High Sierra Route pictures and story

[benefitz]

Once upon a time, back in July, my brother Adam and I set out on what was to be an epic 2 week trek on California's High Sierra Route. The trip had to be aborted, and I said that I would write more later about what happened. The time has come!

Comments

[pussyofdoom]

I'm sorry your trip didn't work out. On the other hand - YOUR RAINGEAR WASN"T EASILY ACCESSIBLE?!?!?!!!!!
Did SageWalk teach you nothing? Always set yourself up for success silly Ben!

I had to memorize that poem in high school.

[benefitz]

It hardly ever rained at SageWalk, and when it did it was never a downpour. It also taught me that softshell jackets work in the rain. I always had my Seattle Sombrero easily accessible, and I was usually wearing my softshell already.

The first time I heard that poem was when Robert Pinsky read it at Whitman. It is one of the only poems I have memorized right now.

[gowanmetal]

When it is summer, we will go to Mendocino and hike to the hot springs, yes? Or maybe the Lost Coast? Or both?

Squishes.

[benefitz]

Sounds good! I know you need to get out of the city, perhaps even more than I do. What's the Lost Coast?

[gowanmetal]

It is a place. It is nice. It's beautiful, but too wild to have roads put through it. You would like it. You can get lost for weeks out there.

The hot springs are good too. They are a secret. I will show you how to get there, but you can't tell anyone. They are only about a half days hike up the gualala river, but we usually spend a few days at the springs, catching crawdads and eating them with pasta, and swimming in the big rock pools, and soaking in the tubs. The tubs are nice, though they smell like sulpher, since it comes right out of the ground.