We got really lucky with our hitchhiking this morning. While we were having breakfast in White Salmon, a young guy named Sklyer overhead us talking about getting back to the trail and offered us a ride to Trout Lake. After he dropped Khalil and I off at the cafe so I could charge my phone, he ran home and grabbed his baby girl, Nova, and came back to join us for a game of Monopoly. It was a lot more fun with three players and Nova was one of the sweetest babies I’d ever met.
Monopoly with Khalil, Skyler and baby Nova
Once Khalil had wiped Skyler and I clean of all our assets, we headed back to the road and hitched a ride with a girl. It’s incredible how much the locals support the hikers- even when they couldn’t give us a ride, cars would pull over just to chat.
I think I may have overdone it on my food for this section. I made the mistake of shopping for snacks before eating lunch, so I grabbed all sorts of goodies that I probably don’t need. For lunch, I tossed out my homemade chicken veggie wraps in favor of salami wrapped in ghee and a tortilla- super, duper fatty!
Salami & ghee wrap
The trail climbed up towards Mount Adams through recently burned forest. Since I’m trying to take care of my foot, we planned to hike only ten miles to a little pond below the peak of Adams. Honestly, today gave me some of the best views I’ve seen in Washington so far. The closer I got to Mount Adams, the more beautiful it became. Unfortunately, a smokey sky from a nearby fire and rain clouds blocked the views of Mount Rainier and Goat Rocks.
Mount Adams
It was nice having lots of time at camp this evening. I went through all my food and listened to Khalil chide me on not eating enough in town and then carrying too much in my pack. He stopped lecturing me once I offered him some bars and jerky. Now he’s quiet in his tent munching away at that extra food I carried all the way up here.
I also had time to stretch and work on my sore foot. It’s hard to tell if it’s getting better, probably because it truly needs about a week of rest. *Sigh.* It’s a difficult choice between staying on trail with an injury and getting off trail when you’re so close to finishing. Tomorrow we head into Goat Rocks Wilderness, which is often featured in PCT calendars because it’s so scenic. I hope the clouds clear so I can really see it in all its glory
Camping at Sheep Lake
August 3- 22 miles, camping at a little unnamed pond
Today was so beautiful. The trail began by skirting around Mount Adams, as it usually does to these great volcanic peaks, giving us views of not only the surrounding area, but also the 12,281-foot peak. Unfortunately, the smokey and rainy clouds from yesterday still lingered in the sky, blocking the views of Mount Saint Helens and Mount Rainier.
Mount Adams and Adams Glacier
Mount Adams has an incredible glacier pouring down along its northwest side. The guidebook describes it as a great frozen waterfall, and it truly looks that way. With strikingly blue ice, it’s edges stood like tall, vertical cliffs on the outcrops of the mountain, as through a great knife had sliced through and taken out entire sections.
Crossing Adams Creek
Glimpsing Goat Rocks
Killen Creek
I was able to hike relatively pain free today, with the help of the doctor’s cream and some naproxen. Having dealt with repeative stress injuries in the past has made me very sensitive to the fact that I may be doing permanent damage while covering up the pain. When Khalil and I hit twenty-two miles, we both felt good enough to hike an additional three or four for a better campsite, but I knew it wouldn’t be a good idea for my foot. So, we’re camping near a mucky pond with no spectacular view. He’s been really patient with me and my injury. I appreciate that- I just don’t want to interfere with the way he would prefer to hike.
Camping at the unnamed pond
August 4- 21.5 miles, camping below Tieton Pass
I had heard that Goat Rocks Wilderness was beautiful, but I really wasn’t prepared for how stunning it would be. It seemed that every turn around a corner or over a pass brought greater and greater beauty. We got our first clear view of Mount Rainier today, a queen towering 14,410 feet into the air and drapped with a diamond-like necklace of glaciers.
