[pct-l] YOSHI & ME on the JMT

[Reinhold Metzger]

Hi gang,
The plan this year was to Yo -Yo the JMT, starting in August at 
Horseshoe Meadow at medium speed and then after returning to Whitney , 
if I felt up to it, put this old body into overdrive and attempt a 
sub-five unsupported JMT.

Well, things did not go quite as planed.
  First of all, on day one it started snowing which slowed me down.
Secondly, I caught up with two gorgeous hiker babes that were heading 
for Whitney.
They were physical fitness instructors and there was no way not to 
notice that.
They were wearing skin tight shorts and had legs like Angelina....I mean 
there was no way to ignore them.
I'm sure you guys know what I am trying to say.
Anyway, so we hiked together for some time which also slowed me down.
I always hiked behind them so I could keep an eye on them to make sure 
they would not get lost.
I'm sure you guys can understand that and see why that would slow me down.
Before I knew it I was 2 days behind schedule and realized I would have 
to stretch my food until my resupply at Vermillion.

Then, just south of Muir Pass, I ran into Yoshi (Yoshihiro) who was 
doing the JMT  going  SB.
I knew Yoshi was doing the JMT and I figured we would run into each 
other at Vermilion if I stayed on schedule.
Well anyhow, Yoshi is one heck of a guy, about as nice of a guy as you 
could possibly hope to meet on the trail.
Yoshi broke out his stove and insisted that we share a cup of coffee on 
the the trail and when he realized that I was running low on food he 
insisted on giving me a loaf of home baked bread and some granola bars.
He would not take no for an answer and insisted.
Well anyhow, we had a great time sitting on the trail sharing a cup of 
coffee and talking about the trail.

When I finally got to Vermilion, considerably behind schedule, Jim, the 
owner, looked at me and with a smile and said,  "ahhhaaa the trouble maker".
Why is that the guys always consider me a trouble maker?
The girls don't consider me a trouble maker....they are always nice to me.

I called my wife and she informed me that she and her sister were going 
to Hawaii for 3+ weeks and if I wanted to come along.
It did not take long for me to decide that after a week on the JMT,  
Hawaii sounds pretty good.
My thinking was...this is my 11th JMT thru...I can always do the 
JMT....the opportunity to hike Hawaii and the highest mountains in the 
world does not come along every year,
So, I got my resupply and headed for Yosemite and Hawaii....more on that 
later.

JMT Reinhold