DAY 14, Fri., May 9, 21.1 mile day. TOTAL 265.3

Well the miles today were a little cooler. We hiked among massive Jeffery Pines and other trees that I don't know the names of. Some of them were larger than the trees in Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest. The elevation of the trail today hovered around 8,100 ft and then we descended down to 6800 to Big Bear City around 90 miles east of Los Angeles.

I picked up mail at the Post Office and called my daughter Anna to thank her for the cute birthday card she sent me. Also, got a package from my Shirley.

Will enjoy taking a shower and sleeping in a bed tonight. I may get a chance to check email tomorrow.

I've decided that I am going to slow my pace down so I can enjoy this experience more. The blisters on my heels are healing up but the desert heat makes hiking 20 plus miles day after day very difficult. Will send photos as soon as possible.
Keep hiking,
Greybeard

DAY 13 Thurs.,May 8, 24.4 mile day. TOTAL 246.2

Another long day of hiking. The heat is my biggest problem. I'll start climbing elevation and it feels like I'm hitting the wall of an oven. Also, the sun is making the water hot. I'm drinking it because I know that it keeps me hydrated, but it is not very satisfying. If I had the chance to start this hike over I would have started hiking around the 1st of April instead of the 26th. Maybe it would be cooler.

I'm going to camp in Coon Creek Road off California highway 1N02 tonight. This area is a wide creek of nothing but a little water and lots of rocks. Will be going into Big Bear City for supplies and to sleep in a bed tomorrow night.
Keep hiking,
Greybeard

DAY 12, Weds., May 7. 25.9 mile day. Total 221.8

It is taking a long time to hike over this mountain. The valley is in front of me and I have a view of Fuller Ridge behind me. You can look down on the San Andreas Fault zone from here. I tried several times to call Shirley this morning. Even though I stood on top of a pile of rocks and could see a town off in the distance, I kept losing service. Finally got to talk to her around 10am Pacific time but that was it.

I camped in a group camp at West Fork Mission Creek Rd. It was just a shell of a building where we could throw out pads and sleeping bags down. It has been a long day and I am very tired.
Keep hiking,
Greybeard

DAY 11, Tues., May 6, 17.3 mile day, TOTAL 195

A great day for a walk! The blisters are healing up and I feel good. Will be looking for a place to sleep under the stars tonight. No cell service - bummer.

Appreciation report for the day: THANK YOU David Ledbetter for giving me a ride to the head of Devil's Slide Trail. It's folks like David and the Hinman's that make this world a better place to live.

I am hiking with two other hikers. We hiked 2.5 miles up Devil's Slide to the PCT. Then we reached Fuller Ridge where we experienced our first snow on the San Jacinto Mountains. There were places where the snow was 4 ft. deep. There would be a patch of the trail and then a patch of snow. Finding the trail was not easy.

I'll be sleeping in the shoulder of this mountain.

Keep hiking,
Greybeard

DAY 10, Monday, May 5. ZERO Day

Spent another day at Idyllwild. This is a beautiful facility where hikers camp for only $3 a night. The elevation here is around 5,000 ft.- magnificant vistas and huge pine trees shooting up into the blue California sky.

I really didn't want to spend another zero but the extra day will give my heels a rest. I plan to head out in the morning walking the 4.5 miles on the Devil's Slide Trail to the PCT at Saddle Junction. Then it's up to 9,000 ft. and across the San Jacinto Mountains. Photos to be posted later.
Keep hiking,
Greybeard

DAY 9, Sunday, May 4.Total Miles to date: 151

This morning I hitched a ride to a local market. Then got a ride to Idyllwild, a beautiful town a few miles west of the trail. Trail angels, Daryl and Ellen, chauffered us and then drove me back to the market because I left my hiking poles. I then caught up with four hikers and hiked back into Idyllwild to spend the night. Had pizza for lunch. I'll stay the night and get caught up on laundry and take care of the blisters on my heels. Should be an interesting day.
Keep hiking,
Greybeard

DAY 8, Saturday, May 3, 24 mile day, TOTAL 127

I passed 3 water caches today. Came to Highway 74 crossing and found that part of the trail was closed because of a fire. The fire was due to humans smoking. So I stopped at Paradise Cafe 1 mile off the trail. Ate supper with 4 other thru-hikers - Sidewinder, Ross, RS, Brad and Gopher and spent the night on public land sleeping underneath a huge, beautiful pine tree behind the cafe. Will see what tomorrow brings.
Keep hiking,
Greybeard

PHOTO ALBUM

Photobucket Album

DAY 7 - Zero mile day

I'm spending the day with my baby today. Resting up, getting laundry done and nursing the blisters on my heels. I think I am going to have to get a bigger size shoe. The sand on the trail affects our shoes and socks and wears into the skin more so than hiking the AT terrain.

Shirley returns to Louisville in the morning and I'll be northbound again. Canada here I come!
Keep hiking,
Greybeard
p.s. Shirley will be giving me a fund raiser report on Monday.

DAY 6: May 1, '08. 17.5 miles. Total to date 127.1

Shirley got here around 8am and we enjoyed breakfast at the Grill. It was good to see her.

After breakfast she drove me to Lost Valley Rd and I slackpacked south back to Warner Springs. Lost Valley Rd is a Boy Scout road. It is a dirt road that winds up to 4,170 ft elevation. I carried a daypack with water and 4 McDonald breakfast sandwiches to snack on. This southbound section gave me a good taste of higher rocky terrain. I was glad to put the miles away carrying a light weight load.

We met up with "Gator" and had dinner at the authentic Mexican restaurant 8 miles west of Warner Springs. Food was A-plus.

Plan to zero (no hiking) tomorrow.
Keep hiking,
Greybeard