd-shaped volcanic rock shaped like spires. (Volcanic Spires) There would still be occasional granite stretches, like in Desolation Wilderness up by Lake Tahoe, but the geology would be mostly volcanic northward from here.

We climbed steeply to the crest at 10,500' and began to drop down towards Wolf Creek Lake, our destination for the night. I set up my tent next to a spring that emptied into this meadow. (Wolf Creek Lake) So peaceful... After an hour or so of sound sleep I was awakened as the tent was flooded with strong light: a full moon had popped up over the trees and had painted the lake silver. It was so bright that the birds sang for about an hour thinking it was dawn!

The next day we began a long and steady downhill through a canyon carved by the East Fork of the Carson River. (Down Canyon of the Carson River) As we left the crest the PCT dropped below 10,000'; it would never reach that lofty height again all the way to Canada. We crossed a number of boulder fields and avalanche chutes. As the canyon deepened we looked up at Stanislaus Peak towering above. (Stanislaus Peak) After a descent of over 2,000' the PCT finally switchbacked up and exited the canyon. Here's a view looking back up to the top. (Up Canyon of the Carson River) Across the way thousand foot white cliffs jutted skyward. (White Canyon)

Bill and I had gotten into the happy habit of camping at lakes, so we decided to drop down a scenic side trail to Boulder Lake. (Reflection in Boulder Lake) Trees tightly rimmed the shore but I found a downed log that let me walk out, collect water and soak my feet. (Log in Lake) As I sat on the log I was surrounded by blue dragonflies the size of small birds -- friendly and curious. Other campers there were buzzing about the sighting of a mother bear and cubs so Bill hung up our food off a tree branch. Still there in the AM.

Back on the crest we hiked through a wet meadow being grazed by a large number of cattle, with their cowbells clanking. They had deposited large cow pies all over, polluting the water. (Much to the surprise of many hikers, livestock grazing is allowed in designated wilderness on national forests.) I do not object to cattle grazing in national forests but wish they would stay out of our drinking water.

Next came a rocky mountain created as a plug from a volcano; it was literally only a pile of stones: no trees, no grasses, no nothing. Oddly, such peaks have no names but are called by their elevation. (Peak 9500) Deep in the wilderness now we passed one vista after another -- (Clouds and Mountain); (Peak 9500 and Stanislaus Peak), and (Another Nameless Peak)

With no logging in wilderness, there are typically more older-aged trees than in logged areas, resulting also in more standing dead trees, called "snags," that provide diverse wildlife habitat. (Snag on PCT) Reddish-brown cliffs seemed to be everywhere, (Red-Brown Cliffs) reminding us of the volcanic flows that once covered this landscape. A final vista opened up northward to the skyline of the Mokelumne Wilderness, on the other side of Ebbetts Pass. (Distant Mokelumne Wilderness) I had hiked through that wilderness back in 2005 on the PCT and was excited to see its familiar peaks from afar.

On our last night we camped at Nobel Lake, (Nobel Lake) tucked away at the head of Nobel Canyon. On our way back from getting water at the lake, Bill saw a large bird fly into the trees near his tent and remarked it was a hawk. A while later he rushed up to my tent, in an open flat, and told me he'd been cooking dinner when a Sharp-Shinned Hawk flew down less than 20' away, seized a chipmunk and flapped away. What a rare moment!

As we hiked out the next day, we crossed Nobel Canyon and found still another kind of rock -- "conglomerate," like cookie dough with a wide variety of stones mixed in. (Peter at Nobel Canyon) We reached my car at Ebbetts Pass, (Bill at Sign) and headed down the narrow and winding highway; we followed this scenic route to the historic town of Angels Camp.

As we strolled around town, we came upon sidewalk plaques honoring each years' winner of a frog-jumping contest held in the county. Note this frog from 2007 that leapt 21 feet and 4 and 1/4 inches! (2007 Jumping Frog Winner) This contest is inspired by the story Mark Twain set here, "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County." The star of the show is the CA Red-legged Frog, the largest native frog in the west, sadly listed as threatened by the US Fish and Wildlife Service due to habitat loss. I bet there were a few hidden in Nobel Lake!

