Granny Hat

Mt. Rainier from the Mt. Adams Wilderness.

“You don’t know which way the wind blows.
So how can you plan tomorrow?” song by 2nd Chapter of Acts

Mission Impossible has begun.  Granny Hat has to predict with some accuracy if and when Mission will cross the Canadian border and reach the PCT Northern Terminus.  There are so many factors to consider: fire detours, weather, fatigue, navigation, mileage and even, hate to mention it, cell phone service.  Granny’s mission is to meet her hiker with whatever will help him transition to the Cotton World; clean clothes, flip flops, a razor and food.  She has packed a few of her hats, some photo- op Canadian props and is ready to head north.  But just where she will meet Mission remains a mystery.  The last Mail Drop went out yesterday to Stehekin, WA a cool PCT stop that involves a boat trip across Lake Chelan.  Many hikers plan to stay awhile waiting for the fires to subside and trails to open.

Fire and Ice

Forest fires are causing trail closures that threaten Mission’s finish. The Pacific Crest Trail was closed yesterday from Harts Pass (mile 2622) to the Canadian Border due to a 300 acre fire burning on the PCT at Holman Pass.  Imagine being that close, less than 40 miles, one day’s tramp away and being prevented from touching that Northern Terminus monument.  The idea makes Granny Hat just sick.   There are other ways to get to the Canadian border that require a separate wilderness permit but entry over the border is only permitted when on the PCT trail.  The NOBO hiker trash have some decisions to make and Mission isn’t a fan of skipping.  He often refers to himself as a Purist. Thru-hikers that have completed nearly 2500 miles aren’t in the habit of giving up easily. Meanwhile, calling all you angels, pray that the fires are contained quickly, pray for rain, for the trail to re-open, but above all pray for safety for Mission as he navigates the last 200 miles through fire and ice.

Nobody knows the mountains we’ve been climbing
Nobody sees the valleys we are barely surviving
His eyes are on us tonight
We got to believe
His eyes are on us tonight

Nobody sees the fires we are facing
Nobody knows the future we’re embracing
His eyes are on us tonight
We got to believe that His eyes are on us tonight

We are not forgotten
We are not alone
He is holding us and He’ll never let go
He’ll never let go        Not Forgotten by Ryan Stephenson

Up on Snoqualmie Pass, I-90 Mission took a bit of a Nero to eat a big breakfast, load up on caffeine and speak to some Firefighters about trail conditions.    He texted home: “I can’t leave the coffee shop!  I don’t know how to get out!”   Mission was experiencing what thru-hikers call a Vortex, it took him some time to muster up some Escape Velocity. (See PCT glossary below)  Here are some Washington Cascade photos with quotes from Mission’s texts.

“First thing I saw in Washington was this bird freaking out on the trail.”

“1/1000 of the (huckleberry) plunder…”

“Mt Adams”

“Goat Rock Wilderness. Last one has a few goats.”

And check out the lonely cowboy on his commute home!  What a life!

The Road goes ever on and on

Down from the door where it began.

Now far ahead the Road has gone,

And I must follow, if I can,

Pursuing it with eager feet,

Until it joins some larger way

Where many paths and errands meet.

And whither then? I cannot say. Tolkien

Granny Hat will continue to blog on her Mission Impossible trip but wants you to know she firmly believes: with God all things are possible!

Skipping:  Leaving the trail, and reentering the trail at another location, to bypass a section of trail. Skipping is done for several reasons such as forest fires, heavy snow pack, fatigue, lack of motivation, a need to make up for lost time or to meet up with friends who are hiking ahead of you. Often people who skip a section of trail, but complete the rest of it, still consider themselves through hikers, especially if the reason for skipping was to bypass a trail closure due to forest fires.

Hiker Trash:  A general description of a through or section hiker, or of through hikers collectively. It probably comes from the fact that through hikers often are confused for homeless people during town stops. It also comes from the fact that the usual ways of determining status in real life have little, if any, meaning on the trail.

The Cotton World: Life off of the trail. So called because wearing cotton will not put you in danger of hypothermia. Also known as real life.

Mail Drop: Supplies, mostly food, that a hiker arranges to have mailed to him along the trail. Mail drops can be sent to a post office near the trail via general delivery or to any of several hiker friendly businesses or trail angel homes.

Vortex: Anything off trail that draws hikers into it, and hikers find difficult to leave. Usually a town stop, restaurant or trail angel’s home.

