Zero in Idyllwild = Conjugal Visit

I caught up on blogs at the coffee shop in town and Laura decided to come out so I got a cabin at the Idyllwild Inn. Cabin #9 where literally hundreds of people have carved their names over the years in the walls, ceiling and even the fireplace. It's one thing to imagine how many people have had romantic encounters in your hotel room. It's another thing altogether to actually see their names... We ate dinner at Cafe Aroma and it was really nice I had the Angels on Horseback. I recommend it highly.

David AKA “Mister F. Gentle Spirit”
Website
http://www.davidpatrone.com/PCT
Videos:
http://www.youtube.com/davidpatrone

Trail Magic mambo

On Saturday Jeff brought me back out to the Casa after I BSed all day, washing my clothes and getting food. I made it out to Mike's and it started to get really cold. There were no spots in the shack so I camped outside on the ground and it rained. I hate getting started in the rain so I dallied finally getting out later with a long hike ahead. I wasn't sure where I was going to stop but my blisters were gone and I was feeling great physically. It was pretty cold but great weather for hiking so I was cruising fast. The day sweetened up and I got in a great groove. In the afternoon it started to get colder and storm clouds were looming so I picked it up, so fast, in fact that I actually strained my hamstring and got a gnarly shin-splint on my left leg. I hobbled in to the Rt 74 campsite at 6:40 and saw an RV there. More trail angels! Boomer and Dr. Sole were there and they were about to shuttle a group of thur-hikers to the Paradise Cafe Boomer did the PCT b2b 2008 and 2009. He's a private chef and it turns out we've done events together. I didn't have time to set up the tent and I just hoped it wouldn't rain until I came back. WRONG!

We got to the Paradise Cafe and I think I had the biggest damn burger I've ever seen. It was the Motherlode Burger with 2 half pound patties of meat. They also had Bunderberg Ginger Ale and I couldn't have been happier at that moment. That is, of course, until I looked outside and saw that it was pouring rain. My pack was just sitting under an awning and from the looks of the blowing wind, would be doing nothing to protect my pack and it's contents. SHIT!

My leg hurt so bad I didn't really care, I just wanted to chill. When I got back the rain had not totally soaked my pack but the outside was pretty wet. Luckily I had waterproofed most of the contents but I still had to set up in the rain. I bent a tent stake and had a little trouble but finally got the tent up eventually I was pretty wet and climbed into the tent and began the process of setting up for wet, windy, sleeping conditions. It took forever to get situated and I hoped my bag was dry enough to keep me warm in the night. I really hoped the sun would come out in the morning. I knew that I wouldn't want to get out of the shelter unless it was warm and sunny.

David AKA “Mister F. Gentle Spirit”
Website
http://www.davidpatrone.com/PCT
Videos:
http://www.youtube.com/davidpatrone

Long way around

It took us all day to figure out how to get to Mike Herrera's house. Jeff took a guy back who was having some knee issues and this is when I met Sprinkles and Bandit.

I'm no longer wearing this damn Flyers sweater. Those guys don't deserve it after getting swept by the Bruins...

David AKA “Mister F. Gentle Spirit”
Website
http://www.davidpatrone.com/PCT
Videos:
http://www.youtube.com/davidpatrone

San Diego Magazine Party

In the morning we waited for Jeff and at 8am he wasn't there so we decided to try and find a ride back to the main HWY. There was a trail crew working from Mike's Casa and this cat Lyle showed up in a blue jeep that was converted to carry tools in the back. He graciously consented to drive us out to the road but he only had one seat so Dave and I threw our packs on the back and both of us jumped in the front seat. Dave was kinda on my lap for 6 REALLY bumpy miles and then we convinced Lyle to take us even further out to the main road where I had some cell service. It turned out that Jeff had been driving all over those roads with his faithful companion Flo. trying desperately to find us when some hikers told him we had split in the blue jeep. When Dave and I got to the road we decided to try to walk and hitch to Warner Springs where his bike was parked. We finally got a hold of Jeff and he picked us up and we all got where we had to go. I had a gig for San Diego Magazine's "Best of North County" that night and I was really looking forward to all of the amazing food that the restaurants cook for the event. Ramen wasn't going to cut it for me that night. Ahi sliders and the chocolate fountain were what I was waiting for. It took me about an hour and a half in the shower to get the grime off, scrub the blisters clean and shave everything. The gig was great, the lines for the food were too long though and Jeff and I went to Bully's East in Del Mar to get some steak. It was mediocre, they gave him the wrong thing but Flo ate great the next day. Still, mediocre steak beats ramen noodles any day of the week. I get to crash in a bed tonight and see my girlfriend Laura and her dog Mieka, maybe watch some TV. The Flyers got swept in the series by the Bruins so my hockey hopes were dashed. I'm going to burn the Flyers sweater I was wearing every day out there. Maybe that was the problem.

