Friday Arrival in Death Valley

On a Green Tortoise bus with 35 other people, I arrived in Death Valley National Park - this was my first experience here. For years and years, Death Valley was a national monument, but in 1994, President Bill Clinton signed the California Desert Protection Act, which brought Death Valley up to National Park status and allowed for more funding and protection.

Death Valley is bordered by two mountain ranges with the Panamints to the west and the Amargosas to the east.  Apparently at one time, the valley floor was under 2,000 feet of water, and geologists have been able to locate areas where water used to lap up against the surrounding mountain ranges.  Now the floor is one large beautiful basin of fans, sand dunes and salt flats. 

The bus pulled up to the popular tourist destination, Zabriskie Point, around 9:00 am.  We took our time to make breakfast and pack our lunches, and then it was off to the overlook at Zabriskie Point.  What a great view!  Looking to the West, in the foreground was the Furnace

 Creek wash, which is filled hills and rocks carved by rills created by rains and smoothed by the wind.  Noticeably among the hills was Manley

 Beacon and the cliffs of Red Cathedral.  In the background, lay the white flats of the valley floor and the Panamint Range.After taking a few pictures, I hit the trail with Bettina from Germany and Tineka from the Netherlands.  The trail (Golden Canyon Interpretive Trail) followed a few washes and at one time took a switchback up a hill. Again, the trail crossed and followed various washes and climbed along the shoulder of Manley Beacon.  

The trail then descended to an intersection with a quarter-mile side route to the Red Cathedral.  We took the side route up to Red Cathedral, which followed a wash up to a narrow dead end.  Had we more time, it would have been nice to explore the area under the cliffs, but we had to get back to the bus.  

We went back down to the main trail, and walked 3/4-mile down to the trailhead and bus.  It was interesting to see that at the end of the trail someone had the bright idea to try and pave a part of the wash (perhaps for vehicle access?), which could not have lasted long. It seems that the powerful waters of the wash eroded it a long time ago - thank God!

Following our hike, we boarded the bus and traveled down to Badwater Basin, which is the lowest point in North America at 282-feet below sea-level.  On the eastern cliffs of the Amargosa Range, the park had placed a sign indicating where sea-level is, which brought some perspective to our depth in altitude.  

I had an hour and a half to explore the Basin, so I left with Bettina and Tineka again to walk out on the salt flats.  To say that they are flats is deceiving, since hexagonal salt plates seem to have collided into other plates, making the floor uneven.  However, as we walked out further onto the flats, it smoothed out more with only a lip of salt creating the hexagonal patterns. The sun made the floor bright to the eyes, yet it certainly contributed to its stark beauty.  Had I more time, I would have liked to walk the entire flats  up to Stovepipe Wells Village (future hiking idea???).  

We got back on the bus and traveled to the Furnace Creek Campground for dinner and a night's rest. The day was surreal, since the scenery was so different from what I am used to seeing in San Francisco.  Nonetheless, it was refreshing.  More about Death Valley tomorrow.

Back from Death Valley

I just got back from Death Valley today, and I had a great time.  Over the next couple days, I will be making posts of each of the spots that I visited.

Unfortunately, this most recent trip I took did not involve much long distance hiking, but I think all distance backpackers can appreciate the beauty of the outdoors.  Besides, since there is such little water, I am not sure how much distance backpacking can be done in Death Valley.

Going to Death Valley

In a few hours, I board a bus to go to Death Valley.  There will be all kinds of activities including taking a dip in Hot Springs, sand skiing and of course, hiking.  The unique opportunity in this trip is the hiking, since many parts of Death Valley are inaccessible to hiking during the hot months of the year.  I hope to see some bloomage, scorpions and whatever wildlife presents itself.  I imagine that I will meet some pretty cool people on this trip.  I will post more on Monday.

Point Reyes Recap II

Sunday

Matt was the first to wake and wander around the campsite.  I crawled out of my sleeping bag and into the cool air to join him for a peek at the beach.    Eventually, Allana came out, and we made breakfast: Oatmeal and tangerine slices.  Everything

 with was covered with a thick layer of dew, and we waited for my tarp and the tent's rainfly to dry out a bit.

We left Wildcat camp and hiked up towards Old Out Road, and along the way, we paused to enjoy a scenic view of Wildcat Lake. The trail was a long steady climb, and it was easy to see why it is called the Old Out Road, since there were exposed remnants of broken asphalt along much of the trail.  

