Days 40-41

Day 40, 9 miles, endpoint PCT mile 702/ Kennedy Meadows

The 8 trail miles to the Kennedy Meadows turnoff took us past a river (the largest body of water we had seen for a very, very long time) and through green rolling valleys below rocky hillsides. The sun was bright but it wasn't too hot. We probably would have enjoyed it a bit more if we weren't so hungry. Before leaving we ate the meager remnants of our food supply: one pop tart and one Little Debbie honey bun. But our hiker appetites need more than that; we were starving and thinking about nothing but the grill at the Kennedy Meadows general store.

We finally got to the turn-off and left the PCT for KM less than a mile down a paved road. The KM store is run by very friendly people who cater to hikers and offer many different services. After a few cheeseburgers and sodas, we got our resupply packages and found a place to camp in the large yard behind the store.

The rest of the day was very relaxing. We had dinner and beers on the large porch with other hikers including Smiles, Ukeless (he changed his name after sending his ukulele home), Miss America, Bouie (named after Sam Bowie because he always wears knee braces while he hikes), Duchess (who is male), Arabia, Tango, the Cheshire Cat, and many others.

I never really did explain trail names. As you might have guessed, none of the people listed above were born with those colorful names. Trail names are simply nicknames that people go by while hiking a long-distance trail. I could be wrong, but I believe the tradition may have started on the Appalachian Trail, the PCT's older east-coast cousin. Trail names are easier to remember and also make it easier to discern Mike from Mike and Sarah from Sarah. Plus, I guess they are fun, in a goofy sort of way. Trail names can be given to you, or you can name yourself; there are no rules. Neither Josh nor myself have trail names, we have just been going by our plain 'ol real-world names.

Tomorrow we will enjoy some more KM relaxation, get ourselves organized and packed up, and head back to the trail.

Trail views

The most water we have seen in 700 miles!

Mile 700!

Trail views!

Kennedy Meadows!

This little place sells a lot of beer!

Hikers chillin'

Day 41, 2 miles, endpoint PCT mile 704

I know, I know, two miles is a pretty lame total for the day. But we hiked out of Kennedy Meadows at about 7:15pm and just wanted to get back on the trail a little ways. The day was both relaxing and stressful, but in the end we got out with most everything we needed and are now back on the trail poised to enter the High Sierras tomorrow.

After a huge breakfast of blueberry pancakes we got ourselves as organized and packed as we could while we waited on one last box to arrive via UPS. Kennedy Meadows feels a little bit like stepping back in time: there is no cell service, wi-fi, or Internet of any kind. As a result, I think, there are many more people there just hanging out on the large porch for hours on end, eating, drinking, and talking. We had to make a couple of phone calls, so I had to wait in line for the pay phone. I have not used a pay phone since about 9th grade. Another quirk: the laundry is totally dependent on the amount of water they have for the day. When we got in yesterday, we were not able to get our laundry done due to the water being too low. Today, luckily, we managed to get ours done. They have a washer but no dryer, so I hung all of our clothes on the tent to dry.

After our UPS box came in the evening, we finished our packing, including stuffing our food into our bear canisters, and finally left. KM was good to us--we had tons of food, ate two pints of Ben & Jerry's ice cream, mailed out and received packages, enjoyed beers on the deck during twilight, and showered, among other highlights. But it was time to move on, and we wanted to get away from the crowd of hikers and activity at the store.

We are camped just a couple of miles down the trail, but it will be onward and upward early tomorrow morning. We are currently sitting at about 6,000 feet, but we will be at 10,000 before the day is over.

Kennedy Meadows decor

The front porch... usually filled with drinking hikers.

Screw shoes.  We had extra screws for other hikers.... but while it is a well known trick to Oregon trail runners our friends didn't buy into it.

Electronic gadgets rule for most PCT hikers.  Many people carry solar chargers too. 

We however try to keep our gadgets limited to town stops.  We sent a computer ahead to back up pictures.  Unfortunately getting wifi is rare and makes it difficult to do much more than that.

The bucket that holds our computer and other misc. items.  We ship this ahead to ourselves every 3 weeks or so.

A forest!  Does this mean we are done with the desert?!?!?!

Trail views.

Carla's pack is very large now with the bear canister in it!