David AKA “Mister F. Gentle Spirit”
Website
http://www.davidpatrone.com/PCT
Videos:
http://www.youtube.com/davidpatrone

Headin to Herrera's Casa with Mr.Davis

We got up and went to breakfast at the cafe. It was great but it seems they celebrate Cinco De Mayo on Siete De Mayo around here. We got on the trail eventually and it turns out Dave is a pretty fast hiker so I figured we'd try to make it all the way to Mike Herrera's Casa by nightfall, then Jeff could just pick us up there as early as he wanted to (he had to work at 10am and we were about an hour 20 out of SD)

We followed a Agua Caliente Creek for the first five miles or so, leaving it once for a nervous hour (I forgot to fill up) but we came back to it several more times before finally climbing up to the ridges. It was a hot day and I really wanted to jump in the creek and soak but I didn't want to foul up other hikers' water source. We hung out for an hour or sow in the midday to avoid the heat and I made some ramen. that stuff just never seems to get old to me.

Back on the trail the climbs where hot and dry; but Dave was really killing it so we just kept trudging on. It took us till nightfall to get to Mike's Casa where we had heard there was trouble between the caretaker and some Thru-Hikers a couple of days ago so we weren't sure what to expect. When we got to the road we still had a frustrating half-mile or so to walk and it was really hard to find the house. We could see the lights but we couldn't figure out how to get there. Eventually we figured it out. Cell service was unavailable all day so there was no way for me to communicate to Jeff our location. It turned out that we were 6 miles down a remote dirt road that was very hard to find and so I had to beam my satellite location up and message my emergency contact list to contact Jeff with our location but since it's not a 2-way link, I would have no way of knowing whether or not it was actually working. I guess we would know in the morning. Dave and I got the last two bunks in the little barn house and we crashed, grateful to have a spot to sleep that wasn't full of rocks.

David AKA “Mister F. Gentle Spirit”
Website
http://www.davidpatrone.com/PCT
Videos:
http://www.youtube.com/davidpatrone

Ancient Indian Sacred Hot Springs

My earliest day yet, I was off at 6:30. Unbelievable! It was gonna be a long one though. I had about 2 cups of water for 5 miles until the water cache at "Third Gate" and it got hot early. By mile 3.5 I was shuffling, a little delirious from dehydration and sucking at the sweat on my hands and face for a little relief for my dry mouth and cracked lips. This girl Keilly came up behind me and gave me a little bottle of water. She could tell I was all messed up and shortly thereafter I made it to the cache. There was a little left and I wanted to get out of there because I needed to do 24 miles today to get to Warner Spring to meet David Davis. We agreed to meet there and hike a section tomorrow. My blisters are still open and burning and I have some weird pain in the millde of my foot whenever I stop. Simple solution: Don't Stop.

It seemed like it took forever to get to the next water area (Barrel Springs mile 101) which was purported to have a questionable water supply. As I came in I noticed that there were a couple of RVs parked on the roadside plus Spring Guy's shortie. It looked like a party was developing and a couple of people were holding a camp/cookout for PCT hikers. It was a bunch of retired pilots who did this every year and cooked all kinds of stuff including chilidogs, sodas etc... I ended up staying there for about three hours with all these people that kept coming in off the trail. We set all of our packs down by these bushes and a big Pacific Rattlesnake showed up to check them out. I put my helmet cam on a trekking pole and got some footage of it all rattlin and stuff. The footage wasn't that great but I'll probably post it later.

