#Donna Saufley

[pcttrailsidereader]

We join the many PCT hikers whose trail life was touched by Donna "L-Rod" Saufley, who passed away in early October. I made three stops at Hiker Heaven over the years and marveled at the atmosphere that Donna and Jeff had created, thanks to their generosity, for hikers at their Agua Dulce oasis.

According to a 2021 interview by Bart Beeson, "the first time Donna Saufley heard the term “trail angel,” she wasn’t exactly sure what it was but she knew she liked the sound of it." In 1997, Donna and Jeff hosted a small group of hikers at their home. Donna had made a spur-of-the-moment decision to invite the weary hikers back for a night’s rest in the couple’s trailer after running into them at a pizza restaurant in town, and she and Jeff served the group a homemade breakfast the next morning.

At the time, Donna was figuring out what her next steps would be after having taken a severance package from her job as a customer service representative and while Jeff was running his electrical contracting business.

Donna wasn’t even aware that the Crest Trail passed just a mile from their home. And she never imagined that those hikers would be the first of thousands they’d host over the next 24 years at what would become known as Hiker Heaven.

My nephew, Taylor 'Anti-Gravity' Smith and I stayed for a night at Hiker Heaven in 2010 where we had our clothes washed, showered, and enjoyed the shade and comaraderie for the evening. In 2016, Jim 'Salt Lick' Peacock and I arranged with Donna to leave a vehicle at Hiker Heaven while we hiked south on the PCT and, again, relished the hospitality of the Saufleys. And again on a PCT hike north a few years later. The experience at Hiker Heaven was part of what made the trail culture so special . . . so amazing.

Along with many others, I will always be inspired by the generosity of the Saufleys. Not surprisingly Donna and Hiker Heaven play a role in stories included in The Pacific Crest Trailside Reader: California and Crossing Paths: A Pacific Crest Trailside Reader.

Thank you, Donna.

RH (Howard's response to this sad news will post on 11/12)

[donnasaufley-blog]

Public Accountability For Donna Saufley; Or, Why I Quit Working At Hiker Heaven (2019)

In March of last year, I was sitting in the southern California desert trying to find direction after years of travel and exhaustion from studying communal spaces. I decided I would take on a simpler spiritual pursuit of walking across the country and rather than walking on the shoulder of highways, I decided it would likely be more scenic to hike the Pacific Crest Trail. I had about $20 in my pocket, an ILBE marine bag, and had a sharpie made sign up in a public counter-culture tourist location known as Slab City seeking donated gear for a PCT attempt. The hike in itself is a different story of its own and I invite you to follow me on social media if travel for greater meaning without allowing money to prevent it interests you, but the contents of this article surrounds how I ended up working at a famous hiker spot known as Hiker Heaven during the last couple seasons.

Hiking the PCT without finances took a great deal of creativity and ethical approaches in being honest with trail angels as I made my way up the trail. I tripled my money working at Carmen’s Garden, did worktrade for StillHouse Hostel, moved firewood for Trail Angels in Big Bear, etc. I dumpster dived and hiker boxed scored most of my calories. I had written an email and planned to stay a week volunteering at Hiker Heaven, in order to rest before continuing on was the original plan. When I finally did reach Agua Dulce, my perspective of the trail had changed a great deal. I found the rugged desolate nature I once read about on the trail was nowhere to be found in this new boom of thru-hiking popularity where every 15 minutes another person in a puffy is passing by asking how many miles you walked so far for the day. Being someone who decided to hike for solitude and ecological connection, I found the time alone rare and felt more like I was contributing to a form of unsustainable eco-tourism that made me feel ashamed. When Donna Saufley invited me to stay and offered to pay me for my help, I saw my safest route to exit the thru-hike attempt. I ended up staying for a month and a half, which turned out to be profitable to me at a rate of $100 a week for more than full-time work and access to lots of hiking gear.

I decided as Hiker Heaven closed its doors to northbound hikers on the 30th, I would take a train to Portland to work with radicals at OccupyICEPDX protesting the recent family separations and militarization of the border. When that ended, I combined my skills of frugal travel mixed with the endurance of long distance hiking to attempt bike touring down the coast. At the end of my trip, I went a route that put me through Agua Dulce on my way to visit friends in Tucson. While there I was invited to return for hiker season. I had a feeling it wasn’t going to work out as well as the year before, but had nothing better to do and no other prospects for replenishing my supplies. I kinda went out of my way to get a train ticket back from Tucson a month later, but had high hopes the season would make up for the loss.

It turned out upon returning the Pacific Crest Trail was facing very high snow levels at elevation in southern California due to the polar vortex, which pushed back the arrival of hikers by over a month. This is an uncontrollable thing for all parties involved, but meant for me I had a whole month of draining resources to take care of myself in the expensive nowhere mountain town of Agua Dulce. By the time the first groups of hikers began to show up, I’d already drained more resources than Donna was going to pay for the whole season. In a way, it began to feel like an entrapment to work anywhere from 30-60 hours a week just to make up for the net loss of getting into the situation in the first place. I began to notice more details than my short time at Hiker Heaven the year before. Suddenly the comments by Donna about supposedly “barely scraping by financially” became entangled (sometimes within hours) with talk of selling their house at a market value of $500k to move to the pacific northwest, increasing the workers’ of Saufley Electric’s pay, the possible $10-30k in donations from PCT hikers that would be flowing in, and their incessant shopping began to grate. Especially when said to someone who has been living out of backpacks (and now a bike) for nearly a decade of their life. It would be nothing for her to pay all their volunteers a stipend, but she chooses not to for her own benefit. It’s also not hard to imagine when draining resources just for the chance to listen to Donna’s opinions and finally learning some semblance of the economy behind everything, how my bohemian work gig I once thought great to avoid contributing to military violence by doing “volunteer work” for a possible $100 a week “gift” began to feel more like exploitation than the cheat code to avoid taxes to a murderous government it once was.

