[GaliWalker]

Pretty nerve wracking for you as a parent. You must also be one proud dad. Fingers crossed for the rest of their journey.

[wildernessed]

[wildernessed]

Hannah called today they finished the desert then backpacked several days in the Southern Sierras to Lone Pine. She is coming out and may buy some time by visiting Yosemite or the Pacific coast before jumping ahead and coming back to do the Sierras later in the year.

Snow in Southern Sierras

Hannah in Southern Sierras

[AlpineRose]

Sounds like they got the desert done just in time - before the upcoming heat wave.

[wildernessed]

[zephyr]

[tmatlack]

2nd Hand News... A Mazama-based Trail Angel(or at least a knowledgeable source) said the Sierras are really tough this year for thru hikers. A big "bubble" of PCTers are holed up at Kennedy Meadows waiting for a river crossing to come down. Mazama had their 1st hiker thru 10 days ago or so...a super-tough ex-military guy who said it was by far the hardest thing he had done. Southbounders are not much better off. Snow on trail at Rainy Pass! Tom

[wildernessed]

Hannah texted me and she is in Lone Pine trying to figure out what is hikable when she jumps the Sierras. She said she just ate 10 brownies so must be going through 30 mile day withdrawl.

[olderthanIusedtobe]

Recent Seattle Times article chronicling some of the difficulties thru hikers are encountering when they reach the Sierras this year. https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=3&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjgh43CkdzUAhUS12MKHWQWAIEQqOcBCCkwAg&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.seattletimes.com%2Flife%2Foutdoors%2Fwet-snowy-winter-creates-life-threatening-hazards-for-pacific-crest-trail-hikers%2F&usg=AFQjCNGIsYbvc8X4lRhNIIu0z7bTu7hDdg edited--oops, it's an AP story that appeared in the Seattle Times.

[Adohrn]

I really like this quote from the article "Gustafson, who sends a “Not dead yet” message by satellite to his mother each night." If he has not gotten a trail name yet that's a good one. I might have to plagiarize that one next time I text my mother. Pulling for Hannah

[wolffie]

my quick-draw bear mace holster Good for bad people, too.

[Chico]

[wildernessed]

Hannah has been lounging and doing side trips around Lake Tahoe, she is travelling with a few other hikers forward from there and one of her friends and ex-track coach who is a semi pro long distance runner is joining her. She is skipping the Sierras and will do that last, her original partner decided to go through the Sierras to the extent she can, I heard reports that the trail to Whitney summit is 90% snow free. No one has done the entire Sierra route as of yet. Several New Zealand guides have went pretty far though and had quite a few detours around rivers and streams, cautionary notes, and disclaimers regarding there route and choices.

[Opus]

If she's still in Lake Tahoe, tell her to walk across the border into Nevada and hit the all you can eat buffet at the casino! They were surprisingly friendly to thru-hikers when I was there and food was pretty good.

[wildernessed]