Rees Hughes - The Pacific Crest Trailside Reader: California, Oregon & Washington: Adventure, History and Legend on the Long-Distance Trail

THE PACIFIC CREST
TRAILSIDE READER

CALIFORNIA
AND
OREGON & WASHINGTON

ADVENTURE, HISTORY, AND LEGEND ON THE LONG-DISTANCE TRAIL

CALIFORNIA
AND
OREGON & WASHINGTON

EDITED BY REES HUGHES AND COREY LEE LEWIS

ORIGINAL WOODCUT ILLUSTRATIONS BY AMY UYEKI

THE MOUNTAINEERS BOOKS
is the nonprofit publishing arm of The Mountaineers,
an organization founded in 1906 and dedicated to the exploration,
preservation, and enjoyment of outdoor and wilderness areas.

1001 SW Klickitat Way, Suite 201, Seattle, WA 98134

2011 by Rees Hughes and Corey Lee Lewis

All rights reserved

First edition, 2011

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, without permission in writing from the publisher.

Distributed in the United Kingdom by Cordee, www.cordee.co.uk

Manufactured in the United States of America

Copy Editor: Julie Van Pelt
Cover, book design, layout, and map: John Barnett/4 Eyes Design
Illustrations by Amy Uyeki

ISBN (ebook): 978-1-59485-510-8

CampoWarner SpringsSan Gorgonio Pass
Cajon PassAgua DulceTehachapi PassWalker Pass

by Ben Wielechowski

by Tom Marshburn

by Natasha Carver

by Ryan Forsythe

by Bradley John Monsma

by Jonathan Stahl and Amanda Tyson Stahl

by Charles Bergman

by Dave Claugus

by Mary Hunter Austin

by Mike Cipra and Caryn Davidson

by Linda Blue Butterfly Bakkar

by Barney Scout Mann

by Theodore S. Solomons

by Walker Abel

by Charlotte E. Mauk

by Orland Bart Bartholomew and Eugene A. Rose

by Suzanne Tailwinds Finney

by Gary Funk

by Suzanne Roberts

by Krystal Rogers

by Andrew Becker

by Samuel Langhorne Clemens

Tuolumne MeadowsSonora PassEcho Lake
Donner PassYuba RiverFeather River CanyonBelden

by David Horton

by No Way Ray Echols

by Dan DeQuille

by Chris Robertson

by Corey Lee Lewis

by John Muir

by Hank Meals

by Andy Hammond

by John Henry Smihula

BeldenFeather River CanyonLassen PeakBurney Falls
Castle CragsEtna SummitSeiad ValleySiskiyou Summit

based on accounts collected by Alan W. Willendrup and B. F. Loomis, compiled by Rees Hughes

by Georgi FireFly Heitman

by Jim Dodge

by Maurice Doreal

by Duffy and Angela Ballard

by Joaquin Miller

by Monte Dodge

by Chuckie Funnybone Veylupek

by Rees Hughes

by Susan Backpack45 Alcorn

by Jerry Smith

by William Sullivan

by Mark Larabee

by Chris Hall

by Corey Lee Lewis

by Kaci Elder

by George and Patricia Semb

by Amanda Carter

by Keith A. St. Alfonzo Liker

by David Kolb and Rees Hughes

by Hermann Gucinski

by Robert H. Cox

by Anicca Cox

by Jeffrey P. Schaffer

by Jim Rea

by Walter Bailey and Joel Palmer

by Rees Hughes

by Carolyn Sweet Goat Mama Eddy

by Bob Holtel

by Lynn Wunische

by Kim Todd

by David Green

by Tom Bullfrog Griffin

by Barbara Egbert

by Greg Strider Hummel

by Dennis Larsen

by George Marsh and Judge William L. Dwyer

by Dawn Garbanzo Hanseder

as told by Mourning Dove (Hum-ishu-ma)

by Ann Marshall

by Elizabeth Dodd

by Paul Bogard

by Robert Birkby

by David Foscue

by Howard Shapiro

by Barney Scout Mann

by Walkin Jim Stoltz

by Larry Hillberg

by Eric Ryback

by Cindy Ross

E xploring the people, places, and history of the Pacific Crest Trail as it ranges 2,600 miles from Mexico to Canada, THE PACIFIC CREST TRAILSIDE READER brings together short excerpts from classic works of regional writing with boot-tested stories from the trail.

For this digital edition of the PCT READER, we combined our two print volumes into a single, robust ebook that features stories from both the CALIFORNIA and OREGON & WASHINGTON volumes. Because the two-volume set is a compilation of old and new essays, however, the editors were not able to obtain digital publication rights for some of the previously published material. So while this combination ebook includes all the newly commissioned stories, as well as many other pieces for which the editors did have digital access, there are approximately four contributions from each of the printed books that do not appear here.

To review the missing essays, please refer to the print editions, available via your favorite online or bricks-and-mortar bookstore, or from www.mountaineersbooks.org :

ISBN 978-1-59485-508-5 $19.95 US

ISBN 978-1-59485-509-2 $19.95 US

To Robert Brandenburg,
whose inspiration has often reminded me that there are few limits to
what a determined person can do.
REES HUGHES

In loving memory of Tim Bear Pyles,
whose lifelong loyalty and friendship to me were matched only by his
love for building and being on backcountry trails.
COREY LEE LEWIS

T he Pacific Crest Trail has loomed large in both of our lives, ever since we first set foot on it. Like most PCT hikers and high-country travelers who went before us, we have found ourselves continually pulled back to the Pacific Crest, returning again and again, either through repeated trips or revisited stories. When unable to be on the trail, we find ourselves at home, scanning maps as we plan future trips, looking at pictures as we remember past journeys, and vicariously enjoying the memories and experiences of others. We have also found that we are not alone in this regard, that many other PCT hikers, like us, are called back irresistibly to that wild and rugged country snaking its way along the back of the American West.

As lovers of the trail, and of the stories surrounding it, we decided to compile a trailside reader that could stand as a testament to the PCT and those who have hiked it. Thus began a long and arduous literary journey, full of as many blisters and hardships as any PCT hike but also with just as many moments of inspiration, insight, and wonder. We sifted through countless historical accounts of exploration in the region, enjoyed reading the stories of contemporary PCT hikers, and collected some of the best work of our most well-known regional writers. We hope you will find this eclectic collection of stories to be as varied and enriching as your experiences on the PCT itself.