We continued our upward ascent to the Alamea Trail, lined with bayonet fern and meandering beautifully through dark, verdant forests.  The sights of banana slugs, orange-bellied newts and mushrooms drew our attention and caution with each step. After hiking steadily for over an hour and climbing over 1000-feet, we stopped on a high, flat, open stretch of trail for a well-deserved rest. Despite being warm and sweaty, the weather was cool and delicious and perfect for the rest stop.

The last quarter mile of the Alamea Trail descended down to an intersection with the Ridge Trail, which lay at the base of a Fir Top, a 1,324-foot peak.  We headed southeast on the Ridge Trail, climbing and descending along the high ridge separating the Olema Valley (and the San Andreas Fault) from the the Pacific Ocean.  

The Ridge Trail intersected with the Bolema and the Lake Ranch 

Trails, and we continued our trek south along the Lake Ranch Trail.  One highlight was Mud Lake, which lay nestled to our right.  Mud Lake was more of a swamp with green blooms covering the water and tan reeds rising up along the lake's edge.  

The Lake Ranch Trail then began a long, yet anticipated steady descent towards the coast, offering sunny views of a foggy California coast.  As we descended, the lush ridgetop forests gave way to drier, lower coastal scrub brush and brambles.  Soon we encountered the same stretch of Coast Trail that we had hiked a day earlier and the first hikers we had seen since Wildcat Camp earlier in the morning.

We were back on familiar trail, and we were anticipating the vistas overlooking the Pacific. The fog had burned off more, and we enjoyed clearer views of the coast and the sea. We took a lower fork of the Coast Trail, which was an even more dramatic and precarious walk than the higher fork we took the day before.  One surprise along the way was a garter snake taking advantage of the open skies to sun himself. The sight of the garter was certainly not a pleasant surprise to Allana, who had been in front of Matt and I and setting the pace the entire day. After the snake sighting, Matt and I took the lead for much of the trek back toward the parking lot.

What a great 24-hours in Point Reyes.  My only regret was that we did not spill of Alamere Falls. The good news is that Point Reyes is so close to San Francisco, and I know that I will have the opportunity to see the falls up and close one day.  Perhaps I should head back in February or March when the river will be swelling with water.  

I was happy to spend time with my friends Matt and Allana, whom I got to know better.  I've heard it said that "spending one day on the trail with your spouse or partner is like spending five days with them in the real world."  It was fun to hear Matt and Allana find out things about each other that they didn't know (the trail does that), and through this whole hike, I enjoyed getting to know them.  Hike on!

Point Reyes Recap

For the first time ever, I hiked the southern portion of Point Reyes National Seashore, and I really appreciated its remoteness.  In the past, I have mostly hiked around the central portion of the park near Bear Valley and Mt. Wittenberg, and usually there are a fair amount of day hikers going to destinations like Arch Rock or the summit of Mt. Wittenberg.  Down in the southern portion, I encountered other hikers, but most were only hiking to Alamere Falls.

My hike began at the Palomarin trailhead with my friends Matt and Allana, and here's the trail route we took:

Saturday: Palomarin (via Coast Trail) to Wildcat Camp  (5.5-miles)

Sunday: Wildcat Camp to Old Out Road (.6-miles)

Old Out Road to Alamea Trail (1.1-miles)

Alamea Trail to Ridge Trail (1.5-miles)

Ridge Trail to Lake Ranch Trail (1.3-miles)

Lake Ranch Trail to Coast Trail (3.0-miles)

Coast Trail to Palomarin (2.1-miles)

Total Miles: 15.1-miles

A trail map is located above.

Saturday

The trail from Palomarin to Wildca

t was filled with climbs and undulations, remaining fairly close to the coastline for the first mile or so.  Broad sweeping views of foggy, steep coastline meeting the Pacific were dramatic, breathtaking and of course worthy of photographs.  The trail turned inland towards the east, gradually climbing the coastal headlands.  The trail leveled out n

ear the intersection of the Lost Ranch Trail, and then enjoyed a steady tread, passing Bass Lake and then Pelican Lake.  The views of Bass Lake looked like something out of a fantasy medieval scene.  The lake was nestled among thick, dark stands of trees, whose tops were swept by low lying clouds and mist.

The trail intersected with a .4-mile side route to Alamere Falls.  Unfortunately, with sunset happening at 4:55 pm and a thick coat of fog blanketing the trail, we decided to move on instead of investigating the falls.  I did not want to risk getting into camp too late, and I figured that I will have many opportunities to see the falls in the future.

