[pct-l] Winter PCT Hike

[hiker97 at aol.com]

One night Grizzly and TrailDust were down at thelocal trailtown saloon with their friends having cold brews and hot pizza.  One their friends relates this story of arecent winter trip into the Sierras.
Friend: So, my bro and I decide it would be neat tosee the Sierras and the PCT in the winter. 
Everything is going great in the backcountry.  It was fantastic with all the snow andbeauty.  After several days the weatherturns on us.  The wind picks up and thefull fury of the Sierras hits us with a mega blizzard.
We finally make it out to an empty trailhead parkinglot and head down the road feeling cold and exhausted in the blizzard.  We make it finally to the first house we seeand ask the very attractive lady at the door if we could spend the night and warm upand regroup.
The lady says she realizes it is terrible weatherout there and she has this big house and farm to herself, since she is justrecently widowed.   But she was afraid the neighbours will talk if she let us stay in the house overnight.
Friend: I tell her that we would be happy to stay inthe large barn out back and would be gone in the early morning.  Anything would be wonderful to get out of theraging blizzard.  She agrees and we headout to the barn for the night.
In the morning the weather had cleared and we got onour way down the road and made it out to hwy 395 in the eastern Sierras and theOwens Valley.  We got a ride south downto our car and headed safely home.
About nine months later I got a surprise letter froman attorney.  I finally figured out hewas the attorney for the attractive widow I had met with my buddy on the winterhike in the Sierras.
I immediately went to see my hiking partner on thattrip.  I asked him if he rememberedher.  He did.  I asked if in the middle of the night he wentinto the house to visit her.  He did.  I asked if he gave her my name.  He did. He was very apologetic and sincerely sorry.
He asks me why I am asking after all this time.  I tell him that she died and left everythingto me.
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Your obedient servant and trail scallywag,
Switchback the Trail Pirate