Granny Hat

It may be Mission’s “mission” to thru-hike 2,650 miles from Mexico to Canada, but the rest of us in his family/framily of trail angels are on a mission to try to feed his insatiable hunger.  Today the mission fell to cousins Kerwin and Tina Grivey from Orland, CA who drove up to the junction of the PCT and Interstate 5 near Castle Crags to take Mission some fresh nectarines & those amazing Red Haven Peaches and some real food.  Then he enjoyed another meeting with his childhood friend, Dillon Thompson from Hollister who was up in northern CA this week.  It looks like Mission probably ate some more food in Mt. Shasta City with Dillon.  The summer monsoon that has been playing havoc with California’s weather this week sent some thundershowers while he was hitching with today’s angels. But now he is back on the trail in dry weather and won’t have to pitch camp in the mud.

Kerwin, Tina and Dillon all look so sparkling clean!!!  But Mission’s smile says it all, meeting up with family and friends is a little bit of heaven along the long road.

Mission took advantage of  Mt. Shasta City WIFI to send Granny Hat some more pictures.  The first set were taken several days ago at MacArthur Burney Falls.  Granny visited that beautiful spot as a child and loved walking the narrow path that winds behind the falls in a recessed cave area.  Swallows nest there and are busy flying back and forth  through the cascade to bring food to their babies.

The water in the falls comes from underground volcanic springs above and at the falls, which are 129 feet high, and provides an almost constant flow rate of 379 million liters per day, even during the dry summer months. Burney Creek is a tributary of the Pit river, with its mouth on Lake Britton to the north.   Burney Falls were called the “Eighth Wonder of the World” by President Theodore Roosevelt and declared a National Natural Landmark in December 1954. (Wikipedia)

Two evenings ago the combination of monsoon clouds and sunset made for stunning views of Mt. Shasta.  If you look very closely, Granny thinks you might be able to see something suspicious flying about that lonely mountain breathing fire and smoke. Are all the dragons gone?  Or do some still live in the Pacific Rim volcanoes? If you can’t see one, Granny Hat has heard that you can just imagine dragons.

Mission’s GPS coordinates tonight are 41.16002, -122.31242.  It looks like he is camped in Castle Crags State Park.  Those of you following and comparing the GPS progress will notice that his longitude measurements have changed more than his latitude in the past several days.  He has truly been “going west, young man” but that will change soon.

Granny Hat is so very thankful for today’s trail angels and their encouragement and generosity to Mission.  Hike alone, but eat in good company!

“When I am down and, oh my soul, so weary
When troubles come and my heart burdened be
Then, I am still and wait here in the silence
Until you come and sit awhile with me

You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains
You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas
I am strong, when I am on your shoulders
You raise me up… To more than I can be

There is no life – no life without its hunger
Each restless heart beats so imperfectly
But when you come and I am filled with wonder
Sometimes, I think I glimpse eternity

You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains
You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas
I am strong, when I am on your shoulders
You raise me up… To more than I can be”

Josh Groban

Seems it never rains in southern California
Seems I’ve often heard that kind of talk before………

But what about northern California?  Lately, it just doesn’t rain there either, at least not much.  Mission has been thankful, actually, that he hasn’t had to battle severe rain storms on this trip. He navigated the John Muir Trail with nary even one of those famous Sierra afternoon thundershowers.  There was light drizzle at Warner Springs in the early days of his trek and then another hour of light rain along the Feather River but Mission would welcome some serious showers of blessing about now.  After leaving the beautiful Plumas and Lassen National Park Forests, Mission toiled through the dry and barren Hat Creek Rim region of northern California and is now hiking toward Interstate 5 and Mt. Shasta in relentless, humid, 100 + heat.

As promised, Mission did send a photo of the underwhelming Half Way PCT monument but neglected to get a photo with any hikers in it!  He says they forgot to get a group shot as they were all too excited about hitching rides into Chester for Pizza Factory’s $10 All A PCT Hiker Can Eat Pizza and Salad Bar Special.  Granny Hat is sure Mission got his money’s worth!

Granny Hat is happy to lead her followers on her Pictures Paint a 1000 Words Tour through Plumas and Lassen National Forests.  First, the Plumas flowers (Granny does love flowers)…….

The scenery has changed since Mission traveled north of Lake Tahoe, more open meadows, no more granite monoliths, and warmer weather.

