after big miles and the upcoming wilderness of the high sierra, i decided to take one last zero here in tehachapi knowing it may be a while before my next zero day.
goal: eat, eat, eat. ;)
- tribhu (tree-boo)
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
pct day 23 - 05/28/13
wow! i thought it was windy over by san jacinto! nope, not by a long shot. it was so windy in the valley where hikertown is that i thought the trailer i slept in that was propped up on cinder blocks was definitely going to tip over. it made for an interesting night.
this was a challenging day of hiking for a couple reasons. firstly, it was a 17 mile flat, jeep trail walk thru the desert. ya, a little monotonous. tad bit. secondly, it was way windy. so windy, in fact, that i got rained on from a storm at least 2 miles away because the wind carried the rain all the way over to me. it was strange to have clear blue skies overhead but still get rained on. i was rewarded, however, with this . . .
so windy that on at least ten occasions during my hike i was either lifted and pushed up the mountain or stopped dead in my tracks while i had to wait for the gusts to die down. i was laughing quite a bit.
i ended up deciding to hike all the way to tehachapi/mojave simply because it would have been a difficult night in the wind. i doubt that my tent would have stayed standing. here is a little funny right before i got to the road . . .
thanx, cuz i wasn't sure if those were wind turbines or not. i was struggling with that one all day long . . . lol.
some more trail magic happened in that a guy was parked at the trailhead and offered me a ride to town within seconds of getting off the trail. amazing.
40 miles from hikertown to tehachapi. 558 miles total.
- tribhu (tree-boo)
this was a challenging day of hiking for a couple reasons. firstly, it was a 17 mile flat, jeep trail walk thru the desert. ya, a little monotonous. tad bit. secondly, it was way windy. so windy, in fact, that i got rained on from a storm at least 2 miles away because the wind carried the rain all the way over to me. it was strange to have clear blue skies overhead but still get rained on. i was rewarded, however, with this . . .
so windy that on at least ten occasions during my hike i was either lifted and pushed up the mountain or stopped dead in my tracks while i had to wait for the gusts to die down. i was laughing quite a bit.
i ended up deciding to hike all the way to tehachapi/mojave simply because it would have been a difficult night in the wind. i doubt that my tent would have stayed standing. here is a little funny right before i got to the road . . .
thanx, cuz i wasn't sure if those were wind turbines or not. i was struggling with that one all day long . . . lol.
some more trail magic happened in that a guy was parked at the trailhead and offered me a ride to town within seconds of getting off the trail. amazing.
40 miles from hikertown to tehachapi. 558 miles total.
- tribhu (tree-boo)
pct day 22 - 05/27/13
i ended up getting a bit of a late start from the anderson's due to the delicious pancakes being served, but ended up on the trail by 08:15. as i made it to the first water cache in my day i sat and had lunch with a few fellow hikers. as i was looking ahead and discussing where to stop for the evening a fellow hiker jokingly suggested hikertown, another trail angel stop on the pct. i say jokingly because he thought it was too far at 40 miles. so did i and laughed along with him.
500 miles! here is the pic . . . (i personally like my shadow in the lower left, lol)
i cruised along the rest of my day and got to a surprise water cache at mile 506 supplied by none other than cartwheel! that dude rocks! cartwheel, if you are reading, that was the best placed water cache on the trail thus far, bar none. the water in this area is not appealing at all (like stagnant collected rain water - yummy!). thanx cartwheel! as i sat and rehydrated myself i thought, oh why not? so at 17:00 i took off for another 11 miles and ended up hiking all the way to hikertown! here is a picture of the sunset along my way . . .
40 miles from the anderson's to hikertown. 518 miles total.
- tribhu (tree-boo)
500 miles! here is the pic . . . (i personally like my shadow in the lower left, lol)
i cruised along the rest of my day and got to a surprise water cache at mile 506 supplied by none other than cartwheel! that dude rocks! cartwheel, if you are reading, that was the best placed water cache on the trail thus far, bar none. the water in this area is not appealing at all (like stagnant collected rain water - yummy!). thanx cartwheel! as i sat and rehydrated myself i thought, oh why not? so at 17:00 i took off for another 11 miles and ended up hiking all the way to hikertown! here is a picture of the sunset along my way . . .
40 miles from the anderson's to hikertown. 518 miles total.
- tribhu (tree-boo)
pct day 21 - 05/26/13
i enjoyed a leisurely morning at the saufleys, ate a huge breakfast, and then hit the trail at 11:15. i challenged myself with the idea that the next stop is the andersons, the home of more trail angels, and since it is only 24 miles from saufleys i would hike my fastest. part of my daily kharma yoga (or the discipline of action) is to never look at what is ahead. this allows me to learn from the inevitable reactions produced by my ego mind and then i get to make that magical choice to either simply observe my ego or to align with it and agree to what it is selling . . .
you all know of what i am speaking . . . so for example, my ego was telling me my body was tired, oh let's take a nap, oh i feel nauseous, blah, blah, blah . . . don't get me wrong, i monitor my body, but my ego would have me quit way before the limit of my physical body. this, to me and for our every day human existence, is truly enlightenment. it may sometimes be, like our collective spiritual teachings tell us, a single moment in time whence enlightenment occurs, like the buddha, for example. in my humble knowing of being human it is the cumulative result, or the tipping point if you will, of making the moment by moment choice to simply be enlightened. for me, in my current endeavor, this means to simply observe my ego as opposed to partaking of its ideas that do not serve my highest good.
as a result of my choices today i ended up hiking 24 miles over two long climbs in just 7 hours. i then enjoyed a very lively party of over 60 thru hikers all gathered at the anderson's home for the evening. so much fun!
24 miles from the saufley's to the anderson's. 478 miles total.