Escape Velocity: The will to walk away from a vortex.

Purist: noun: someone who believes that every single mile of the official trail should be hiked, unbroken for a hike to be considered a thru-hike

Nero: noun: a day where very few miles are hiked – no definite measure exists, but it can usually be measured as 25% or less than your daily average

My feet are frozen on this middle ground
The water’s warm here but the fire’s gone out
I played it safe for so long the passion left
Turns out safe is just another word for regret

So, I step to the edge and I take a deep breath
We’re all dying to live but we’re all scared to death
And this is the part where my head tells my heart
You should turn back around but there’s no turning back now

I’m going all in
Headfirst into the deep end
I hear You calling
And this time the fear won’t win
I’m going, I’m going all in
(I’m going, I’m going…) all in
(I’m going, I’m going)

I believe that one day I will see Your kingdom come
And I wanna hear You say, “Welcome home my child, well done”                                             So, I step to the edge and I take a deep breath
I’m not turning back around ’cause there’s no turning back now

All to you Jesus, I freely give
As long as there’s breath in these lungs I will live
With reckless abandon, my heart in Your hands
I surrender it all, I’m going… (I’m going all in)
(I’m going, I’m going all in)   All In by Matthew West

There is no turning back now for Mission, he can almost see Canada from some of the passes he is climbing in the next few days.  Mission says he is looking forward to trail’s end but also very sad that this adventure is coming to a close.  His heart had to rule over his head a couple of times, in the Sierra Snow and the Smoky Detours (which are still happening in Washington).

Granny Hat remembers some crossroads in life where she had to decide, do I listen to my heart?  or my head?  It can seem a bit reckless to follow our hearts, after all our heads are usually the rational, intelligent voice.  Thru-hiking the PCT seems “reckless” to so many of us car driving, door locking, indoor sleeping folks.  Like Matthew West sings though, “with reckless abandon, my heart in your hands”.  There it is!  The key to keeping our hearts and our heads lined up!  Thank you Jesus, for holding our hearts in your hands.

Huckleberries for Hikers

“We catched fish, and talked, and we took a swim now and then to keep off sleepiness. It was kind of solemn, drifting down the big still river, laying on our backs looking up at the stars, and we didn’t ever feel like talking loud, and it warn’t often that we laughed, only a kind of low chuckle. We had mighty good weather, as a general thing, and nothing ever happened to us at all, that night, nor the next, nor the next.”
Mark Twain, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

Mission was surprised by thickets of Washington huckleberries ripe for picking along the trail, one of nature’s best anti-oxidants and fresh fruit!  He couldn’t enjoy them while floating down a river with nothing to do and nowhere to go but a handful of  juicy berries made the trekking more pleasant. Granny Hat reminded him that where there are bearries there are usually bears.  The Huckleberries aren’t just for the PCT thru-hikers.

Cracker/Kracker Barrel or Beggars Can’t Be Choosers

For many miles, Mission and his trail buddy Nocello were looking forward to Cracker Barrel on White Pass, the ski resort area southeast of Mt. Rainier National Park. Since Nocello hails from Tennessee, he was listing his favorite Cracker Barrel comfort food menu items as they hiked.  They could almost taste the buttery cheesy deep-fried goodness.  Imagine their disappointment to find that a very enterprising 76 gas station mini mart owner had simply named his establishment Kracker Barrel.  There were Huckleberry Shakes though, so all was not lost!  Beggars can’t be choosers…..

Mission remembers his dad saying “beggars can’t be choosers” often when they were backpacking and couldn’t find the perfect campsite without mosquitoes or when the turkey and dumplings wouldn’t warm up fast enough on the camp stove.  Somewhere in the snow drifts of the Sierras before PCT mile 1000 Mission stared at a meager hikers supply box at Muir Ranch and the light dawned, he finally understood the idiom.  Nothing like a hunger march over extreme elevation and uncertain weather conditions to shed pickiness, makes Top Ramen and Quaker Oatmeal packets look and smell like steak and potatoes.  Granny imagines that those Huckleberry Shakes were ambrosia from the gods.

Still Searching for Sasquatch

Mission’s sister Candace is obsessed with all things Sasquatch, she even reads books about sightings and apologetics for Big Foot existence.  In Florida, they have their own version, the Florida Skunk Ape so she searches the Everglades too whenever she gets a chance.  Mission has been on the lookout ever since Lake Tahoe but so far…..nothing.  From Candace’s favorite Big Foot expert/author, Ivan T Sanderson in his  1961 masterpiece, Abominable Snowmen:

“It is so easy to sit back in one’s own home, surrounded by all the normal, known things of modern life and say ‘Phui’, but get out in the woods and get hungry.  A person will begin to see a lot of things he never saw before and would never have seen if he had not got lost and run out of food.”