Mission enjoyed his travels in the shadow of volcanic Mt. Lassen.  He described the sultry air at night as smelling like a “big fart” (excuse Granny’s french) and he also said that he fell asleep at night with the “hooting and stomping of deer” enjoying a sock hop 20 feet from his tent.  He was able to swim along the trail which he said “felt wonderful”. Pictured below are Terminal Geyser and some views of Mt. Lassen.

Mission said that much of the trail near Lassen had been burned out by a recent wild fire.  Granny Hat remembers some barren lava flow hills in the park  but the intense green of Lassen forests bear witness to the richness of volcanic soil.

While hiking along the Lassen trails, Mission picked up a beautiful hitch-hiker.  Benefits to wandering solo through the woods include chance meetings with delicate creatures that would make themselves scarce if a whole troop of boy scouts came tromping up the trail.

Also in the Lassen wilderness Mission came across Subway Cave and took a little detour to explore it.  He says he  has a new “mission” for the future, SPELUNKING.  Granny Hat is a bit worried about this idea and intends to remind mission that he wouldn’t be the first traveler under the burning sun to flee her scorching heat and plunge into the depths of the earth to hide.

Granny Hat just mailed off the last California Re-supply package to Seiad Valley Store near the Oregon Border.  Mission plans to mail his small jetboil stove home and “cold soak” all his meals from here on.  He will put dehydrated mixes and water into a small light-weight canister, let the “gruel” soak while hiking and then eat his meals cold, like baby food.  This sounds a little… no, A LOT unpleasant to Granny but it reduces weight, saves time and still gets those nutrients and calories where they need to be. He is looking forward to a few more meetings with family trail angels and happily anticipating the Cascades section of the PCT, completely new trails he has never traversed before.

Mission may have to wait for some Oregon rain but Granny would like to bet he will get some.  Meanwhile, may the showers of blessing keep falling on his head. And when the clouds gather may he hear laughter in the rain.

The next goal, distant Mt. Shasta seen here at sunset:

“He covers the sky with clouds;                                                                                                                           he supplies the earth with rain and makes grass grow on the hills.”  Psalm 147:8

Granny Hat is rocking out with Bon Jovi this morning because Mission crossed the Halfway Marker.  1325+ miles and still in California, the tallest state ever!    Congratulations Mission!  But the rest of the lyrics…….

“Wooah Oh! livin on a prayer”…..  Mission is living on way more than one prayer, he travels with constant prayer and encouragement of so many friends and family members.  You are all “trail angels” and you all have names!  Your prayers, notes, food, gifts of gear etc. are all home front magic!

There will be photos soon, when AT&T feels like sending them.  Livin’ on a prayer indeed and on cell service and WIFI.  What would John Muir say?  Meanwhile, in celebration Granny will just post a few oldies and a couple of new photos from the trip so far!  Proud of you Mission and thankful for God’s protection and for the trail angels He has sent your way!

Here’s to the 1325+ miles Mission has traveled on the Pacific Crest Trail and may the next half of the adventure be blessed with safe travel and many merry meetings.

Mission is going to need a front door like this one when he settles down.

Granny Hat learned during Mission’s latest phone call that Trail Angels have names too.  Some of them are former PCT thru-hikers and use their trail name.  Others are given names based on some of the magic they provide for hikers.  One former PCT trekker named Storytime parks a small adventure RV up on Donner Pass and serves hot dogs, water and melons to the thru-hikers.  Granny imagines he tells them a story or two also.  Another guy named Chipmunk pops up a tent on Highway 4 (Ebbets Pass) and offers drinks, cereal and one banana per hiker.  He will also fry up an egg with chili and toast.  This is probably a sure-fire way to make friends, be popular and feel useful, Granny Hat recommends it. This has got to be the real way Angels get their wings.

The Trail Angels that win this week’s Magic Award are simply named Bruce, Susan and Sage Grivey, cousins from Hamilton City, CA, who drove up to Belden on Highway 70 to meet Mission laden with good food and company for a picnic. They also faithfully documented the merry meeting with pictures. In Susan’s eloquent (and familiar) words: “At first he ate a watermelon.  But he was still hungry.  Then he ate a peach and a nectarine.  But he was still hungry.  Then he ate a Chipotle Veggie Bowl.  But he was still hungry.  Then he drank an Aranciata (Orange Pelligrino). But he was still hungry.  Then he drank an Izzy. But he was still hungry.  Then he ate more watermelon, nectarines and peaches.  And we sent him on his way with a Chipotle Veggie Burrito (and some pop tarts) for the road.  And just like the Hungry Little Caterpillar, he is off on his next journey.”