I had 8 miles or so left and I had to get to Warner Springs by 8:30 when Dave was going to meet me there. Warner Springs is a place they built on hot springs and they actually have an olympic sized pool fed by the hot spring. I couldn't wait to try it out but if I didn't get there in time it would be closed.

By the time I got in it was dark and David was already there. He had driven his motorcycle. It turned out that I still had to hike another 1.2 miles on the road to get to the resort. I called him and he offered to pick me up so he rolled down on his bike and got me to the resort on the Harley with my backpack and all. it was cool. Fortunately we go in in time to enjoy the hot pool for an hour. Unfortunately we weren't in time for a steak...

I was hobbling around so badly that Dave was thinking, "How the hell is he gonna hike tomorrow?" but I know that there's a big difference between tonight and tomorrow when it comes to hikers' feet. Besides the sulfurous pool was gonna fix everything (or so the Indians say). I wasn't sure how fast Dave was going to be able to hike tomorrow but hopefully we can get close to a road so Jeff can pick us up the next morning because I have a gig tomorrow night.

David AKA “Mister F. Gentle Spirit”
Website
http://www.davidpatrone.com/PCT
Videos:
http://www.youtube.com/davidpatrone

Cowboy Camping on the Ridge

Woke up and got out an hour earlier than the day before. O don't think I've ever started hiking at 7:30am without major provocation before. I wasn't sure where I was going but I have just gotten used to listening to other people talk out here and following their directions. I have maps in my iPad but I don't ever feel like looking at them.

It turned out I was going for a place called scissors crossing at the 79 where you could go in to Julian if you wanted to. I know how these towns acan suck you in so I wasn't trying to go into julian and waste money on a hotel; however, as I got closer I kept thinking that lunch would be nice if I could get a hitch in pretty quickly. When I finally got to scissors crossing it was extrememely hot and I didn't see a good way to hitch in at all. I walked down the road a but and so many others were trying to hitch that I would have to wait until at least three cars stopped. Out of frustration I decided to start walking to Julian; however, the more I thought about it the more I realized I had no plans to actually walk the 12 miles in and there was much less of a chance of a car stopping because there was no real shoulder on the road here. I was about a mile down the road when I decided to go back. Just about the time I got back there, two trucks showed up and we all git rides in to Julian.

Ate lunch at Mom's Cafe and it turns out they give a free lunch to PCT Thru-hikers! Awesome! I grabbed some candy in the general store for the walk and went down to the post office to see if I could get a hitch back to Scissors Crossing. As I got in to the post office, a short RV pulled out and stopped for me. It was the notorious "Spring Guy" who maintains many of the springs here on the SoCal sections of the PCT. There were already a bunch of people in the van and I piled in for the trip back to SC

Back at SC there were a ton of Thru-Hikers lounging in the sun. Sugar Mama came up with some oranges and I learned that orange peels don't degrade in the wild. I wasn't too sure about that but whatever, I threw them in the trash instead of the bushes anyway. I BSed for a bit and then finally headed out.

The climb was rough. It was hot as hell and I really didn't bring enough water. I was caught by a crew of 5 fast hikers including two girls that hiked way faster than I was capable of with my beat-up kicks and dehydrated head. I caught them again just before we decided to camp. I was going for "Third Gate but it was still 5 mikes away so I just dropped with them at a bare spot and didn't even bother to pitch my tent. (cowboy Camping for those of you who are unfamiliar with the term) The stars were amazing; but there was some light-pollution from San Diego so we couldn't really see the milky way. Maybe later as we get closer to the remote wilderness.

David AKA “Mister F. Gentle Spirit”
Website
http://www.davidpatrone.com/PCT
Videos:
http://www.youtube.com/davidpatrone

