Wow

Sheri's dog had to be put down. She had the dog instead of a child.  Twelve years old, with a bleeding nose that refused to stop. Likely a tumor of some unknown tissue type that would cost $3,800 to diagnose. Outrageous.

Well, she said it was a relief for the end to finally come, though she & Marty hardly expected it this soon, as the dog had hiked just the week before. 

Now, will she eventually get another dog? Not right away, as now she feels free to go for a long walk.  Maybe the Pacific Crest Trail. 

She asked a few questions about little stuff like nail clippers.  I said if she was sending herself boxes, to include laundry soap and lotion with the food supply. 

She's keen on the idea and even knows when the Pacific Crest Trail Association accepts applications for permits.  She even suggested that I go with her.  I'd do it again, but I can't commit this early. And I do have a race to run in September--that's so far away.  That would be so much fun to walk the trail again!  I'd look at all the scenery and trust my feet more than I did last year.

I said she could call me for tips, etc.  I hope she does, as I love to talk about my gear and the walk.

Victoria

Oh. Oh. Oh. I'm at the Fuller Lake Motel, in Chemainus, BC, 45 miles north of Victoria. I'm recovering from car sickness.

The day started with me checking airbnb so I could stay in Victoria where Jeff Freed was tying the knot with Yixi Zhang. Both had invited me up for the wedding in July. I thought she was sincere until she said she couldn't spare 15 square feet on her patio for a hiker (me).   I signed up for an airbnb room in Victoria, but the host responded to my request with neither a confirmation nor denial--she gave the room to another after raising the rate by $20 per day. I foolishly drove 3.5 hours to Port Angeles and got on the ferry thinking I'd get a confirmation. Mild motion sickness, yes--confirmation, no. And I'd stayed too long to get back on the ferry going back to Port Angeles. I'd gone as a friend of Jeff's. I sure hope she's the right one for Jeff.

After a few phone calls to Jeff appealing for help, I had a motel room. All of Vancouver Island was booked with only a few mom and pop motels having vacancies. A taxi driver with a foot tapping disease took me to Chemainus--the foot's varying pressure on the gas pedal blossomed into little jerking motions of the cab--I nearly vomited. $195 Canadian for the cab. Then the motel said I had to pay for two nights or leave. $200 Canadian. I've overstimulated the economy here. A favorable exchange rate made it just a bit less sour.  I considered staying for both days that I was forced to pay for, just to make sure they didn't rent out my room to someone else.

To get back to Victoria, I'd have to either take a cab back or hitchhike--no bus service.

I couldn't wait to get back to the PCT, with  which I could cope.

Comfort

Monday, the 27th First born  Lexi and I departed the Snoqualmie Pass PCT trailhead northbound at 1:15 pm, hiking  to Ridge Lake and Spectacle Lake for 4 days/three nights. Thirty-five miles over thirty-six hours,  averaging just under twelve miles a day.
Here's Lexi getting ready to shake her little tush on the Kendall Katwalk.

We had come on trail just after a weekend of rain & with the fortune of sunny skies for at least the days we'd be out. I knew that hikers who hadn't done any sections of the PCT wouldn't have an appetite for 15-20 mile days. That made me even more of a "comfort" hiker than ever. And I definitely would not have dragged her out if the rain had persisted. 

