The David and Bradley Show...

 

Another milestone! This last section from Belden to Chester saw us pass some significant milestones, including the halfway mark. So I thought it about time for a blogpost explaining some of the characters and idiosyncrasies of the trail...   

Remember I said I'd tell you more about David and Bradley? Well, as the title suggests this is the post in which it'll happen.

I met David and Bradley on day zero at the trail angel Bob Reiss's house in San Diego. Their disarmingly personable attitudes accompanied sharp wits and mischievous smiles; I took an instant liking to them. While not readily apparent, they are both highly intelligent. They have many talents, including the ability to approach a complete stranger and build an instant and genuine rapport. This skill's value becomes apparent on the trail when trying to Yogi a ride or some food. 

However, to lump them both in the same description is to do them an injustice, for despite their similarities they are wildly different individuals. Where David is empathetic, sensitive, diplomatic and caring, Bradley is... Well all those things in a more retiring way but also bolder and he seems to derive some pleasure from challenging himself and those around him. I guess the easy way to put it is to say that when there is a group decision to be made Bradley would encourage the group to push for a certain goal while David would temper this, taking into account the needs of some of the quieter members of the group. Where David is concerned about the consequences of his words and actions, Bradley is curious.  

 

David and Bradley are from Dallas and El Paso respectively. They have known each other for six years, growing close as frat brothers. Well David was Bradley's grand little brother at TCU in Fort Worth Texas. Don't ask me what all that means.  

Bradley has been a self described 'professional vagabond' for the last three years and on his prompting, David quit work to walk from Mexico to Canada on the PCT. A grand venture any way you cut it. But not to be relegated to mediocrity, they both started hiking the trail bare foot. This has been variously described as crazy, insane, stupid etc... 

After 70 painfully slow miles in SoCal I met up with them again at Pioneer Mail on what was later explained to me as reckoning day. (I must ask them more about that...)

I'll never forget the moment I saw them that day. I hiked into Pioneer Mail, which is essentially a picnic spot, to see what I thought were two lovers sprawled out together on a picnic rug. How romantic. But no. It was David and Bradley, surrounded by all their shit and trying to work out what they needed to do to continue on the trail. You remember the picture don't you?  

Well let's just say they put some shoes on and I've been hiking with them for a while now. We've become a real troika. Ok, back to using their trail names; Stayin Alive and Shake. 

Sam on a pick-up hitch into Kennedy Meadows North. 

The bold chipmunk. 

Squirrel left overs. 

 

Tomahawk. 

Belden. Described to me as a rave town, I had little idea what I was walking into. The ravers had paid something like $250 each to attend this weekend. It was on trail so our PCT permits meant free entry! Yay!... I think...

It was my birthday when we got there. 

Suzi and Lightning. 

Leaf engaging with the group. Including a very elusive picture of John. 

Lucas. I thought long and hard about how to introduce this guy, describe him loosely even. To explain to you how he seemed a synthesis of 100 stereotyoes.  But in the end I have nothing. Only the picture. 

Snake Bite; a top chick from WA.  

Benjamin and Nude Dude with a couple of the ravers. 

Toast and Zwina. 

Possum or Fozzie. Depending who you ask. 

Macho Man Randy Savage. 

Trent. 

Me, my new limited edition shirt and the Queen of Sheba! #sierranevada

Dino. A simile of Dennis Hopper in Apocalypse Now. 

  

I can't start to tell you what mayhem this place was. The following conversation sums it up pretty well. 

Boston: 'It's like a tent city.'

Patch: 'A city implies some sort of planning...'

Boston: 'Yea. This is more like full contact camping...'

This has to be my favourite shot of this post. (Sorry Shake)

 

Did I mention there were drugs in Belden?

Lots of drugs! Many of which I'd never heard of before. Sure the 'woodstock' drugs were all present and accounted for: acid, weed, mushrooms and coke. But these were accompanied by many newcomers such as: sassafras, molly and DMT. I have it on good authority that these drugs are purely recreational. 

Now I must tell you about The Vortex. A phenomenon thru hikers are becoming more and more aware of as they migrate north. As far as we can tell, The Vortex is some sort of tear in the fabric of space and time that sucks hikers in. Into what? That varies. It could be a creek, a shady spot or a carpark. The Vortex grows in strength in direct proportion to the number of hikers already in it's grasp. 

This is a facet of The Vortex we escaped leaving Belden. It was strong too. I almost turned around and went back from halfway up that hellish hill. Instead I sweated out a few litres of water and had a couple if epiphanies; they are for another post. 

Stayin Alive holding court on our way out of Belden. This is an example of The Vortex extending its whispy tendrils around his tender limbs. 

The Selfie. 

Bucky. 

Two Feet! SoBo past us out of Belden. 

Really Stayin Alive... Really!?

Hitching from Chester to the ranch. 

Rollie Pollie, Bucky, Stayin Alive, shake and Kari, the wonderful woman who hosted us, as filthy as we were. She fed us, let us shower, and gave us a trailer to sleep in. 

Stayin Alive's parents came out to Chester to see him. They rented a villa and this is the innkeeper showing the hiker trash to the room. 

This is Officer Story pointing out 'service' on his vehicle. He has been driving hikers to and from the trail head ever since two hikers scared the shit out of him. It was late at night and he was parked up with the radar on reading a book. Then there was a knock on the window that made his sphincter pucker. 'Thank God I wasn't reading a Playboy' he jokingly commented. It was just two hikers looking to Yogi a ride into Chester. So ever since Officer Story has been looking after us. #GenuineHero. 

And of course. What you've all been waiting for... :

 

Rxxx