- tribhu (tree-boo)
you all know of what i am speaking . . . so for example, my ego was telling me my body was tired, oh let's take a nap, oh i feel nauseous, blah, blah, blah . . . don't get me wrong, i monitor my body, but my ego would have me quit way before the limit of my physical body. this, to me and for our every day human existence, is truly enlightenment. it may sometimes be, like our collective spiritual teachings tell us, a single moment in time whence enlightenment occurs, like the buddha, for example. in my humble knowing of being human it is the cumulative result, or the tipping point if you will, of making the moment by moment choice to simply be enlightened. for me, in my current endeavor, this means to simply observe my ego as opposed to partaking of its ideas that do not serve my highest good.
as a result of my choices today i ended up hiking 24 miles over two long climbs in just 7 hours. i then enjoyed a very lively party of over 60 thru hikers all gathered at the anderson's home for the evening. so much fun!
24 miles from the saufley's to the anderson's. 478 miles total.
- tribhu (tree-boo)
Saturday, May 25, 2013
a note on donations . . .
people have been so very generous in supporting me and my walk of surrender! i have always wanted to give back in some way but have never found an online charity in which i fully trusted. i finally have found the perfect fit: www.kiva.org. please check out this awesome website. from 05/25/13 forward i have decided to donate 1/2 of all donations to this blog in supporting via micro loans various causes throughout the world. i will post info about the donation and progress updates and pictures as received from the recipients. thanx again to all who have so generously supported and know that any continued support will be paid forward . . .
pct day 20 - 05/25/13
i slept really well last night and hit the trail at 05:40 prepared to dodge some more poodle dogs . . . lol. they continued until approx mile 436, where they lightened up considerably. there was one interesting moment where i watched as an overhanging poodle dog that i did not notice rubbed against the length of my forearm from my fingertips to my elbow. so far no reaction. i have wondered whether or not i am resistant to such things, including poison ivy and oak because i know i have come in contact with them before and have not had major reactions. time will tell . . .
i continued on my way and ended up stopping at a campground at mile 444 that had a store. i quickly downed a pint of ice cream, still not providing enough calories, and continued on my way.
the pics below are of my hike under i-15 (yes, i stopped to sing for a while) and then through the rock canyon shortly thereafter on my way to agua dulce . . .
i ended my day by arriving at the sofley's house in agua dulce. these amazing trail angels have graciously opened their backyard and second home to thru hikers providing laundry, cots in tents, showers, a kitchen, internet, mailing service, and bikes to get in to town. so gracious and generous. just another example of what is really out there in the world. this is the major lesson from travels and hiking - that what you are shown in the evening news is not what is out there. people are generally good and kind and gracious and generous.
my lesson for today is in remaining calm in the midst of potential stress and pain. it makes for a much more enjoyable day . . .
28 miles from jeep road to the sofley's house. 455 miles total.
- tribhu (tree-boo)
i continued on my way and ended up stopping at a campground at mile 444 that had a store. i quickly downed a pint of ice cream, still not providing enough calories, and continued on my way.
the pics below are of my hike under i-15 (yes, i stopped to sing for a while) and then through the rock canyon shortly thereafter on my way to agua dulce . . .
i ended my day by arriving at the sofley's house in agua dulce. these amazing trail angels have graciously opened their backyard and second home to thru hikers providing laundry, cots in tents, showers, a kitchen, internet, mailing service, and bikes to get in to town. so gracious and generous. just another example of what is really out there in the world. this is the major lesson from travels and hiking - that what you are shown in the evening news is not what is out there. people are generally good and kind and gracious and generous.
my lesson for today is in remaining calm in the midst of potential stress and pain. it makes for a much more enjoyable day . . .
28 miles from jeep road to the sofley's house. 455 miles total.
- tribhu (tree-boo)
pct day 19 - 05/24/13
so the most amazing day was followed by a day that started out great, but quickly turned into the most challenging day this far.
i woke up rather late, 06:30, and after packing up my stuff and being served freshly made pancakes by cartwheel, which still blows my mind, i hit the burkhart trail back up to the pct. below is a pic of the 400 mile maker made by a creative hiker . . .
the next 3 miles were uneventful as i crossed highway 2 several times, but then as i approached the final time i would cross highway 2 at three points, i smelled it . . . the telltale odor . . . a cross between marijuana and beer . . . poodle dog brush . . . ahhhhhhhhh! it has been the talk the entire trail. it is this plant that smells and even kind of looks a lot like marijuana, but packs a nasty bite. upon contact with one's skin it causes an allergic reaction resulting in an itchy, red rash that can spread, very similar to poison oak or ivy. even though i did smell the poodle dog brush it was not close to the trail . . . until mile 410, that is . . . see the pic below . . .
that narrow sandy trail is the pct and all of those bushes are poodle dog . . . i felt like i was in m. night shyamalan's "the happening" as i weaved my way thru the poodle dog brush mine field. this continued until approximately mile 413 where i started a 6 mile dirt road walk due to a major forest fire that wiped out many miles of the pct. so i got a reprieve from the poodle dog brush for a while, but let's be honest, road walks are just no fun. after the mill creek fire ranger station, it was back to poodle dog brush dodging for the next 8 miles until i decided to camp next to a jeep road at mile 427 for the night.
34 miles from buckhorn camp ground to some random jeep road. 427 miles total.