July 25, 2008 to July 30: Etna to Seiad Valley, CA

This fifty six mile hike along the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) continued north from Etna Summit, where I exited to the town of Etna after the last hike, and ended in the rural hamlet of Seiad Valley near the border of Oregon. Much of this route is through the Marble Mountain Wilderness, directly past the crown jewels of this spectacular wildland: Paradise Lake, Kings Castle and the Marble Mountain itself, with its giant band of sparkling marble. Beyond the mountains, the PCT descends through a primeval forest all the way to the mighty Klamath River.

As noted in the entry for the last hike, lightning has been striking all over the dry forests of northern CA this summer and has been igniting numerous fires. My luck ran out as a blaze was started just off the PCT a few miles past Etna Summit. For safety reasons the Forest Service closed a few miles of the trail and directed hikers to bypass the burning area.

Bill Salmon from Carmel Valley, CA joined me for this section. (He had previously hiked with me on the PCT in 2006, over a long, rugged High Sierra section also known as the John Muir Trail.) Along with having similar interests and politics we hike at about the same pace. We got a ride out of Etna to a side trail -- Canyon Creek Trail -- into the Marble Mountain Wilderness that would take us up to the point where the PCT was open.

It was very exciting for both of us to make our first visit to the Marble Mountain Wilderness, a large wildland at 240,000 acres. (Peter at Sign) Designated in the original 1964 Wilderness Act, this area is legendary for its striking geology, remote grandeur and abundant wildlife. (Marble Mountain Wilderness) It is entirely within the Klamath National Forest, managed by the Forest Service. In Etna my favorite restaurant had a wall-sized mural of the Marble Mountains and I was itching to see the real thing.

We climbed steeply up the Canyon Creek Trail past old-growth fir and hemlock, like this down tree (Bill at Deadfall) We were rested and fit and gained about 2,000 feet in elevation without the usual huffing and puffing. We emerged from the deep woods into a basin of lakes and hiked across meadows bursting with wildflowers. We met a horsepacking group that reported they had seen five bear that very day. And, sure enough, there was fresh bear scat -- still steaming -- as we left the Canyon Creek Trail and headed towards Frying Pan Lake and the two Sky High Lakes.

While crossing a meadow Bill and I turned around and -- BOOM! -- there was the extraordinary sight of a giant band of white marble across a mountain, above the green of forested slopes and below the grey of a massive peak. (Marble Band on Black Mountain) We stared and stared some more, almost in disbelief, as the marble sparkled like snow in the sun.

The geology is almost as amazing as the sight. This rock began as a thick layer of limestone built up from coral reefs on the ocean floor. After eons of heavy pressure from rock above the limestone was metamorphosed and became transformed into marble. In other words, the hard marble on the top of this mountain began as a coral reef under the sea!

Bill and I arrived at Lower Sky High Lake and set up camp. To make up for the mileage lost due to the closing of the PCT we were exploring side lakes off the crest. After all the bear sign Bill decided to hang our food up in the air from some branches out of their reach. He also took out a can of bear spray and kept it handy! These were promises to his wife, he said. As I ate my Clif Bar at lakeshore (Lower Sky High Lake), I watched a great blue heron hunt for frogs and trout in the still, dark shallows. And it worked: no bear that night.

The next day we climbed still further up and at last got to the PCT. with more views of the marble band on the distant peak. (Peter and Black Mountain) We soon left the PCT on a side trail steeply down to Big Elk Lake on the other side of the ridge. I went splashing in the lake and again watched a great blue heron hunt at twilight in the shallow waters. With his sharp eyes Bill saw a bald eagle!

Back on the PCT the next day we descended to Marble Valley, a glacial cirque beneath Marble and Black Mountains. There were streams and springs and flowers everywhere -- a regular Garden of Eden. Next came a highlight of the section: a traverse directly onto and then around the giant band of marble. Almost like a glacier, the rock stratum had fissures and caves. (PCT on Marble) Like ice too, the hard rock was cool to the touch. And -- to me -- the marble sent off an earth energy that made my body feel extra alive.

If this was backpacking heaven we were surely there at Paradise Lake, our next overnight. (Reflection on Lake) Beyond the still waters was an emerald slope with meadows and rocky outcrops. (Slope Above Paradise Lake) Here's a detail of Kings Castle on the slope. (Kings Castle 1) We didn't talk much at dinner but just gazed at the beauty around us.

