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Michael SpiesMichael Spies
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traveled in 21 countries Read more Icking, Deutschland
  • Michael SpiesBald eagle goes a walking
    1
    Day 35

    A day walking through burnt forest

    June 12, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 7 °C

    Yesterdays fog became thicker and thicker until we could no longer see the trail. I pitched tent next to a closed road. The air was so moist that water was running down the tent inside as outside. Everything was wet!
    The next morning it cleared up and i put everything out to dry in the first sun. Hardly had the sun come out, when the fog rose from the valley engulfing us again. I gave up, packed and started walking. That's when I met "Narwal" with a special story. I saw his huge rucksack weighing 30kg and more than wondered. He told me he had Apnoea (stops breathing at night) and carries a machine + batteries to keep hin breathing. He had been in Irak in 2003 after the oil wells burnt. The poisonous gasses reduced his lung capacity by half. Since then he has apnoea. How corrageous to be doing the PCT!
    A huge region of indigenous forest had burnt and I decided to walk a part on the road. This accelerated my speed from 2kph to around 5kph, such is the difference between trail and road. I felt as if on the Camino again and quickly walked 30kms in total FLOW along and through burnt forest. As I walked I imagined how the flames engulfed the trees, each burning like a torch and lighting the next one. As I walked I listened to the music of Hania Rani a young polish pianist, the violin, cello and piano, fitted perfectly to my inner pictures of this fire.
    (see Hania Rani, "There will be hope" on the recording "Inner symphonies" )
    But I also saw traces of hope. Flowers had started to flower, the bark of some trees had healed on the edges to burnt areas and some trees had new needles in the crest. Nature is a miracle, even after a catastrophe. AGAIN Hania's music accompanied these feelings. (See "Malasana" on the same recording)
    I arrived at my daily target really early, set up tent and enjoyed an early dinner and hot chocolate! Mmmmm!    Read more

  • Michael SpiesBald eagle goes a walking
    Day 34

    Mt. Baden Powell,

    June 11, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 3 °C

    We camped at 1800m, getting up early to catch the snow while it was still har.
    In Wrightwood everyone had been discussing the snow, the lack of a path and the extreme steepness of the climb. Somehow we did it, and felt "that's it for the day"!
    The anti climax followed, another 25km, numerous ridges, climbs and drops which just went on for ever!
    To make matters worse, the whole region had burnt recently and fog appeared, creating a weird atmosphere.    Read more

  • Michael SpiesBald eagle goes a walking
    1
    Day 33

    And off we go to Mount Baden Powell

    June 10, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    I spent two days at trail angel Mandy sleeping last night with 15 persons on her deck outside. It felt like sardines in a tin!
    Had lunch yesterday with Andie Mc-Donald, a lady from Vancouver who works for a luxury lodge called "Nimmo Bay wilderness resort" (see google maps) in the fjords north of vancouver where visitors pay USD 2000,- per night! It is for the richest of the rich. She leads them on Orca and Grizzly observation trips by sea kayak. She will not be returning there but plans to do the same work with handicapped children. We spoke for hours on all topics imaginable. Such conversations are like tanking up my batteries!
    Today we are heading back to trail and will tent half way up mount Baden Powell, a 2000m climb followed by 4 days of walking along a ridge. Snow will once again be my companion.    Read more

  • Michael SpiesBald eagle goes a walking
    1
    Day 31

    What an incredible morning!

    June 8, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 4 °C

    I woke up this morning in paradise in 2800m as the sun came up and shone straight into my tent. I was filled with this incredible awe when you meet god! There he was just lighting me and my life up, in the valley below the fog, up here yellow light among the ancient fir trees.
    I packed together and started walking 1800m steep down to Wrightwood and came across a little shrine. Two hikers had hiked down the wrong path in a snowy environment like we had on Fuller ridge in the Jacintos. They slipped and stopped 150m further, dead! Yes, death is allways very close on this trail, a split second and you are gone. It is very easy. I am very aware of this. The shrine made me relish my life even more, every second.
    As I approached Wrightwood I came past acorn cabins belonging to Mandy a wonderful trail angel from Australia. The cabins were full so I slept on the deck together with 10 other hikers. Again I astounded at how these trail angels are helping us.
    The first thing I did in Wrightwood was go to restaurant that serves salad. I am starved of salad and vegetables!
    Then I discovered that the sleeping bag and New rucksack I had ordered to the post office had either not arrived or were the wrong size. Pure frustration! And the companies delivering had no understanding for my situation. I sent everything back and xanxelled the remaining order.    Read more

