Vancouver

I attempted to hitch with forty two and flash out of manning park on Saturday.  We had no luck.  I even held up a fifty but there weren't any takers.  My sign that I slaved over was worthless.  

The three of us took the bus instead.  It was late, an hour.  Unacceptable by any standards.  The driver also drove like he was on meth.  It was a hellish experience.

We arrived early, 6am.  Tim Hortons is a Canadian donut shop that also sells coffee.  No sweets for me.  I ordered a sausage muffin but got a wrap instead.  A small communication error in this multicultural city.  They use south Asians instead of Mexicans, weird.  

 

This was the first time to see Canadian geese in Canada.  Sometimes they looked fake. 

Vancouver occasionally smells like strong marijuana.  Easily the "dankest" city I've ever smelled.  It's not 'legal' here but no one seems to care.  

The harder drugs and their presence are seen somewhere between gas town and Chinatown.  These are the ones that ruin lives.  I've never seen so many junkies.  I thought Portland was bad...

Chinatown was the place to go.  At 11am, a foot massage place was supposed to open up.  Flash and I were ready for that moment.  Lies and misinformation online.  It didn't open until noon.  That was cutting it close for flash as his bus left a little after 1pm.

I still got the foot massage.  The sweat little Chinese ladies working there were interested in my adventure.  They also couldn't stop laughing at how sensitive my feet were.  The massage was good and like any addict, I went to another shop and got a shiatsu massage.  This time by a Japanese lady.  Her husband was hilarious.  I've never met such an outspoken Japanese guy who acts like a Chinese guy.

I felt like I was speaking Japanese way too much so I looked for a ramen shop.  I was disappointed with the ramen.  

I found a hostel then went for a walk around the city.  Last time I was here was when I was fifteen or so.  A lot has changed.

There is a steam powered clock in Gastown.  It billowed clouds right when I got there.  I wasn't expecting that. 

Canada is a lot like America in many ways but just about everything seems a little "off".  

Observations:

-7/11 doesn't sell beer

-ketchup flavored potato chips

-police sirens have a ton more sounds

-no Mexicans 

The night went on and I found my way back to a bed.  I'll leave for Seattle tomorrow morning.  Wish me luck!  I have to catch an early bus. 

Almost done

I'm less than 200 miles from Canada and I can't believe that this experience is coming to an end.  This morning I said to Flash, "isn't it going to be weird to not set up your tent every night?"  

A week.  That's all I've got left.  Then I'm back to America and within time back to the old grin, work.  I still have no clue where I'll be employed.  I haven't even begun looking for a job but I'm sure something will turn up.  For now, I have to focus on the remaining miles ahead. 

Washington is a burly section.  The trail is constantly going up or down.  Some days have more elevation gain or loss than days I had in The Sierras.  Thankfully there isn't any elevation sickness to deal with.  There is however, the weather.  

It's bipolar and doesn't care about your feelings.  It's also weather I've missed experiencing for the past six years. Since beginning in Washington, I've had about five days of sun and eleven days of rain/clouds.  This weekend looks like I'll be seeing some more rain!  

Well, I've lost my train of thought once again.  I thought I'd write more!  Anyhow, this might be the last update until I get to Canada!

See ya! 

O-R-E-G-O-N

I've been here just a little over a week but it's nice to be back in the Pacific Northwest!  The trees scrap the sky and are so tall that I have trouble getting a descent GPS signal. 

The PNW definitely wins for the best smelling section of the trail.  My allergies are gone!  Plus, there are a ton of berries!  It becomes a choice between hiking or eatting berries.  I think I lost two hours of hiking yesterday thanks to some small Oregon wild huckleberries I found. 

I hit crater lake a few days ago.  What a beautiful area.  The thing I couldn't get over was all the cars.  Wayyyyyyy to many murder machines.  Backpacking changes your perspective on things.  Going by foot enhances the experience. Roads and cars are a huge distraction. When I get the chance, I'll talk more about it. 

I'm in Shelter Cove right now.  Somewhere close to halfway in Oregon.  A few more miles and I'm almost home!  

Now Entering Cascadia

I'm about 100 miles from Oregon but I have made it to Cascadia.  A place where trees are as dense as a Q-Tips. 

You know you're in Cascadia when things start getting weird.  

Some people living around Mt. Shasta believe in Lamarians.  A race of people or aliens that are invisible and harvest magical crystals.  Once upon hearing this, I knew I was home.  There are strange things that happen in these woods...

But I've never felt more at home!  There is an odd sense of comfort I have out here.  The fragrance of the forest brings me back.  It's a smell I have missed for six years.

For the past 1500 miles, I've had a horrible cough and stuffy nose.  I must have breathed in too much dirt or allergic to something.  Since going passed Mt. Lassen and entering into the Cascades, my respiratory issues have been starting to vanish.  Horray!

Well, that's about all I can think of.  I'll be hitting the trail again this afternoon.  See ya!

-Jerry

Day 79 - Here in Sierra City

The daily grind has begun.  Since South Lake Tahoe, I've been aiming to complete twenty five miles, everyday.  It's  exhausting and recently, mind numbingly boring.  The scenery has changed.  I was spoiled in the high sierras.  Now I'm walking through the forest without any views.  I'm sure I'll be fine after a few days.  It'll just take some time to adjust.

