Lassen National Park

Thursday 23rd July

We drove down to Lassen today we arrived at the campground at around 3pm.  There was only a few sites left so we grabbed one and went to pay our fee.  Quite a nice campground and just across the road from a really cool cave.  While we are sitting near the car having some water and a snack after putting the tent up a woman comes walking up being followed by a HUGE RV she walked straight up to David and said "gidday" we realised he was wearing his SOFT Australia T-Shirt Frea and Norm are from the Gold Coast and have been travelling around for a few months and will stay for 6 months.  We go for a walk and check out the subway cave formed by fast flowing lava it's very cool and quite long.

We walk around past Norm and Frea's RV and they invite us in for a beer.  We chatted for ages it was good to talk to people from Australia.  Then they showed us around their RV it's amazing.  A bathroom larger than some hotels we have stayed in and a queen sized bed,  gas cooktop, washer/dryer and comfy lounges.  The dashboard looked like a flight deck!!
We wanted to check out the post office and store that is not far off the PCT so we drove up the road and found the store (we thought it was the right one) turns out it wasn't.  We got a six pack of beer and a snickers for dessert.  Then we drove further up the road to check out the Post Office/store it was closed.  There were half a dozen thru hikers beside the store and as we pulled up they seemed to wave at us so we pulled over.  I wound down the window and asked them if they needed something.  They had just contacted a Trail Angel to take them down to the store that is still open.  We offered them our beer and snickers which they accepted enthusiastically.  When the Trail Angel arrived she couldn't fit everyone in her car so we offered to take some and a young woman accepted her name was Lexi and when she shook my hand she apologised for how dirty they were.  We drove her back to the store and then back to her friends.  We got some more beer and then drove back to the campground for our dinner.  I was so happy that we had become accidental Trail Angels!!! mission accomplished.

Backpacking and hiking PCT

Monday 13th July
We woke to a beautiful day and hiked back up to the carpark where we left the car.  It was a bit tricky negotiating our way through the 'crust', washes and rock to find our way back.  We rearranged our packs so that we were only carrying water and snacks/lunch and then we drove to the Devil's Garden area and hiked the Devil's Garden loop. 
The hike was tough going in parts and I particularly had to challenge myself as in some points we had to climb and walk out on narrow rock areas to view the arches.  We hiked out to Dark Angel and had our lunch out there it was great because we were on our own.  Then we started the loop back to the carpark.  It was a relatively hard hike until we got to a certain point and it became extremely hard.  We had been warned by a couple of hikers that the path up ahead was difficult and that we should take the right hand path.  So when we came to a place where the path branched off toward the right we took that path and a young man followed us it turned out to be a dead end.  So we headed back toward the path and when we got there an Italian couple we had met just after lunch was debating which way to go.  We had come to a deep pool and the only way around it was steep rock on both sides so we needed to decide which was the easier way.  People had told us to take the right side but it looked so difficult.  Meanwhile the young Italian man had scrambled very quickly up the left hand side and his girlfriend was trying to follow, two young men followed him and then it was my turn.  I had a fairly heavy pack on my back I realised pretty quickly that if I was going to make it I would just have to keep going and not stop.  So I set off up this really steep rocky incline and set my mind to making it to the top.  And I MADE IT on the first try!!!! I was so proud of myself but it just about killed me!  David did it fairly easily and the young man that had followed us into the dead end needed lots of encouragement so I'm glad we were there.
We filled our water bottles when we got back to the carpark and headed back to the carpark at Sand Dune Arch to hike back in and camp for the night we had decided that we would like a different camping spot tonight but weren't sure if we would find one.  We hiked in and found ourselves in a completely different spot which was amazing up on another rocky outcrop, we had to walk across an arch only we didn't realise it was an arch until we we got to the other side.  That night there was a huge thunderstorm  and we got to watch the whole thing from our rocky outcrop.

the view from our tent this morning

Dark Angel

Dave took a selfie - lying down at lunch :)

trail marker

Tuesday July 14th
We found it a bit difficult to find the way out again today but did manage.  We left Arches NP to travel to Fishers Towers (if you have watched Todd Sampson on the ABC he climbed these in the last episode of his series on Brain Training).  The scenery is amazing driving through this area and it looks like the river beside the road is flowing uphill.  We stop in Moab to get some food and a coffee.
We find the campground and lookout and reserve a spot in the campground before going out for a hike to the lookout and then for an extended hike out to the towers.  The scenery was spectacular and when we got back to camp a storm was brewing so we prepared our dinner and ended up eating it in the car while it rained.   We were in bed early.