While in Belden, Mission also picked up his re-supply box full of staple dinners, oatmeal, pro bars, cliff bars, nuts, fruit, batteries and those important papers like topo maps and TP.  He seemed most excited about the Red Vines Granny Hat tossed in there on a whim.

Belden’s Post Office operates out of the Caribou Corner store.  Granny Hat shipped Mission’s care package to PO Box 1 which is the owner’s personal box.  There are only a few other residents scattered here and there in the forests and another general store.  Nevertheless, Belden is famous for its rip-roaring weekend raves which motivate many of the PCT hikers to trek a little faster for some wild music and well, whatever else they do, Granny would rather not know.  Bruce and Susan said that they could tell the town was revving up for the evening as they drove away.

A little wilderness humor pictured above…..  Bruce said Mission didn’t get the joke at first, wondered why baby rattlesnakes would play with baby rattles?  Granny Hat asked if this discussion happened before or after they fed him.

Trail Angels work their magic up and down the PCT, sometimes when a hiker least expects it.  “Trail Angel” is one of Granny Hat’s new life goals.  And if life is a journey, then we are all on the trail and could use a little magic every now and then, right?  So let’s be trail angels for each other, a little kindness, fizzy drinks and Chipotle go a long way.  And when life is hard, a picnic in the good company of some angels certainly makes the climb worthwhile.  Thank you Grivey Angels for blessing Mission! (and BTW those Grivey peaches are the most delicious Granny Hat has ever had.)

View of Blue Lakes from Carson Pass on the Pacific Crest Trail:

Granny Hat is so thankful today on the Fourth of July.  Thankful for the beautiful country we are privileged to live in, thankful for the wisdom and foresight of men like President Teddy Roosevelt, John Muir and others who set aside land for preservation and enjoyment, thankful for the freedom that adventurers like Mission have to travel our nation’s trails.  We live a blessed life here in the United States of America.

Granny Hat’s dear Uncle Ken faithfully follows this blog and he had an interesting observation several days ago after Granny posted about Mission’s hurting feet and hiker hunger.  Uncle Ken served as a missionary with SIM in Nigeria and then in the North Carolina headquarters, leading mission teams all over the world so he is qualified to make this comment. ” I think people in most other cultures in the world would say, ‘why are these people joining this struggle willingly?’.   Granny Hat humbly acknowledges that there are many in our world whose feet hurt because they have to walk far to work, find food, obtain an education or flee from danger.  And perhaps a thru-hiker’s hunger serves to give him just a little taste of what it is like to truly need food.  Mission says he is not as picky as he once was and very thankful for a sit down hot meal when he can get one. Unexpected meals, even the most simple, are truly magic.

The Carson Wilderness above Lake Tahoe is, of course, named after U.S. Army officer Christopher (Kit) Houston Carson, an American frontiersman, wilderness guide, fur trapper and Indian agent.  Granny Hat looked up some quotes by Kit Carson and let’s just say he was a little rough around the edges and is not at all politically correct anymore.  But here is one quote that I’m sure Mission can resonate with:

“Wish I had time for just one more bowl of chili!”   Kit Carson

Kit’s quotes may leave much to be desired but his wilderness is very stunning.  Mission said every melted snowfield is now a field of flowers.  He said his camera just could not capture the expanse or profusion of color.

Mission also hiked through the Desolation Wilderness on the PCT which affords beautiful views of Lake Tahoe.

Mission made it into Sierra City (39.56611, -120.63554) in time for Taco Tuesday at the general store with carne asada tacos and a local band playing a very eclectic music mix, including Linus and Lucy and then some oldies.  The town has a population of around 225 people and one small motel but most PCT thru-hikers take advantage of the generosity of the local Methodist Church which allows camping on their property.  The store has 24 hour wifi, potable water and public bathrooms which stay open all night.  And even though the sidewalks roll up at dark, there is loud taped music on the porch long into the night, a little ambience for the hikers perhaps.  Mission said it was a little creepy. Most of his fellow hikers intended to zero in Sierra City and take advantage of whatever Fourth of July festivities would be offered, no fireworks up in the National Forest, of course.  But Mission decided that after breakfast and using wifi to send these photos to Granny Hat, he would hit the trail again.  What better way to celebrate the Fourth of July, than to hike in Wilderness USA!

