Old Hiking Guy

Old Guy

on the mountain

 

Marvin on the left age 87 yrs.

Almost daily I hear comments about my advanced age ( 75 yrs ) for a serious hiker . I know that these remarks are well intended as many middle age guys tell me that I am an inspiration to them and hope that they too will be as active as I am when  the reach my age . Well I now do appreciate my health and am well aware that I am blessed with old guy strength . But now I too have found inspiration in another old guy , his name is Marvin and I met him last week on Cerro Alto .

He hiked all the way to the top . Marvin is 87 years old !!

Marvin still backpacks the Sierras and this week he is backpacking Yosemite .

His pack for 4 days weighs 28 lbs. Next month he will pack into the beautiful Chocolate Lake area . The trail head for this lake is 10,000 ft. and the lakes are at 11000 ft.  That's good stuff !!

 

Bear Creek Trail 2014

Bear Creek Trail

2014

The following is an adventure that took place in late July , starting out at the Vermilion Resort ( always a treat , good  food , wine , cold beer and great people ) . We four wheeled in my Jeep to the diversion dam , and then hiked up the Beer Creek trail , fishing along the way . The weather was cool most every day and rain showers occasionally blessed us .

Our party included myself , Wayne , Mark , and wonder dog Sierra . That's us shown in the first photo below standing in front of my Jeep . Our adventure was a week plus long and we had a ball . We caught fish , met great folks , ate well saw a large bear , and celebrated my seventy fifth birthday .

Sierra always finds friends .

That is Mark a wilderness photographer

and botanist .

Of course Sierra is on duty guarding him .

Sierra always leading the way .

Joe taking a noon nap as usual with Sierra

standing guard .

There is wayne scouting out the trail .

Sierra finds more friends .

This large bear added a lot of excitement

to our our adventure as he appeared to us while

we were fishing the BearCreek .

Wonder dog Sierra gave us a head s up 2 to 3 minutes

before the bear appeared . Good work Sierra.

Wayne and Sierra at work fishing .

Mark crossing stream .

Lou Beverly Lake

JMT couple traveling style.

This couple gave me a beer to celebrate my

75 th birthday .

camped here the night of my birthday

Sierra on night guard duty .

 .

Sierra watching Mark swim

in Sandpiper Lake .

Sierra leading the way home .

Sierra now 2 and 1/2 years old , a daily hiker

did an excellent jof of finding and

breaking trail .

This was her 8th backpacking trip .