“March madness” is in full swing for us right now, but it isn’t basketball!    It’s our Awana Club involvement, with THREE big weekend events back-to-back.   By the time this is over, all the kids in our club, from the kindergarteners through the high schoolers, will have had a chance to compete with kids from other clubs both in the North Bay Area as well as all of northern California/Nevada.   So far we are doing VERY well, and I’m proud of our kids and how hard they have worked.  One of the great features of Awana is that NOTHING is ever just given to you.   Kids have to EARN every “perk”, every award, every privilege.  And once they catch on (and even more importantly, their PARENTS catch on!), they jump in with enthusiasm. 

Meanwhile, we are doing about 40 miles a week of hiking with packs over all sorts of terrain.  I am very pleased to see my feet are responding and starting to get tougher.   By the end of the PCT in 2005, I had unbelievably tough skin, especially on the balls of my feet.  When we were training in 2005, I kept getting blisters, and I actually began the trail at Campo carrying various “blister protection devices.”  But after awhile, I sent them all home, because I didn’t need them anymore.  In the entire time we were on the PCT, I only got two very small blisters, and they were easily fixed.   This time I do not expect to get any blisters.

White Beard and I have also been hashing out our resupply itinerary.  This has taken some discussion!!!  But here is what we’ve decided (I’ll list the locations and try to explain WHY we chose these and not some of the other ones)….

(One basic principle that guided us was “We hate hitch-hiking!”)

1) We plan to drive a rental car to San Diego, then take trolley & bus to Campo.  We will camp at Campo, then hike the PCT to Lake Morena the next day, which will probably be the Friday of the ADZPCTKO weekend.

2) We will attend ADZPCTKO till after dinner on Saturday, then head out.

3) WARNER SPRINGS will be the next stop.  We will skip Mt.Laguna (went to it in 2005,  and it’s really cute and pretty, but this time we’d rather just keep hiking).   We plan to enjoy the amenities at Warner this time–last time it was just a quick overnight stop.

4) PARADISE CAFE–we will stop and get our resupply box here rather than in Idylwild.  Getting to Idylwild is a pain.  You have to either hitch-hike or walk 4 miles down the Devil’s Slide trail, then another goodly ways into town.  Last time we were there,  we found the place was very pretty and the people very nice, but all places we could stay were totally full and we couldn’t even camp at the campgrounds, because they were all full, too.  We don’t want a rerun of that experience.

5) BIG BEAR CITY–This is one place we WILL hitch-hike to. Last time, we walked down Van Dusen Canyon Road.  Nobody would give us a ride, and it was pretty discouraging.  Finally, not too long before town, a couple gave us a ride on the back of their hay trailer.  But we’d already been passed up by so many cars that we vowed we’d never try Van Dusen again.   This time we will try hitching at the highway.  Other thruhikers have told us that they didn’t have much trouble hitching from there.   As to where to stay, last time we stayed with a trail angel we met at the post office.   Not sure where we will stay this time.

6) CAJON PASS–We resupply here rather than Wrightwood because getting to Wrightwood is a pain.  Last time we did the PCT, the trail to Wrightwood was totally covered with snow and there was a sign warning that it was dangerously icy and slippery, and to hitch-hike in at the highway instead.  Fortunately, we had already resupplied at Cajon Pass, so we didn’t care.  We have been to Wrightwood, and it is very cute and pretty, but we stick with Cajon because it’s right on the trail and it has TRAINS!   We love to watch trains, and there are plenty to watch at Cajon.

7) AGUA DULCE–Hiker Heaven!!!  We plan to take our first zero here,  to be able to relax for a day and hang out with all the other hikers.  Also, it’s a good place to get reports on what’s happening in the Sierras.

8)(Tentative–we are trying to find out if the place is still open) GIL’S COUNTRY STORE . We stopped here last time and had a blast.  Besides picking up our box, we enjoyed good food and fun conversations with the locals–and since they LIVE in the Mojave Desert, they are definitely “interesting” folks!

9) TEHACHAPI–This is an unavoidable hitch-hike, but worth going to.  It’s a very pretty place, with lots of trains going through.  We stayed at a motel that was very hiker-friendly.  The only downside to Tehachapi is that it’s very spread out.  The grocery store is WAY off in one direction and the post office is WAY off in the other direction.   Once you get to Tehachapi, there is a trail register that lists trail angels who will drive you back to the PCT.

10) KENNEDY MEADOWS–we really enjoyed our “nero” here in 2005, and left with clean clothes, clean selves, and HEEEEEAVY packs ready for the High Sierras. 

11) VERMILION VALLEY RESORT–Last time, we had a “nero” here. This time, depending on how tired we are and how low on food, we may either not stop at all, or we will just stop off and eat, scrounge through the hiker barrels, and then be on our way.   I guess you can say it will be more of a “pit stop” than a resupply.   We do not plan to send a box here this time (we did in 2005).

12) MAMMOTH LAKES–We plan to zero here, after leaving the PCT at Red’s Meadow.   We figure we will be pretty tired and hungry at this point!   We didn’t stop here in 2005, since we had already nero’ed  at VVR.

13) TUOLEMNE MEADOWS–This is where we hope and pray that the post office is open!!   If it isn’t, we’ll have to go all the way down to Yosemite Valley to get our box.   In 2005, we arrived here around lunchtime and by the time we finished eating, sorting out the stuff from our box, etc. it was late afternoon.  Knowing the “bear situation” in Yosemite, we opted to stay the night with our food safely stowed in a bear BOX at the campground before leaving early next morning.