“Oh beautiful for spacious skies, for amber waves of grain,

For purple mountain majesties, above the fruited plain.

America! America!  God shed His grace on thee,

And crown thy good with brotherhood, from sea to shining sea!”  Katharine Lee Bates

Granny Hat thanks all of you for your prayers for Mission, his feet are feeling much better and he has been able to pick up his pace.  He is enjoying his trek, collecting many interesting stories and meeting some amazing people.  In Sierra City he met up again with some hikers he hadn’t seen since Sonora Pass.  There are more day and short- section hikers on the trail now that the JMT and Tahoe area are behind him.  Many thru-hikers stop after Tahoe, intending to hike the other half next year or decide they have had enough by the time they see that beautiful lake.  Granny Hat can imagine wanting to just stick her toes in the water and gaze at the lofty mountains, that would be good enough for her.  Happy Birthday America!

It’s the Little Things

Mission says that thru-hikers often buy gear that will protect them from the big things out there lurking in the wilderness, bears, storms, the sun.  But sometimes that Bear Can you hauled for miles and miles serves only to protect your food from these little guys which are on every trail and in every forest.  Mission has watched them scamper all over his gear at night looking for a stray peanut or a craisin. The little things come out at night and if you are stealthily hiking alone like the last of the Mohicans, you spot animals that you wouldn’t normally see.  In the desert there were kangaroo rats leaping over the trails at night. And in a northern Sierra forest Mission had a rare sighting of a beautiful bushy-tailed Pine Marten. Mission also expected his tent to keep him dry in a storm or protected in strong winds and it does that beautifully, but for him, so far, the real benefit of his tent has been that it keeps the mosquitoes away from him at night.  These monsters are tiny but they travel in gangs, there truly is strength in numbers. Even the smallest things can make life difficult for the thru-hiker and then……it’s often the small things that make the whole trip worthwhile.  And a puffy makes a difference.

Emigrant Wilderness Sunset

To Cross a Raging River

Spring thaw has arrived full force in the Sierra Nevada mountain range and so several of the stream crossings were dangerous, raging rivers. Granny Hat prayed and prayed for the snow drifts to melt so Mission would have safe passage over the JMT mountain passes and then when God sent his sun to answer that prayer, Granny had to add river crossings to her prayer list.  Granny is always “standin in the need of prayer” and that is a good thing.  Mission and his dad crossed the Kings River pictured here several times over the years and it was a hop, skip and a jump over nice sturdy stones.  Not so for Mission this year.  He told us that when he and a fellow hiker approached the turbulent rush of melted snow they decided to drop their packs and first forge the safest path possible without the topsy turvy burden of their gear.  They had to walk up and down stream a bit to find the most shallow and mellow spot.  Once that was accomplished, they went ahead and carefully crossed, sometimes backtracking to find a firmer place for a step.  Finally they were able to go back, get their gear and cross safely.  Granny doesn’t need to channel Scottish author George MacDonald and launch an explanation of this beautiful allegory.  You, her faithful readers, totally get the point.

Donahue Pass at Sunrise

Those Pesky PUDs

P.U.D.

(n) Acronym for “pointless up-down,” used to express frustration at long or steep uphill climbs that are not rewarded with views at the top. The term is primarily used on the AT, where PUDs are plentiful. In contrast, uphill climbs on the PCT are almost always rewarded with views. However, the stretch north of Glen Aulin High Sierra Camp does have some PUDs. (Through Hike the Pacific Crest Trail official glossary)

Mission would agree that most difficult climbs are rewarding with a view like the one of Donahue Pass above.  Thru-hikers uses incentives to push themselves forward, things like beautiful views, a lovely campsite in a meadow, or maybe an evening campfire.  But when the PUD Blues attack, Mission has to get creative by day dreaming of that giant  burrito he has heard about at the next country store, or remembering that he has one more of these in his pack for a hard climb reward. Mission also has enjoyed listening to podcasts and music while on the trail and that helps chase the PUD Blues away.