The next day we walked up and up to an exposed ridge about level with Kings Castle. (Kings Castle 2) Due to harsh weather many of the trees were stunted, like living sculptures. (Gnarled Jeffrey Pine) We hiked for many miles along aptly-named Big Ridge with steep views to the west into Bear Creek. Our intent was to reach Buckhorn Spring, with water, and camp out on the open terrain. Darned if we couldn't find the spring; maybe it had dried up.

As we exited Marble Mountain Wilderness, we picked up the pace, did an additional six miles and got to refreshing Cold Spring Creek just as darkness fell. Whew! Close call. As he went to get water, Bill heard a bear scramble out of a nearby thimbleberry bush. The next AM I noticed a coat of ash on my tent blown in from nearby fires.

Our route out was downhill through pristine and stately old-growth forest along Grider Creek. Since the PCT is by design normally a crest pathway, it was a rare treat to have a sustained hike through this mid and low elevation ancient forest. The musical tumbling of Grider Creek past its many clefts and canyons added to the delight. Before leaving the forest Bill and I stopped below a footbridge and took a chilly dip. (Grider Creek)

As we came out at the campground at the end of the national forest, we met a Forest Service wildlife biologist researching the effect that roading and logging this drainage of old-growth forest would have on the Northern Goshawk, a hawk of the deep forest adept at hunting other birds and small mammals.

Logging roads have already begun to penetrate the upper portions of this watershed and there does not appear to be any permanent protection for this sizable, unbroken ancient forest. There would be many benefits, it looked to me, if the boundary of the Marble Mountain Wilderness were extended north all the way from Buckhorn Spring to the Grider Creek Campground. It would certainly preserve a wilderness setting for the PCT and those that hike it.

At the campground Bill and I also met a well-known hiker, by the trail name of Nimblewill, who has authored many books on his adventures. Our age, he hikes thirty miles A DAY on the PCT, about triple our mileage, although with a support van to meet him at roads. Like here, where we were treated to Gatorade and fresh fruit! Lean and with a full beard and ready laugh, Nimblewill seemed like a twin to Bill E. Goat from the last section.

Outside the Klamath National Forest, the PCT is forced onto a road walk of a few miles up to the Klamath River, across it on a bridge and then along the river to the tiny town of Seiad Valley. The easy walk gave me time to think about whether to compete in the "Pancake Challenge" at the one restaurant in the town. In this challenge the customer gets their order of pancakes FREE if they can eat the whole thing, under the watchful eye of the management. Bill was on a low-carb diet so "no" for him; I figured I would at least ask about the portion size.

Once seated I did ask. The waiter lifted up a plastic top over a cake on the counter and said, "That's the size: five pancakes; a pound apiece; total five pounds." Not counting butter and syrup. Hmmm.... I thought, and ordered a tuna salad sandwich. (In case you're wondering, eleven customers have "won" the challenge, including three PCT hikers.) (Pancake Challenge) By the way Seiad Valley is the last stop in CA before crossing northward into Oregon.

After lunch we asked the cashier how to return to Etna where Bill had his car. We had heard there was a series of buses that could get us there. I was literally in the middle of the question when in through the door walked Alice, a local about to leave for a town near Etna. Our ride! Trail magic. We had dinner that night in the restaurant with the mural of the Marble Mountains.

July 11, 2008 to July 22: I-5 to Etna

This 100 mile hike on the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) began at the crossing of Interstate 5 (I-5) in northern California. The PCT here detours from the Cascades for a westward loop through the scenic wildlands of the Klamath Mountains before returning to the Cascades in Southern Oregon.

I started the long and hot climb of about 5,000' from the low spot of I-5 along the Sacramento River and walked north upward and upward to the high country of Castle Crags. I recalled my first trip to this area in 2004 as a volunteer with the Pacific Crest Trail Association to help clear brush from the PCT a few miles distant. The area stole my heart back then with gorgeous views of Mount Shasta (Mt. Shasta) and the Castle Crags (Castle Crags) I was excited to be returning to this section to continue on to the little town of Etna through the beautiful wildernesses of Castle Crags, Trinity Alps and Russian.

It helped to be excited because air conditions were discouraging. In the past week lightning struck all across the dry forests of the region and set dozens of fires. The air was heavy with smoke and visibility was limited. Some sections of the PCT further south were closed by the Forest Service but fortunately not where I was going, so off I went.

