Montag, Mai 15, 2006
day 20, May 13th
Silverwood Lake Dam to Ridge after I15, 22,1 miles
Thirst and abundance or McDonald's Day
Last night first I woke up because a group of known hikers passed us at 2a.m. (!) and afterwards because I heard boulders rolling down from the dam- how scary. Today we have full moon so every night the last nights it seemed that someone had forgotten to switch the light off.
Until we got to the Silverwood Lake Recreation Area, which has a poorly stocked shop but a shop nontheless we did not have much water left so the last miles we went thirsty and got a little edgy. You go around every bend of the lake, and there are plenty and then there are 1.7 offtrail miles to go in. In the end we arrived, bought soda, a snack and sent off our mails.
We still don't receive any which is very strange. Carsten has contacted pocketmail's customer service so hopefully there will be a solution soon.
Another highlight of the day were the Golden Arches as we mockingly call McDonald's in Germany. Yes indeed where the trail meets the Interstte 15 there is a restaurant. What I had wished for all day was orange juice and they even had a fruit salad-what a luxury! Carsten had some burger twice so he ate a total of one pound of meat-his treat.
The sun has set already, we are camped on a ridge on the trail again because it got late but it is all right.
PS: Last night we slept right under the star formation we call The Big Wagon. ¶ 08:58 0 comments
Thirst and abundance or McDonald's Day
Last night first I woke up because a group of known hikers passed us at 2a.m. (!) and afterwards because I heard boulders rolling down from the dam- how scary. Today we have full moon so every night the last nights it seemed that someone had forgotten to switch the light off.
Until we got to the Silverwood Lake Recreation Area, which has a poorly stocked shop but a shop nontheless we did not have much water left so the last miles we went thirsty and got a little edgy. You go around every bend of the lake, and there are plenty and then there are 1.7 offtrail miles to go in. In the end we arrived, bought soda, a snack and sent off our mails.
We still don't receive any which is very strange. Carsten has contacted pocketmail's customer service so hopefully there will be a solution soon.
Another highlight of the day were the Golden Arches as we mockingly call McDonald's in Germany. Yes indeed where the trail meets the Interstte 15 there is a restaurant. What I had wished for all day was orange juice and they even had a fruit salad-what a luxury! Carsten had some burger twice so he ate a total of one pound of meat-his treat.
The sun has set already, we are camped on a ridge on the trail again because it got late but it is all right.
PS: Last night we slept right under the star formation we call The Big Wagon. ¶ 08:58 0 comments
Tag 20 ohne Zahlen
Nachdem wir die Nacht mitten auf dem Trail verbracht hatten, weil wir nach den gestrigen 25 Meilen nicht mehr die Kraft und Musse hatte einen ordentlichen Platz zu suchen, sind wir wie immer gegen 6 Uhr losgelaufen.
Allerdings mit zu wenig Wasser, was dazu fuehrte, dass wir uns zwischendurch ein bisschen angefaucht haben :-) Nach einer laengeren Durststrecke sind wir dann an einem Campingplatz vorbeigekommen und haben uns dort ein paar Cokes, Muffins, Burritos und Red Bulls genehmigt. So gestaerkt lief auch wieder alles sehr harmonisch...Liebe geht ja bekanntermassen durch den Magen ;-)
Um sicher zu gehen, dass das auch so bleibt, haben wir noch ein paar Meilen draufgepackt. Schliesslich sollten wir heute noch die Interstate 15 unterwandern. Und wo eine Interstate ist, da ist auch McDonalds nicht weit. Sehr zu empfehlen ist der Double Quaterpounder with Cheese, der in Deutschland leider nicht erhaeltlich ist. 2 Stueck davon plus Pommes und Cola und ich war gestaerkt, um die letzten Meilen des Tages zu meistern. Alina gab sich mit einem leckeren Obstsalat zufrieden, den wir so auch noch nicht in Deutschland gesehen haben.
Jetzt mussten wir nur noch ueber ein paar Bahngleise, einen Berg hinauf und haben direkt auf der Ridge, wieder direkt auf dem Trail gepennt.
