PCT - Day 63: 6/20/2018 - Kennedy Meadows North, new friends, best friends

Trail miles: 6.7 from 1010.2 - 1016.9
Miles walked: 7.7

I woke up at 5:15 am to catch a sunrise and then promptly went back to sleep for two hours. I finally started hiking at nearly 8:00 am.

Morning Light

My hike was fun, with a mixture of snow, rock, and mud. The trail had good views looking back at the Sierra. It’s bittersweet to think I’m done with the Sierra Nevada, but not even halfway through my hike yet.

Sierra

I walked by myself singing along to music and did short standing glissades on the snow where the lack of sun-cupping made it possible. Parts of the trail were covered in snow so I just opted for a direct line down a snow gully. I really wanted to get to town. Mostly I was looking forward to my first shower in nine days.

Glissade = yes

Gllissade= no

Glissade - 100% wet

"Stanislaus" is German meaning = "glissade at your own risk"

G- li-ss-ad-e = bumpy on snow cups

When I arrived at highway 108 /Sonora Pass, I was joined by another hiker named Scuzi that I’d seen off an on for a couple days.


She and I hitchhiked together and after almost an hour we finally got a ride into Kennedy Meadows North. Mark picked us up with a van full of kids. He was an absolute sweetheart and even drove us a mile down a side road which was out of his way, just to bring us to the front door. He also gave us a Coke and a fresh baked brownie on our drive!

When we pulled up, I saw Ziploc walking out. She stopped to say Hi/Bye but then continued on her mission.

Kennedy Meadows North is way better that the similarly named shithole to the south. There are a pile of dogs roaming around and horses everywhere. It’s a place my wife would like a lot I believe. I showered, did laundry, picked up my resupply which had a touching message from my wife (and a box of Girl Scout cookies). I also picked up my new tent and shipped home my bear can, micro spikes, and a fleece.

Kennedy Meadows North

KMN dog

Scuzi introduced me to her friends Bagels and Townie. We hung out at the saloon together and had a few drinks. 

Scuzi, Bagels, and Townie (guess who is who)

We then moved our party of four to the restaurant and the fun continued with two bottles of wine with dinner. Bagels is from Seattle and oddly enough even knows the company I work for. Scuzi is from South Africa. Townie is from Winnipeg, Canada. Bagels told us a hilarious story which had the rest of us in tears from laugh. The story involved him resupplying in Lone Pine with sixteen Snickers Bars among a few other things. He also shared some information with me about the guy with the garden hose which was learned during a drunken night at Casa De Luna. Apparently that guy’s trail name is “15 Foot” and he talks telepathically to his garden hose (which is a female BTW). Somehow there’s also a connection between the hose and 15 Foot’s obsession with finding Bigfoot. Seriously, I can’t make shit up like this: non-fiction is the best.

Stories over wine and dinner

Our conversation also touched on real but less humorous topics, like how the trail restores faith in humanity. The trail changes one’s perspective and creates almost a sense of patriotism due to the unbridled kindness we see continually from complete strangers. People that just want to help us and get nothing in return. The hearts of people like Mark, or the ones that comment on this blog to give me motivation when I need it most are the most amazing part of the PCT! All of these people are participating in our somewhat selfish goals of getting from Mexico to Canada. With the kindness of others we might just make it, with or without a 15 foot section of garden hose.

Human's best friend - listening to trail stories

I’m getting back on trail tomorrow. My first zero day in nearly 400 miles awaits me in South Lake Tahoe, assuming my ankle doesn’t fall off in the next 74 miles.