I just survived my first typhoon! Well, actually it didn't really hit Busan, and I think there was one in New Zealand when I was there, but, it was still kind of exciting. My windows shook halfway through the night. There were a few times I wondered if they would stand up to the wind. I was probably the only one who was excited about the storm, heehee!
The weather has been pretty mild so far. This makes me feel frustrated at my self for not going hiking. However, I have been doing some pretty fun things instead. Last weekend a group of friends and I participated in the annual Busan Scavenger Hunt in which foreigners and a few Koreans dress up in costumes and run around Busan making asses of themselves. It was pretty fun, but I think my team got less interested in the challenges, and more interested in taking it easy.
I went to Seoul a few weeks ago. I met my friend Chris there with a friend of his. I really like the city's cultural diversity as compared to Busan. The city is huge. I wouldn't want to live there, but I'd love to visit again. We went to a lot of markets, and drank many beverages of the adult variety. We stayed at a jjimjilbang, a Korean spa. For about five to twelve bucks a night you can sleep in a small cozy cubby hole. I hadn't slept that well in a long time! It's super dark and quiet, unlike my apartment across the street from a train station. Plus you get to wake up and soak in a hot tub. Sometimes they are natural mineral hot springs. Ooolala! There are lots of other amenities available that I hope to explore next time I go to a jjimjilbang. On Sunday I met up with my fiber arts professor from college. I had a really good time. She told me about a bojagi symposium that happens every year in Korea. I hope I get to make it while I'm here! Bojagi are traditional Korean wrapping cloths. For more info, see this link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bojagi
Today I went to Costco which is almost exactly like Costco in the States. The differences? For one, if you don't go to Costco on the weekend, there are more samples in Korea. Delicious samples. Seriously, every isle. Cheese, cereal, vitamins, lotion... everything. Awesome. The products are also a bit different. You won't find a liter of worcestershire sauce here either. Nor will you find three gallons of green cake icing. And we haven't been able to find blue cheese yet. Another difference? If you purchase a membership in Korea in costs 35,000 won, or less than $35. Poop nuggets: I bought mine before I left the U.S. were it's $20 more.
I'm also pretty sure the Costco here gets a lot busier than the one I'm used to going to in Portland. If you think about it, in Korea there are far more people using the single Busan Costco, than people using the one in Portland. Busan is a much bigger city. Also, there are five Costcos in the greater Portland area. People act differently here in crowded areas. It seems like chaos to most Westerners. Last time I went I was super worried that I was going to run over a free-ranging toddler with by cart. People also get a little aggressive about the samples. Someone almost snatched a sample right out of my hand. People were literally lined up 15 deep to get steak samples. (And I mean 'literally' in the literal sense. Which is how you use the word 'literally.' Grumble grumble.)
But there are some things that are still the same; it's giant, the products come giant huge quantities, and the hot dog is still a bad idea.
Wednesday, October 9, 2013
Thursday, September 5, 2013
I've been in Busan for a bit over a week now. I am so excited to be in Korea! Everyone I've met has been helpful in helping me settle in to my new job and my new apartment. I finally have good internet access, and can plug my laptop in, so I can now get down to blogging.
What to write about first?
I really like my job. The little kids are adorable. One of my classes is doing art and science projects with four and five year-olds. (They are five and six in Korea, because in Korea you are one when you are born.) My other classes are strictly English classes. I'm of course still getting the hang of teaching, and probably will be for the next month or two. The school I work for makes teaching easier by providing a complete lesson plan and materials. The teacher I replaced did a great job setting me up to be prepared.
I only have one challenging class so far. They are a group of twelve year-olds who do not want to do the work, and lack confidence in their English speaking skills. They are bright kids for the most part, and relatively well-behaved, but they are totally disengaged. Most Korean kids are in school literally all day, and these guys are my last class, which begins around seven thirty. When I get them they are tired and ready to go home. Mostly they just stare at me blankly while I ask them questions to which I get no reply. There is one girl out of eight who does her homework and participates in class. With the younger kids there is a reward program for behaving and doing homework, but there is nothing in place for the older middle school aged kids. Time to buy some candy I guess.
I work with about twelve other women. That's five other foreign women and seven Korean women. Oh yeah, there's one male Korean teacher, but we never see him because he gets his own office. (Bogus, right? But it is a male-dominated culture.) I have my own desk. I feel so professional!
