Ok, so what happened to miles 342 to 418? They are being left to another year. After the burn and the need to lay off until the risk of infection was gone it was decided to stay on the schedule and drop me off where I should have been at mile 418. However those types of decisions will probably change in the future because the recent “freak” snow storms in California have probably increased the snow in the High Sierra and I really will want to delay my arrival that those 12000 foot passes. Speaking of freak snow storms…… So after the Ohio Biggest Week in Birding build in delay and the extra 3 days I took off because of the burn, Lenora drove me and dropped me off at about mile 418 to restart the trek. The burn had healed and all I have left are some scars and some very pretty new pink skin on my knee. Interesting to me that the part of the knee where the skin was taken off by the boiling water healed much sooner that the part of my knee that blistered. I just figured the place where the skin was just taken off was hurt more seriously that then the blistered area and would take longer to heal. That is not what happened. So when Lenora dropped me off, it was raining and she looked up at the sky and had apprehensions and really did not want to send me off. However, I thought it was just going to be a minor thing and it would be over and so I dressed in my rain gear and headed off on the trail. We had been using my phone to get us to the spot where she dropped me off and after 10 minutes into the trail I realized I had left my phone in the car. There is no way I do this trail without my phone. So I called her on the satellite phone and messaged her via the InReach and lucky was able to get her before she was too far away. She came back, I got my phone, and off I went again. Almost immediately it started to rain and then started to rain hard and then it started to hail and then it started to snow and it never stopped. I did not get started until about 12:30 and so I was not planning to go too far and so I took out the phone to see what was ahead. This was in the rain/snow and it only took a few drops of water on the screen and my phone started acting up. I thought I saw that a place called Messenger Flats campground that was ahead that was down about 1500 feet from where I was. Great I thought, the drop in elevation might get me out of the snow. As I continued up and up I realized that I must have read something wrong. Indeed I had. Although Messenger Flats was not at the crest, it was pretty darn close at 5886 feet and the snow was heavy. As I was walking the snow was accumulating on the trail and there was about a 1/4 inch of snow on the trail. Enough that I could easily tell there was someone just ahead me and that he was having a hard time. His steps were pretty close together. As far as I could tell it was only me and him on the mountain. By the time I made it to Messenger Flats, the storm was in full force. I was wet and not only my rain gear but my clothes under were also wet. My shirt I think from sweat and my pants because my rain coat has worked its way up above my rain pains and so the wet just ran down my rain coat and then under my rain pants. I could tell the guy ahead of me also stopped at Messenger Flats but I did not see where he camped. I found a flat spot and started putting up my tent. It was snowing hard enough that my main tent got went before I could get the rainfly over it. Not too bad but a little annoying. I was able to mop up with the wet with a towel I had and was pretty comfortable once in the sleeping bag. Since I thought I was secure, I got into my sleeping clothes (thermal underwear on these cold nights) and settled in. Sometime during the night, the high wind pulled up the stakes of the rainfly on two sided of my tent and the wet started coming in. Nice and secure in my sleeping bag, I did not notice. I know, hard to imagine I would not notice but those that know me can totally understand how really unaware I can be at times. So that was my day. The second of my days where the entire day was spent in what can only be called a “freak” storm in California. Middle of May, 5000 feet, and a pretty good snow storm taking place. I was to learn later than a couple of people called 911 and asked to be rescued from the storm. I’m not sure where they were. The storm was not that bad where I was. I was miserable and wet but never had any fear that my time had come. Oh by the way, my phone sputtered for awhile but by the time I set up camp it was dead, dead, dead. Apparently my phones time HAD come. I had not done the proper homework before starting this part of the trail and had NO idea what was ahead. I am an idiot!!
Lenora’s comment: As Don walked away up the trail, rain coming down and temperature 4 degrees lower than when we approached the drop off spot I grabbed my phone and noted: “Just dropped him off at Angeles National Forest/ PCT intersection; 43 degrees, light rain but cold rain. The temp is dropping. I want him to come back. Lonely, frightened for his safety. Praying for his protection.” I sat there a long time watching him disappear the second time and drove away slowly, hoping he would turn around and wave me to come back. I did not predict the complications he would face over the coming hours but I was full of apprehension. My trip on the other hand was long, traffic heavy and rain heavier. I was sorry Don was walking in the rain but had no clue he was trudging through snow and getting ready to be so wet and so cold.