[pct-l] Searching the Digest and Kennedy Meadows

Tue Sep 19 21:24:10 CDT 2006

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "David Craft"
> I have tried to search the digest back last January-March for my post on
my
> Section E hike to no avail.  Any ideas on how to find this post??

The archives stop at the end of March, 2006; your post was in April, so it
will not be found in the archives.

Dunno if this will help you, but here it is:

Jon

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----- Original Message ----- 
From: "David Craft" <Chsyhkr at bellsouth.net>
Sent: Thursday, April 06, 2006 7:00 PM
Subject: [pct-l] Section E Report, 10 months late.......

> Greetings,
>
>
>
> My PCT adventure continued for the 5th time and 5th section on May 17t h
> 2005.  I have always been amazed at how I can fly out of Greensboro, NC
and
> end up hiking on the west coast by lunch time the same day.
>
>
>
> I elected to hike north to south, so I can end at the Saufleys in Agua
Dulce
> and not at a 4 lane highway.
>
>
>
> I flew to LAX, took the bus to Union Station in downtown LA, quite a
beauty
> by itself.  I reached the station around 1pm with the next train around 4
> pm.  With some extra time I walked around downtown admiring the LA City
Hall
> and Water and Power buildings.  There is a nice park across street from
the
> station, I do not remember the name.
>
>
>
> My cellphone rang in LA when I turned it back on.  My wife Janet called to
> check on me.  She asked if I needed the blue bag that was sitting on the
> couch at home.  You know, the one with my flashlight, water purification,
> sun screen, ect...duh!
>
>
>
> I caught the Metrolink and arrived in Palmdale around 5:30.  Thanks to the
> PCT list I was met by Jim and Elaine Crandall.  Jim is retired Air Force
(I
> think, forgive me Jim, if I am wrong!) and lives nearby.  We stopped a
local
> camping store, where I restocked, and then across the Antelope Valley to
> Cameron Pass at highway 58.
>
>
>
> As we drove across the valley I observed several large pools of water in
low
> spots.  It had rained about a week ago, quite a bit for that time of year.
> This was very fortuitous for my hike.
>
>
>
> The Crandalls dropped me off at CA 58 and I headed south.  As I climbed to
> the top of the ridge the wind really started to howl.  It was close to 70
> degrees when I started out and not much cooler on the ridge, but with a
30+
> mph wind it got quite cold.  After 3 hours of steady hiking and 8 miles of
> trail I arrived at Oak Creek and Cameron- Willow Springs Rd.  There was
one
> tent with George (from Germany) and his friend.  I said hello and crossed
> the creek to another flat spot. 8 miles.
>
>
>
> May 18 greeted as all of the days did, clear and generally calm.  I left
out
> just after 6 am, before my neighbors even stirred.  I had a long full day
> ahead.  The long easy climb along Oak Creek was viewful as the Wind
Turbines
> kept me company as they did the day before.   I crested out in the
> Tehachepi's around lunch and began the descent to Gamble Spring Canyon and
> Tylerhorse Canyon.  Gamble was dry with Joshua Trees around.  Tylerhorse
> flowed very well as it cut it's course from sandy rotting granite down
into
> gray substrate, quite a color contrast.  This reminded of Mission Creek, a
> few trips back..
>
>
>
> The trail climbed from Gamble Spring Canyon and contoured around to an
> alluvian area above Cottonwood Creek, passing above a quarry area I had
> observed many times during the descent.
>
>
>
> I arrived at the LA Aquaduct and Cottonwood Creek proper around dinner.
> Twisted Sister, heading north was already there.  Close to bed time
Squeaky,
> the soon to be infamous Triple Crown hiker, passed by.  He had left this
> morning where I would be two night hence.  Amazing!  22.7 miles for the
day,
> 40+ for Sqeaky.
>
>
>
> The next day was the 16 mile aquaduct walk over to Hiker Heaven at CA 138.
> I passed close to a dozen north bounders.  Sometimes we talked, especially
> if one of us was stopped by the water access points.  These points would
be
> quite cool on the north side and were nice to lean against.  I never could
> figure out the numbering system of these access points?   I arrived there
> around 2 pm as I made good time, not too much wind.
>
>
>
