High off life in the High Sierras

Welp, we decided to keep on keepin' on which may not have been the case had we not stopped into Kernville. I want to give a BIG thanks to Shane for giving us a ride to Kennedy Meadows and to Grant and the wonderful staff at the Kernville brewery who encouraged us to keep going. You all are amazing individuals and we cannot thank you enough for the wonderful deeds you have done. Karma is good!
After we received a very warm welcome at Kennedy Meadows from our new friends, we began hiking the High Sierras which have been absolutely out of this world! After about four days in we started our climb up the highest mountain in the lower 48 states...Mt.Whitney (elevation 14,508 feet). After 3 hours of climbing we finally reached the peak and the views were sensational! Here are a couple pictures taken from my phone:












We hung out on the peak for a couple of hours and smoked a celebratory cigar and shared a half bottle of whiskey given to us by a couple of weekend hikers. We had just walked 760 miles AND climbed Mt. Whitney. I have never felt like such a badass in all my life...and then walks up the man who rock climbed to the top. Way to one-up me, dude.
In the next few days we will enter Yosemite, come up on 1000 miles, and will also complete the John Muir Trail! Pretty exciting stuff!
Mom- I will call you when I get to the next town...just please don't send out a search and rescue team like you almost did this past week. I'm in good hands :) No need to freak everyone out so I get 50 text messages telling me to call my mother ASAP. Love you!
And to all my friends and family back home- I miss you all terribly and think about you lots. Cant wait to see you again! Love each and every one of you so much!
I feel like I'm neglecting to write about all the hilarious shenanigans we have gotten into the past week but I'm short on time and must catch the bus back to the trail head. I will save those stories for later. Until next post!
Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Today, Dan and I are feeling a bit deflated. We have walked a little over 650 miles and have encountered a bit of an unexpected speed bump in the road. About 20 miles after leaving Tehachapi, Dans shoulder strap broke on his bag while we were crawling on the trail trying not to get blown off the mountain from 60 mph winds. Of course it happens the first day going into seven day stretch where civilization is non existent so stopping somewhere to try to fix it was not an option. I had just tossed my duct tape in the trash before we hiked out that afternoon so we didn't have any way to McGuiver it before Kennedy Meadows. That same night I reached into my pack to dig out my sleeping bag and noticed the wired frame of my bag broke and had begun to dig a hole through the bottom of my pack. After discussion, we decided we would try to call REI along the way to see if we could ship new bags to ourselves in the high Sierras. I searched around in my bag to find my phone and wouldn't you know, I forgot to turn my phone off so the battery was completely dead. Then our tent broke. Tired, sore, and emotionally drained, we sat in our tent contemplating our next move. The only option was to hike on.

The following days were just as rough. We were faced with 30 mile stretches in shadeless desert with no certainty of water up ahead. For the past 40 miles we had come across piles and piles of cow dung...they HAD to have been getting water somewhere, right? Where were these cows going??? Where in the heck were they coming from??? There was NOTHING around!!! And then we stumbled across a cow skull. Looks like he didn't find water either. We finally hit a water source and no one would drink from it (and we've all drank pretty questionable water at times). We were stuck with a liter of water each with about 10 more miles to go.

We finally reached a road just as soon as our water ran out. Completely exhausted we decided to catch a hitch to any town nearby to try to get our gear situated. We ended up in a town next to the Kern River. There isn't anything near here and we don't know how we are going to get to Kennedy Meadows. We may call it quits or we may try to rent a car so we can drive to the next big town near a trail head somewhere. We don't know what we will do but our spirits have hit a low point :(


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Hey everyone! It's been awhile since my last post. I've been thinking about what to write about but so much has happened that it would be so hard to pinpoint just one topic. I figured I would leave you with a list of all the crazy things we've experienced since my last update (in no particular order):

1. Walked my first marathon (27 mile day)

2. Reached 500 miles (right now we are at about 560)

3. Night hiked for the first time

4. Saw a skunk while night hiking...and then it chased after Dan and I. Luckily we did not get sprayed...but it was a close call for sure

5. Walked along the Aqua Duct for 20 something miles

6. Successfully completed the Mojave Desert section

7. Saw a fox

8. Walked through giant wind farms that sound a lot like airplanes

9. Hiked and camped in a massive wind storm of about 70 mph winds...Part of our tent broke, a tree fell over, and some hikers were literally crawling on the trail because they couldn't stand. Scary stuff.