Long day to Rodriguez Truck Road

Jeff drove me to a campsite just off the trail in Mt. Laguna at 2 am and I pitched my tent in a maelstrom of wind but thankfully no rain. At some point in the night a tent peg came up and the tent sort of collapsed on me and I had to re set it; but other than that the night was uneventful. I don't think I was supposed to be camping in that campsite but I was up and out by 8:30. Met up with a few thru-hikers along the way and decided to make it a long one all the way out to Rodriguez truck trail. while we were hiking, in the distance you could see a snow-covered peak. I'm assumuing it was San Jacinto or Gorgonio. both of which I'll climb within the next two weeks. I'm not looking forward to the ice climbing but that's too far away to think about yet. I hooked up with a few guys that were super fast hikers and got some mileage. Stopped for lunch at some dry creek and decided not to camp. Came in to RTT in the dark because I got some cell service on the ridge and spent too long texting and emailing while I had the chance. There was a weird spigot thing at RTT and I got some water before setting up the tent in the dark. There were a lot of people there cowboy camping, but I wouldn't be shamed into it. I set up the tent and crashed.

David AKA “Mister F. Gentle Spirit”
Website
http://www.davidpatrone.com/PCT
Videos:
http://www.youtube.com/davidpatrone

Annual Day Zero PCT kickoff

Hangin at the kickoff, gonna get back on the trail May 2nd. Bought a new tent (tarp tent moment) and a new pack (ULA) and I love them. I'm probably going to need a new Sleeping bag soon because it's been colder than I was expecting. There are a ton of vendors here. You should check it out ADZPCTKO and come meet all these crazy bastards who are about to hiike the hike of their lives...

David AKA “Mister F. Gentle Spirit”
Website
http://www.davidpatrone.com/PCT
Videos:
http://www.youtube.com/davidpatrone

Slackpacking to the 8

Slackpacking today and a late start but I'm not worried. The hike was nice with only about 20 lbs. I wish I could do that all the time. I left some stuff in there, unfortunately I forgot to put any food in there so I went 17 miles with no food. It wasn't too bad but I did have to stop for some burgers on my way back to SD. I ran into a bunch of hikers coming north and I stopped to talk to most of them. I had to remind myself that I wasn't going to make it if I didn't shut my mouth and start walking. The Kickoff party starts tonight at Lake Morena but I probably won't be able to go. I met some trail workers just north of Cibbetts that were extracting a rock from the middle of the trail. These guys and girls amaze me, small teams of volunteers who work for 3 months at a time maintaining the trail. They were as dirty as thru-hikers if not dirtier and I watched move a 200 pound boulder before I continued on.

Tomorrow I'l go out to the ADZPCTKO party which stands for "Annual Day Zero Pacific Crest Trail Kick Off" and I heard there are a record number of people coming. You get to meet a whole bunch of the hikers who will be making the attempt this year. they also have seminars, presentations, vendors and a silent auction so you can really get a lot done in one weekend. I'm looking forward to seeing the Stick Pic guy. He had some cool stuff last year.

David AKA “Mister F. Gentle Spirit”
Website
http://www.davidpatrone.com/PCT
Videos:
http://www.youtube.com/davidpatrone

Viejas Casino Gig

The gig for KIFM 98.1 San Diego went great. The room was packed and the sound system was great. Of course you could hear the C arpeggio of clot machines in the constant background but it was cool otherwise. Mikan and I had Rockstar juiced, he for the first time, and that got the gig of to a flying start. Mikan, Evona and I played all night and then Collen and Olin drove me up to their house in Mt. Laguna. I crashed on their couch, tomorrow I'll slackpack down to the 8 and then they're going to shuttle my car to me so I can start next Monday from Mt Laguna, right about where the herd ought to be.

David AKA “Mister F. Gentle Spirit”
Website
http://www.davidpatrone.com/PCT
Videos:
http://www.youtube.com/davidpatrone

Back Home for Supplies

I'm here in my office/bedroom/storage unit, downloading all of Half-Mile's maps on my iPad and Droid. That's probably the way to go. I moved everything I own into my office so that I don't any rent while on the trail. I'm here fixing the last of the logistical problems that popped up. The spot tracker was working it's just that I had the wrong map embedded on my website. I forgot a bowl so I picked one up at REI last night, I have some last minute stuff coming in the mail and I hate this backpack. I got a medium and I need a large. Even with the hip pad on the straps are pulling on my shoulders. I'm going to bring my other pack until I get something better. Maybe someone at the Kickoff will want to trade. It'll weight a lot more but my shoulders are trashed so I'll use my Gregory pack. I'll take off all of the junk that I don't need and try to get my pack under 5 pounds. Warner Springs Monty has an entire base weight that's lighter than my pack is. Jesus! Tomorrow is the first gig on the Pacific Crest Jazz Tour and I'm really excited about it. It's finally here!