To make matters worse, those endless opinions from Donna were more politically fueled this year. As last year they had a “no talking politics” rule, most likely because they were an employing a hiker at the time with anti-Muslim and transphobic prejudices than for herself. An example of new frustrations began when Donna started to interrupt and point out my using gender neutral terms for everyone as “wrong.” When explained to her grammatically they/them has existed longer than he or she as a pronoun, with suggestions to learn this by googling some things her response was, “Well, at least I’m only going to be doing this one more year.” This alongside my constantly being referenced as a he/him was one of many annoyances (though it was something I was expecting to suffer for a couple months in exchange for the resources I thought I would get). It seemed I was just nodding my head at whatever the daily opinions were to get it over with, rather than debate a business owning white lady in a $500k house who gets all her news from nightly viewings of MSNBC that she might not have any clue what is happening in the streets or around the world (let alone gender theory).

Things finally came to a head when a group of rightwing hikers came through. Prior to this season you should know, I had discovered a great organization known as Indigenous Women Hike who had a campaign to bring the racism of John Muir into conversations among outdoors culture and industry. I had even been sponsored a Rethink The Wild shirt from them via an individual to wear for hiker season in order to start the conversation with people hiking across indigenous lands via the Pacific Crest Trail. Indigenous sovereignty is a very important issue for me is the reason why I would quit. I quickly began to feel uncomfortable by this group of hikers as they camped by the RV I was staying in and had late night campfire discussions where I overhead bits of Fox News-like dialogue-isms such as: “It’s not racist if it’s a fact, man” in reference to some statistics they were claiming about black people.

“I was never called a Nazi until Trump was in office and I told people I voted for him.”

And references to, “those antifa fucks” and “race wars.”

Originally I thought I would just wait out their leaving, as in all traveling it is a common occurrence to just have to put up with someone repeating Fox News rhetoric. The following day, however, Donna was taking one of them grocery shopping and I had to go along to get my own groceries. On the way back I was in the backseat listening to their discussion. It turned out this hiker (with a name I cannot recall) was an ex-military white South African and he began talking about his country/ politics. This began by Donna mentioning their liberal centrist views of not being proud of Donald Trump, in which he responded that in his country Donald Trump is considered an international hero. This he said was because he demanded white farmers stop being murdered in South Africa or the USA would intervene. The white genocide myth in South Africa is statistically inaccurate and is a story being spun by white nationalist groups around the world. He began talking about how in South Africa white people are the minority and black people would like to kill him just for his skin color. An example he had of this is how in America people consider Nelson Mandela to be a great leader, but his people call Nelson Mandela a terrorist. He lauded Fox News as the only accurate news representation, said journalists could never be trusted anywhere else and how in growing up surrounded by race wars he had a better understanding of what was happening in the world. Donna didn’t have much to say or counter any of this, other than a statement of maybe she would see things differently if she had lived his life and that, “maybe the South Africa stuff is like how everyone gets upset when Israel fires at Palestine, but never when Palestine shoots at Israel.”

The talk about all this dissipated as he spoke of his bodyguard work for figures such as Sean Connery, which seemed to delight Donna.

Back at Hiker Heaven the discussions with the rightwing hikers didn’t cease, and they seemed to get wide-eyed or talk of preparation for the future in the face of the race war stories this man had to tell them. The moment I knew I could no longer work for Donna Saufley was later that evening, while standing in the garage doing laundry. I described the kinds of things I heard these people talking about and called them white nationalists, with which Donna responded, “it makes my stomach churn to know there are people with those opinions here, but there is nothing I can do to change them.” She then followed this by describing how there are “some people” in this world who want to remove monuments or change the names of things, but they can’t change the past. Much like she can’t change their so-called opinions on race. This struck my last chord and so I brought up John Muir directly as a historical figure on the PCT and his anti-indigenous work with the Indian Removal Act that led to countless deaths. When she told me this was just the way things are and it’s silly to change it, I asked how returning the name to something as it was for thousands of years before Europeans invaded and put the name of someone responsible for their relatives' deaths as little as a couple hundred years ago was wrong? She became flustered and said it’s just the way it is, “and there’s nothing anyone can do to change it other than accept it.”

