Snow Creek Roll Call/Transportation/Car Pooling

[Kathryn61]

Hal, I really want to thank you for waiting for me! I was the last one on the trail and after being at the "bail out" point since around 8 am, you waited with Tina and Mark until 12:00 for me to arrive! Then you were kind enough to give us a ride all the way to our cars, via a really cool and fun scenic route. It was really a pleasure to meet your familty too! I also want to thank Steve, (Bluerail) for walking back down to make sure that I found my way to the bail out point. He had to walk about an extra 8 miles in order to do that. Tina, as always, I had a blast with you waiting at the tram bar for everyone to arrive. Ellen, I was sooooo glad to see you at the bar and discover that you were ok. And to all the other hikers from that day....It was great seeing those of you I know and a pleasure meeting the rest of you!

Kathryn

[Dave G]

I really enjoyed this hike, even though I was questioning for a while if it would ever really end! It was very cool seeing some of the “Skyline Regulars” again and meeting some new ones—you guys are a hale and hearty group!

Norris, you were no impediment! It’s always great to hike/climb with you and who else could I count on for medical supplies when I decide to do field surgery on my toe? Since I’ve already bivied on a High Sierra peak with you, I hope you didn’t mind that I took a rain check on your Long Valley RS Bed & Breakfast event!

Patrick, you crazy Irishman, you remind of my long-lost uncle that we don’t talk about anymore and it was great to start out the hike with you!

Phil, and others, who were trying to spare me from a cab ride, thank you! Watching the meter rise in the taxi through bleary eyes, with the nervous driver complaining, “It’s kinda dark out here, pal” and me responding “Yeah, but that Blair Witch sign has to be along here somewhere!” had to be the crux of the hike.

Halhiker, it was great to meet you; thank you for your generous support!

Ellen, when you didn’t show up, some of us (not me!) suspected that we were “set up” and that you, as the conceiver of this adventure, were in fact lounging with a mimosa somewhere, and taking pleasure in our pain. Glad to hear that wasn’t the case! At first I was concerned about going permitless, but as the hours wore on I realized that any permit-checkers would likely be off the clock by the time we passed through!

Norma, I missed not having you along to share a new trail with, but your (temporarily) gimpy knee would be thankful if it knew what it was spared from!

I took a few pics:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/21042415@N02/sets/72157622860722306/

[tinaballina]

I will be heading off to the doctors here in a bit. i still can't believe i fell directly into a rock. punctured my knee pretty bad but what i didn't realize i did until i woke up yesterday was bruised my ribs, funny how i didn't even feel that all day saturday now its killing me. I will give you all a status update after i see the doc.
Hal, i can't thank you enough for being there, you literally saved me. If i would have done the whole hike on that messed up knee i think i could have really messed it up. it was a pleasure talking with you and meeting your two adorable sons and wife.
Patrick, Phil and norris it was such a pleasure meeting you.
It was great seeing Dave G again as well.
Giga Mike, Brad, Greg, Zip, Steve and Fergie, i wish i could have completed my mission with you all, bummed i wasn't able to.
Kathryn and mark, thanks for keeping me company on our ride down. and kathryn, i keep thinking about that sandwich, it was so good.
Ellen, you crazy pain sister, we both had messed up days on saturday, wtf...i am just glad that you are okay. when we do the other snow creek in the winter you are following me out there.

[NormaR]

Holy carp! i just read all the posts and TR's. yes, maybe that spill of last Sunday that tweaked my knee spared me the pain i would have had from Snow Creek, but what i missed was being part of this grand though "Griswoldian" (Nat'l Lampoon family) adventure.

i really enjoyed hiking with cougarmagic (from the San Gabriel board) on Saturday, but i have to admit i kept wondering all day, "Where are they now on San J?"

First off, Tina i hope your knee will be ok. unfortunately, i know your pain. my 2 cents on the bruised ribs is that they do hurt worse with each day. go see a physical therapist or chiro this week that will treat the intercostal muscles and relieve the spasms that increase the pain.

