For 10 years now I have been dreaming of walking the PCT (Pacific Crest Trail) from Mexico to Canada. And now this moment has come. On 12.May 2023 I start my walk at the Mexican border with 6 months and 4.200km in front of me.
The eagle flies again
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  • Michael Spies

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  • Amerika Serikat Amerika Serikat
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Perjalanan solo
  • 2,7rbkilometer yang ditempuh
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  • "Buttrfly" and "Catterpillar" gleaming their joy into the world
    This man with a t week old baby was rocking it gently while humming to itThis water cache was supposed to hold water but all bottles were empty.But the mice had chopped up all lables on the bottles to make a nest for their babiesBeautiful humming bird approaching a flower

    A day of colours and wonders

    7 Juni 2023, Amerika Serikat ⋅ ☁️ 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.
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  • SOS = slower, older, smarter

    7 Juni 2023, Amerika Serikat ⋅ 🌙 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... 😉
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  • What an incredible morning!

    8 Juni 2023, Amerika Serikat ⋅ ☀️ 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.
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  • And off we go to Mount Baden Powell

    10 Juni 2023, Amerika Serikat ⋅ ⛅ 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.
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  • Waking up at 1800m
    And then the snow line. Now walking became difficultOn top at last!CurtCrossing the path again and again, a 4m snow driftAnd then the fog came over the ridge.Once burnt forests everywhere

    Mt. Baden Powell,

    11 Juni 2023, Amerika Serikat ⋅ ⛅ 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.
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  • A day walking through burnt forest

    12 Juni 2023, Amerika Serikat ⋅ ☀️ 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!
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  • How can energy vary so dramatically?

    13 Juni 2023, Amerika Serikat ⋅ ☀️ 14 °C

    While yesterday was pure FLOW, today was the contrast program, I had zero energy!
    Every step was an effort!
    I dragged myself up the mountains, incapable of seeing the beauty, my thoughts focused on all the difficulty. What is worse?
    The bushes growing into the path forcing me to step off the trail and slide down the steep slopes, or the hundreds of bugs that jump on me every time I brush past a bush, preferably they then climb down my back and start biting, or are the trees lying across the path worse? Too high to climb over, too low to climb under and too wide to go round, or is it the 100 flies accompanying me around my head as I walk, of which some manage to land on my skin and immediately sink their proboscis into my skin to suck my blood..
    And then there are those tiny flies that have one objective in life, to fly up my nose or even better into my ears to then not find their way out and buzz around for minutes and there is nothing you can do.
    Today was one of those days where everything is terrible and no beauty gets through.
    But tomorrow will be another day!
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  • 33kms, 800m up, 1500m down

    14 Juni 2023, Amerika Serikat ⋅ ☀️ 13 °C

    What an extreme day!
    I wanted to get to ACTON at all cost to pick up parcels I had sent to the post office there. The trail just did not want to end, another loop, another climb, and every now and then I could see the camp site in the distance.
    But the day was definitely too much, and pain racked me all night.
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  • How much ammunition would you like to have? Just take it from the counter
    Deco from the last western

    ACTON, 730km, 22.000m

    15 Juni 2023, Amerika Serikat ⋅ ☀️ 15 °C

    A good feeling got me this morning:
    I am now walking a little more than one month (36 days) and have walked 730km. In that time , I climbed and descended 22.000 meters!!!!!!
    Now, how's that for a 65 Year old "Toppie"?

    Acton, like the whole area, is in the backlands of los angeles and completely dominated by the film industry. The trail angel who took us to Acton is a sound engineer and stopped every few meters to show us the set of virtually every famous film in the last 10 years. An old barn for the final shoot-out of a drug film, the guy making the cars for "fast and furious" or an animal sanctuary for tigers mountain lions and Grizzlies used in films.
    Or the old saloon in a Western. Everything was illusion in film.
    In the supermarket, I watched a customer buy ammunition for his shot gun. How many boxes would you like? No problem, just choose what you need from the counter.
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  • Airstream caravans for the filmstars
    Cars for destruction in car chasesHow about a portable church?I've seen similar clay figures all along the trailThis little snake was guarding the only water spring.

    HELP! Im being eaten by a millions flies

    16 Juni 2023, Amerika Serikat ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    Like Acton and Agua Dulce, this area is where Hollywood makes their films. As I climbed up I passed an area where film requisites are stored, hundreds of hotrods and cars ready for destruction in a car chase, fifty Airstream caravans for the Filmstars on set, and even a small portable church.
    As I walked, suddenly "Max" (from Australia with whom I hiked on my first day) appeared. I hadn't seen him since the then and spent a wonderful break together. Even though he is 29years, we have a special relationship.
    Food for my soul.
    That evening I set up camp along the trail, only to be attacked by millions of small flies. A horror with only one solution, get inside the tent quickly and stay there!
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