Wednesday 15th July
Today we head to Idaho I'm pretty excited as it is one state we have never been to before.  To get there we drive back up the I 15 past Salt Lake City and I am torn I'd love to stop in and visit again but we have a big day and Idaho awaits.
Once in Idaho Falls we look for the campground which is a free campground provided by the city.  Not sure if we will stay because we are just not sure that it will be suitable.  We arrive midafternoon to find a beautiful grassy campground right on the river which appears to be flooding.  I decdide to check out the toilets and this will be the clincher.........they are very clean and very suitable so we set up camp and head off to Walmart to get our dinners and stuff for all our camp nights.  We have decided to eat out tonight and we have a delicious meal at Applebees.  When we arrive back in the campground there are a few cars parked around with people sitting in them (lots of people 'car camp' mostly homeless) and there is a couple parked next to us.  It's very quiet except for the occasional train whistle.

Thursday 16th July
Today we are heading to another camping opportunity at Lolo Springs, there is a hot springs pool there but it costs more on top of your camping fee, so we will see.
We visit the Craters of the moon site and it is amazing it looks like the ground is covered in dark chocolate and something has tried to push up from down below and cracked the chocolate.  All the rocks are very light and black it's a hostile environment but some very pretty flowers survive here.
Once into Montana we try to find a more private hot spring but we can't find any so instead of staying where we first thought we would we just stay at a campground.  It's ok and has a pit toilet.
It is a very cold night here and we are glad of our sleeping bags and extra liners.
Friday 17th July
Today we are heading up to Glacier National Park we will hike at the top of Logan Pass.  The camp host at the campground where we stayed last night suggested we drive around the Eastern side of Flathead Lake to get to Glacier and visit a small town called Big Fork.  So we take his advice and have coffee in a small cafe.  It takes forever to get my coffee and by the time it comes I'm almost over it but the server is so sweet and we leave a good tip anyway.
On the way to Glacier it starts to rain .......no hiking today as by the time we get to Logan Pass the outside temperature is 36deg F or 3deg C for those playing in Australia.  We rugged up and got out for a look at the visitors centre but soon retreated and ended up eating lunch in the car.
We drove down to Kalispell to stay the night, David had booked this hotel and the woman behind the counter was so excited to book us into one of the 'renovated' rooms.  It was quite cute done in an Indian theme (the room next door was Cowboy LOL)  It was ok but the wifi was woeful!!!!  We haven't been able to skype anyone this holiday because we have stayed in a lot of campgrounds and when we have stayed in hotels the wifi has been patchy!! 
We ate dinner tonight in a family restaurant with an extensive menu.  We had spaghetti which was served with a salad and dessert all up for both of us dinner was $26.00!! crazy for the meal we had!
Saturday 18th July
We went for a nice run this morning and we are heading to Twisp to stay in a gorgeous B&B with Bill & Sandy Moody (we stayed there one night last year)
Driving along the highway this morning and I yawned and my left contact just popped right out onto my cheek!! not easy to stop on the Interstate and put it back in but we found a turnout and I replaced it after David kindly went to the boot to get my cleaning fluid.  It was pretty funny but I'm so glad it landed on my cheek and not the floor of the car.
We stopped for lunch in Spokane it was so lovely at a place called The Yards.
On the way we visited Coulee Dam which was a major engineering feat of it's time and has 3 power generating units.
When we arrive at Methow Suites we are greeted by Bill & Sandy like long lost family :)
Sandy tells us that two of the stores in town have art on display tonight so we walk downtown with Bill & Sandy through their neighbours yard so as a joke I offer him a 50 cent peice as a 'toll' he thinks it's so cool and brings out a US dollar coin in return and I tell him we have those too.  And when I show him he says "that would make the perfect golf marker" so I asked him "would you like it?" he loves it and hands back the 50 ha ha