From that intersection we continued on towards the Lakes Loop intersection and took the left fork, which made an unexpectedly steep climb along the coast.  Once again, Matt, Allana and I were presented with another stunning, yet foggy view of the coast, complete with a small bench at the vista.  We rested for short bit, and ten proceeded with a descent down to Wildcat Camp. 

By the time we got to Wildcat Camp, the sun was sinking on the horizon, so we scrambled to find our site, set up our tents, get water and cook supper.  At nightfall, we were eating a delicious dish of pasta and pesto with dehydrated veggies.  We played a game of Scrabble and then fell asleep to the roar of the Pacific waves crashing into Wildcat beach.  Unfortunately, a few unruly campers started making a lot of noise, which woke me up, so I got out of my sleeping bag and told them to be quiet.   They complied with my request. 

Hike Completed!

Just got back from an overnight trip to Point Reyes.  I had planned to post pictures on my blog today, but I don't have the cord that goes from my camera to the computer (it's at work!).  I hope to have pictures posted tomorrow along with a trail description, etc.  All I can say right now is that it was a great trip, and it was good to spend time with my friends Allana and Matt.  Good night.

Gone Hiking!

I'm heading up to Point Reyes for an overnight backpack trip with my friends Matt and Allana. Trail description, pictures and stories to follow tomorrow.

Who is really crazy?

Whenever someone finds out that I have hiked the Appalachian and Pacific Crest Trails, the reaction is one of bewilderment and curiosity.  "You did what?  How did you take all that time off?  Did you go alone?" are the usual questions I hear along with "Did you see any bears?  What about snakes?"  Occasionally, people have told me that I am crazy for having done all this hiking.

Distance hikers (or thru-hikers) do not lack reason or rationale.  Instead, what they possess is a logical response to the crazy overworked masses in this country.

Some people I have met complain about being tired all the time.  When I ask why they are tired, their response goes something like this: "I worked 11-hours yesterday, went out for drinks, stayed out till 1:00 am and got up at 6:00 am this morning."  I'm sorry, but this kind of lifestyle is really what is crazy to me.  I believe that so many people lack balance in their lives, and it affects their health, countenance and relationships.  

Thru-hiking (and other activities like it) is that voice crying out in the wilderness calling for change in the way we conduct our lives.  Take time out of your life.  Enjoy what this world has to offer and your relationships with others.  Take a walk, or if hiking is not your forte, go row, bike, climb, write or knit.  Whatever!

Work is important, but it should not possess our lives to the detriment of our health and well-being.  Take a hike!

Squatch and the Walk Movies

Tonight, I saw Scott "Squatch" Herriot who was at the Purple Onion here in San Francisco filming his girlfriend Becky Pedigo, who is a well-known comedian.  Becky has appeared on Comedy Central, and she actually has her own half-hour comedy show on that network.  Pretty cool.  Although the crowd was small and rather stoic, I think the lineup of comedians (and Becky) did a great job under the circumstances.

"Squatch" is well-known in the hiker community for producing, shooting and editing the Walk trilogy, which were movies about hiking the Pacific Crest Trail.  I actually appeared in his first two movies, but I have yet to see a royalty check.  On the other hand, he did give me a free copy of all his Walk movies, so I guess we are even.

For those who have not seen the Walk movies, I recommend them.  Squatch attempts to document the stories, trials and lives of hikers on the PCT meeting hikers at road crossings and even out on the trail (although he has a hard time maintaining their pace on the trail).  Each film is an evolution of his knowledge and understanding of the trail with is second and third projects really doing a better job of documenting life on the trail (of course, Squatch spent more time on the trail in these films).  For those who have little experience in distance backpacking, these films are a great introduction (and perhaps inspiration) for those considering a long-distance hike.

Good to see you Squatch!

Emma "Grandma" Gatewood

A quote: "Most people are pantywaists. Exercise is good for you."

- Emma "Grandma" Gatewood, at age 67 first woman to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail (1955)

 

Point Reyes this Weekend!

I'm off to Point Reyes National Seashore this weekend.  Woo Hoo!  I will be heading up there on Sunday with a married couple that I have gotten to know at church.  They are neophytes to the hiking/camping experience, so I hope to help them enjoy this forthcoming experience.

For those who have been to Point Reyes... GO!  Since I have lived in the Bay Area, I have traveled to Point Reyes about four times a year - I love it there.  The amazing thing is that so few people from the Bay Area take advantage of Point Reyes' proximity.  In my opinion, it is a top notch hiking and camping destination filled with history, unique geology and beauty.

