Fireweed - Pacific Crest Trail Journal - 2010

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Onyx Cache Couch

Big WInds at Arrastre Camp

Saw a grizzly bear and a lion on the trail today--passed by the "Predators in Action" property. Poor creatures, pacing back and forth in their cages.

The Onyx Summit cache was quite deluxe--ice chests of fresh fruit, bars, crackers, pop and water--even a wooden picture frame suspended between two trees, framing the snow covered mountains.

I decided to camp early at pleasant, creekside Arrastre Camp, which even had a picnic table. No access by road, so no chance of invading yahoos in vehicles. Thru hiker "Upchuck" showed up around 6 PM, still hungover from a night of karaoke in Big Bear. I was amazed when he pulled out a bottle of peppermint schnapps from his pack.

The demon winds again surfaced, getting colder and stronger as the evening progressed. I was listening to the radio on my MP3 player around 9 PM, when the roaring of approaching gusts made me turn it off in fear of my tent getting demolished--I better hear what is going on. Although the camp was deep in a tree covered drainage, there must have been a surfacing jet stream lined up with the drainage. I have never experienced winds that intense unless out on an exposed mountain. I spent the night listening for approaching freight train like wind gusts and propped my self up in my sleeping bag on my pad, one hand bracing me as I leaned into the side of the tent as the winds attempted to wrap the tent around me. I pushed back as hard as I could to avoid tent collapse. Luckily, I had put huge rocks on the tent fly stakes. The tent emerged unscathed in the morning, but Upchuck had not been so lucky--his tent had started rolling away with him in it. I was really glad I had "real" tent (REI quarterdome) and not a tarp that night.

Entry 29 of 95
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