> Hiker Heaven is a great place to stop, part desert culture trailer trash
> mixed with a Hollywood set.  Bob Mayton was keeping store for Richard
> Skaggs.  Meadow Mary was there too.  Breaking Wind and Freebird came in
to.
> Great trail names!
>
>
>
> I left around dinner to cut some time off the next day camping on a nose
> looking out over Cow Spring Canyon.  20 miles.  A breezy uneventful night,
> except for the hikers that passed in the dark and the marine layer that
> creeped in during the night.  I had major condensation on my bag in the
> morning as I slept out every night on the trip, no tent or tarp.
>
>
>
> May 19  Another 20 mile day greeted me with limited water.  However this
was
> one wet spring and water was not an issue.  I continued my walk to the
rift
> zone and through an area that burned the year before, not very pretty.  I
> crossed Pine Canyon Rd. in the rift zone and was greeted by an incredible
> gray wash of rock and gravel from the heavy rains that year.  The trail
was
> under 4 feet of rock for about 40 feet.  The rest of day was the climb to
> Liebre Mt. and walk along Sawmill Mt.  The interesting contrast is the
north
> and south sides of the mountains.  North, shady, cool, and covered with
Live
> Oaks.  South, scrubby Chaparrel and hot.  It would literally change in 50
> yards, from one side to the other....
>
>
>
> I did not meet many folks this day and ended up above Shake Canyon.  I had
> planned to hike down into Shake for water, but there was a seasonal
> streamlet that running just before the side trail into Shake Canyon.  This
> streamlet would probably be dry in a week or two, saving me 500' of decent
> and subsequent ascent..
>
> What a great year to hike this section.
>
>
>
> May 20  A shorter day ending at Green Valley that involved the long
descent
> from Sawmill Mt and crossing over Grass Mt.  I ended up at the Green
Valley
> Ranger Station after lunch after running into Gil from Canada, Jean Claude
> from France, and Batchelor Bob in his bitchin desert garb (covered from
head
> to toe with an umbrella to top it off!)  It was starting to heat up with a
> hot wind blowing down Green Valley.  I started walking into town and
> eventually got a ride to the quick mart and ice cream!  From there I got a
> ride to Casa de Luna (the Andersons).  They host hikers and feed them the
> famous Taco Salad dinner.  What we crave, fat, fiber, veggies, and salsa.
> It doesn't get any better!  15 miles.
>
>
>
> May 21  After a nice dinner, a few beers, and good conversation with
> Pedestrian and Smack, Terri Anderson took us all back to the trail at 7
am.
> I headed south, everyone else north.  This day was all or nothing, 23
miles
> to the Saufley's or else.  I made it there around 5:30 after meeting a few
> characters.    What a thrill to meet Alan Julliard in Spunky Canyon.  He
> hiked the trail in 1975 and was out to do SoCal again.  So much of the
trail
> was not there when he hiked it the first time/
>
>
>
> Just before Bouquet Canyon Rd, I met my second rattler, who refused to
leave
> the trail.   He finally changed his mind.  I later met a homeless hiker on
> top of Sierra Pelona.  I forgot his name, but he left the Saufley's  that
> morning and had only gone 6 miles.  He offered me a snort of whiskey, I
> moved on.  When I crossed Mint Canyon, only a few mile from home, I
crashed
> under a bush (HOT), and was greeted by a sweaty, tanned electrician, Jeff
> Saufley, who was out running.  We said hello and I told him I would see
him
> in a few hours.
>
>
>
> Another mile and I crossed the Old Sierra Highway and crashed in the
> irrigated grass of the Episcopal Church.  Another hot mile on the road and
I
> was in Downtown Agua Dulce.  Hikers started to appear and I ended up at
the
> Saufley's after a nice Mexican dinner...  23 miles.
>
>
>
> May 22  A day off before flying home.  Several went into REI (I knew the
> way) and saw the last Star Wars movie.  Beatle, Smiley, and Crosby (as in
> David).
>
>
>
> May 23  Crosby took me to the Vincent Grade Metrolink Station for the ride
> into LA.  A quick transfer to the bus to LAX and I would be home soon.
>
>
>
> Another satisfying hike.  Thanks to the Crandalls, Andersons,  and
Saufleys
> for making it happen.
>
>
>
> David Craft  "Cheesy"
>
> Greensboro, NC
>
>
>
> PS: See you soon,