Castle Crags is a giant chunk of granite that was thrust above the earth's surface by the collision of oceanic plates and then was carved by glaciers and erosion. This extraordinary formation and its forested slopes, totalling about 8,600 acres, are protected as wilderness. (Castle Crags Sign) As I hiked up and up, the crags emerged one by one, (Crag 1) (Crag 2), until finally the entire "castle" with its domes and spires, came into view. (Vista of Castle Crags Through Smoke)

These oceanic plates that thrusted the formation skyward contain "serpentine" rock --CA's state rock! These rocks weather to serpentine soils which, when boggy, provide ideal growing conditions for the CA pitcher plant, a tall insect-eating plant, unfortunately endangered. (Pitcher Plant 1) (Pitcher Plant 2). I also spied Bear Grass in open meadows with its tall stem and showy white blossom. (Bear Grass) Bears eat its root in spring, hence the name.

Further on I hiked past Seven Lakes Basin which included this black pond (Echo Lake) at the base of Boulder Peak. I made friends with a couple of backpackers -- Jesse and Brian -- who were fishing these many lakes. I ate lunch at a sparkling alpine pond (Peter at Porcupine Lake) and watched Jesse cast for trout. (Angler) Another night I camped at the top of a canyon containing the headwaters of the South Fork of the Sacramento River -- the river that flows past where I live.

More lakes appeared. Here is Toad Lake, with Mt. Shasta looming in the distance. (Toad Lake) Best of all in the entire section was Upper Deadfall Lake, with this view of Mt. Eddy at sunset from the door of my tent. (Upper Deadfall Lake) I even got to walk out to the log in the lake, sit on it and cool my dusty feet. The next night I got to camp at still another lake (Bull Lake) and again enjoy the reflection of the pink sunset in the still waters.

The next day I came upon some long-distance travellers -- on horseback. (Two Horses) They explained that the chestnut-brown horse is called a "Bay," as in "somebody bet on the Bay." I also enjoyed these splashes of orange along the trail. (Leopard Lilies in Bloom)

A sight I did not enjoy were these stretches of PCT surrounded by logging debris. As you can see, some of the trees were cut literally right next to the trail. (Stump at Trail). And near-clearcuts extended a hundred yards or so from the PCT. (Logging Debris) This logging was occurring on private land that the PCT went across, likely owned by Southern Pacific Company, a railroad company that is CA's largest private-land owner.

The history here is that the federal government granted alternate sections (640 acres in size) of land to railroad companies in the 19th century as an incentive for them to build tracks. Hence, there are these "checkerboard" patterns of land ownership here on the Shasta-Trinity National Forest and elsewhere. The PCT has a narrow easement to go across these private lands but I guess that does not preclude logging, even right over the trail. Over 200 miles of the PCT still remain on private land; here's an example of why the trailway needs to be publicly acquired.

Happily, I soon arrived at the boundary of the Trinity Alps Wilderness (Trinity Alps Sign),a vast wildland with little "checkerboarding" of private land and no logging allowed on national forest. At over 500,000 acres, this is the second largest national forest wilderness in CA, right after the John Muir Wilderness further south on the PCT. I hiked along ridges affording nonstop views of granite peaks (A Trinity Alp) and past greened-up meadows. (Rocky Greenery) I also walked now and then across these red-rock boulder fields (Red Rock Trailway) In still another reminder of the fires burning all around, I paused at this fresh snag sheared off by a lightning strike (Snag)

Much to my surprise, I then ran into one of the more colorful members of the PCT community relaxing in his favorite habitat. (Bill E. Goat). Yes, I assume that's his trail name; I have no idea what's on his driver's license. I had met Bill a couple of times at trail events and was delighted to come across him in the middle of nowhere. We lunched and told trail tales. The takeaway is that at age 68 he hiked 3400 miles last year on the PCT, the Florida Trail and others. He loves his trail life and bubbles over about his adventures.