I walked back to the RV I was staying in and didn’t leave it for the night. I halfway packed my stuff up in the realization I had to leave. The next afternoon, Donna came by and asked if I was ready to start working for the day. I told her I planned to leave in a couple days and no longer wished to work for her due to her racist views toward indigenous people and her centrism to (the money of) white nationalists/ supremacists. She then got angry and told me I had ONE HOUR to get off her property. This caught me off guard, as I expected her to at least give me the couple days to get my things in order and be civil about it. I told her no, I’ll leave in a couple days. She demanded I leave or she would call the sheriff. I told her to call the sheriff, as they would have to give me an eviction notice. She stomped off and I began packing to leave within an hour anyways, expecting her to escalate the situation. Within ten minutes she had cut off the power to the RV and turned off the Hiker Heaven WiFi. I’d began separating what could be carried on my bike and tossing useless/ trash items out the door due to the space being small. She then stood in front of the RV and called all the male hikers to gather around, where she then asked them to remove me from the property. Gaslighting and twisting the things I’d said around, such as saying I referred to ALL hikers as “white supremacists” (which thankfully the actual white supremacist and white nationalists had hiked out that morning) and how I had become anti-hiker (in reference to discussions I had with her about the environmental strain of thru-hiking culture over the last years). This is when I pulled out my phone and began to record in case it took a violent direction, as I knew my legal right to be there and how they didn’t have any right to lay a hand on me. I was honestly prepared to defend myself with mace in one pocket and a knife in the other. I hoped making them understand my position in some fashion, my legal right to defend myself in the scenario, warning them of my intention to do so, and the presence of a camera would deescalate the situation. Which thankfully, at some level it did! A few of them asked me if they could help me pack and I said no, plus demanded they not come near me. As I had no idea who these people were or what they might be preparing to do. One became aggressive (older man in back of photo below) demanding I be gone within an hour or he’d make me, alongside the oldest of the men being the most hostile. He even sat in a chair outside the RV while I packed my things telling me how I should be ashamed to insult such a “well-respected” lady of the hiking community. Only one of the hikers (wearing sunglasses in picture below) came up to me before I left and apologized for what was happening, then handed me $15. The rest made themselves scarce. Donna informed me as I was leaving if I shared what happened she would leave a “bad review” of me on my WarmShowers account (an app for cyclists to host bike tourists for free) so I would never have places to stay during my bike tours. As there doesn’t seem to be a depth Donna Saufley isn’t willing to sink to.

After leaving Hiker Heaven, I had to pedal two days to the nearest REI to return some hiking bags I got in order to have some money on the road. All in all, I am traveling again with several hundred dollars less than expected, lost $90 in groceries purchased the day before, and hundreds in equipment I wasn’t given the time to mail off. Not only did Donna prove to be their own kind of racist in the end, exploited labor out of people like me for years, but also ripped off someone with very little in the world for nearly half they own. I’m writing this about a month from the incident, because it’s the first time I’ve had enough of a break to do so. As pedaling 40-80 miles a day and trying to figure out what direction to go in takes up a great deal of time. My hope in sharing this is to encourage people not to support Hiker Heaven if they have any trace of ethics in their decisions, and simply not let such a privileged person get away with doing what they did without it following her legacy.

In the future, I intend to write more about my observations over two years around the thru-hiking industry and subsequent culture. My time spent interacting with such large amounts of hikers and history I learned while working at Hiker Heaven will be used, as well as this event. This article is more to have this specific incident out in the public to warn others ASAP.

[imonahike]

Agua Dulce to Casa de Luna

17 May 2016 mile: 462.29

We all slept in, took our time. Decided to wait until the afternoon to hike out. I remember eating the remainder of my toaster strudels and England’s rotisserie chicken. Taking a last nap in the trailer, listen to someone interview Donna Saufley about the trail and the situations that had risen out of running Hiker Heaven. About how important Hiker Heaven actually is to Agua Dulce, providing a place for hikers to resupply that doesn’t so heavily tax the small town. The differences they’d made in the lives of hikers, all the people she’d met. Then I fell asleep on the couch, the sounds of someone quietly playing the guitar and a small dog curled up next to me.

When I woke up, we were really leaving. I stayed as long as England, Butters, and Osprey would permit and took advantage of the wonderful place called Hiker Heaven. I thanked Country Gold and wished him luck, he’s hiking in 2017. Took my picture with the Saufleys. Donna informed me that we would likely meet again and in turn wished me luck on the rest of our journey. 

After we loaded our gear into the van, we were off to the trailhead. It was an extremely short drive. We left relatively late, deciding only to hike four or five miles and then camp. Donna had told us of a most wonderful spot and I was excited to camp there. Not half a mile into the trail we ran into a couple of friends. We stopped and talked for probably too long, none of us really wanted to get moving. It was hard leaving Hiker Heaven.

Eventually Butters and Osprey picked up the pace and it was just England and me. My calves were burning again, that damn lactic acid was the worst. It didn’t take too long before the burn subsided and we actually had a fine time chatting. Another hour in and it started to get dark, we put on our headlamps. We should be really close to the campsite. We found it! Following a steep trail down we came out to a nice view over the valley. Except Osprey and Butters had totally flown by it. Frustrated, we hiked back up the trail and followed along. After another mile and a half we found them, they’d set up camp on top of a ridge. Thankfully the wind wasn’t strong, and we were that much closer to Casa de Luna, the next stop on our list. 

I set up my tent and thought about what tomorrow would hold. The hike itself should’ve be too terrible, only 17 miles left to Casa de Luna, another safe haven for PCT thru hikers. The desert was beautiful. We talked in our tents and ate our food. Debated about how long we would stay with the Andersons. We’d spent two days at Hiker Heaven, we should probably be moving on.

