Pam made it to her second resupply location at Muir Trail Ranch yesterday.  Because she and trail buddy, Donna, had covered so much ground over the preceding days, they had a nice 5 mile stroll to the ranch on Monday morning.  We rented Pam a cabin, which came with indoor plumbing (cold water only), access to the power grid (which was critical so she could recharge all her devices), use of the hot springs (which got high marks from Pam), and a couple of meals.  There was no cell coverage, unfortunately, but the cabin package included internet access.

We were hopeful Pam would be able to call us over FaceTime using the WiFi service, but alas, “internet” does not equate with WiFi when you are at a remote outpost in the high Sierras.  Sadly, there was no call.

Today, after bidding farewell to Donna, her friend from Arizona, Pam set out for another day of hiking, accompanied by a new trail buddy.  They covered 11.5 miles, ending their day at Evolution Creek, one of several water crossings on the JMT.  They are camping together near the crossing tonight.

Pam offloaded about three pounds of what she now knows, with 10 days of hiking behind her, to be superfluous items. Three pounds does not seem like a lot, but she felt better getting the weight off her back, hips and feet.

In an effort to travel light, Pam did not pack all the food she needs to complete her trip when she resupplied at Muir Trail Ranch. The plan, instead, is for Paige and Jacob to lead a resupply mission that will meet her on the trail in about a week to bring her enough food to complete her journey.  Along with a few friends, the company will cover about 25 miles over three days, with significant elevation gain.  It will be a challenge, but it is a labor of love and the reunion on the trial with Pam will be worth every step.

Pam is now about half way through her trip.  We have noticed a few things as she adapts the the rhythm of the trail–slight changes in the pattern and content of her messages.  All good things that suggest she is having a great experience.

Pam had a great day today; as has been the case lately, she went further than planned, but she is feeling good and motivated to cover some ground.

Today was a day of connections.  First, she met a woman who grew up in McLean, near Pam’s hometown, who knew one of her friends.  Next she climbed over a pass with a young man from Toole, where her sister Marla lived with her family.  Finally, she ended the day hiking with Donna, a friend she made early during her hike.  They were on separate schedules for a few days but reconnected today and are sharing a campsite tonight at the lake pictured above.  Although solo hiking is part of the experience, it has been nice for Pam to have a trail buddy for a day.

Over 9.5 miles, Pam descended, then ascended about 3000 feet.  That is a big day.  She will sleep well tonight.

The plan for today was for a short five mile hike that would not tax her too much.  As Pam said, she “made a bad decision” and carried on for nearly 10 miles.  That decision turned out well in the end, as she is camping in a beautiful location, commenting “this is everything I dreamed it would be.”The weather is turning colder, but Pam is well equipped and has been plenty warm thus far.

The next few days of hiking will be marked by numerous lakes, rivers and streams. It should be beautiful.

Today was a banner day because Pam reached her first resupply stop and had cell phone coverage, so she was able to speak with me and all our children today.  It was really great to hear from her.

Campsite first night

Pam is getting into the rhythm of the trail: getting up with the sun, hiking until she feels hungry, stopping for a break, then setting up camp in the late afternoon and eating dinner before retiring to her very warm and cozy tent as the sun goes down.  She has a Kindle reader with her and has been enjoying spending time in the scriptures and with a book recommended by Hannah.

Campsite second night

Pam has made some trail friends along the way, including an eclectic group of people from Arizona and a couple from Japan who speak no English–so they communicate in the universal language of the woods (whatever that is.)

A common theme in her daily communications is just how beautiful it is out on the trail. Although her feet hurt and she has blisters, Pam is overcome by the majesty of the scenes that unfold before her every time she comes around a bend in the trail or conquers another summit.

Mountain Lakes

Last night’s camp was no exception, as you can see from the photograph below.

Starting from this beautiful lake, Pam hiked some 8 miles to Red Meadow Resort (the word resort should probably be in quotation marks because it’s little more than a few cabins and a general store.)  A resupply bucket she sent ahead several weeks ago was waiting for her.  Now she has plenty of food for the next leg of her journey.

Red Meadow was not without its comforts–we booked her in a cabin with a soft bed, power outlets where she can recharge all her devices (the modern world follows us, even into the wilderness) and, most importantly, it provided her with a luxurious hot shower.  That, and a BLT from grill had Pam feeling refreshed and ready for the challenges that lay ahead.

