Pacific Crest Trail journal page
at traildude.com

Mexican Border to Big Bear, CA

5-16-08 As written by Dad... On May 11th TD called to let us know that he was at the Cajon Pass. His feet were swollen and he had hiked about 50 miles in his crocks.... not good. His spirits were still high and he was concerned about snow on his way to Agua Dulce. He will pass near Mt. Baldy a mountain we can see from our home in Orange County. Yes, it has lots of snow on top and he will be passing on the north side of the mountain, the shady side. Then, on May 14 wildfires fires were reported in the Mt. Baldy area and we had no idea whether or not TD would be in any danger. However, on May 15 he sent his wife some pictures from Agua Dulce. TD made it past the wildfires, he's okay and seems to be in good company. Take note of the guy chewing on the snake. This entry and the text below this entry is going to be retired to the Border to Big Bear Journal. Whenever you want to read about a section of TD's hike, just click on the desired journal page in the listing in the top/right corner of this page. Here's some more video from the Border to Big Bear: AM moon and clouds coming over mountains Windmills on May 4 Thank the Reaper for Doritos and Coke Treacherous White Water Creek crossing TD discussing the upcoming desert

5-9-08 As written by Dad... Trail Dude has sent his first set of videos from the trail. Unfortunately, there were no still pictures. The next few days I'll be adding videos to this section. Check back for updates. TD has about two weeks on the trail by now. He reports that on May 1 he camped with some other hikers. One snored all night and another one got calls from his friends on the East Coast. Then, on May 4 he was so tired at the end of the day that he slept right on the trail. At 0300 hours he woke to a growling coyote, but went back to sleep. I guess he was really tired. He has lost about 10 pounds, but has not suffered seriously from blisters, just the swollen feet. He now has a "unibrow," "fierce nose hair" and when he breathes he inhales old food caught in his whiskers. I think you'll be able to date the video by his appearance :) Okay, some of these are big files, but if your browser can "buffer" the download you don't have to wait to play the file, it will stream. In the meantime, I'll be making them smaller. Sauerkrauts blister video from Morena Lake (disgusting)! Hiking at 5000' on the way to a nap Cowboy Camping with Gray Beard, Annie, Kelly and Paranoia Next day hiking (4-29-2008) Gray Beard waiting for his tacos Unfriendly terrain View of what's behind Picked up a few thorns along the way

5-7-08 As written by Dad... Well, Trail Dude is back on the trail. He didn't find any shoes in Big Bear for his swollen feet. His wife will be sending new shoes to his next stop in Agua Dulce (about May 17). He decided that he will postpone the section he missed because of the fires due to his tight schedule. After all, he already misses Jennie and kids tremendously. He wants to thank everyone for their notes of encouragement on the Guest Book, it helps considerably. In the next few days we should be getting some more pictures and video to share online.

5-5-08 As written by Dad... I spoke to Trail Dude this evening. He was in Big Bear and will be shopping for a new pair of shoes tomorrow. His feet are yellow, swollen and pretty uncomfortable, but no blisters. His spirits seem high, but he says that the trail has been boring, so boring he made up a song "Milk Shakes and Pizza." I guess we know what is on his mind. He also recognizes other hikers shoe prints and Sauerkraut has been busy "signing" the trail. He hopes all is well with everyone. Trail Dude will be returning to the piece of trail that has re-opened since the fire, just so that he will not have missed anything. He will also be checking traildude.com when possible. You may leave messages in the Guest Book (see menu on left). I will print your messages and mail them to him to keep him encouraged. Trail Dude will be sending more pictures, including the video of Sauerkraut's blisters everybody is dying to see.

5-3-08 As written by Dad... Trail Dude called his wife, Jennie this morning. He said many hikers were camped at Idyllwild to wait for the trail to clear of the fires, but he has decided to bum a ride to Devil's Slide and continue on in an effort to maintain his momentum. He's not one to sit still :) In the meantime, I've posted some video I hope you'll enjoy. One has our friend Sauerkraut, but sorry, I couldn't find any of his blisters. You'll also get a chance to meet Casey, both of whom have signed Trail Dude's Guest Book and gave us the heads-up on the fires. Video of Morena camp, Sauerkraut and Casey. Trail Dude can't sleep! Meet the hikers in the pickup on the way to border. Trail Dude climbs the monument at the border.