Ellen, so sorry you could not find the TH and suffered that mind-boggling frustration on a morning you were expecting to begin an epic adventure. i'm glad you came up with a Plan B and got to work-out your angst on C2C plus meet up with others to tell them you were ok.

Norris, you crack me up! you gotta love a guy who can laugh at himself. when Phil called and woke me up asking for your phone number Saturday night i went into worry mode. Phil assured me you would be ok since you are such a gear-junky and then i had visions of you unfurling a 5-star bivy sack and making a Dirty Martini to warm you on San J. i guess your accommodations were not quite that cush but i am impressed that you did this marathon (+ 5 mile) hike and happy to know you were safe. congrats!

Phil (lik2hik), i knew you would nail this beast! you have the drive and strength to share the trails with the likes of Zipp, Steve, Tina and Gigamike.

Lilbitmo, here is yet another hike i did not do with you. loved your TR and i look forward to hiking with you someday. congrats!

last but never least, Dave G... when i told you last week that i was planning on doing Baldy on Friday and Snow Creek on Saturday you said i was crazy. Well G-man... YOU IS CRAZY!!!! you did what i could not do and to top it off you did it with "impediments!" (term plagiarized from Norris) to do this with two neuromas was insane, but hey, nobody has ever called you normal and then to read that you did a field surgery??? the others think you are kidding but i know you well enough to know you're not! i can't wait to hear the oral TR on this advernture. Congratulations on nailing one heck of a hike and taking great photos along the way. it was epic! even the Taxi fare was epic!!

and to all the others (i do not know) who did and did not finish... WAY TO GO!! what a determined and courageous group. you all are amazing!

norma

[Blooty]

Dang Looks like another epic hike for the books.

I can't say enough good things about kineseo tape for the knee.

[GigaMike]

Except for the bush wacking on the lower part of the trail, this was actually a fun and enjoyable hike. Thanks Tina, Greg and Brad, hiking with you all was a hoot. It was also great running into familiar faces and some new ones.

Thanks Hal for the resupply.

Tina- Good choice stopping halfway. You definitely have nothing to prove. You'll be back with a vengeance!

Here are my pictures from the hike:
http://www.digitalalpine.com/2009-Pictu ... 4667_jLgFt

[bluerail]

Dave and Norris, Im glad you guys had a good trip back in...that uphill on Marion was a bitch huh? I was so tired at that point it was all I could do not to keep stopping, and was it ever going to end ?! And you guys in the dark for a bit of the trip! I was coming down through Sid Davis with hardly any batteries left and scared to death I was going to get trapped in there in the dark...not a good thing. Nice TR and photos.

Great seeing you guys on the trail and hope to see you again soon.

[Sally]

I was so envious of everyone on Saturday when I, alas, had to work. Now that I've heard the details of the adventure I'm thinking maybe it's just as well that I didn't get to go.

Norris, I would have kept you company at your bivy as I probably would have stumbled to the tram station well after you.

Ellen, some of my most memorable hiking experiences have been in the act of trying to find the trailhead, such as the time my car got stuck in sand in the middle of nowhere in the Anza Borrego Desert, and the time I got stuck in a ditch looking for a trailhead in the Santa Anas.

To Tina, and anyone else that got banged up, I hope you heal up fast.

You know what's really sick is that I'm STILL envious that I don't have sore muscles today.

Congratulations to you all! You keep the desire burning within me to hike like a fool!

[Norris]

Dave and Norris, Im glad you guys had a good trip back in...that uphill on Marion was a bitch huh? I was so tired at that point it was all I could do not to keep stopping, and was it ever going to end ?! And you guys in the dark for a bit of the trip! I was coming down through Sid Davis with hardly any batteries left and scared to death I was going to get trapped in there in the dark...not a good thing. Nice TR and photos.

Great seeing you guys on the trail and hope to see you again soon.

Thanks Bluerail! It was nice meeting you and chatting on the trail. And man, I have no idea how you managed to hike an extra 5 or 10 miles and still finish when you did...Wow.

[bluerail]

I think it was more like an extra 4-5 miles and I came into the tram station feeling like a beat up dog.

Well, it least thats what i think that would feel like.