Too High, Too Fast on the Pacific Crest Trail

On Tuesday May 19, 2015, after waiting out weather for 4 days in Lone Pine California (elevation 3700'), our host drove three of us up to Onion Valley 9,200' from which I hiked with energy to Matlock Lake 10,000' where we camped--my resting heart rate was 90-100 and snow fell for 30 minutes--water in our bottles didn't freeze overnight. My HR is usually in the 50's. The spreader bars on my bridge hammock poked holes in my polycro tarp--after repairs I decided to ground camp for the remainder of this leg of the trip. Wednesday we hiked over Kearsarge Pass 11,200'.  After Glen Pass 12,100', the trail brought us to camp at 9,500'.  I trailed the other two by at least an hour. Thursday we hiked down to the Paradise Valley Trail junction at 8,500. I tired easily as I worked my way toward Pinchot Pass 12,100'. I'd rest after 10-20 steps.  Hiker Patriot, passed me and at a rest stop, he pulled out a bronchodilator and inhaled, then hoisted his pack and soon disappeared on the trail toward Pinchot--because I had a history of asthma, I thought, "maybe I need a bronchodilator."  A mile before the pass, hiker Kinetic, who had started a day later, caught up with me and said that Michael, a mutual friend, had stayed in town to recover from the "flu".  After Pinchot Pass, it took a great effort and much time to hike down a snow covered trail to camp Friday at 10,062 next to the Kings River.  I began to cough that evening. I thought I, too, had the "flu", or bronchitis.  The next morning, someone asked if I had nausea or vomiting like Michael did.  I didn't--that along with seeing my red, orange color sputum made me less confident of my having the flu or bronchitis. Yet, because my sputum wasn't foamy as I'd thought pulmonary edema would look, I didn't yet suspect High Altitude Pulmonary Edema HAPE.  Friday May 22, I stayed in camp for two hours after the rest of the party had left.  I eventually packed my gear, made my way across the Kings River and walked two miles, ascending 600' and stopped, too fatigued to continue.  I entertained returning to the last night's camp, but hadn't the energy to do that.  I made camp on a site with a small amount of moisture in the soil. Two inches of snow fell that night.  I noticed more shortness of breath and a percolating sound while both inhaling and exhaling when I laid down--I coughed and spit more than when sitting up. I sat up and closed my eyes for much of the night.  I thought about hiking the next day to Mather Pass (12,100') and down to 8,000' which would be at least 10 miles. 
I awoke, if I slept.  I filled a water bottle from the stream twenty yards away, returning exhausted. Hikers came by. I said I had bronchitis and/or HAPE.  Hiker Sage offered to walk me out, but cancelled when he saw my poor condition. Both or us knew I'd never get out on my own power. He took my information to relay to Search and Rescue when he got to Bishop. Hiker Stop&Go took my information to relay when he got to Vermilion Valley Resort. I made camp again at the same site. That night Saturday May 23, 4" of snow fell, accumulating on the sides of my shelter, pressing in on the peak and on the walls.  Enough snow melted that water pooled on the ground around me, wetting all but my sleeping bag--only my 2.5" air mattress kept me dry and warm.  In the morning, I wiggled out of the tunnel that my shelter had become and watched as the sun pulled into a clear blue sky, blasting at the snow that had almost sealed the land.  I cleared snow off some rocks in preparation for drying my gear, again exhausting myself. 

A very wet campsite.

Hikers Indie and Breathless arrived, answering my question, "do you have a satellite phone."  Indie had a Delorme inReach, which permitted texting to an intermediary--after some communication about my condition, a National Park helicopter arrived in about 3 hours. My heart rate improved somewhat to 70/ minute, but my respiratory rate stayed at 35/minute (normal is 20).
The helicopter took me to the Park helipad on the west side of the Sierra.  I was fully alert and enjoyed the scenery.  An ambulance took me to Kaweah Delta Healthcare District hospital in Visalia, CA. The paramedic started a saline lock. At the hospital at much lower elevation, I felt much better.  Techs attacked me with blood draws, ECG and doctors listened to my chest.  I told my story and said I had HAPE. One doctor said I had an abnormal ECG and elevated cardiac tropinin.  I had no chest pain through the entire event and said so. The doctors still put me on schedule for an echocardiogram and a thallium stress test.  A doctor wrote an order, "npo, nothing by mouth," sending me to the cardiac unit.  They shot me up with Bumex and Lasix (diuretics) and gave me a shot of Lovenox (anti coagulant, like heparin, to prevent blood clots) but I refused to take Lipitor, a stool softener and a second dose of aspirin. Monday, I had the echocardiogram and waited for the thallium stress test.  I felt thirsty and hungry and by 10 a.m. I demanded either an intravenous solution or to be allowed to go to breakfast. They ordered a meal tray from food service, which didn't arrive in five minutes, so I went down to the cafeteria and bought my breakfast. I had cereal, fruits, potato patties, sausage, eggs and milk. I bought a chicken Caesar's salad for later.
Following my return, Dr. Harry Lively (his real name!), the cardiologist, cancelled the stress test, saying that my having hiked 813 miles was a successful stress test.  Minutes later, he changed his mind citing the ECG and cardiac troponin levels, saying that I now needed a cardiac catheterization. Confused and frightened, I signed the consent. At 3 p.m. I had the procedure, in which the doctor poked a hole in my right femoral artery, passing a tube through that hole up my aorta to my heart, injecting contrast to view my coronary arteries. You could drive a truck through my clean coronary arteries.  Now I had to lie flat for six hours to let the hole in my femoral artery seal off.  
My wife arrived from Washington with for a vanilla shake and a lengua (beef tongue) burrito, per my request. I ate while on my back, spilling very little, but taking two hours to finish it. A nurse began to re-apply Nitroglycerin paste to my shoulder. I refused it, saying, "I'm not a cardiac patient." I refused another shot of Lovenox, Bumex and all the medications I had refused before.  Curious about the effect of HAPE on one's ECG and cardiac troponin. I googled that on my phone and what I saw told me that I didn't have a very well informed health care team. The ECG will be abnormal and troponin isn't very specific for heart damage. I felt bad for the nurses as they actually had more interest in getting things right for their patients. Those doctors had violated several rules in medicine: The history and physical tells the diagnosis more than any laboratory result or ECG; Don't subject patients to risky procedures; and you'd better have a damn good reason to give a patient more than one diagnosis.
My advice for anyone evacuated for HAPE with more than two working neurons: When you get down to a lower elevation, either demand a teaching hospital like UC Davis or a hospital that treats HAPE frequently. Failing that, just go to the Best Western Motel and enjoy the hell out of life, because you will live long.  If you see Kaweah Delta Healthcare District hospital, PLEASE run away!