5-1-08 As written by Dad... Well, this is Trail Dude's sixth day on the trail. We got a message today from Sauerkraut and Casey that the PCT was closed from Pines-2-Palmes Highway to Fuller Ridge due to fires and that the trail can be resumed after Fuller Ridge. Containment is reported as only 5%. This may be a common problem throughout the California hike this time of year, but we still hope that Trail Dude gets the message. Trail Dude called his wife last night and reported that he was doing well and was on schedule. He was getting ready to camp for the night and head out for Idylwild (mile 179) in the morning (today). That means he will likely encounter the closed portion of the PCT. I wish I knew exactly where he was. Thanks to Sauerkraut and Casey for the heads-up! The next big stop will be Big Bear, CA where Trail Dude will get his mail and send us updated pictures. In the meantime, here are some pictures from Lake Morena and Day One: Pics from Lake Morena and Day One on the PCT

4-27-08 As written by Dad... Day One on the Trail I'm Ron, Trail Dude's father, and I've just finished one of the most amazing days of my life. I hiked the first day of the PCT with my son. It began for me a couple of months ago when my son asked me to spend that first day on the trail with him. Although my "hiking" has been limited to the water cooler, I just couldn't say "no", I had to go. So, with a two months of "training" and a borrowed backpack from my daughter, I picked up my son at his grandmother's on April 23. On the 24th we headed to the the Lake Morena campsite, just north of the Mexican border. Trail Dude's training and preparation began over a year ago. Many of you have been following his efforts here at Traildude.com. While Trail Dude is gone, I'll be keeping his site updated with journal entries and pictures he'll be mailing to me. When we arrived at the Lake Morena campsite it was bustling with excitement. Hundreds of hikers had arrived, many from other countries and across the states. Most were serious hikers and many had already done the PCT, AT, and other long, long hikes. Everyone was speaking a common language, a love of the land and God's beautiful creation. On the morning of the 25th we got up VERY early to catch a ride to the border. Trail Dude is in the top/right corner in the picture of the pickup truck and I'm in the sunglasses. We got there and hit the trail at about 0715 hours. It was downhill at first and little did I know how difficult this day was going to be for me. In hiking books it is considered a "moderate" 20 mile hike and it was probably a very simple hike for Trail Dude, since he ended up carrying most of my pack. At about 8 miles into the hike he began to realize that I'm an old man, so to speak. You can see in the picture below that he is still smiling... I'm pausing to catch my breath. Along the way we encountered other hikers, most of them passing me. A petite asian lady with an umbrella passed me by too. I was told that she was planning to "section" hike the whole PCT. Others were much older than me and they just kept plodding by. I'm told that your body adjusts to the trail with time. Among the PCT hikers we saw many interesting sights along the way to keep me pre-occupied. We saw a snake, many lizards, a horny toad and five hikers without backpacks, water or food. In broken English we discovered that they were on their way to LA (Los Angeles). So, we gave them some water and food and they walked part of the PCT. By looking at me they couldn't understand why somebody would do this for fun. However, the views of the valleys and mountains were spectacular, the weather was warm, but beautiful and looking back at the hike, I wouldn't change a thing. There were times as the miles crept by that I thought that the day would never end, but it was exhilarating to have "survived". I certainly met my limits. Trail Dude wasn't tired, had no blisters and was excited about the next 2,600+ miles. I know that in those days ahead he will be stretched to his limits too and I won't be there to help him like he helped me through this day. I love my son. You can read an article by the San Diego Union-Tribune that mentions Trail Dude and others: San Diego Union-Tribune Article And, watch a brief video interview of Trail Dude: San Diego Union-Tribune video Check back in the days to come for more pictures and video.