Pictures from Bandy's camera

That (Bandy/Bander) is our family nick name for lander. I guess Charlie made it up? I don't know where it came from. She mailed the camera back to mom and dad because it was too heavy. So now we can all see a little bit of life through her lense.

Obviously these are from when she took a week off to sail... This is Jill's brother. We will just call him Pete. I can't remember his name. He took the girls in on his boat and treated them well. The Atkinson's are forever grateful for Jill and her family. Thank you pete for taken care of our bandy.

700 Miles!

Sierras, here I come! I walked into Kennedy Meadows 6/21 at 3:00pm and it feels GREAT. I visited Lake Isabella and had 50 miles until I got into KM. I did 3o miles one day and 20 the next. My legs and feet are extremely sore, but I'm taking a zero day and hope to feel 100% before I go into the Sierras.
My appetite is unsatisfiable. The first day in Lake Isabella I ate a bacon cheddar burger, double chocolate milkshake, a burger king whopper and chicken sandwich. The second day I ate a foot-long meatball sub from subway, medium fries, two double chocolate cookies, two pizza slices, bread sticks, and a chili hot dog with cheese (not to mention m&ms, even though I just mentioned them).
I could have eaten more...

Supposedly, in the Sierras, people are eating double what they normaly eat. So, I am going to have to pack more and carry some more food weight. Yum Yum Eat'em Up.

I MISS EVERYONE

SNOW snow go away

Jill and I are about to leave Big Bear hostel and it's snowing... about 2 inches. Hope we can see the trail. Ugh

Snowy Days

Wow, so much to catch up on, but the theme of this post is Fuller Ridge (elevation 8725). Fuller Ridge? That 5.3 mile stretch just after the city of Idyllwild? Yes, it should be a measly 12 miles on the PCT, maybe a little steep to get to it, but nothing too harsh. That is, unless it has snow on it and you do not have snow gear. Also, the trail is hidden under the snow so you have to do what you can with a map, compass, and good street smarts.

Therefore, Jill and I originally chose to take the road, 16 miles, to avoid sliding to an icy death. Then we met Picker, who hands out minty toothpicks on the trail. He lives in the Tahoe area and ski's ALL the time. He promised to show us safely to the other side of the ridge, teach us some navigating tricks, and have a great time doing it.

Basically, I slipped a bajillion times and slid all over the place. Thankfully there was no dramatic end to any of the falls because the snow was beginning to melt. It was just extremely frustrating, and I must confess, at times it was truly embarrassing. One time, I was walking across a rotten log and just rolled off on my back into the bushes. Jill loved that fall. I also told Jill to stop pointing and laughing at me another time. She was not pointing. We laugh about that, now.

We faced the snow with no crampons or ice axe. Crampons would have been greatly appreciated.

Can you borrow Navigation Skills?

Anyone who knows Lander, knows that she gets lost in her own neighborhood. This morning the girls knew they could make it to Idyl Wild by 11am. At 6 miles away, the trail and all the ground surrounding was covered with snow. Lander and Jill had to bust out their maps and compasses to find their way. They followed a stream, that ended up being the wrong stream, but eventually made it to their planned stop by 2pm. They ordered an 18inch pizza and ate the entire thing.
Lander felt like this week they did not pack enough food. They are learning from their mistakes and making great decisions. For example, Lander's feet are feeling much better and they brought cards this week and have been playing Nerks (is that what it's called?).
Her birthday is May 19th!!! Send her a shout out to Big Bear!
fyi, a couple got lost for two days trying to find Idyl Wild in the snow!
Prayer for Lander: Pray for her feet and her body as they hike 15 miles a day. Pray for them both because this next section to Big Bear is also covered with snow. Instead of taking the trail they are going to hike on the roads to Big Bear so they don't risk getting lost.
Pray that she feels celebrated and loved on her birthday!

A little bird told me

Lander had a tiny visitor yesteday. She was resting on the ground, when all of the sudden a little hummingbird came to drop in on her. She said he got real close and just hovered by her. It was probably thoreau coming to cheer her on and encouraging her to pull out a pen and write lame poems. Jk. But it did seem to be a significant moment for Lander seeing that when I asked her if she wanted me to put anything on the blog and she told me about the bird.
This week they are maintaining 15 miles a day. They will gradually build up to 20 miles a day. Who knows, maybe more. Tomorrow they will reach Idylwild and then they start for Big Bear.

New Gear

Recap, Jay gave us his two-person tent and Jill and I are sending out tents back home. Why? Well, because we realized that we won't be hiking without the other and it's more efficient to share weight. Also, we are weenies when it comes to cold weather and two people in a tent is warmer than one person in a tent.

As for the foot factor, I got three pairs of smartwool socks and three liners (thin nylon socks). I'll probably have to replace the shoes more often, but I'll have a lot less blisters in these Nike running shoes.

During the storm, about ten days ago, the wind blew my hat away. It's not as helpful on a cactus as it is on my head, but nature thought otherwise. I would really like a UNC hat, but we'll see if I can wait it out long enough for mailing.