1800 Miles, 3 Months...Finished (for now?)

Yay!! Our summer journey of 1,830 miles across the varied terrain of California and Southern Oregon has come to an end after 3 months on the trail. It was glorious, it was painful at times, it was the best of times, it was the worst of times.
It feels like a dream now, some two months later. This is a blessing and perhaps a curse.
Blessing: fond memories remain. We look back and think: hey that was kinda fun.

Curse: fond memories remain. We look back and think: hey that was kinda fun. Or worse, sometimes we can´t even remember what it was like at all and we think: Hey what do you think it would be like to hike the PCT? Hey, that sounds crazy, maybe we should try it. And so the rest of Oregon and Washington calls.... (when we´re warm, our tummies are full, and most importantly, when we´re not walking 25 miles a day.)

And now we´re in Guatemala with Jon´s sister, Maria, attending language school for six weeks. No, we didn´t walk here.

Thank you everyone for your prayers and encouragement, even though some of you dirty rascals were sending bad vibes with your negative thoughts. May the Lord not punish you with a 1800 mile walk. And anyone who wonders why we didn´t go to the remaining 800 miles to the Canadian border, please walk the length of the State of California and then we´ll have a good long talk about it over a pint of Ben and Jerry´s ice cream (a thru-hiker´s must-have).

Much love and fewer miles,

Jon and IvaJo

Crater Lake!

Behind of us, of course, is the magnificent Crater Lake. We got up early that morning and ran 3 steep miles to the rim. We were fortunate enough to make it by sunrise, a beautiful sight to sum up this year's hike.

There we were treated to breakfast by a very friendly and fascinating fellow hiker, and then we began our trek down south, getting rides from park rangers, our good friend, Vanessa, and IvaJo's wonderful parents.

More Miles, More Smiles

Yep. :) :) :)

Majestic Shasta

This shot is from near the CA/OR border. The trail makes almost a three-quarter circle around Shasta, and it was in view for about three weeks. The trail used to make a more direct, shorter shot on the East of Shasta, but because of the lack of water they routed it to the beautiful west through the Trinity Alps, the Marble Mountains, and the Russian Wilderness. We can see why this celestial rock has captured the heart of our good friend, Zoe (Just thinking about Zoe brings out the poetic nature in one). The Hawk is pleased...what do you think, Zoe?

Bear Paw Prints

We saw a black bear tromp across our path somewhere near the Oregon border, leaving this beautiful specimen for us to study.

Good Bye, California

Behind us lies a big, big state. Wow.

We had been in California for just about 3 months with all its diverse geography.
If ever California gets to feel a little cramped, just take a little walk on the PCT.

Not Even 1000 Miles Left

999.9 miles...we had it calculated at .01 mile later, but...that's what the rock said.

Some more S'mores

Big thanks to Jon's brother, Mark, and cousin, Tyler (and dog, Henry) who were able to meet us at Lake McCloud around the middle of August. There was great fishing (although Jon caught nothing) and great food (including blackberry cobbler made on the site from the nearby bushes!)

One note about the food, however: the trip will ever be remembered as the one on which Mark ate a full pound of Hershey's chocolate and a bag of marshmallows. His evident stomach pain did little to prove his case in our debate over virtues of patiently roasting your marshmallows versus eating them "raw" and in rapid succession. Mark's feeling better, thankfully, in this picture of the following morning.

Big Miles

These overall mileage signs are very few, so we thought we'd take a picture as proof that we've been on the trail. Of course you can't prove anything with digital pictures these days. They don't allow them in court because of the possiblity of photo editing.
So for all you know, we could have spent these months chilling in Hawaii and photo editing. And for all you know I don't really have a beard, and IvaJo does.

Thank You, Georgie and Dennis

This is a tree house at the home of two wonderful "Trail Angels" who open their home for us dirty hikers. And not only can you camp on their property, but they provide you with amazing family meals. Definitely a favorite memory.