Sounds like the expert himself doesn’t quite believe, thinks such apparitions are the product of fatigue and hunger, or maybe Granny Hat better read the rest of his book. But it is no lie that thru-hikers have to fight cracker barrel insanity and other types of fatigue or hunger related mirages.  With 325 miles or so to go, Mission is running out of Sasquatch sighting chances although friend Buddy Krueger from Wenatchee says he saw the elusive mountaineer several years ago in the Cascades and I’m pretty sure he was well fed and in his right mind at the time.  Or maybe he was pulling sister Candace’s leg?

Last night Mission camped at PCT mile 2321 (thanks to cousin Bruce Grivey for faithfully adding up the miles for Granny Hat) and was up hiking at 3:30 am this morning, hope we can look forward to some sunrise photos of Mt. Rainier.  Mission says the smoke from fires have cloaked the peak in mystery, still hoping for a better view.  His GPS last night was: 46.85545, -121.48723

this is the part where my head tells my heart……

time to go back to school!!!   Granny Hat wants to know if counseling is offered for thru-hikers who have to leave the Natural World to re-enter the Real World.

Roll on, Columbia, roll on
Roll on, Columbia, roll on
Your power is turning our darkness to dawn
So roll on, Columbia, roll on
Green Douglas firs where the waters cut through
Down her wild mountains and canyons she flew
Canadian Northwest to the oceans so blue
Roll on Columbia, roll on

Woody Guthrie

Bridge of the Gods or “the gods must be crazy!”

Mission crossed the Bridge Of the Gods into Washington on August 8 and is now hiking among the southern Cascade volcanoes, Mt. St. Helens and Mt. Adams.  Granny Hat was curious about the name of this bridge, turns out there is a tale full of adventure, dispute, romance and revenge, surprised Disney didn’t already snatch it up.  The native Klickitats believed that the Chief of all the gods and his two sons traveled down the Columbia River in search of a new home.  When they spotted the beautiful countryside which is now called The Dalles, the two princes quarreled bitterly over the land so their chieftain dad came up with a way to settle the dispute.  He shot two arrows from his mighty bow, one to the north and the other to the south.  The eldest, Pahto, traveled to the north of the river and the youngest, Wy’east, settled south of the river.  Hoping that his family dysfunction was resolved, Chief Tyhee Saghalie built a natural stone bridge over the river called Tanmahais, “the bridge of the gods”, so the family could travel back and forth to see each other.  But the princes were fated to war about everything and fell in love with the same beautiful maiden, Loowit, who should have been named Low-wit as she couldn’t decide between her two suitors.  The brawling escalated and the Chief couldn’t take it any longer so he turned the love triangle into three peaks; Wy’east became Mt. Hood, Pahto became Mt. Adams and the lovely Loowit was transformed into Mt. St. Helens and well…. we all know how her story ended.

A Special Trail Angel

Mission celebrated the border crossing with a very special trail angel, his Uncle Nathan, who lives with his family in Portland, Oregon.  Granny’s brother Nathan has always been known among her family as “the funny Uncle”, the teller of tall tales and he has trekked many wilderness miles with his own kids over the years.  Mission was a little late to their appointment at Cascade Locks so Nathan just hiked up the trail about five miles to meet him.  On the way Nathan met many other PCT travelers hurrying down the trail to get to their morning coffee at the Locks.  Uncle Nathan brought yummy homemade muffins courtesy of Aunt Glenda, snacks and of course, watermelon.  Gotta replace those electrolytes!  Great magic, Nathan! Granny Hat imagines more spring in Mission’s step as he was able to hike along with you.

Thank you again, trail angels, for the encouragement and morale boost all of you have given Mission along the journey.

Topics for Discussion

Several of my readers have alluded to a couple of burning topics of conversation:

What motivates a trekker like Mission to set out on such an adventure?  and…How will he ever transition back to the rat race which, for him, includes a busy University life in Orange County, CA?