Schee war's
Carsten und Alina ¶ 08:58 0 comments
Allerdings mit zu wenig Wasser, was dazu fuehrte, dass wir uns zwischendurch ein bisschen angefaucht haben :-) Nach einer laengeren Durststrecke sind wir dann an einem Campingplatz vorbeigekommen und haben uns dort ein paar Cokes, Muffins, Burritos und Red Bulls genehmigt. So gestaerkt lief auch wieder alles sehr harmonisch...Liebe geht ja bekanntermassen durch den Magen ;-)
Um sicher zu gehen, dass das auch so bleibt, haben wir noch ein paar Meilen draufgepackt. Schliesslich sollten wir heute noch die Interstate 15 unterwandern. Und wo eine Interstate ist, da ist auch McDonalds nicht weit. Sehr zu empfehlen ist der Double Quaterpounder with Cheese, der in Deutschland leider nicht erhaeltlich ist. 2 Stueck davon plus Pommes und Cola und ich war gestaerkt, um die letzten Meilen des Tages zu meistern. Alina gab sich mit einem leckeren Obstsalat zufrieden, den wir so auch noch nicht in Deutschland gesehen haben.
Jetzt mussten wir nur noch ueber ein paar Bahngleise, einen Berg hinauf und haben direkt auf der Ridge, wieder direkt auf dem Trail gepennt.
Schee war's
Carsten und Alina ¶ 08:58 0 comments
Zahlengewirr an Tag 20
22,1 Meilen sind wir am heutigen Tag gelaufen. Wieder einmal eine ordentliche Laufleistung, doch wir muessen noch besser, noch schneller werden.
In den bis jetzt 20 Tagen auf dem Trail haben wir insgesamt 345 Meilen zurueckgelegt. Das sind 17,25 Meilen pro Tag. Wenn wir so wie bisher weitermachen, dann landen wir am Ende unserer Reise bei Meile 2587,25 und sind ungefaehr 80 Meilen von unserem Ziel entfernt.
PANIK! [Alina und Carsten laufen laut schreiend durch die Gegend]
Aber halt! So schlimm ist es in Wirklichkeit gar nicht. Und warum?
Zum einen haben wir bedingt durch die 2 Tage am Kickoff eine Verzerrung unseres Datensatzes. Ich moechte hier statistisch nicht in die Tiefe gehen, aber da wir nicht jede 20-Tage-Periode 2 Tage lang feiern und vor Freude groehlend ueber den Campingplatz laufen, sieht die Sache schon gleich viel besser aus.
Rechnen wir naemlich den Kickoff raus und nehmen an, dass wir pro Woche einen Tag nicht laufen, dann haben wir genug Ruhe und sind trotz der laeppischen 17,25 Meilen da wo wir am Ende sein wollen, in Canada! ¶ 08:57 0 comments
In den bis jetzt 20 Tagen auf dem Trail haben wir insgesamt 345 Meilen zurueckgelegt. Das sind 17,25 Meilen pro Tag. Wenn wir so wie bisher weitermachen, dann landen wir am Ende unserer Reise bei Meile 2587,25 und sind ungefaehr 80 Meilen von unserem Ziel entfernt.
PANIK! [Alina und Carsten laufen laut schreiend durch die Gegend]
Aber halt! So schlimm ist es in Wirklichkeit gar nicht. Und warum?
Zum einen haben wir bedingt durch die 2 Tage am Kickoff eine Verzerrung unseres Datensatzes. Ich moechte hier statistisch nicht in die Tiefe gehen, aber da wir nicht jede 20-Tage-Periode 2 Tage lang feiern und vor Freude groehlend ueber den Campingplatz laufen, sieht die Sache schon gleich viel besser aus.
Rechnen wir naemlich den Kickoff raus und nehmen an, dass wir pro Woche einen Tag nicht laufen, dann haben wir genug Ruhe und sind trotz der laeppischen 17,25 Meilen da wo wir am Ende sein wollen, in Canada! ¶ 08:57 0 comments
day 19, May 12th
Deep Creek Bridge to Silverwood Lake Dam, 25,7 miles
Hot Springs plus marathon Day
Generally half of the day we hiked along the sides of hills with views down to the Deep Creek. Today the sun didn't burn too hot mainly due to some clouds wich was good, of course. I felt rather weaker than usual probably because my protein intake has decreased. Long ago I finished my protein bars and the cheese we found doesn't make me too happy-let's put it this way. We bought nuts, so I'm eating them at every opportunity but it stil is not enough.
OK, the Hot Springs were hot in every way!! Wow, there was a pool with really hot water, like when I'm having a bath (it can't be hot enough). And there was another, deeper and cooler pool, still too warm for Carsten though! Such a wellcome opportunity to soak and become clean again :-)
There were of course day trippers, too, and they told us that the spring water is supposed to be good for drinking. So I filled up our bottles.
Thor and Dr.Tart arrived, too.