18 May 2017 mile: 478.23

Woke up when it was still dark out. I was running pretty low on water, so decided to wait to eat until the water source. Packed up and hiked out before everyone else. There was dew on the desert grass. I really enjoyed this short walk to water. The trail was quiet and I ran through some spider webs across the trail, reminded me a bit of the AT, and it was very low grade downhill. All of this was lovely. I ate my breakfast and was joined by another hiker who I can only remember as “Sexy Santa”, although I know that’s not his true trail name. We chatted about nothing in particular while he filtered his water. After a bit he hiked out and Butters appeared. I filtered water for the day and we were off, fifteen miles to Casa de Luna! Really that wasn’t very far, but it decided to be legitimately hot that day.

Among the things I learned in the desert is that I don’t do well in the heat. It just zaps the life out of me. I don’t know if it’s because I’m an above average sweater and I don’t get enough electrolytes, or what. This was very hard for me. I got very frustrated on this day. I blamed my suffering on the time I took off. Mostly I blamed it on myself. I spent the day in internal argument over whether or not I had any business on the PCT. I finally caught up with the others and they had been waiting for a while. We found a place to take a siesta, but it wasn’t as long as I would have liked. Hiked on in the afternoon.

Thankfully Butters was also suffering. That or he waited for me. I was getting nowhere until the heat of the day finally subsided. When it finally did subside, I led this time, pacing Butters and I into Casa de Luna. I could suddenly do the uphill. Probably nothing terribly fast, but it was nice to feel like a decent hiker again. Got to the top of the climb could see down to the road. “Casa de Luna is down there!” Butters quickly passed me. His knees could handle the downhill better than mine could. Arrived at the bottom, it was close to 7pm. We had hoped to get here much sooner. Osprey and England had already hitched to Casa de Luna. 

Halfmile said there was a water source at the fire station about 2/10 of a mile away, so we walked down there while attempting to hitch. No one was pulling over for us. Butters went to get water, he’d been out for the past couple of miles. I was definitely in an unfortunate mood. Today had been hard, I was dehydrated and exhausted, and I had been so SLOW. But here I was, at my intended destination. I was trying to get my head on straight in the fire station parking lot when a van pulled up. The window rolled down and the woman driving asked, “You hiker trash looking for Casa de Luna?” Why yes! We were! It was Terrie Anderson herself! She piled us into her van and asked if we knew of any hikers close behind. We said we didn’t think so, and so she drove us off to her humble abode. 

When we arrived, most of the hikers had already finished the famous taco salads. This is one of the things Casa de Luna is most known for. A huge vat of nacho cheese, endless salsa and chips, lettuce, refried beans, all of the glorious toppings. We had to wash up first. Then I was being forced into a Hawaiian shirt, the mandatory attire at Casa de Luna. Barbie was showing me where to set up my tent in the Manzanita forest. I did so, though the soil was loose and my pitch was pretty terrible. I changed out of my hiking clothes, donned the Hawaiian shirt, and headed back to the front of the house. Where they’d already put all of the food away. 

I tried to be rational about it and other hikers offered me some of their food. Instead my brain was so devastated I didn’t want to eat anything. I had been looking forward to food that wasn’t in my food bag, in particular this famous taco salad. I knew I was being ridiculous, but my tired and dehydrated brain just couldn’t handle it. Through my pouting, I took a spot on a couch and let the hiker talk lull me into a state of comfort. I found myself chatting with Van Go, huddled under a tarp turned blanket. The conversation was probably what I needed in life, eventually turning intellectual and made everything on the trail balanced again.

Eventually I crawled into my tent and forced down a Luna bar. It was disgusting. I slept. 

19 May 2017 mile 478.23

I woke up the next day earlier than the rest of the crowd. I had this nasty habit of not being able to sleep in. Regardless of how early/late I went to sleep, I would wake up before the sun came up. On this day, I was STARVED. I wandered up to the front of the house to acquire some water and sit on the couch. Everyone was still sleeping, it was quiet. After a bit Terrie came out of the house, “There’s pancakes inside.” She informed me. Oh goodness. Pancakes... PANCAKES. YES PLEASE. I ate them ravenously and I think I cried. The trail makes me feel a lot of feelings and I can’t always keep them in.

Other hiker trash began to wake up. I knew a lot of these wonderful people. Feldspar, Butterscotch, Barbie, Van Go, Corkscrew, England, Osprey, Butters, Wildcard, Sublime, and the list goes on and on and on. All these faces I hadn’t known several weeks ago and yet here we all were, together in this strange Oasis. I loved it. 

I spent the rest of the day socializing and eating. I made several runs to the local convenience store, acquiring coke and chocolate milk and three lunchables and cheese sticks and ice cream and candy and probably more things than I needed. I had a half gallon of chocolate milk and I wound up sharing a bit of it, there was no fridge to keep it from turning sour. I painted the words “Odi et Amo” onto a rock, which about sums up how I feel about the trail. We played the YMCA song off my phone and did the dance for Terrie Anderson, who laughed at us and then gave us our PCT Class of 2017 bandanas. Some things you just have to work for. I wrote my name on the 2017 tarp that hung from the Anderson’s house. Had my picture taken with a bunch of other hiker trash, proving that I had indeed been at Casa de Luna. That night I finally acquired my taco salad. The picture probably looks disgusting, but it was absolutely everything I wanted to be. I will dream about that salad forever.