Thanks again, Georgie and Dennis.

Brain Face

Our friend, Steven Braney, is the one and only to have joined us on a significant portion (a very good, hard 50 miles along Hatcreek Rim, South of Burney, CA). He got the whole PCT experience: A night at a "Trail Angel's" house in Old Station, a little time in a desertish type place, a grand finish at Burney Falls, and a trail name (even we never got one of those): "Brain Face". Here we are in some caves near Old Station, CA.

Oh, We´re Halfway There! Oh, Living on a Prayer!

Take my hand and...sorry... So here we are halfway to Canada somewhere a few miles South of Seiad Valley, California. Please excuse us if the title above caused the song to get stuck in your head.

Taking a Day Off To Go Camping

That's right. We take days off of camping to go camping. You can join us too if you bring food and dote on the poor hikers. Great seeing you, Gishes and Creegers. Thanks for everything.

For a Special Couple...

Just thought you might want another picture of us--a few days older, a few days dirtier, a few days closer to Oregon.

Hey There, Chompers!

Our friend, Graham, who was walking ahead of us scared these two cubs and the mama (on the bottom--bad lighting, I know) up this here tree. The perfect bear sighting: seeing them without seeing your food go bye-bye.

Beautiful Lake Tahoe

We had great time visiting with Jon's Uncle John and Aunt Wanda in South Lake Tahoe--steak dinner, great conversation and some good family stories.
Thank you so much, Uncle John and Aunt Wanda, for taking in dirty relatives on a last minute notice!

Calling Mr. Miyagi

Way up at the top of Sonora Pass there was a Samarai bamboo staff. Jon was glad because he was getting out of practice. He thinks maybe his estranged Sensei left it there for him. Mr. Miyagi, are you reading this?

...To Walk 1000 Miles...

The thousand mile mark! Pretty sweet! Bonus photo included.

Benson Pass

One of the last Sierra passes and one where there were other people to take our picture...so here you go(it works so much better than Jon reaching his arm out and taking pictures that generally feature his chin).

Dang Squiters!

Beautiful meadows abound in the Northern parts of Yosemite NP, but unfortunately you can barely see them for the mosquitoes. (It is our fault that we forgot to send ourselves our mosquito nets in our last box.) Inside the jacket you see is Jon's toiletry room, where he is brushing his teeth safely guarded from the squiters.

The Brain Gets Us Back on the Trail

Huge thanks to Steven Braney (and Che Guevera and Get Real Girl, the backpacking Barbie) for a ride back to the trail from San Fran to Tuolumne Meadows. The peak you see behind us on the right is the north face of Half Dome.

Another Day in the Life (a.k.a. "Stove")

This picture was accidentally posted the other day (some of you got a sneak-peak). I was going to write something interesting or funny or both about it, but I think you've got it by now: This is...our stove (twig-, pine needle-, paper-, burning, made from a 40-oz. tomato can, boils 1/2 liter in 10-15 minutes--some of you were feeling the cliff-hanger of too little information).

Jonah's Bush

Walking along the straight desert road where we found the miracle water bottle, we also found just a few places of shade. And we realized why Jonah was so crazy about his little bush!

Hola, Civilization! (and why we haven't been updating this thing)

Hello, all! After 6 weeks on the trail, we needed a week off (a sabbath week?). Plus there were some family vacations and brother Luke's baseball games we wanted to go see.
Somehow we got a ride from tiny Florence Lake to Concord and took BART to San Francisco. We ran from the station to get our first Mission Burrito in a long time (Jon was so excited he ordered in Espanol) and then to drop in unexpected at Sojourners (our church community where we've lived the past year). Then it was off to Ukiah and then off to camping (yes, camping) with the Otto family.
Today we are in San Francisco and Steven Braney is taking us to Tuolumne Meadows, about 80 miles north of where we left off (we'll have to do that section some other time).