From what I understand, Point Reyes is a sliver of land, whose geology most closely resembles the Tehachapi Mountains in Southern California, which is over 300-miles to the south!  What that means is that Point Reyes has been drifting northward for millions of years along the Pacific plate.  In the big 1906 earthquake, Point Reyes moved 20-feet to the north in the duration of the quake (45-seconds?).  That's pretty amazing to think about.

Point Reyes as so much more: wildlife, wildflowers, miles and miles of trails.  I can't wait to get out there.  Pictures of this hike will be posted next Wednesday.

Green Festival in San Francisco

I just got back from the Green Festival here in SF. Wow! I have never been so overwhelmed by organic energy bars, coconut oils, hemp juices and lavender lotions.  I put some lotion on my hands at 4:30, and they still smell strongly at 10:00!  Although the convention center was crowded, it was a worthwhile to attend the event, especially since there were a lot of beautiful, liberal, earth-goddess women there.  Yowza! Yowza! 

While I was there, I grabbed a catalogue from Green Tortoise Adventure Travel, which offers affordable adventures to select destinations throughout the United States.  They travel by bus, and along the way, participants help with meals and provide some direction for activities.  Sounds pretty cool.  

In my last post, I was thinking about a hike on the PCT over Thanksgiving, but now that I picked up this Green Tortoise catalogue, I am thinking about taking their trip to Death Valley on November 22-26.  What attracts me to this option is that I get to share an adventure with others who share an interest in an active outdoor experience.  Also, since I do not own a car, it is a great way to get out of the city and do some traveling.  My only hesitation is that the trip might not be as active as I would hope.  Also, what if I am the only old dude (37-years-old) on this trip?  Well, I think I am going to go for it anyway and get out of my comfort zone.  The total cost for the trip is $235 for a 3-day, 4-night trip, which I can totally afford.  Besides, my birthday is coming up, and I figure this would be a good birthday present to myself.  

So, here I come Death Valley.  My only hope is that there is still room on the bus for this trip.  I guess I'll find out tomorrow.

PCT Hike in November???

I just had an idea. Why not take a hike on the PCT over Thanksgiving? Yeah, yeah I know, Thanksgiving is a time to get together with family and give thanks for all the blessings we have received over the last year. That would be the sacrifice I make to go hike - no turkey supper and no time spent with friends (I have no family in the Bay Area). Hmmmmm... what to do? Well, I should take a peek at what the weather is going to do.

Fires Near Agua Dulce

It seems that the fire danger in Southern California has died down for the moment.  What a tragedy.  I noticed that one of the major fires (Buckweed) was located near Agua Dulce, perhaps the most prominent trail towns in SoCal.  I have not heard any news from Donna Saufley to know how she weathered the fires, but since nothing has popped up on the ADZPCTKO Yahoo! Groups site, I imagine that she she came through unscathed.  I have to imagine that there were a lot of neighbors in Agua Dulce and Santa Clarita that were victimized by the fires.

Interestingly, the Buckweed fire was started by a 10-year-old kid, who was playing with matches.  Some people are asking that this kid be tried in court as an adult, and I cannot think of anything more ridiculous.  Certainly, there was a lot of damage from the Buckweed fire, but I cannot agree with punishing a 10-year-old like an adult.  I consider that I was fortunate I never burned my house or the neighbor's house when I was 10.  Kids play with matches, and unfortunately his exploration led to a ton of damage.  

This kid will live with his actions for the rest of his life, and I think that the guilt he will live with for the rest of his life will be enough to warrant punishment.  If there is a suitable way to punish this kid, I think that he should be forced to hike.  Yeah, make him experience the pains and labors hikers endure to hike through that terrain.  Maybe he should be forced to do trail maintenance to see what trail maintainers do to care for the PCT in that area.  Probably more appropriate, would be that he do some home construction with Habitat for Humanity so that h knows what really goes into building a home.  Perhaps then he can better understand the consequence of his actions and gain an appreciation for the area in which he lives.

How Much More???

How much more of this can we take? I am talking about the recent oil spill in San Francisco Bay.  I have taken many walks along the Bay near Crissy field and along the ocean at Land's End, and I enjoy the beauty of the coast.  Now we have closed beaches, birds coated in oil and a long-term clean up in store for the entire Bay Area.  What a mess.

The greatest scandal of this oil spill is the slow response time by agencies to clean up the slick.  Perhaps agencies did not react quickly because initial reports said that only 140-gallons spilled in the Bay.  Who knows?  It's just sad to see such a lackluster effort taking place to clean up the Bay.  Anyway, it seems that it's too late since tides have already swept oil out in the ocean affecting places like the Farallon Islands and Tennessee Cove in Marin County. 

