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Day 35 (Pete)
From Walker Pass 8.3 miles to the Owens Peak Mount Jenkens saddle is the only stretch of the PCT I had previously hiked. There are a few vivid memories from that day. Coming on a saddle, just before crossing to the east side of the ridge for a view of town, I noticed a small…
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Day 35 (Tape)
Kay, Monday May 20. Pretty straightforward day. We woke up way high in the mountains and walked along high in the mountains for a little while and then dropped down into a vally. And then up over a ridge. And down in another valley. And ah, pretty much had no problems at all. Had the…
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Day 35
At this point we are lookin good. A month of walking goes a long way towards cultivating a look. Doing a few 1,2,3 thousand-foot ridge hops will refine the style, enhancing those small but important details. We are kings wherever we tread. When night falls we reign over 37 empty campsites, cooking mashed potates over…
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Day 34 (Pete)
Day, or evening rather, thirty four finds us finally in the Sierra Nevada mountains. We are camped on the saddle between Morris Peak and Mount Jenkins. A little to the south east you can see Ridgecrest. Since moving away, I have never really considered the place my home. Nevertheless, this truly feels like a homecoming.…
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Day 34 (Tape)
Sunday, May 19th, I think. Was a pretty interesting day. Um. We woke up – it was windy all night long. And we woke up and it was still windy, but I think that was just due to where we were. On the ridge between the mountains and the desert. And ah, let’s see, we…
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Day 34
After squeezing every drop of water we can we from my clogged filter, we are offered a free drink by the two men with assault rifles in the cabin near McIvers Spring. They even sweeten the offer somewhat with scrambled eggs and cheese sandwiches. That’s it for us though, no more filter, no more fuel…
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Day 33 (Pete)
The fest of gluttony last night paid off. Our packs have dropped to a reasonable weight. It started me off in good spirits. Two factors, however, soon made me think that the seven day struggle was going to continue to be an appropriate title. A soft sandy trail and wind. There is nothing quite as…
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Day 33 (Tape)
Once again snug in my sleeping bag. I’m actually recording this from inside my sleeping bag, cause its windy outside. So I don’t know how well it’s gonna work, but we’ll see. What a day, what a day we had. In ah, oh, I was afraid in the morning, looking at the guide book. I…
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Day 33
The packs are lighter! A bit of creative navigation leads us to Willow Spring, home of many messy beeves. The water must be treated, so we use an inordinate amount of time and fuel boiling it. Then we’re up on the southernmost Sierra Ridge, sand swallowing our feet, galing winds blowing us all over the…
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Day 32 (Pete)
Oh what a long tiring day. The stomach just thought it was king in Mojave. At this point the feet, and deservedly so, are demanding equal rights. The legs and shoulders are backing the feet. The stomach’s brash usurpation of power has even caught the attention of the head office upstairs. My whole body is…