At our lunch stop Carsten confides in me that he thinks that he has a beginning of shint splints but he wanted to al least hike three more miles to the next water according to the Data Book. And then we kept hiking, he was not feeling too bad and we decided to hike three more miles to a spot where another trail intersects the PCT. Not far from there, there was supposed to be a store on the highway 173 with at least ice cold drinks. What else would make thirsty hikers happy right on trail? Well, ice cold drinks.
So we hiked and hiked and hiked and the three miles seemed longer and we somehow never found that intersecting trail. We kept encouraging each other that for sure after the next bend there has to be that connection to the highway, but no, so OK maybe after the next one...until I recognized something on the map which made it pretty clear that we were way past that point. On one hand my disappointment was very big on the other hand I was happy that in two hours of extra hiking we had done like 5 more with hurting feet and shint splints...
We camp now right on the trail underneath of the huge Silverwod Lake dam. I hope it will hold the pressure.
We are TIRED. ¶ 08:56 0 comments
Hot Springs plus marathon Day
Generally half of the day we hiked along the sides of hills with views down to the Deep Creek. Today the sun didn't burn too hot mainly due to some clouds wich was good, of course. I felt rather weaker than usual probably because my protein intake has decreased. Long ago I finished my protein bars and the cheese we found doesn't make me too happy-let's put it this way. We bought nuts, so I'm eating them at every opportunity but it stil is not enough.
OK, the Hot Springs were hot in every way!! Wow, there was a pool with really hot water, like when I'm having a bath (it can't be hot enough). And there was another, deeper and cooler pool, still too warm for Carsten though! Such a wellcome opportunity to soak and become clean again :-)
There were of course day trippers, too, and they told us that the spring water is supposed to be good for drinking. So I filled up our bottles.
Thor and Dr.Tart arrived, too.
At our lunch stop Carsten confides in me that he thinks that he has a beginning of shint splints but he wanted to al least hike three more miles to the next water according to the Data Book. And then we kept hiking, he was not feeling too bad and we decided to hike three more miles to a spot where another trail intersects the PCT. Not far from there, there was supposed to be a store on the highway 173 with at least ice cold drinks. What else would make thirsty hikers happy right on trail? Well, ice cold drinks.
So we hiked and hiked and hiked and the three miles seemed longer and we somehow never found that intersecting trail. We kept encouraging each other that for sure after the next bend there has to be that connection to the highway, but no, so OK maybe after the next one...until I recognized something on the map which made it pretty clear that we were way past that point. On one hand my disappointment was very big on the other hand I was happy that in two hours of extra hiking we had done like 5 more with hurting feet and shint splints...
We camp now right on the trail underneath of the huge Silverwod Lake dam. I hope it will hold the pressure.
We are TIRED. ¶ 08:56 0 comments
day 18, May 11th
Van Dysen Road to Bridge, 23,1 miles
Cold and hot and long
This morning as we got up we couldn't have had more than 0'C because there was an ice layer on our sleeping bags. So getting up and dressed needs much persuasion.
After the first 10 miles through pine forrest we reached a camp where we cooked an early lunch because we were so hungry. I could have eaten the entire pot alone. Carsten must have had the same feeling so we had three more tortillas and cookies.
After we got onto the trail again which led us through a sandy pine forrest (sand is just so energy consuming) the heat had taken on plus the blood must have circulated mainly in our digestive systems-so we sort of draged on. We could have lain right on the trail and be asleep in a second...
But we sort of agreed to meet at a bridge with the same group that we had camped with and that bridge was still 13 miles away. So no sleeping on the trail. After an exposed stretch in a rocky area, baking hot, the river flowing next to us but out of reach we hoped for the next spot with water. And there it was around the corner. Three hikers were already enjoying the shade and we joined them. Puh!! I solidified my almond Snickers in the water before I ate it...
While trying to ford the Holcomb River from rock to rock I slid out and suddenly had soaked shoes and socks-something that I tried to avoid. Uups! After the second crossing I decided to give it a try and hike without socks which surprisingly worked pretty well while the socks hung off the pack for drying.
Where a dirtroad crossed the trail there was Jerry, Kenny's brother doing some trail magic. While waiting for his 69 years old brother (also a PCT hiker) he simply parked his 4wheel drive car in the shallow river, put up a tent and a two flame Coleman stove and took good care of thirsty hikers, coke, iced tea, coffee!! He even gave us hardboiled eggs and had cake. Wow! How can you ever thank these trail angels enough?
The last miles of the day almost always seem to never end especially since the feet hurt. But we have made it to the bridge, sit now in the tarp tent (there are mosquitos here), treat the river water and plan the next days.