Tonight we had dinner at the Twisp River Pub, delicious food and great beer.  I even try the blueberry vodka.
Sunday 19th July
We get up early and go for a run through Twisp.  At breakfast we talk to the other couple staying with Bill and Sandy, Susan & Sid they tell us the story of how the Carlton Complex fire affected them (this fire started in July last year and wiped out a whole town near Twisp). A lot of homes and structures were destroyed and acres of forest.
After breakfast Bill & Sandy take us to their church Methow Valley Covenant Community.  It is a church about the same size as ours.  The young people had recently been to Tennessee for CHIC an international youth event with Speakers such as Louie Giglio and singers such as Dave Crowder and Chris Tomlin.  The young people all got up and spoke about how the event had touched them and we were so impressed we gave them a donation towards their costs as they were having a car wash on Saturday to raise the $1200 shortfall.  The service was good and they even sang one song we know :)  After church Sandy introduced us to some of her friends and a young man Daniel who has hiked to the PCT.  He hikes on his own and shared a few tips with us.  It was good to talk to someone who has done it.
After church we go back to the B&B and show Bill & Sandy our photobooks and chat to them about our trip.  Sandy invites us to have dinner with them which is so sweet.
David and I drive downtown to visit the Interpretive Centre which is very interesting.  It tells all the geological history of Twisp and some history of the local Indigenous population and also some narrative about the Carlton Complex Fire last year so we spend about an hour and half reading and watching videos.
Dinner is delightful and Jonathan (Bill & Sandy's grandson) joins us, he is an incredible young man and it is a very enjoyable evening.  We really felt welcomed and part of the family.
Monday 20th July
We say goodbye to Sandy as Bill has had to leave very early to drive to Washington to consult on a fire down there (he is a smokejumper, supposedly retired LOL).  Just before we leave a doe and her 2 fawns are grazing on the front lawn and Sandy comes to tell us so we can see them.  Very cute but Mum is nervous so she herds them quickly away and up the hill behind the house.
The plan today is to drive to White Pass and check out the PCT access and the Kracker Barrel (a small gas station where hikers resupply as it's only 3/4 of a mile from the PCT) and stay at the campground at Ohanapecosh.
Driving through Washington is so beautiful, mountains and trees.  We have lunch at McDonalds mostly for the wifi :)  We get to White Pass and find the northern side of the trailhead and see where it comes onto the highway from the south.  We see a young man come off the trail and start hiking toward the Kracker Barrel so we offer him a lift.  His name is Alex and he is hiking the section from Crater Lake to Snoqualmie (sp).  He is expecting to pick up a parcel from the Kracker Barrel.  We drop him there and go in for a coffee and to check out the supplies in the shop.  The cashier tells us that his parcel is not there and when we say goodbye to go she says "are you just leaving him here?" too funny so we explain that we just gave him a lift.
We drive down to Ohanapecosh campground only to find that it is full!  We decide to drive the 12 miles back up to the PCT and hike in and camp.  We are pleasantly surprised to find that there is a wilderness pass at the trailhead so will complete it and tie it to my pack.  We hike in and were only going to hike for an hour as it's already 5:30pm but as we hike we realise that we may have to hike a bit further to find a suitable camping spot.  After about an hour and forty five minutes we see a trail called the Chairlift Trail so we leave the PCT and hike up and up some more.  Eventually we come over the crest of the mountain and there is the most beautiful view of Mt Ranier!!  we camp right on the top underneath the chairlift it's a spectacular view.
It is quite cold and once we have eaten dinner we bundle up in our sleeping bags to sleep.  It would have been pitch black except that there is a large floodlight on one of the lift staunchions.