Puffy (noun): A name for a down jacket.

Mission hiked through Squaw Valley, Olympic Village yesterday and the snow is truly gone which makes the trekking so much easier.

A thank you to friend and follower John Rachuy, who is like an adjunct blog writer helping Granny Hat coin phrases like “mission control” and “tales from the trail” only he accidentally texted “tales from the trial”  and honestly, that works too!

Mission has a clear view of the stars every night, they are so tiny and so far away, yet they declare loudly who God is.  “the heavens declare the Glory of God and the firmament declares His handiwork”  Psalm 19

Tramily: Your trail family. The people you meet and hike with along the way become a significant part of your life on the trail.

Just like any family, the PCT tramily is so influential to a thru-hiker. Meet a small part of Mission’s tramily, Sprinkles, Picnic and the already famous Burp (Gimli).  These trail siblings and others like them have shared food or supplies with Mission and Burp prayed with him about his hurt feet. Picnic loves pancakes, as you can see, but also really likes campfires so together they built some small campfires in the high country (fires are restricted above 10,000 ft. in National Forest land and about 9,600 ft. in Yosemite National Park.) It is nice to have neighbors and friends nearby when the sun goes down and Hiker Midnight arrives.

Hiker Midnight: 9:00 PM. The time by which through hikers are usually asleep.

Trail names are fascinating to Granny Hat and already she can tell why they are so important.  Imagine Granny Hat and dad venturing on to the crowded back porch at Kennedy Meadows store to ask for Steve or Jim or Ryan.  Confusion immediately sets in.  But if you ask for Burp, everyone from Campo, CA to Canada will soon know who he is.  When we asked for Mission, one guy named Houser piped up and said, “Mission?  yeah he’s here somewhere, we just had lunch together at the diner!” This kept us from driving on up to Sonora Pass to find Mission.

The trail names help Granny remember the stories too.  Mission met Dino Man, a guy who hikes with an inflatable dinosaur which he blows up to keep guard at the door of his tent every night.  He says this was his solution to a situation in which a bear was pulling his bag out of his tent while he was still in it!  Mission isn’t 100% sure about the accuracy of the story after meeting Dino Man but it does make a great tall tale.  And the plastic dinosaur just might scare off a bear, who knows? Another European through-hiker named Flamingo carries the inflatable pink bird on his pack.  When Mission said, “hey man, I dig your flamingo,” he replied in broken English, “you WHAT my flamingo?” One of the hikers that hitched with Dad and Mission to Sonora Pass is named Alcatraz because he has completed the famous Alcatraz Swim 26 times and the professional hiker woman who rode with them is named Sailor because she has sailed around the world two times.  Granny Hat imagines that Mission is hearing some unique stories as he hikes with people like this.

Together, Mission’s tramily sang Christmas songs about snow to help ease the burden of trekking the icy mountain passes on the JMT.  PCT tramilies are also proud together of their mutual accomplishments and look down on the step-family, known as the JMTers.  The John Muir Trail is a 211 mile portion of the Pacific Crest Trail.  It is arguably one of the most beautiful parts of the PCT and is known as one of the most difficult sections.  It is impressive to complete the JMT and Mission did just that with dad two years ago. But most PCT thru-hikers see the JMTers as more like day hikers with heavy packs and lots of extra food.  It is common for a small PCT tramily to conspire together to “see if we can yogi some food off of a JMTer.”

Yogi: A means of obtaining help or supplies from a non-hiker, often without directly asking. From Yogi the Bear, who managed to obtain picnic baskets from unsuspecting campers, though yogiing does not involve the same techniques that Yogi the Bear used. Yogiing is often done “Columbo style” by striking up a conversation with a non-hiker, asking leading questions, (How far is it into town from here? Is there a bus that could take me there? Are there any restaurants open this late?) and allowing the person to decide whether he wants to offer help.  Also the trail name of a well known double triple crowner and repeat offender. Yogi is the author of Yogi’s PCT Handbook, a compilation of trail information and advice used as a resource by many PCT hikers.