After leaving the Trinity-Alps Wilderness I soon entered the Klamath National Forest and its Russian Wilderness, a 12,000 acre tract, with steep granite walls rising out of rushing rivers. (Russian Sign) I took a break at this outlet creek from Bingham Lake to get my fill of sweet, cold water. (Tumbling Cascade) Nearby was a view up towards Russian Peak, the area's namesake. (Straight Up)

My last night I camped at Paynes Lake, surrounded by rock faces, and took a dip to soak off the dirt before my re-entry to civilization. As an owl hooted, I reflected on our good fortune to have wilderness on this natonal forest and elsewhere. As a reminder, a wilderness is a wild area of federal land designated by Congress to be preserved by law in its natural condition. Hiking, camping, fishing, hunting, horseback riding, nature study, river rafting and other nonmotorized forms of recreation are allowed on national forest wilderness while logging, road building, mining, dam construction and motorized recreation are not allowed.

Thanks to farsighted political leaders and strong public support, we are especially blessed here in CA to have over fifteen millon acres of wilderness, the most of any state outside Alaska. This fifteen million acres of wilderness is 15% of CA's total size of about one hundred million acres; put another way, fifteen millions acres is the size of Vermont, New Hampshire and Conn. combined -- a worthy natural legacy for the people of CA to leave for the future.

I exited the Russian Wilderness the next day, descended to the road at Etna Summit, and caught a ride from a church group into the small, charming town of Etna. A local trail angel had fixed up a barn as a "Hiker's Hut" with bunks, showers and Internet. The hut was decorated inside with flags from many countries around the world that hikers hailed from. As a welcome I got a tour of the pretty Scott's Valley around Etna from a local celebrity, Molly, who had recently won the Senior World Figure Ice Skating Championship held in Germany -- and had the clippings to prove it! (Peter and Molly at Hiker's Hut)

During my two zero days I happily hung out at the old-fashioned ice cream counter at the town drug store and read newspapers. And who should show up in Etna but Bill E. Goat; my hiking friends from GA, last seen in the CA desert, and a young couple from Switzerland who sang the Swiss national anthem beneath their flag in the hut, among others? On day two Bill Salmon also arrived for us to start the next section.

May 29, 2008 to June 7: Tehachapi to Walker Pass

About a month later I returned by bus to the town of Tehachapi in Southern California to continue north on a 86 mile hike on the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT). I picked up the PCT at Tehachapi Pass and did a long and steady climb back into the high country. In the distance I could see Sawmill Mountain and Antelope Valley, features from the last trip. (Above Tehachapi Pass)

As the hot air rises from the desert, the cooler winds race in from the coastal west and compress against the ridges, creating a wind tunnel in Tehachapi Pass. Wind speeds here reach up to eighty mph, powering wind farms along the PCT. (Windmills) Spring still touched the land, with bursts of red flowers dotting the trail. (Owl's Clover) In the distance I could see the air strips of Edwards Air Force Base, where the space shuttle lands.

Geologists consider Tehachapi Pass the start of the Sierra Nevada, which then runs 400 air miles north to Mount Lassen, the beginning of the Cascades.The Sierra Nevada is the longest continuous mountain range in the lower 48. Since the PCT winds back and forth, it clocks 800 trail miles along the Sierra Nevada, almost a third of its entire length from Mexico to Canada. Thus, it was very exciting for me to pass this 6700' granite mountain (Cache Peak) and to finally arrive in the mighty Sierras, a range of soaring granite.

Note too that the slopes of Cache Peak are cloaked with Pinyon Pine. This small, bushy tree has only single needles, not clusters of two or three needles like other pines. The nuts of this pine were an important food for Native Americans and are still used in our salads. Much of my camping in this section was in the shelter of Pinyon Pine.

Here's another set of windmills (Sky River Wind Farm), much taller than the last ones. The PCT goes right next to Sky River, which is planned for expansion. The visual impact does not bother me personally; I like to see power being created from renewable sources without greenhouse gases. However, I do worry about the killing of migratory birds, especially raptors like golden eagles and hawks, from the blades.

The PCT soon ascended into the Piute Mountains, with their tall and stately Jeffrey Pine and flowing water at Landers Meadow. The trail then dropped into the scenic Kelso Valley with piles of boulders (Boulders) and bushes decked out with yellow flowers (Fremontia) The public land here is largely under the jurisdiction of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) within the California Desert Conservation Area. The PCT went near BLM's Bright Star Wilderness, as it approached this pointed peak (Peter in Front of Mayan Peak) In this area BLM posted many signs to warn off-road-vehicles to stay off the PCT and use other trails. Thanks, BLM.