Tuesday 21st July
We have a huge day driving to Crater lake but first we have to hike off the mountain.  It takes us about an hour and a half to hike back down and we have to get gas so we go to the Kracker Barrel and Alex is there waiting for the mail truck that will hopefully have his package.  We chat to him about his experiences on the PCT.  Hopefully his package will arrive soon.
Because we chat for a while we are a bit behind schedule but it is so good to be able to talk to people and glean from their experiences.
It's a long and pretty boring drive to Crater Lake until we actually get there.  At the North entrance the young man tells us that even though it is late we should be able to get a backcountry hiking pass from the Ranger station.  When we arrive at the campground it's full so we drive up to the Ranger station to get a hiking pass.  The door is locked but there is someone sitting behind the desk so I knock.  The young Ranger comes out and tells us that they don't give out hiking passes after 5:30pm (it's about 6:30pm.  (they are free and it takes 5 mins anyhow........) she gives us a sheet of paper with a map to the closest campgrounds other than the full one so we try Lost Creek campground and it is soon apparent that it is full too.  As we are driving past a campsite with two young people occupying it the young woman smiles at us and David says "do you reckon they'd share?" so we stop and start to fill our water bottles at the tap opposite the campsite and David starts up a conversation telling them of our predicament and the young woman consults with her boyfriend and they say sure!!!  So we share a site with Chelsea and Al a lovely young couple who are working at Bandon in Oregon at a Golf Course.  We chat over beers and dinner, it is a lovely way to spend the evening and very kind of them to save us.  They are planning to hike tomorrow and then drive home so David and I can use the site for the next night which is great.
Wednesday 22nd July
Al received a text early this morning saying he is due back at work this afternoon so they leave, luckily they only live 4 hours away.  We exchange contact details and promise to keep in touch.
David and I move our tent more to the back of the site and then go out to hike.  We hike to the top of Mt Scott the highest peak at Crater Lake and it takes us only 2 hours so then we tackle Cleetwood Cove going down is fine but hiking back up is the equivalent of climbing 65 flights of stairs phew!!!  we could have swum in Crater Lake but it was fairly cold a nd breezy but by the time we got back to the top I sure felt like a swim!  There were some Aussies from Perth diving off the rocks at the bottom they said I should swim in my clothes ha ha.  We drive around to the shop at Mazama campground and buy some beer.  Then we go for a walk at Plaikini Falls a short 1 hour hike (all up we hiked 14 kms today).
We get back to the tent and start preparing to make dinner and light the fire as it was very cold last night and this morning.  While we are sitting there a young woman from another campsite is wandering along the road saying "can we use that firewood?" and David says "sure come and get some from beside our tent" and offers to carry some for her.  When he goes over to their campsite their fire is barely going so he helps them with it and we get chatting so we grab a beer and sit for a long chat Kate and Rachel met in South Korea when they were both teaching English there.  Kate is due to go to law school at Notre Dame and Rachel is due to go back to South Korea to teach English so they are having a last Hurrah and travelling their country together.  We chat about so many things but one thing stands out as hilarious In Oregon when you call into a gas station they MUST pump the gas for you it's state law, while one woman was pumping the gas another was washing the windscreen.  After we left I said to David "maybe we should have tipped them I wonder what the ettiquette is?" so because Kate is from Oregon we ask her and she says emphatically "NO NO you never tip them!" anyway then she says she has never travelled outside of Oregon before so she doesn't know how to pump gas and the first gas station she came to outside of Oregon she just sat in her car holding her card and Rachel said "what are you doing?" she was waiting for them to come pump her gas ha ha ha!!!!