More pictures are definitely to come, but perhaps (perhaps) not for another month. We re-hired Dan, but unfortuneately, due to some technical error and sketchiness in the United States Postal Service, we are unable to send any more memory cards in the mail (our first two got stolen en route... at least it happened after our pictures had already been transferred). We appreciate all your interest in our hike and patience with the blog. For those of you have anything negative to say about the lack of blog update, we'll be happy to meet you out on the trail and hand over our memory cards. More to come... (for those who are curious about our plans, we are hoping to make it to the California/Oregon border and then divine the Spirit's plan for us after that, although the Spirit has previously told us that he plans for us to go to IvaJo's cousin's wedding on Sep. 9 and then the Matt/Krista wedding the next weekend, so we're pretty sure Canada won't be happening by Sep. 9) Stay tuned!

Fields of Snow

(Top) Behind IvaJo you can faintly see our prints as they stretch up back to Muir Pass. This has been our longest stretch of snow (about 8 miles). She's smiling now, but we weren't smiling several hours later down in the meadow when a hail storm pounded us and made the trail into an ice-water trench--all on the 4th of July!

(Bottom) A bonus picture. We promised mountain shots, and we want to deliver.

"The Serenity of a Clear Blue Mountain Lake"

This is what you were talking about Uncle Bobo...the serenity of a clear blue mountain lake. It's glorious. Pretty good peanuts and chocolate, too.

Well, Hello, Mr. Marmot

These guys are our best friends in the mountains. It seems they only live above tree line among the boulders and the grassy meadows. You should see them scamper up sheer faces of rock!
No, but really we love these guys. We're actually in the process of adopting a Marmot named Obadiah. Updates to follow.

"Vitney, Ve Varned You!"

"Whitney, we warned you!" we yelled back at the peak in our best German accent after we had just conquered it (Why German? I don't know...we just watched The Life Aquatic...?) as we trotted down Mt. Whitney (the highest point in the contiguous United States at 14,490ish ft., for those who need the geography lesson).
(Top Left) Someone happened to offer us their cell phone on the top of Whitney (very kind). IvaJo called her mom at work and when she told her we were on Whitney her mom called her a "dirty rotten liar." How dare she? Well, Mom, here's the proof. We love you.
(Top Right) This for all of 129 (and 129 extended) (Jon's college friends) (I'm not flipping anyone one off--that's supposed to be a '9').
(Bottom) One for Captain Xtreme! (IvaJo's brother, Josh)

After the Highest Point on the PCT

We crossed Forrester Pass (the highest point on the PCT at 13,000 ft +) on this day, our first exposure to walking in Sierra snow. Quite fun, since others had already blazed a trail for us. We were overwhelmed with the jagged, white peaks stretching in all directions, and with feeling like an ant engulfed in an amphitheater of majesty. It was at this point that we realized that we can't capture this place on film. It feels like every five minutes we want to take another picture.

First Day in the Sierra Nevadas

We love grass! We love snow! We love water! Fa la la la la!

Kennedy Meadows

This place is hyper-sweet! When we made it to Kennedy Meadows, we made it to the the beginning of the Sierras. And you know what that means? The END OF THE DESERT! From here on there is plenty of water and no more of that prickly-pear cactus.
This picture is of the only store in Kennedy Meadows, a town of about 60 full-time residents with no electricity. They've only had phones for the past couple of years. But when you're here you see why. They hardly need contact with the outside world! They've got their own little world. They've got Saturday night movies in an amphitheater under the stars, Double Cheesburgers every afternoon, potlucks on Sundays (which we hikers were invited to join), all the Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream you could want (IvaJo and I had three half-pints over our two-day stay), and conversations on the porch into the night with well-hydrated(?) locals (quite the picture of back-country American life).