I ask, "How much more" because there is such an apathy and, God forbid, an acceptance of pollution and environmental degradation in our world today.  True, advertisements portray our car companies as being environmentally friendly, but remember it is all advertising and brand positioning to get us thinking that cars are not going to harm the air we breathe and perpetuate global warming.  There is a consciousness that we need to take better care of the world, but so few individuals are doing a darn thing about it.  When are we going to realize that the only way we can cut carbon emissions is by simply taking personal steps to cut carbon emissions (i.e. quit driving your car)?  It's that simple, but it seems that we are waiting for the government to do something about it. 

Well, let's hope we can clean up this mess in the Bay.  

ADZPCTKO Planning

The Annual Day Zero Pacific Crest Trail Kick Off (ADZPCTKO), which takes place on April 25-27, 2008 is starting to get rumbling again. A planning session for the 10th annual ADZPCTKO took place this last weekend down at Lake Morena County Park.  Although I am the Presentation Coordinator for this event, I could not afford the time or money to make the trip down there. Nonetheless, the organizers will be doing some heavy coordinating between now and April for the event, and I know that we have some special surprises in store for this year.  

The infamous class of 2003 is getting plans ready to serve two meals at the event: burritos on Friday and French toast on Saturday.  Unfortunately, this year ADZPCTKO will be without Bob Reiss, who is taking a respite from the cooking duties.  For those who know Bob and what he has brought to ADZPCTKO, the organizers have some big shoes to fill.  The good news is that someone will be filling in Bob's shoes in 2008, and that will be Warner Springs Monty, who is coming fresh off the PCT this past year.  Bob provided a mentoring experience for Monty last year, so we are all confident that Monty will do a good job.  

Darn them Feet!

When I hiked the Appalachian Trail in 2000, I had only one problem with my feet the entire 5-months I was out there.  After I hiked the 100-Mile Wilderness through Maine, I developed a horrible stiffness and pain along the top of my foot.  I had no idea why it was giving me problems.  I ran into someone out there on the trail who told me that I was suffering from muscle compartment syndrome.  

What?  Allegedly, the lining around a muscle in my foot failed to expand as my muscle swelled inside my boot each day.  I am not sure if I suffered from muscle compartment syndrome, but whatever the case, the pain went away in my foot by the time I got to Andover, Maine.

In the five months I spent on the Pacific Crest Trail I remember getting a blister on the tops of my heels near the achilles tendon.  I had purchased a new pair of socks in Ashland, Oregon, and for some strange reason, after I hiked in them for 15 or so miles, my New Balance 806's starter to blister and eventually scrape the skin off my heels.  Ouch!  I remember that really hurt.  I put duct tape on both my heels and I ditched the new socks when I got to Bend, Oregon.

Back in August, I was sparring in Hapkido, and did a front leg lick, and my big toe squarely hit my opponent's elbow.  I limped away from that sparring session in a lot of pain.  I thought I had jammed the toe really well, but then I thought I must have broken it.  I did get out and hike a stretch of the PCT over Labor Day weekend, and my toe felt fine.

However, recently pain has been flaring up at the base of my big toe.  So, I went to UCSF Medical Center to have it examined, and the x-rays turned up nothing.  The nurse practitioner told me that I might be experiencing some arthritis in that joint, or that I am feeling pain from an inflamed tendon.  I don't think that is the problem.  Something is just not right in the joint at the base of my big toe.  The nurse practitioner did say that it might not be a bad idea to wear some stiff soled shoes and to give my foot rest for a month.  I am thinking that is what I might do.  

It is amazing how much we take our feet for granted.  I have been told that feet are some of the most complex structures on our bodies.  With all their complexities, it is amazing that feet are not injured more.  However, if one spends enough time on his/her feet, I imagine that they must get strengthened to prevent injury (at least that has been my philosophy!).  Well, let's hope that my toe can get better, and give me strength and patience to take a month off of physical exercise to let it heal.  After all, I got a lot more hiking to do!

And the Lord said, "Let there be zero days!"

Those in the long-distance backpack and hiking community know what a zero day is. Simply put, it is a day where one takes a day off and hikes zero miles. A zero day can be taken on the trail (never done that myself), but most hikers take them in town or at a hostel. Those who know me well would say that I am not apt to take a zero day. Yes, I hike and hike and hike! Yet I could certainly learn a lesson in the art of taking a day off the trail.

My blog Zero Day will cover everything about long-distance backpacking (i.e. hikers, trails, equipment, fatigue, or zero days). I hope to keep this going over the next few days, weeks or years. Enjoy!