JMT T-4

Four days away now from starting the John Muir Trail. Vacillating between excitement and slight panic. Maybe not panic. What's the word for that feeling you get when the thought "What the hell have I gotten myself into?" finally hits?
Luckily I have prepared for this 230 some miles of carrying everything on my back by doing practically no training. Not to fear though, I made up for this by spending a ridiculous amount of money on gear.





So, I'll train as I go. Not the best plan, but it is what it is. Guess I'll just chalk aches and pains up to natural consequences.

Hoping views like this will help me forget my lack of training.





- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Nimitz Fwy,Hayward,United States

Crow Pass Gas

Well, I'm still not convinced that getting older makes you any wiser ... but it just might make you luckier.

When we left the Crow Pass trail head at 11:30am on Fri. 7/16, this warning sign wasn't yet posted.  We did see a similar posting the next day at the Eagle River Nature Center.  But by that time our feet hurt and we were too thirsty for cold beer to care.  Al and Beth took this photo on 7/18 when they drove back up to retrieve their vehicle (oh yeah... and run a race in Hope...cuz that's EXACTLY what I'd want to do the day after a 26 mile hike!)

On close inspection of this sign,  you'll notice they started to write "Trail Closed" but changed their minds and crossed it out.  So, technically we didn't break any rules even accidentally.

I reflected that the area between Yakedyak Creek and Twin Falls was where Jeff affectionately began calling a select few of us the "Scat Pack" due to an unexplainable fascination with all things poop.  Here I offer exhibit A (as in Ally, the crime scene photographer):

OK... so that wasn't bear poop.  But we DID see a cornucopia of Bruin scat, it just didn't get documented for some strange reason.  But it was there, en mass.  Green, grassy, red, berry, brown, steaming, on-the-run-droppings ....just about any color and flavor you could imagine.  Like a Baskin Robbins of bear poop.

And yet we never did see any bears (OK...Ally claims to have seen one across the river, and others looked up and around the bushes and said they saw it too...but I think we were all just lying so we could get back to concentrating on our foot pain).  Although, Al did snap this pic in that general vicinity when we crossed the river the next day, so who knows. 

But then, NOT seeing bears was high on our list because although the first few hours of the hike looked like this:

... a whole BUNCH of it looked like this:

And while we weren't busy trying to duck nettles, cow's parsnip and devils club we noticed plenty of bear scat.  So, although we didn't SEE a bear...odds are pretty good one saw US.

Lessons learned
In addition to learning that turning 40 makes you lucky, I picked up a few other useful pockets of knowledge on this trip:

• Picante corn nuts and peanut M&Ms are the perfect hiking food.
• It's OK to pee in front of strangers when you are in alpine country...in fact it's required.
• Girls talk more than boys.
• Boys use more concise language than girls -( e.g. "Shut it!", "Packs on, not walking",  "More walking, less squawking").
• Some people CAN go 2 full days without pooping in the woods - even after coffee and Kodiak (there will be a medical study shorty to see how this is possible).
• Some people prefer the use of verbs in ALL  sentences.
• Some people prefer to speak only in vowels when they are tired.
• Watermelon Jolly Ranchers make everyone happier and do a decent job of masking B.O.
• Life is too short for cheap bourbon.
• 40 is not old if you are a stone

But mostly what I  learned on this trip is that I have some damn funny friends, who are damn fine people (please don't let them know I said that).  Life is much too short not to spend it with good people.  So, today my legs still hurt... and walking ALL the way from the kitchen to the couch seems like a monumental accomplishment.  My feet are still sore and I have bruises in strange places.  But I would do it all again to be with this fine group of maniacs.  What an awesome trip.

 Trail head shenanigans

Bridge over Thunder Gorge....look how happy....haven't seen the brush ahead of us.

Al and Scout cross the second braid of the Eagle River - we did the major crossing all together. Look how happy they look to have aqua sox and sunshine. Water never got much higher than mid thigh.  Lucky 40+ers.



Can't remember the name of this creek - but who let the giant hang the rope!


*Did I mention that this was Jeff and Terri's first overnight backpacking trip?  Way to ease into it! 


 40 pounds of fun on your back...not quite as fun on day 2.
 


All downhill from here ....suckers!


* See the rest of the trip photos in my Picasa Web Albums

40 Years Wise

The Set-Up Crew

The plan was to grab a charter out of Whittier to Blackstone Bay where we would camp, kayak, drink and tell lies.  A few days before our departure Rebecca realized that our odds of grabbing an ideal spot for our large group the day before our country celebrated red, white, and blue  wasn't great.  Her solution was to have a few of us leave early... paddling the 19 or so miles from Whittier to Lawrence Glacier.