- tribhu (tree-boo)
i woke up rather late, 06:30, and after packing up my stuff and being served freshly made pancakes by cartwheel, which still blows my mind, i hit the burkhart trail back up to the pct. below is a pic of the 400 mile maker made by a creative hiker . . .
the next 3 miles were uneventful as i crossed highway 2 several times, but then as i approached the final time i would cross highway 2 at three points, i smelled it . . . the telltale odor . . . a cross between marijuana and beer . . . poodle dog brush . . . ahhhhhhhhh! it has been the talk the entire trail. it is this plant that smells and even kind of looks a lot like marijuana, but packs a nasty bite. upon contact with one's skin it causes an allergic reaction resulting in an itchy, red rash that can spread, very similar to poison oak or ivy. even though i did smell the poodle dog brush it was not close to the trail . . . until mile 410, that is . . . see the pic below . . .
that narrow sandy trail is the pct and all of those bushes are poodle dog . . . i felt like i was in m. night shyamalan's "the happening" as i weaved my way thru the poodle dog brush mine field. this continued until approximately mile 413 where i started a 6 mile dirt road walk due to a major forest fire that wiped out many miles of the pct. so i got a reprieve from the poodle dog brush for a while, but let's be honest, road walks are just no fun. after the mill creek fire ranger station, it was back to poodle dog brush dodging for the next 8 miles until i decided to camp next to a jeep road at mile 427 for the night.
34 miles from buckhorn camp ground to some random jeep road. 427 miles total.
- tribhu (tree-boo)
pct day 18 - 05/23/13
after a relaxing day in wrightwood, i spent some time at the coffee shop and then hit the trail around 09:00. i had no idea just how beautiful the hike would be. this picture is of the valley i had climbed from the previous two days . . .
this is a sign meant to tease us . . . just kidding . . . not really . . .
i climbed up to baden-powell peak, 9,399 feet and easily experienced the best views on the trail thus far. here is a 360 degree shot . . .
john muir once wrote that san jacinto peak is the best view in so cal, but in my humble opinion it is definitely baden-powell. unbelievable. here is another pic of my hike down from the peak.
this day just got better. there is this reroute of the trail due to an endangered frog species, so it means that one has to start a 2.7 mile road walk followed by a 1.5 mile trail back to the pct. as i came out on the road i noticed this guy standing by the road about 1/10 of a mile down the road. due to my super awesome eyesight, all i saw was green and thought to myself, "great, park ranger . . ." as i approached he called out, "need something to drink?" i was like, um . . . ok . . . it turns out that cartwheel, his trail name, is hiking the pct this year but had to get off the trail for two weddings and decided to drive out from l.a. to perform a little trail magic during the long weekend. below is a picture of four of us enjoying some magic.
we waited for a few more hikers to come off the trail and then cartwheel drove my bag the rest of the 2.7 road miles to buckhorn camp ground. i decided to run the miles and ended up having an awesome evening with some more amazing souls. thanx so much cartwheel, you rock!
my lesson, so very obvious, is to not make any assumptions, negative or positive. what is thought was a park ranger, ended up being the best trail angel i have ever met . . .
23 miles from wrightwood/highway 2 to buckhorn camp ground. 393 miles total.
- tribhu (tree-boo)
this is a sign meant to tease us . . . just kidding . . . not really . . .
i climbed up to baden-powell peak, 9,399 feet and easily experienced the best views on the trail thus far. here is a 360 degree shot . . .
john muir once wrote that san jacinto peak is the best view in so cal, but in my humble opinion it is definitely baden-powell. unbelievable. here is another pic of my hike down from the peak.
this day just got better. there is this reroute of the trail due to an endangered frog species, so it means that one has to start a 2.7 mile road walk followed by a 1.5 mile trail back to the pct. as i came out on the road i noticed this guy standing by the road about 1/10 of a mile down the road. due to my super awesome eyesight, all i saw was green and thought to myself, "great, park ranger . . ." as i approached he called out, "need something to drink?" i was like, um . . . ok . . . it turns out that cartwheel, his trail name, is hiking the pct this year but had to get off the trail for two weddings and decided to drive out from l.a. to perform a little trail magic during the long weekend. below is a picture of four of us enjoying some magic.
we waited for a few more hikers to come off the trail and then cartwheel drove my bag the rest of the 2.7 road miles to buckhorn camp ground. i decided to run the miles and ended up having an awesome evening with some more amazing souls. thanx so much cartwheel, you rock!
my lesson, so very obvious, is to not make any assumptions, negative or positive. what is thought was a park ranger, ended up being the best trail angel i have ever met . . .
23 miles from wrightwood/highway 2 to buckhorn camp ground. 393 miles total.
- tribhu (tree-boo)
Thursday, May 23, 2013
pct day 17 - 05/22/13
i got up at guffy campground, having slept in until 08:30, and made the short 4.5 mile hike in to the town of wrightwood, deciding after my big three days i would make a restful nearo (nearly a zero). as i was hiking down the mountain, cue the views . . .
i got a strong feeling to hurry up, so i listened. just as i came down the final hill a white pickup truck pulled up and dropped off two other hikers. a great guy and wrightwood local, named clint, immediately offered me a ride into town. wrightwood is amazing. so friendly and welcoming. i have met so many beautiful souls and wrightwood was no exception. from a seriously drunk guy who flows with divine philosophy (like saying "dude, you are my batman" after putting him to bed), to an ultramarathoner who has developed her own new and unbelievably stunning way of processing photography, to a 20 year old who is way wise beyond his years, to a canadian woman who offers insight with no fear at all . . .
incredible . . .
my lesson, to pick one out of many from wrightwood, is the be fearless in the light i have to offer this world . . . thank you porsche . . .
- tribhu (tree-boo)
i got a strong feeling to hurry up, so i listened. just as i came down the final hill a white pickup truck pulled up and dropped off two other hikers. a great guy and wrightwood local, named clint, immediately offered me a ride into town. wrightwood is amazing. so friendly and welcoming. i have met so many beautiful souls and wrightwood was no exception. from a seriously drunk guy who flows with divine philosophy (like saying "dude, you are my batman" after putting him to bed), to an ultramarathoner who has developed her own new and unbelievably stunning way of processing photography, to a 20 year old who is way wise beyond his years, to a canadian woman who offers insight with no fear at all . . .
incredible . . .
my lesson, to pick one out of many from wrightwood, is the be fearless in the light i have to offer this world . . . thank you porsche . . .
