ALMOST FINISHED!

DONNER LAKE  IN THE DISTANCE ON THE WAY TO DONNER PASS

Dick's energy was renewed from his time with Joel and Wendy, and the views as he hiked up and away from Lake Tahoe were beautiful.

TUNNEL BELOW HWY 80 AT DONNER PASS

His original plan when he left home was to only go as far as Donner Pass but he reached that point sooner than planned and still had time before he had to catch his flight home. So he continued on....

After Donner Pass where he camped for the night, he was startled out of a deep sleep by a noise. He thought he was having a nightmare when he woke up to the sight of a bear's head at the entrance of his tent. The bear had busted through the outside zipper and all that was between the two of them was the tent netting. Dick yelled and, fortunately, the bear took off. Dick had left his bear canister with my brother, Joel, because he didn't want to carry the extra 2 lbs since it wasn't required. He was only required to carry his food in the canister through the Sierras and Lassen National Park. I asked him why he didn't hang his food and he said if he hung it the bear would get it for sure! Keeping it in the tent with him he would be able to protect it and at least have a chance to negotiate. :-}

AFTER DONNER PASS, DICK HIKED PAST THE PETER GRUBB HUT.
IT WAS OVERFLOWING WITH HIKERS STAYING FOR THE NIGHT, SO HE CHOSE
TO STAY IN HIS TENT UP THE TRAIL. LITTLE DID HE KNOW HE WOULD BE
SHARING HIS TENT THAT NIGHT WITH A BEAR.

I received an email from our friend, Sue Piscatella, who lives in Nevada City. She had been keeping up on Dick's hike and coordinated with me and the satellite communicator approximately when he would be crossing hwy 49, which was a couple hours from her house. She wanted to surprise him with snacks. 

 DICK WAS PLEASANTLY SURPRISED WHEN SUE MET UP WITH HIM ON THE TRAIL  (early morning).

TRAIL ANGEL SUE ARRIVED WITH FOOD!

SUE's Text to me: So I got there around 6:30 and decided to hike in until 7 a.m. thinking I would see him. Since it was mostly up hill I decided I would walk until 7:10 and than turn around.  Two old guys and a young girl passed me.  I asked about Dick but they said everyone was still in their tents when they left.  So then I started to think I missed him, that he got up early or my mileage was wrong. But I said keep going you didn’t come this far not to see him.  
At 7:08, 2 minutes from turning around, I see a guy and say Hi Dick...took him a minute and he recognized me.  So we hiked to my car and we went to Sierra City and had breakfast. It was meant to be...nice chatting with him...he told me he misses his life, he misses his wife. ❤️  He had also planned on having lunch at Sierra City but since I had loaded him with sandwiches he was ready to go. I drove him back to the trail..he said he had 4 miles to climb up but these ups were nothing compared to the Sierras and he planned on eating again when he got to the top.  He even took the rest of the milk 😂 he looked really good.


Sue brought him a bag of donuts, a half gallon of milk and two huge hoagie sandwiches. I asked her if he smelled bad. She said,  "No, he told me when he reached Jackson Reservoir he jumped in fully dressed and he looked pretty clean. 

YUBA RIVER NORTH FORK at HWY 49

NORTH FORK FEATHER RIVER - BELDEN

CARIBOU CROSSROADS IN BELDEN

I shipped his 3RD and final resupply box to Caribou Crossroads in Belden. As he was walking the road into town a woman (another trail angel) pulled over and asked if he wanted a ride. It just happened to be the owner of Braatens Little Haven. The Braatens built an addition to their house specifically for PCT hikers, complete with two bedrooms (2 beds in each), kitchen and bathroom. She invited him to stay in one of the rooms (only $10 a night). He had a room all to himself (at least that's what he told me).  It was only a quarter mile from Braatens to Caribou Crossroads where he did his laundry and, of course, to get some food and have one of their famous milkshakes he kept hearing were “The Best Milkshakes on the PCT.” He was so into eating that he completely forgot he had his resupply box waiting for him there. A pile of resupply boxes caught his eye and then it registered. This has been his M O on this hike - when he reaches towns or food along the trail he is so into eating that he doesn't take any pictures or send any info on what he is doing, which has made it difficult for me. He admitted he is not a good photo journalist.