Everyone else is picking up their pace as well.  There are also a lot of quitters or it at least appears that way.  The herd has seemed to thin out.  When I was hiking in the desert, I could see fifty other PCT hikers in a day.  Now, at most I see ten.  

Anyhow, I thought there was more to write but my brain is fried.  Hunger and exhaustion is a real thing folks!  Well, I have about five hundred miles until Oregon!  See you soon! 

Mammoth Lakes!

I'm still here at the hostel.  I managed to get a good nights despite it being a bit loud.  Everyone went to bed at midnight and my dilemma on where to sleep was solved by an extra long "L" shaped couch.  Earplugs are supplied to all guests and I knocked right out.  Apparently, another guest showed up drunk at 2am and nearly drowned in patio furniture until he was saved by a fellow Washingtonian.  

Speaking of that, Washington seems to be the most well represented state on the trail.  More so than California which was a surprise for me.  The difference in American culture is apparent on the trail with all regions living up to their stereotypes. 

As far as foreigners go on the trail, the Germans lead the pack by a huge margin (every single one is also weird).  I thought Canada would be number one since that is where the trail ends.  Europeans account for maybe 20-30% of the people on trail.  I asked a Swiss couple how the Sierras compare to the Alps.  "The sierras are more wild and dangerous".  

I've been playing a game of leap frog with two Japanese guys.  There is a lot of code switching when we speak which leaves other people in the general vicinity a little confused when we converse. 

I'm thinking of staying one more night in Mammoth.  This is a super chill city.  It's the kind of place I wish I could live, then a while later wish I didn't because of tourists.  But I still like it here.  It's also one of the lasts stops outside of South Lake Tahoe where there is a hostel to meet other hikers.  The next will probably be Ashland, OR but I could be wrong.

  

Yesterday was a wild ride of mishaps.  After sending some gear home to reduce weight, I went to McDonalds.  I ended up eatting two double cheeseburgers, two  hot n spicy Mcchickens, twenty McNuggets, and a large strawberry shake.  Thats right at 3,000 calories.  I gobbled it up in twenty minutes and felt fine.  Then I went to Von's which is a carbon copy of Safeway, to buy my resupply.  While there, I saw some chocolate milk.  YES!  I bought half a gallon.  I then went out front with the other hiker trash and proceeded to drink half of it.  Houdini/Panini, a soft spoken Australian hiker covered in Japanese style tattoos witnessed me slip into a food coma.  I felt disgusting.  The milk was a poor idea.  The lack of dairy in my diet probably contributed.  I had to fight off vomiting for an hour and spent probably another hour trying to get back to baseline.  Two hours nearly wasted when Legend showed up.

He's an old hiker whose done the PCT at least three times.  I think at the moment, he lives off of donations he makes from serving pancakes or giving rides.  He has two vehicles he drives on trail.  How does he do that?  He parks one at point A, drives to point B, hikes back to point A, and drives back to point B with with the other vehicle.  If someone needs a ride, he'll toss them the keys to his car and let them take it, so long as they park it at point B.  He makes enough money on donations and living out of a van to get by.  He was quite the character.

Some hiker "Legend, do you drink?"

L "no, I don't drink.  My vices are caffeine, sugar, and women.  But I'm interested in fast cars and drinking...  They're cheaper and less hassle than women!"

The cadence at which he said it is hard to convey in text but it made me chuckle.  

Eventually my stomach settled and I was on my way back to the hostel.  I caught one of the free buses around town and was on my way.  Shortly after getting off the bus, I realized I forgot my dry sack "full" of clothes (just two things really).  I ran back to the stop, caught the next bus, and managed to get the current driver to radio the other about my sack.  Luckily no one took or stole it on the first bus.  I was able to retrieve it but that's some more time wasted.  

Now here I am.  I'm getting hungry but if I can think of anything else to write, I will.  If you have a question, now is the time to ask.  I'll be in mammoth for at leastfew more hours, if not another night.  

-Jerry

Here in Independence, CA

It's hard to put together updates either on or off trail.  I keep a journal but uploading photos, writing blogs, or piecing a video together becomes a chore.  It's either because I lack battery life or poor wifi.  But I try!

I've made it through the desert.  It's more or less 700 miles of suffering.  Well over forty days for me.  Just like Jesus!

Making it into the Sierras feels like I'm finally taking the steps home.  It's so incredibly beautiful out here.  I don't have enough fingers to count on for the times I've became misty eyed in the presence of such majesty.  I have a few hundred more miles of these mountains and I'll enjoy every moment.  

I've summited Mt. Whitney and gone over Forester pass.  I have one last dangerous pass to go over.  At least that's what everyone says.  Trail rumors run rampant and one coward can ruin it for the rest. 

I've been drinking unfiltered mountain water for a week now.  Still no Giardia!  But I've been doing this since I was a kid.  

I love this trail and the life that surrounds it.  I have plenty to say but not enough time to put it all down.  I guess y'all will have to wait until I'm done for all the super fine details.  

Happy trails,

Jerry