[pct-l] Shuttles to/from Kennedy Meadows

[Jeffrey Olson]

In 2005 after leaving the trail SOBO in central Oregon I was able to 
hike for another 10 days or so and started at Kennedy Meadows.  I took 
the CREST bus and the driver graciously dropped me off at the KM 
junction on Hwy 395.  This was the end of September and it was windy and 
hot, and there was no traffic.  The bus had passed two pick-ups with two 
guys jawing just before the turn-off, and a half hour after standing 
there and throwing rocks at fenceposts one of them stopped and offered 
me a ride.  He was the head guy for the telephone agency up there and 
said that residents made a point of helping out hikers hitching on that 
road. 

By the way, there is a rock on the south side of the road three or four 
miles from KM that is painted.  The fellow giving me a ride said it was 
the only place there was cell phone coverage in the area.  People would 
drive down from KM to the rock to make phone calls. 

He also said that Michael Richards bought a bunch of land to the north 
of the road as you approach KM, but was freaking out because a fire had 
come through.  He said that a number of carpenters were getting work 
from him as he built his Mansion.  His comment about Richards, "rich 
people are weird."

My ride dropped me off at the campground, way off his route, and wished 
me well on my way.  There at the campspace  where the trail winds in 
from the north was SOM, State of Mind, who had to leave the trail in 
WAshington because of shin splints or other debilitating injury.  He was 
meeting the wave he'd hiked with for almost 900 miles to celebrate their 
ending the trail.  He had the little green monument he'd made (I think 
he made it) and tinsel hanging in the trees.  I'd hitchiked with him and 
One Gallon up near Stevens Pass. 

It was fun meeting the people I'd hop scotched with in WAshington as 
they were within a day or two of the end of their hike, and a whole 
bunch of others I'd not met.  

Jeff, just Jeff...