He left Belden and hiked most of the day and had no plans to go to the town of Chester which is about 8 miles off the trail, but when he was crossing the road leading into town, a trail angel just happened to be there dropping off a group of hikers at the trailhead. When the driver said he was heading back into town and offered him a ride, he thought, why not? He camped with several others in a church yard. He said it was nice catching up with some other hikers he'd met, plus a chance to get a shower, do laundry, and EAT. 

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, my sister flew here from California to visit me for 8 days. There was rarely a dull moment. We were on the go visiting friends and family and just enjoying northern Michigan together. 

ENJOYING TIME WITH MY SISTER, KATHY. 
NO, WE'RE NOT TWINS. 

WE TOOK A TRIP SOUTH TO SEE "THE FARM" IN MARTIN, MI.
OUR MOM WAS BORN HERE AND WHERE WE SPENT A LOT OF TIME WHEN WE WERE KIDS.
SO MANY FUN TIMES PLAYING IN THE BARN AND PLAYING BASEBALL
ON THE FRONT LAWN.....AND THE WONDERFUL MEALS HERE WITH FAMILY.....MEMORIES

THIS IS WHAT THE FARM LOOKS LIKE NOW. IT SURE SEEMED A LOT BIGGER AS KIDS.
 NO ONE WAS HOME SO WE HAD FUN LOOKING AROUND AND REMINISCING.  
IT WAS SAD TO SEE THE BARN IS GONE.

WE ENJOYED VISITING WITH OUR AUNT ROSEMARY AND UNCLE RED IN AUGUSTA. OUR GRANDPARENTS ALSO LIVED HERE SO THIS IS ANOTHER PLACE WE VISITED A LOT WHEN WE WERE KIDS. LOVED OUR TIMES IN THIS LITTLE TOWN. (THE FIRST YEAR OF MY LIFE I LIVED THERE.) Also, I had RV friends, Tony and Dee Dee Sparks, camp in our yard overnight as they passed through on their way to Michigan's Upper Peninsula.  Dick missed out on a fun visit with them. I wasn't quite sure how their 34' motorhome was going to fit in our driveway, but Tony managed to turn it around in our yard and the spot was perfect. (George & Nan - now we know where you'll be parking your motorhome when you arrive). I've enjoyed being home but I miss my RV lifestyle and I feel like I'm missing out on some beautiful areas where Dick is hiking (besides being closer to him where I can see him more).  Meanwhile, back on the trail, from Chester, Dick headed for Lassen National Park. His plan was to camp just outside the southern border and then do the miles through the park since he no longer carried the required bear canister. Other hikers told him about a campground 5 miles into the park with bear boxes so he stayed the night there. (For those who don't know what a bear box is - pic below.) He hiked the remaining 20 miles the next day to reach the northern border of the park. He was hiking in very hot weather at this point so he'd hoped for a tree-shaded trail but, unfortunately, his hike in the park was mostly through a burned area. Again he was thankful for his trusty umbrella. After leaving the tiny town of Old Station, just north of Lassen NP he hiked a high treeless ridge for 30 miles all the way to Burney, hiking again in triple digit heat. About 10 miles in he passes a cooler full of refreshments for hikers - pop, water, oranges etc... The timing was just right! He was getting low on water. Then he'd hiked about another 10 miles when what to his wondering eyes should appear, but a guy with a truck camper handing out root beer floats to hikers (pictured below - Coppertone is his trail name). Dick wondered how he kept all the ice cream cold in that little camper freezer. The generosity he's seen and experienced on the Pacific Crest Trail amazes him. Trail Magic for sure. Heading north from Lassen towards Burney Falls he headed for the Burney Tourist Ranch - a beautiful Oasis for hikers in a scenic setting. It is only 1/4 mile off the trail and he smelled food. After his "energy" breakfast, he did his laundry, took a $3 shower and he was back on the trail by 10 a.m.  Wow - nice place in the middle of nowhere (pic below). Today Dick is just outside of Dunsmuir, where he will catch a 6 hour train ride to Sacramento. (First he will get a room so he can clean up a bit so he doesn't gross everyone out) My brother, Joel, is going to pick him up and deliver him to my sister (the one who visited me) and brother-in-law. He will stay with them until the 31st when he'll catch a red-eye out of Reno. I'm sure they have lots of plans and will pamper him and feed him well. He will have hiked a total of 850 miles on this section of the PCT. A total of 1501 miles since Campo at the border of Mexico. He hikes around 25 to 30 miles a day. He said that he has "literally walked his ass off", and that he is skin and bones and he smells real bad!! But he says he feels great - no aches or pains. This trip is the total opposite of the section he hiked in March where he endured rain (or snow) every day. This time there was not a drop of rain the whole 6 weeks.

