Off the beaten path

Andrew Glazer

* EDITOR’S NOTE: The Daily Pilot is tracking the progress of Costa Mesa

resident Tony DiLorenzo, who is making a 2,600-mile hike up the Pacific

Crest Trail to raise awareness about his brother Paul’s rare and

potentially fatal blood disease, thalassemia. The following is an update,

as told to reporter Andrew Glazer.

o7 At the Snow Creek Trailhead, near Banning, Calif. 2:45 p.m. May 12 --

Day 14

Tony DiLorenzo’s father, Carmen, and friend, Scot Falkenstien, meet him

and his hiking partners, “Mad” Monte Dodge and “Pennsylvania” Jeff

Zimmerman. The air is hot and the sun bright and high in the sky. The

three have several days’ beard growth, blistered and bruised toes and

smell of sunscreen and sweat. They all carry their packs and walking

sticks.

Tony DiLorenzo:f7

The blisters come and go. Those aren’t a big problem. They hurt and you

deal with them. If you string a thread through the blister, then when it

starts getting filled with liquid, then you can pull it and it all drains

out. You pick up all these things on the trail.

But the main thing is finding water sources. There are little springs in

the mountains and a couple of creeks. We saw a baby rattler today. That

makes six. Those are the most dangerous kind because they can’t control

their venom.

These two guys [Dodge and Zimmerman] did the trail together in 1977. It’s

great having the camaraderie and joking around at camp. That’s what’s

making this so great.

There’s a big group of us. We all have trail names. I’m “Trail Mix,” and

there’s “Swiss Miss,” “Bluefoote,” “Rosy,” “Cadidle,” “Artist,” and

“Hollywood” behind us right now. If you called me Tony on the trail, no

one would know who you were talking about. It’s a whole community.

I consider these guys the best of friends. The best friends in the world.

We keep each other going.

It’s great to see my dad and Scot. And I can’t wait to have some pasta

and meatballs. The good ‘ole Mom and Dad special.

***

o7 Carmen DiLorenzo picks up the crew in a blue pickup truck. Before

heading to the DiLorenzos’ cozy one-story home in Banning, they stop at

the post office to pick up Claudia “Swiss Miss” Tuor and Benjamin

“Bluefoote” Foote. Tony DiLorenzo’s mother, Vincie, and brother, Paul,

meet them at the driveway and shoot photos of the grimy crew. They all

hesitate, feeling slightly out of place in a home, before sitting on a

black leather couch in the living room. Carmen DiLorenzo and Scot

Falkenstien hand out potato chips and cans of soda and beer. The group

takes turns showering. Vincie DiLorenzo cooks pasta with homemade red

sauce and meatballs. “Mad” Monte Dodge, a train engineer from Olympia,

Wash., who is returning home tomorrow, takes his first sip of beer in

eight years.

“Mad” Monte Dodge:f7

This calls for a one-beer celebration. It’s just nice to sit here and not

have ants bite you. I was ready to keep going, but I have a job and three

kids and a wife and just had to stop. I met Tony at our kickoff. I had

read about his trip on the Internet. When we met, we got along real good.

He’s one of the fastest hikers out there. And he brings such a good

attitude. I’ve had much more fun in these two weeks than the entire trip

in 1977. For starts, there’s a lot more hikers out there. In the old

days, you’d walk into town with long hair and a beard, and the sheriff

would ask what you were doing. You’d say, “I’m hiking the [Pacific Crest

Trail]” and they’d say “Is that some new kind of drug you kids are

doing?”

The friends I’ve made I will have for the rest of my life. It’s hard to

explain. I’ve shared more in two days with Tony than five years with

people at the office.

o7 Paul DiLorenzo:f7

My brother’s looking all right. I thought he’d be a lot dirtier. But when

he came, I was surprised by his beard and all. I haven’t been that

worried about him. Especially now that I see him with all these new

friends. Hopefully, I’ll visit him sometime [along his trip]. I would

love to go up north. I think this weekend, we’ll just relax. I don’t

think he wants to go anywhere. It’s good to see him. I raced down here

[from UC Riverside]. I skipped classes. I’m really confident he’ll make

it. He’s got a great attitude and he’s in love with the trail. Every

minute of it. For him, it will be the easiest thing in the world.

o7 Vincie DiLorenzo:f7

Tony looks OK. Very muscular. I wanted assurance that he wouldn’t be

alone on the trail. And it sounds like he has a great group. This will be

the last time I see him for several months, so now I’ll just have to wait

for the phone calls. Hey, Tony! Make sure they all have clean towels. See

that there’s enough soap.

He seems to have everything under control. I just make sure he has a

first-aid kit and antibiotics. I work in the medical field as a

receptionist. I want to make sure he has everything to stay healthy. Hey,

Tony! Do you eat good out there? What do you eat for breakfast? Any

vegetables or fresh fruit? Do you have multivitamins?