Looking south toward Mount Adams
Crossing a small glacier below Snowy Mountain
Mount Rainier viewed from Snowy Mountain
The trail itself was also more interesting than it has been in awhile. We climbed through forests and rocky shale, crossed snow, and teetered on the edge of steep cliffs. It was thrilling! It also brought challenges for my little foot, and I fell on my backside heading down the rocky north side of Knife’s Edge. I think the foot is improving, but not very quickly.
Knife’s Edge on the left, Snowy Mountain glaciers on the right
Knife’s Edge
The first campsite we came to was near a grassy, muddy pond, and just didn’t look too appealing, so we hiked another mile to a trail junction near a stream. It’s really chilly tonight, maybe the first real chill I’ve felt in weeks. Still, I made sure to play some ukulele because I plan on mailing it home at the next post office I reach. My hope is that lightening my load will help my injured foot.
Camping below Tieton Pass
August 5- 12.5 miles to White Pass, staying in Packwood
It was a delightful and scenic twelve miles to White Pass this morning. We had more views of Mount Rainier and Khalil has decided to attempt a summit. Since I’m on more of a schedule than he is and I don’t have the technical skills for a summit like Rainier, I will not be joining him.
Approaching White Pass
We made it to White Pass around noon, after taking a “shortcut” along a ski slope. I picked up my resupply box and a sweet letter from my boyfriend’s mom and did laundry at the little gas station. After talking to other hikers, we decided the nearby town of Packwood would be a great place to stay for the night. A trail angel took Khalil, myself and two other hikers, Day Tripper and 1-Step, the 25 miles down into town. We’re all staying at a hostel-like bunkhouse called the Pack Station.
Off-roading down a ski slope toward White Pass
Trail Mail! <3
I really didn’t feel like dining out and since the bunkhouse has a big communal kitchen, I made a big spaghetti and meatball dinner. It was so nice sitting family-style around the table and swapping stories with other hikers. This community of wonderful people is half of the joy of hiking the PCT.
Spaghetti dinner with Khalil, Sequoia, Kinky Camel, Day Tripper, and 1-Step
August 6- Hoping to hike out!
Everyone got together this morning and pitched in to make a fantastic breakfast. We had waffles, French toast, bacon, eggs, fruit with yogurt and coffee. Khalil is heading out today to Mount Rainier National Park in the hopes of summitting the mountain. We said goodbye for a second time on the trail (the first was back in Burney). Who knows what the trail will bring and with a trail name like “I’ll be back,” we may just run into each other again!
Breakfast with Khalil, 1-Step, Sequoia, and Kinky Camel
I hope to hikenout with 1-Step and his girlfriend, Day Tripper, this afternoon,vif I can get my blog uploaded. 1-Step isn’t a doctor, but he knows feet pretty well from years of hiking and did a bit of work on my injured foot. My next stop is Snoqualmie Pass and I hope to make it all the way to Canada, but I’m just taking it one day at a time.
Believe it or not, I was really good about writing my blog on my phone every night this week. When I got to Northern Kennedy Meadows, however, and tried to upload the page using their Wi Fi, everything disappeared. This is what I can remember:
June 11- 11 miles, camping above Shadow Lake on the JMT
Being clean is such a great feeling, unfortunately, my little baby toenail fell off while I was scrubbing in the shower last night. I couldn’t believe it! It’s not like my shoes are too tight or I’m hiking unreasonably long miles. WHY?!? I remembered another girl hiker complaining about her toenails falling off and her solution was to just paint all the toe stubs so they looked like they had nails. Hm… it’s an idea!
Devils Postpile & the nearby San Joaquin River
I hung around Reds Meadows all morning updating the blog, checking emails, and making phone calls. Even though my bag had been packed and ready to go since 7am, it wasn’t until 2:45 that I actually headed out on the trail. I decided to take the Devils Postpile and JMT detours instead of the official PCT. When we hiked the JMT in 2011, there had been too many blown down trees along a particular stretch and we’d taken a detour along the PCT instead. Now I’m hiking that stretch of the JMT I missed in 2011, just to see something new. I’m glad I did; it’s been so scenic with all the lakes. This stretch of the JMT has more mosquitos and elevation changes, but has more lakes and is considered to be more scenic. It did not disappoint! Indeed, the mosquitos were awful and the ups and downs were very up and very down, but the lakes were beautiful.