WE ENJOYED VISITING WITH OUR AUNT ROSEMARY AND UNCLE RED IN AUGUSTA.
OUR GRANDPARENTS ALSO LIVED HERE SO THIS IS ANOTHER PLACE WE
VISITED A LOT WHEN WE WERE KIDS. LOVED OUR TIMES IN THIS LITTLE TOWN.
(THE FIRST YEAR OF MY LIFE I LIVED THERE.)

Also, I had RV friends, Tony and Dee Dee Sparks, camp in our yard overnight as they passed through on their way to Michigan's Upper Peninsula.  Dick missed out on a fun visit with them. I wasn't quite sure how their 34' motorhome was going to fit in our driveway, but Tony managed to turn it around in our yard and the spot was perfect. (George & Nan - now we know where you'll be parking your motorhome when you arrive).

I've enjoyed being home but I miss my RV lifestyle and I feel like I'm missing out on some beautiful areas where Dick is hiking (besides being closer to him where I can see him more). 

Meanwhile, back on the trail, from Chester, Dick headed for Lassen National Park. His plan was to camp just outside the southern border and then do the miles through the park since he no longer carried the required bear canister. Other hikers told him about a campground 5 miles into the park with bear boxes so he stayed the night there. (For those who don't know what a bear box is - pic below.) He hiked the remaining 20 miles the next day to reach the northern border of the park. He was hiking in very hot weather at this point so he'd hoped for a tree-shaded trail but, unfortunately, his hike in the park was mostly through a burned area. Again he was thankful for his trusty umbrella.

After leaving the tiny town of Old Station, just north of Lassen NP he hiked a high treeless ridge for 30 miles all the way to Burney, hiking again in triple digit heat. About 10 miles in he passes a cooler full of refreshments for hikers - pop, water, oranges etc... The timing was just right! He was getting low on water. Then he'd hiked about another 10 miles when what to his wondering eyes should appear, but a guy with a truck camper handing out root beer floats to hikers (pictured below - Coppertone is his trail name). Dick wondered how he kept all the ice cream cold in that little camper freezer. The generosity he's seen and experienced on the Pacific Crest Trail amazes him. Trail Magic for sure.

Heading north from Lassen towards Burney Falls he headed for the Burney Tourist Ranch - a beautiful Oasis for hikers in a scenic setting. It is only 1/4 mile off the trail and he smelled food. After his "energy" breakfast, he did his laundry, took a $3 shower and he was back on the trail by 10 a.m.  Wow - nice place in the middle of nowhere (pic below).

Today Dick is just outside of Dunsmuir, where he will catch a 6 hour train ride to Sacramento. (First he will get a room so he can clean up a bit so he doesn't gross everyone out) My brother, Joel, is going to pick him up and deliver him to my sister (the one who visited me) and brother-in-law. He will stay with them until the 31st when he'll catch a red-eye out of Reno. I'm sure they have lots of plans and will pamper him and feed him well. He will have hiked a total of 850 miles on this section of the PCT. A total of 1501 miles since Campo at the border of Mexico. He hikes around 25 to 30 miles a day. He said that he has "literally walked his ass off", and that he is skin and bones and he smells real bad!! But he says he feels great - no aches or pains. This trip is the total opposite of the section he hiked in March where he endured rain (or snow) every day. This time there was not a drop of rain the whole 6 weeks.

