REDWOODS NATIONAL PARK

June 29, 2006 (8.5 miles)
Long drive this morning up to the redwoods on the slow, curvy roads. Stopped at the visitor center first thing to get a permit for Tall Trees Grove. The drive in was almost as long as the hike, but it was worth it to see some of the tallest trees in the world. Lots of Stellar's Jays around and another new one for me, the Hammond's Flycatcher. Next, we stopped in Oreck to get quarters for the state park showers, then headed out on the Coastal Trail. Since it was getting late and we had to set up camp, shower, and eat before the 8:30pm campfire program "Brainy Birds", we stopped at the overlook and didn't go all the way to the beach. It was a good plan because I saw another new bird, a juvenile Gray Jay. It was super cute and really interested in us. Back at camp, we had showers that were more like power washes, then chowed down on our delicious freeze-dried meals. I finally got a better look at a Swainson's Thrush. Oh yeah, other cool wildlife sightings today were Roosevelt Elk and a covy of California Quail (7+ babies)! Other cool things about the Coastal Trail were the Skunk Cabbage and ferns. It felt like walking through a rain forest... that and the trail was mostly level with lots of bridged stream crossings.

Tall Trees Grove

June 30, 2006 (7 miles)
Great short hike this morning! Parked at the beach and saw some more elk, then wandered into Fern Canyon where the climate was cool and misty. The canyon walls were literally dripping with Five-finger Ferns and there were many Lady and Sword Ferns mixed in. We finally saw some amphibians, a newt and a frog. After finding a camp spot for the night at the north end of the park, we headed out on a scenic drive along the Smith River (which I rafted part of once, much further inland, while I was in college), then hiked down to Boy Scout Tree and Fern Falls. It was another relaxing and fragrant hike, and the falls were really beautiful. Not huge, but cool with the contrast between the dark rocks and bright green ferns. Saw another new bird on this hike, the Varied Thrush, which was gorgeous. We saw some Band-tailed Pigeons too... they sound like creepy owls. In addition to the cool birds, we saw a Rough-skinned Newt and get this... a Pacific Giant Salamander... eating a Banana Slug! Yes, we have pictures. Did you know it's good luck to kiss a Banana Slug? Good thing I did it back in 6th grade at Science Camp, and Jay did it back at Point Reyes. Although it was gross to watch, the salamander was really pretty, even iridescent. The weird thing about the trail (and the others we've hiked here, actually) is the number of dead shrews (7) and mice (3) we've seen just lying in the middle of the path. We stopped by the visitor center to report it (maybe due to a cold snap?), just in case... along with some rule-breakers who had dogs on the trail. Then we hit Crescent City for coffee and phone calls, while there was cell reception. Stopped by the beach and saw some Common Loons, Whimbrels, and crabs. All in all, a good day. Now, if we can just get Jay's shins feeling better... Maybe a few days off at Robyn and Stephen's house will do him some good. I know it will for me... I can't wait to see those two!

Roosevelt Elk at the beach

Five-fingered Ferns cover the walls of Fern Canyon

On the trail out to Fern Falls and the Boyscout Tree (where's bigfoot?)

POINT REYES NATIONAL SEASHORE

June 26, 2006 (9.5 miles)
Hooray! We're off the couch! Dad got up early to take us to the car rental place this morning and by 8:00 am we were cruising west on I-80 towards Point Reyes National Seashore (PORE)! We decided to hit the lighthouse first, since it's closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. The best part was adding a new bird to my list! I saw lots of Common Murres out on the rocks. They looked like little penguins. Now, not a new bird, but rare and very cool, was the Peregrine Falcon that was really complaining about the foghorn. Next, we went to the visitor center to reserve a backcountry camping spot and pick a hike. We went from there down to Wildcat Camp, the camp at the beach. There are only 4 camps at PORE, all backcountry. It was a pretty hike up and down through forest. The WHOLE WAY I kept hearing Swainson's Thrushes, another new one for my list! After setting up camp, we walked down the beach to Alamere Falls and took pictures. As it got cold and dark, we went back to camp for dinner (Mandarin Orange Chicken), then went to bed early. It was so great to go to bed tired, but not so sore we couldn't move. Although points of the hike were hard on the knees and feet today, it was nothing like the Tehachapis. And I must say the cool air and fog is great hiking weather... not to mention the constant, overwhelming greenery and wildlife. We saw birds, deer, snakes, and sea lions! And to top it all off, we even passed other hikers on the way to camp! It was so nice not to be the ones who are always getting passed! Oh yeah, and the quail and towhee are plentiful here too.