For tomorrow we are looking forward to some hot spring that there is only 7 miles away and right on the trail. Natural spa :-)
But otherwise we definetly need a zero day, a day without errands to be run, just for relaxing. ¶ 08:55 0 comments
Cold and hot and long
This morning as we got up we couldn't have had more than 0'C because there was an ice layer on our sleeping bags. So getting up and dressed needs much persuasion.
After the first 10 miles through pine forrest we reached a camp where we cooked an early lunch because we were so hungry. I could have eaten the entire pot alone. Carsten must have had the same feeling so we had three more tortillas and cookies.
After we got onto the trail again which led us through a sandy pine forrest (sand is just so energy consuming) the heat had taken on plus the blood must have circulated mainly in our digestive systems-so we sort of draged on. We could have lain right on the trail and be asleep in a second...
But we sort of agreed to meet at a bridge with the same group that we had camped with and that bridge was still 13 miles away. So no sleeping on the trail. After an exposed stretch in a rocky area, baking hot, the river flowing next to us but out of reach we hoped for the next spot with water. And there it was around the corner. Three hikers were already enjoying the shade and we joined them. Puh!! I solidified my almond Snickers in the water before I ate it...
While trying to ford the Holcomb River from rock to rock I slid out and suddenly had soaked shoes and socks-something that I tried to avoid. Uups! After the second crossing I decided to give it a try and hike without socks which surprisingly worked pretty well while the socks hung off the pack for drying.
Where a dirtroad crossed the trail there was Jerry, Kenny's brother doing some trail magic. While waiting for his 69 years old brother (also a PCT hiker) he simply parked his 4wheel drive car in the shallow river, put up a tent and a two flame Coleman stove and took good care of thirsty hikers, coke, iced tea, coffee!! He even gave us hardboiled eggs and had cake. Wow! How can you ever thank these trail angels enough?
The last miles of the day almost always seem to never end especially since the feet hurt. But we have made it to the bridge, sit now in the tarp tent (there are mosquitos here), treat the river water and plan the next days.
For tomorrow we are looking forward to some hot spring that there is only 7 miles away and right on the trail. Natural spa :-)
But otherwise we definetly need a zero day, a day without errands to be run, just for relaxing. ¶ 08:55 0 comments
Tag 18, mal einfach, mal schwer
Hallo zusammen :-)
0 Grad und Frost auf dem Schlafsack, da macht das Aufstehen richtig Spass. Aber wat mutt dat mutt.
Dank der kuehlen Temperaturen und dem einfachen Gelaende haben wir gemuetlich 10 Meilen bis 10 Uhr weggedrueckt und dann den Fehler des Tages gemacht. Zur Belohnung unseres Fleisses haben wir neben einem Topf Ramen mit Couscous auch noch mehrere Tortillas und natuerlich Schokoplaetzchen weggeknuspert. Derartig vollgestopft schoss unser Blutzucker derartig in die Hoehe und danach in den Keller, dass es Stunden gedauert hat bis wir uns davon erholt hatten. Und eines ist sicher...diesen Fehler werden wir noch sehr viel oefter machen.
Die heutige Etappe verlief erst durch lichte Pinienwaelder mit sandigem Boden. Dann stiegen wir einem Creek folgend lange ein Tal hinab bevor wir kurz vor Ende des Tages durch einen 1999 abgebrannten Wald liefen. Man kann dort immer noch die verkohlten Skelette der Baeume sehen. Dort wo jetzt nur Straeucher wachsen und kein Schatten weit und breit zu finden ist, war frueher ein ganz anderes Klima. Kann man sich nur schwer vorstellen. Hier in Californien lebt man mit Waldbraenden. Man achtet sehr darauf Feuer zu verhindern, irgendwie ist allen aber doch klar, dass es irgendwann wieder brennen wird.
Mit von der Partie waren heute mehrere Hiker, mit denen wir schon gestern den Lagerplatz geteilt hatten. Bams, Krispie, Janitor, Thor und Joe, sowie Dr.Tart. Tart hat gestern seinen Spitznamen bekommen und wir haben uns alle so schlapp lachen muessen. Andy, so heisst Dr.Tart im echten Leben, hat in einem 5-minuetigen Vortrag detailiert dargelegt wie man Pop-Tarts auf dem Trail zu lagern, zuzubereiten und zu essen hat. Auf jede noch so schwachsinnige Frage aus dem Hiker-Publikum hatte er eine treffende wissenschaftlich erscheinende Antwort. ¶ 08:54 0 comments
0 Grad und Frost auf dem Schlafsack, da macht das Aufstehen richtig Spass. Aber wat mutt dat mutt.
Dank der kuehlen Temperaturen und dem einfachen Gelaende haben wir gemuetlich 10 Meilen bis 10 Uhr weggedrueckt und dann den Fehler des Tages gemacht. Zur Belohnung unseres Fleisses haben wir neben einem Topf Ramen mit Couscous auch noch mehrere Tortillas und natuerlich Schokoplaetzchen weggeknuspert. Derartig vollgestopft schoss unser Blutzucker derartig in die Hoehe und danach in den Keller, dass es Stunden gedauert hat bis wir uns davon erholt hatten. Und eines ist sicher...diesen Fehler werden wir noch sehr viel oefter machen.