SOFT USA conference

Wednesday 8th July
Went for a run through Wendover (Casino Town) and then breakfast at the hotel which was one of the best free hotel breakfasts we've ever had.
We visited the Bonneville Speedway Salt Flats.  We had a good hoon around the salt flats shhhhh don't tell Alamo (the rental car company).  It looked like the car was covered in snow when we were finished ha ha ha.
We drove through the desert to Salt Lake City Utah and arrived at the hotel around lunch time.  We checked in and then went downtown to Chick-fil-A for lunch and then to the car wash to wash all the salt off the car.
Back at the hotel we started running into old friends and making new ones.  I so love conference.  We decided to get a microwave meal from the front desk for dinner it was surprisingly good.
The first conference event was an ice cream social, having never been to one before we were quite excited.  The ice cream was from Cold Stone Creamery (Cold Rock for those playing in Australia) and was delicious, they had a servery set up with stuff to add to it and hot fudge two flavours it was fun.  We met some new parents and kids.  There was a troup of girl scouts there who have made owls for the balloon release gift  and when I mentioned to them that one would be coming back to Australia with us they asked to have their photo taken with us.  They were such lovely girls and the owls are gorgeous with a little peice of paper stuck to them that says 'Owl always love you" yeah corny but very sweet.

Thursday 9th July
This morning we went to the fitness room early and went for a run on the treadmills, I have never run on a treadmill before and it is very hard!!!  ran about 6km.  The hotel breakfast is great and we spend some time catching up with people.
After breakfast we went up to the cemetery to see the Christmas Box angel (it is an angel statue dedicated to bereaved parents, some people bring toys to place at the bottom, we put a 'Trisomy Strong' bracelet on her arm.  We sat for a while and took some photos (we visited last year and I didn't take photos and I regretted it).
Today we were given a delicious boxed lunch which we ate at the picnic table outside the hotel with Jude and Bill and Edith and Mimi.
After lunch we have a quick nap and then go to the Moms only and Dads only sessions.  It's a great opportunity to talk about our kids and issues that we have with living with a child with trisomy or the grief associated with losing one in a non-judgemental group while sipping wine ha ha
Tonight is the Welcome dinner and we sit with Trevor our friend that we met last year in Norfolk, Valorie, Dave & Simon, Caitlyn, Jesse & Twila.  We had a lovely dinner and had a chance to meet and chat to a lot of different people that we hadn't met before.  The speaker is a young woman who has had a child with trisomy, she shares her story and her struggles.  Dr Carey was given an appreciation award and a standing ovation  There is a silent auction on some art works that some of the kids have done.  We buy two one done by Dom  Nan Welch's son.  I shared some vegemite chocolate around which is a big hit.
Friday 10th July
We head down to the fitness room again and warm up on the treadmill and then head outside to finish our run.  After running on the treadmill running on the road feels sooo strange. 
This morning we catch the bus out to Red Butte Gardens for the bereavement outing.  There is a short ceremony in the children's garden and we are given rainbow coloured ribbons to write our child's name on and then as we tie it to a trellis we speak our child's name out loud it's a lovely tribute to our kids.  We are then given a packed lunch to take and eat where we want in the garden.  We enjoyed the garden and then it looked like rain so we went back to the front and were just in time to catch the bus going back but we were in the shop buying something and they left without us (apparently we wanted to walk back ha ha) so we got caught in the rain and went the long way. 
Tonight we went into town with Trevor and George, Atousa & Patrick.  We caught the tram it was easy and fun.  We arrived in town and thought we would go to The Cheesecake Factory for dinner but there were heaps of people waiting so I went in to find out how long the wait was and Atousa went into the Italian restaurant along the way to find out how long the wait was.  The Cheesecake Factory was a 30-40min wait and the Italian restaurant could get us in straight away so Italian it was.  It was a great night and Atousa got carded so that made her night!! 
Saturday 11th July
This morning was the business meeting where we voted for board members.
Then we had the Stroll for Hope.  Families got dressed up and some were sponsored and then we all went for a short stroll down the road. 
Todays lunch was a really yummy picnic and then the Ryan Cantrell Memorial Balloon release.  It was so lovely as usual but some of the balloons getting caught in the trees made me feel a little better about our balloon release on the Central Coast last year.  Thankfully we managed to keep Louise's out of the trees. 
Tonight was the auction and I spotted a couple of things I really wanted.  An angel bear.........got it, a plaque.........got it and a  T-shirt...........got it.  I love it when I get everything I wanted.  We had pizza and cake for dinner yum.

Sunday 12th July
We had a rest day from running today.  Saying goodbye to everyone is always hard.  We made our way around the dining room and said our goodbyes and still missed out on saying goodbye to some :( It was great to be able to share our photobooks with lots of people and catch up with many of our friends and meet some new ones.

We drove down to Arches NP today and went straight to the visitors centre to get our backcountry hiking pass.  The Ranger gives us the rules of hiking in Arches.

1. leave no trace  - so we have to pack out our rubbish, only hike in washes or on rock, camp only on solid rock and dig a hole at least 6 inches for...well you know.
2. you need to camp at least half a mile from any Arch and not be within eyesight of any Arch.
3. no pets LOL
4. make sure you have adequate water.
5. your tent must be up before sunset.
We were planning to hike out and camp in a section called Windows but the Ranger tells us that due to recent heavy rains it is not possible in that area.  A hiker returned the other day and said that she ended up waist deep in quicksand in that area....gulp!

So we drive up to the area known as Sand Dune Arch and pack our backpacks and hike over to broken arch nearby to follow the washes down from that to our proposed campsite.  It is fun picking our way along the washes and rocks until we found an area far enough away, not in eyeline and flat enough to camp on.  It really was beautiful camping on this rocky outcrop.  The silence was amazing and I found myself whispering because of it.  We watched quite a lot of wildlife (chipmunks, birds and bats) while we sat and ate our dinner and then watched the sunset.  We camped without the fly so that we could watch the stars thankfully the sky cleared and we got a good view of the stars.  The dehydrated meals we got from Walmart are quite tasty and we finish off with a nice cup of hot chocolate.  Thankfully no 6 inch holes required.

