Phutu...cutting it short...

8/9/2005 Sometimes things don't go according to plan. I spent much of the day this past Friday getting all my supplies for hiking together and cooking up some protein bars and bread to take. I was all set to go on a five-day, four-night hike into the Sequoia National Park backcountry. I drove five hours east and south through the central valley and up into the hills. The park is accessible only by winding roads...and only a small part of it by them. The majority of it can be seen only on foot. I met a trio of hikers on their way to Mt. Whitney, an eight-day one-way trip requiring someone to drop them off, and someone to pick them up on the east side of the mountains. The drive from one trailhead to the other is about six hours.

When I arrived at the visitor's center I had mixed feelings of excitement and dread. I've done this three times before. But, hiking alone, on each of those three occassions, I now remember concluding that I didn't really like going by myself. I have since looked for a hiking partner, but failed to find someone. So, Saturday, starting around noon, I took off for a hike up to Alta Peak in the central section of Sequoia national park. They make you specify where you are going to camp. I arrived at my site after about two hours of hiking; I was a little surprised actually; I had thought it would take longer. Seeing no reason to stop when I had been hiking for so little time, I continued on toward the peak, planning to return to camp after making it to the top. I never did make it all the way, although I came close. The weather wasn't cooperating so well; there was a thunderstorm accross the massively deep valley which was threatening to come my way. The constant grumbling thunder, combined with my exhaustion from carrying 25 pounds and the 11,300 ft elevation convinced me to stop shortly before I got to the top. What I had really been interested in was the trees anyway...and they weren't at the top. I saw one tree that had probably stood dead for hundreds of years before being struck by lightning and burning to a crisp.

When I had passed my campsite the thunderstorms had been spitting on me. There were two couples who were camping in the same place, they had been setting up tents as I passed to get out of the rain. When I returned they were starting a campfire and getting ready to cook dinner. Being that the campground was the size of my livingroom, we all were camping together. Oddly enough, one of the couples lives right here in Bernal Heights, less than a mile from my own house. I was quite happy actually to be camping with people, it gives you something to do to pass the time.

The next day I said goodbye to my camping mates and started back toward the trailhead, heading for the other branch of the hike that I was intending to explore. I told myself over and over again that I would camp at least this second night and then possibly head home...but as the hours wore on and I continued on, past some magnificent scenery, I somehow decided that I would hike all the way back out that day and head home. It was stupid...yet it was a decision that I made fully aware of what I was doing. Hiking long hours seems to sap my ability to be reasonable...at least when I am alone.

So, although I did not do a five day hike, I still had a lot of fun, and hiked about 25 miles in two days. If only I were in better shape, I could hike for longer hours. Then maybe I wouldn't be so dreadful of the long boring hours spent at a camp alone.

8/1/2005
7/20/2005
7/5/2005
6/17/2005
5/27/2005
5/1/2005
4/15/2005
4/5/2005
3/24/2005
3/13/2005
2/5/2005
12/28/2004
11/29/2004
11/3/2004
10/2/2004
9/10/2004
8/23/2004
8/8/2004
7/21/2004
7/2/2004
6/8/2004
5/4/2004
4/20/2004
3/28/2004
3/10/2004
2/10/2004
1/15/2004

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