DP

David AKA “Mister F. Gentle Spirit”
Website
http://www.davidpatrone.com/PCT
Videos:
http://www.youtube.com/davidpatrone

I-8

The temperature went way down in the night and I was damn cold; however, I left my feet outside of the bag and I think that kept them from swelling. I met a few other hikers from North Carolina and San Diego and I ate a couple of pop tarts and packed up for this 1000 foot climb out of Hauser Creek.

The 4 miles to Morena lake were longer than regular miles. I'm not sure how this happens but it does. (it turns out it was actually 4.8 miles so maybe that's the thing) anyway I was glad to see something I could actually sit on. I got something to eat and somehow I started to think that this was Tuesday and not Monday so I was freaking out about how I was going to get to Mt Laguna in time to get back to my gig on Wednesday at Viejas. I was going to have to get off at the 8. Bummer.

Along the way I realized my spot tracker is not sending updates the way it should and I also forgot my bowl to eat from. Man! I called in a carlift and My buddy Andy came and picked me up on the 8. He brought all this great stuff like apples and oranges. It was awesome.

Not until later that night when I was getting some dinner and there was no piano player at the restaurant did I realize, it's MONDAY!!! AHHH man I stillhad another extra day! I felt so stupid. That's what I get for not having a watch or a map or any of that stuff. So I changed plans, I'm going to play my gig on Wednesday night then get a ride up to Mt Laguna and hike in to the Kickoff party Thursday. In the meantime I'll be taking care of last minute things before I get back on the trail. I'm really looking forward to going to the kickoff as a Thru-Hiker, not some stooge walking around "researching his hike for next year"

David AKA “Mister F. Gentle Spirit”
Website
http://www.davidpatrone.com/PCT
Videos:
http://www.youtube.com/davidpatrone

Mile 1

The wind was moderate, although not as bad as I've seen in some videos when Thru-Hikers climb the monument and somehow balance on the top with 40 mph winds rippling their clothing and beards.

It was 2 pm by the time we got to the monument and my hopes for reaching Lake Morena on the first day were slim. I hadn't hiked anything longer than 5 or six miles since I left the Appalachian Trail in August of '08 Even then, 20 milers were rough on the feet; however, this year I was going much lighter. I plan on picking up a map at the Kickoff party this weekend but I don't have one yet. I'm confident I can figure it out. I need to get a wristwatch too. I'm sure I've forgotten a few things. Time will tell...

The clouds were threatening rain and the temperature swung from hot to cool with the wind gusting at times as I moved along. There are several burn areas where the foliage has begin to finally take hold and decorating the black, burnt, skeletons of trees were beautiful purple and sage-colored flowers, like some sort of macabre funeral. It was amazing. I would have taken some pictures but I was rushed for time and I was sure the pictures won't do it justice, you'll have to go see it for yourself, it's only a couple of miles in...

I mistook the first campsite at 14 miles for a makeshift campfire pit. I was planning on stopping there but 2 miles later, when I got to Hauser Creek, I realized I had passed it. One one hand, I had gone further than I expected, on the other hand, it was already getting dark and I hadn't setup this hammock in a couple of years. By the time I finished it was pitch black, I was cursing, dirty, tired and hungry but I decided to go to bed without fixing any of those problems. I was on the PCT!

David AKA “Mister F. Gentle Spirit”
Website
http://www.davidpatrone.com/PCT
Videos:
http://www.youtube.com/davidpatrone

Getting Started

I was up all night with my packup and I crashed on the couch, luckily my ride was out all night too and didn't mind getting lunch before we headed out. We grabbed a bite in San Diego and then drove out to the trailhead. We had no idea where it was so we asked for directions a couple of times. We had his beautiful, white Mercedes and he really wasn't looking forward to driving on the unimproved dirt roads but I convinced him that it was an adventure for his car, just like it was an adventure for me. The border patrol was all excited to see a blacked-out Mercedes racing for the border on a dirt road in the middle of nowhere. We made sure to stop one of them so they would know it was just us, hanging out at the border, you know, just chillin'
Mike dropped me off around 2pm; late start, which is standard for me (or just "Standard" as my brother Michael says). We did the picture/pose thing and I began my trek on the Pacific Crest Trail...