The neighborhood I'm living in is called Hwamyeong. It's a pretty low-key neighborhood, and kind of far away from downtown Busan. There are convenient stores everywhere, at least one on every block. They sell relatively healthy, cheap snacks, like gim bop (similar to sushi, but no raw fish) beer, and they sell bottles of soju for a dollar. Soju is a popular Korean liquor made from rice. Think really really strong sake. I like it, but not everyone does. It is pretty common to see groups of Korean men sitting at tables outside of the corner store drinking beer and soju.
The food is so so so good. Since I have my own place now I can cook. I am going to make my own gim bop and some other things. I am thinking that the cheapest and healthiest way to eat here in Korea will be to eat and cook like a Korean. Here is a Korean cooking website I *love*
www.maangchi.com
Speaking of, I am going to watch Maangchi cook up some amazing dishes. I'll write more soon.
Love yas!
What to write about first?
I really like my job. The little kids are adorable. One of my classes is doing art and science projects with four and five year-olds. (They are five and six in Korea, because in Korea you are one when you are born.) My other classes are strictly English classes. I'm of course still getting the hang of teaching, and probably will be for the next month or two. The school I work for makes teaching easier by providing a complete lesson plan and materials. The teacher I replaced did a great job setting me up to be prepared.
I only have one challenging class so far. They are a group of twelve year-olds who do not want to do the work, and lack confidence in their English speaking skills. They are bright kids for the most part, and relatively well-behaved, but they are totally disengaged. Most Korean kids are in school literally all day, and these guys are my last class, which begins around seven thirty. When I get them they are tired and ready to go home. Mostly they just stare at me blankly while I ask them questions to which I get no reply. There is one girl out of eight who does her homework and participates in class. With the younger kids there is a reward program for behaving and doing homework, but there is nothing in place for the older middle school aged kids. Time to buy some candy I guess.
I work with about twelve other women. That's five other foreign women and seven Korean women. Oh yeah, there's one male Korean teacher, but we never see him because he gets his own office. (Bogus, right? But it is a male-dominated culture.) I have my own desk. I feel so professional!
The neighborhood I'm living in is called Hwamyeong. It's a pretty low-key neighborhood, and kind of far away from downtown Busan. There are convenient stores everywhere, at least one on every block. They sell relatively healthy, cheap snacks, like gim bop (similar to sushi, but no raw fish) beer, and they sell bottles of soju for a dollar. Soju is a popular Korean liquor made from rice. Think really really strong sake. I like it, but not everyone does. It is pretty common to see groups of Korean men sitting at tables outside of the corner store drinking beer and soju.
The food is so so so good. Since I have my own place now I can cook. I am going to make my own gim bop and some other things. I am thinking that the cheapest and healthiest way to eat here in Korea will be to eat and cook like a Korean. Here is a Korean cooking website I *love*
www.maangchi.com
Speaking of, I am going to watch Maangchi cook up some amazing dishes. I'll write more soon.
Love yas!
Thursday, July 12, 2012
New Itinerary
July 19 Bridgeport, CA 93517 July 10
July 23 South Lake Tahoe, CA 96151 July 13
July 28 Sierra City, CA 96125 July 18
Aug 5 Chester, CA 96020 July12
Aug 9 Burney, CA 96013 July 30
Aug 13 Mt. Shasta, CA 96067 Aug 3
Aug19 Etna, CA 96027 Aug 9
Aug 24 Ashland, OR 97520 Aug 14
Aug 29 Crater Lake, OR Mail to: Aria Benner / c/o Crater Lake Camp Store/ Mazama Village/ Crater Lake, OR 97604 Aug 19
Sept 3 Shelter Cove, OR UPS Only. Mail to: Aria Benner/ c/o Shelter Cove Resort/ 27600 West Odell Lake Road/ Highway 58/ Crescent, OR 97733 Aug 23
Sept 7 Sisters, OR 97759 Aug 29