Granny Hat is going to be exploring these topics for some time and you are all invited to chime in.  I’m not sure the heart of adventure can be stopped, nor should it.  All of us need to be able to look forward to the next adventure, whether it is travel, academic pursuit, romance, career advancement or something simple but challenging like raising a family. Some walk quietly, alone, and then some are always on a noisy, boisterous team, but God created us with a desire for adventure, for a new name and fresh views.

Ake Nordin, founder of Fjall Raven (Actic Fox) said it this way: “We’ve been trekking for 50 years, and I hope we never get there.”

Meanwhile, Mission sees each stunning mountain view as a gift, each difficulty along the way as a “test” and he is stronger for them all.  He has learned there is a light at the end of forest tunnel insanity:

He knows what the river knows, “there is no hurry, we shall get there some day.”                 A. A. Milne  (Ramona Falls, Hood Wilderness)

And Mission has experienced walking all by himself but not alone:

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”Joshua 1:9

The Hood

Mt Hood dominates the northern Oregon Cascades and PCT thru-hikers trek with purpose toward its slopes because the peak is home to Timberline Lodge and Ski Resort where there is comfortable lodging, re-supply stores and a buffet to call home about.  Mission did just that, called home to tell Granny Hat all about the variety of salads, fresh baked “crunchy on the outside” bread, entrees and desserts, he had no recollection how many plates of food he ate.  He started hiking at 4:30 am to be sure to get there in time for that lunch buffet and he said it was worth it.  Many hikers NERO or ZERO  at Timberline but Mission kept moving, trekking around the south-western flanks of the Hood to head north toward the Columbia River which he expects to cross at Cascade Locks into Washington early Wednesday. August 8.  This will mark his 3 month anniversary on the PCT and will leave him with approximately 500 miles to travel before he heads back to the bustling city, classrooms and books.  Something to look forward to, a different sort of hood.  Like any other “hood”, the mountain has its “graffiti” or as Granny Hat likes to call it, Pole Painting.

Mount Hood is called Wy’east by the Multnomah Tribe and is a strato-volcano and the most likely Oregon volcano to erupt.  It is Oregon’s highest mountain at 11, 249 feet and is located about 50 miles east-southeast of Portland. The mountain was given its present name on October 29, 1792, by Lt. William Broughton, a member of Captain George Vancouver’s exploration expedition.  Lt. Broughton observed the peak on his travels up the Columbia river and wrote,”a very high snowy mountain now appeared rising beautifully conspicuous in the midst of an extensive tract of low land and seemed to announce a termination to the river.”  He named the mountain after Samuel Hood, 1st Viscount Hood, a British Admiral at the Battle of the Chesapeake.

Here are some close-ups of Hood’s brothers, Mt. Jefferson and Three Fingered Jack:

The Horse With No Name

Mission made it all the way through the deserts of California without meeting that horse, much less getting to ride him.  But finally a horse with no name was spotted along the PCT in the Cascades, unfortunately head down in a river gorge with hind-end and back legs sticking out of the water in grotesque fashion.  It was obvious that the poor creature had been dead for some time and had escaped from a trail repair or rescue crew to fall down the cliff into the river head first.  Several hikers immediately began horsing around, adding their two cents, yelling “Hay” to get the horse’s attention, making comments about beating a dead horse and leading a horse to water and trying to make him drink.  But it was all in poor taste and they knew it, so the group hoofed it out of there in silence with long faces.  Mission said a ranger told them that in California National Forest Lands when something like this occurs, they dynamite the dead animal to move the remains down river.  Granny Hat did not research this but maybe some of her readers would like to do so.

Heroes Unsung

Granny Hat has highlighted merry meetings with Mission and Trail Angels and there will be a few more.  But she wants to mention some unsung, backstage heroes that deserve thanks.  You have probably noticed that bright orange fluffy that Mission wears on the trail, it has been to the top of Mt. Baden Powell, Mt. Whitney and was spotted in Rick’s Shorts video as well.  That was a gift from Mission’s cousins Jacob and Ninette Young, recently married in June.  It has turned out to be the best gift, any item that has stood the Gram Weanie test and is still on the trek is a winner!  Emily and Kelly Whiteley, Mission’s childhood friends, also sent a care package with letters from home that Mission loved and they tucked Jo-Jos (Trader Joes cookies- Mission’s favorites!) and Lara Bars in there.  They are angels indeed!  Granny Hat’s neighbors, Rick and Kelly May have known Mission all of his life and they sent letters and comfy socks (you can’t have enough clean socks on a trek like this). All of you who have faithfully prayed for Mission and followed his progress are Granny Hat’s heroes and Mission asked me to thank you all again.  He knows that God is answering prayer and helping him overcome tests on the trail.  Granny is asking for 500 more miles of PCT prayers, please.

