[pct-l] Re: PCT South of Sonora Pass

[jgus at sunbow.org (Judith Gustafson)]

I was delighted to see your reference (Mon, 21 Jul):
>At the Leavitt
>Lake trail junction, an Asian gentleman passed but didn't want to stop so
>all I got from him was he had left Campo on May 26 and when asked his
>trail-name "George, just George".

I camped in Idyllwild with him on about June 2, his name is George Li, and
also with Virgil, Aaron, Stay High and Chalama Mama.  All these folks at
left Campo after about May 15, and were hustling along at a fast clip.
George was definitely making big miles.  I was glad to meet him.  He's from
New York, and I believe he is a UPS or Fedex guy -- definitely used to a LOT
of walking at top speed on the job!  He told me that hiking in Tevas (which
I did from Hwy 74 to Wrightwood) would cause all the callous on the bottom
of my feet to be slowly ground off by grit, and he was right!  The soles of
my feet are as smooth as baby bottoms!  He took off up the Devils Slide
trail the same day I did, but he was turbo charged, and I never saw him
again.  I saw that he signed trail registers up ahead and I know he will
reach Canada even though he started a month later than the great mass of
thru's who were at the kickoff.  I was clever enough to get his email
address so we could compare notes at the end of the summer.  If you have
hiked with him and want to stay in touch, send me an email off-list and I
will forward your message to him in September.

My own hike has been rather discontinuous.  I came home from Anza for two
weeks, then returned to the trail at Hwy 74 as far as Wrightwood (hiking
most of the way with Virgil, and part of the way with Aaron).  I have been
treated off and on during this time for a stomach ulcer caused by that pesky
bacteria, H. Pylori.  Thought I had it licked, and headed out from Kennedy
Meadows for Ashland a couple of weeks ago, but had to evacuate out to
Independence with symptoms of upper GI bleeding.  I'm home now and after
REALLY getting this treated, hope to return for some of August and September
for another 100 or so miles.  It's been fun!

Regards to all hikers and hikers-friends,  "Two Legs"