Walking Towards Sustainability: Mile 370- Bishop, California

Hey Hey!

In town for a short bit- Bishop, California- to restock our packs with food, and refuel our bodies with fresh fruits and vegetables, some rest, a shower or two or three, and other luxuries that wondering in the middle of nowhere does not provide us with.

We're right off the trail from the High Sierra- this area is gorgeous! Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, and into Yosemite next week- God sure smiled on this place when He evolved it into existence...

Our first week on the Pacific Crest Trail was in the desert- pretty brutal for us, scarce water, hundred degree heat- we just kinda wanted to get in and be out as soon as we could.

Finally, we exited the desert or "transition zone" to non-desert, and entered into a large expanse of forest...

Only all of the forest's trees had burnt down. Beautiful wildflowers had taken first dibbs at the freed up nutrients, and abounded along our walk- but still not very much water was to be found, and shady spots were few- very few, and far, far between. So we waited a bit more for some coveted tree-coverage.

But the wait was worth it- and sure helped us to value what was to come: A week rambling up and over snow-patched peaks, past (and in) navy blue

from above, crystal clear from within snowmelt lakes. We're drinking from rushing waters straight from under the ground, seeing mountains and just mountains for miles and miles and miles, getting a true taste of paradise, and seeing it from 13,000 feet above the sea.

A true highlight of being here on the PCT, is getting to meet the community of thru-hikers (hikers walking the entire 2700 mile trail, from Mexico to Canada). Everyone is so helpful to us and each other- and they are all such substantive, interesting people, too!

Another priveledge is experiencing "trail magic"- benefiting from the kind generosity of "trail angels"- individuals who help out hikers, bringing food, giving rides, providing any assistance that they can. We spent a Shabbat at a campground- basically sitting at a picnic table most of the day and talking to each other- and while we were sitting, person after person came up to us, offering a ride here, a ride there, asking if we needed anything from the store, bringing us ice- one even brought us frozen water and sodas from his campsite, that he had wrapped up in a towel so they would be cold when they got to us! (And we were very, very hot- coincidently our tent does not have an air conditioner, and neither did our picnic table, and it was like a billion degrees outside, and boy were we happy to get frozen stuff from this kind, kind soul...)

We've learned in the past and are learning it again- if you want to rekindle a belief in the goodness of people- thru-hike a long trail- the AT, the PCT, whatever- whether it's the thru-hikers or the trail angels- there is so much good energy flowing between everyone- the best way to describe it is hopeful. And as a quick sustainability thought: Hope and the ability to appreciate are very, very, very sustaining- and more importantly, they make us want to continue sustaining ourselves tomorrow. 'Cause without the will to be sustained, material and immaterial nutrients are of little worth.

So we've got to get back to the trail this afternoon- hitching back to the trailhead, marching up and over 11,000 foot Kearsarge Pass, and descending back into Kings Canyon and the wilderness and our slow walk through the hills. Sure is hard to leave town and our motel room's television, but we're refreshed, excited and ready for more.