Search
Polls
Latest Forum Posts
| Taking a Knee unclebuck 15-11-08 13:51 |
| Re:Football unclebuck 07-10-08 15:24 |
| Re:Football unclebuck 02-10-08 12:59 |
Login Form
| Local hikers savor scenic John Muir Trail |
|
|
| Written by Mike Vanden Bosch / Patterson Irrigator / | |
| Saturday, 06 October 2007 | |
|
“Not everybody gets this opportunity to see what God has put in front of us. It’s very uplifting. You can’t describe the feeling. It’s that sense of accomplishment.” - Ken Moeller  Courtesy of Ken Moeller Patterson residents Ken Moeller, Kyle Moeller, Gary Scoles and Jeff Whitney teamed up with Patterson High School alum Lesley Scoles and traded the hustle and bustle of everyday life for the pristine panorama of the rugged John Muir Trail in the Sierra Nevada. During an Aug. 14 through 24 hiking trek, they traversed the northern half of the scenic, but daunting, trail. “It’s amazing to get out of the valley and see some amazing sights there,” said Kyle Moeller, a 2007 Patterson High grad who enrolled at California Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo in September. “It’s a trip that I really want to do it again. It’s amazing to see all the areas where no one has really been.” Their 120-mile trip originated at Florence Lake east of Madera and wound up in Yosemite Valley. In between, the trail crosses six mountain peaks, including the formidable 11,050-foot Donohue Pass.  Courtesy of Ken Moeller “Those elevation gains are a lot of work,” said Gary, who suggested the trip to Ken. “The trails are very rocky. You got to watch your footing constantly, or it’s real easy to turn an ankle. It’s very physical, but it’s all worthwhile.” A typical day consisted of waking between 6 and 7 a.m., breakfast and breaking camp by 8 a.m., followed by 10 to 12 hours of hiking. The trail featured jaunts along various sites such as Rosalie Lake, Red’s Meadow and Devil’s Postpile. “There’s something about being out there in the wilderness,” said Ken, a veteran backpacker. “I think a lot of people would like to do something like this, to be able to experience outdoors. You never see this scenery in your backyard. I call it eye candy.” One travel day especially tested the hikers’ endurance, as the group traveled 20 miles from Cathedral Lake. They feasted on MREs, or meals ready to eat, which are commonplace in the military. Kyle found them particularly appealing out in the middle of nowhere. “I think the MREs are really good,” Kyle said. “That’s just an opinion of taste. I think they’re awesome, and better than some of the food I got at home, like broccoli.” Personal hygiene took on a whole new meaning for the hikers. Bathing rituals consisted of soaking in various lakes, but not much else, Ken said. “You take for granted being able to take a shower and clean up at the end of the day,” he said. “It’s just washing off your legs and body in the lake. I didn’t use soap in the lake. I think I had to shower or soap up three times just to get the trail dust off.” Kyle added, “We all smelled pretty good by the end of the week.”  Courtesy of Ken Moeller During a stop at one camping spot, Kyle’s fears of encountering a black bear were briefly realized. Fortunately, it brought laughter to the entire group. “We talked to hikers who had bears coming after their backpacks,” Kyle said. “One night while we were sleeping, Gary yelled out, ‘Bear!’ I think I jumped 10 feet out of my tent. It scared the living crap out of me. It turned out that Gary was just sleep talking.” Gary said he and Kyle were able to laugh about the sleep-talking incident. Jeff jokingly asked Gary where he planned to put his tent so he could get some sleep that night. “Kyle kind of gave me a hard time,” Gary said. “It’s all in jest. I am quite loud at night. Everybody who sleeps around me knows that. Apparently, I kept the bears away, because we didn’t have any issues.” Ken considered Whitney a trooper for enduring blisters that plagued him throughout the 10-day trek. “Jeff’s my new hero,” Ken said. “It was just amazing to see what Jeff went through. He basically put a cast on each foot with moleskin because of the blister problems. We were ready to do whatever we needed so that all five of us made the trip. The bonding was there.” While cellular phone reception was nonexistent, the group had access to a satellite phone courtesy of Gary.  Courtesy of Ken Moeller But the grandeur of the trail named for famed preservationist and Sierra Club founder John Muir, is enough incentive to overcome the risk. “Not everybody gets this opportunity to see what God has put in front of us,” Ken said. “It’s very uplifting. You can’t describe the feeling. It’s that sense of accomplishment.” Last year, the same group hiked the 22-mile round trip summit of Mount Whitney, the second highest peak in the United States. Josh Scoles, Gary’s son, and Lesley Scoles’ boyfriend also joined the group. Not surprisingly, the hikers have plans to finish the southern half of the trail, which concludes near Mt. Whitney, next year. “Absolutely, I’d do it again,” Gary said. “It’s a challenge, for one reason, and the nature is beautiful. You get away from the hustle and bustle. There’s also a sense of adventure. There’s a camaraderie that goes on when you’re hiking a trip like this.” To reach Mike Vanden Bosch at the Irrigator, call 892-6187 or e-mail him at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
Set as favorite
Bookmark
Email This
Hits: 155 Comments
(0)
|
Subscribe to this comment's feed