Week 6

 

Darrell logged in his longest hike this week...23 miles in one day.  It was supposed to be 21, but he inadvertently hiked a mile off trail and had to turn around and trek back to the trail.  He wasn't a happy camper that night, both figuratively and literally.  But, he did hit another landmark early in the week.

A fellow hiker took this picture.

A behind-the-scenes glimpse taken by the same fellow hiker as Darrell attempts a selfie with the landmark!

 

This is Hiker Town, an oasis between Agua Dulce and Tehachapi.  It has rooms to rent, laundry facilities, and offers the use of outdoor showers.  They provide a shuttle into town so that the hikers can resupply their food.  Darrell arrived here around 11:00 am.  He took a shower outdoors and rested up in a room before he hit the trail once again around dusk.  

Since the daytime temperatures are getting high and there is a long distance between water sources, Darrell set off in the evening to hike in the cooler night temperatures.  The trail led him along the LA aqueduct for 7 1/2 hours that night starting at dusk  He then stopped and cowboy camped (sleeping in the open without a tent) for a few hours in the wee morning hours.   He got up early and proceeded to hike 9 more hours in the daylight.  The aqueduct part of the hike made for a smoother trail and safer hiking at night.  So I guess you could say this was actually his longest hike in one 24-hour period--my estimate is 40 miles.  Fortunately, it wasn't mountainous terrain, and he didn't step on any rattlesnakes cooling off at night, which was his fear.

Hiking through the wind farms outside of Tehachapi.  He experienced about 40 mph winds that pushed him sideways and hit him head on while he was  hiking up the hills.  He had to lean sideways  and crab along like a plane lands in windy conditions to avoid being blown off the trail.

There were warnings to be aware of what is known as poodle dog bush, which is on the trail in the area he has been hiking this week (this picture came from google images).   It is an opportunistic bush that can appear in burn areas.  It secretes an irritant that can cause anything from a mild rash to severe respiratory problems.  And then there are rattlesnakes...and poison oak.

The wildflower color along parts of the trail is spectacular.

Darrell was picked up in Tehachapi by Corey Costelloe, someone he had never met before.  He is a fellow Team World Vision member who heard about his adventure and offered him a good night's sleep and a shower in his home and taxied him to the post office  to pick up the meds and olive oil (his request) that I sent to him via general delivery.  He also took him to the grocery store to stock up on food and dropped him back on the trail the next day.  Corey interviewed him for a podcast that he does.  We will update you on this as we find out more about when this will be available.  We are so thankful for his support.  Darrell is meeting so many wonderful people along the way.

Donations to World Vision for clean drinking water for children around the world can be made on Darrell's Team World Vision page:   https://www.teamworldvision.org/participant/pctwaterboy

My visual of pennies donated per mile since April 22:  75!  I had to go to the bank and get more pennies, and I'm hoping soon I'll have to get a bigger jar to hold them all!

Since our blog post last week where we estimated we would need 2000 pennies donated per mile to come close to reaching Darrell's goal of $100,000, World Vision has received $1,875 for clean drinking water on Darrell's Team World Vision web page.  That is approximately 75 pennies per mile toward reaching his goal.  We are still praying for 1,925 more pennies per mile as he hikes.

Week 5

We've heard it takes about six weeks to get your hiking legs on the PCT.  Darrell hasn't gotten them yet, but he should soon. He is finding the ups and downs of the trail hard.  He says he is passed by more people on the trail than he passes.  This is a new development for him; he has always been the iron man keeping up with and passing people younger than he is.  But, he's Darrell, so he will soldier on, knowing he will grow stronger as he perseveres.  Please pray for his stamina, his spirits, and his health and safety.

400!  Ta Da!

You never know what you'll encounter on a hike like this.  Some unexpected excitement along the way.

If you look carefully, you can see a glider that crashed into the side of the mountain

Sheriff search and rescue checking out the crashed glider plane. 

Snow pics

Darrell learned the hard way that you must take your micro spikes off as soon as you get off the snow.  His spikes got stuck in the ground, and he timbered over face first before he could get his feet free.  He was a little shaken up and scraped his arm, but he was off hiking again soon without the spikes.  I think it helped that there was no one there to see it happen.

A train crossing the trail, or the trail crossing the train route.  So far he hasn't been too far from civilization.

Crossing under the interstate.  Perhaps generations in the distant future will call these hieroglyphics and earn their doctorates deciphering their meanings.

Vasquez Rocks right outside Agua Dulce

More of Vasquez Rocks, a beautiful change of scenery.

Burn area along the trail

A five mile detour from the path along a paved road due to unstable burn areas.

A beautiful sunrise

A beautiful sunset

So grateful to Jim and Nina Bayles from Lancaster who picked Darrell up at Agua Dulce and opened their home to him for a couple good nights' sleep, laundry, food resupply, and encouragement.

Darrell was also able to have lunch with Ryan and Cassie and the grandkids in Lancaster while he was there.

WILDFLOWERS!

Meet Grizzly Gramps

As you know, Darrell is hiking this 2,658 mile trail to raise money for clean drinking water through World Vision.  He set a goal of $100,000.  So far, unbelievably, $43,928 (almost halfway to his goal) has been donated by so many incredibly generous people.  Thank you.  I (Tami) am not too good at trying to raise funds, but I had this idea today.  We have had some people donate $.01 per mile, and some donate $.10 per mile.  If he could raise $20 per mile from here on out, he would be so close to meeting his goal.  I'm not asking that any one person do that, but if we could get 2,000 people to donate $.01 per mile he would reach his goal.  If people could donate $.05 per mile, $.10 per mile, or even $1.00 per mile, or anything they feel led to give, it would take fewer than 2,000 people.  Since $50 is the cost to provide clean drinking water for life for one person, a donation of $.02 per mile ($53.16) would cover that with some extra change--that is an incredible giving option also. Please share Darrell's journey with your friends and let's see if we can actually reach that goal of 2,000 pennies per mile. I'm so excited about this that I'm going to start putting a penny in a jar for every penny donated per mile starting now so that I have a visual of reaching that 2,000 penny goal. 