Die heutige Etappe verlief erst durch lichte Pinienwaelder mit sandigem Boden. Dann stiegen wir einem Creek folgend lange ein Tal hinab bevor wir kurz vor Ende des Tages durch einen 1999 abgebrannten Wald liefen. Man kann dort immer noch die verkohlten Skelette der Baeume sehen. Dort wo jetzt nur Straeucher wachsen und kein Schatten weit und breit zu finden ist, war frueher ein ganz anderes Klima. Kann man sich nur schwer vorstellen. Hier in Californien lebt man mit Waldbraenden. Man achtet sehr darauf Feuer zu verhindern, irgendwie ist allen aber doch klar, dass es irgendwann wieder brennen wird.
Mit von der Partie waren heute mehrere Hiker, mit denen wir schon gestern den Lagerplatz geteilt hatten. Bams, Krispie, Janitor, Thor und Joe, sowie Dr.Tart. Tart hat gestern seinen Spitznamen bekommen und wir haben uns alle so schlapp lachen muessen. Andy, so heisst Dr.Tart im echten Leben, hat in einem 5-minuetigen Vortrag detailiert dargelegt wie man Pop-Tarts auf dem Trail zu lagern, zuzubereiten und zu essen hat. Auf jede noch so schwachsinnige Frage aus dem Hiker-Publikum hatte er eine treffende wissenschaftlich erscheinende Antwort. ¶ 08:54 0 comments
day 17, May 10th, UPDATE
shortly before 2N02 to Big Bear City and further on to Van Dysen Road,
We've made it to BBC and have had a delicious breakfast at Thelma's. At the Fire Department we took a shower (!!), we left our packs there (great service), again sent some little stuff home respectively forwarded somethig to Kennedy Meadows and right now we sit in a laundromat.
It was kind of hard to get some quaters to get the machine running as we didn't have any, the change machine was out of order and nobody except the guy at the gas station was willing to change. But now everything is working. Alina is off in her pretty skirt wearing her hair openly after today's shower as I sit in my rain gear in front of the washing machine.
Our plan today is to resupply after we washed and dryed our clothes and hit the trail later on. I hope that we will hit the trail around 3 or 4 p.m.
Exactly that we did. We started hiking after drining another Gatorade and after cheking Pocketmail again. No messages :-(
By the way a rattle snake crosed our trail and disappeared in the shrubb next to it but still fiercely rattling. No need to say that it scared me. We went around it in a big circle. But I should find out more about their territory, like how many can be expected in the same area and maybe when their mating season is. Do you know by any chance?
So now we camp together with The Jannetor, Crispy, Thor, Joe and another guy who liked to keep the campfire burning and Andy who probably now will be called Dr. Tart after explaining to us his Poptart methods and ethics. We had a very good laugh about this. ¶ 08:53 0 comments
We've made it to BBC and have had a delicious breakfast at Thelma's. At the Fire Department we took a shower (!!), we left our packs there (great service), again sent some little stuff home respectively forwarded somethig to Kennedy Meadows and right now we sit in a laundromat.
It was kind of hard to get some quaters to get the machine running as we didn't have any, the change machine was out of order and nobody except the guy at the gas station was willing to change. But now everything is working. Alina is off in her pretty skirt wearing her hair openly after today's shower as I sit in my rain gear in front of the washing machine.
Our plan today is to resupply after we washed and dryed our clothes and hit the trail later on. I hope that we will hit the trail around 3 or 4 p.m.
Exactly that we did. We started hiking after drining another Gatorade and after cheking Pocketmail again. No messages :-(
By the way a rattle snake crosed our trail and disappeared in the shrubb next to it but still fiercely rattling. No need to say that it scared me. We went around it in a big circle. But I should find out more about their territory, like how many can be expected in the same area and maybe when their mating season is. Do you know by any chance?
So now we camp together with The Jannetor, Crispy, Thor, Joe and another guy who liked to keep the campfire burning and Andy who probably now will be called Dr. Tart after explaining to us his Poptart methods and ethics. We had a very good laugh about this. ¶ 08:53 0 comments