Denise poses at the top of the stairs down to the Point Reyes Lighthouse

Jay takes a photo of Alamere Falls, south of Wildcat Camp

June 27, 2006 (9 miles)
We got up early and were walking out of camp by 8:00 am, even making good time uphill. We decided to head over to Arch Rock before going back to the car. It was a really wet (dewy), mostly downhill hike. The steep parts were pretty rough on Jay's knees, but it was worth it! Arch Rock was really beautiful, although the climb down slick rock was rather difficult and scary. The best part though, was that I saw 2 new birds! This time is was a group of 4 Pigeon Guillemots just passing where the waves were breaking, and Pelagic Cormorants on one of the off-shore rocks. As we started the hike back to the car, we saw an albino female deer with a normal-colored baby. Very strange... And before we made it back, we saw them again with ANOTHER albino female and normal baby! We stopped back by the visitor center to reserve another night camping, then headed out to the beach. Bad idea! It was so cold and windy we decided to walk around the estero instead. No new birds, but we did see a flock of baby Mallards. After planning out the next few days of our trip, we packed up and hiked up to our camp spot at Sky Camp. After setting up and having 3 daylight hours left, we read our books and had a leisurely dinner. It feels like we're up in a cloud with all the fog around us and it's really cold! In the 50's! While I was sitting here writing in my journal I called in a group of 4 Wilson's Warblers... so cute! Oh yeah, and we saw a little striped skunk out near the beach (we almost got too close!)

Jay hikes the Coastal Trail between Wildcat Camp and Arch Rock

In front of Arch Rock at Point Reyes National Seashore

June 28, 2006 (7 miles)

Today started off sore for me... the 1.5 miles hike from camp down to the car was mostly downhill, but the muscle behind my left knee was killing me! And we were a little wet due to the heavy fog/light rain overnight and through the morning. First stop today was the Tule Elk Reserve, where we spotted them at the trailhead... but we walked out a mile anyway and on the way back saw a Great-horned owl and fledgling! After lots of pictures we headed over to Abbotts Lagoon, where we saw an otter and some kind of weasel, then went out to the beach to search for the endangered Western Snowy Plover. No luck... and we didn't see any ducks in the lagoon either... but we did see tons of Brown Pelicans and Caspian Terns. After the hike, we stopped by a store for refreshments, including some yummy local cheese from the dairy farms at PORE, before heading north on Highway 1. We picknicked at the Tides Wharf in Bodega Bay, then continued the windy and foggy drive up to Fort Bragg. We snagged a walk-in site at MacKerrick State Park and took our 50 cent, 5 minute showers before dinner. Maybe even some time to read tonight before bed!

Female Tule Elk at the Tule Elk Reserve

Jay pauses on the walk out to the beach past Abbotts Lagoon

OUR 4-DAY PCT EXPERIENCE

For anyone who wasn't aware of our summer plans...

As a graduation present, we decided to hike a long section of the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT), from Tehachapi Pass, California to Crater Lake, Oregon (map below). It would have been approximately 1250 miles including all the side trips we planned, such as to the top of Mt. Whitney.

