Finally, an Update!

Greetings from the PCT!

 I know it's been quite a while since posting anything new, however, I have little to no excuse as to why. All I can say is that our latest town stops/resupply stops haven't been very conducive to writing 10 page trail sagas. Therefore, in an effort to keep this blog alive and functioning, the posts from here on out may be slightly shorter and summarized. Also, there will be a succession of past-dated entries appearing soon that will cover the last 500 miles. So, if you're still following us, be prepared to do a bit of reading! 

Lake Aloha: a little slanted.

Now it's time for a brief back story. After Oddball and I climbed over Duck Pass down to Mammoth Lakes for a resupply, I took the next few days to rent a car and drive down to Santa Barbara for my girlfriend Erin's graduation ceremony. It was a big surprise for her, and the entire weekend was fantastic. I didn't spend too much time thinking about the trail, but there were instances where I felt a bit strange knowing I was in the middle of hiking through the Sierras and would be back to hiking when the weekend was over. This little hiatus also meant that I'd be spending the next week trying to catch up with Oddball, as well as make it to South Lake Tahoe on time to meet up with my Erin, my brother Ryan and his girlfriend Calisa. The plan was for my brother Ryan to join me on the trail from Echo Pass (mile 1092.9) to Belden (mile 1289.3). Once at South Lake Tahoe, the four of us camped at beautiful Fallen Leaf Lake in South shore as I recovered from my six day sprint from Tuolumne (details coming).  Ryan (now know as Straps) and I set off on June 28th from Echo Pass on Highway 50 (to the sound of highland bagpipes, courtesy of my good friend and piper Sean Cummings), and headed into Desolation Wilderness. We spent the next three and a half days traversing high ridges with grand views of Desolation, racing through mosquito-filled valleys and walked onto Highway 40 at Donner pass on July 1st.

Throughout this section one can see the powerful erosive effects of glacial movements as well as evidence of some volcanic activity, both of which contributed to the rugged beauty of the area millions of years ago. There were many, many small, winged vampires that constantly chased us around from Desolation to Granite Chief, however we escaped with only a few thousand bites each. Once at Donner Pass, a good family friend offered to put us up while we rested, did town chores, and I attempted to locate a misplaced resupply package. The package was found, the zero day was well worth it, and we were back on the trail on July 3rd to start the section to Sierra City. I can't say I'm not enjoying the slower pace as Straps builds up his trail legs; he is putting in more miles than I did my first week, go Straps! 

So that brings us up to date. Straps is getting off trail at Belden and headed back to the "real world." He was a wise man and decided to keep his job! Oddball is about 2 days ahead of me, but I imagine I'll catch up before we complete California. Afterall, finally completing this state is an accomplishment worth sharing!

Like I stated previously, I will be posting entries later that cover the sections between Kennedy Meadows and South Lake Tahoe. The ongoing efforts by myself and Oddball to raise money for the Wounded Warrior Project have proven successful, as we broke the $1000 mark last month! We are still looking for donations in hopes to raise another $1000 this month. Remember, every donation is tax-deductible, so please consider contributing to this group, as they provide a valuable service to returning veterans. 

Lastly, I hope everyone had a safe and fun Independence Day! Straps and I were treated to a barbecue dinner at a campground near Jackson Meadows Reservoir. The kindness of strangers continues to amaze me and I keep looking forward to meeting new people along the trail because of it.

   -Copernicus.