April 28

April 28 Leaving Tehachapi. Manuel, our trail angel picked us up--we treated him to coffee and pastries. We were on the trail at 1040, mile 566. We got as far as mile 586, camping on a saddle, which had enough trees to hammock camp.
April 29 Walking to Robin Bird Spring, another Rattlesnake two miles before Hamp Williams Pass. Hot walking until we got past the spring, when the land turned into Sierra Nevada pine forests with trails covered with pine needles, huge boulders and broad spaces. I hammock camped again!
April 30. Back down to the desert, disappointing all. Hot until a thin cloud veil filtered the sun, and hot again when the clouds blew away. Goldilocks moved slower and even stopped to keep from overheating. Epic and Willow went to Willow Spring, "I was told not to trust in the cache." Rattlesnake made its warning on my way over the rolling Sandy trail to the cache.
At least 50 gallons of water remained at Bird Spring Pass. A Mojave Green rattler had made a casual appearance. Six more miles hiking into the night brought us into the forest again. Cowboy camp at 9 p.m. No time to fuss with the hammock.
Hitching into Onyx or Lake Isabella took a long time. After 30 minutes one hiker friendly driver.
After getting three of five packages at Onyx, no rides after 20 minutes.  Kern County Bus came, charged a dollar and took me to Lake Isabella. The bus passed a lot of dying places.
Vons is now also Safeway here. It has everything. Tortoise again appeared, again offering to carry boxes to Kennedy Meadows. We accepted.

April 15

From Big Bear Lake to mile 281. GINGER Grouse started w/ me. I hung at an early camp. Some trouble with heel pressure--over-inflated pad.
To Willow Creek, mile 305.7 I slept on a large rock, in camp too late to hang.
To Silverwood Lake, mile 328.5. First the hot springs, mile 307.7 for an hour at 7 am. Then on down the Deep Creek Canyon. Many Jimson weed.@ Met Cut It & Bipolar. Hang poss @ Cleghorn picnic area. Ranger came by to  check--very friendly.
To 357.2.
Great walk to McDonald's--I ate a burger & fries, loaded up on water. Walked with Matt from near Swarthout Canyon Rd. hammock camped with underinflated air pad on top of hammock instead of between layers--nice. POLYCRO tarp set up to effectively block wind.
April 16 Mile 357.2 to Wrightwood, mile 369.7. Late rising. Matt becomes Nominal Toast after a short conver with Mud mouth who gushed about the trail. The  Mountain  Hardware  Store to pick up food box. Bought bars and called Jean Kerry out of their book. Stayed w Jean. Intown: Tortoise, F
To Jimmy Spring Campground. A tough ascent to Mt Baden-Powell for lunch and a pretty hike to the spring and camp. Hammock camped with tarp set up before hammock. Air mattress underinflated  between layers then on top, then normally inflated on top.
To Jimmy Spring Campground. Water at the spring, then to the campground, picnic tables, outhouses, trees for hanging. Hammock camp. Boy scouts arriving about 10:30 p.m. making noises and shouting "bring me the light, awesome campsite!, etc." Noise only abated at midnight.
To mile 404. Broke camp, then to scout camp to discuss noise. Scout master exceptionally rude and threatening, "knock you on your ass." I recorded the conversation--will likely submit to Boy Scouts, CNN, PCTA.
Buckhorn Campground. Trail  Angel Ninja Tank show with beer,root beer, bananas etc.
Burkhardt Trail to Creek to fill water. Group of 15-20 hikes by, some with long knives sheathed, one with a 20" sword! We were too close to L.A.
Cowboy camped.

April 25

Leaving Hikertown.  The shaggy beard came off.  Wind from the west blew hard and cold on the left side while walking toward the L.A. Aqueduct.  I could see the water in the aqueduct until about a mile further when the trail turned north to follow a closed canal. Then moisture from miles west blown from dark clouds,  always threatening to overtake me, but never fulfilling its wet promise. Joshua trees along the trail to the wind farm. Very heavy winds from the wind farm to the area surrounding Tylerhorse Canyon.  Wormy already camped after the rain drenched him. The wild wind came from differing directions making a tarp set up impossible -- forced my return to a camp 1 mile back, where an attempt to set up the tarp resulted in a torn tarp and a decision to hike 17 miles to Tehachapi Willow Springs Rd. After passing Tylerhorse Canyon, I reconsidered and camped using a large juniper bush as a wind break.