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[pct-l] News from the Trail: Goforth



Joanne "Goforth" Lennox is sending me reports of her thru-hike for me to
post here with news about trail conditions for this year's hikers and a
glimpse of our beloved PCT for the rest of us.

Karen Elder

------------------------------------------

May 25, 1999
Tuesday

Dear Folks,

        Well, the last week has been a real odyssey.

    I started out at Anza with some trepidation since a urinary infection
had been dogging my heels since Golden Oaks Springs, north of Tehachapi. Day
by day I kept getting a little slower and the miles became more difficult.

        I loved the San Jacinto area - just like a chunk of the Sierras set
as
an island adrift in the southern desert.

        There was a large lizard, dark + shiny and as blue-green as
malachite,
with spots edging toward lapis lazuli. Also at Chiwawa Road, there had been
a miniature komodo dragon; arrogant + territorial. I walk up to examine
him -- he had orange blocks on a steel blue-grey background on his back + he
lifted his head + hissed loudly. Then he waddled a few feet away + hissed
again. It was his territory.

        Well, the descent down from Fuller Ridge was just misery, and the
water fountain at the bottom was such a blessed relief. The fight against
the wind trying to cross San Gorgorio Pass, and the junk, + "sand
sculptures", and the roar of I-10, and stopping every 10' to pee, was
BIZARRE. I was sure glad I had my trekking poles -- it felt like I was
jabbing in my pterodactlys on a vertical ascent.

        And then I almost got captured by trail angels. It was a close
thing. Don + Helen Middleton do not know how close they came to having a
permanent resident in the "pink motel". The dynamics of capture are not very
subtle -- a thruhiker need only be permanently crippled by comfort, warmth,
a windless environment, and/or friendly persons. The susceptibility of
thruhikers to comfort injury is compounded by adverse factors of health,
terrain, weather, environment, + the lack of human contact on either
approach or exit from trail angel locales.

        Had I known that my tooth problem was a missing filling, or what was
in store farther noth, I would have been captured for sure. Helen's friendly
face and warm sense of humor + storytelling took me in right away. And then
I was shown her garden + enjoyed her kitchen. It is obvious that she has a
gift for nurturing her plants, her family, and now her hiker "children". And
what a unique individual Don is -- he is a bottom line kind of a person that
quietly works the edges + manages to reach out to others while giving space
and warmth. The "Pink Motel" is a period piece -- dark, quiet, and cool --
that reminded me of my grandparents' basement + den -- a 1920s-30s thing.

        But, nevertheless, in deteriorating weather, and in the everpresent
wind, and with my ever slower walk, I trudged north out of San Gorgonio
Pass. When it became harder + harder to walk + consequently to see the
terrain, I started taking flower photos (portraits) -- using flowers as
focal points but always including elements of terrain, sky + topography as
the actual subject matter. This slowed me down further but made me more
environment-aware. At this point I was aware that all the vitamin C that I
was taking to combat the urinary infection seemed to be overwhelming the
medication I have been taking for an H. pylori stomach infection. I still
was not prepared for what happened next.

        I got to Mission Creek very tired and fixed dinner in the waning
light -- listening to the poorwill call, the frogs, a few unknown birds, the
crickets, smelling the cottonwoods + creek smells, hearing the water trickle
through the rocky creek bed.

        I had a fairly fast start for me + was off at 6:00 a.m. + still felt
tired but, hey, the trail had been difficult. By 9:00 all I wanted to do was
lay down -- it was getting very difficult to put one foot in front of
another. I espied a possible campsite with water a further 3 iles up the
trial + told myself that I could go as slow as I wanted, take as many breaks
as needed, but that I must keep going until I arrived there. By 2:00 I was
in the sack with chills, fever, nausea, body aches, abdominal cramps +
diarrhea. A couple from Washington arrived + were helpful. My first camp
with someone else after 6 1/2 weeks alone -- I wished that I had the energy
to enjoy their company.

        The next day I managed 14.5 miles and approximately 6,000', and was
rarely able to eat or enjoy anything of the terrain. I exited at the "Zoo"
(Cienaga Creek -- yes, there are lions, tigers, + bears). By 5:00 I had
hitched to the Motel 6 at Big Bear City. I remember that I was having
trouble standing + talking when I registered at the desk. Nevertheless,
these things come + go, + after a shower, I managed to eat a little + talk
to a couple other thruhikers, which was very helpful.

        Last night I would have said my hike was in clear jeopardy since 2
of the 3 infections would need to be treated by antibiotics that make me
sun-sensitive for 2 weeks (I am allergic to most antibiotics) but today my
head is clearer (although the symptoms do not seem to have cleared my body)
and I am hoping I can just treat the Giardiasis and escape the other 2. I
have drunk only 2 water sources untreated -- Golden Oaks Spring just north
of Tehachipi Pass + Strawberry Cienaga. The timing is such that I would
strongly recommend FILTERING OR PURIFYING WATER AT GOLDEN OAKS SPRING (even
if it does come from a pipe).

Sincerely,
Goforth

P.S. "Batch"'s entry at Middleton's said he left for home on May 2, and then
came back on May 12. BATCH IS BACK. A letter from Pat Radney to Helen said
she had a serious bug bite with some muscle deterioration (sounds like had
old brown recluse spider).



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