I hope all is going well out in the real world. Things on the trail have been wild. We have been dealing with so many changes over the last 100 miles. We left the desert, entered the Sierras, climbed the highest point in 48 contiguous states, glissaded down snow, forded streams, battled with marmots, and most importantly, added a new and incredible member to our "clan."
Mama Sue joined us in Kennedy Meadows and it is so amazing having her on the trail. I left Lake Isabella on a Friday and raced 50 miles in 2.5 days to meet my Mom and Dad on Father's Day. It was the BEST reunion. Seeing my parents after so long was incredible. There was shouting and whooping and running (I had my pack on so I sort of swerved and staggered). We ate and ate (and I continued to eat), we organized my Mom's pack, and we resupplied. It was such a relaxing couple of days and I was thrilled to share part of the trail culture with them.
I never really realized how difficult it would be for an outsider to come join us on the trail after 700 miles. Not only are there the obvious issues like conditioning, but things like pack organization, routines, map reading, camping, and food storage are all things that a newcomer needs to get used to. I can't tell you how amazed I am by Sue's ability to adapt and thrive out here. I think everyone is a little shocked that she has been able to keep up with our mileage with a smile on her face. She practically got me to the top of Mt. Whitney and has been leading the way when it comes to glissading (sliding down a snowy mountain shoot on one's ass). Go Mama Go!!!
This has personally been the most difficult part of the trail for me. I honestly thought the Sierras would be easier. We would be carrying less water so our packs would be lighter, the scenery would make us want to leap and run, we would have 700 miles under our belts and would be fit as fiddles...NOT SO. I feel like the Sierras set me back to mile zero. I was not anticipating any issues with the altitude. I am out of breath when I put my pants on in the morning. Headaches, dizziness, and nausea are more common than mosquitos on rivers (they are SOOO bad out here!). I hope I am acclimating and that the altitude sickness will fade into the background. I guess I am being a little dramatic, I really only felt terrible when we summited Mount Whitney for sunrise. Mt. Whitney is around 14,500 ft. and the highest point in 48 states (excluding Alaska and Hawaii). We woke up at 12:30 and started climbing up. We then continued to climb up. And even further up. Every step was difficult and I felt worse and worse. Luckily, I had Sue to help me through and we made it to a stone hut at the very top before the sun rose. I felt so terrible that I actually just went to sleep and missed the entire sunrise and beautiful vista... I am still disappointed in myself. All that work and I slept through it!?!?! You have got to be kidding me. Thankfully, the group took plenty of photos so hopefully I will be able to get a general idea of what I missed.
This part of the trail, with the altitude, heavy packs, and mosquitos, has had me questioning for the first time whether or not I can succeed on this adventure. It is the first time I have felt emotionally and mentally challenged to the point of self doubt. Sure it is physically tough, but the whole trail has been grueling. The huge climbs and descents have been a hardship that I did not foresee and am trying to overcome. The PCT is a strange animal and it is currently kicking my butt. On the bright side, the scenery is gorgeous. There are amazing rivers and lakes. The water is so clear the colors are so stunning that it is breathtaking. The mountain peaks have snow, and against the crisp blue sky, they pop. At such high altitudes, you would expect little plant life, but that also isn't true. Flowers blossom out of rocks in shocking colors. It is sensational.
So while I am struggling to breath, I am truly enjoying the Sierras. I hope that these new challenges will make me stronger. In my moments of self doubt, I have an incredible group to support me and encourage me. They share some of my fears and struggles and together I am sure we will limp onwards. Having family here is a huge positive and keeps me going. Sue, in all her thriving glory, has been given a few trail names and we are still trying to decide. MC (or Mountain Crusher) is a crowd favorite. We will see!
Love to all and hopefully I will be able to blog again soon :)
Love, Lobby
A quick note from Sue:
Sara has been too generous in her descriptions of me. She hasn't heard the numerous expletives that I've been muttering along the way as I've been trying to acclimate myself to this new world! Here are some of my first impressions...