We had accumulated all the gear we needed (over 2 years worth of Christmas, Birthday, and Anniversary gifts), purchased all of our food and divided it into daily allotments, and set up all our resupply packages (we had even mailed the first two packages)! Well, even with all my research and our careful planning, we made some mistakes, and our itinerary (and Jay's knees) paid the price. We carried too much gear (extras that we didn't need and items that we should have purchased in the more expensive, ultralight version), moved too slow (it's hard to adjust to elevation when you've been living at sea level for 4+ years and are carrying 60 lbs uphill), didn't train enough (there wasn't much time with finishing school), and picked the absolute worst starting place (we knew it would be difficult, but we had no idea what a shock it would be to our systems to attempt 30 mile dry stretches).

So, read on to see our journal entries from our 4 days of trial and triumph on the PCT!

June 5, 2006 (10 miles)
Well, it was a helluva first day for us. It started off with extremely heavy packs filled with 6-7 liters of water and 8 days worth of food. Add in the extreme heat (98 degrees) and elevation gain (2500 feet in less than 4 miles), and us Florida kids were REALLY hurting. We faced some serious physical and emotional challenges... especially since that first 4 miles took us 6 hours to do. Now I know why some people quit on their first day! But we decided to stick it out for a few days and see what happens... too much dreaming and planning to give up without a fight. However, we're currently thinking in short-term goals. Our plan is to hike 6-7 days up to Hwy 178 and then hitch out to Onyx, CA and decide what to do next. Even if we stick to the trail, we'll have to mail some things home to decrease the weight of our packs. We met lots of thru-hikers today (even more than I expected). First it was T-minus (an older woman hiking solo), then She-Ra (she really booked it up the switchbacks!), then Andy, then Bamma (from Alabama), next was one we didn't meet, then came Nemo and Chance, then Bamma again and his girlfriend T-bird. They were all very nice and encouraging, and they all agreed that we had picked the most brutal section of the PCT as a starting point! What were we thinking? Anyhow, we're trying to stay positive, but we're not sure we're cut out for this and we're honestly pretty scared tonight (and it has nothing to do with the dark or crazy animal noises). So much stress today that we've barely eaten, and man-oh-man do my blisters hurt! Every toe except the big ones are covered with them (top and bottom). Luckily, Jay doesn't have any and his knees are doing fine, even after a downhill spill as it was getting dark. We were just too tired to be walking any longer... we decided to stop 7 miles shy of our goal (the water source). Oh well, we didn't know exactly what to expect of ourselves and all we can do is our best! Maybe tomorrow will be a better day? Oh, and by the way, our very first wildlife siting this morning was a little rabbit. Throughout the day we saw lots of horned lizards and some kind of black, fat lizard (no pictures though). The common birds I identified (while panting uphill) were Lark Sparrows and Spotted Towhees. I also got a new one for my Life List today... the Scott's Oriole! I never would have thought to associate orioles with desert settings (at least not those without a nearby Riparian habitat like in west Texas), so this one really threw me!
- Denise

First day out, I'll start at the outset. The bags are heavy, too heavy perhaps. I'm sure the benefit of this experience will outweigh most anything physical. Several hours in and only few miles prove far more of a challange than imagined. At lunch I had my first quavering that this just wasn't a good idea at all. My body was telling my mind no and my mind was saying, "ya think?" Could have been the other way, at the time they had to work as one. It was a bit of a battle, but we continued. It was slow going for the rest of the day. We met several encourging people along the way. Basically their suggestions echoed what our backs were telling us, lighter packs. Focus on the short distance goals, you'll enjoy the finish all the more with the many little conquests. I slipped on some loose gravel toward the end our hiking day. I hit my right knee on the only exposed rock in the area. Just a minor cut and in hindsight a rather humorous situation. There I was laying on my face like a pancake beneath my behemoth backpack. We set up the tent shortly after. Only 10 miles today.
- Jay

