[pct-l] News from the Trail: Goforth

["Karen Elder" <wild_mind@earthlink.net>]

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

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June 24, 1999
Thursday

Dear List Members -

        Well nobody said that the Sierras was going to be easy. Took 8 am to
3 pm to cover the 10 miles over Muir Pass & it was a difficult mileage. The
snow on the North side was soft - spent most of the time post holing -
falling in above the knees with water running over my feet. The snow too
shallow over the ground and precious little bare ground; where the trail
finally appears it is a creek. Where the snow is patchy there is snow, rock,
or water and mud. Walking on rock is such a relief.

        The "creeks" are rivers -- full & raging; a week of hot days and the
very sound puts fear in my heart. When I got to the Kings river after
descending Pincot Pass, I couldn't believe it was fordable; following
Brick's advice I trudged up river for a mile -- could this be the log that
he was talking about -- not very large at one end, not going all the way
across, the water splashing over the top for about 1/3 the length. Heart
pounding, I crawled across once I got to the point where it was large enough
to do so. It would have been nice to have company. When I was finally near
some people - I stuck with Kim Parent & Jeff Hayash to actually cross
Evolution Creek - it turned out to be the easiest of the creeks (at the old
ford). After they were gone the next morning, I was lonelier than ever & the
climb up to Selden Pass seemed painful & slow -- then more snow, mud & the
trail that actually is a creek. We thruhikers are doing a tremendous amount
of damage with the trail being so wet.

        Today for the first time I felt like I might be getting stronger. My
knees are trashed from the post-holing, but I did get my right one realigned
(wadded sock behind bent knee to create space, then pushing on the top
outward & on the bottom of the knee inward). Unfortunately, this did not
repair the damage that had already been done. The plantar fasciitis seems to
be lessening slowly, replaced by blisters -- mostly from soaking feet for 5
days (wet snow every pass). The leather boots are a complete mistake -- they
do not drain and never dry out. The Epoch of Permanently STINKY FEET has
arrived.

        I am enjoying Vermillion Valley Resort tremendously. I have so far
failed to find a solution for the heartache at missing my husband and
animals, which seems to arrive en force when I get near a phone.

        Thinking of you all
                Goforth


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