Repeat Offender; Someone who through hikes or attempts to through hike the Pacific Crest Trail more than once. The Pacific Crest Trail has been through hiked as many as 12 times by one individual. (Scott Bryce’s PCT glossary)

Just like a family, a tramily has all sorts of folks, some who work and some who are between jobs , some who are easy to talk to and others who keep to themselves, college students like Mission, retired career people, professional athletes, globe trotters, teachers, medical professionals, high class vagabonds all.  Some are braver than others, or brash, as Granny Hat would call them.  Summer Solstice is known as “hike naked day” and Mission admitted that while he had no desire to participate, he was disappointed not to come across some hikers that decided to express themselves in this way.  There was one dude standing on top of a far away hill shouting “I’m free!” in his birthday suit.  Granny Hat is thankful for HYOH: Hike Your Own Hike. An encouragement between hikers to hike according to your own dreams, goals, expectations, etc., and not have your hike determined by other hiker’s expectations. This is your hike. Hike it your way.

So carry on Mission, HYOH!  Granny Hat is glad though that you have a Tramily and back down here in the level lands, you have a Family and a Framily of people following, hoping, and praying.  Treasure the ties that bind, they offer encouragement even when miles away.

The amazing Ritter Range of the Sierras which includes the Minarets and looks down on Devil’s Postpile and Reds Meadows where the pancake breakfast above took place.

And gorgeous Glen Aulin, hiking down the Tuolumne River out of Tuolumne Meadows!

Mission’s nephew, Finn Blanton, hiking in Montana yesterday, the next gen thru-hiker!

And Mission’s NOBO view this morning of the Lake Tahoe basin!

NOBO: Northbound.

Mission Control over and out, until Granny Hat is ready with more stories!

Zero Day: A day in which you do no hiking. So named because you do zero PCT miles. A zero day is almost always taken at a town stop. Often the distance from the trail to town will make taking a zero day more practical than trying to get to and from town in one day. Zero days are often used to do preparations such as laundry, shower, resupply, repair or replace gear, etc. They are also times to get caught up on calorie loading, and rest. Also called a Zero. (Scott Bryce’s PCT Glossary)

Mission took his first ZERO of the trip after completing 1000 PCT miles. (He has had a few NEROs which are nearly zeros but some PCT miles were hiked) Granny Hat and Dad picked him up at Kennedy Meadows, the Kennedy that actually has meadows. Mission says that about 70 % of PCT hikers hitch a ride with a trail angel at Sonora Pass down to Kennedy for some food, a shower, some laundry etc. Mission accepted a ride from a retired forest ranger who provides shuttle when he isn’t working in his wood shop in Sonora CA.  The little Kennedy Meadows store and diner accommodates tent, RV and cabin vacationers so they opened up a special porch out in back just for the thru-hikers, one can only imagine why….

He called this photo on top of the world “dead tired”.  His feet have really taken a beating so on his ZERO at the cabin with Granny Hat and Dad, he soaked them in Epsom Salts, rubbed them in coconut oil, elevated them and then fed them a ton of calories.  This hiker hunger thing is nearly a disease!  Granny Hat just couldn’t fill Mission up; pies, sandwiches, chips and salsa, grass fed burgers, sweet potato fries, fresh fruit salad, fresh green salad, piles of pancakes, juice, smoothies, BBQ, corn on the cob, and all in a 24 hour period.  You might say Granny really spread out the AYCE! We might have to change that popular song’s lyrics to “I don’t want to be hungry no more, I don’t wanna have to pay for this…..” Mission said that “the only thing hungrier than a college student is a PCT thru-hiking college student”.  And Mission has learned the hard way that certain foods do not sit well on a thru-hiker’s lean machine stomach.  The Italian Hero sandwich in Tuolumne Meadows is an example.  Be a hero, just don’t eat one.

AYCE: All You Can Eat, as in all you can eat buffet. For a through hiker burning as much as 6000 calories per day, all you can eat is a lot!

Another activity for the ZERO was laundry, soaking and hand washing his PCT uniform.  Here are some pictures of the Mission Mountain Laundry in action! “oh black water, keep on rolling……”  It took four rinses to see clear water, from left to right below.

Soak and Wash

Rinse #1

Rinse #2

Rinse #3

Rinse #4

The afternoon sun finished the job well and when Mission put the shirt and pants back on to return to the trail he declared that they felt so light, but not for long, I’m afraid.  He told Granny Hat so many great stories which will have to wait for another day because I have so many beautiful photos to post for you to enjoy.  Mission said his ZERO at the cabin was the best trail magic yet.

