Solo hike for JW - June 18, 2011

I am a little behind on posting since I've had some problems with my computer and have had to rebuild it twice in the past 2 weeks.  Since this is a journal of my life in AK, I hope readers will forgive me for playing catch up.

This weekend, I am on call.  Stuck on call for Mother's day and now again on Father's day.  JW tried to find someone to go fishing with this weekend but no luck so he decided he would go on a solo hike.  The hike he wanted to do is part of the 27 mile hike he wants us both to go on 4th of July weekend. 

We got up Saturday morning at 5:00 AM and he ate breakfast while I made him a couple of sandwiches.  I love these Orowheat Sandwich Thins - they make it easy to eat sandwiches loaded with meat and veggies and only enough bread to hold it all together.

He left a little before 6 for the 100 plus mile drive to the parking lot to begin the hike.   By 7:43, he sent me a SPOT message that all was OK and he was hiking.  Thanks to SPOT, I was able to track him all day with no action from him so although he was so far away, I knew everything was okay as long as he was moving.

At 11:40, he reached mile post 8 where he stopped for lunch and took a few pictures of the area.

The whole hike was above the tree line so he was able to see for miles.  He said that the tree paralleled the highway so he could always see the truck.  He also said the mosquitoes were thick and chased him all the way up the hill and back down. 

Even way up on that trail they have strips down to protect delicate earth from washing out.

A long ways back down to the truck but JW was home before 6 PM.  He had a great day and I loved that I could keep a virtual eye on him. 

I think we are still hoping to do this hike in a few weeks.  Or maybe he and Derek will do it before they go sheep hunting this fall.  Either way, I'm glad he got to go  and didn't feel stuck at home just because I had to stay here in the event the clients needed any help to get their tv schedules out for Sunday and Monday.

One thing for sure, just because skeeters don't like JW as a donor, I'll be carrying OFF with me and we'll be doing a through hike - going up the same first 8 miles he did but then going on to come out in a different location.  I have lost the nails off my two big toes because of my last hike so have to do some hiking around here to make sure I'm in good enough shape before I can "get outside in the interior".