  • Michael SpiesBald eagle goes a walking
    Day 30

    SOS = slower, older, smarter

    June 7, 2023 in the United States ⋅ 🌙 5 °C

    Today I found this on Facebook. It fits my trail perfectly. (Unfortunately in German)

    Ein A380 ist auf dem Weg über den Atlantik. Er fliegt gleichbleibend mit 800 km/h in 30.000 Fuß Höhe, als plötzlich ein Eurofighter mit Tempo Mach 2 auftaucht. Der Pilot des Kampfjets bremst ab, fliegt neben dem Airbus her und grüßt den Piloten des Passagierflugzeugs per Funk: „Langweiliger Flug, was? Dann pass mal auf!“
    Er rollt seinen Jet auf den Rücken, beschleunigt, durchbricht die Schallmauer, steigt rasant in eine schwindelerregende Höhe, nur um gleich darauf in einem atemberaubenden Sturzflug fast bis hinunter auf Meereshöhe zu stürzen. Mit einem Looping kehrt er neben den A380 zurück und fragt: „Na, wie war das?“

    Der Pilot des Airbus antwortet: „Sehr beeindruckend. Aber jetzt schau du mal her!“

    Der Jetpilot beobachtet die Passagiermaschine, aber es passiert nichts. Sie fliegt weiter stur geradeaus, mit immer gleichem Tempo. Nach fünf Minuten meldet sich der A380-Pilot per Funk: „Na, was sagst Du jetzt!?“

    Der Jetpilot fragt irritiert: „Was hast du denn gemacht?“ Der andere lacht und sagt: „Ich bin aufgestanden, habe mir die Beine vertreten, bin nach hinten auf die Toilette gegangen, dann habe ich mir einen Kaffee und eine Zimtschnecke geholt und mich für die nächsten drei Nächte mit der Stewardess verabredet – in einem 5-Sterne-Hotel, das von meinem Arbeitgeber bezahlt wird.“

    Die Moral der Geschichte ist:

    Wenn du jung bist, scheinen Geschwindigkeit und Adrenalin etwas tolles zu sein. Aber wenn du älter und klüger wirst, sind Bequemlichkeit und Ruhe auch nicht zu verachten.

    Man nennt das S.O.S.: slower, older, smarter.

    Gewidmet allen meinen Freunden, die sich wie ich dem S.O.S. nähern... 😉    Read more

  • Michael SpiesBald eagle goes a walking
    Day 30

    A day of colours and wonders

    June 7, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 10 °C

    This morning as I returned to the trail I again passed Mc Donalds and decided to pop in for a coffee and there were once again "Butterfly" and "catterpillar" having breakfast. There joy of life and smiles followed me all day. And by god did I need it. Today was 30km and 1800m altitude climb. I hiked from 08:30 till 20:00hrs with only a short break! And the whole time it went only one direction; UP!
    But the weather was cool and the trail full of flowers and other beautiful surprises. Such as the photograph of the humming bird. These tiny 4cm long birds fly so fast from flower to flower that I have never managed to photograph one.
    Opposite us at Mc Donald's, I witnessed a very moving image: a man whose neck was as wide as the upper part of my thigh was holding this maybe 2 week old baby and rocking to-and-fro humming to it. It was so loving and gentle that I nearly cried.
    And then there were the incredible views from 2800m into the valleys as the sun set that once again reminded me how beautiful this world is.
    How privileged I am.    Read more

  • Michael SpiesBald eagle goes a walking
    Day 29

    Great joy and deep disappointment

    June 6, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    Today I had a great day hiking to Cajon pass separating two mountain ranges, hiking partly together with Elisabeth from Amsterdam, who suddenly apeared while I took a rest with two hikers "butterfly" and "caterpillar". What joy to see her again!
    Today the whole trail had one common goal; Mc Donalds at Cajon pass. All energy and talk was focused on this one goal with hikers getting faster and faster in the last kms. Mc Donalds was loaded full of hikers, many whom I had not seen for days. Elisabeth and I entered
    singing the song "Allways look on the brighter side of life" accompanied by the music on Spotify. As we danced in the middle of the restaurant, the people around us joined in the singing. What fun! What joy!
    Among other I was thrilled to see Mary-Jo there, but then totally shocked when she hardly reacted to my greeting, as if I were an unknown person. Two days previously we had been talking for a whole day about her cancer, about death of parents,, children and divorce, the most personal of subjects from the heart, and here was this person now behaving as if she hardly knew me. I was totally confused and hurt and noticed how the topic worked in me all evening. It was nice to have a friend like Elisabeth there to talk to, who like me, had decided not to continue this afternoon up the next mountain (1.200m) amidst an extremely strong, ice cold wind. We walked to the local motel on the highway and split the costs of a room.
    I was amazed that the majority of hikers continued this afternoon under ice cold conditions. again under time stress to make a 30mile (45 km) day!
    Crazy!    Read more

  • Michael SpiesBald eagle goes a walking
    Day 28

    Gone as quickly as she apeared!

