We have a few new people so welcome! (We're up to over 70 following now! This still blows me and K'lena away!)
Let's try a Blog...
I took the plunge and decided to test out a blog....... please visit the following link and follow the blog! When I write a new post I'll send you all the link and you can visit the site. Give me feedback if you don't like this style. We're still trying to figure it all out! Follow along here: hikingherstory.blogspot.
The first 2 updates are also on the Blog as well.
Saturday, April 26th The Tramily got back on the trail around 10am our time (8am her time as planned). I kind of expected to hear from her Tuesday, April 29th as that's when I thought she would be arriving in Warner Springs. I was a day off apparently. I don't know what I was thinking?!
Monday, April 28th
Actually I did try to text K'lena to check in, but it was alerting me that she was only connected via satelite GPS so I wasn't sure if it would go thru.. I did text her and asked how it was going and said you must be off the grid. From conversation on Tuesday, April 29th with my dad she did end up in Warner Springs on Monday and got her sleeping bag. She chose to send her sleeping quilt up to another destination. (Unknown detail to me for what location & didn't get to ask her if that cost or not)
Tuesday, April 29th
I did receive a text back from last night's message around 11:30am..... I was working an event and she said yep, no cell service last night! Followed by 6 other text messages..... now keep in mind I'm working an event serving food and taking donations for Seward County. My phone is just going crazy with her texts, phone calls from my husband and other people trying to reach me about this event, and email alerts from my job. I had to pause and look at my phone quickly because I thought something was wrong and someone was trying to get ahold of me. All I could really read on the front screen was "had a crazy night" then one that said "IT WAS SO BIG"........ then my dad text me "Did K3 call and tell you about last night?...It is a story for the ages" so I left them until I could read and process what was happening.
"K" System
If you are not familiar with the "K" system..... let me explain......Our parents would get tongue tied when calling our names so we go by:
K1= me, Katie
K2= my brother, Kolten
K3= my sister, K'lena
Now you'll know if I say K3 in a text thread..... it's just easier in the family group chat
Back to the story.....
CRAZY NIGHT! ....... What do you think happened? What do you think was so big? My mind immediately went to a nasty snake! K'lena told me her fear was a rattlesnake so immediately my mind started panicking.....I'm still serving the event and can't read my text messages until about 1:30pm...... man my mind is just filled with all kinds of what ifs and what was it?! Finally 1:30pm rolls around....we're finishing up the event, but I have about 3 other errands to run then back to work. I had to take a few minutes to read the messages....
"Had a monster of a mouse on my FACE last night!"
"Threw it off of me"
"IT WAS SO BIG!"...................
FOR REAL?! I wasn't thinking of a mouse, but ok maybe not so bad right? My questions....But how big was it?! How long had it been in there? How did it get in her tent? So many questions are circling in my head!
"Then it went to Jenna's tent and ate a massive hole through her tent and some of her food!"
Again....so many questions and because I had to wait so long to respond to her text I sit here and update this blog while I waited for her to answer! I asked for a photo and to call me to tell me the story over the phone....so more to come! I guess I'd rather have a mouse than a snake, but on my face?! NO THANK YOU!
K'lena did text me off her GPS tracker and said she would try to call tomorrow (Wednesday, April 30th), but no guarantees. Cell service is VERY LIMITED right now. I can't wait to hear her side and how animated she will be over the phone about the situation!
**After my phone conversation with K'lena (you'll see below with a pretty interesting story) they stayed with a Trail Angel Tuesday, April 29th. "Mike's House"- She made herself eat some of the food that she had packed in her bag to get a small amount of weight off and the host made them pizza. She didn't talk much more about this. Our phone call was pretty short. They will also stay at another Trail Angels house tonight Wednesday, April 30.
Wednesday, April 30th
The tracker alerted me about 9:15am (our time) that she started her journey. She ended up calling me about 11am (our time). They were in a spot with cell service and they had stopped for a break and some shade.
Here is what happened......
