[pct-l] Frank Kroger found going through Goat Rocks, no snow

[fkroger1999@yahoo.com (Frank Kroger)]

--
[ Picked text/plain from multipart/alternative ]

I crossed the Goat Rocks (WA South of White Pass) with Jay "PA Plumber" and=
 Scott "PA Electrician" (Cascade Locks to White Pass was his first hike eve=
r). clouds started coming in as we crossed the "razor's edge." It is an are=
a with a drop-off on either side that seems to be causing some fear along t=
he trail, but it is wide enough to do without any reason to fear falling of=
f either side. Just watch the wind, which can be strong and blustery. No ne=
ed for an ice ax, there was very little snow left on the trail.
I am glad that I have been found. I was in Oregon where pay phones are non =
existent but  cell phones can be had for $2 per minute at Elk Lake, $0.35 a=
t the 7th Day AdventistYouth camp on Big Lake (N of Mt Washington) ( free s=
howers and all you can eat meal for $4.50),  $5 per single $5 min call at O=
lalie lake (apparently you can't get around this by making multiple calls w=
ith a calling card, but I was not able to understand the reason for that.)
I got busy signals calling mom from Crater Lake, Elk Lake and 7th Day Adven=
tist, I passed the Olalie telephone opportunity, with the result that I was=
 declared lost and a general call was put out for my whereabouts.
Even the Rangers at Mt Rainier got involved. After walking 4 miles north on=
 WA State Route 123 I got a ride with a couple from WI. As we drove through=
 the park we were pulled over by a Ranger. It turned out that there were 4 =
or 5 Rangers behind us, each in his own white truck. The Ranger who came to=
 the car touched his guns as he approached the truck I was riding in, makin=
g sure it was still there and ready if needed.  We wondered what we had one=
 wrong. It turned out they were after me. I was ordered out of the car and =
told that I fit the description of an assualt perpetrator. I was asked wher=
e I was coming from and patted down for weapons. I had written dates I had =
camped on my trail data pages and impressed the Ranger with my daily mileag=
e. He took my ID and called in my name. He took notes about everything I sa=
id.
Eventually it was decided that I was not the wanted man. Since it is illega=
l to hitch hike in National Parks the interrogator Ranger was nice enough t=
o give me a ride all the way through the Park to a restaurant where I was i=
mmediately able to secure a ride to the Tacoma Bus Station where a freeway =
express Sound Transit Bus left a few minutes later with me on board. It was=
 interesting talking with the Ranger about how he knew I wasn't the bad guy=
 and what they would have done if I had chosen not to cooperate.
Today I flew from Seattle to Oakland and I was still being looked for. I wa=
s chosen to have my bags, person and shoes searched before boarding the pla=
ne. Through hikers must fit THE PROFILE.  An elderly Sikh  (turban wearing =
Indian), his wife and their HUGE bag also fit the PROFILE. I don't know how=
 many terrorists they will catch with this kind of net.....
Anyway, am safe and sound at home gearing up for Burning Man starting Aug 2=
6th where I will be camping a few hundred feet out into the no-car zone at =
about 4:30PM (that is a location, Black Rock City being demarked in the man=
ner of a clock.)
"Satellite" Frank Kroger

 payslee
wrote:I hiked up to the packwood glacier at goat roacks three weeks ago, an=
d
you definitely don't need an ice axe, unless it snows between now and
then. There was some snow across the trail, but with the hot dry
weather we've had since then, probably only the glaciers themselves
remain.

Also, I was backpacking in the eagle creek drainage two weeks ago and
met several PCT hikers and traded trail gossip, snickers and rides with
several of them. No Frank Kroeger, but I think there'd have been news
of him if anything had happened.

People arriving in Cascade Locks on August on August 3 and 4 (sorry for
incomplete names):

Travis (coming off the trail after doing Oregon)
John and Bunny (two guys)
Red haired guy "who's probably Mark"

Good luck finding your friend, and remember, it's probably safer on the
trail than back home.

-payslee

__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
HotJobs - Search Thousands of New Jobs
http://www.hotjobs.com
_______________________________________________
PCT-L mailing list
PCT-L@mailman.backcountry.net
http://mailman.backcountry.net/mailman/listinfo/pct-l


---------------------------------
Do You Yahoo!?
HotJobs, a Yahoo! service - Search Thousands of New Jobs