Trail Magic:  Unexpected generosity from a non-hiker. One unfortunate trend in recent years is that trail magic is becoming so common that some hikers now expect it, and become rude when it isn’t offered. (PCT glossary)

Mission traded out his heavier Sierra pack for the lighter one he began the PCT adventure with and re-stocked it with food and supplies for the next section from Sonora Pass up to Oregon.  After a good night’s sleep, Dad took Mission back up to the Pass and on the way they stopped in Kennedy, the one with the meadows, and picked up three thru-hikers to give them a ride to the trail.  One father and daughter duo were flip flopping and going south to get the JMT done without snow drifts.  The third was a 55 year old professional hiker woman who is a Triple Crowner, and has hiked the thru trail in New Zealand.  Dad said she weighed no more than 90 pounds.

Flip Flop: Skipping a section of trail, and hiking in the opposite direction to return to the place where you left the trail. Often done to avoid difficult trail conditions, such as heavy snow pack in the Sierra Nevada mountains. A flip flop is often an attempt to postpone difficult trail sections until conditions improve.

Triple Crown: A triple crown is accomplished when one has hiked the entire Appalachian Trail, Pacific Crest Trail and Continental Divide Trail. A handful of hikers have done a double triple crown, which involves accomplishing this feat twice. At least one hiker has done a triple triple crown. A calendar triple crown involves hiking all three trails in one calendar year. As of this writing only three people have completed a calendar triple crown. (PCT Glossary)

JMT: John Muir Trail, from Mt. Whitney to Yosemite National Park, some of the most difficult, treacherous miles of the PCT.

Thousand Island Lake is on the left in honor of Mission’s 1000+ miles completed.  This is one of Granny Hat’s favorites so far.  Virginia Lake is on the right.

On the top is a panoramic view of Tuolumne Meadows, from left to right on the bottom, entering Yosemite National Park and the headwaters of the Tuolumne River.

Tuolumne Meadows

Entering Yosemite National Park

Headwaters of the Tuolumne River

Granny Hat got to wear her wedding hat last weekend in Southern CA where Mission’s cousin and fellow hiker, Jacob Young wed Ninette Marzakhanian.  Jake is the backpacker in yellow on top of Mt. Whitney several years ago.  It was a beautiful wedding with amazing Armenian food and dancing.  Mission was sorry to miss the festivities but had the bride and groom’s blessings.  Pictured below are the bride and groom with the groom’s family and their first dance together.

And then some more fun wedding pics of Granny Hat and her granddaughters who were flower girls.  The wedding was at Pickwick Gardens in Burbank, CA which is very close to Hollywood.  Granny spotted two glamorous movie stars in the crowd which turned out to be second cousins Rebecca Hallock and Sage Grivey.  Everyone had so much fun! Except for the littlest flower girl, Brighton.  She was just voicing what everyone was thinking…..when will it be time to eat and dance?

In tomorrow’s post there will be some of Mission’s stories. Here is Mission’s progress map, GPS coordinates last night were 38.52714,-119.77557.

Granny Hat apologizes for the lapse in her posts, she has been wearing her gardening hat a lot now that summer is truly here.  Boysenberries and peas have been plentiful so Granny has been cooking up jam and shelling peas.  She also has enjoyed more frequent communication with Mission, even one Face Time session with panoramic views of the Minarets and Devil’s Post-pile Monument in the background.  There will be photos to share, I promise.

Mission told how he rode the bus from Red’s Meadows into the bustling, adventure-seeking town of Mammoth, bought a new pair of trail runners called LA Sportiva Machito and then proceeded to eat his way through the city.  He started with an enormous breakfast of pancakes, eggs and hash-browns.  He traded his ice axe (which he won’t need anymore) for the breakfast with a thru-hiker whose name is Burp.  Granny Hat imagines that breakfast was interesting.  Burp had another ice axe but it wasn’t working well and he had decided to ship it home.  So, as he walked down the streets of Mammoth with an ice axe over each shoulder, other hikers began calling him Gimli instead of Burp.  Granny Hat would have taken that as a sign and changed her trail name, if she was Burp.

Next was an early lunch of most mammoth burrito Mission could find and then an extra large milkshake followed by a trip to the supermarket for more food for the pack including a handful of plums, nectarines, bananas and a green pepper.  Granny Hat told Mission to put some fruit and veggies down the hatch after all that heavy eating.  He called us upon his return to the trail and said he felt great, not so hungry anymore.  Hiker hunger is a very real thing.  Granny has had it several times like at hikes at the Pinnacles or Point Lobos.