Kelso Valley is also infamous for its dryness and its wind. In a stroke of good fortune I arrived at the main road crossing just as some local trail angels delivered water jugs. With big smiles a bunch of us hikers helped unload. (Hikers and Water Jugs) I also chatted with a couple from Georgia. As it turned out we knew each other from our work together on conservation a decade ago and had last seen each other on the Appalachian Trail. I was to meet them again later in the summer.

The climb out of Kelso Valley was hot, shadeless and sandy. As I got back up on a ridge, the barometer dropped like a rock and a cold front blew in. (Clouds in Barren Landscape) I found a lone Joshua Tree and threw up my tent in its shelter. The wind pounded my tent all night. During a slight break in the wind in the AM, I packed up and dashed off. There was no escape from the wind however; it blasted wildly in all directions. One gust even knocked me to the ground. One hiker told me he was thrown down a dozen times that day!

I finally reached Bird Spring Pass (Peter at Sign) with tree cover and even some color (Prickly Pear Cactus in Flower). Bird Spring Pass also marked the gateway to the 90,000 acre Kiavah Wilderness in Sequoia National Forest. This wilderness protects the beauty of this semi-arid land. (Kiavah Wilderness)

This is also the first is a long string of Congressionally-designated wildernesses along the PCT, separated only by the occasional road, that extends hundreds of miles north, all the way to the Lake Tahoe area. As I reached the other side of the Kiavah Wilderness, near Walker Pass, I could see far in the distance the snowy slopes of Olancha Peak and Mount Whitney.

With all the banging around from the wind, I had brushed into tree branches and chaparral and had sat on the ground a lot. Changing my socks a short distance before Walker Pass, I noticed two dark spots on my shin, each surrounded by a red circle. The guidebook alerted hikers that a ring-like red rash around a tick bite could be a sign of infection with Lyme disease.

My plan was to hike another thirty miles to Kennedy Meadows but I decided instead to go home and get screened. The blood test turned out negative: no Lyme disease. I learned too that only a tiny fraction of ticks in California carry Lyme disease and that chances of humans getting Lyme disease from a tick bite are very low. The rashes soon went away on their own. All in all, it was another scenic and inspiring adventure, well worth the challenge to body and spirit.

April 4, 2008 to April 16: Agua Dulce to Tehachapi

This 110 mile section of the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) connects the rugged mountains south of Agua Dulce -- the San Bernadino and San Gabriel ranges that encircle LA -- to the beginnings of the mighty Sierra Nevada, north of Tehachapi. Unlike these high mountains, however, this section goes along lower ridges covered with chaparral and strikes out into the dusty and hot Mojave Desert across the Antelope Valley. Fortunately, I was able to do this section in the spring when creeks were still running in the ridges and golden poppies were in bloom in the desert.

Let me add also that this desert mileage of the PCT will soon be history. The Pacific Crest Trail Association (PCTA) and other groups have reached an agreement with a large landowner to allow the trail to be moved up onto their ranch in the Tehachapi Mountains, out of the desert. This was the intended route of the PCT as a premier "crest" trail. This new portion of trail should be open by 2015 or so.

The PCT runs right through the town of Agua Dulce -- quite unusual for this remote trail that ordinarily bypasses towns. I dropped in on Donna Sauffley who sponsors a hiker's hostel there along with her husband Jeff. They put me up at the hostel at the end of a hot, hot hike in 2007. I had recently seen them at the PCT Trail Fest in Sacramento where Donna gave a speech marking the 40th anniversary of the National Trails Act, which established the PCT as a national trail. Helpful as ever, Donna gave me an up-to-date list of the water sources on the PCT for the next 110 miles. Hooray for "trail angels," as they are rightly called.

The PCT left the road in Agua Dulce for an ascent up pretty Mint Canyon in Angeles National Forest. After recent rains red (Scarlet Gilia) and yellow (Goldfields) flowers decorated the trail. Hummingbirds sipped from the trumpet-like flowers of the scarlet gilia. A vista (Bouquet Reservoir) sparkled in the distance.