Mission and Nocello celebrate their 2000 miles on the PCT!

No progress without some pain, Tiger Balm to the rescue.  Granny Hat sent one small tub along with food, new socks, supplies and treats to Trout Lake Store up near Mt. Adams east of Mt. St. Helen’s for Mission to pick up in a few days.  Only several re-supplies left on this epic journey.  Granny’s friends at the Post Office are getting used to her visits and look forward to tracking Mission’s progress with zip codes!  Granny Hat has fun making collage cards to slip into Mission’s re-supply boxes. This one is inspired by one of her favorite songs by Justin Timberlake, kind of makes you want to sing or dance or hike even faster! You’ve got this Mission, got that “good soul in your feet”.

Who can take a sunrise?                             (who can take a sunrise)                     Sprinkle it with dew (sprinkle it with dew)
Cover it with choc’late and a miracle or two
The Candy Man

Granny Hat would like all of her friends and followers to meet Rick Surrey, affectionately called The Candy Man on account of the Lollipops and Jolly Ranchers   he would share with all the kids in Sunday School and VBS back in the day. The minute Mission greeted Rick at Big Lake Youth Camp and saw the boxes of Clif Bars, Pop Tarts, fresh fruit and other treats, the memories came flooding back and he remembered The Candy Man. Rick is more than a candy man though, hails from Texas, born on the 4th of July, a celebration kind of guy with a big smile. He and his family live in La Pine Oregon now, in the shadow of the Three Sisters, those beautiful Cascade Peaks. Mission’s trail friend, Nocello, got to enjoy the bounty as well.

Rick has been reading Granny Hat’s posts and while he admits to “not being much of a writer myself” he does love to capture things on videos which he would like me to call “Rick’s Shorts” and those of you who know him will be LOLling. The rest of you will have to watch the video in which he explains his title. But now, Granny Hat has to admit that she is a penny pincher and publishes on WordPress’ free service so cannot add videos. Before any of you who are familiar with Granny Hat’s last name start snickering about this, just let me say that my family is proud of their name and that they all know the value of a dime, that “money doesn’t grow on trees”, how to “save for a rainy day” and that “a penny saved is a penny earned”. Go ahead, punny people, don’t be miserly with your comments on this blog.  Anyway……all that to say that Granny Hat will attach the PCT Rick’s Shorts video for your viewing pleasure on Facebook, if she can figure out how. Rick, you truly were a wonderful trail angel. Granny Hat thanks you from the bottom of her heart.

Smoke Gets In Your Eyes

Crater Lake wreathed in smoke from the Oregon and Northern CA forest fires.

Into the Woods and Out of the Woods and Home before Dark

Some of Mission’s photography from the Forest Tunnel Insanity days.

Mission may not have been swallowed by Old Man Willow but the PCT trail marker wasn’t so lucky.  Maybe when Mission saw those cows he was reminded of searching for Milky White.  There’s something about those woods…..

Three Sisters

These “sisters” stand in a row, strong against every storm, watching carefully over the wanderers as they emerge from the forests of the Cascades. Mission knows all about three sisters, his are strong and beautiful too and praying for him.

2000 Miles!  Congratulations Mission!

Granny Hat thanks all of her readers for faithfully praying for Mission. He asks for more prayer as he treks the last 620 miles of his journey, he has feet and knees that threaten to let him down. In their defense, they have gone above and beyond the call of duty.

And before Granny is done for the day here are a few more Oregon Cascade pictures, truly lovely country Mission is traveling through.

Odell Lake, Obsidian Falls, Mount Washington with Three Fingered Jack and Mount Jefferson, and a random Amphibian.

I hope the days come easy and the moments pass slow,
And each road leads you where you wanna go,
And if you’re faced with a choice, and you have to choose,
I hope you choose the one that means the most to you.
And if one door opens to another door closed,
I hope you keep on walkin’ till you find the window,
If it’s cold outside, show the world the warmth of your smile.
But more than anything, more than anything
My wish, for you, is that this life becomes all that you want it to,
Your dreams stay big, your worries stay small,
You never need to carry more than you can hold,
And while you’re out there getting where you’re getting to,
I hope you know somebody loves you, and wants the same things too,
Yeah, this, is my wish.

