Post by RedDoug on Dec 16, 2015 18:01:04 GMT -8
Red Meadows makes a very good malt. Both Todd and I had one there. It was the malt at Red Meadows that got us hungering for another one as we were making our way into Tuolumne Meadows and our meeting with the malt Nazi. The malts at Red Meadows cost $9 but they were big malts!! And very very good.
Red Meadows also makes a great vegie burger with fries. I got the last thing off the grill that day. Shortly after I got my vegie burger the grill was closed for the day and workmen began installing a brand new grill.
Red Meadows is a major resupply spot on the JMT/PCT. There are packs and backpackers all around the place. There is also a shuttle service into Mammoth for like $7 round trip. Katz once lived in the area and he knew someone in Mammoth he wanted to see. I decided to stay behind and take a nap. I ended up talking to two high school boys who were out on their first backpack trip and they were sorting their gear next to the shade I was trying to sleep in. The one was reading Jane Eyre which is very unusual reading for a 11th grade male. He told me it was required for the English Honors class he was in. Turns out in that class he had read a number of great literature classics. We discussed a number of them and I gave him some suggestions. And then I helped them sort gear.
1 complete roll of duct tape. I showed them how to wrap some around their trekking pole and then toss the rest. The floatation rings probably wasn't the best thing to back. Swimming would be limited. They pitched them, too. And so it went until we had eliminated several items from their packs, and several pounds.
Todd took off for Mammoth. He wanted to check out a hostel he had heard about. If he found it he would call the store office and leave a message for me to follow. 3 hrs later, about the time Katz was returning from Mammoth I got a message from Todd. Hostel rooms could be had for $40 a night. I told him I was on my way. That is when Katz showed up. I told him I was going into town to get a room. This is where I found out he had no CC and little money. If I could cover the cost for his room he would pay me back later. We got on the bus and off to Mammoth we went. Enough for Mammoth.
In the morning, the 3 of us made our way back to the Devil's Post Pile and back on the JMT heading for Tuolumne Meadows.
That evening Todd and I set up our tents close together. Katz was way off by himself. Strange even for Katz. About an hour after he had set up camp Katz came over and joined us. "Katz, how come you are pitched so far away from us?" I asked. Katz was quiet for a moment or two and then said, "I lost my tent stakes and I have my tent anchored to rocks. I was embarrassed about losing the stakes and didn't want to tell you." There were enough campers in the area that between 4 of us, we came up with enough extra stakes for Katz' tepee. Seemed like losing things was becoming a habit with Katz.
Now this conversation actually took place on the next day, but I am going to fit it in here.
Todd and I began to discuss our anticipation of getting a malt at Toulumne Meadows. We used the word malt maybe a dozen times in 4 or 5 minutes. Katz interrupted us and asked, "What is a malt?" How is that for a conversation stopper? Todd and I asked him what he meant. Katz repeated himself, "What is a malt?"
"You know, like in a malt from a malt shop," I said. Todd tried to explain what a malt was to Katz, but somehow, Katz was able to grow up to be 66 yrs old and had never had a malt or knew what they were. Todd and I discussed this later after Katz had returned to his tent so he could be settled in before it was dark. Todd and I discussed this off and on the next day. We discussed it at his house in Wisc when I visited him in September. I am still discussing it with myself. How was it possible that anyone could grow up in the USA and NOT know what a malt was? We both began to consider the possibility that perhaps Katz really wasn't from "here" after all.
The next evening, the evening before Tuolumne Meadows all 3 of us were camped near a river. Trout were jumping in the river and Todd, the engineer, put his genius to work. He got out his dental floss and pulled it all out and tied it to the end of his hiking pole with a safety pin tied to the business end. I had some freeze-dried corn and we used that for bait. Wow!! You should have seen the fish we caught. That certainly would have made a good story, but actually the dental floss, safety pin didn't work as well as it one might guess. I did manage to snag a backpacker going by who had a fly rod sticking out of his pack and we talked, and pretty soon I had one dry fly and 4 ft or leader. We were in real business now! Well no, that didn't work so well either. But Todd and I had a lot of fun trying to catch a trout with that rig.
During this time Katz was in his tent. When Todd and I abandoned the fly fishing I went over to my tent to do a few chores before dark. Katz came over to see me.
"RD," he said, "I am terribly homesick. I have never been away from home so long before in my life. Can we quit at Tuolumne Meadows? I want to go home."
Tuolumne Meadows is the point where the JMT and the PCT part ways. The JMT makes a dog leg back towards the SW and the PCT continues north. I had read a number of PCT thru hike accounts. Tuolumne Meadows was a place I had always heard about, never seen. "Sure, Katz," I responded. "We can quit at Tuolume." I would be satisfied with Tuolumne Meadows.
And we worked out the plan. "Katz, in the morning, first light, you be up and gone like you always are. Rush on into Tuolumne and get the first shuttle you can back to Happy Isles and them come back to get me there. I'll be along into Tuolumne eventually and wait for you there." I gave him $20 just in case any of the shuttles needed money to ride. We went over the plan again. We both agreed to it. He went back to bed. I did my tea and cookie thing.
In the morning I caught Katz before he took off. We went over the plan again. "Grab the first shuttle you can and go. You can pick me up at Tuolumne where I will be waiting for you." "Ok," answered Katz. "That is what I will do." I thought the plan was perfectly clear.
I took my good old time that morning getting into Tuolumne Meadows. It would take Katz at least 3 hrs to get back to Happy Isles on the shuttle and then about that much time to get back to Tuolumne Meadows. I had lots of time. And I took it. But then I started to think- I would really like to see Todd before he leaves Tuolumne and I began to push a little. I got into Tuolumne about 12:30. There stood Katz. My mouth fell open. "Katz," I asked, "What are you doing here?" Well," he said, I thought you would like to see Yosemite Valley and ride the shuttle with me." Whatever gave you that I idea?" I asked. "Well (I wished I could have pushed him in to one! at this point)," he said, "you know I am a people pleaser and I just thought that would make you happy." "Katz, what time does the next shuttle leave?" I asked. "It leaves at 1:15- the last one of the day to Happy Isles." "Then you better hurry if you are going to catch it. As planned and agreed to I will meet you here. And that people pleaser thing, take it out behind the wood shed and kill it!"
"Don't get mad at me," he said, "I only wanted to make you happy." "Making me happy would be to stay with what we agreed too," I said.
And Katz took off to catch the last shuttle. He barely made it.
Todd had listened to the entire conversation. "I listened to your conversation last night from my tent," He said. "I certainly understood the plan and I couldn't figure out what he was doing hanging around here."
Katz didn't get back to Tuolumne until just as dark was settling in. I waited over 7 hrs for him to get back, but I was in no mood to make the shuttle and car ride with him. I needed some time to practice deep breathing exercises.
On the what back up to Horseshoe Meadows we talked very little but there was one last bit of drama. I was the passenger and had the luxury to doze some in the passenger seat. But on the way up to Horseshoe Meadows- maybe 25 miles in from the last town on a steep winding, narrow mountain road, Katz ran out of gas. Well, he was close enough to being out of gas so that 2/3 of the way up a steep mountain road we have to do a 3 point turn around and make a retreat back to the last town where I bought the gas.
I think it was about 1 am when we finally got into Horseshoe Meadows parking lot. The trip was done. We got our gear sorted, all Katz' stuff in my van moved to his. I took a short nap and then headed south for Yucaipa. Katz off to his place.
And so the tale ends.
Todd and I may backpack together again. We are in touch by email.