K'lena was "cowboy camping" on Monday night. She had already made it thru Warner Springs and had called it a night. Cowboy camping is where you sleep with no tent, just your sleeping bag/quilt pad or a sheet and you in the open gazing upon the stars. She closed her eyes and had been in and out of it for a little while. She thought she was dreaming and all of a sudden felt something on her face...threw it off and looked and in the bushes there was a huge mouse just staring at her! This all happened around 8:30pm so not too long after she had been in and out of it. Still not sure if she was dreaming or if this was really happening. So she decided to set up her tent. The mouse just kind of hung around the area. Then once she got all set up she could hear the mouse trying to get into her tent so she took her headlamp and turned it on and pointed it in the direction and it finally left. I don't know about you, but I wouldn't be sleeping much after that experience. Let's be honest......I'm more of a glamper...I need a camper with a bed, AC or heat, and a bathroom! Kudos to those who tent camp or cowboy camp! The story CONTINUES.... K'lena got up and went about her morning routine and then Jenna appeared and she told her the story of what happened....NO WAY!!! Jenna then tells her at 3am she was woken up to a HUGE mouse in her tent! It had eaten some trash outside the front of the tent then it went to the back of the tent and ate a massive hole. Then it tore into her food bag. Jenna had been so excited to eat these specific fruit pies....welp not now! The mouse had gotten into them and there was jelly all over the tent and the food bag. Can you imagine?!
K'lena was pretty animated when she was telling the story.... I just can't imagine! I did ask....so Jenna didn't hear you screaming originally and you didn't hear Jenna making a fuss over the mouse at 3am? She said no because when they are able to spread out when sleeping/camping overnight they try to get some space and spread out. So Jenna was a little further down from her.
Blast from the past....
This reminds me of a funny story back in 2015 when a mouse, K'lena, and a van were involved..... K'lena was watching my son, Creighton (he would have only been about 5-6 months at the time. It was New Years Eve and I had to work until Noon and she was watching Creighton at my house that morning. I had gone home to pick her and Creighton up to take her home. We had a van at the time. I was driving down the gravel road and thought I saw something in the rear view mirror but it just was a quick blur so I didn't think anything of it. Probably just dust or a rock that threw up in the air behind us. Then I saw it again, A MOUSE..... the little brown fur ball was just sitting on the 3rd row headrest. I'm trying not to crash and stay calm, but know I will freak out if that nasty mouse comes up front. I said "K'lena, don't freak out, but there is a mouse in the back seat. I need you to turn around and make sure it doesn't get in Creighton's car seat and watch where it goes!"......Instant FREAK OUT & panic mode! She grabbed all her items off the floor of the van and got her legs up on the seat. (I think she was thinking there was no way the mouse could climb onto HER seat!) She turned around to watch and we called my dad telling him to be prepared to catch the mouse when we got to their house. We pulled up to my parents house, opened the sliding door, grabbed the car seat, and my dad got in the van. He had traps and a fishing net. He was able to get the mouse into the fishing net and was able to take care of it. Sorry K'lena, dad wasn't there to save you with the fishing net this time! Ha ha
Upcoming destination....
They plan to be in Idyllwild by/on Saturday. I'm not sure how long they will stay there/details. I expect to hear from her when they arrive/have better cell service/etc. Because of the cell service there has not been any photos added to our photo album so I don't have anything to share with you yet. When we were talking she was constantly saying "hi" to people and "I'm just talking to my sister, go ahead sit down."- so I'm guessing the Tramily is still together and there was probably not a lot of shade in this area they had stopped.
The PCT is all about planning......planning your destinations but also your water sources!
Today, Wednesday, April 30- Hike 16 miles when I talked to her 11am our time they had already gone 4 miles
Thursday, May 1 - Hike 15 miles
Friday, May 2- Hike 14 miles
+ whatever they had hiked already this week between Warner Springs and their location now. There is NOT a lot of water in the area they are in now. They are hiking that many miles so they can get to the water caches to hydrate so they don't have to pack so much water so they don't have to pack that much weight.
Until next time....I didn't have a lot to share, but that's how it goes. At least maybe you'll laugh over the mouse?! Hopefully next week I'll have an update from the weekend and other things along the way. Talk to you soon!
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