Pacific Crest Journal 4

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 :-)

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