Yesterday, Mission spent some time in beautiful Tuolumne Meadows, the high country of Yosemite National Park.  Granny Hat and dad attended Calvary Church Placentia when they were kids and went to summer camp many years up in the meadows, Tuolumne is where they first became friends.  They even hiked up to the top of Mt. Dana at Tioga Pass, over 13,000 feet in the sky!  These photos were taken two months before our wedding in 1978.

Mission ate his way around Tuolumne Meadows General Store and diner, picked up a small mailer re-supply and then headed back out on the trail to camp at Glen Aulin High Sierra Camp beside the Tuolumne River.  He plans to hike for three days and meet Granny Hat and Dad at Sonora Pass for a re-supply and “home food”, as he calls it.  He reports that the new shoes have made quite a difference and his feet are still hurting but feel like they are healing. Thank you all for your prayers and encouragement.  Mission is hoping for some extended cell service so he can send more beautiful photography to Mission Control.  His GPS coordinates earlier this morning were 37.9104, -119.41852.  And here is his progress map from Tuesday, May 19.

Mission called home today and sent Granny Hat some beautiful photos.  She is speechless with relief and gratitude that he is well and safe.  So, she has decided to let his beautiful photography tell most of the story.  That first photo was taken on top of Mount Whitney, 14,505 feet above sea level!  Mission reported that the Western trail that runs from the PCT up to the summit was only lightly dusted with snow thanks to prevailing winds but that the Eastern trail from the Portal was thickly covered with ice and snow.  This has caused several accidents with hikers over the past several weeks.  One of the incidents is being called a “hit and run” because a hiker slipped and fell, careened down the path causing several other hikers to fall and ended up injuring one girl badly but didn’t stay to help.  Instead he beat it down the trail as if to get away and hasn’t been found. Mission spoke to several hikers who were on the mountain when it occurred just a day or two before Mission made the summit. Here is another beautiful shot of the summit taken from the trail.  Mission passed the 800 mile marker several days ago and is now 1/3 done with the PCT!

Crabtree Meadows is at the base of Mt. Whitney and provides beautiful campsites for PCT and JMT hikers. Note the Coyote just nonchalantly strolling along at bottom left.

Then, a stunning view of Trail Crest, Bighorn Plateau and Forester Pass.  Mission sent a video of him sliding down the ice chute on Forester Pass but it may not load here. Yep, that’s only for upgrade customers.  Granny Hat is so cheap!

And then some gorgeous views of Glen Pass and the nearby Painted Lady Mountain:

Pinchot Pass, a full and furious Kings River that had to be crossed and a view from Mather Pass:

The beautiful Palisades Valley with Palisade Lake, Grouse Meadow and LeConte Canyon:

Muir Pass and Muir Mountain:

And then perhaps Granny Hat’s favorites are these pictures from Evolution Valley, especially the first one of Wanda Lake with the winter’s ice breaking up.  Spring comes very late in the high country but look at that green grass.  Aslan must have come to the woods and winter is over.

Granny Hat apologizes for the feast or famine approach to photo downloads.  She was going to save some for tomorrow but Red’s Meadows, Mammoth and Tuolumne Meadows are just around the bend with new views and adventures.  And this way, you can enjoy the PCT and JMT from the comfort of your armchair far away from snowfields and oxygen-deprived mountain passes. Mission wants Granny Hat to tell everyone that he feels and appreciates the encouragement and prayers.  He is experiencing severe foot pain (is it any wonder?) due to snow hiking and heavier shoes.  Those 700 mile shoes I posted about a week ago were more comfortable and he wishes he had never traded them in.  So, he plans to take the bus to Mammoth to buy another pair just like them.  He has had to slow down a bit to give his feet a rest and one day was hurting so bad that he was very discouraged but just knowing you all are cheering him on gave him courage to massage those feet and keep going. He told us that he had a little talk with his feet, thanked them for trekking well over 800 miles and he promised to try to take better care of them.  Granny Hat begs you to keep praying and following.  Mission is very brave, Granny Hat is very proud of him. Tonight’s check-in was at Silver Pass, 37.45908, -118.91882.