Continued from the previous page.
In the fifth and sixth miles there
are expansive views to the east and many colorful rocks right by the trail after
some rather bland colors -- except for wildflowers in season
-- up to this point.
I took dozens of photos going out and
back in the next 3/4ths mile. Here are just a few of them.
This marker is located about five miles from Walker
Pass; it commemorates James C. Jenkins, the author-naturalist-mountaineer
for whom Mt. Jenkins is named:
The trail curves to the north, continues climbing very
gradually, and follows the contours of the eastern slopes of Mt. Jenkins.
The higher and farther I got, the better I could see down into the
valleys below me, where there are networks of dirt roads:
When I came to this barren ridge (below) that protrudes
from the mountainside I walked out part way to take pictures of the
valleys on three sides, then went another quarter mile farther on the
PCT before turning around:
Dead trees and fresh wildflowers
View east
View south
Zoomed in on vehicles down below to the north
View north
Continuing a little farther north on the PCT
Is that snow ahead?? Nope, just white bedrock
in the mountainside.
PHOTOS ON THE RETURN
This was one of those hikes where I didn't want to turn around where
I finally did, but I'd already gone farther outbound than planned and
I didn't want Jim to worry about me being gone so long.
I usually am curious on a trail that's new to me to see
what's around the next corner and over the next ridge! I had a good
signal on one of the ridges and was able to contact him to let him know
I'd be a little later than I thought I'd be -- nothing new about that!
Although I took almost as many pictures on the way back, I'll show
fewer of them here because I've already shown several of the southbound
views and there are a few more in the "Surprise" section below.
That really IS snow over there on
those higher peaks in the Sierras.
NASTY SURPRISE AT THE END
I had a great hike on a great-weather day but it was mostly ruined when
I returned to my car at Walker Pass about 3:15PM and discovered
someone had smashed the glass in the passenger sliding door window.
I could see the car
from the trail about half a mile away but didn't realize anything was wrong until
I got much closer. I took this photo looking down at the pass (my car is
above the red arrow) when I had less than a quarter mile to go:
Here's what I found. The sliding door was part open but it and all the
other doors were still locked:
I also didn't realize anything was missing until I was down the mountain and
noticed my red canvas tote bag was gone. I use it to haul stuff --
water bottles, camera, food, wallet, etc. Fortunately the only things of
value in it were my camera case, two camera filters, and a lens hood. I
had my camera, keys, and wallet with me while hiking, as usual.
When I got home I realized my Mountain Masochist Trail Run fanny pack was
missing, too. Damn! I love that pack. [And never found a replacement I
like as much.]
Only after Jim went to vacuum out the broken glass at the car wash did
he realize my old Specialized Tricross cyclo-cross bike was stolen, too! I
didn't even remember it was in the car. That's probably the main reason someone
broke in; even though the back windows are tinted, the bike was
visible if you put your face up to the glass and looked in.
Ironically, I've been planning to buy a new bike sometime this year
but I wanted to continue riding the Tricross until I can find another
suitable cyclo-cross bike -- the Tricross model is no longer made
-- and possibly use the Tricross as a trade-in. It was getting rusty,
has had several repairs, and needed some new parts but I still liked riding
it.
Picture of a Tricross bike from the Specialized website when I bought it
several years ago
(I can't quickly find a picture of me riding that bike.)
When I came down the only other vehicle at the pass was a pickup truck
across the road, with a 30-something guy inside. I went over and asked him
how long he'd been there. He said 10 minutes and no, he hadn't seen anyone
around my car. For all I know, he could have been involved. I didn't
see a bike in the bed of his truck but I wasn't looking for one. At that
point, I didn't know it was missing.
In retrospect, going
over to talk with him was a risky move. I didn't even have a phone signal up
there so I was completely vulnerable. Fortunately, no harm came from it.
No information, either.