Rascal Flatts

Granny Hat has been “off the grid” for nearly a week due to poor cell service and wifi at her own house. I know it’s in vogue and all to UNPLUG but she worries about her faithful followers.  Mission has been trekking without technology for several days now also and sent one cryptic text to Mission Control that said, “don’t think I can call/WiFi bad but I’m at Shelter Cove and all is pretty good except for my forest tunnel insanity issue but it is what it is.”  Well, that befuddled Granny Hat and she was desperate to know what “It” is, what in the world is forest tunnel insanity?  Granny has been picturing Mission blithely sailing along forest paths under the cool of the green Oregon canopy. (photo above is a borrowed image, Mission’s photography hasn’t been able to overcome the technology hurdles of the PCT and Granny’s place) What could possibly cause insanity there unless it be a Bigfoot sighting or eyes in the dark or swarms of mozies. 

Thanks to a phone call from the trail Granny learned that forest tunnel insanity is exactly what it says, insanity caused by the boredom of trekking endless tunnels of thick trees with no vistas, peaks or lakes to break up the monotony. Mission likened it to a long drive down Interstate 5 with no radio to listen to. Mission hadn’t been able to download any music or podcasts or books on tape to listen to and the forest was closing in on him. Perhaps he was a bit too deep into the Old Forest and too close to the banks of the Withywindle, when that happens you could get swallowed up by Old Man Willow or wake from a long sleep to meet Tom Bombadil himself. Guess you could say Mission couldn’t see the forest for the trees.

Granny Hat sent off the 9th re-supply box to Timberline Lodge near Mt. Hood today.  Mission is more than halfway through Oregon and has Columbia Gorge/ Cascade Locks in his dreams. He broke out of the endless trees yesterday and enjoyed a swim in a lovely lake.  His progress has picked up and he can almost see the light at the end of the tunnel, or is that just insanity? Some could argue that embarking on a march such as Mission has done requires a certain kind of insanity. Granny Hat intends to get to the bottom of what causes ” the call of the wild”!

Meanwhile, for those who love to travel the trail with Mission on Google Earth, his GPS coordinates last night were: 44.06376,-121.80959.  Yes, he has yet another new latitude! He started in latitude 32 and is now in 44! The variety of flora, fauna, terrain, climate and humanity on this adventure tells the tale. And how we all love variety, need it really, to break up the monotony and keep us as far from insanity as possible.  The words of this lovely song by Chris Rice give us an appropriate response when the walls start closing in and we long for a new outlook.

Fading memories ignored
I crawl across the forest floor
Pool reflects an orphan child
Dirty, lost, alone and wild
Fatherless and nameless still
Fallen heart and broken, will
There ever be a place where I belong
I cower ‘neath the monster trees
And try to stand on tired feet
But gravity knocks me to the ground
Where I give up, and tears roll down
I claw the dust and beg the end
Curse the day that I began
To hope there’d be a place where I belong
I hear a sound I recognize
You lift my chin and seek my eyes
Song of love you sing to me
I ache to sing it back to Thee
“Father Love prepares a place
Brother Jesus leads the way
Follow to the place where you belong!”
How did I miss this wondrous song?
The forest sang it all along
“River rinses all your shame
Father offers you His name
Father Love prepares a home
Brother Jesus leads you on
Follow to the place where you belong!”
“Father Love prepares a place
Brother Jesus leads the way
Follow to the place where you belong
Follow to the place where you belong!”

Thank you, Chris Rice for those perfectly soul-soothing words. There is another merry meeting coming up later today and some photography too. Keep “posted”!

Mozies: down-under term for mosquitos, thanks to Mission’s Aussie trail buddies

Mission celebrated his Oregon border crossing in style with a long, hot shower, laundry service and an all-he-could-eat spaghetti dinner at Callahan’s Mountain Lodge in Ashland, (famous for its Shakespeare Festival and Lithia waters) thanks to Trail angels cousin Holly, Huck and Louie Reece from Grants Pass.  The pictures below prove how spic and span Mission looked after that half hour shower and Granny Hat can’t help but admire how smart Holly Angel was to take her thru-hiker cousin out to dinner after a decent bath. This was Mission’s 5th shower since commencing the PCT on May 8th!

The Reece Angels furnished Mission with treats and supplies like Watermelon, Pop Tarts, Clif Bars, band-aids, batteries and earphones for his trail podcasts and music.  Holly said Mission plowed through three plates of spaghetti.  I asked her if he looked skinny and she said, “He looked good! Yes, he looked skinny but then all the Miser boys always look skinny.”  Word!