David AKA “Mister F. Gentle Spirit”
Website
http://www.davidpatrone.com/PCT
Videos:
http://www.youtube.com/davidpatrone

Of Course it's snowing again!

Of Course it's Snowing again!!!

Driving home tonight from the village at around 7000 feet there was snow on the ground and all of the cars, not much maybe a half an inch but it was laying and it looked like there was more to come. Accuweather says there's 4 inches on the way and that's not what I was hoping to hear. Now that my skiing season is over I want the snow to melt FAST for my PCT bid.

I am up all night packing my room up. I'll be loading my car in the morning, writing for a few things to arrive in the mail and then heading out to San Diego to prepare for the hike. I have a gig tomorrow night and I have a few gigs before I officially embark although I might try to section hike a bit up front before the ADZPCTKO begins April 29. I have a gig on the 30th and the 1st of May and I think my buddy JG is going to drive my car ip to Big Bear with my equipment in it. I have a gig on the 20th in Big Bear at Nottingham and I hope I've timed it right to have some thru-hikers there. I have been checking the snow pack and it looks like it's about 300 inches in much of the Sierras right now. I don't think that's a very good sign but I'll cross that snow when I come to it.

If any thru-hiker needs a ride to the ADZPCTKO I'll take you there, just call me

MFGS

David AKA “Mister F. Gentle Spirit”
Website
http://www.davidpatrone.com/PCT
Videos:
http://www.youtube.com/davidpatrone

Snowpack in the sierras

Snowpack in the sierras is huge right now. It makes me a bit worried I have to say. I'm wishing I could ski through them because I know when I crest those passes and see the slopes down that I'm going to be wishing I had my skis... But who wants to carry skis through the sierras if there is a lot of dry ground? I doubt there will be any, if they even let us in around June 15. I took this picture today at about 10,000 feet at Heavenly Ski Resort in South Lake Tahoe. The snow wall is over 20 feet high. Sure, it's not like that everywhere but it's at least 10 feet in the places where snow generally stays... I wonder what this will mean for the class of 2011?

David AKA “Mister F. Gentle Spirit”
Website
http://www.davidpatrone.com/PCT
Videos:
http://www.youtube.com/davidpatrone

On the way to PCT

I'm in the office setting up the Pacific Crest Jazz tour. It's coming along slowly. I'm hearing rumors that the snow pack in the Sierra this year is the heaviest in 30 years; maybe record-breaking. Yesterday we had another four inches here at Heavenly but it's a terrifically sunny day today. I'm hoping enough snow melts that we don't have to skip the sierra and then doing it out of order, later in the summer.

Here is the gig schedule (later dates are tentative due to the snowpack)
April 27 Viejas Casino 7-10 5000 Willows Rd. Alpine CA 91901 (San Diego)
April 30 Wesgate Hotel 9-12 3rd and Broadway, San Diego, CA 92101
April 29-May 1 ADZPCTKO weekend in Lake Morena (kickoff weekend no performance)
May 20 Nottingham's Big Bear Lake, CA 92315
June 7 Joe's in Burbank. CA
June 11 Private (San Diego)
June 24 Michael Flohr Show (San Diego)
June 25 Private (San Diego)
Jul 16th Rafters in Mammoth Lakes
?Jul ? Mobile Station in Lee Vining
Jul 23rd Plan B in Carson City
July/Aug Barrelhouse in Weed, CA
August 6/7 Jade's Jazz Festival, La Pine Oregon
?Portland (Still in the works)
?Tacoma (Still in the works)
?Seattle (Still in the works)

I'm working on a few other gigs but I definitely want to focus on the trail and not get to hung up on making dates. I know from experience that doesn't work out there on the trail. The Sierra is going to be the deciding factor. I may have to push the gig at Rafters in Mammoth and the gigs in Tahoe around a little bit. I'll probably add a few dates in Lake Tahoe and take a break there since I have been living there this winter. I have a lot of friends there and it will be good to take a little break at the 1100 mile mark.

