Home is Where You Hang Your Hat

These past weeks have been spent acclimating to the trail routine. It's rather straightforward, really. Wake up, pack up, eat, walk, eat, walk, set up, eat, sleep. Repeat. Repeat. Yet, each day brings it's own treasures and tribulations. For example, Guffy campground was a lovely place to stay; but the water was pretty far down a steep ridge.

Coming out of Devil's Punch Bowl and beginning the 39 mile road walk re-route, we switched up the routine and cooked lunch for dinner before hitting the pavement for a desert walk into the extending shadows of late afternoon. Around dusk, a car slowed down. A daughter, Ashley, was driving home from work with her Dad, Doug. They offered up their lawn, some two miles ahead; we accepted happily. Not only did we all 'cowboy'(sleep out in the open in only a sleeping bag) under their childhood play set, they also invited us all in for ice cream and cake. Our arrival coincided with a visit form their son, a recent college grad, and his climbing buddies. There were many cookies in a Tupperware in the kitchen. We chit-chatted and explained our objective, motivating factors, and food strategy before hitting the hay at 'hiker midnight' (8:45 pm)

The next few days were lost to a road beaten and simmered head and feet. I am pretty sure I lost grip with reality for several segments of time but it was only witnessed by others, who understood, and so let it pass.

Now we are gathered at the home of the Saufleys, Hiker Heaven. L-Rod opens her home and with corporate efficiency, to scores of hikers. She pushes laundry through, feeds two horses, tends to a pack of geriatric dogs and still makes time to help out when the likes of me gets a bike chain malfunction on one of their fleet of 'to town' bikes.

Yesterday, Rif-Raf hunched over maps of the trail after Kennedy Meadows. The John Muir Trail promises to be absolutely snowbound, leaving us only the option of trudging through on snowshoes, making about 15 miles a day. We held a conference in Dude and Trouble's huge and awesome palace of a tent. Checking numbers and distances, elevations of passes, and what time of day to hit them. For about 4 hours I felt like I was in a war room. All our planning aside, we cannot anticipate what the High Sierras hold; aside from long runs between resupplies.

The plan of attack being set, we resupplied for this next 6 day run and packed our bear vaults with food to be sent to Kennedy Meadows. Another week and a half of desert walking and there we'll be.

Team Crass-a-Frass held a conference regarding group interdependency. That each unit maintain a greater degree of autonomy was our general conclusion but with first regards to safety in environments like the mountains. I know I am blessed to be hiking with sound reasoners and the independent leanings of each is why we get along so well.

And so, northward we press.