Shadow Lake on the John Muir Trail
Camping north of Shadow Lake
June 12- 25 miles, camping at Tuolomne Meadows Campground
Tuolumne Meadows in Yosemite National Park has a small store, post office, and grill. I was determined to make it to the grill today and put in 25 miles to make it happen. Unfortunately, the grill doesn’t stay open until 7:00pm until later in the summer, and they closed at 5:00. I missed the burgers! I hobbled into the Backpacker/Walk-in Campground and began pulling everything out of my pack and spreading it out across a picnic table. I spied another PCT backpacker, Steve, that I’ve met several times on the trail and even shared a cabin with in Reds Meadows. He was sharing a table with two other PCT hikers, Liverpool, from Scotland, and Wilhelm, from Amsterdam. They shared their beer, veggies and dip, and cheese with me- it was regular party!
Tuolumne Campground with Steve, Liverpool, and Willem
The 25 mile hike today has really beaten up my feet. It’s not that it was so many miles, but more because so much of the trail in this area is rocky. Dirt has a soft give when your feet hit it and you don’t have to pick your way around uneven rocks. I ♡ dirt.
Donahue Pass had very little snow in comparison to the other high passes. It looked so different from the the last time I passed through, with its colorful July wildflowers. I saw no other PCT hikers the entire day, which was pretty nice. I think I must be between hiker packs right now. So many hikers got off at Mammoth for resupplies and rest.
Lyell Canyon
I was really dragging by the time I reached Lyell Canyon and it’s nine mile long meadow. It was beautiful, but also numbing in a way because my feet were so tired. I pepped up, though, when I saw a golden yellow fuzz ball bounce through the creek, across the meadow and pass before me on the trail. I could swear it was Pooh Bear himself, he was so yellow and cute!
June 13- 15 miles, camping near mile 958
Tuolumne Meadows with Liverpool, Steve, & Mulberry
All the hikers were up early and waiting in line at the grill to order the 1060-calorie buckwheat pancakes. I enjoyed mine with Mulberry, an older hiker from LA that I’d leapfrogged with several times through Section H. Most hikers were also waiting for the post office to open so they could collect their resupply boxes. The post master was thirty minutes late and then gave all the hikers a bad time for spreading our stuff out on the picnic tables. He told us those tables were for the grill (even though we’d just purchased food from the grill) and that we needed to move all our stuff to the picnic tables on the other side of the parking lot. We grumbled and moved; he even helped move some of the gear, but he got extra touchy when I told him he should just put up a sign about where to spread out gear. “We had 50 signs-up last year and no one read them, so we took them all down. Get over it already!” Eeeesh… He became a running joke for the next three days among the hikers.
I hiked most of the day with Liverpool, Steve, and Mulberry along the Tuolumne River and deeper into the changing land of Seciton I. I was amazed at how different the rocks and shapes of the mountains were in such a short distance.
Tuolumne Falls, near Glen Aulin Camp
My feet were still so bruised from the 25 miles over the rocky trail I hiked yesterday, I didn’t hike as far as I’d planned. I stopped at a lovely campsite next to a creek after only 15 miles. It was nice setting up with plenty of sunshine still in the sky and I mucked about in the creek washing my legs and feet.
Just as I was about to dig into my beef stroganoff dinner, Wilhelm, whom we were all sure had been in front of us, came hurrying around the trail. Turns out he had accidentally taken a wrong trail for 2.5 miles and then had to backtrack to the PCT. He was in pretty good spirits considering. He built a small fire to cook his food because he didn’t have a stove, and we talked into the evening about everything from not getting enough food on the trail to politics in Europe and existential books. It ended up being a freezing cold night and we were both cursing out loud every time we woke up from the cold!