10. Ordered pizza under a highway bridge

11. Slept / played yahtzee under a [different] bridge to beat the heat of the Mojave

12. A coyote stole our friends underwear at night

13. Witnessed a chocolate syrup wrestling match

14. Had my first face plant...into a giant burnt up poodle dog bush.

15. Inherited a couple more trail names...one of which is a buzzer sound the other is Hot Mess

16. I typically wear shoe size 7.5...I am now at a size 10! my poor feet hate me

17. Hung out in some hot springs that were frequented by Charles Manson

18. Walked across a bridge that was supposed to be closed off...if you know me, you know I have a major fear of bridges so this was huge for me (and maybe a bit stupid)

19. Met a lot of new friends, each have their own reasons for hiking this trail and all with pretty amazing stories to tell. A couple of them are hiking to raise awareness for different diseases that have in some way affected their lives. This has inspired me to do my best to help out the niece of a dear friend of mine. Baby Charlotte is a year old and was diagnosed with an extremely rare brain and spinal cord tumor called Gliofibroma. Her family is trying to raise money to help the Tisch Brain Tumor Center at Duke. To read Charlottes story and make donations please check out the following link : http://dccc.convio.net/site/TR?pg=team&fr_id=1110&team_id=6460

I would love to try to raise at least the number of miles I complete on this journey. It's for a wonderful cause!

I miss everyone and appreciate all the love and support you have shown. It definitely hasn't been easy but the encouragement is what keeps me going.

Hugs to all and can't wait to see everyone again. I'm about to enter the High Sierras in the next week or so, so wish me luck! Could be the hardest part of the trail yet!

Jamie




On top of Baden-Powell



Early morning in the Mojave


Part of the crew in Wrightwood


500 miles!!! Officially thru-hikers (according to our thru-hiker permits)


Walking in the Mojave

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Wizard me this: What (NOT) to do when you encounter a rattlesnake

I would assume that most of you would not have to be told this...but considering my boyfriend is pretty smart and has a masters degree, he lacks common sense sometimes which is why I feel it necessary to post this...and I think it's rather amusing (after the fact).

We were heading uphill from Mission Creek late afternoon, exhausted from the days heat and had about 8 more miles to hike to reach camp. We hit this one section where you had to beware of this extremely poisonous plant called the Poodle Dog Bush. Apparently it's way more painful than poison ivy/oak if you come into contact with it. At one point I just laughed to myself because it felt like I was in a video game. Not only did I have to concentrate on my breathing, foot placement, and snakes, but now I had to be extremely wary of this damn poodle dog bush...and I didn't even know what the hell it looked like (thankfully it was pointed out to us when we first came across it but this stuff was dominating the trail!). So here we are calling out to each other, "poodle dog left! Poodle dog right!" when someone ahead of us on the trail yells to us, "rattlesnake up here if anyone's behind us!" We call back thanking them for the warning and then I make Dan get in front since I'm always the one who has to come across the hissing sound of rattles first...and he just finds my reactions to snakes so amusing so I told him to see how well he reacts to it.

Well, we keep walking and we are both nervously laughing because we just know its coming, we just have no idea when. Now we've just left video game mode and entered haunted house mode...you know, when you get that feeling where you just know something is about to jump out and scare the bejeezus out of you and there's nothing you can do about it? Yeah...that's what it felt like. Annnnd then the rattles went off! Dan bolted and just left me in the dust and then spins around, falls to the ground and yells out "It got me!"

Ummmm...excuse me? Yo dawg, you're going to have to clarify that statement. What in the hell do you MEAN it just got you?!?! Panic mode starts to set in. I can't tell if Dan is laughing or crying as he's squirming on the ground trying to get up. I scan the perimeter and noticed the two guys who warned us earlier standing on the switchback above us watching this entire scenario unfold. They look panic stricken too. Again I scream to Dan, "what does that mean??? Were you bit??" he responds laughing, "no! It got me! As in it scared the crap out of me! I wasn't ready for that!"

So after its settled that Dans ok, he gets up and tells me that snake isn't budging so I'm going to have to walk around it. Normally this would be fantastic advice but I look up and realize the entire other side of the trail is Poodle Dog Bush. Dammit! There was nothing else to do but gun it. I just ran past it as fast as I could and smacked Dan on the arm telling him to never cry out "it got me!" again when we see a snake (unless it in fact does get you). We ran into the two guys that witnessed this the next morning and they confirmed that they were playing out in their heads how to get a helicopter in to save Dan. What a dummy. Glad he wasn't hurt but c'mon, really? "it got me"???

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

San Jacinto...oh how I crushed you.

The past few days we have been going through the San Jacinto mountains located in the San Bernardino Wilderness, which are no joke. They are often referred to as the 'Mini Sierras.' We hiked up a 9,000 foot mountain in a day and a half, which was no easy feat. We trudged through giant mounds of snow, and climbed majorly steep inclines that would make RG3 cry. I must admit, there was a point in the day that I threw down my hiking poles and almost called it quits. Every now and then I go through these 'diva' moments where I get super cranky and get flustered and thats when Dan knows it's time to feed me a power bar. He compares these tantrums to the Snickers commercials where one man out of a group of friends turns in to Betty White or Roseanne Barr until they're fed a Snickers Bar. After I'm fed I'm good to go. Yesterday may have been the toughest day yet. I thought it was going to be a walk in the park since we were descending about 6,000 feet...but no. We had 15 miles to climb down until our next water source. Let me break down our days for you so you can get a better idea of what we're working with...

