Orland Bartholomew

Bart pulled his large pack from the back seat of the old sedan and set it to the side of the dusty road. From the pocket of his rough wool shirt he pulled out money and handed seven dollars to the young driver. He spoke a few words of thanks and stepped back as the driver backed the car around some large boulders and headed back down the road to the Owens Valley. It was Christmas day, 1928, and Bart knew that back home in Big Creek his friends and family were enjoying the blessing of the holiday. Nostalgia and loneliness swept over him; the desolation of the empty canyon and the starkness of the desert background below only accentuated the feeling. It was the cold wind blowing intermittently off the high mountains that brought him to the realization that after months of planning this was his day. From High Odyssey by Gene Rose

Orland was a true adventurer, explorer, and visionary. His solo winter ski trip from Mt. Whitney to Yosemite through the High Sierra was one of the stories that encouraged me to begin exploring the Sierra Nevada mountains myself. Over the past 20 years I have hiked thousands of miles of Sierra mountain trails and spent over 6 months enjoying what John Muir referred to as the "range of light." I am encouraged by Orland's story of overcoming a childhood of sickness and hardship and his determination in the face of so many obstacles to complete this journey.

I am about 160 miles from the High Sierra and I look forward to hiking through what I consider my back yard. I am vary familiar with the trails in this area, the best places to camp, and the lateral trails for resupply. Keep calm and hike on! Butter Fingers