- tribhu (tree-boo)
pct day 16 - 05/21/13
so i woke up to talk among the other hikers at silverwood of a mcdonalds at the i-15 crossing. it has been a very long time since i ate at a mcdonalds, but i must say that the calories were very much appreciated. i ate some food that i would rather never think or speak of again in my life (unless there is another mcdonalds on the trail, of course) and then flew up 4000 feet to gobblers knob campground. it was only 18:30 and i was unimpressed so i pulled out my topo maps. i discovered that another camping area was only 8 miles up the trail and that if i made it i would have hiked 100 miles in three days, so of course i took off. i was so in to the hike that i did the 8 miles and 1000 feet in under two hours. i have never felt so strong in my life. to just let go and not think about the dark, or my fatigue, or achy feet was just awesome.
here are some pics/videos from day. the first is a great area on the descent down to i-15. (enjoy, auntie k, lol)
these pics are of the cliffs i just hiked passed from up above, if that makes any sense . . .
this next video is just me being the total dork that i am fully enjoying the sounds created by this hideous manmade structure. my lesson for today is in always finding the beauty in every thing. i feel that humans have a lot to learn in living in harmony with the divine mother that has created and maintains this beautiful world, but there is still beauty to be found in even the ugliest and most mundane of human inventions. just beautiful sound from a corrugated metal tube under some train tracks . . .
37 miles from silverwood lake to guffy campground. 365 miles total.
- tribhu (tree-boo)
here are some pics/videos from day. the first is a great area on the descent down to i-15. (enjoy, auntie k, lol)
these pics are of the cliffs i just hiked passed from up above, if that makes any sense . . .
this next video is just me being the total dork that i am fully enjoying the sounds created by this hideous manmade structure. my lesson for today is in always finding the beauty in every thing. i feel that humans have a lot to learn in living in harmony with the divine mother that has created and maintains this beautiful world, but there is still beauty to be found in even the ugliest and most mundane of human inventions. just beautiful sound from a corrugated metal tube under some train tracks . . .
37 miles from silverwood lake to guffy campground. 365 miles total.
- tribhu (tree-boo)
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
pct day 15 - 05/20/13
i woke up a little late, but made it to a natural hot springs at mile 308 by ten in the morning. i enjoyed a quick dip in the hot springs and ate linch with some other hikers before making my way silverwood lake. i spent a night at the lakewood recreation site right on the lake.
32 miles from campsite at 296 to silverwood lake at 328. 328 miles total.
- tribhu (tree-boo)
32 miles from campsite at 296 to silverwood lake at 328. 328 miles total.
- tribhu (tree-boo)
pct day 14 - 05/19/13
i left big bear with another fast hiker, hacksaw. we cruised out of bog bear and did the first 12 miles in 3 1/4 hours. the picture is of big bear from the other side as we hiked out.
i cruised along the rest of the day and ended up at a sweet spot with a great sunset . . .
my lesson for today is in being hoshyar, meaning pay attention! i ended up going over a mile steeply down the wrong trail today adding over two miles
to my day. hoshyar, tribhu, hoshyar!
31 miles from big bear to my awesome camp site at 296. 296 miles total.
- tribhu (tree-boo)
i cruised along the rest of the day and ended up at a sweet spot with a great sunset . . .
my lesson for today is in being hoshyar, meaning pay attention! i ended up going over a mile steeply down the wrong trail today adding over two miles
to my day. hoshyar, tribhu, hoshyar!
31 miles from big bear to my awesome camp site at 296. 296 miles total.
- tribhu (tree-boo)
pct day 13 - 05/18/13 - surprise zero #2
i had so much fun last night that i decided to stay here another day. so many awesome souls to hang out with. plus, i worked hard the last two days!
so remember that story from day 12 about that guy i met on the trail who was struggling a bit? i get a ride from someone at the hostel to resupply at the store and lo and behold the guy is in the car! the best part is that he starts to recount this story of how this young kid passed him yesterday having just done a 35 mile day and then doing another and how he got so fired up and mad that he was going so slow that he really started trekking and did the most miles he has ever done. it was quite a funny moment when i told him that he was telling me about me. i have to say i felt great knowing that i inspired him. he went on to tell me that doing small miles and going slow was all just made up in his mind. isn't that always the case?
my lesson, thanx to tortuga, is to remember that when it seems like something is challenging it is just something made up by my mind. no limits . . .
thanx to all at big bear.
- tribhu (tree-boo)
so remember that story from day 12 about that guy i met on the trail who was struggling a bit? i get a ride from someone at the hostel to resupply at the store and lo and behold the guy is in the car! the best part is that he starts to recount this story of how this young kid passed him yesterday having just done a 35 mile day and then doing another and how he got so fired up and mad that he was going so slow that he really started trekking and did the most miles he has ever done. it was quite a funny moment when i told him that he was telling me about me. i have to say i felt great knowing that i inspired him. he went on to tell me that doing small miles and going slow was all just made up in his mind. isn't that always the case?
my lesson, thanx to tortuga, is to remember that when it seems like something is challenging it is just something made up by my mind. no limits . . .
thanx to all at big bear.
- tribhu (tree-boo)
pct day 12 - 05/17/13
i woke up at 05:30 and again had the thought that maybe i could do another 35 and get to big bear. i just laughed and kept packing up.
i made my way up the trail and ot proved to be a tad bit challenging at 8k feet and a steeper grade. i kept on going and eventually met a man in his early sixties at about 11:30 and 17 miles into my day. as i approached him, he just plopped down on a rock and looked very defeated. he said that he doesn't care for uphills, but he also doesn't care for downhills. i laughed, but then asked him why he was out here. he sort of deflected my question and then asked where i came from and deduced that i had gone 18 miles, leaving the same time as him, yet gained 10 miles since we both started. then he asked how many miles i did yesterday and i answered that i had done 35 and was planning on the same into big bear. he asked my name and said he was going to write it down as inspiration. (story to be continued)
i made my way in to big bear and decided to stay at the hostel there. to my very happy surprise, i found that a couple i met way back at mile 77 were there because of an injury. it was so great to see them! lenny is a kiwi and becca is a brit and they are quite hilarious. i had a great time. so much fun! thanx lenny and becca!