I should end this account here, but a change happened for me that night.

At some point someone mentioned that it was supposed to rain that evening. It was with this knowledge that I coerced England, Osprey, and Butters to stay another night. They all wanted to leave, but I wanted to stay for the full Casa de Luna experience. In all my research of the PCT it was these two trail angels in the desert that I knew I wanted to spend the full amount of time with. I think I was also very depleted. To add to all of that, I had been feeling like I was being held back from hiking my own hike. Maybe this was all unreasonable, I wasn’t sure. 

Regardless of any of those feelings, I was getting along with another crew of hikers. Barbie/Corkscrew/Pogue/Robin/VanGo had all been hiking together, leapfrogging each other, temporarily calling themselves the Rat Pack. They were really awesome dudes. And different from what I’d been experiencing, they would hike their own hike during the day, camp together at night, or maybe not, and then probably meet up in the next town. More of a hike your own hike, but with a group. This all sounded spectacular to me, because I actually hate hiking with people during the day. Not all of the time, but about 60% of my time on trail I’m miserable, and I don’t really like to be around people in that state... I had told Osprey/Butters/England I would hike out with them at the crack of dawn, but the more I thought about it the more I wanted to sleep in. Barbie and Van Go suggested I hike out with them later in the morning, I could catch up with my group in Tehachapi. I was 100% down with that. By the time I decided to temporarily join the rat pack, Osprey and Butters were already asleep for the night. I told England about it, saying I would catch up with them in Tehachapi. He was... rather unhappy with me. Very cross. I probably could have handled that entire situation better. I don’t know if I made the right decision or not, but when I woke up the next morning, Osprey, Butters, and England had hiked out without me. 

[goownit]

No participation trophies allowed

​We are not children. We all know the difference between telling the truth and telling a lie.

It all started with the simple question posted by well-known trail angel, Donna “L-Rod” Saufley, from Hiker Heaven in California, “Did anyone in the [PCT] Class of 2017 see Stacey Kozel on the trail this year? Just wondering. No one we hosted mentioned a word about her.” Since then, there have been an abundant number of articles and comments written about Stacey Kozel, the paralyzed woman who…

[the-five-winds]

Hiker Heaven

Day 29 6-6-17 Mile 444-454, 10 miles There were trains blaring past the campground last night. I had ear plugs in, but it was still a bit loud. I get moving as quickly as I can in order to make it to Hiker Heaven (a popular trail angel stop) in Agua Dulce. The trail angels who run the place, Jeff and Donna Saufley are incredibly organized and generous. It constantly amazes me how many people care…

[pcttrailsidereader]

Going to Heaven

I am one of the fortunate ones. I have been to heaven...Hiker Heaven. In 2018 I arrived there as I was walking in my attempt to connect the dots to complete the Pacific Crest Trail. I was accompanied by my co-editor and long time hiking partner Rees Hughes. Rees had been to Hiker Heaven before so in a way he was my 'spiritual guide' once we arrived. I have to say that visiting Hiker Heaven was and remains a highlight of my many years hiking the PCT.

Hiker Heaven was hosted by Donna and Jeff Saufley. Together they established a place where a hiker could do their laundry, find a computer, take a shower, pick up a resupply box, and even catch a ride into Agua Dulce for a meal or a re-supply at the small grocery. You could even get a ride back to 'heaven'. Hiker camaraderie was infectious. People were connecting and reconnecting with people they had encountered prior to arriving at Hiker Heaven. In the evening lively conversations could be heard emanating from circles all over Hiker Heaven.

Hiker Heaven was a place created by angels. Jeff and Donna set the standard for what a Trail Angel could be and became to be known for on the PCT. The Saufley's were widely acclaimed by the PCT community for their hospitality and organization. Walking in you were greeted warmly by one of the 'angels' who helped staff the place. Clean clothes were available to change into while your clothes were being laundered. Further directions and expectations were shared and you were in. When I was there I pinched myself and wondered if I was dreaming. Happily it was very real.

Entering Hiker Heaven

Hiker Heaven closed a few years ago. It was sad to hear that news as Hiker Heaven held a very positive place in the hearts and minds of the PCT community. The passing of Donna Saufley on October 6 after a long and difficult battle with cancer came with much sadness. Donna had been a long distance hiker, was a former PCTA board member, and  a notable volunteer. Over the years, Donna and Jeff hosted countless PCT hikers. When Hiker Heaven closed a distinct practical and emotional void opened up on the PCT. A significant chapter in PCT history came to a close. Donna, whose trail name was L-Rod (short for Lightning Rod) will be missed by all who met her or simply stayed at Hiker Heaven. There are a lot of us.

I did not meet Donna or Jeff when I was there. They were away but their spirit permeated the place. The staff emulated the Saufley's vision and upheld the standards Donna and Jeff had established over the years at Hiker Heaven. I regret not meeting the Saufley's but I will never regret spending a short time there. For now, there is no replacement.

Donna has moved on to a new Hiker Heaven. I hope it is up to her standards.