    June 5, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 12 °C

    I woke up at 5 in the morning to hear Mary-Joe packing her tent and came out just as she was leaving!. Oh shit I thought.
    It was a strange farewell, a short "see you" and she was gone.
    Once again, I was alone!
    I just don't understand the hurry that people are in. Just because of this target to reach Canada this year people are in an incredible stress, setting mileage targets for each day and having no time to taste the beauty of the landscape we are walking through. I keep on hearing the most horrific stories of young people taking sleeping pills to be able to sleep and taking several Iboprofene each day over long periods to calm the pain they are experiencing in their bones and joints. Isn't that totally insane! All just for the sake of getting to Canada before the snow falls!
    I have.long given up this vision.. When I calculated the trail, I took my 35 km daily average from the camino, a grave mistake!. This trail has nothing to do with the camino. These are rocky, mountain tracks with a lot of climbing, carrying food, and a tent and lots of water. My average is closer to 25km per day. I have given up Canada and will walk as far as I can while enjoying this incredible nature!

    And this morning, after Mary-Jo had left, I went down to the river and just sat there listening to the water. And then I saw the footprints! A black bear had been walking around our tents and down to the water where he had been digging in the sand.
    Now, how nice is that!

    All day, I hiked along the canyon in which the river flowed, criss crossing over bridges to finally arrive at Joshua Inn, a typical pub/sandwich bar at the end of the world, in front, huge pick-up's, inside the weirdest characters I have ever seen drinking, playing billiard and talking tall stories. With my pictures of snakes ready to strike and bear paws next to my tent I dominated the conversation all evening because each had their own snake and bear story to tell!
    By the way, Joshua Inn was KM 505!!!!!!    Read more

  • Michael SpiesBald eagle goes a walking
    Day 27

    Wow, what a day of extremes

    June 4, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C

    Today was a day of extremes!
    I woke up in the morning feeling depressed and extremely lonely. The evening before with three hikers had depressed me. Converstion was hollow and meaningless, and I noticed this is not my world nor generation, and makes me feel even more alone than I already am. The age group on trail is between 20-30 years old. They are at the beginning of their lives with little life experience. I am yearning to meet people closer to my age and life experience, and I am yearning to meet someone who walks my pace with whom I can share the beauty of this trail.
    Beauty is twice as beautiful when you can share it with someone.
    I gathered together my energy, buried my sorrow, and set off walking to be met by the most unbelievable flowers on trail to remind me that beauty is all around.
    Then suddenly there was loud rustling in a bush next to me as I passed. I jumped forward instinctively and turned around. There was a huge black rattle snake, wound up like a spring, 1/3 of his body in the air ready to strike. I showed the photographs to a local who confirmed that this snake meant business and that I was extremely lucky.
    Later on in the day, I stepped past a large boulder and again saw a rattle snake in the corner of my eye, curled up. I agai lept 3 meters, but this one was fast asleep and didn't react at all. As I walk, I am constantly on alert for their rattle and checking the path ahead. And yet, one does not see them till the last moment. And if they don't rattle? What to do then?
    And then in the afternoon, as if organized by my angel, a 49 year old lady from sacraments called Mary Joe. A homeopath, according to Hanamann, two grown-up daughters, and just came out of breast cancer. And miracle, she walks more or less at my pace! We had incredible discussions all afternoon and evening about life, children, sickness, and a million other topics.
    The evening, we set camp next to a mountain stream with the roaring of water and the sound of frogs while we each cooked our meals.
    What a beautiful day!    Read more

  • Michael SpiesBald eagle goes a walking
    Day 26

    Everyone is gone, and I am at Kenney's

    June 3, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    Everyone left again yesterday, I decided to stay another night and moved to the house of a trail angel Kenny, to have time to write this blog and order a new sleeping bag.
    Kenny Anderson is a crazy guy. He seems to be a well known country singer (Duke Anderson band) , has this large house stuffed to the rim with "things" and which seems to not have been cleaned since his divorce 4 years ago. Every day approx 10 hikers stay here. It is chaos and mess, but with a HUGE HEART!
    Went and had dinner with him alone last night (He is my age) and I got a wonderful insight into a typical American country life.
    This morning, a huge breakfast and then back to trail. 5-7 days of walking waiting for me!
    Back into the prickly country!    Read more

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