This is it, the day we finally, officially, enter the Sierra.  Blue Lizard's parents drop us off at Kennedy Meadows in the morning and we continue our northward journey.  The trail starts fairly flat but begins to ascend a couple miles in as we start the push upwards into the higher elevations we'll be at... Continue Reading →

We took day 74 off to relax in Idyllwild which included going into to town for ice cream and meeting the mayor of Idyllwild, a golden retriever named Max. We packed up the next day and drove first to Tehachapi so Waterboy could pick up an 8 mile stretch through a wind farm that we... Continue Reading →

I took my time getting into of camp this morning since Blue Lizard and the kids would be hiking up a few miles to bring me more food and to help keep their trail legs. I covered more miles yesterday than I had planned so only had 6 miles to cover to get to our... Continue Reading →

Blue Lizard's parents drop me (Waterboy) off at the trailhead around 6am for what's planned as a 3 day trip from Highway 74 to I-10. The morning starts cool and I move quickly despite today being almost entirely uphill. The trail is surprisingly empty, and I don't see any other hikers until I'm 10 miles... Continue Reading →

Blue Lizard's parents pick us up in Ridgecrest, and we make our way south, passing in a couple hours through landscapes that took us 2 months to traverse. It's fun to see where we've been, and it's amazing just how far we've come on our own feet. We make a couple stops along the way... Continue Reading →

Today is the day we finally, officially finish the desert. We hike an easy 8 miles into Kennedy Meadows and pass a really rare site, a flowing river, weird, right? We pass the 700 mile mark along the way. We're greeted with applause as we reach the General Store. We've been looking forward to this... Continue Reading →

Today was similar to yesterday. We got up and tackled the climb early, getting to the top we'll before noon. After that it was all downhill through a burn with no shade for several miles. While the view of the burn leaves a lot to be desired, we're treated to our first good views of... Continue Reading →

It's starting to feel like the trail is training us for the Sierra.  Each day of this three day stretch starts with a long climb, followed by a long descent to a water source and campsites.  Blue Lizard seems to have worn out another pair of shoes and is dealing with achy feet by mid-day... Continue Reading →

We caught an early ride with a trail angel, Amy, partly to get an early start and partly to avoid another bumpy bus ride. We were on trail at Walker Pass a little after 8am. The trail immediately climbs up desert hills, again, but we're comforted knowing we're only 50 miles from the Sierra and... Continue Reading →

We got up this morning to bacon, eggs and pancakes for breakfast. We enjoyed staying at Teresa's, but wanted to head into Ridgecrest to be within walking distance of grocery stores. This meant taking a bumpy, bouncy, jerky bus ride along a curvy road. This wasn't the best situation for Blue Lizard's motion sickness, but... Continue Reading →