June 14- 20 miles, camping near mile 978
I woke up this morning to find my sneakers, socks, and gaiters frozen solid. There was no way I was even going to try putting them on, so I hiked for half the day in my Tevas and night socks. Every time I had a stream crossing, rather than slosh right through, I had to stop, take off my socks, cross, and then put my socks back on.
The trial took us up and down thousands of feet over and over today. It was also exceptionally rocky… my favorite. Every time we went through a canyon, mosquitos would swarm, so there was no stopping! Despite the bugs and difficult trail, the new colors and shapes of the rocks and mountains excited my imagination. The dome-like mountains, rock pathways, and perfectly square canyon walls made me think of a crumbling, lost city overtaken by nature. I could easily see palaces and temples in the mountains, balconies and sidewalks, manicured gardens and ponds, even canals and streets. It was great entertainment and took my mind off my feet.
After talking with Liverpool, I’m pretty sure the animal that startled me was a bear. Deer just silently bounce away and don’t actually hide in the bushes. You’ll always see them dashing away, not crouching behind bushes. Bear encounter number two, YAY!
Liverpool built a fire for us that night and we chatted about life back home. He’s such good company. I think we’re both disappointed by not putting more miles in today, even if the trail was hard!
June 15- 22 miles, camping near the 1000 Mile Mark
With the trail having a much gentler grade and soft pack of dirt today, I was able to put in a good amount of miles. I pushed all the way to the 1000 Mile Mark (on Halfmile’s PCT map), just because it feels good to reach some kind of landmark. There’s an excellent campground here, with a fire pit and log benches. I sat around, after setting up my tent, hoping someone else might show up. I was determined to have some kind of celebration tonight because not only was it an important milestone, but because the fire pit is giant! Since no one came for over an hour, I decided to make a fire just for myself. It was my first fire ever, and I was very proud of myself! After staring a the fire for about twenty minutes, I heard a “Halloooo!” from across the stream. Two minutes later, Liverpool came staggering in, his blisters aching, I’m sure. He said he’d been determined to reach the 1000 Mile Mark as well, and I think he was as equally excited as I was to have a celebration fire.
1000 miles!
The hike earlier today took me up and over a small pass and then though a very long and gradual uphill climb. Wilma Lake was enchanting and I passed Liverpool taping his blisters and enjoying the mosquito free air. He said that every time he had to cross water, he had to re-tape his blisters. For the rest of that day, every time I forded a stream, I thought of him!
Antique license plate trail markers
After practically running through mosquito infested miles of meadows, the trail brought me to Dorothy Lake and it’s pass. There was a wooden sign at the pass marking the boundary between Yosemite Wilderness and the Hoover Wilderness in Toiyabi National Forest. It couldn’t have been better place. Looking behind, I could see the snow-covered, grey rocky mountains of Yosemite and in front, were ruddy brown and barren volcanic mountains. It felt like the perfect place to say, “Goodbye” to Yosemite.
June 16- 19.5 miles, staying at Northern Kennedy Meadows
Today was the best day ever. I woke up in a good mood and stayed there all day long. Maybe it was the change in scenery, maybe it was more nice, soft dirt trail rather than rocks, maybe it was the awesome wind that tried to blow me off the mountain, or maybe it was because I was getting into civilization this evening. Even after sleeping in a bit, I was still packed up and heading out before Liverpool.
All I had to do today was hike up and over a mountain pass, then hitch into Norther Kennedy Meadows. Even though I’ve loved the quintessential Sierra scenery, I’ve been itching to see something new. The ruddy brown mountains I’d seen in the distance yesterday became my wilderness overnight. As the land became drier and browner, the trail began winding higher and higher into the mountains north of Kennedy Canyon. Immediately, I could feel the force of the wind along these mountains; it rivaled the wind of Section F near Tehachapi. I was glad the trail was nearly as wide as a dirt road because I was knocked to my feet twice by the wind! A couple of times, as the wind kicked up fiercely, I would just drop myself to the ground to prevent from being knocked over. I felt like Lieutenant Dan atop the fishing boat in Forest Gump, screaming at the storm to “Bring your worst! I can take it!” All the way over the mountain ridge, with the wind screaming and the dark clouds catching on the top of the mountain, I had the time of my life. I think I may actually prefer the “bad” weather on top of these high mountain passes, as long as I have my warm gear! The view from this temperamental mountain ridge was absolutely spectacular. I could see the snowy High Sierras far to the south and the barren, brown mountains to the west. Liverpool took a shortcut on the side of the mountain, avoiding the switchbacks that I’d taken, and caught up with me about half way across the ridge.