35 miles from mission creek to big bear. 265 miles total
- tribhu (tree-boo)
i made my way up the trail and ot proved to be a tad bit challenging at 8k feet and a steeper grade. i kept on going and eventually met a man in his early sixties at about 11:30 and 17 miles into my day. as i approached him, he just plopped down on a rock and looked very defeated. he said that he doesn't care for uphills, but he also doesn't care for downhills. i laughed, but then asked him why he was out here. he sort of deflected my question and then asked where i came from and deduced that i had gone 18 miles, leaving the same time as him, yet gained 10 miles since we both started. then he asked how many miles i did yesterday and i answered that i had done 35 and was planning on the same into big bear. he asked my name and said he was going to write it down as inspiration. (story to be continued)
i made my way in to big bear and decided to stay at the hostel there. to my very happy surprise, i found that a couple i met way back at mile 77 were there because of an injury. it was so great to see them! lenny is a kiwi and becca is a brit and they are quite hilarious. i had a great time. so much fun! thanx lenny and becca!
35 miles from mission creek to big bear. 265 miles total
- tribhu (tree-boo)
pct day 11 - 05/16/13
holy wind, batman! it was so windy last night that one of the guy lines on my tent actually snapped in half! i heard the tell-tale signs - that thrumming sound right before it goes poing! and my tent falls down on top of me. i seriously could not stop laughing. it must have been a fairly comical sight.
so, needless to say, at 04:00 i decided to start hiking. this actually proved to be a divinely inspired little trick. the hike down san jacinto, while extremely gradual, unbelievably gradual, in fact, was completely exposed to a baking hot sun and very windy. then you get down 9,800 feet from the peak and you have to cross the desert. i knew it was going to be windy because i could see the biggest array of wind collectors from the peak that i have ever seen. countless wind collectors. so needless to say again, it was a wee bit windy crossing the desert. i almost got blown over on to my face several times and it was quite entertaining. i was very happy that it was only 09:30 when i crossed under i-10 and made my way back up into the mountains. here is a pic of san jacinto having just climbed down it since yesterday afternoon and also a pic of some wind collectors.
so it was about 10:30 when i crossed mile 210 and had already done 15 miles when a crazy idea occured to me: what if i were to do back-to-back 35 mile days and get into big bear by friday afternoon. i just kind of laughed and kept on trekking.
i made it another 10 miles to this old fish hatchery on whitewater river called whitewater preserve. they turned the old fish pool in to a wading pool and i must say that the cool mountain water felt oh so good on my tired feet. i met several amazing souls at the pools, but decided to keep on going.
i ended up doing another 10 miles before and set up camp along the mission springs creek at mile 230.
my lesson for today is just to have a thought and observe the thought and let the body decide what is possible. :)
35 miles from san jacinto to mission creek. 230 miles total.
- tribhu (tree-boo)
so, needless to say, at 04:00 i decided to start hiking. this actually proved to be a divinely inspired little trick. the hike down san jacinto, while extremely gradual, unbelievably gradual, in fact, was completely exposed to a baking hot sun and very windy. then you get down 9,800 feet from the peak and you have to cross the desert. i knew it was going to be windy because i could see the biggest array of wind collectors from the peak that i have ever seen. countless wind collectors. so needless to say again, it was a wee bit windy crossing the desert. i almost got blown over on to my face several times and it was quite entertaining. i was very happy that it was only 09:30 when i crossed under i-10 and made my way back up into the mountains. here is a pic of san jacinto having just climbed down it since yesterday afternoon and also a pic of some wind collectors.
so it was about 10:30 when i crossed mile 210 and had already done 15 miles when a crazy idea occured to me: what if i were to do back-to-back 35 mile days and get into big bear by friday afternoon. i just kind of laughed and kept on trekking.
i made it another 10 miles to this old fish hatchery on whitewater river called whitewater preserve. they turned the old fish pool in to a wading pool and i must say that the cool mountain water felt oh so good on my tired feet. i met several amazing souls at the pools, but decided to keep on going.
i ended up doing another 10 miles before and set up camp along the mission springs creek at mile 230.
my lesson for today is just to have a thought and observe the thought and let the body decide what is possible. :)
35 miles from san jacinto to mission creek. 230 miles total.
- tribhu (tree-boo)
pct day 10 - 05/15/13
i had such a great time in idyllwild with the gang that happened to be in town that, truthfully, i was a little reluctant to go. i made plans with two hikers to hit the bakery that opened at 06:30 and then hit the devil's slide trail for a quick 2.5 back up to the pct. i decided to do an alternate route to the pct which adds an extra 1.5 miles, but goes up to the top of san jacinto peak. at 10,834 feet it provides some great views of the desert. see the video below for 360 degree view of arid, yet beautiful so cal.
my lesson for today is in non-attachment, of course. all things in this world live and then die, including relationships. when we tap in to the ebb and flow of the natural course of things and do not try to force things, they just tend to unfold in a divinely beautiful way.
16 miles from saddle junction at the devil's slide trail to a campsite a 1/3 of the way down san jacinto at mile 195. 195 miles total.
- tribhu (tree-boo)
my lesson for today is in non-attachment, of course. all things in this world live and then die, including relationships. when we tap in to the ebb and flow of the natural course of things and do not try to force things, they just tend to unfold in a divinely beautiful way.
16 miles from saddle junction at the devil's slide trail to a campsite a 1/3 of the way down san jacinto at mile 195. 195 miles total.