OK... in fairness... her solution was to paddle out on her own.  But I, in all my pre-40-wisdom-less-ness was more than eager to join in. Heck...I had just done over 4000 miles going up and down the Alcan... and all that steering surely would have prepared my arms for the hours and hours of paddling to be done.  Jeff and Terri decided to tag along too...2 days break from kiddos vs. paddling until your arms fall off...about an even trade.

 In the end, it was awesome.  Setting up tents in the wee hours, escorted by seals, scared shit-less by prankster whales sneaking up from behind.  Jeff communicating with the them in his "special" boat vibrating way.  Good times.




Party Crew
On Saturday, Jamie dog arrived via Epic Charter with the party crew and supplies.  

invention of the iBoob

Check out the rest of our photos here:  http://picasaweb.google.com/klroos88/KayakTrip2010Twerp#




On Wisdom
Here are a few of the sage insights my post-40-pals relayed to me in the hours remaining before the clock struck midnight and my 30's vanished into bragging rights and embellishments:

When you turn 40 ...
- you will be wiser.
- you will hurt everywhere.
- you will get more hair in unexpected places.
- you will no longer have sex.
- you will forget shit.

There were more...but I can't remember them ...
At least one of those assertions I have blatantly defied in the 3 days that I have been 40 - but I'll not point out which one...cuz that's just way TMI.

As for wiser... well...this video seems to provide evidence to the contrary... other than myself,  everyone should have been fully entrenched in post 40 wisdom, and yet...

Paddling to 40

So, it seems like my 39th year evaporated!  There certainly isn't any evidence of it here on this blog.  However, I checked the rule book and evidence or not ... I will still be entering my 4th decade in just a tad over a week.  Surreal.

What better excuse to revive this old blog than turning 40.  I have this inexplicable feeling that 40 is going to rock.  It's also a good excuse to get together with good people and enjoy the beauty of this place we live in.  Come Saturday 9 of us should have a base camp set up somewhere in Blackstone Bay, ready for some kayaking day trip adventures. 

40 ... here I come ... immaturity intact.

Bit by a Wolverine

This is usually where I would posts some action shots - but I discovered while dip netting last week that my camera was not exactly waterproof. Even as I slid it into the top pocket of my chest waders I considered stuffing it in a ziplock. But, no, I thought. It-will-be-just-fine. JUST -FINE. Thanks a lot Murphy. Anyhow, Scout took some pics and I'll post them when I get them. In the meantime - check out this artistic rendering of our trip: [turn the speed control on the left up to fast so it doesn't take so long!] sketch of the trip (update: photos added 8/16 - thx Scout!)

(pic looking down the other side of the peak)

Saturday Ally and Scout conned me and a few fellow unsuspecting saps (Salty and Tidy Whitey) into climbing Wolverine Peak. Wolverine sits innocently between Near Point and Flattop in the Chugach Range. Apparently we used up our Sun quota the day before on our ride up powerline pass, because our nearest star didn't show it's face all day. Here are a few pics from the Powerline trip:

Still, several sets of sunless Alaskan legs gave us ample reason to keep the shades on.

No shades required for our favorite brown pooch and her sun lovin best buddy!


Bear activity in these parts has been ridiculous. It seems like there's a new mauling every time you turn on the news. The approach to Wolverine is prime bear country, with crowding alders and rushing creeks. Salty came armed with bear spray, but our main defense was loud, mindless blabbering. I'm pretty sure there wasn't a pause in the conversation for the first 2 hours.

Then, the rain started.

And it didn't really stop, except to catch it's breath every now and then. Still, we forged on keeping tally of the moose we spotted across the valley - something like 6 in all.



I don't know how much one needs to eat on an 11 mile mountain hike, but I'm sure the 5000 calories or so we consumed on the ridge was plenty. We had a pile of food that would make a marine squad proud.


Then we were up and going again, dragging our cold, wet (but full) bodies up the steepest, rocky section. Jamie the pace dog did her best to make sure our rests stops weren't too long unless they involved more food.


By the time we reached the peak it was totally engulfed in clouds. Several of us were cold and shaking, taking just enough time at the top to snap a few obligatory victory pics and shove off back down the hill.






Then the snow came. Sideways.

And we thought we were cold and wet before. Ha! The wind was blowing hard out of the south, pounding us on one side with a snowcone like slurry that trickled down our collars, traveled the length of our arms and pooled in the soggy excuse for gloves. My left butt cheek was entirely numb, but perhaps that is too much information.

Alas, we made it down the mountain with our smiles intact. We stopped for another snack break, because you know, 7000 calories is better than 5000. We slogged our way through the muddy creek that our trail had evolved into, with only a few slip-and-slide acrobatics.


Back in the parking lot, the clouds parted, and the sun rewarded us with it's presence. Beer never tasted so good. There we sat on the tailgate, basking in it's warmth, grinning over our accomplishment, completely unaware that we would not be able to walk for the next two days. Good times.