HS

[pcttrailsidereader]

Why the PCT’s Most Iconic Trail Angels Are Retiring (Part 2)

This is the second profile included in the Outside article, “Why the PCT’s Most Iconic Trail Angels Are Retiring” . . .the first half was posted two days ago.

Donna and Jeff Saufley have been generous hosts and a much anticipated destination about 450 trail miles north of the border for more than two decades.  I have stopped there three times myself over the years. Their conversion to an AirBnb model may be replicated up and down the trail and the numbers of hikers overwhelm well-intentioned angels. [Photos: Rees Hughes]

By Mary Beth Skylis

Thru-hikers continuing their journey north through California eventually hit mile 454, near Agua Dulce in Los Angeles County. This is where Hiker Heaven, a sort of oasis, has operated for the past 22 years. Donna “L-Rod” Saufley and her husband, Jeff, began hosting thru-hikers in 1997 on their two-acre property, which sits near the PCT, offering a respite from the heat. And it didn’t take long for the stop to become an iconic one, offering services like Wi-Fi, mail drops, and laundry.

When they began hosting hikers, L-Rod saw it as a calling. “I was taking in the recreational homeless,” she says. “I could help these people, and I could do something that they truly seemed to appreciate.” L-Rod has always been inspired by endurance athletes, having helped many marathon runners at aid stations. She says she admires the focus and determination that it takes to push through your own limitations, and she wanted to find a way to support people with that type of perseverance and grit.

L-Rod finished her own hike of the PCT in 2017, after piecing together sections over the course of many seasons. Experiencing the roles of both hiker and trail angel has given her tremendous insight into the journey. “The service end of it is as addicting as the hiking end of it,” she says. “It’s sort of like traveling the world without leaving your home. You get so many types of people all along the social and economic scale.” She was mesmerized by the adventure that spilled onto her front door when she began opening her home.

“I’d say the technology is really what has changed. It changed how hikers hike the trail and what they know about the trail.”

But after more than two decades of hosting hikers, L-Rod and her husband decided it was time to close the Hiker Heaven chapter of their lives. She was feeling less tolerant of the heat waves that seemed to worsen with every season, and the influx of thru-hikers was becoming increasingly difficult to manage.

“We get more in a day in the last few years than I got in the entire first season. The numbers have changed things considerably,” says L-Rod. The pair decided to sell their home in the fall of 2019.

Another change she’s witnessed is the way that hikers interact with the trail itself. “I’d say the technology is really what has changed. It changed how hikers hike the trail and what they know about the trail. For many of us old-timers, one of the most disappointing things is that hikers don’t know the names of most of the places they’re going to, because they’re reading everything from an app on their phone. It used to be that you would carry maps or sections and there would be history and geology.” Today, L-Rod notes, the hiker experience is more about logging the miles and getting to the next town.

When L-Rod and her husband were unable to find the right buyer for their home before their December deadline, they started to rehash their plan. They were determined to keep Hiker Heaven alive in some way. “We thought maybe we could get this place to pay for itself and we wouldn’t have to sell it,” L-Rod says. While the couple wants to take a step away from managing it, they intend to keep Hiker Heaven active as an Airbnb property. They’ve shifted their hopes toward remodeling it, allowing the iconic stop to live on and continuing to support hikers in a way that is also sustainable. This means the facility will continue to provide services, like accepting mail drops, but only for those who book a reservation through Airbnb.

COVID-19 threw another wrench in the couple’s plans, however L-Rod says she’s still getting ready to open as a rental. “Until they lift the closures and bans—until I feel that it’s safe—I think we’re going to be on hold,” she says. “But that’s all right. The trail is full of plan B. You think you’re going to do one thing. And then you’re doing something else.”

[pcttrailsidereader]

Why the PCT's Most Iconic Trail Angels Are Retiring (Part 2)

This is an excerpt from Outside Online (June 18, 2020). The first part featuring trail angels Barney and Sandy Mann and their retirement was posted on July 27.  Part 2 focuses on Donna and Jeff Saufley and their decision to close Hiker Heaven in Agua Dulce.  I am one of the many who have benefited from the kindness of both the Manns and the Saufleys whose generosity has spanned some two decades.  Amazing!

By Mary Beth Skylis

Thru-hikers continuing their journey north through California eventually hit mile 454, near Agua Dulce in Los Angeles County. This is where Hiker Heaven, a sort of oasis, has operated for the past 22 years. Donna “L-Rod” Saufley and her husband, Jeff, began hosting thru-hikers in 1997 on their two-acre property, which sits near the PCT, offering a respite from the heat. And it didn’t take long for the stop to become an iconic one, offering services like Wi-Fi, mail drops, and laundry.

When they began hosting hikers, L-Rod saw it as a calling. “I was taking in the recreational homeless,” she says. “I could help these people, and I could do something that they truly seemed to appreciate.” L-Rod has always been inspired by endurance athletes, having helped many marathon runners at aid stations. She says she admires the focus and determination that it takes to push through your own limitations, and she wanted to find a way to support people with that type of perseverance and grit.

L-Rod finished her own hike of the PCT in 2017, after piecing together sections over the course of many seasons. Experiencing the roles of both hiker and trail angel has given her tremendous insight into the journey. “The service end of it is as addicting as the hiking end of it,” she says. “It’s sort of like traveling the world without leaving your home. You get so many types of people all along the social and economic scale.” She was mesmerized by the adventure that spilled onto her front door when she began opening her home.

