[pct-l] JMT/PCT Trek

[jeffzclimb at aol.com]

Hey All,

I arrived back home a few weeks ago from my? JMT/PCT Trek and just wanted 
to let everyone know how it all went. I flew into Reno and my friend (Ron) from
Bridgeport, Ca. picked me up and delivered me to toulumne Meadows, the next day
I was meeting up with another friend (UK Ray) who I met on my PCT hike in 2000, 
and three more of Rays friends.

The plan was to stay at Toulumne Meadows for? two days to get? adjusted? to the
elevation and then start hiking? south towards? Mt. Whitney. The first day was 
hiking  up Lydell canyon and we camped a couple miles short of Donahue Pass.
One of Ray friends (John) was having a difficult time and when he finally reach
our camp site, I could almost tell that John wasn't going to be able to continue
to hike.The next morning they decided to hike back to Toulumne Meadows and 
see if John would feel better in a couple of days and start hiking again.

I decided to keep on hiking, go slow to Reds Meadow and maybe they would
catch up if they started hiking again. After waiting a day at Reds Meadow they 
never showed up, so I was off hiking in the morning and really feeling good. 
Today my destination was Lake Virginia, and before noon I had already hiked 12 
miles. 

As I'm hiking towards the trail junction to Duck Lake, The scenery is just unbelievable
so I wasn't watching where I was hiking, lost my balance fell forward and put a pretty
nasty gash in my forehead, I'm getting up as fast as I can, because I sure found out that 
big cuts on the head bleed a lot, and before I got up and stopped the bleeding, there was 
blood everywhere, on the trail, the rocks, and everywhere on me.

After a few minutes or so I finally go my composure back, I wasn't sure what to do, but
since I got the bleeding stopped I was thinking just to keep on hiking. As I'm sitting there
four hikers from Southern Ca. came by, they were being packed mule to Purple lake 2.2
miles down the trail, One just happen to be a Physician he took a look at my wound and
invited me to camp with them at Purple Lake. Well, after that fall guess I'm willing to camp
with a doctor and it's only 2 miles short of Lake Virginia where I had planned to camp anyway.

We all arrived at Purple Lake, set up camp and Doctor Van took a better look at the cut
and said it needed to be stitched up. I'm sure I? turned about as pail as someone could get
after that announcement. Doctor Van assured me that he had all the medical stuff to stitch me
up, so he brings over this big tool box filled with his medical stuff. (Gosh you can bring lots
of gear on mules) 

Anyway, Guess I'm ready for this as I can be sitting on a lawn chair, under pines trees at
Purple Lake. Doctor Van cleaned the wound, gave me an injection of novacane or something
like that so I wouldn't feel any pain, and proceeded to put six stitches in my forehead. I gave my 
camera to one of docs friends (Bill) and told him to take lots of photos because I wasn't sure
my friends would believe this story.

After the stitching I was treated to a great dinner, better then I was planning on having that 
evening. The next morning I was also treated to a great breakfast too. After trying to thank
this great group of friends enough, I started hiking again, the only problem was that big old
bandage on my forehead, Every hiker I met for the next few days? would ask what happen 
to you, and I would have to tell the story, and even I was getting a little bored after about 30 
times or so, I was sure glad when I was able to remove that bandage. The rest of the trek 
was uneventful except for the scenery and the wonderful people I met.

I'm not sure I should say this, but this trek was one of my favorites.

Jeff Z.








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