John Manning of TGO Magazine is off in the States walking
the 2,650-mile Pacific Crest Trail, quite a few of you were wondering
how he's getting on with the bears, the through hikers and the cacti,
so here's the here's the fifth of his updates from the trail as he
reaches the halfway point of the epic plod.
For more information about the PCT, see the Pacific
Crest Trail Association web site. Unfortunately John hasn't been
able to send us many pics, but if you want an idea of the sort of
awesome scenery he's hiking right now, check out this picture
gallery :-)
HALFWAY THROUGH HIKER...
Greetings again from the Pacific Crest Trail!
Many
thanks to all who emailed after my last missive - my back's now
hunky dory and I'm back on the trail, though taking (yet another)
rest day in Chester. This place marks exactly the half-way stage, so
after arriving at the trailhead yesterday afternoon myself, Fritz,
Supergirl and Mulligan hitched into town intending to have a meal and
a celebratory pint before hitching back to the trail the same night.
But you know how things go; we're all still in town and have met
up with a bunch of other hikers, rented a room for tonight and will
no doubt celebrate tonight as well. We did TRY to hitch back last
night, at about 11pm, but no one would stop for a bunch of folk who
look like down and outs and we ended up sleeping on the town
bandstand - the ball pitch sprinklers were coming on all through the
night so the band stand was the only dry spot!
I rejoined the trail on Wednesday last week after a couple of
relaxing days with Sheri Hunt in Colfax which enabled me to rest the
back and ensure I felt fighting fit for the trail. And it worked. But
I was so out of synch with other hikers that I met no-one for the
next few days and camped alone each evening. Though it wasn't my
first solo camp on the trail by any means, it was the first time I'd
had successive solo camps and I'm delighted to report that I got
along with myself just fine - so long as I don't talk I can be okay
company though my snoring's intolerable.
CONTINUATION CRISIS
The last few weeks have been more of a psychological challenge
than the previous months of the hike. By the time I reached Sonora
and Ebbett's Passes, a few days after leaving Tuolumne Meadows in the
Sierra Nevada and what was (to date) the scenic highlight of the
trip, I was beginning to question whether I really wanted to hike on.
Each day would see thunderstorms build in the afternoons, which meant
waiting in the rain at the foot of passes until the lightning had
passed over, and progress was somehat slow. I kept thinking to myself
that if I wanted to walk among pine forests in pouring rain I could
just as easily do it at Hardcastle Crags. [Hebden Bridge in the
quaint country of Yorkshire - ed.];
I was also busting a gut at the time to try to reach Echo Lake
Resort in time to hook up with Robin and Paul for some hiking, and
putting down miles for the sake of it seemed a bit of a poor approach
to such wonderful countryside - I hiked 37 miles to reach Sonora
Pass, my longest day to date, though the sunset seen from the jagged,
volcanic Pacific crest just before reaching the pass was
tremendous.
WELL DESERVED R AND
R;
So it was at Ebbetts., a couple of days later, that I hitched
a ride with Spirit and Steady to Mayer, called Robin and Paul in
Placerville from a roadside phone and asked if they could put me up
at their place for a night. They obliged - wonderfully - and I ended
up having five nights there which I have to say were some of the best
times I've had on the whole trail.
Paul and I kayaked on Silver LAke, we all day hiked with Sheri
(and a gaggle of hounds), swam in Lakes, visited Ian Schofield's
marvellous Jack Russell Brewery at Camino and then, before rejoining
the trail, called in at a Mexican restaurant which enabled me to
totter out of Ebbett's Pass, back on the trail, with the best part of
a pitcher of margueritta inside me. And the weather had, by then,
improved.
OUCH, ME BACK...
But only a few days later I was calling for help again, this time
to Sheri in Colfax. Camped 20 miles before reaching old Highway 40
near Truckee, I had wandered off into the woods one morning with
trowel and TP, and returned to the campsite with a sore, aching
back.
I hiked 20-some miles to the old Highway 40 near Truckee and
called trail angels Bill and Molly Person, who drove out, fetched me
back to their place where I spent two great nights before watching
many of my trail mates head back to the trailhead. Sheri collected me
a couple of hours later with friend and neighbour Dannielle and I was
able to rest in a fine comfy bed for a couple of nights (as well as
dine out, swim in the river, visit Reno, meet up with PCT thru hiker
Lights Out Larry and more!).
Rejoining the trail I found myself alone for the next four or five
days but the scenery, especially in Desolation wilderness was
outstanding and enough to make me forget I'm normally a company
seeker!
Then three days ago I hiked into Belden and met up with Fritz,
Supergirl and Mulligan.
Afraid time's running out again on this library computer -
just to say that I'll be hiking out in the morning and logging on
again in Dunsmuir in about 6 days. Next major stop after that will
probably be Ashland, in Oregon - a new state to hike through at last!
Still seen no bears, despite what some of you thought of the last
photos sent out! That was me, fools!
Love and cheers,
"Crazy John" Manning
Hiking the Pacific Crest TRail
pctjohnbadger@yahoo.co.uk