Every morning we wake up at about 5:00-5:30AM to get dressed, eat breakfast, doctor up our battle wounds on our feet, and break down our tents. We start hiking at about 6:00-6:30AM. We've been averaging about 2 miles per hour and hope to reach at least 15 miles a day. Each day we have one goal in mind and that is to reach our next water source. However, our water sources are never a guarantee and therefore we carry as much water as possible. I typically carry 4 Liters a day. That may not sound like a lot, but when you are carrying 35 pounds on your back, those 4 Liters feel like you are carrying the weight of a linebacker on your shoulders..not to mention, the water goes quickly so while you're trying to keep hydrated, you also have to gauge your consumption just in case there isn't any water where you're headed.

So...back to yesterday. We had to climb down this mountain and I only had about 2 liters left from the day before. Fifteen LOOONG miles to the next water source. We left the beautiful snowy mountains to climb back down to dusty, hot, desert hills (I'm not a fan). Also had my second encounter with a rattlesnake...also, not a fan. Finally, we reach the water source which was this random water fountain in the middle of nowhere. We realized there are no great places to set up camp so we decided to keep walking to where some other hikers were staying. Another 7 miles and we finally reach out desitination which was this home of amazing Trail Angels (THANK YOU SO MUCH ZIGGY AND THE BEAR!!!!! WE LOVE YOU GUYS!!!). I gained a few more blisters thanks to the hot sand...BUT...we did hit our first 22 mile day which is pretty rad, AND we also hit our 200 mile mark!!!! Woo hoo!!!

I have received many inquiries about how/where to send me care packages and/or letters. I will try my best to keep you all posted as to where my next stop is. You'll just have to tell me if you sent me something and at which Post Office since we're not hitting up each Post Office along the way. Please don't feel obligated to send me anything, but if you choose to, here are some things that are always appreciated (also keep in mind of weight...we are trying to cut weight in our packs as much as possible) - Ramen, Dried Fruit, Baby Wipes, travel size sunblock, Slim Jims/Beef Jerky, Power Bars, Powerdered Gatorade, Trail Mix, Facial Wipes, Granola Bars, Pop Tarts, Mac and Cheese)...you know...all the stuff you ate in college and all the stuff that probably isn't good for you. We try to eat as many calories as possible so we graciously accept high calorie/high sodium foods :) Not sure how quickly we'll get here, but the next stop we will resupply in is Wrightwood. The address is:

Wrightwood PO, 1440 State Hwy 2
Wrightwood CA92397

Missing everyone!

Oh...and congratulations to Laura and Ryan on their wedding!!! I'm so sorry I couldn't be there to celebrate but it looks like it was a beautiful ceremony and Laura, you looked absolutely stunning! Love you both!

~Dubs

Taking a minute to stop in to this amazing Resource Center in Warner Springs. They just fed me a delicious plate of pancakes, eggs, sausage, coffee, and juice. They also let me soak my feet in some Epson Salt. I seriuosly love these people. Since I have a few minutes of internet access from an actual computer, I thought I'd share some photos taken so far. Today was probably my favorite day up to this point. We got out of the desert for about 10 miles and hiked through these incredible pastures...filled with some pretty hilarious, mean-mugging cows. Take a look.

Giving us the Stink Eye

Eagle Rock - appropriately named

Cow pastures

Over the River and Through the Woods...

Where it All Began...Campo, CA (behind that wall is Mexico)

Dan Walking Through the Mountains

Jamie Walking Toward the Cows

Long 17 mile day (L to R - Einstein, Beaver Cheeks, Fetus, WeeBee, Stride, Mr.Wizard)

Desert Sunrise

First Big Milestone

Today was a huge milestone for us. We reached our first 100 miles!!! We are camping out at a place called Barrel Springs. The entire day we were imagining this oasis of water located in the middle of a mountain with the freshest water ever. Joke was on us because we pulled up next to a disgusting water trough that had signs posted everywhere indicating that the water was contaminated with rotting rodent carcass. Yuuuummmmm!!! So disheartening after walking 13 miles on these bad boys:



Yes...thats the entire tip of my toe hanging on to dear life. There's a good chance I may have to amputate my pinky.The left ones starting to do the same thing. Yowzers! Not sure you can really tell from this photo but i have a blister that formed in between my big toe and the one next to it. Unbeknownst to me, it had rapidly grown throughout todays hike. The next thing I know, i feel this giant squish in between my toes and realized what had happened. The blister had exploded. It felt like i had been running around in the grass bare foot and stepped on a giant mound of dog poo (and im sure at least one of you know how that feels). It was a very weird sensation. Other than the feet situation I am feeling great! I can feel my body whipping into shape more and more each day.

If anyone wants a postcard send me your address! I had some written down but forgot them at home. Typical.



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone