Burgers in Paradise (Valley)

I am reporting from the aptly-named Paradise Valley Café on the Pines to Palms Highway. The manna of this oasis has included a huge, whole amazing burger between thick slices of garlic bread. It's probably the best burger I've ever had, even taking into account its novelty next to the trail food I've been eating (Mac & cheese, quinoa, oatmeal). I paired it with an ice-cream-filled coffee shake and three root beers. Apparently, there are free refills, and my next, welcome task is to decide whether I want one more before I pay.

These are the sweet, caloric payoffs of hiking my longest day yet, 25 miles. Speaking of sweet calories, I have been having some Snickers bar technical issues. From 11 am to 8 pm on this trail, Snickers bars exist only in liquid form. They must be eaten in the key period between 8 pm, when solidified, and 11 am, when they stubbornly reliquify, and it doesn't matter how deeply in your pack you place them. This problem arose in the first place because it has recently gone from being ridiculously cold to ridiculously hot.

I've been thinking a lot about family, specifically my family, and how lucky I am in that respect. Israel is also on my mind a bit, especially because I just finalized my car purchase. It feels a bit ironic since, at the moment, I am getting everywhere on my own two feet.

Not only am I hiking at the same pace as an Israeli, but also with Daniel, a half-Lebanese Jewish guy who was in Syria as a journalist, right after my coworkers and I evacuated our embassy. He stayed only for a hot second, before realizing the level of danger. Despite my serendipitous Middle-Eastern connections here, I feel a very long way from Baghdad.

There is no security guy out here--just me and the trail, and, recently, a couple more animals: a non-poisonous snake and a curious hummingbird, which hovered by my blue hat for a moment, evidently to determine whether or not I was a flower. I could hear its tiny wings beating. [Tania notes: Mimi's spirit animal may well be a hummingbird.]

As other Appalachian thru-hikers I've met here agree, while the PCT is easier step-for-step, it is quite a bit dirtier. There is so much dust, and we are all coated in it to some degree. I'm not sure how much dusty distance I will end up covering, because I realize I'll have more fun if I take some breaks. While I have goals, they are less important than each day's experience. Everything is on a "we'll see" basis.

Sunset with burger in belly, heading to the San Jacintos from Paradise Cafe

Nearing my 33rd birthday, I have found myself to be somewhat of a 'grandmother of the trail'; most of the hikers are around age 24. There is then a large gap until you reach the older hikers, such as Steadfast, who is 60 (and hikes with a partner named Hilo, "high-low"). Because yesterday was the 7^th day we hiked, and made it to 140 miles, my daily average is 20 miles. That average may drop soon, but it's a nice, even number for today.

Mimi, via Tania

Warren Springs and F-16s

Veggie burger lunch stop on a hot lovely hiking day at the Warren Springs Community Resource Center.  Passed Eagle Rock, lots nice ups and downs.  This trail is meant for horses and humans, so none of the Appalachian Trail attitude of, "Oh, a mountain?  Yeah, let's go straight up."  Here, lots of switchbacks and gradual ascents.

Meant to mention that the valley we hiked along for the past two days is a training ground for either F-15s or F-16s.  It is so cool to watch them fly - sometimes almost straight into the mountain before they veer straight up.  We kept seeing three planes flying together - two would go straight over the mountains and one would do that daredevil stunt.

As I speak more Hebrew, I am finding more parallels I didn't catch before with Arabic - and false correlations.  Fun.  Also ran into a hiker named Daniel Fogel today who went to my elementary school...ten years after me!  He's 23 and thruhiking the PCT just like I thruhiked the AT ten years ago.  And we went to the same Minyan.

***

As I walk this trail, without music or anything to distract me, pieces of my past surface.  Yesterday it was Children of Eden, a play I directed my sophomore year of college.  Today, it was Syria.  I knew that would happen eventually.  The force of my longing for that place and the heaviness of my sorrow about how I had to leave and what has happened since has not diminished, but at least I can carry it on my shoulders in a way that is bearable, like the pack I carry with me always.

Biblical Reversal and '49ers

It was a record fifth day with rain. My namesake, Miriam, brought the people of Israel to water in the desert, but I seem to be bringing water to the people. [Tania notes: considering that hiking in rain is annoying, this seems to be the opposite of manna.] A long, red snake, thankfully sans rattle this time, also made an appearance. We are camping high in the San Felipe hills, and heading for Warner Springs tomorrow.

The town we came from, Julian, was a Gold Rush town, and the main street is still set up as if for an old-timey shoot-out. Must try to avoid insulting the honor of anyone resembling a prospector.

Mimi, via Tania

Reaching 100 miles

Eagle Rock

Poptart + Eagle Rock

In Julian,CA in a bed and breakfast whose very generous hiker rate includes a boutique antique-furnished room, laundry,and breakfast...but unfortunately does not provide any clothing or toiletries that would help us fit in to this cute pie-filled tourist town as anything but sketchy vagabonds.  Thank you very much anyway, Julian Hotel.  Today was a relatively short 16 miles in the clouds and then sun. Lots of sun. So much sun I put sunblock on under my sun proof shirt and still got some sun.

Before I get carried away with the hiker minutiae...it was today I fell in love with the PCT. Yes, it is kicking my ass, but it is gorgeous. I took in more beautiful mountain and desert scenery today than any day in my life. Had I a smartphone I would show you. As it stands the pictures will come later.

Other things include a. I am spending over half my day speaking Hebrew (couldn't have planned that one better - take that, Foreign Service Institute that wouldn't give me time to study before reporting to Tel Aviv) and b. I think I like these posts better as Mimi via Tania.  Thanks, Sees.

After a trail angel brings me a warmer sleeping bag tomorrow (she is driving up from San Diego to put water on the trail for hikers 13 miles up into the mountains after) we will head for Warren Springs in a couple of days and eventually Idyllwild.  A Californian Egyptian may soon be in the picture. Stay tuned.

Matan hiking into Scissor's Crossing

Down the ridge

The trail

Mom's Pies in Julian

Rain on the Ridges, and Starlight

From nighttime, May 7. Today was a tough one. Having promised my father I would be careful and nurse my (unfortunate) cold, I left Mt. Laguna at 6 p.m. with Brie, the math teacher, and Matan, the Israeli. We made the probably poor decision to climb a thousand feet to the mountain ridges in cold, driving rain. It eventually cleared up, and now we sit in wind-dried clothing, watching the stars.

Mimi, via Tania

When the sun cleared out of Mt. Laguna

Evening campsite at the (empty) water tank

Wildlife and Downpours in Mt. Laguna

From the evening of May 6th. We hiked 23 beautiful miles through the misty rain, then, soaked through, made a beeline for a lodge, where we are staying three to a room. It's nice, with a wood-burning stove. A combination of mile-high altitude, 10-hour jetlag, and a glass of wine have made for one tired Poptart. 

Hazards of the trail have included said rain and also the continual presence of poison oak and ivy. After accidentally brushing against the leaves once or twice, I was relieved to discover my seeming immunity to their effects. I am, however, allergic to the sun. 

Plants: 0 Sun: 1 Mimi: 0.5?

Marvels of the trail include a hummingbird, a really cool lizard I can't wait to look up (beige and brown-spotted with a ruff, reminiscent of my godchildren's water dragons), and what I have deemed a baby tarantula. It was a yellow poofball with black legs - so, hearkening back to my SAT analogy question skills, I determined that: if fluffy yellow chicks are to chickens as ____ is to tarantulas, then ____ is a tarantula spider chick. Perhaps I should write my own PCT guidebook.

Mimi, via Tania

View coming into Lake Morena, the day before the Mt. Laguna  hike

Ze snake, boss! Ze snake!

Greetings, Mimi followers, of which I am perhaps the original - I began tailing my sister as soon as I began to crawl. The hiker's internet access, cell service, and phone battery are all limited, so I will be posting, on her behalf, information she sends me through texts or phone conversations. I bring you day one.

First, the original and somewhat William Carlos Williams-ian text:

"Am safe, saw really
rattlesnake. Rain. Really
bad at setting up tent,
exhausted. Hiking with
three good people
including israeli"

Next, my translation (with supplements from a phone call):

I'm safe, so all you Asneses and extended family/friends may, please, release that last bit of breath you were holding. I saw a 4-foot-long rattlesnake, with a rattle the length of my palm. We had to hike way around it. It's very rainy here - not pouring, but light, misty, and bone-chilling. I am exhausted from the effort of setting up my tent, a task at which I suck. There are three other good hikers at my pace, including an Israeli. Apparently, the Middle East follows me wherever I go - speaking of which, I have major jet lag. To bed.

- Mimi, via Tania

At the Mexican border

Yucca!

Sign warning us of the dangers of the trail...like snakes.