A local wit hung a skeleton (Skeleton) along the trail -- I guess to spook us about the Mojave ahead. Other locals though helped us avoid that fate by putting out water (Trail Angel at Green Valley) After a couple of days I left the trail for an overnight in the town of Lake Hughes and stayed in a hotel with the outside walls all of rocks.

Back in the national forest I climbed up on the PCT to the summit of long Sawmill Mountain, with elevations above 5,000', as pine replaced the chaparral. I camped on a soft bed of pine needles and enjoyed a balmy breeze. (Tent in Pines) These were Coulter pines, which have the heaviest pine cones in the U.S., weighing over five lbs. (Coulter Pine Cone) Note the small size of my glove, in contrast.

With the elevation too came more wildness. As I looked at the landscape and at my map, it seemed there could be a 5/10,000 roadless area next to the PCT centered around this peak. (Sawtooth Mountain) There were even occasional patches of snow in the shade of the black oaks. (Snow Patch) In the descent from the forested ridges the PCT led past the one and only trailside lake in this entire section. (Lake on Liebre Mountain) I saw ducks and a heron in the reeds.

At last -- Ta Da! -- the expanse of Antelope Valley opened up before me: about 50 miles of the Mojave Desert to reach the Tehachapi Mountains. (Antelope Valley) Fortunately, there was a hostel on Highway 38 on the edge of the desert, allowing me to water and rest up before the desert. When I arrived at "Hikertown," the manager, Bob, gave me a giant platter of spaghetti and showed me to the comfortable bunkhouse.
That night I watched the movie, "Four Weddings and a Funeral," with Hugh Grant and laughed until I cried. I suppose after days of solitude I was hungry for humor as well as pasta!

The next day, my "zero" day, for "zero" miles hiked, Bob gave me a tour of some of the "old-time" false store-fronts built to lure Hollywood to film there. (Peter at Cat House) George Clooney has yet to appear but a couple of commercials were made there.

I left Hikertown the next day carrying about three gallons of water -- about 24 lbs. Luckily, the heat was tolerable, in the 90's, although the wind was starting to build. Ironically, the first major feature in the desert was the California Aquaduct (Concrete River) brimming with water on its way to thirsty L.A. Fences keep out the hikers!

Far from barren, the desert was ablaze with vast orange fields of California poppies, the state flower. (Poppies 1) (Poppies 2) (These photos were from a state park near the PCT where I did a training hike; the PCT vistas were just as colorful.)

I talked to a hiker coming my way who warned me to be careful as she had seen some snakes on the trail ahead. A local, she identified them as Mojave green rattlesnakes, similar in pattern to the western diamondback, but with yellow-green coloring. Their bite is very potent; the venom can be lethal to humans! The Mojave green is likely the most dangerous creature on the PCT.

I took out my camera and crept slowly along. There they were! Not one, but two. A big green (4') and a medium-sized green (2'), curled together, perhaps mating. (Mojave Green 1) (Mojave Green 2) In the fading shadows of twilight I could easily have stepped on them were it not for the warning. Thank you, guardian angel.

Along the trail was the signature plant of the Mojave -- the Joshua Tree, named by the Mormans after the Joshua from the Bible with arms outstretched. (Joshua Tree) PS, the plant is actually a yucca, not a tree. Hikers like them since they offer welcome shade and windbreaks. Joshua Trees can grow over thirty feet high and can live over nine hundred years.

The PCT next follows the Los Angeles Aquaduct, with a closed top this time, which is crossed by various roads. And roads bring ... you guessed it, garbage. (Garbage) Dry creekbeds seem the most popular spot to dump sofas, refrigerators, etc. As a peace offering the aquaduct does pipe out some water at Cottonwood Creek, about halfway across the desert. Ice-cold too, from Sierra Nevada snowmelt.

As if on cue the wind whipped up as I hiked off with my sweet water. The wind became fierce, pelting my face with sand and actually making it hard to stand up and walk forward. Even the horned lizards stopped running around and hid in the cactus. After miles and miles of this I rested next to this friendly rock (What, Me Worry?) and the wind finally calmed down.

All was still at last that night as I sat by my tent (Tent in Desert) and watched a million stars pop out. Desert coyotes howled the whole time too -- first together as a pack at sunset and then scattered when dark fell. Yapping and barking as they called to each other. The next day I walked out to the road at the end of the section, caught a ride to the rail town of Tehachapi and took a bus home.