Week 17

As most of you know, Darrell and I were exposed to COVID in Yosemite during a brief layover for Darrell about two weeks ago.  We did not know this until two days after he hit the trail, and he didn't develop symptoms until two days after that.  So, after 57 miles from where I dropped him off, he developed sinus issues, followed the next day by difficulty breathing, sore throat and diarrhea.  Our wonderful long-time  friends Steve and Shirley Davidson, who live in Clovis, were set to meet him and bring him a food box and moral support at Sonora Pass 45 miles further along the trail in three days.  As his symptoms progressed, he struggled forward with limited daily mileage.  I was in close contact with Steve and Shirley, and we decided that because of his possible COVID and their trip to their grandson's wedding in the next week or so, that it would be best for me to meet him rather than risk their exposure.  Darrell started feeling  a little better after another day, so his mileage picked up and he told me he would be at the trailhead at Sonora Pass a day earlier than expected.  I threw everything in my car and took off.  Steve and Shirley met me at Starbucks right off the highway in Fresno and gave me the package I had mailed to them a few days earlier, and I headed up to Sonora Pass to meet Darrell.  I parked at the trailhead and was told by some hikers that Waterboy was waiting on the side of the road up the trail a few hundred feet.  I walked over a small rise and saw Darrell sitting on the side of the road with his pack next to him. I  waved at him and signaled for him to walk back to the car with me.  He groaned and asked me to please walk back and pull the car up next to him because he did not want to carry the pack that far!  The other hikers laughed about that but understood completely how he was feeling.  I walked back to my car and drove around to where he was.  He hopped into the car and we drove down to a motel.  We tested him first thing, and yes, he was positive for COVID.  We ended up staying four days in town for him to completely recover before heading back out.  Once again, we are so grateful to our friends Steve and Shirley who were looking forward to providing support along the trail for Darrell's hike.  And, we are so glad about the decision for them  not to meet him.

There was still snow on the trail but nothing like when he first attempted to pass through this area six weeks ago.

Instead of post holing through the snow, the path had been trampled on and melted so that passage was easier.

This was Darrell's attire when walking through the cold and sleet and snow and rain.  Father, his fellow hiker, told Darrell he looked like an actor in the movie "Outbreak" with his anti-contamination suit with his waterproof backpack cover and rain gear. 

You can cross the rivers by rock....

...or by log.

But mostly you can walk beside and enjoy the sight and the sound.

Yosemite is more than just the beautiful valley, it is a whole national park, and this is the part that most people never see.

I get the feeling from these pictures that there is something new and breathtaking around every corner.

Meadows ...

... and marmots (you have to look carefully at the top of the pointed rock).

And flora

Colorful lichens

He reached this mile marker on the trail, which is momentous and victorious, but you need to add on the 300 miles he has already hiked up north to get the true picture. 1300 miles plus, which is halfway!

This is how Darrell loads up when he comes upon a grocery store.  I try not to cringe with his diabetes because I know he needs the calories.

Trail story, and I quote:  "I slipped on a rock at 6:30 this morning and got my jacket, pant, shirt, shoes, and bottom of pack wet.  Everything is dry now except socks...I did not get hurt this time."

Another trail story:  He decided to cowboy camp last night because he reached his camp so late.  Late in the night he was awakened by headlamps approaching and whistles blowing  intermittently.  From afar two men identify themselves as Search and Rescue.  Darrell calls out from his sleeping bag, "I'm not who you are looking for."  They then ask him if he's heard a woman screaming, to which his reply was no.  They walk on then, continuing to blow their whistles.  A little while later they come back by with the woman and escorted her safely away.  Sorry, I have no punchline, no explanation.  It just happened.

Dropping him off back at the trailhead at Sonora Pass.  Next stop Echo Lake, near Lake Tahoe., where he will camp for two nights, do laundry, shower, load up on burgers and all sorts of junk food, and be met by my roommate from college, Nancy Turner and her husband, Shawn, once again.  They will meet him with the box of backpacking food I mailed to their home.

I need to let you know about the SUMMER SPLASH FOR MATCHING FUNDS this Tuesday, July 19.  SUMMER SPLASH is  a World Vision matching funds event where every donation received, up to $250,000 is DOUBLED!  Darrell's "God-sized" goal for this journey is $100,000.  Darrell uses none of the funds to assist with personal expenses for this endeavor so every dollar donated goes directly to World Vision for clean water projects around the world.  The only difficult thing about the matching funds event is that the $250,000 available for matching goes quickly!  Times for different time zones in the U.S. are:  5:00 am PT/7:00 am CT/ 8:00 am ET.  PRO TIP:  Pray about what you would like to donate and log onto the site about five minutes early and get ready to push the button right at the opening bell!  

If you are led to join in this journey, donate by visiting Darrell's World Vision page at https://www.teamworldvision.org/participant/pctwaterboy or be a prayer warrior for continued strength and safety on the trail, OR DO BOTH! 

Disclosure:  I plagiarized the last two paragraphs from Darrell's sister, Robin Hopper.  She said it way better than I could!  Thank you, Robin, for getting the word out there so well!

UPDATE ON FATHER:  Almost two weeks off the trail getting healthy, he got back on the trail on Wednesday.