PCT mile 672.8 to mile 697.5 PCT Miles - 24.7

Dropped to Chimney Creek for water. Think we saw our first glimpse of the Sierras!!!! As we were filling up and filtering water at Chimney Creek, a woman came out of the bushes nearby to say her husband was in their tent with Norovirus and she had virus 3 days ago and is still recovering, but better. Wanted us to know about it and said she thinks she got it from the water cache at Walker Pass. Names are Half Pint and Shark. They are zeroing for the day on the trail, but out of food. We had lots of extra, so gave her what she needed.

Made our up, up, up from Chimney Creek and met three other guys recovering from novo. They said they had hiked back out when first guy got sick, then all three were too sick to hike. They heard of several helicopter rescues and that people are skipping this entire section between Tehachapi and Kennedy Meadows and getting rides directly to Kennedy Meadows. Only 9.7 miles in AM and we are there. So close!!! Knock on wood, we have not gotten the virus.

Rick thinks this is ripe for an epidemiological study to find Patient 0. This is almost an identical situation to the one faced by John Snow (father of epidemiology) when faced with plague in 1800’s London. He traced routes of infected on a street map and found they all used the same water pump handle. Sounds like SoCal PCT sections where all hikers are using a few low flowing water sources, spending 15-20 minutes filling a few water bottles, touching everything in reach. Two hikers suggested ‘Noro’ for Rick’s trail name because he can’t stop talking about it...

Found a nice campsite by the little creek - flowing enough to wash feet and hear water. We planned to shoot for Kern River 4 miles ahead, but it’s so hot and there are limited campsites by the river (per Guthook). Chris is also not 100%. Needs rest to get full lung capacity back before we head up 13,000 ft. Still coughing, but much better. Will try to figure out what she needs at Kennedy Meadows. Not eating enough. Met Pappa JR at creek. Of course, news is all about Norovirus, so we chatted about that. Thor is camping here also - still wearing those hot, heavy, long snake gators. Must have had a bad snake encounter on the AT.

Unfortunately Rick discovered he lost his cell phone. Bummer! Thinks he left it near rocks at creek where Half Pint came out of bush and talked with us or when he stopped at the crest of the climb. Hopefully someone saw it, picked it up and will drop it at Kennedy Meadows.

We are both cannot wait to be finished with the Southern California section of this hike.