I used a small towel to get as much glass out of the door track and
floor as possible, then tried to open/close the door. It wouldn't budge
with all the doors locked. I saw a crow bar on the ground, picked it up,
and took it with me. It's apparently what the perps used to break the
window:
Guess they didn't want the soft drinks or hose
under the back seat,
or didn't have time to make off with them.
I didn't see anything else lying around near the car but should have looked harder.
At that point I didn't even realize the bike was missing, let alone my
tote bag, camera equipment, or fanny pack. Someone may have tossed out the tote bag, its
contents, and/or the fanny pack somewhere near the pass after rifling
through them for valuables.
I looked to see if there was any other damage, like slashed tires. No,
but I could tell the perp(s) tried to get into the passenger front door
first -- several scratches on that window near the lock.
I got in the driver's seat, turned on the ignition, and hoped the car
didn't explode (amazing what scary thoughts pop into your head when
taken by surprise like this). I unlocked all the doors with one switch.
Thank goodness the damaged door closed OK or it would've been a noisy,
windy ride for 25 miles back "home" to China Lake.
I tested the brakes before heading ten miles downhill to US 395. I had
no idea if the perps did any other vandalism like cutting the brake
line, etc. I had no problems getting down the mountain but I had to keep
another window cracked to equalize the pressure from the broken window;
more thanhalf of the glass was gone.
View from the trail: the
long and winding road back down to the valley
It's a good thing I was able to drive the car because I had no phone
signal until I was down at US 395, about ten miles from the site of the
smash-and-grab. I called Jim there to let him know what happened and he
started making phone calls even before I got back to the RV park.
After I got back and
we realized the bike was also stolen, I called
the Kern County Sheriff's Department to report the incident. A deputy
stationed in Ridgecrest took all the details, including the serial number of
the bike, but didn't ask me to come in to his office or to send photos
of the bike or damage to the car.
The deputy
said he'd give the information about the bike to the local bike shop and
notify all the bike shops and pawn shops in California, in case the perp
just wants money for the bike and not the bike itself.
[I waited several weeks to get another bike. Two years later, the
Tricross still hasn't been
reported found.]
Good thing I'm not afraid of heights -- and kept my
cool when I got back to my damaged car.
I asked the deputy if
there had been other thefts or smash-and-grabs at that trailhead and he
said yes. It didn't surprise him at all. I felt violated because in 67
years, this was a first for me.
Jim and I also
contacted our insurance company about the repair and theft, and
discussed between us where to get the window repaired as soon as
possible. No window companies were open late on Saturday afternoon in
Ridgecrest so Jim made an appointment online for Monday with SafeLite
at a location in Las Vegas near Nellis Air Force Base. We're driving there
tomorrow Sunday).
Meanwhile, we taped some cardboard inside the window so loose glass fragments
don't blow inside the car in transit to Vegas:
That held up pretty
well for two days and the new window looks great; you can't even
tell that it's a replacement.
All this damage control, and getting ready to move the RV to another
area the next day, pretty much occupied us
for the rest of the afternoon and evening on Saturday.
SUMMARY OF MY HIKE
Other than the unfortunate incident with
the cretin(s) who broke my window and stole my bike and other items, I had a good
hike and can highly recommend this segment of the PCT to other hikers
and runners. I'd caution anyone about parking along the highway at Walker Pass
or the nearby campground, though. Even if your vehicle is locked, someone may get
into it and steal anything of value.
I didn't see anyone on the the whole way today, which is odd on a
beautiful spring Saturday when the wildflowers are blooming. The only
critters I saw were birds, insects, and little rodents.
About 80% of the distance I hiked (5.63 miles each way) was
exposed to the sun in the afternoon but more shaded outbound in the
morning. I loved all the views, rather smooth trail surface, and gentle
grades -- mostly up going north, and down on the return.
Next entry: spring flower photos from California's
Mojave Desert region
Happy trails,
Sue
"Runtrails & Company" - Sue Norwood, Jim O'Neil,
Cody the ultra Lab, and Casey-pup
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© 2016 Sue Norwood and Jim O'Neil