Kennedy Meadows Campground

3rd July

Last night we stayed at Idyllwild at Strawberry Creek Bunkhouse..........not at all what I was expecting a beautiful room with a small kitchen and bathroom.   A small verandah off the back of the room made it perfect.

This morning we ran up a trail towards the PCT we get nowhere near it but we had a good workout.  We drive up to Kennedy Meadows via a Maccas which is very close to the PCT (we met some thru-hikers there last year)  the Maccas is very busy and no thru-hikers this year as it's too late in the season they are all way further up the trail.

When we arrive at the campgound at Kennedy Meadows we find the camp host weho gives us a California fire permit and tells us the law of the land ie where we can camp and how much and gives us a fee envelope.  $17.00/night pretty pricey when there are no showers!!  We set up camp right near the PCT trailhead and then drive back to the General Store/Post office (it was in the movie) I am disappointed that it looks nothing like it did in the movie but get over that pretty quickly LOL we buy a beer and chat to the store owner and then realise that there are some thru-hikers there so we go outside and talk to Josh from Florida who only decided a month ago to hike the trail so that's why he's still here.  He gives us a few helpful tips and then we look around the store (thru-hikers can camp there for free and there are shower and postal facilities).  We went to have a look where the trail comes out near the store and then drove back to the campground (which is 3 miles from the store) and on the way pick up Ethan and Jessica another two thru-hikers.  Ethan has had an injury so his group went on ahead so he could rest and Jessica started the trail on horseback and her group also went on ahead.  They sign the trail register and off they go.  We get our dinner ready eat and then retire early as we have a big hike planned in the morning.

4th July

We pack our backpacks with water, lunch and snacks ready to hike as far as we can on the PCT.  We start out the day fresh and enthusiastic.  There are some interesting flora and fauna along the way.  About 5 or 6 kms down the trail we run into Ethan and Jessica who have camped on the trail overnight and are just waking up ready to go.  Jessica seems a bit distant and I thought it might be the look of all our brand new gear maybe she was thinking "who are they kidding!!" anyway we leave them behind and keep hiking.  About two hours later we stop for a break and while we are sitting there along come Ethan and Jessica, we were sitting a little way off the trail on some rocks and they stopped on the trail and sat there.  We finished our break and got started again, another two hours later we stopped for a lunch break and took bets to see how long it would be before we saw Ethan & Jessica (they were walking very slowly) and I got it right it was a full 20 mins after we stopped before we saw them.  We had decided that we would turn back after lunch and hike back to our camp so we had hiked 8 miles.  We said good bye to Ethan and Jessica and wished them well.  We hiked back towards our camp and stopped at the river to soak our feet as they were hot and dirty.  It felt great because the water was really cold.  The last 3 miles back to camp was definitely the hardest but at least we know we can do 16 miles/25kms with moderate effort.  After a short rest we quickly prepared our dinner as there was a big storm coming.  I was fighting sleep from about 6:30pm and by 7pm I was sound asleep.


July 5th

We drove up to Carson City via Tioga Pass, Tolumne Meadows (PCT) and Sonora Pass (PCT).  You might think we are becoming a little obsessed with this PCT thing .........OK yes we are !! we are committed to a thru-hike and planning for 2018 will start when we get home (forward notice no grandbabies that year please).  We arrive in Carson City quite late and find the hotel easily.  It's very comfortable and after a recommendation from the staff at the hotel we head to REDS for dinner it's an amazing place with memorabilia from bygone days all through the place the bar is stocked with 101 beers 52 on tap!!!  The food is one of the best meals I have had in the USA I couldn't finish my main, maybe shouldn't have had the crab cake appetizer!!?  I also had an espresso martini, now in Australia they just have the coffee crema on the top and put a coffee bean on top of that but over here they put cream and chocolate sauce on top of course!!  Sleeping in a bed after camping for two nights was just divine.

