Clara Hughes: Clara Central -
[Cached Version]
Published on: 4/1/2004
Last Visited: 9/26/2009
After driving one treacherous mile on the off-camber road cut into the side of the steep cliff, Kathleen Nelson tilts her lightweight body as much as she could to fight the gravity of the off-camber pitch of road while creeping along the shale covered path.
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Good to spend time discussing matters of choice with Kathleen.
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Halfway back to the area where Kathleen wished to leave the SUV, a small convoy of jeeps met the bulky vehicle Peter was maneuvering with skill along the tilted road.
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Clara and Kathleen Nelson, with the Inyo's in the background
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Kathleen talks of her planned exit the tomorrow, heading back to her 'real world' of job and family.
It's been so good hiking with her, yet I look forward to being on the trail with only Peter.
Much of the day was spent above 10,000 feet, like our camp.
My head ached in defiance of the thin air.
After leaving the trail, we headed for the ridge in order to get Kathleen out in time tomorrow.
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Kathleen shares the epic tale of struggling out of Forgotten Pass in the desert heat when we parted ways days earlier.
What was to be a simple drop down to the valley floor was a test of her endurance with no map and a washed out trail.
With the help of a hiker, she found the way, parched, to our friend Jeff Putman's truck.
It was a relief she made it out relatively OK.