- tribhu (tree-boo)
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
pct day 9 - 05/14/13 - surprise zero
so i went 1,351 miles on the applachian trail before i took my first zero. i went only 179 miles on the pct before my first zero. lol! i just met such amazing souls i wanted to spend another whole day with them.
my lesson for today, despite my illusion of laziness, hehe, is to stop and enjoy the company of my brothers and sisters. there are such amazing people in this world, all of us offering new insights and points of view - i am so glad i took a break from my meditation of kharma yoga to enjoy the other souls on this adventure. cheers to you all!
the pic below is of us stuffing our faces with pizza.
0 miles, well enjoyed.
- tribhu (tree-boo)
my lesson for today, despite my illusion of laziness, hehe, is to stop and enjoy the company of my brothers and sisters. there are such amazing people in this world, all of us offering new insights and points of view - i am so glad i took a break from my meditation of kharma yoga to enjoy the other souls on this adventure. cheers to you all!
the pic below is of us stuffing our faces with pizza.
0 miles, well enjoyed.
- tribhu (tree-boo)
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
pct day 8 - 05/13/13
that camping spot was so great last night. i slept very soundly. i took off at 06:00 to get a jump on the heat. the hiking proved to be somewhat challenging. i set myself up for this little water challenge. so i had 1.5 liters from mile 163 and wanted to get to a snow melt creek at mile 177. the only challenging thing was the cotton mouth i experienced on the climbs. even by keeping my mouth closed i still dried out quite a bit. i did push thru the challenging parts and got to tahquitz creek, fed by the most refreshingly cold and tasty snow melt - it was fantastic. i filled my belly so full i thought i was going to burst. i then hiked the next mile and a half to the devil slide trail for an easy 2.5 mile hike into idyllwild to resupply.
the video is of me on a nice little mountain top in the morning. enjoy.
16 miles from unnamed mountain to saddle junction. 179 miles total.
- tribhu (tree-boo)
the video is of me on a nice little mountain top in the morning. enjoy.
16 miles from unnamed mountain to saddle junction. 179 miles total.
- tribhu (tree-boo)
pct day 7 - 05/12/13
this morning i flew 12 miles with thoughts of good food at the paradise cafe on highway 74. only a mile off the trail, it was well worth the road hike to get some much needed calories into my quickly slimming body. the food was oh so goooooood. one just has no idea what it is like to have a delicious cooked meal after being on the trail for several days unless you have been there. it is indescribably refreshing.
i hung out with the other hikers that rolled in furing the coarse of the late morning and early afternoon and then set out at 14:00 to start some of the toughest climbs of the whole trail. the first section from the highway was so dry that i downed a liter of water in the first hour. anyone who knows how scarce water is in this section will know that this bad. so i started rationing. the video below is from an awesome ridgeline on the hike up from the highway to 7000 feet.
i also decided to test myself a bit concerning water. i drank 4 liters on the way to paradise cafe. i drank a liter there during lunch. then i brought 4 liters when i left the cafe. i purposely skipped getting water from two springs on my way up the ridge just to see how far i could go. we shall see how it goes tomorrow.
the pic below is of the sunrise from my campsite at 7000 feet.
23 miles from nance canyon creek to the top of an unnamed mountain at mile 163. 163 miles total.
- tribhu (tree-boo)
i hung out with the other hikers that rolled in furing the coarse of the late morning and early afternoon and then set out at 14:00 to start some of the toughest climbs of the whole trail. the first section from the highway was so dry that i downed a liter of water in the first hour. anyone who knows how scarce water is in this section will know that this bad. so i started rationing. the video below is from an awesome ridgeline on the hike up from the highway to 7000 feet.
i also decided to test myself a bit concerning water. i drank 4 liters on the way to paradise cafe. i drank a liter there during lunch. then i brought 4 liters when i left the cafe. i purposely skipped getting water from two springs on my way up the ridge just to see how far i could go. we shall see how it goes tomorrow.
the pic below is of the sunrise from my campsite at 7000 feet.
23 miles from nance canyon creek to the top of an unnamed mountain at mile 163. 163 miles total.
- tribhu (tree-boo)
pct day 6 - 05/11/13
met some awesome people hiking up out of aqua caliente and ended up hiking with them for most of the day. we all ended camping at this sweet spot next to a dried up river, which had some nice soft sand for a very comfy bed.
the pic below is from a boulder overlooking the valley where is warner springs from the previous day.
25 miles from aqua caliente to nance canyon creek. 140 miles total.
- tribhu (tree-boo)
the pic below is from a boulder overlooking the valley where is warner springs from the previous day.
25 miles from aqua caliente to nance canyon creek. 140 miles total.
- tribhu (tree-boo)
pct day 5 - 05/10/13
took off early in the morning and made it to the 100 mile mark by 10:00. i guess that means technically i made it 100 miles in four days cuz i started at 11:00 on the 6th. my ego likes these little motivational acheivements. ;) the pic is of a little marker someone made on the side of the trail.
i kept on trekking and took a litttle break by a creek. yes, a creek! it is the first flowing water i've seen and it only took 105 miles. needless to say, it has been a little dry. now i know why so cali has so many wildfires. another hiker named "bow" caught up wih me and we made our way into warner springs. i am finding that it is easier to take a break during the hottest part of the day between 1 and 4. i got to check email at the community center and then bow and i took off for a sweet little campsite by aqua caliente creek. yes, more running water. it is so sweet to be able to get nice cold water a clean up before bed.
my lesson for today is in observing when the mind gets stuck on a particular idea and being willing to surrender to whatever the divine has in store. i challenged myself as i was cruising along by accepting the idea of "what if i had to give up this hike." i don't necessarily mean by injury or something like that, but what if i was suddenly called to something else. yes, if i was clear that i was called to do something else i would not hesitate. i think it is also easier when we do this with relationships. the most interesting part of this adventure for me is often the random and insightful relationships between people as we meet each other. i have found it makes it so much easier when i just surrender to whatever course things seem to take. some people i just meet for seconds others seem to be for days. this is the really beautiful part - just surrendering to the allowing of whatever kharma is playing out.
the pics below is of me at eagle rock, mile 106.
