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Jerry Dodrill
climber
Sebastopol, CA
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Good luck in Sacramento Brad.
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mtnyoung
Trad climber
Twain Harte, California
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Topic Author's Reply - Sep 4, 2011 - 11:23am PT
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Well, I did it, I went to a Taylor Swift Concert.
I'm leaving in a few minutes (I'm climbing/doing guidebook research for the rest of the weekend). I'll post a few photos and more detail after the rest of the weekend. But, first a few impressions:
 Overall, I had a blast. Part of this was due to the quality of the performance and part was due to the fun my daughters were obviously having;
And the girls did have a great time. I caught myself first looking at them looking at her, and, then, laughing out loud at how much they were enjoying it, clapping and singing the words to every song;
Taylor Swift is a very good musician. It impressed me that she has musical skills (she plays a lot of instruments) that match Lynn Hill's ability in climbing. And she performs her music with the obvious joy of someone like Peter Croft traversing a High Sierra ridge. A pleasure to watch;
Even though I was warned ahead of time, I was still surprised at the disproportion between male and female attendees. Row after row after row of the arena was filled with only girls and women. It didn't seem to be a proprietary thing though, everybody I could see seemed to be having a good time regardless of gender (and regardless of age also; at age 50 I may have single-handedly increased the average age of attendees by a year).
Fatherhood is great, and I'm glad my older daughter Katie got to spend her 16th birthday in a way that she'll not soon forget.
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J. Werlin
Social climber
Cedaredge, CO
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What an awesome family project. Good on ya! Memories for a lifetime and a great foundation for life for the young ladies. Thanks for all your efforts to post.
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mtnyoung
Trad climber
Twain Harte, California
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Topic Author's Reply - Sep 5, 2011 - 12:36am PT
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Thanks J for your comments. It's been a fun trip.
To finish the "Taylor Swift trip report," below are two photos that prove that my girls can and do clean up nicely. These were taken as we were getting ready to leave:
We didn't get home until 1:15 in the morning, and, as a result, I kinda dragged climbing today, but it was all totally worth it.
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apogee
climber
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Always a great thread. Will look forward to next year's TR!
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johntp
Trad climber
socal
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Bravo Sir! Bravo!
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Mighty Hiker
climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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May 15, 2012 - 07:30pm PT
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Bump for a kewl thread.
A friend is currently hiking the PCT. He left to Mexico/USA border on April 29th, and left Big Bear yesterday morning. He's an experienced and very fit hiker/trail runner, and all going reasonably well should be OK. A relatively low snow year in the Sierra should help - he's 10% of the distance after two weeks, but knows there's a lot to go.
He's posting to a blog at http://postholer.com/ whenever he gets to a place with a public library, plus has a SPOT GPS which he activates every day or two. Kind of fun following his progress. Who knows, maybe he and the Youngs will cross paths?
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mtnyoung
Trad climber
Twain Harte, California
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Topic Author's Reply - May 15, 2012 - 08:37pm PT
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Mighty Hiker,
I clicked on the link and got only a general web site. I wasn't sure how to find your friend's blog from there. It would be fun to keep an eye out for him, although if he's in Big Bear already after a relatively late start, he may be past where we will be in July.
We've very much enjoyed the through-hikers we've met up with and hope to meet more this summer.
Our plan now is for a ten day backpack during the last third of July. We'll go from Horseshoe Meadow to Lake Thomas Edison (just under 135 miles). The PCT and the John Muir Trail are one and the same for much of this distance; this trip will be in what is really the heart of the Sierra Nevada.
And I hope your friend has found and will find enough water. The contrast between this last winter and the one before is amazing.
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nutjob
Gym climber
Berkeley, CA
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May 15, 2012 - 08:47pm PT
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Really inspiring! Thank you for continuing to share.
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Mighty Hiker
climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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May 22, 2012 - 09:29pm PT
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I'm reasonably sure that my friend won't add attendance at a Taylor Swift concert to his endeavour. An ordeal that might have been beyond Sisyphus, or even Herakles.
He posted to the blog today, from Agua Dulce, west of Wrightwood. About 20% of the distance covered so far. About ten days of desert plodding ahead, but then slowly into the southern Sierra. It does seem a tradeoff - it would probably be better to hike the southern deserts that comprise the first 1/4 early in the year, but then you'd have to wait at the south end of the Sierra for the snow to go.
It sounds like Agua Dulce is a major stop, with various comforts.
If you go to http://postholer.com/, and click on "Search Journals" on the left side, you can read the blogs of the various through hikers. My friend's last name is Golob, so that's how you can find his.
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johntp
Trad climber
socal
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May 22, 2012 - 11:56pm PT
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Yeah!