It was time for Mission to retire his third pair of hiking shoes in bitter sweet ceremony.  His first PCT pair hiked 700 miles and they stare reproachfully at Granny Hat every time she goes into his room. Toy Story and the Velveteen Rabbit have taken their toll.

Check out the bottom left circles, these shoes trekked from Mammoth Lakes, CA all the way to the Oregon Border, about 800 miles!  Look at that tread!  Still pretty good!  These shoes are made for walkin’! Granny placed an order with REI in Medford for his new La Sportiva Akyra Trail Shoes, an early gift from Mission’s Aunt Lori, Holly Angel’s mom.  Mission is blessed to have so many family trail angels all along the way.  He is welcoming his fourth pair of PCT shoes, says they are hiking well.  He has made some good NOBO progress today heading toward Crater Lake. His camping spot tonight is 42.27204, -122.27831.

Mission says the Oregon Trail is beautiful so far and full of wild life, he spotted deer, a mama bear with THREE cubs and even Benjamin Bunny showed up to say                         “Happy Trails to You!”

There have been at least two long detours around trail closures on the PCT due to fires in the area.  Many of Mission’s sunset views were too hazy to post but Granny added a few below to chronicle the trail.  The first is a farewell to Mount Shasta before crossing the border into Oregon, a shot of Seiad Valley, a little town Granny Hat never knew existed before Mission’s trek and one smoky sunset.

A beautiful welcoming view north into Oregon:

May God continue to guide your footsteps on the Oregon Trail, Mission.  And in honor of The Bard, so celebrated in Ashland, Oregon:

“We are all men, in our own natures frail, and capable of our flesh; few are angels.” William Shakespeare

Mission has met up with some of those “few” angels and his journey is all the better for their generosity and kindness.  Granny Hat is so encouraged by Angel Holly’s words: “I was blessed to be a blessing to him.  Safe travels Stephan, may God continue to guide your feet!”   Showers of blessing, Granny Hat calls that!

Mission is “sitting” on the fence today, uncertain whether to say goodbye to California, the land of his birth and embrace the rainy green of Oregon or just stay in the Golden State.  He is trekking a long detour around the Hendrix Fire PCT closures, adding some bonus miles.  He crossed into Oregon early this morning, then at 1 pm found himself back in California and hopefully soon will once again cross north into Oregon. Mission Control received a detour plan from him as advised by the PCT association because detours are not often marked well and may not show up on maps.  Mission reports that, so far, he has been able to navigate the forest logging roads of the detour with no trouble.  Meanwhile, Oregon has certainly sent mixed messages to this PCT thru-hiker who has been longing to reach her lush green forests.

Mission Control was excited to send off the first two Oregon mail drops, one to Fish Lake Resort near Medford and the other to Mazama Village Store in Crater Lake. Granny Hat paid a visit to the UPS store to mail Mission his Fish Lake Resort care package, his first re-supply in a place where there is no U.S. Postal Service.  The past week has been hot, sticky, dusty and smoky so Granny added some essential oil for skin irritation and bugs, doTerra Deep Blue, extra Juice Plus supplements and brand new socks for those extremely tired feet.  For encouragement, she inserted some cut & paste “you can do it” cards that she loves to make.  Mission’s next trail angel, cousin Holly has been comMISSIONed to pick up shoes and supplies at REI in Medford on her way to meet up with him at the next Interstate 5-PCT crossroads.  “Wait! What?” my readers ask, “didn’t he already cross Interstate 5 going west?”  Yes! yes he did and after making what seems like a pointless, wandering westbound loop he is returning east to the super highway.  It is the Pacific CREST Trail after all, so the hiker has to dutifully follow the backbone of the mountains.

Mission has been hiking alone most of the time since leaving Castle Crags, he is a bit ahead of the bubble and then many thru-hikers succumb to yellow blazing to get around PCT detours.  Mission considers this to be a little like cheating so for now he hikes alone, even at night which keeps Granny Hat awake.  He hasn’t spotted Sasquatch yet but has his camera ready just in case.  After hiking all through the Sierra Nevada, Emigrant Wilderness and Tahoe Wilderness without even one bear sighting, Mission finally encountered a bear in the Trinity Alps and it was a big one.  He heard loud foraging in the shrubs, stomping and thrashing.  Just when he told himself that this was one oversize deer, up popped a huge bear face just 30 feet away.  The two of them sized each other up, then Mission decided not to grab the camera or offer the bear a Blueberry Pop Tart but instead backed quietly down the trail and gave that bruin some space.  As soon as the distance widened to about 50 feet, the bear bounded over the trail and down the other side of the mountain, crashing through the underbrush as he fled.  Reminds me of that camp song we used to sing,

“The other day (the other day),  I met a bear (I met a bear),

Out in the woods away up there,

The other day I met a bear, out in the woods away up there.