6th July

Our laundry was our first priority today so we put that on and go for a short run through town.  We get back and put the clothes in the dryer while we go for breakfast.  It is one of the best hotel breakfasts we have had.
 We head out into the Nevada desert to camp at Spencer Hot Springs on the way we stop in a small town called Austin for tea and pie.  Eating out here is very cheap and it costs $13 for two teas and two pie with ice cream.  The waitress is very shy and sweet so give her a big tip!
When we arrive at the hot springs there is a man ther sitting on the back of his ute smoking a cigarette.  I was a tad wary but once we got talking to him he was a lovely fellow.  He was surprised that there weren't more people out at the springs.  It's the sort of place that if you didn't know it was there you would never find it.  (Dave says he googled it but I still don't know how he knew it was there) Anyway Alan left and we had the place to ourselves.  It was very easy to see when anyone was coming because the approach road was dirt and the cars left a huge dust plume.  A short while later we were sitting soaking our legs as we had very sore calves when a local man with some young boys in his car pulled up.  He was very respectful of our space and left the kids in the car while he came to chat to us he told us that there were 2 more pools in the local vicinity.  So we left him and the boys to enjoy the bottom pool and drove up to the middle pool when we got there a family with two young children were there so we continued on up to the top pool and there was noone there.  We set up our tent and got dinner sorted before we stripped off and jumped in the pool as the sun started to set I was increasingly hearing the braying of donkeys.  Soon enough a herd of a about 12 were around the pool.  It must have been mating season as there was quite a bit of fighting going on, males jockeying for position.  We soaked in the hot spring for a couple of hours and then went to our tent.  The fighting donkeys continued until about 2am and sometimes sounded like they might come through the tent!!!!

7th July

We had a short run through the desert and another soak in the hot springs after packing up our gear (who needs a shower?!)
Today we visit a place called Garnet Hill.  We are supposed to be camping here for the night but after fossicking around for garnets a storm starts brewing with lightning, rain and wind.  David found a couple of garnets some a good size (looks like I might get a ring).  So we drive to the next town Ely and have lunch and look at some maps to try to decide where to camp.  We had been given some tips by the man with the young boys at the springs last night so we go take a look but by the time we get there it's REALLY cold and raining.  So we decide to try to drive out of the rain and settle on a spot a bit further up the highway.  Unfortunately we miss the signs for the place and end up in a Casino toewn (West Wendover near the Utah border) and stay in a Best Western instead.  It turns out to be a good decision.  We went to Pizza Hut for dinner there were few restaurants in town except for fast food and Casinos.  Pizza Hut in America seems to mostly be for takeaway and our experience has always been there is one person running the show trying to do EVERYTHING!  makes for a fairly slow dining experience.
 

aaarrggghhh the PCT

Thursday 2nd July

25 years ago today our dear sweet angel Louise Ruth left this earth and went to be with Jesus we miss her soo much every single day and know that one day we will see her again, which brings us great comfort.  meanwhile if Louise had never been part of our family and hadn't had Trisomy 18 we probably would never have travelled to the USA in 1999, would never have made some of the most amazing friends in the world and would not be contemplating hiking 2660 miles along the PCT.  She gave us so much in her short 5 months of life I am so grateful for her.  I am looking forward to catching up with our SOFT USA family next week in SLC.

We went down to the harbour to check out the Midway Museum.  The ship itself is huge!!!!!  At the harbourside there's a really cute statue of a returned soldier kissing his girl and in the park there is a monument to remember the contribution Bob Hope made to the soldiers by entertaining overseas.  On the way out of San Diego we drove up to Point Loma and the massive Military Cemetery overlooking the city.

Then things got really exciting!!  We travelled to the Southern terminus of the PCT.  It is just 50 metres from the Mexican border and we had our very own border guard LOL we saw many border guard vehicles while we were there and had a helicopter fly over us.  We walked a little way along the trail and looked at the trail register which is kept in a box at the back of the monument on the site.  Then we tracked to PCT up the highway to Morena Lake where we had lunch in the day use area and spoke to one of the rangers and told him that we planned to hike the PCT he was very impressed and gave us a few tips.  We spotted where the trail comes out at Morena Lake and then where it leaves and heads for Warner Springs.  We arrive in Idyllwild at around 5:30pm after me having a turn at driving.  Had some hairy moments with vehicles crossing the centre line.  We went down into town after checking in to get some beer and dessert we have some noodle bowls for dinner.  We eat dinner out on the small deck off the back of our room overlooking the forest and valley it's really pretty.   The room we are staying in is so cute and once the sun goes down it starts to get quite cool.  Tomorrow it's up to Kennedy Meadows another PCT stop.

On the road again!!!

Monday 29th June

Well here we are back in the USA!!!