Last Night’s Camp

Pam is back on the trail tomorrow.  I will update this blog periodically, but probably not daily.  In the meantime, our intrepid girl is healthy, on schedule, and most importantly, happy.

Pam and I drove to Yosemite Friday afternoon and stayed over at a hotel that night so she could get an early start on the John Muir Trail Saturday morning.  After a fitful night, we were off to Tuolumne Meadows, about a 90 minute drive from our hotel.

Permit in hand, we found the trail head and were on our way–the plan was for me to hike with Pam the first mile.  Mainly, we were just putting off the moment when we had to say goodbye for as long as possible.

Where you at, John Muir?

Here’s Pam at the official trail head; packed and ready to go.  Her pack was heavy, and we debated pulling some items out to lighten the load, but in the end, she decided to go with what she had.

We hiked together for about a mile, making small talk.  Finally, the time came to say goodbye.  That part was rough.

I watched her walk into the woods, and it was only moments before she was out of sight.

Pam is carrying a satellite communication device.  I do not recall what we paid for it–couple hundred maybe.  Whatever we paid, it is worth 10 times that price to be able to communicate with her in near real time.  In fact, Pam composed her first report from the trail via her device:

Long, hard day, for many reasons.  But I made it to my first campsite.  Beautiful.  All is well.

Gone Girl (no, not like the movie)

Here first day was just shy of 10 miles.  She camped at the base of her first big pass.  Today, Sunday, she climbed that pass, and another, before making camp at the top of a ridge overlooking a lake.  It was another very challenging day.  Pam reports the air quality has taken a turn for the worst.  We checked for fires in the area, and while there are several burning in the Sierras, none are close to Pam at the moment.

As of an hour ago, Pam had finished dinner and was set up for the evening.  Although the temperature has been dropping into the 40’s overnight, she is well equipped and has been staying warm.

Thanks to everyone who has asked about Pam and for those good people who are remembering her in their prayers.  Check back here for updates on the regular.

This weekend the hills near our home caught fire.  This particular open space area is one that I hike regularly.  Close to home, easily accessible and great trails.  So very sad to see this happen.  Fortunately the response was quick and no homes were lost.  Today I may or may not have ignored posted signs and hiked the familiar trails to see what was left. Here are a few shots of the trails.

The next pictures are comparison shots. One was taken in Feb. 2015 and the other is from today.  Of course in Feb. everything is green unlike the golden grasses of July but you still see the difference.

Feb. 2015

July 2018

Here is another comparison.

Once again Feb. 2015 compared to July 2018. It is not the exact photo but very close to the same location.

Although its sad to see the damage a fire can do, I know that by next spring nature will take over and new life will begin on these hills again.

Graduate school has been consuming my time.  I haven’t shared anything in a long while.  I am prepare to hike the John Muir Trail in Aug. and many people have asked about my trip.  I decided to share my preparation and you can follow my summer of fun.

I have purchased some new equipment and wanted to test it out so Hailey, Kylie and I took a trip to the Tahoe area.  Our first night we spent at the Lovers Leap campground off Hwy 50.  We stayed in site 18 and it only cost $15 for the night.  Here’s a look at the set up.  It had pit toilets and running water.

In the morning it was a quick drive to Echo Lake.  We took the boat taxi across Echo Lake and began our hike to Aloha Lake.

The hike to Aloha is beautiful. You pass several other lakes and the trail is well marked.  Beware there is about a mile and a half of climbing in rocks but once you reach the top its a much easier hike.

The views were stunning.

Here is the view from our campsite in the first day and then when the sun was rising in the morning.

I took a million photos but won’t make you look at all of them. Here are just a few more.

The important question is how did the new equipment work. 

The thing that I loved the most is my new inReach satellite device.  We found an older SE version for only $250.  Pretty pricey but well worth it.  My family can follow me very day and I am able to send and receive messages. The other feature that I just loved was the bluetooth connection to my phone. This allows me to use my phone as the interface. I uploaded the Garmin Earthmate app and it pulls up the map and you can track where you are going and it was so easy to use.  It also has the emergency call button in case I am ever in real danger.

Another new piece of equipment was my Gregory Deva backpack.  It’s just a newer version of the pack I had for 15 years but 3 lbs lighter and many new upgrades.  It fit great.  Still learning the best way to pack it but that will come.

Last piece of new gear was the Platypus GravityWorks filter.  It was so much easier than pumping and worked so fast.  I love the fact that I can fill up a bottle and store the extra in the clean water bag for later use.

Lots of things to still work out but all the planning and preparing is half the fun.