1. Sara has been the best and most patient teacher. She has helped me every step of the way. She has struggled with the altitude, but is a very strong hiker and everyone on the trail loves "Lobby".
2. The scenery takes my breath away. It is unbelievable and is what keeps me going. The peaks, jewel toned lakes, massive Sequoia trees, beautiful flowers, flowing streams...we are surrounded by awesomeness!
3. Camping sucks. It has taken me a full nine days to get used the routines. But, it is getting easier every day.
4. Everyone has been kind and helpful. I am surrounded by a fun and supportive group and feel very welcome.
5. I feel very lucky to be here!
This post is short because there are others waiting in line for the computer so I need to go. We will write again in Mammoth, our next stop - in nine or ten days.
I just wanted to quickly update everyone on our situation.
Yesterday Morning Lobster and I set off back on trail and after around 15 minutes I decided that I would have to skip the next section as my shins immediately started hurting again. I would rather skip 85 miles than be pulled off the trail due to over working my shins :) So I am now off to Lake Isabella to wait for Lobster and am extremely bored. I would like to also say thank you to Rufus who has helped us out immensely in Tehachapi; carting us around to various locations so we could resupply and send boxes as well as getting some grub at the yummy German Bakery :)
The trail is calling my name but alas I have to get better to be able to climb the big Sierras coming up :)
I think everyone at this point is now glad to be getting to the Sierras. Adding 15 pounds of water to your pack at every water source (which are extremely scarce with around 20 miles between each one) is not our idea of fun. But we have nearly finished the desert with less than 150 miles to go!!!! I for one cannot wait to climb some big mountains and see the beauty that's coming up. I have enjoyed the desert very much but the heat can be difficult to deal with and I look forward to being a little higher in elevation.
I am also super excited for Sue to come and join us in Kennedy Meadows!! We are really looking forward to having you and introducing you to trail life. We promise it is nothing like you imagine :) Even through all the pain it is so much fun!!
We have gone over 550 miles which is so exciting and we are chilling at an Airport as I type.
Unfortunately I have (we think) got shin splints. It happened during the long aqueduct walk which was about 20 miles on concrete. I managed to get a trail angel to pick me up and drive me to town so that I could rest while Lobster and Levels carried on walking and they are meeting me here. I am now resting it for a couple of days but I have to keep moving if we want to get to Kennedy Meadows on time. Hopefully Ice, a days rest, Vitamin I (Ibuprofen) and bandages will help and keep me on trail. There were also some miles on the trail which we had to skip as there was a fire closure just after Casa de Luna. Luckily Strangebird was there to give us a ride :) Thanks for that!!!
I want to actually just talk about trail angels for a while on here. First of all THANK YOU for everything that you do for us smelly hiker trash!!!!! The amount of time and money that goes into helping us must be overwhelming at times and without you we would not be as happy on the trail as we are. Also THANK YOU to all those who are giving us lifts, picking us up, giving us food, filling up caches and all the amazing trail magic that has happened so far. We appreciate every single drop of water and shade that you give us! The last 3 trail angels have been especially amazing; Ziggy and the Bear, The Saufleys and the Andersons. We arrived to these places smelly, sweaty, worn out and mostly dehydrated and found ourselves in heaven. Water, Shade, Showers, Food, a place to do our laundry, a TV and internet were all provided as well as a place to camp. Even shade and water would be amazing but they do so much more and all for a simple donation without expecting anything in return. So we want to Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your kindness and taking us into your homes.
Seeing as Lobster explained her trail name I guess I should do that too. As we were sitting on top of a water tank at Rodriguez on a very windy night having dinner, some things started flying around. I jumped up to catch and snatch them out of the air when Lobster commented that I was pouncing like a cat and that's the simple story of how my name came about. It's perfect as a double meaning too ;)
We will try and upload some more photos soon but as we take them on our cameras it is hard to get them uploaded on the computer. Sorry that this isn't a very long blog post. I am off to go ice my leg some more :)