Sept 13 Timberline Lodge Mail to: Aria Benner/ c/o Timberline Ski Area/ WY'East Store/ Timberline Lodge/ Timberline OR 97028. The guide book says to make it painfully obvious that the package is for a pct hiker. Costs me $5 to pick up a package here. Sept 3
Sept 15 Cascade Locks, OR **Come pick me up and take me to Portland!**
Sept 19 Trout Lake, WA 98650 Sept 9
Sept 21 White Pass, WA Mail to: Aria Benner/ c/o White Pass Rural Branch PO/ at the Kracker Barrel Store/ 48851 US Highway 12/ Naches, WA 98937 Sept 11
Sept 28 Snoqualmie Pass, WA 98068 Sept 18
Sept 30 Skykomish, WA 98288 Sept 20
Oct 5 Stehekin, WA 98852 Sept 25
Oct 10 Manning Park, Canada!! Mail to: Aria Benner/ c/o Manning Park Lodge/ 7500 Highway #3/ Manning Provincial Park, BC VOX IR0/ CANADA Sept 30
July 23 South Lake Tahoe, CA 96151 July 13
July 28 Sierra City, CA 96125 July 18
Aug 5 Chester, CA 96020 July12
Aug 9 Burney, CA 96013 July 30
Aug 13 Mt. Shasta, CA 96067 Aug 3
Aug19 Etna, CA 96027 Aug 9
Aug 24 Ashland, OR 97520 Aug 14
Aug 29 Crater Lake, OR Mail to: Aria Benner / c/o Crater Lake Camp Store/ Mazama Village/ Crater Lake, OR 97604 Aug 19
Sept 3 Shelter Cove, OR UPS Only. Mail to: Aria Benner/ c/o Shelter Cove Resort/ 27600 West Odell Lake Road/ Highway 58/ Crescent, OR 97733 Aug 23
Sept 7 Sisters, OR 97759 Aug 29
Sept 13 Timberline Lodge Mail to: Aria Benner/ c/o Timberline Ski Area/ WY'East Store/ Timberline Lodge/ Timberline OR 97028. The guide book says to make it painfully obvious that the package is for a pct hiker. Costs me $5 to pick up a package here. Sept 3
Sept 15 Cascade Locks, OR **Come pick me up and take me to Portland!**
Sept 19 Trout Lake, WA 98650 Sept 9
Sept 21 White Pass, WA Mail to: Aria Benner/ c/o White Pass Rural Branch PO/ at the Kracker Barrel Store/ 48851 US Highway 12/ Naches, WA 98937 Sept 11
Sept 28 Snoqualmie Pass, WA 98068 Sept 18
Sept 30 Skykomish, WA 98288 Sept 20
Oct 5 Stehekin, WA 98852 Sept 25
Oct 10 Manning Park, Canada!! Mail to: Aria Benner/ c/o Manning Park Lodge/ 7500 Highway #3/ Manning Provincial Park, BC VOX IR0/ CANADA Sept 30
Sprained Ankle Part 1, and New Itinerary
Oh, Boy!
So, in case you haven't heard, I sprained my ankle last week about a mile or two down the trail from the Mc Lure Ranger Station. I apparently (I didn't see it but my hiking partner did) Fortunetely I was hiking with my buddy Natty who played soccer in college and has sprained his ankle a bagillion times. He knew what to do. He got me to a resting place at a creek and went down to the ranger station to seek out options/assistance/perhaps a ride out by horse. (One should keep thier hopes high, right?) He came back with an awesome ankle brace and a plan to hike to the John Muir Trail Ranch. He also set up the camp so I could lay down and take it easy. We left for Muir Trail Ranch in the morning. It was about 10 miles away, but maybe they would have a cowboy there who would take me to Mammoth Lakes on his trusty stead. On the way Snow Turtle and Agassi caught up to us and we had lunch together. They joined us for the rest of the hike to the ranch. Pat, Bob, and Hilary at the Muir Trail Ranch were very helpful in explaining to me what my options were.
Basically, the closest exit to the trail exited on the west side of the Sierras. I wanted to be on the east side so that I could get to Mammoth Lakes. The only way to Mammoth Lakes was to hike there. I decided to get off the trail at Florence Lake, a six mile hike from the Ranch. Since we were at the ranch, we decided to hit up the nearby hot springs.
When we got there, people were already in the main one, so we headed for the other pool. The water was not so hot, and there was a strange worm floating around in it, but it was not so bad. The next morning, on my birthday we went to the good pool, which was much hotter. Agassi and Snow Turtle took off. Natty and I met a couple of dudes from Ashland, OR who had already done the PCT, Zoner and Snax. They suggested going to Vermilion Valley Resort because the owner there, Jim was a pretty cool guy who sometimes lets hikers do work trade for food. This sounded like a good idea. We stuck around the hot springs for an hour longer, and met some more guys, Frobro and Edgewise. Finally, it was time for Natty and I to part ways, but he promised to meet me at VVR.