“I’d say the technology is really what has changed. It changed how hikers hike the trail and what they know about the trail.”

But after more than two decades of hosting hikers, L-Rod and her husband decided it was time to close the Hiker Heaven chapter of their lives. She was feeling less tolerant of the heat waves that seemed to worsen with every season, and the influx of thru-hikers was becoming increasingly difficult to manage.

“We get more in a day in the last few years than I got in the entire first season. The numbers have changed things considerably,” says L-Rod. The pair decided to sell their home in the fall of 2019.

Another change she’s witnessed is the way that hikers interact with the trail itself. “I’d say the technology is really what has changed. It changed how hikers hike the trail and what they know about the trail. For many of us old-timers, one of the most disappointing things is that hikers don’t know the names of most of the places they’re going to, because they’re reading everything from an app on their phone. It used to be that you would carry maps or sections and there would be history and geology.” Today, L-Rod notes, the hiker experience is more about logging the miles and getting to the next town.

When L-Rod and her husband were unable to find the right buyer for their home before their December deadline, they started to rehash their plan. They were determined to keep Hiker Heaven alive in some way. “We thought maybe we could get this place to pay for itself and we wouldn’t have to sell it,” L-Rod says. While the couple wants to take a step away from managing it, they intend to keep Hiker Heaven active as an Airbnb property. They’ve shifted their hopes toward remodeling it, allowing the iconic stop to live on and continuing to support hikers in a way that is also sustainable. This means the facility will continue to provide services, like accepting mail drops, but only for those who book a reservation through Airbnb.

COVID-19 threw another wrench in the couple’s plans, however L-Rod says she’s still getting ready to open as a rental. “Until they lift the closures and bans—until I feel that it’s safe—I think we’re going to be on hold,” she says. “But that’s all right. The trail is full of plan B. You think you’re going to do one thing. And then you’re doing something else.”

“Change is the one constant in the PCT community.”

Trail angels like L-Rod and Scout spent years providing services to hikers free of charge. Their kindness made them legendary on the PCT. But due to rising interest in the trail, and for personal reasons, these teams are leaning into change. As Hiker Heaven transitions into an Airbnb, L-Rod notes that the local KOA holds mail for a fee. And there are a number of other Airbnbs that are receptive to hiker traffic in Agua Dulce.

“Change is the one constant in the PCT community,” says Scott Wilkinson, director of communications and marketing for the Pacific Crest Trail Association. “There were popular trail angels from years past who are all but forgotten now. We appreciate all these trail angles have given and all the kindness they have shown. Their shoes will be hard to fill—but I’m sure someone will.”

And while Wilkinson doesn’t attribute the recent changes to rising hiker numbers in particular, he does say that “some have talked about a small but possibly increasing number of hikers who seem ungrateful, inconsiderate, or self-centered—but I’d note those are still a small minority. Most trail angels wax enthusiastic about how wonderful and appreciative hikers are and the lasting relationships they found with some of them.”

During the early years of the PCT, trail angels played a key role in thru-hikes. And while they’re still an irreplaceable element of trail culture, many other iconic angels are also choosing to retire instead of adapt to the growing demands of traffic. Hosting thousands of hikers on an annual basis is simply too much. And in the words of L-Rod, “The trail is full of plan B.”

[pcttrailsidereader]

Big Changes at Hiker Heaven

Donna Saufley recently announced big changes at Hiker Heaven, for more than 20 years a wonderful refuge in Agua Dulce, about 450 miles north of the Mexican border. The Saufleys are planning to have the operation sustain itself under an AirBnB-type model.

So what does that mean for this year’s PCT hikers? It means that Hiker Heaven is becoming a business, not a free hostel. They anticipate renting out the guesthouse initially sometime early next spring (late March or early April) on whatever platform they ultimately choose (AirBnB, VRBO, etc.). Donna continued on her Facebook page, If that works out – meaning hikers don’t abuse it and it makes fiscal sense — we will consider expanding the offering to include the main house at some point, and perhaps ultimately the entire property and horse facilities. But first things first, one step at a time. There is much work to be done to pimp-out the guest house to make it a special offering worthy of good ratings. We want to be ready to please our guests on a whole new level!

It is sad that we cannot continue in the free hostel model as we have since 1997. Things change, and people move on and do other things. We do hope however that Hiker Heaven will continue to be a place offering hospitality geared toward hiker’s needs. This is mixed news and admittedly our choice is self-serving, which feels strange after so many years of service to others. The end of one era is the start of the new.

While specifics are still gelling, here are some basics:  the guesthouse can sleep 8, and they will hold boxes for those who have reservations, and provide laundry service (Donna will still do the laundry for those requiring). Animals will still be welcome. Jeff and Donna will reside on site for a period TBD, after which they will hire a caretaker, which will be a paying position which will include accommodations, wi-fi, and utilities.

It is hard to begrudge the Saufleys this change.  They have been a touchstone for a generation of hikers.  I have stayed three times over the years and marveled at their hospitality, the generosity, and the goodwill.  There is no reason that it can’t continue but actually pay for itself.  The opportunities for camping for several miles south and north of Agua Dulce are very, very limited, so it would be my hope that Hiker Heaven will continue to be a popular option for hikers even though there is a charge.