24 miles from third gate to aqua caliente creek. 115 total.
- tribhu (tree-boo)
i kept on trekking and took a litttle break by a creek. yes, a creek! it is the first flowing water i've seen and it only took 105 miles. needless to say, it has been a little dry. now i know why so cali has so many wildfires. another hiker named "bow" caught up wih me and we made our way into warner springs. i am finding that it is easier to take a break during the hottest part of the day between 1 and 4. i got to check email at the community center and then bow and i took off for a sweet little campsite by aqua caliente creek. yes, more running water. it is so sweet to be able to get nice cold water a clean up before bed.
my lesson for today is in observing when the mind gets stuck on a particular idea and being willing to surrender to whatever the divine has in store. i challenged myself as i was cruising along by accepting the idea of "what if i had to give up this hike." i don't necessarily mean by injury or something like that, but what if i was suddenly called to something else. yes, if i was clear that i was called to do something else i would not hesitate. i think it is also easier when we do this with relationships. the most interesting part of this adventure for me is often the random and insightful relationships between people as we meet each other. i have found it makes it so much easier when i just surrender to whatever course things seem to take. some people i just meet for seconds others seem to be for days. this is the really beautiful part - just surrendering to the allowing of whatever kharma is playing out.
the pics below is of me at eagle rock, mile 106.
24 miles from third gate to aqua caliente creek. 115 total.
- tribhu (tree-boo)
pct day 4 - 05/09/13
what a great day. of course, i can usually find a way to say that about every day . . . i hoofed it 9 miles to a highway after crossing a desert valley for 3 miles and easily got a ride into julian, ca. what a contrast! from a scene like death valley to a quaint, beautiful mountain with trees in only 12 short miles. did i mention there were trees!?! i met a fellow thru hiker and headed to "mom's pies" for some good pie and lunch. come to find out, the lunch and the pie is free for thru hikers. amazing. so while waiting out the heat a little, we headed to another retaurant a little while later and the waitress gave us our lunch free! she wouldn't even take a tip. we each left ten bucks as a thank you and she ran it out to us telling us to save our money and have a great time. so generous. after resupplying we got another easy ride back to the trail and i met up with some other hikers and hiked another 14 miles with a nice full belly up to a water cache and a sweet camping spot. good company and good food makes for a great day. my lesson was in surrendering to the idea of such a long ride into town. my ego was all fearful of waiting a long time and then having trouble getting back out to the desert to the trail. when i let go it could not have all been orchestrated more smoothly.
the pic is of me on my way up the climb from the san felipe valley.
23 miles from rodriguez spur to third gate. 91 miles total.
- tribhu (tree-boo)
the pic is of me on my way up the climb from the san felipe valley.
23 miles from rodriguez spur to third gate. 91 miles total.
- tribhu (tree-boo)
Thursday, May 9, 2013
pct day 3 - 05/08/13
i surprisingly have passed 11 thru hikers since i started on monday. i thought there would be far less and that almost everyone would have started at the kick-off back on the 28th. it has been nice to meet so many excited thru hikers. today i am so grateful for the pct. on only day 3 i was gifted with some incredible views. see the video below to see what almost all of my day was like. incredible.
25.4 mi from mt. laguna to rodriguez spur. 68.4 total mi.
ps - as i am writing this a whole pack of coyotes just ran by. :)
- tribhu (tree-boo)
25.4 mi from mt. laguna to rodriguez spur. 68.4 total mi.
ps - as i am writing this a whole pack of coyotes just ran by. :)
- tribhu (tree-boo)
pct day 2 - 05/07/13
another cool and rainy day, which meant a lot of miles. much of the terrain was the same as day 1, but as i approached mt. laguna, there were tall pine trees and it all had this very magical feel to it. i was so enchanted that i didn't notice, at first that is, that a thick fog rolled in and the temperature dropped about 20 degrees in a matter of minutes. when i realized that my hands were going numb, i quickly set up camp and happily crawled in my warm sleeping bag.
22.4 mi from lake morena to mt. laguna. 43 mi total.
- tribhu (tree-boo)
22.4 mi from lake morena to mt. laguna. 43 mi total.
- tribhu (tree-boo)
pct day 1 - 05/06/13
i left my friends in san diego feeling totally grounded and ready for my hike. it is quite a lesson in surrending to watch parents of four boys ages 8 and under. they are so selfless and surrender all of themselves to being loving parents to these four boys. i could not have asked for a better lesson in what is important before starting my journey. thanx to my extended family in san diego.
i took a train, trolley, and a bus and finally ended up in campo, ca very close to the us/mexico border. i walked down a dirt road and came to the wall/fence that is the border (i will begrudgingly stay away from politics) with an occupied and running border patrol car. the pics below are of the southern terminus marker and of me on the marker. i officially started my hike at 11:00 pdt.
the wonderful part of this first day is that it rained the whole day. i only had time to take my picture at the border and then it was a fine mist/light drizzle all day. i took this to be very auspicious that such abundant moisture was falling in such an arid place. because of the cool and refreshing conditions, i made it 14 miles in just 4 hours. i had a conversation with the divine when i started in the morning and basically said, "here i am, free and unencumbered. there are no strong egos around me to distract from all possibilities, so let me meet whoever else wishes to share satsang." (satsang is a sanskrit word meaning truth sharing). right as i finished cruising thru my first 14 mi i came upon a fellow thru hiker. my intuition told me to hike with her for a while and we ended up sharing a blissful satsang as we hiked the next 5 mi. i ended up at lake morena camground for the evening and got settled in my tent just as it started to rain for the entire night. blissful first day.
