June 9th Leaving Home

What a nice break I have had here in lovely Santa Cruz. Time with friends just hanging out, lots of non trail food and a good mixture of time spent with Angela. I got to help out in her studio, fixing stuff and just envisioning the changes she wants to make over time.
It was quite fun and restful. I am, however, ready to go back and jump into the Sierras with both feet! And my walking sticks!

We leave early tomorrow for Lake Isabella and will spend the night in the old standby spot. On Monday early we'll hit the post office when it opens and see just what I might need for my next section. Then we're off to Kennedy Meadows and I'll get dropped off at the general store. More boxes to open and once I have my micro spikes I'll finally be ready to take off. I don't imagine there will be lots of reception for the next five or six days so once I leave KM I'll be short on daily communication. Never fear as I will continue to write and will deluge this blog with words when I find reception.

You know you're going into the Sierras when you see this combination near your pack.

June 7th Angela's kitchen table

Well it's Thursday and this is my third day off since I arrived home. I have rested, recovered and am in the planning and prep phase of getting back on the trail. Did my Costco run, washing hiking clothes in preparation for spraying with mosquito repellant stuff and I'll be making a post office run tomorrow.

Angela and our friend Beth will be driving me to Kennedy Meadows this weekend and I hope to begin hiking in Monday, possibly Tuesday if necessary. I think I'm ready to get back out there and have planned a 15 mile a day schedule. If the altitude isn't too much of an issue this should work out fine. Not too much snow left but I will be taking my micro spikes just in case I need the traction up high. I don't know about the ice axe...

Been enjoying my hang out time with Angela and Roscoe. Can you see what Angela's reading?

June 4th Homeward bound

I must say the owners of the Lake Isabella Motel are really fine people. They are friendly, generous and accommodating people who appear to be willing to help hikers out where ever they can. Case in point, when there more than just a couple of hikers here they have been making dinner for folks. Free dinner to boot. Two nights ago they cooked up homemade pizza with salad and leftover spaghetti from the big feed of the night before. Today they are driving myself and another hiker to the Amtrak station
In Bakersfield. How's that for kindness? The rooms here are simple but clean, with everything a hiker could want. So all you hikers out there, a good spot to stay when you are taking a zero in Lake Isabella is this motel.

June 3rd Amtrak bound

A decision has been made. Tomorrow morning I head to Bakersfield via bus to board the San Joaquin Train and by 8:30 pm I'll be in Santa Cruz. I'm just too flummoxed to head back out into the heat tomorrow and I've decided I need a week off at home. Angela will drop me off at Kennedy Meadows early next week. I'll still be on almost the same schedule so while I am leaving the trail for a bit it shouldn't hurt too much. I hope.

This is good for more reasons than just psychic ones. My current sleeping bag is only a 30 degree bag and while I'm at home I can pickup my warmer bag for the High Sierras. It's still early season so having warmer gear is a smart thing to do. Some projected low temps for the high country in the next week are in the mid-20's. Geeze! Feast or famine, eh?

Hopefully I'm making the right decision here. Only time will tell.