[pct-l] After Action Report - 2010 ALDHA-West Gathering

[hiker97 at aol.com]

Yes, once again your intrepid PCT hero and trail raconteur, Switchback, has cheated death once again. This time at the 2010 American Long Distance Hiker Association - West annual Gathering. This year it is at Camp Morning Star in SoCal.

After the Long Suffering Mrs. Switchback and I had breakfast at our local eatery, I left Las Vegas around 9:30 AM on Friday to head down to SoCal. When I arrived I got off the freeway and stopped into a market in Redlands to get some boxes of Twinkies and Hostess cup cakes. Then I headed up highway 38 into the mountains. 

This was interesting to me, since it is also the way to the parking lot at Poopout Hill. My first hike in 1968 was from here up to the top of 11,000+ foot Mount San Gorgronio. My college buddies and I decided we were going to stop hunting and start hiking. This was the start of Switchback’s legendary career. 

Volunteer PCT trail work was scheduled for Friday morning. I carefully planned and executed my arrival for later. Check in time was at 4 PM, so I hung around with my PCT buddies for a few hours goofing off --- the gang of three; Meadow Ed, Crash, myself plus others. It was really great to see everyone. About 40-50 people showed up to the Gathering. Nice turn out. My pastries are a big hit.

I stayed in one of the bare bones bunk bed cabins with 5 others. This was not a good idea. I like to snore to keep the bears away and I like to sleep and then wake up to read or watch some tube. If I was going to stay Saturday night, I decided I would sleep in my Prius. That always works out good with my pads and down.
In the large chow hall they had sign-up boards for KP duties and next year’s ALDHA-West offices. I carefully scanned these boards throughout my stay to make sure my name was not on them. I did not want to hog all the glory and opportunities for others to succeed and demonstrate their talents. That would have been selfish of me.

I eat dinner with Yogi, GotAGo, and others. Crash and I mention to Yogi how we are impressed with our cabin’s fully stocked refrigerator, big screen, and gift basket. I as able to keep my special protein drinks in the kitchen walk-in cooler. I have to restrict my intake of meats, except when I cheat.
Saturday morning found my legs feeling good. I walked up the stairs inside the chow hall to the showers. I thought, "I feel almost normal and like I could go out and hike." I knew at least one of my eight doctors would disagree.

I bought a nice ALDHA-West patch. I talk to As-A-Bat on his one day visit to the Gathering. Warner Springs Monty wants to vacuum up a lot of my old hiking gear for some classes he teaches. We decide that I will bring the gear south when I go to SoCal for the December holidays.

I decided at the Gathering that the organization’s president, Strider the Wagon Master, should get into jewelry making as he approaches the later years of his working life and retirement. He loves rocks and is a professional geologist. People could give him raw gem rocks and he could turn them into outstanding jewelry. Once again, Switchback solves a problem where there was no problem. I thank you.

I had a great time for my quick Gathering visit. I could tell everyone was enjoying themselves. The presentations were interesting and the ones about Mount Gorgonio and Clinton C. Clark - Father of the PCT were personally interesting. Mr. Clark’s protégé, Warren Rodgers, had written me many years ago and I think I might still have his correspondence to me. The Clark program presenter, Scout Mann, is interested in my next lunch meeting with Glen Dawson, protégé of Norman Clyde, contemporary of John Muir and member of the 1931 expedition to be first up the east face of Mt. Whitney. By the way, Mr. Dawson was on the team to find Walter Starr, Jr. when he disappeared in 1933. He hiked with Ansel Adams and has pictures taken of him by Mr. Adams. Just normal run-of-the-mill hiking resume stuff that we all have, right?

I decided to leave Saturday at midday. When the criminals in Las Vegas notice that I am gone too long, they begin to get frisky. I had to get back and reestablish my iron fist rule. I stopped at the ranger station at the bottom of the mountains to buy a fat stuffed black bear for the daughter of the manager of the breakfast restaurant near our house. Her dad always calls me El Oso for some reason. 

I hope the next Gathering is at Lake Tahoe, so I can go too. Of course, I brought my paint kit to paint shelter stakes, but forgot to announce it. And Yosemite Katie (Walk Slow Walk Far) asked me to paint hers and I forgot to do that too. 

Faithfully and accurately recorded.

Your obedient servant, Switchback the Trail Pirate
"To us you are all illegal aliens." --- Native Americans