MFGS

David AKA “Mister F. Gentle Spirit”
Website
http://www.davidpatrone.com/PCT
Videos:
http://www.youtube.com/davidpatrone

My name is Mr. F. Gentle Spirit and I'm a professional Jazz Musician, writer and a Thru-Hiker. In 2008 I did 1100 miles of the AT but had to get off because I ran out of money and I had a hernia from falling off a cliff at the ledges of St. John in Connecticut. I got surgery and they say I'm better than new!

This year I consolidated everything I own into a 10'x10' room, paid off my car and put everything I have into thru-hiking the PCT but with a little twist: I'm going to be performing in some of the cities and little towns along the way. I'm calling it the Pacific Crest Jazz Tour and I hope you dig it. You can find out more information about it here:
www.davidpatrone.com/PCT

Or here:
Facebook.com/PacificCrestJazzTour

It's going to be a rough one with the record setting snowfall and heavy snow pack in the Sierra Nevada Mountains but Nevada means "Snow Covered" so I guess it's only fitting. I'll do my best to get through and I hope you find this adventure interesting.

I received my denial of admission in to Canada today due to some past issues with driving offenses. Had to do a bunch of paperwork to assure them I'm not a danger to Canadians. Oh Canada, I assure you, I'm not a danger to Canadians, unless of course you don't let me in... I think they're just jealous because Vancouver hasn't won the Stanley Cup since 1915. I wonder how hard it is to sneak across?

I registered for the ADZPCTKO 2011 which stands for "Annual Day Zero Pacific Crest Trail Kick Off" and it's basically a party for those about to hike the trail, those who have already hiked the trail, those who support and dig those who hike the trail, oh yeah and don't forget the vendors who are selling you trippy ultralight gear for the trail.

registration is full so I may be sleeping in my car for the weekend but it's cool, I don't mind a bit. Had to turn down a gig for Sunday night as well, oh well, I get to party with my fellow thru-hikers and watch the final presentation.

See you on the trail!
Mister F. Gentle Spirit
www.davidpatrone.com/PCT

David AKA “Mister F. Gentle Spirit”

Website http://www.davidpatrone.com/PCT

Videos: http://www.youtube.com/davidpatrone

Pacific Crest Jazz Tour

I'm sitting in the Moutain Headquarters by the Stagecoach lift at Heavenly in Stateline NV. (South Lake Tahoe for all you noobs) It snowed here last night about a foot and I was suffering from a gnarly bout of something that made me act like a little girl and hide under the covers for two days. I seem to be mostly over it but we'll see in the AM. I'm working on my Pacific Crest Trail trip and Facebook is driving me nuts. They just changed the policy on inviting people to your events and it now takes literally 5 minuted to add 30 people to an event. It's horrible. I have thousands of people to invite to these events coming up and I can't afford to spend six hours a day clicking on check boxes that take five minutes to appear because of the slow-ass java script. Anyway.

I think I'll be transferring this blog over to another blog just for the Pacific Crest Trail gig. For those of you not hip to the new thing, I'll be hiking the entire Pacific Crest Trail, a 2600 mile wilderness trek through the mountains of California, Oregon and Washington states from Mexico to Canada. This would be a tough enough journey but I've decided to up the ante and make it a music tour as well, performing gigs along the way with local musicians.

you can check it out here: http://www.davidpatrone.com/PCT please be sure to like the facebook page for it and I'll keep you updated that way as well..

On a side note I applied for the gig as Charlie Sheen's social media intern and if they should offer me the gig, it'll be a tough decision to forego the PCT trip this year... It's gonna be tough cause you know I have Tiger's Blood and I'm winning over here, over there and up high too. I actually dig this new Charlie Sheen. Some people are making all kinds of assumptions about him but maybe he's just fed up with all the BS! I know I am!

anyway, I'm heading to the rack for shuteye, I gotta teach some cats how to ski the steeps tomorrow.


David AKA “Mister F. Gentle Spirit”
Website http://www.wbafinc.org
Photos: http://www.photobucket.com/brotherproof
Videos: http://www.youtube.com/WBAF1