High Sierra Topix

It's a long one for sure. I should read it again myself. Maybe it can spark some inspiration for writing this year.

My last post had me flipping through the John Muir Laws book again but I still cannot find those damn shore flies. Someone help us all out on this one!

If we ever get a trail report section of the forum I will repost this so it's all together instead of across many pages with replies.

Awesome trip report - I started reading yesterday and just finished it late today. We were on top of Windy Ridge in September and I snapped this shot of that rock slide and commented on how I'd like to hike "UP" Goddard. Wont be doing that after reading your post


I really enjoyed reading your entries. You have a knack for writing that I'd pursue if I were in your shoes. Keep up the hiking and make sure to post more reports.

Sounds like all this trail time provided you a lot of soul searching time.

Quite an endeavor to be out for 100 days. I know I could not do that, so I will live vicariously through your posts.

On a side note, I'd be thrilled if my dad would come with me. pretty cool to have a game dad like you do. Take it easy on him!

You have amazed me over the past two seasons. Keep it up.

Lol it's all in good humor when I think back to planning for this hike. When you all told me I was crazy and I didn't know crap about backpacking and that I should just stay on the JMT.

It's true that staying out there that long lets you do allot of soul searching but it doesn't do much for me because I figured out who I am along time ago and I wouldn't change that. The things that plague my life are things that cannot be changed yet cannot be lived with.

RoguePhotonic wrote:Lol it's all in good humor when I think back to planning for this hike.

Now put the shoe on the other foot. If someone like you comes on this BBS and proposes a similar undertaking, what will you say?
Oh, I just saw you are from Bakersfield. I was born in Oildale, and lived for a while with my "Grapes of Wrath" grandparents (and parents) in Wasco. Except for passing through, have not been back in decades.

I'd tell them to go for it.

Allot of factors come into play sure but the key for me is how I made it clear that I was ok if I died out there. If someone makes that fact clear then go for it. The same goes for carrying a PLB or a SPOT. I do not recommend to anyone that values their life to go cross country without one.

This year I came close to dying since I came close to not being able to walk in a very bad place. Now if I go out next year will I carry a PLB? Nope...lol

Do yourself a favor and don't come back to Bakersfield lol. This city is not the place anyone wants to be.

P.S. I love the Grapes of Wrath.

Years have passed since you posted, but I just read your entire TR in one day. It helped me create a cohesive mental map of many parts of the Sierra I have either seen or read about previously in a fractured way. ( It also helped me through a trying 12 hours stuck in an uncomfortable chair. ) Can't wait to get out there for my tiny 4 day trips. (And when I do something advanced enough to post I will stop lurking. Thank you Rogue!

umm.. Rouge has posted aLOT! eg, viewtopic.php?f=1&t=8672&p=105501&hilit=days#p105501

If you use the "Advanced search" and look for Rouge, you will see his posts.

Or, just log in more often and use "View Active Topics" search.php?search_id=active_topics

I need to get back to writing the 130 days in the Sierra! I've been epically lazy lately. Have not even finished week 3 of my photos this year and have yet to build maps for the other two which is why I have not posted them.