The flight over was great.  Even though we thought we would have extra rood in our seats right up the back of the plane and didn't I was so happy with the positioning as we wer able to get up and down and stretch as we pleased and there was no walking all the way down the aisle to the loo and noone to climb over hurray!!  I slept for a short while and David had a really good sleep.  Watched quite a few movies including 'Wild' which I had wanted to see for a while and hyped us up even more for the PCT.  Yes we are planning to hike parts of the Pacific Crest Trail or PCT.  We used our pillows and sleeping bag liners on the flight over and they were a godsend we were cosy and comfy.
We arrived at LAX at 6:30am and got our car (a mazda 3) from Alamo and set off for Wildomar and a short visit to John and Fritzie.  It was lovely to see them both again and show them our photos from last year.
Then we drove down to San Diego and found our favourite place to eat Chick-fil-A yum! and had a salad for lunch.  Once in San Diego we found the REI outlet with help of our trusty GPS and got ourselves a few supplies a compass, some tentpegs and a bearproof cannister!
And then Walmart for some food and stuff that we will need for hiking.
After arriving at the hotel and getting our stuff sorted we went for a short run to clear the cobwebs of being awake for 48hours and maybe a little night duty hangover.  Then we walked up to our next favourite eating place Dennys for dinner.  It's quick and tasty and just what we needed.
It was not a late night.

Tuesday June 30th

Today we drove over to Seaworld we really could have walked but the girl at reception said there was no path (we discovered there was but we were already in the car and almost there) Parking cost $16!
Once inside Seaworld we headed straight for Shamu Stadium and the killer whale show.  We sat in the 'soak zone' thinking surely you couldn't get that wet!  The show was great and we got saturated from one whale tail splash! not sure how much they splash in litres but I was dripping wet!!  It was then I decided to move our passports into a ziplock bag to protect them (as I had had a little trouble at Sydney airport because my passport got a little wet when we were doing a border crossing on a rainy day last year) then we went on the ride through the rapids and got a bit more wet.  We watched several shows including Cirque de la Mer and the Sea lion show and got a bit more wet in the rain.  Then we went to the arctic display to see the Polar bears and Beluga Whales and froze because we were still a little wet although my shoes had dried off.  Then we went on the Journey to Atlantis ride and got the wettest of all!! and to top it off the Dolphin show and sat un the 'soak zone' cause hey I was already beyond saturated so what was a little more water?? right?  When we got back to the hotel we both had lovely hot showers and then I went to my handbag to get my phone out and there was a puddle in the bottom of my bag with my phone floating in it!!! why had I not thought to put my phone in the ziplock bag with our passports??  Tonight we decided to try Red Lobster for dinner and what a very strange dining experience.  Firstly no prices on the beers (but prices on the wines)?  Prices on the food BUT when we ordered the waiter tells us that we can only have one cup of soup at the price on the menu $2.97 and that for the second cup we pay the 'bowl' price??? $5.59 because we only ordered one entree (main meal to the Aussies) to share!!!  He takes our drink order and we get 2 shocktops and water.  The waiter serves them to us and leaves the beers are sitting on the table untouched and suddenly Dave's starts to foam and bubble over the top of the glass!!  bizzarre I have never seen a beer do that before! so then the soup comes out .......in bowls!? very strange.  We eat our meal and decide we'd like some dessert and the waiter turns up with the bill??  Um no we'd like dessert please.  OK so we order one dessert 2 spoons please which seems to amuse him a little, we do this not because we are cheap but if you have ever eaten in an American restaurant you'll know where we are coming from!  I'm so glad that we have a little way to walk to our hotel because I needed to do some walking off!  Another earlyish night as we are pretty tired.

Wednesday 1st July

First job to take my phone to get fixed so we find a cell phone repair place and go there.  The young man behind the counter asks what he can do to help me and I say "I think I drowned my phone at Seaworld!" and hand it to him he goes out the back and two seconds later pops out and says "no the water damage indicator has not gone off I just did a 2 button restart and it's all good!!"  sooo happy! Although in hindsight I think I've killed the speakers as it's not made any noises since we'll see when I take it for a run in the morning.  Then we find the post office to post a package to Utah for conference.  Then it's off to San Diego zoo.  I do love zoos and this one is not too bad but Taronga Zoo in Sydney still wins best zoo hands down IMHO.  You have the animals and the magnificent view you cannot beat it!  Tonight it's Chilis for dinner and probably another early night tonight before we are off to Idyllwyd tomorrow.  Sorry folks no photos couldn't be bothered!