Wandering through Time and Place

Exploring the world with Curtis and Peggy Mekemson
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    • A Limb with Tusks, Plus More Impressive Rocks and Trees along the PCT near Ebbett’s Pass

      Posted at 10:45 am by Curt Mekemson
      Jan 8th
      I didn’t spot the tusks on this tree limb until I checked out my photos. There’s no doubt which is the dominant creature here! Or maybe they are just snuggling.

      Peggy and I had lunch yesterday with Barbara and Carl, the couple that dropped us off at Mt. Ashland for the beginning of our trek south down the PCT. It was the first time I had seen them since the beginning of the adventure. There was a lot to tell.

      Naturally, I talked about both the challenges and the rewards of backpacking for 700 miles over difficult terrain at 75. I also discussed how 50 years of backpacking had prepared me for the trip, and threw in a few of my more humorous adventures from those years. They will be in my book.

      “Knowing what you know now, would you do the PCT hike again?” Carl asked.

      “Absolutely,” I replied. This doesn’t mean I will forget just how hard it was. It’s an important part of the story. But the beauty and the nature of the adventure are what will stick in my mind. I once had a woman who had been on one of my hundred mile treks tell me it was one of the most difficult tasks she had ever undertaken. But in the end, she said, it was an incredible, life-changing experience. The pain faded; the experience remained. “The only thing I can equate it with, Curt,” she had related, “was having my first baby.” Ouch, and then ‘Oh my!’

      For the first 25 years or so of my backpacking, I hadn’t carried a camera. Those were the days before you could expect to obtain quality photos from a small camera, and I didn’t want to add the extra weight to the 60 pounds I was already carrying. I was also reluctant to spend the time that good photography required. And often I was leading groups that demanded my full attention.

      I am sorry now. “I can’t believe you go to all of these beautiful places and don’t carry a camera,” my father had told me time and time again. He was right. I wish I had those photos now to remind me of where I had been and what I had seen. But there is more. Photography helps you see the world in different ways. It encourages you to focus in on details you might miss, it helps you notice the differences that light and varying perspectives make, and it forces you to stop and look around.

      Today’s photos pick up where my last post left off, hiking down the PCT from Carson Pass on Highway 88 to Ebbetts Pass on Highway 4. The first four illustrate the value of stopping and looking around. They are all of the same scene from different perspectives.

      Once again, there were towering cliffs to admire. These were framed by hemlocks.
      A closer look showed junipers growing beneath the cliffs. A tiny moon appears in the upper left.
      And my telephoto brought the moon into perspective with the cliffs.
      While another photo featured one of the junipers standing tall against the cliff.
      One of the magical things about following a trail is that you never know what you will see next. It’s a thought that forever pulls me on. The PCT made its way around a large snag here and disappeared into the woods.
      I was assured that the views would just keep coming.
      The smoke did more than hassle my lungs; it also provided some interesting photos as it filtered the sun. This juniper is an example.
      And another smoke filtered scene.
      As might be expected from my last post on the PCT through the Mokelumne Wilderness, there was no end to magnificent rocks.
      Rounding a bend I came on a new view with a juniper, rock and open area leading to a distant peak.
      This perspective had the intensity of surrealism. I could see Dali carefully painting the rocks in the foreground and adding a melting clock.
      The contrast between a juniper and rock guaranteed that my camera came out.
      And then I was treated to my first view of Mt. Reynolds.
      Wow!
      I’ll conclude today with this view. I loved the contrast.

      NEXT POST: Variety, being the spice of life, it’s back to Mexico.

      Posted in On the Road US, Outdoor Adventures | Tagged adventure travel, backpacking in the Mokelumne Wilderness, Hiking on the PCT at 75, Mt. Reynolds in the Mokelumne Wilderness, older people hiking on the PCT, Pacific Crest Trail, photography, the PCT through the Mokelumne Wilderness, travel blog, writing
    • Bush Devil Ate Sam

      The Bush Devil Ate Sam is an important record and a serious story, yet told easily, and with delightful humor. This is one of the most satisfying books I have ever read, because it entertained me thoroughly AND made me feel better informed. —Hilary Custance Green: British Author... Click on the image to learn more about my book, the Bush Devil Ate Sam, and find out where it can be ordered.

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