I made my way down the trail to Florence Lake, trying to get used to hiking by myself again. Even though the trail was easy to follow, and not technical, I was still a little scared. The six miles flew by quicker than I thought. When I got there, I was impressed to discover that I had made it in time for the one o'clock shuttle. Zoner, Snax, Frobro, and Edgewise were also there! Frobro and Edgewise gave us a ride to Mono Hot Springs, where I picked up a resupply box and a birthday package my mum sent to me. I spent the week at VVR doing work trade, and really had a fun time, but I'll have more on that next time!
Right now I'm in Mammoth, which is a great town but I'm itching to get back to the trail, so I'll have to finish the rest of the story later.
Saturday, June 16, 2012
Hey everyone! I am doing great. I arrived in Kennedy Meadows the day before yesterday and am giving my feet a rest before I hit the Sierras. I'm really excited to be out of the desert with its hot hot weather, long dry stretches and deep sandy trails. There were some very exciting nights hiking in the dark through a little rain, some very strong winds (we had to crawl across the pass!) and sleeping in a really cool cave. I'm ready for clouds, trees, and cool crisp air. I've been hiking 20+ days, but in the Sierras I will have to slow down to 15 or 18 mile days. That's ok because I will have more time to enjoy the most beautiful part of the Trail.
The trail magic has been fantastic: Trail Angels leave us caches of water and sometimes beer and soda! It really helps us hikers on the trail. I also had a great time staying at the Saufley's and at Casa de Luna. I keep thinking about doing some trail magic next year when I'm back in Portland.
I won't be posting my journal for a while, but I will work on it when I have time and a wifi connection.
Oh yeah, if you want to send me some moolah, ($) please give the money to my mama. If you have questions on how to do that, let me know. She has access to my account.
I love you all and miss you terribly!
Thanks Mom and Grandma for the snacks and cookies!
Here's an updated itinerary for ya:
June 25 Bishop, CA 93514 June 15
June 28 Mono Hot Springs, CA Mail to: Aria Benner/ c/o Mono Hot Springs Resort/ General Delivery,/Mono Hot Springs, CA 93642 June 18
June 30 Mammoth Lakes, CA 93546 June 20
July 6 Bridgeport, CA 93517 June 26
July 10 South Lake Tahoe, CA 96151 June 30
July 15 Sierra City, CA 96125 July 6
July 22 Chester, CA 96020 July 12
July 26 Burney, CA 96013 July 16
July 31 Mt. Shasta, CA 96067 July 21
Aug 6 Etna, CA 96027 July 25
Aug 11 Ashland, OR 97520 Aug 2
Aug 16 Crater Lake, OR Mail to: Aria Benner / c/o Crater Lake Camp Store/ Mazama Village/ Crater Lake, OR 97604 Aug 6
Aug 20 Shelter Cove, OR UPS Only. Mail to: Aria Benner/ c/o Shelter Cove Resort/ 27600 West Odell Lake Road/ Highway 58/ Crescent, OR 97733 Aug 10
Aug 21 Sisters, OR 97759 Aug 14
Aug 30 Timberline Lodge Mail to: Aria Benner/ c/o Timberline Ski Area/ WY'East Store/ Timberline Lodge/ Timberline OR 97028. The guide book says to make it painfully obvious that the package is for a pct hiker. Costs me $5 to pick up a package here. Aug 20
Aug 29 Cascade Locks, OR **Come pick me up and take me to Portland!**
Sept 6 Trout Lake, WA 98650 Aug 25
Sept 8 White Pass, WA Mail to: Aria Benner/ c/o White Pass Rural Branch PO/ at the Kracker Barrel Store/ 48851 US Highway 12/ Naches, WA 98937 Aug 29
Sept 15 Snoqualmie Pass, WA 98068 Sept 4
Sept 17 Skykomish, WA 98288 Sept 7
Sept 25 Stehekin, WA 98852 Sept 15
Sept 27 Manning Park, Canada!! Mail to: Aria Benner/ c/o Manning Park Lodge/ 7500 Highway #3/ Manning Provincial Park, BC VOX IR0/ CANADA Sept 17
The trail magic has been fantastic: Trail Angels leave us caches of water and sometimes beer and soda! It really helps us hikers on the trail. I also had a great time staying at the Saufley's and at Casa de Luna. I keep thinking about doing some trail magic next year when I'm back in Portland.