Photos below taken when he reached the MID POINT OF THE PACIFIC CREST TRAIL. The Pacific Crest Trail spans 2,650 miles from Mexico to Canada. 

KEEP ON, KEEPIN ON!

1000 MILE MARK (PCT is 2,650 miles total)

Not much to report this time. I rarely hear from him since he has no phone service. I just continue to get the pre-set messages via satellite - morning, mid-day and night. So I know he's alive and well. No weather events or injuries. He's just enjoying this beautiful part of the PCT. He hikes about 25 mile days from dawn to dusk and keeps up with the younger hikers. They stop and take time off to go into towns to eat, he bypasses the towns and keeps on moving. He leaves his boots on and sloshes through the water crossings and they stop and take off their boots and cross in sandals. Next thing they pass him again and then he passes them when they stop. He calls it leapfrogging.

ONE MORNING THESE TRAIL ANGELS (Patty and Maurice) HOLLERED AS HE
WAS HIKING BY, "HEY, WANT SOME BREAKFAST BURRITOS?"

HIKERS ENJOYING SOME TRAIL MAGIC (chairs even provided)

He has met several Trail Angels. This is how someone described Trail Magic in an article I read on-line "It can be a moment of extreme beauty, feelings of connectedness or a remarkable wildlife experience that becomes trail magic when a hiker really needs it to continue."  Dick says, to him, Trail Magic is when he's hiking along and hikes by someone cooking and offering him food."

MY BROTHER, JOEL, RELAXING AT THE CAMPGROUND (Photo by Wendy)

One special time of Trail Magic was when my brother and his wife drove their pickup camper 90 miles from their home in Newcastle to meet Dick at Echo Summit, where the trail meets hwy 50. They took him to a campground on south Lake Tahoe for two days and treated (fed) him royally. He needs to be fattened up. He's looking a bit thin.

Had to share this photo of a PCT HIKER NEEDING A LIFT

A BLAST FROM THE PAST: Photo taken 1979. When my brother, Joel, was around 15, 
he traveled with us several summers to different National Parks. This was a backpacking
trip in the Grand Tetons. (Looks like Dick is carrying most of the gear).
Joel still doesn't like backpacking but loves the National Parks. 

Meanwhile, I'm staying busy here at home. Lots to do here (work and play), although I do miss my best friend and handyman. One day while I went biking, I returned home to my friends mowing my yard. Thank you again Kyle and Joe - I appreciate you.

BEAUTIFUL WHEN IT'S MOWED!

THESE TWO WORKED WHILE I PLAYED! (YOU ARE NOW OFFICIALLY  PART OF THE SUPPORT TEAM)

BOO HAS THE RIGHT IDEA IN THIS HEAT WAVE

Just before sending this, I noticed these photos came across my email. Must be his phone has a connection! I'm assuming these are views of Lake Tahoe and the trail.

.....and as the happy hiker would say, "Keep Smilin"!

Gaunt and thin but a happy camper.

HE'S AT IT AGAIN!

BACK ON THE TRAIL AGAIN

As many of you know, Dick is back on the Pacific Crest Trail. He flew to Bakersfield, CA mid-June and took a shuttle to the town of Lake Isabella where he picked up his cooking fuel, shipped ahead of time to the post office (not allowed on the plane). He slept behind a church and caught the 5:30 a.m. shuttle to Walker Pass and began hiking north. He hiked in triple digit temps the first three days to Kennedy Meadows, the gateway to the Sierra Mtns. Fortunately, it's cooled down to 80s and 90s in the mountains.