June 6, 2006 (11 miles)
OK, so today was a LITTLE better... The 7 miles to the water source took us about 5.5 hours, but it was hot again and there was a good bit of uphill. We took a 3 hour break during the worst heat of the day, then did another 4 miles (mostly downhill) before calling it an early night (hoping for a restful and healing evening). It was good to have time for dinner and journaling... Jay even took his first photos tonight (of the gorgeous sunset), so I know he's feeling a little better about things. We're still slow though and unsure of our ability (and desire?) to follow our preset itinerary, so we're sticking to the Onyx plan. We should get there in another 4 days. By the way, we were really lucky (and grateful!) that Bamma and T-bird spared us an extra liter of water last night. This morning's long trek to the water source would have been much more painful without it. Oh yeah, and we cooked our first hot meal today for lunch (at the water source of course)... Tequila Chicken! It was good and really satisfying. We met some more hikers this afternoon too (at the water source)... one was Captain America, then 2 different couples (Natalie and Aaron were one, but I can't remember the other). They're all night hiking right now (just passed us as we were setting up the tent), but we're not ready for that yet. I am ready for bed though! Maybe my new blisters on my heels and insteps will miraculously heal overnight? Lots of lizards, rabbits, and birds today. The same common ones from yesterday, plus White-breasted Nuthatch, Oak Titmouse (another new one for me!), and Wrentit. We also saw lots of squirrels and one super cute chipmunk.
- Denise

Didn't manage much consecutive sleep for most of the night. It wasn't the night noise it was the fact that my heart was beating hard all night. I couldn't even manage to clear my mind without hearing the constant drumming in my chest and head. The walk itself was more of the same, slow and heavy. We made it to the first water and it was a sight to behold. It wasn't the official one, but one that was about a mile ahead of it. It was what was left from snow melt. Tiny puddles with bugs was all there was, but we managed several liters out of it. Once we got to the official source we took a long break during the midday heat and ate a dinner for lunch. The rest of the day was overcast and cool and felt like we were moving out. I sorta wish we hadn't stopped as early as we did, we had a good pace. But, it was nice to have ample time to set up camp and watch the sunset.
- Jay

June 7, 2006 (12 miles)
Today started off bad. We were both so sore and stiff when we woke up that we were really slow going. We were hiking by 6:15am (an hour earlier than the day before), but it was all uphill for the first few miles. Just after we reached our first data point, Jay started complaining about his knees. It went downhill quickly from there (not elevation, the condition of his knees). With his knee-brace on and some Aleve, we made it to a jeep road. We lunched and rested during the hottest part of the day (again, good strategy in the desert), alternately trying the radio and cell phone for signal so we could put out a call for help. With no luck (and no traffic) and no water source, we decided to push on the 9 miles to Robin Bird Spring... what choice did we have? It took a lot of "sit stops" (where we'd take 10-15 minutes with our packs off) just to make it halfway. By chance, we tried the radio again just past Hamp Williams Pass and somehow got a hold of 2 guys an hour east of us in California City! They took our location and called my parents for us! The plan was set for my parents to come and get us! What a huge relief, I can't even describe it! As we continued our hike to the spring (another 4 miles), we heard the cell phone chirp (accidently left on) that we finally had reception! We called dad's cell phone and did our best with the directions we could give from our PCT maps, and we assured my parents that it was not an emergency (no injuries, just the serious possiblity of them and a serious doubt that we could make it between the water sources in the upcoming 30-mile dry stretch). We'll see dad in the morning! Now we're cooking dinner (Beef Stroganoff) and watching the sunset. Feeling better already, although I'm scared to look at my feet... think I'll just sleep with the duct tape and socks on tonight. Good wildlife today: more new lizards (2 kinds), a new chipmunk, lots of squirrels with white collars, Dark-eyed Juncos (Oregon variety), and Jay thinks he saw an Acorn Woodpecker... all I saw was the back end, so I'm not positive, but I'm jealous. Oh yeah, and we saw and heard tons of Mountain Quail today (those guys are easily spooked).
- Denise At least the preivous nights sleep was good and solid. We had gotten moving about 45 minutes earlier then the day before which was good, but it was hard to get the engine moving. Before lunch break my right knee decided it had had enough. It is amazing how the human body and mind can be so resilient and frail at the same time. With much encourgement and the decision to pull out at the next spot possible we moved on after I put a brace on the leg. We stopped at the next dirt road for lunch during the heat of the day. We tried to get through on the radios and phones to no avail. After lunch my left knee started acting up. As we were crossing a saddle we paused for a moment to try the radios again and my left knee locked up to the point that I'd perfered to be able to fall over, but the pain was too overwelming to do anything but stand there and lean on my hiking poles. It subsided, we moved on. We were able to get a message out on the radio to somewhere in California City. (Side note: as the crow flies from where we were was ~30 miles, our radios range is supposedly only 4 to 5 miles) Denise's Dad was coming to get us at the next spring. With renewed energy, knowing the end was near, we hiked an hour or so after dark. Which for some reason was easier, I suppose it was because I could only see what was a few feet in front of me and had to focus on each step because of the uneven ground. We stopped a little sooner then I wanted, but better to be safe then sorry.
- Jay