I won't be posting my journal for a while, but I will work on it when I have time and a wifi connection.
Oh yeah, if you want to send me some moolah, ($) please give the money to my mama. If you have questions on how to do that, let me know. She has access to my account.
I love you all and miss you terribly!
Thanks Mom and Grandma for the snacks and cookies!
Here's an updated itinerary for ya:
June 25 Bishop, CA 93514 June 15
June 28 Mono Hot Springs, CA Mail to: Aria Benner/ c/o Mono Hot Springs Resort/ General Delivery,/Mono Hot Springs, CA 93642 June 18
June 30 Mammoth Lakes, CA 93546 June 20
July 6 Bridgeport, CA 93517 June 26
July 10 South Lake Tahoe, CA 96151 June 30
July 15 Sierra City, CA 96125 July 6
July 22 Chester, CA 96020 July 12
July 26 Burney, CA 96013 July 16
July 31 Mt. Shasta, CA 96067 July 21
Aug 6 Etna, CA 96027 July 25
Aug 11 Ashland, OR 97520 Aug 2
Aug 16 Crater Lake, OR Mail to: Aria Benner / c/o Crater Lake Camp Store/ Mazama Village/ Crater Lake, OR 97604 Aug 6
Aug 20 Shelter Cove, OR UPS Only. Mail to: Aria Benner/ c/o Shelter Cove Resort/ 27600 West Odell Lake Road/ Highway 58/ Crescent, OR 97733 Aug 10
Aug 21 Sisters, OR 97759 Aug 14
Aug 30 Timberline Lodge Mail to: Aria Benner/ c/o Timberline Ski Area/ WY'East Store/ Timberline Lodge/ Timberline OR 97028. The guide book says to make it painfully obvious that the package is for a pct hiker. Costs me $5 to pick up a package here. Aug 20
Aug 29 Cascade Locks, OR **Come pick me up and take me to Portland!**
Sept 6 Trout Lake, WA 98650 Aug 25
Sept 8 White Pass, WA Mail to: Aria Benner/ c/o White Pass Rural Branch PO/ at the Kracker Barrel Store/ 48851 US Highway 12/ Naches, WA 98937 Aug 29
Sept 15 Snoqualmie Pass, WA 98068 Sept 4
Sept 17 Skykomish, WA 98288 Sept 7
Sept 25 Stehekin, WA 98852 Sept 15
Sept 27 Manning Park, Canada!! Mail to: Aria Benner/ c/o Manning Park Lodge/ 7500 Highway #3/ Manning Provincial Park, BC VOX IR0/ CANADA Sept 17
Saturday, May 26, 2012
Itinerary as of May 26
I have added recommended dates that packages should be sent in order for them to arrive in a timely manner. These dates are in bold font and follow each mailing address. It is recommended that one allows ten days for shipping. Most places will hold packages for up to a month, especially if you put the ETA on the package. As always, address your package like this (unless otherwise noted):
Aria Benner
General Delivery
City, State Zip
On the bottom left corner, write:
Hold for Aria Benner
ETA: (date I am expected to arrive)
Here is my new schedule:
May 30 Agua Dulse, CA Mail to: Aria Benner c/o The Saufleys/ 11861 Darling Road /Agua Dulce, CA 91390 May20
June 5 Mojave, CA 93501 May 26
June 12 Kennedy Meadows, CA Mail to: Aria Benner/ c/o Kennedy Meadows General Store/ 96740 Beach Meadow Road / Inyokem, CA 93527. Costs me $2 to pick up a package. June 1
June 16 Bishop, CA 93514 June 5
June 21 Mono Hot Springs, CA Mail to: Aria Benner/ c/o Mono Hot Springs Resort/ General Delivery,/Mono Hot Springs, CA 93642 June 11
June 23 Mammoth Lakes, CA 93546 June 13
June 29 Bridgeport, CA 93517 June 19
July 3 South Lake Tahoe, CA 96151 June 23
July 8 Sierra City, CA 96125 June 29
July 15 Chester, CA 96020 July 5
July 19 Burney, CA 96013 July 9
July 24 Mt. Shasta, CA 96067 July 14
July 29 Etna, CA 96027 July 19
Aug 4 Ashland, OR 97520 July 25
Aug 9 Crater Lake, OR Mail to: Aria Benner / c/o Crater Lake Camp Store/ Mazama Village/ Crater Lake, OR 97604 July 30
Aug 13 Shelter Cove, OR UPS Only. Mail to: Aria Benner/ c/o Shelter Cove Resort/ 27600 West Odell Lake Road/ Highway 58/ Crescent, OR 97733
Aug 14 Sisters, OR 97759 Aug 7
Aug 23 Timberline Lodge Mail to: Aria Benner/ c/o Timberline Ski Area/ WY'East Store/ Timberline Lodge/ Timberline OR 97028. The guide book says to make it painfully obvious that the package is for a pct hiker. Costs me $5 to pick up a package here. Aug 13
Aug 22 Cascade Locks, OR **Come pick me up and take me to Portland!**