You can donate at https://www.teamworldvision.org/participant/pctwaterboy

Week 4

 This week on the trail can be characterized by WIND, just like here on the Central Coast.  Except higher speed winds with colder temperatures.  Once again, his one night zero day was extended, this time to three nights due to dangerously high winds. He even rescued a hiker friend from the gusty trail, thanks to the Rivas' who welcomed her into their home after Darrell drove their car to the trailhead and brought her in.

Yup, three hundred miles hiked.  As the crow flies he's 85 miles from where he started.  The PCT is obviously not the most direct route north.  I like to tell the story about his first day hiking 20 miles for 8-10 hours to get to the camp which I drove to four miles up the road from the starting point in only five minutes.  On the other side of the sign which you cannot see it says 2350 in case you were coming from the other direction starting in Canada.  

Bridge Crossing

Then there was the one night camping near a lake where they were serenaded by frogs all night.  Way better than hearing your fellow hikers snoring.

Not sure which lake this is, but I'm sure it was a beautiful sight to behold 

after so much walking through dry desert.

Silverwood Lake

Critter--Lizard

Critter--I call this one Sneaky Snake

More critters--the two-legged variety.  This one is Larissa (from Austria).

One afternoon I got a call.  He was at a pizza shop about two miles off the trail.  It turns out that a group of ten hikers called and ordered pizza from the trail and the owner came and picked them up at the trailhead and gave them a ride to his restaurant and then brought them back when they were done.  I was thinking there would be more "roughing it" on this trail.

Ingrid from Montana

Equipment update:  He had to purchase new trekking poles while in Hesperia staying at the home of Mitch and Tracy Rivas.  The tips had worn off of his, which were a pair he had purchased at Costco about ten years ago.  They didn't have replaceable tips.  His new ones do, and they also have attachments for use in the snow like on ski poles (I call them baskets).  

He told me his pack now weighs around 45 pounds when full of food and water, and he's not sure what he has added to have increased the weight by that much besides one pair of pants to change into and his ice axe and spikes.

He has found that we have packed too much food in his resupply boxes, so he mailed the extra food up ahead for his cache in Agua Dulce where he will be met by Jim and Nina Bayles.  He'll let me know what I will need to send there also to add to his surplus for the next leg.  This weekend Daniel, our youngest son who lives in Glendale, will be picking him up, where the trail is somewhat near his home, for a night and then dropping him back on the trail the next day.

And we can't forget if you're wanting to donate for clean water through Team World Vision, please use this link:  https://www.teamworldvision.org/participant/pctwaterboy.  Thank you all for giving and praying.

I'll close with wildflower pictures.

Week 3

This one will be mostly pictures.  Darrell has been in some beautiful country which only the 1% has viewed with their own eyes.

Another big milestone!

He encountered snow in the San Jacinto Mountain range and had to wear his spikes.

A few people traveled this path before him.

And also a few animals.

I met up with him in Banning.  He had had a rough couple of days traveling through snow and hiking through, around, and over trees that had fallen on the path.  This was caused by fire that had previously gone through in the recent past that were easily blow over by the high winds.  This really slows down the hikers and wears them out.  He had actually been hiking alone through these rough patches, and I think this was discouraging, also.   I booked him a hotel room where he was able to take a shower, wash his socks and underwear in the bathtub and dry them with the hotel's blow dryer, and get a comfortable night's sleep in a real bed.  He restocked his food supply for the trail.  He had Ubered into the town with a couple of other hikers and they showered in our hotel room and went back on the trail before I got there. He also ate at In N Out in town and Jersey Mikes.  We mention his food often because those real meals are divine treats.    The next morning, I took him back to the trail.  The wind was blowing so hard that I could hear it rushing past.

Dropping him off on the trail (under the freeway) where Trail Angels had left water and snacks for the hikers passing through.  I gave a hiker a ride into town on my way back.  He, too, was needing a rest at this juncture.  I was glad I could help out as so many have helped Darrell along the way.

Friends make the journey fun.  This is a couple from Perth, Australia.

Here's a family hiking the trail, also.  Their son's trail name is  WaterBoy as well.

Last night he spent the night at a hostel in Big Bear.  Of course, he raved about Kenny (the host) and the breakfast he provided:  potatoes, peppers, sausage, eggs, French toast.  If I know Darrell, which I do, I'm sure he ate everything and then went back for more.  He then drove them back to the trail head. This guy Kenny does this for hikers every day during hiking season. 

 

His next meetup will be with Mitch and Tracy Rivas at El Cajon pass in about five days (if he hikes 15 miles a day).

I guess I'll let the following pictures speak for themselves and to the Glory of God's creation:

That is not the ocean below, but the clouds he is walking above.

A view ahead

He sent this to me with the reminder to always look to God for the answer.

The scenery is a beautiful distraction from the constant footsteps.

And then the obligatory flora photos.

And, I can't close without posting his Team World Vision page for donating to clean water.

https://www.teamworldvision.org/participant/pctwaterboy