June 8, 2006 (3 miles)
Forgot to mention something that happened yesterday... We met Scott Williamson! Who? The first person to Yo-Yo the PCT (that is to hike from Mexico to Canada back to Mexico in one season). We saw him during our lunch break. We didn't talk long (since he does 40-45 mile days). He was surprised that I knew who he was (very humble) and wanted to know how I knew him, so I told him "I think anybody who has ever dreamed of hiking the PCT and done their research knows who you are". Anyway, I thought that was really cool and wish I had taken a picture of him hiking away... We didn't make it down to the spring last night. It was late and dark, and I was worried about us getting lost. Besides, I knew we'd have time this morning to do the last 3 miles. Dad came around the corner on Jawbone Canyon Road (middle of nowhere) in his dusty Silverado to rescue us at 11:30am. We were SO GLAD to see him! It was a tough hike this morning for how short it was. The downhill really killed Jay's knees and we were both so stiff from sleep that we were as slow going as usual... In fact, I'd say our average speed over the past 4 days was only 1-1.5 miles per hour... Oh well, after we heal up and lighten our packs, things WILL be better. As long as Jay's knees aren't in too bad of shape... The coolest thing that happened today? I saw 3 Acorn Woodpeckers as we were filling our water bottles at the spring. The one bird I most wanted to see on the trip! So, it wasn't all bad... we just picked a very bad place to start and made a huge mistake with our pack weights. Not the end of the world, just the end of my itinerary (so sad)! We're in the car now and will be home soon. After our bodies heal, we'll come up with a plan to get as much safe and realistic hiking and camping in this summer as possible. Maybe we'll bump into some of the thru-hikers we met further up the trail?
- Denise

Sleep took a long time to achieve. The rodents seemed to think it fun to play around our tent for the duration of the evening. First event out of the bag, Casa de Oso and aptly named it was. There were cows on either side of the trail. All I could think was it would be a humorous end if they charged. We made it to the spring without any bovine incursion. Just before lunch time the rescue car arrived. Bitter sweet as it was, we left.
- Jay

Now, don't feel too sorry for us. It was a great trip despite all the pain and fear. We saw some amazing views and new wildlife, and we learned what a great support system we are to each other!

Besides, after taking a couple weeks off to heal, we rented a car and spent the rest of the summer traveling around California and Oregon, hitting places we never would have seen had we stuck to the trail, got to see some of our very good friends, and got to spend a lot of time with my parents (especially my Dad, who was home all summer recouperating from open-heart surgery). We did a bunch of day hikes, with FAR less weight on our backs, and spent a lot of time just exploring some of the most beautiful places in the United States.