20.6 mi total.
- tribhu (tree-boo)
i took a train, trolley, and a bus and finally ended up in campo, ca very close to the us/mexico border. i walked down a dirt road and came to the wall/fence that is the border (i will begrudgingly stay away from politics) with an occupied and running border patrol car. the pics below are of the southern terminus marker and of me on the marker. i officially started my hike at 11:00 pdt.
the wonderful part of this first day is that it rained the whole day. i only had time to take my picture at the border and then it was a fine mist/light drizzle all day. i took this to be very auspicious that such abundant moisture was falling in such an arid place. because of the cool and refreshing conditions, i made it 14 miles in just 4 hours. i had a conversation with the divine when i started in the morning and basically said, "here i am, free and unencumbered. there are no strong egos around me to distract from all possibilities, so let me meet whoever else wishes to share satsang." (satsang is a sanskrit word meaning truth sharing). right as i finished cruising thru my first 14 mi i came upon a fellow thru hiker. my intuition told me to hike with her for a while and we ended up sharing a blissful satsang as we hiked the next 5 mi. i ended up at lake morena camground for the evening and got settled in my tent just as it started to rain for the entire night. blissful first day.
20.6 mi total.
- tribhu (tree-boo)
Friday, May 3, 2013
surrendering to . . . everything . . .
so sometimes surrendering means going against what the mind wants. this has been such an important lesson in my life and it came up again today. i won't bore you with the details simply because they are not the focus of this lesson for me today. in the end it really doesn't matter what are the circumstances of my resistance or potential resistance. suffice it to say, i really had the desire to start my hike today, however, the powers that be did not arrange for my gear to be here in time. there are certain things i can make exceptions for and i can rearrange in a number of different ways. it becomes apparent, however, that one is moving against the flow when it starts taking extra effort to bring one's desires to fruition. when i take step out of my mind, when i really just observe my mind and it's wanderings, i always return to this freeing and blissful knowing that, for me, whatever i am involved in is just another distraction. my mind loves the idea of this hike i am about to undertake (i know, i'm weird - us thru-hikers often are weird), but it ultimately is just another distraction. think about it logically. if i surrender completely to the divine, then everything becomes just that. whatever i may appear to be doing is just a distraction for my mind and the real stuff is in the lessons and learning that comes from me surrendering to the experience. in my current limited human understanding, i can't know the overall reasons for why my desires did not work out the way I want. it could be that i would have been unsafe in some way, or that because my mind was feeling unsettled and i would have pushed myself too hard, or that i would have made potentially unsafe choices regarding water.
all i know is that when i go within, the answer i invariably get is: all is well - just let go. just let go . . .
all i know is that when i go within, the answer i invariably get is: all is well - just let go. just let go . . .
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
the miracle of manifestation . . .
i have been feeling ready for change recently. after getting back from india in march i have increasingly felt the urge to be in the flow . . . those whom have been in the flow of the divine will just know of what i am writing. some may even have an understanding. for me, the flow is when you are within and upon this river of movement that you are aware is not of your mind's making. everything, every experience, every thought, every synchronicity, every "coincidence" seems to flow upon the smooth waters of a divine river. my most flowing experience thus far was when i thru-hiked the appalachian trail last year (you may read about it here). thus, i decided upon returning from india to thru-hike the pacific crest trail. of course, in my mind, this was all going to take place in 2014, primarily because of the funds needed to do such a thing. even though in my mind i was thinking this might take place in 2014, i had the very, and i mean very, clear intuition that i should think and act as if i were going this year. "okay," my mind said to itself. "whatever." but i really did then find myself thinking and acting this way. for example, i received an outdoor equipment company's membership dividend in the mail and immediately ordered new trekking poles. i saw a lightweight powdered toothpaste and thought to myself, "that looks great" and just bought it.
here is the manifestation miracle: the day, literally within 24 hours, of deciding that i would leave for some undetermined period of time the place i am currently living, i opened my mailbox to find a check for just the right amount to do a thru-hike . . .
but this is how my life has been since i decided to surrender to something greater than myself. any one who knows the details of my story thus far (you know who you are) has seen all of these puzzle pieces just fall into place. my experience with this experiment of surrender has been that these occurrences are both amazing and ordinary at the same time. if we look at them from the perspective of this physical world, yes, they are quite amazing. from the perspective of the divine, however, what else could we possibly expect?
in chatting with a very wise friend before i left where i was living, he encouraged me to be very open and uninhibited in my writing of my walk of surrender. so, in a few days, my walk of surrender, which actually takes place every moment in every choice, will take on the physical form of literally hiking the pacific crest trail 2,663 miles from the mexico/cali border to canada. i am committed to sharing my experiences, not only of the physical, but of my whole beingness - body, mind, and soul - in this walk of surrender . . .
tribhu (tree-boo)
here is the manifestation miracle: the day, literally within 24 hours, of deciding that i would leave for some undetermined period of time the place i am currently living, i opened my mailbox to find a check for just the right amount to do a thru-hike . . .
but this is how my life has been since i decided to surrender to something greater than myself. any one who knows the details of my story thus far (you know who you are) has seen all of these puzzle pieces just fall into place. my experience with this experiment of surrender has been that these occurrences are both amazing and ordinary at the same time. if we look at them from the perspective of this physical world, yes, they are quite amazing. from the perspective of the divine, however, what else could we possibly expect?
in chatting with a very wise friend before i left where i was living, he encouraged me to be very open and uninhibited in my writing of my walk of surrender. so, in a few days, my walk of surrender, which actually takes place every moment in every choice, will take on the physical form of literally hiking the pacific crest trail 2,663 miles from the mexico/cali border to canada. i am committed to sharing my experiences, not only of the physical, but of my whole beingness - body, mind, and soul - in this walk of surrender . . .
tribhu (tree-boo)
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