You are one special person for introducing the kids to this experience. TFPU!
Camping trips with the family when I was knee high to a grass hopper led to my love of the outdoors.
Good job!
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mtnyoung
Trad climber
Twain Harte, California
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Topic Author's Reply - May 23, 2012 - 12:56am PT
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Thanks for the comment, johntp:
"You are one special person for introducing the kids to this experience."
I'm not sure my sixteen year old still sees it that way. She's committed for one long trip and two or three short ones this summer. I think I can bribe her into more trips next summer. But then she'll go off to college after that.
We'll see what happens then.
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Mighty Hiker
climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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May 23, 2012 - 04:47pm PT
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The classic through hike to end through hikes would be to do the PCT, then continue on the ski traverse of B.C.'s Coast Mountains. It was first done from February - July 2001 by John Millar, Guy Edwards and Vance Culbert, with Ruby and Lena Rowat hot on their heels. Starting at Pitt Lake, just east of Vancouver, and ending at Skagway.
Some of them, and others, later extended the traverse through the Fairweather and Saint Elias Ranges, and so into Alaska.
There would be interesting logistical challenges to the trip. Given seasonal issues, it would also be hard to combine it with the PCT - most finish the latter in September (Manning Park), long before the ski season, or at the Mexico-US border (October/November), at the wrong end. The total trip would probably be 8,000 km or more, and probably take at least eight and more likely ten months.
It might be a little ambitious for mtnyoung and his gals, though.
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briham89
Trad climber
los gatos. ca
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May 23, 2012 - 05:14pm PT
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It might be a little ambitious for mtnyoung and his gals, though.
Clearly you don't know Katie and Tricia haha. Those girls are tough!
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Karen
Trad climber
So Cal urban sprawl Hell
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May 24, 2012 - 02:07am PT
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Totally awesome! What adventurous girls and a great Dad for introducing and actually getting out there and taking on such a worthy challenge.
My daughter and I are bagging all the highest peaks starting a few years back but boy when I took her hiking when she was little she hated it, more than once I ended up with her riding on my back!!! It all paid off though since she loves it now (She's 25).
So it is neat to me to see the pictures of your young one's getting out and really experiencing what nature has to offer. Once again, kudos for you !!!!!
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Mighty Hiker
climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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May 25, 2012 - 07:30pm PT
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But do mtnyoung's gals know how to ski?
On second thought, they could lie in a sled and their dad could tow them. While they listened to Taylor Swift, of course. Someone ask Ron A if the Sleds Over Everest team can spare some sleds.
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Mighty Hiker
climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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My friend is now in Kennedy Meadows, where he'll resupply before heading into the Sierra. It sounds like he'll have to pop out at some point between Kennedy and Tuolumne, maybe Mammoth, to stock up. He's averaged almost 20 mpd so far, including rest days, which seems respectable. As he doesn't have an i-phone or such, he's restricted to posting when he's somewhere with a library, or hiker-friendly facilities. Last time two weeks ago, at a place west of Wrightwood.
http://postholer.com/journal/viewJournal.php?sid=f8554a678b6cba70f1ace7713af75c41&event_id=1363
The PCT through hikers congregate at Kennedy in early June, depending on snow conditions. Many haven't used crampons or ice axes before, navigated with map and compass/GPS, and so on. So they're a bit apprehensive. It's a handy place to resupply and take on mountain gear, and maybe a bit of moral fortitude, after the end of the desert.
It must be awful nice to get out of the early summer heat of the desert, and get somewhere cooler and with more water. Plus finally be headed pretty much north, after a month skirting greater San Diego & Los Angeles. Kennedy is over 1/4 of the way along the total length of the PCT!
It is kind of fun following the adventure on the internetz. Some friends did the PCT years ago, and essentially disappeared for months, apart from the odd postcard. Nowadays some post quite nice blogs nearly every day - just google 'Pacific Crest Trail blog'.
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johntp
Trad climber
socal
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Mighty-
Have your friend keep an eye out for "castle" to say hello. She is a few days ahead but they will probably meet somewhere on the trail.
Edit: look at trailjournals.com, as well as postholer
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Mighty Hiker
climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Thanks - I'll let him know, plus have a look at the site you mention.
It sounds like Donald will be in Mammoth in two weeks, so I'll send him a care package there. With luck it'll get there before him. He's waiting at Kennedy for his package with bear canister and other important stuff to arrive - apparently they get hundreds of packages/day there at this time of year, for the hikers. Sounds like quite the social scene.
It sounds like he'd be passing through Sonora Pass in late June.
The PCT through hikers seem a different breed.
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