14) ECHO LAKE–This is a very pretty place. Last time we hitched down to South Lake Tahoe from here.   This time, we will just stop and eat and get our box and go.

15) POOH CORNER–We have never been to the Person’s place at Donner Lake, and it sounded great, so this time we decided we’d check it out!

16) SIERRA CITY–A wonderful town; a bit of a detour off the trail, but well worth it.   The restaurants in Sierra City are AWESOME, and the people are very friendly to hikers.   You can camp by the church lawn for free.  (Don’t camp ON the lawn, or you’ll get well-watered when the sprinklers come on at midnight!)

17) BELDEN–Last time, we picked up our box at the post office, and that was kind of an “experience”.  But this time we are going to try Little Haven.

18) OLD STATION–The postmistress here will phone Georgi Heitman when you pick up your box, and next thing you know, you are in another “hiker heaven” with the Heitmans!  We had planned to just pick up our box and keep going in 2005, but we met so many people who said, “You HAVE to stay with Dennis and Georgi” that we  reconsidered.  And we are glad we did!

19) BURNEY FALLS STATE PARK–We don’t plan to stay here, just pick up our box and go.   But the staff are very friendly and helpful to hikers!

20) CASTELLA (AMMIRATI’S MARKET)–Last time, we picked up at the post office.  Glad the store takes boxes now!   We bought a bunch of  food at the store and took it over to the State Park next door, where we spent the night and got all cleaned up and had a great meal. 

21) ETNA–In 2005, we were not planning to go to Etna, but a snowstorm forced us down off the trail.  We ended up staying at the Hiker Hut, and enjoyed fantastic food in town till the storm had died down enough for us to return to the PCT.   This time, we are PLANNING to go to Etna!   Superfriendly town, supernice people!

22) SEIAD VALLEY–How can any thruhiker bypass a chance at the famous pancakes here?  White Beard and I were very conservative, and ordered ONE pancake each.   We could barely finish them!   You can camp at the RV park next door.  We didn’t stay at Seiad–just picked up our box, ate a pancake & milkshake and headed on.

23) HYATT LAKE RESORT–We bypass Ashland; it’s too much of a hassle to get there, and we’ve been to Ashland before anyway, many times, so it’s “no big deal” to us.   Instead, we go straight to Hyatt Lake, where you can get a shower,  food and friendly conversation.  We even got to spend the night for free, in the campground.

24) CRATER LAKE (MAZAMA VILLAGE)–We plan to pick up our box at the Mazama Village Store instead of the post office.  ( Getting to the post office is a major pain.)  The Village has everything a thruhiker could want–resupply, laundry, showers, an all-you-can-eat buffet, and a campground (even cabins, if you want to be more civilized).

25) SHELTER COVE RESORT–This is a very pretty, friendly place.  You can get your box, go for a swim, eat, etc.   For us in 2005 and again in 2010, it will be a “pit stop”, not even a nero.   We try to buy enough stuff at the store to make them glad they held our box for us!

26) BIG LAKE YOUTH CAMP–This place is beautiful!   We hung out at the beach and relaxed for a whole day.  For very little money you get big, delicious vegetarian meals, plus free laundry.  If there’s room, you can stay in a cabin–if not, you go off and camp in the woods by the lake.   We love it here, because we like to hang out with Christian folks.   Fear not–if you come here,  nobody will “bug you about religion”–they will just do their best to be helpful and kind in every way they can..

27) TIMBERLINE LODGE–for us, this is a “pit stop” where we just get our box, eat, and go.   But it is a really fun place!

28) CASCADE LOCKS–We plan to take a zero here, in order to visit with family from Portland.  There are some really good restaurants here.

29) STABLER’S COUNTRY STORE–We didn’t stop here in 2005, since it’s only a day and a half into the trail, but we have learned that in Washington State, you are in RUGGED hiking, and anything you can do to save weight in your pack is good.  Stabler’s is only a half mile off the trail.

30)WHITE PASS (KRACKER BARREL)–We stopped here in 2005, and ate and ate and ate.  They also have a laundry, but no showers.  We washed our clothes, then decided it would be nice to take a break, so hitched into Packwood for the night.  Next day, it was a nightmare trying to get back to the PCT.   So this time, we will just resupply, eat, wash clothes and head out.

31) SNOQUALMIE PASS (SUMMIT INN)–Last time, we sent our box to the post office.  Not good.   The post office is a closet in the gas station, and it’s only open for 2 hours a day.  So we are sending our box to the Summit Inn this time.   Snoqualmie has a great restaurant, and it’s a good place to rest up for a night before tackling the next tough part of the trail.

32) STEHEKIN–Notice that we didn’t schedule Skykomish as a resupply.  We didn’t plan on going there in 2005, either, but ended up making the trip down the hill because we needed more food, and we were very tired.   The Dinsmores have moved, and are now 24 miles from the PCT, so you have to hitch-hike to and from their house.    We do not plan to try that again unless we are desperate.   So we will just tackle the long, long hike from Snoqualmie all the way to Stehekin.   Once in Stehekin, you have options.   Last time, we stayed at the Ranch owned by the Courtneys.  It’s not cheap, but it was awesome!  This time, we have not decided where to stay in Stehekin.  We love the beauty of Lake Chelan, so staying in town is very appealing.

33)  MANNING PARK–We come in here to wash up, change clothes, eat a bit, and catch the bus for Abbottsford.   From Abbottsford, we walk back into the USA.