He looked at me (he looked at me), I looked at him (I looked at him),

He sized up me, I sized up him……..”

PHONE ANGELS

When Granny Hat called the 1 800 REI phone number to order Mission his fourth pair of trekking shoes, she was pleasantly surprised to find herself talking to a genuine PCT Trail Angel named “Santana Bandana” who works her trail magic on the Chinook Pass in southern WA and established the Chinook Pass Trail Angel Network. Granny enjoyed her chat with this incredibly helpful and cheerful angel.  Santana Bandana was full of tips and information about the trail, about what the hikers need and what to expect in Washington, including how to be a successful Trail Angel, something Granny would like to do someday.  The time passed so very pleasantly that we almost forgot to order those shoes together!  So besides the fact that she loves Carlos Santana and wears bandanas just like Granny she also promised to look out for Mission when he gets to WA and I feel like this PCT mom has a friend out there.

Life’s journey is full of detours. My dear family, framily and tramily, many of you may be feeling like you are trekking alone through fire and rain.  When it seems the trail is a trial, take courage! Hope looks forward, taking a step through the dark, through the fire and the rain.

HOPE by Danny Gokey

I’ve been running through the rain
That I thought would never end
Trying to make it on faith
In a struggle against the wind
I’ve seen the dark and the broken places
But I know in my soul
no matter how bad it gets
I’ll be alright
There’s hope in front me

There’s a light, I still see it
There’s a hand still holding me
Even when I don’t believe it
I might be down but I’m not dead
There’s better days still up ahead
Even after all I’ve seen
There’s hope in front of me

There’s a place at the end of the storm
You finally find
Where the hurt and the tears and the pain
All fall behind
You open up your eyes and
Up ahead there’s a big sun shining
Right then and there you realize
You’ll be alright
There’s hope in front of me

Even when I don’t believe it
I’ve got to believe
I still have hope
You are my hope

Does anyone remember Robin Graham? He was National Geographic’s Wonder Boy that sailed around the world solo in 1965.  Granny Hat was in love.  He was tan, dreamy, so “beach boy” and brave!  He got married half way around the world in some exotic port, 11 year old Granny was heart broken when she read the magazine article four years later.  But now she wonders…….did Robin Graham have a MOTHER?!?  And what was she doing while he was out there on the high seas with no cell phone, no ocean angels and no SPOT device?  She couldn’t even keep busy with re-supply boxes and organic fruit leathers.  Granny remembers reading about the doldrums Robin experienced when he couldn’t advance, just drifting about on the dark waters wishing for wind.

This week Mission is in a sort of “doldrums”, the PCT just isn’t advancing north.  Instead, it takes a circuitous route around the Etna, Fort Jones Valley, meandering much too close to the Northern CA coastline. In the next two days, hopefully wind will find his sail and Mission can make a beeline toward the Cascades.  It is discouraging for Granny to see the latitude measurements go south.  And there is limited to no cell service, so all quiet on the western front of the PCT.  Mission Control just has SPOT to confirm progress.

The Trinity Alps and Marble Mountain Wilderness are very beautiful, though.  We can all look forward to some photography when the doldrums are over.  As Jimmy Buffet sang, “It’s these changes in latitudes, changes in attitudes, nothing remains quite the same……”   Every epic journey will include some high peaks and some doldrums too.  Never fear the doldrums, when the winds are still, faith will rise.  Here’s to smooth sailing for Mission, may everything be ship shape as he treks. And may the winds of change push him north, Oregon is waiting!  While writing this, Mission Control received the check- in from SPOT, the latitude is once again increasing!  A little breeze is brewing……..  41.25535, -122.95534

Oceans, by Hillsong

You call me out upon the waters
The great unknown where feet may fail
And there I find You in the mystery
In oceans deep my faith will stand.

And I will call upon Your name
And keep my eyes above the waves
When oceans rise
My soul will rest in Your embrace                                                                                                      For I am Yours and You are mine