Me 2007-06-13 Four hitches and a goodbye
June 13th, 2007
I’ve been looking at the map of the western side of Bishop Pass for a day or two now and it doesn’t look easy so I decided not to do it. That left me with the problem of how to get off the trail to meet Dad in a few days. I decided to hitch up to Mammoth Lakes and do the stretch from Red’s Meadow to Tuolumne Meadow because it’s pretty scenic and better than just sitting in a town for four days.
Lucky Joe was doing the same thing to meet his girl so we teamed up. The hitch out of Independence was hard. We were there in the sun for an hour until Abbie and her dad pulled into the gas station. They had just dropped Hitch and Cabana Boy at Kennedy Meadows and spotted us hiker trash on the road side. They got us to Big Pine where a PCTA member got us to Bishop and then Walt got us to Mammoth, then James and his girlfriend got us to the entry to Red’s Meadow and then a lady in a truck got us down the hill. Five hitches in the end but eventually we were back on a trail.
The goodbye came from Tiki who hitched south a few miles to see the remains of the internment camp at Manzanar where his parents, grandparents and hundreds (thousands?) of other Japanese-Americans were held during WWII. I didn’t feel I could go along as a tourist while he was there for personal history. I’ll hopefully catch him near Lake Tahoe.
Devil’s Postpile was already in shadow when we marched by and we got in a few miles before the light really faded and we camped in the woods. During those last few miles we got to talking a lot more than I have on the rest of the trip, or at least a lot deeper. I learned some things about buddhism and letting go of the things my mind keeps wandering onto. This is good, another thing I came out here for was to chill out. Living with just what’s on my back, ruled only by daylight and water. If only life could always be this simple.
Also bad news from Davy (a.k.a. Old Skool). On the approach to Kennedy Meadows his ankle ‘popped’, audibly, and now he can hardly walk. He’s pulled out of a thru-hike this year but may rejoin the trail later for some sections.
More photos of this day’s journey can be found at John Muir Trail
0 PCT miles
June 19th, 2007 at 3:58 pm
heya Craig, glad to hear you’re still alive and well
Have been thinking about you heaps and will continue to do so until you’re finally finished!
Love & hugs,
Nivi
May 27th, 2009 at 2:17 pm
Hi Sunwalker!
I was in Fairbanks, AK this winter and met an 08 PCT hiker and he mentioned your uTube video (170 mornings on the PCT). I checked it out and thought, wait a second, I think my dad and Abbie gave Sunwalker a ride at one point (and then we met you breifly at Red’s Meadow). Anyway, it was fun to see the video. Hope all is well with you and that life is good.