Aug 29 Trout Lake, WA 98650 Aug 19
Sept 1 White Pass, WA Mail to: Aria Benner/ c/o White Pass Rural Branch PO/ at the Kracker Barrel Store/ 48851 US Highway 12/ Naches, WA 98937 Aug 22
Sept 6 Snoqualmie Pass, WA 98068 Aug 27
Sept 10 Skykomish, WA 98288 Sept 31
Sept 15 Stehekin, WA 98852 Sept6
Sept 20 Manning Park, Canada!! Mail to: Aria Benner/ c/o Manning Park Lodge/ 7500 Highway #3/ Manning Provincial Park, BC VOX IR0/ CANADA Sept 10
Heat, Wind, and Trail Magic
Day 9 (May 11): We (Pica, Stone, Texas Chill and I,) only hiked 15 miles today, because we got sucked into the vortex of Paradise Cafe on the way to Idyllwild. The burger I had was amazing! (Yes, a burger. The vegetarianism has gone on hiatus while I'm on the trail. Hopefully the reasons are obvious.) I saw some really cool barrel cacti today. It's been eleven days since my last cigarette. Yay!
Day 10: Um, I have no record of this day. I hiked. Saw some trees. There was actually snow on the trail! What I thought was a small desert farm town down in the valley beneath the ridge actually turned out to be Palm Springs. I made this realization when night fell and the lights came on. It was very beautiful, but it was the most city lights I've seen in a while. I'm starting to get a rash on my hands from the sun, so I'll have to get some gloves in Idyllwild.
Day 11: Hiking down to Idyllwild was difficult for me this morning because my left shoulder keeps having intense cramps. My backpack (an original GoLite model) doesn't have a hip belt or a sternum strap. On our way down Devil's Slide, Tex and I ran into Grasshopper (the guy I hiked with on the first day). He is going to leave the Pacific Crest Trail to hike the Continental Divide Trail. This is really exciting because when he completes, he will have his Triple Crown. I got a calzone at the pizza place in Idyllwild that was really good! I got a new GoLite pack at the outfitter here. They also had some gloves for me, but no sports bra. The price was right. The hotels here were all too expensive, so a bunch of us camped at the State Park which had showers for $1. This is a cute town, but super expensive.
Day 12: The b-fast at Jo Ann's in Idyllwild is overpriced and the waitress was rude. The Mexican place is right on, though. Huge portions and breakfast is supposedly buy one get one half off. Got a bunch of stuff done in town. Got a ride back to the trail by a trail angel named Dave who gave us Lifesavers. We just called this guy and he came and picked us right up and dropped us at the trail head! I'm tellin ya, nothing beats trail magic! Tex and I hiked up to Taquitz Peak because there was a lookout tower we thought we might want to stay in, but it was locked up. It was super windy but we decided to stay up there anyway.
Day 13: Last night I got a horrible night's sleep. I had to get up and fix the tarp in the middle of the night. The wind was super strong. Today there is another 20 mile waterless stretch (sigh) through a hot dessert. My new pack feels great though. I'm not having shoulder pains anymore. I've moved on to foot pain. The muscles in my feet are adapting to hiking everyday. Taking ibuprofen every night helps to relax the muscles. The decent from this ridge is like, 11 miles long, and it really only needs to be like 7 or less miles long. What-a-ya-gonna-do?
Day 14: It's in the triple digits today. Tex said it was in the nineties, but when we got to the trail angel's house someone said it was 106* in the shade. Ya, that sounded about right. We saw three rattlesnakes today. A little baby one, a medium one and a big one. In that order! They were all reluctant to get off the trail, even when I continuously prodded them with my trekking pole. (Don't worry. Thier striking distance is 18 inches. My trekking poles are plenty long enough to do this safely.) I'd like to eat one one of these days. I hear they're delicious.