[pcttrailsidereader]

Skip the Latest Star Wars Episode and Watch a PCT Movie

With the nights long and the days cold, memories, books, and movies about the Pacific Crest Trail must sustain us.  And there are many more choices than watching “Wild” for the second or third time . . . and choices that provide a much more nuanced and accurate portrayal of the PCT. 

Consider Tell It On the Mountain (2013), a feature-length independent documentary film that does a far better job of capturing the beauty, the magic and majesty, and the experience of walking the PCT. It follows eight hikers through their PCT experience … three trail icons (Donna Saufley on a section hike from Kennedy Meadows to Tuolumne, George ‘Billy Goat’ Woodard on his annual PCT walkabout, and Scott Williamson for the duration of a successful ‘yo-yo’ attempt), two couples (Jen and Brian Von Bork and Carsten Jost and Alina Budai), and Spaniard Inaki Diaz de Etura. The footage is extremely candid, often deeply personal, and raw in its honesty and humility.

Although there were times when I missed the clarity and simplicity of only having to follow a single narrative thread (a plus for Wild), I thought that these eight individuals were each extraordinarily articulate and willing to look deep into their souls to find the meaning and purpose of their quests.  I loved Billy Goat’s rather homespun perspective on life (”enjoy each day”) and the trail no less than Inaki’s more existential philosophy.  I appreciated Donna Saufley’s emotional and heartfelt words about her experience filmed inside her tent on a cold, rainy Sierra evening. I found Scott Williamson to be totally disarming for someone who has spent more time walking the PCT than anyone else … ever.  I shared Carsten Jost’s pain and frustration as his back injury forced him to leave the trail … fighting every moment to get back to Alina and the PCT.  I celebrated Jen and Brian’s mid-hike marriage.

The movie captured the highs and the lows.  The amazing beauty, the wildlife, the opportunity for reflection, trail angels.  The aching bodies and exhaustion, the fear of precipitous edges and raging rivers and lightning storms, the mosquitoes, snow. Whereas Wild failed to capture my PCT experience – what pulls me back year after year – Tell It On the Mountain did. 

Alas, Tell It On the Mountain is destined to be seen by a mere fraction of the crowds that made Wild a blockbuster.  Perhaps it is the fate of most documentaries. There was no big advertising budget or no Hollywood stars. It is not a perfect movie. The two hour running time seems long at times. But, this is the movie to see to introduce you to the PCT experience. This is the movie that would make one want to hike the PCT (even Scott’s on-camera toe surgery). This is the PCT movie that will be part of my permanent collection.

It is available for purchase through Amazon and can be watched on YouTube (also a charge) or the film’s website: www.tellitonthemountain.com

Rating:  8 Clif Bars

[pcttrailsidereader]

Tell it on the Mountain: Tales from the Pacific Crest Trail

Overshadowed by Wild, Tell It On the Mountain (2013) is a feature-length independent documentary film that does a far better job of capturing the beauty, the magic and majesty, and the experience of walking the PCT. It follows eight hikers through their PCT experience . . . three trail icons (Donna Saufley on a section hike from Kennedy Meadows to Tuolumne, George ‘Billy Goat’ Woodard on his annual PCT walkabout, and Scott Williamson for the duration of a successful ‘yo-yo’ attempt), two couples (Jen and Brian Von Bork and Carsten Jost and Alina Budai), and Spaniard Inaki Diaz de Etura. The footage is extremely candid, often deeply personal, and raw in its honesty and humility.

Although there were times when I missed the clarity and simplicity of only having to follow a single narrative thread (a plus for Wild), I thought that these eight individuals were each extraordinarily articulate and willing to look deep into their souls to find the meaning and purpose of their quests.  I loved Billy Goat’s rather homespun perspective on life (”enjoy each day”) and the trail no less than Inaki’s more existential philosophy.  I appreciated Donna Saufley’s emotional and heartfelt words about her experience filmed inside her tent on a cold, rainy Sierra evening. I found Scott Williamson to be totally disarming for someone who has spent more time walking the PCT than anyone else . . . ever.  I shared Carsten Jost’s pain and frustration as his back injury forced him to leave the trail . . . fighting every moment to get back to Alina and the PCT.  I celebrated Jen and Brian mid-hike marriage.

The movie captured the highs and the lows.  The amazing beauty, the wildlife, the opportunity for reflection, trail angels.  The aching bodies and exhaustion, the fear of precipitous edges and raging rivers and lightning storms, the mosquitoes, snow. Whereas Wild failed to capture my PCT experience -- what pulls me back year after year -- Tell It On the Mountain did. 

Alas, Tell It On the Mountain is destined to be seen by a mere fraction of the crowds that made Wild a blockbuster.  Perhaps it is the fate of most documentaries. There was no big advertising budget or no Hollywood stars.

It is not a perfect movie. The two hour running time seems long at times. But, this is the movie to see to introduce you to the PCT experience. This is the movie that would make one want to hike the PCT (even Scott’s on-camera toe surgery). This is the PCT movie that will be part of my permanent collection.

Rating:  8 Clif Bars