Caballos Espanolos 101

The guidebook tells us that these wild horses are the descendants of the Spanish horses of the Conquistadores, which we thought was pretty amazing. We've made a further theory which Jon plans on publishing. You see, these descend from the horses of none other than Don Quixote...(see the windmills?). But then even this theory is not without it's holes. I tried my Spanish with them and one of them responded with something that sounded a lot like "You killed my father. Prepare to die!" Inigo Montoya? I don't know. Again, maybe they were threating the windmills. Back to the Quixote Theory.
But seriously, try walking by such a windfarm and you can't get close to walking a straight line...kinda fun...kinda frustrating.
(This picture is a little better when enlarged.)

St. IvaJo of Aquafina

I think someday they'll turn this picture into a stained-glass window. This is St. IvaJo. Actually, IvaJo's being a saint has nothing to do with it (however wonderful of a hiking partner she's been!). This beautiful, unopened (~105 degrees F) Aquafina bottle fell out of the sky and landed right in our path as we zombie-walked a straight 15-mile stretch of desert road through the Mojave Desert. Well, we didn't actually see it fall, but we still consider it at least on the near-miracle level, since we only had half a liter to get us to the next water five miles away (that's not comfortable, in case you're wondering). Below is a shot of St. Jo on the said desert road.

F-I-R-E-D!

Unfortunately, due to constant harassment regarding our spelling and grammar, we were forced to fire our volunteer editor. What Dan doesn't understand is that after being in the nasty, calf-scratching, dry, tortous chaparral all day, maybe we didn't want to give it the honor of spelling it correctly. Bet he never thought of that. However, even more unfortunately, Dan was too busy chasing down young campers to be able to get a hold of him to give him the news. Please inform him next time you see him. Actually, we are incredibly grateful for all the work Dan has done on our blog. But since we had Internet we figured we'd give him a few days off and do this update ourselves.

We Made it to Hiker Heaven!

This place is awesome! A half gallon of ice cream every night, a bed, showers, internet and phone.... What more could you ask for?!
Thank you Jeff and Donna Saufley!

To our fellow hikers who have been here severaldays,a week or more, may you escape the vortex somehow. We're off.

Shadows of Our Former Selves

After a long day of hiking, Jon thought this was so artistic that he had to take several shots. We think it might become the new Pacific Crest Trail logo.

"Dear God, please send Jon and IvaJo cookies and keep them safe."

These guys are praying on the trail every morning and evening--just a reminder for all of us to be praying. Actually besides praying, I think they're the beetles that drink the water as it drips from their rear to their mouth (I like our gravity filter much better--I don't want to drink anything that touches my dirty shorts.)

"The man just did a Peter Pan right here!"

"I didn't kill my wife!"

"Dr. Kimball? Dr. Richard Kimball!"

Fumbling Towards Ecstasy

We camped just a mile and a half outside of this McDonald's on Interstate 15. And as soon as there was any evidence of day light (5 a.m.) we made the glorious journey. Happily, we found that we hadn't grown a third arm from the radiation of the humming power lines we slept beneath. And since that didn't hurt us, we figured that neither would McDonald's. Three trays of breakfast later (and one 32 oz. chocolate milk for Jon), we began our ascent of the San Gabriels (a Black Cherry Vanilla Coke safely in stow for Jon Boy for when the chocolate milk had worn off).

Stubborn Little Snake

After taking a swim, we headed up the trail with our new friend, Ben. IvaJo spotted this huge rattle snake about 15 feet ahead of us in the middle of the trail. So we invited it to find another place to sunbathe. The invitations were home-made rocks and we gave him several--all landing a couple of inches from him. He didn't accept. So our friend, Ben, took his treking poles, tied them together, and eventually was able to scoot the lazy thing off the trail. Thanks, Ben.

The Water Hole

Just a quick afternoon swim in the middle of the desert...

A Day in the Life

Just a quick look at one of the daily chores. Maybe you'll see more of these if they get good reviews. Here we are by the river rejuvenating and purifying our water with the gravity filter IvaJo made. She didn't make gravity, just the filter.