This was the hottest stretch yet, and I definitely questioned why I am doing this. To get through hiking through the sand (which I strongly dislike) I pretended I was cross country skiing. We got to Ziggy and the Bear's (trail angels) at 4:30. That was 18 miles before the evening! The first thing you do at Ziggy and the Bear's is get a lovely hot mineral foot bath! Then they serve a fresh delicious salad and later giant scoops of ice cream with cake. Such a treat! This hike can be really trying at times, and this kind of trail magic totally makes up for it.
You could grate cheese on my feet.
Day 15 (May 17): It was another hot day, but the wind was refreshing and I felt better after staying at Ziggy's. Lunch was at a beautiful park at a wildlife preserve on Whitewater Creek. Yummy water! I felt asleep face down in my maps for an hour. We crossed the river and headed back into the mountains. The wind was INSANE! I would say about 70 mph.
Day 10: Um, I have no record of this day. I hiked. Saw some trees. There was actually snow on the trail! What I thought was a small desert farm town down in the valley beneath the ridge actually turned out to be Palm Springs. I made this realization when night fell and the lights came on. It was very beautiful, but it was the most city lights I've seen in a while. I'm starting to get a rash on my hands from the sun, so I'll have to get some gloves in Idyllwild.
Day 11: Hiking down to Idyllwild was difficult for me this morning because my left shoulder keeps having intense cramps. My backpack (an original GoLite model) doesn't have a hip belt or a sternum strap. On our way down Devil's Slide, Tex and I ran into Grasshopper (the guy I hiked with on the first day). He is going to leave the Pacific Crest Trail to hike the Continental Divide Trail. This is really exciting because when he completes, he will have his Triple Crown. I got a calzone at the pizza place in Idyllwild that was really good! I got a new GoLite pack at the outfitter here. They also had some gloves for me, but no sports bra. The price was right. The hotels here were all too expensive, so a bunch of us camped at the State Park which had showers for $1. This is a cute town, but super expensive.
Day 12: The b-fast at Jo Ann's in Idyllwild is overpriced and the waitress was rude. The Mexican place is right on, though. Huge portions and breakfast is supposedly buy one get one half off. Got a bunch of stuff done in town. Got a ride back to the trail by a trail angel named Dave who gave us Lifesavers. We just called this guy and he came and picked us right up and dropped us at the trail head! I'm tellin ya, nothing beats trail magic! Tex and I hiked up to Taquitz Peak because there was a lookout tower we thought we might want to stay in, but it was locked up. It was super windy but we decided to stay up there anyway.
Day 13: Last night I got a horrible night's sleep. I had to get up and fix the tarp in the middle of the night. The wind was super strong. Today there is another 20 mile waterless stretch (sigh) through a hot dessert. My new pack feels great though. I'm not having shoulder pains anymore. I've moved on to foot pain. The muscles in my feet are adapting to hiking everyday. Taking ibuprofen every night helps to relax the muscles. The decent from this ridge is like, 11 miles long, and it really only needs to be like 7 or less miles long. What-a-ya-gonna-do?
Day 14: It's in the triple digits today. Tex said it was in the nineties, but when we got to the trail angel's house someone said it was 106* in the shade. Ya, that sounded about right. We saw three rattlesnakes today. A little baby one, a medium one and a big one. In that order! They were all reluctant to get off the trail, even when I continuously prodded them with my trekking pole. (Don't worry. Thier striking distance is 18 inches. My trekking poles are plenty long enough to do this safely.) I'd like to eat one one of these days. I hear they're delicious.
This was the hottest stretch yet, and I definitely questioned why I am doing this. To get through hiking through the sand (which I strongly dislike) I pretended I was cross country skiing. We got to Ziggy and the Bear's (trail angels) at 4:30. That was 18 miles before the evening! The first thing you do at Ziggy and the Bear's is get a lovely hot mineral foot bath! Then they serve a fresh delicious salad and later giant scoops of ice cream with cake. Such a treat! This hike can be really trying at times, and this kind of trail magic totally makes up for it.
You could grate cheese on my feet.
Day 15 (May 17): It was another hot day, but the wind was refreshing and I felt better after staying at Ziggy's. Lunch was at a beautiful park at a wildlife preserve on Whitewater Creek. Yummy water! I felt asleep face down in my maps for an hour. We crossed the river and headed back into the mountains. The wind was INSANE! I would say about 70 mph.
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