HE HIKED 8 MILES OFF TRAIL TO REACH THE TOP OF MT. WHITNEY
AND SAID THE VIEWS WERE AMAZING AND WORTH THE EFFORT.
(It took him 11 hrs to hike the 16 miles up and then back to the PCT) 

MODELING HIS NEW HAT MADE BY PATAGONIA
HE SAYS HE LOOKS DORKY BUT THE FLAPS PROTECT
THE SIDES OF HIS FACE MORE. (Health before handsome).

For this trip I convinced Dick to purchase a satellite communicator. This was a very good investment. Out of his first 12 days on the trail, he only had a phone connection twice (he has Verizon. He noticed the hikers with ATT were talking on their phones). His first call was from the top of Mt. Whitney and the second when he made it to Red's Meadow Camp near the town of Mammoth Lakes. It eases my mind to receive his pre-set messages via satellite morning, mid-day and evening, and what's really fun is that I also get a map of where he is.

By the time he reached Mammoth Lakes (where he took a "NERO" to regroup) he'd hiked approx 255 miles out of the 6 or 700 he plans to hike on this trip. A total of 905 miles since the border of Mexico. There has been a lot of snow at Muir, Forester and Mather Passes and he ONLY fell twice. On one fall he tore his hiking pants, and on another he lost his favorite knife that he's had for nearly 40 years, plus both water bottles came out of their holders and slid down to no-man's land. He also broke a piece of camera equipment. He sent one message to me through the satellite communicator that read, "Send spare pair of hiking pants to Mammoth Lakes. Ripped the ass out of these and they are sewn together with dental floss."  See - I knew that thing would come in handy.

GRUMPY BEARS at Kennedy Meadows

GREAT TO MEET UP WITH LINDA MOORE
(Kennedy Meadows is a place where many hikers stop and get food and water. )

We have been following a friend on Facebook (above) who started hiking the PCT in mid-April. Dick said there would be no way he would meet up with her because she would be way behind him. When he arrived at Kennedy Meadows there she was. She had skipped ahead because of the triple digit heat.

When Dick finally got a phone connection, he told me all of his woes about falling and losing things and the heat and mosquitoes and another small leak in his sleeping pad etc...  I made the comment that I thought he sounded discouraged and wasn't enjoying the hike. He quickly pepped up and said, "Oh no, it is fantastic. It is so beautiful out here and especially on the John Muir trail and I'm loving it."

DICK AND GEORGE
(I'm sure there was a lot of blarney going on between these two Irishmen)

I coordinated a meetup with a friend (above) we met in 1981 while working in Alaska. When I saw on Facebook he was hiking the John Muir Trail and heading south in the same area at the same time Dick was heading north, I messaged George and sent him a picture of Dick and told him to watch for a bearded 68 year old (not many out there that fits that description). George told me to tell Dick what to look for. Dick would have normally stayed on the Pacific Crest Trail but took the John Muir Trail cutoff so they could meet up. George sent the above photo and said, "Surprise, surprise, at 7 pm, who comes strolling in and finds us. What a fun hour we had with him, regaling us with all of his adventures! Truly a wonderful cap to our fun day!"

DICK ENJOYED HIKING A BIT WITH MANNE WHO IS FROM SWEDEN
(photo taken at Crabtree Meadows)

People ask me all the time if he is hiking alone. Yes, most of the time, but there are so many people on the trail. He passes at least a dozen a day. There is estimated to be over 3,000+ on the trail this year. Not all will make it to the end.

LOTS OF BEAUTIFUL LAKES AND GLACIER CARVED VALLEYS

PARK RANGER WITH MULE TRAIN BY RAE LAKE
(King's Canyon National Park)

CAMPING IN SOLITUDE

MUIR PASS SHELTER 

ANOTHER GREAT CAMPSITE

HE TOOK A 45 MINUTE PONTOON BOAT RIDE TO VVR  (Vermillion Valley Resort)
HE WANTED A HAMBURGER AND WIFI
(This is only the back half of the boat)

LOVE THIS PHOTO - COW PIE CAIRN

He is now at Tuolumne Meadows in Yosemite National Park. The only reason I know this for sure is I see food purchases coming through on our credit card. To be continued...