View from near Leavitt Peak
Liverpool near Leavitt Peak
Every time we thought we were done with the snow, there’d be another snow field just around the corner. Even though we were crossing the pass in the afternoon, the cold wind kept the snow pretty cold and firm. Since Liverpool’s always got a great sense of humor, we had a good laugh all the way down to Highway 108. Almost the moment we landed on the road, a sedan swilled around the corner and I threw out my thumb.
Approaching Sonora Pass & Hwy 108
The two girls in the car had been rock climbing in Bishop and were on their way back to San Francisco; they’d also never picked up a hitchhiker before! They drove me ten miles down the highway to the Kennedy Meadows Resort driveway asking questions all the way about my hike. Thank you Jack & Xen! (or is it Zen?)
Northern Kennedy Meadows Resort
Checking into Kennedy Meadows, I decided to get a tiny cabin for myself, since all the lodge rooms were full of Horse Camp kids. As I waited in the general store to pick up my resupply package, I heard the cashier telling someone on the phone, “Well, it says she doesn’t arrive until the 18th. Can you identify her full name?” I could see her pointing at my name on her resupply box list. “That’s me!” I whispered. “Are you talking to my mother?” (because calling my resupply locations sounds just like something my mother would do.) She just smiled and handed the phone over. It was Art trying to arrange a surprise visit on the trail and he had been gauging my arrival time at the resort by watching my GPS dot on SPOT. He drove all night and arrived at 5am with our dog Pepper. It was the best surprise!
I’m camping with twelve other hikers tonight (a German couple called Princess and Mr. Sandals, Moxi, Glitter, Fence, Acron and Estero, and Lingo and Sugar Pine). It’s kind of overwhelming. There was so much discussion about how to fit everyone on the few campsites here. They’re all really nice and seem to have been hiking together since the early days. I’ve squeezed into a cozy spot between trees, but there isn’t enough space for my tent, so I am cow boy camping. I hope I’ll be warm enough with my REI bag and extra long johns. I’m wearing three pairs of socks and a neck gaiter, plus I’ve got my hot water bottle under my feet.
Cowboy camping below Glen Pass
Earlier today, I was still in town working on my blog and getting organized. At the hostel, I met the missing hiker from a few days ago, Paul Turner. We talked for about an hour because he was such an interesting man! He was out hiking because he’s doing a documentary on John Muir and is trying to follow his footsteps. Unfortunately, he had a really bad map and got lost. He ran out of food and water; it’s amazing he made it to safety!
Paul Turner, 78
While working at the cafe in Lone Pine, the creepy hiker that I had met before Horseshoe Meadow, the one that talked too much, came up to me. I hadn’t wanted to mention I had thought he was creepy because I didn’t want to be rude to him on my blog. However, I don’t care now. This man, an older hiker named Periwinkle, is a disabled veteran. He came up and sat down next to me as if he had a secret. He said to me, “You’re a dirty girl, howd you like to make some cash for a private massage?” I was horrified and enraged. In fact, the F-bomb went off like an explosive all over the walls of the cafe. Everyone turned and stared to see what was happening. The cafe owner’s wife asked what was going on and I told her what he said. She immediately told him to leave and not come back.
I was so shook up I had to go wash my face in the restroom. He did leave and I refocused on my work, but I couldn’t get over what just happened. I’ve never had anyone speak to me like that before in my life. It made me so glad I took self defense.
I made sure to tell people about his behavior so that other hikers could be aware of him. I even put a message in to the PCTA so they can also be aware of any kind of harassment on the trail. Talking with other trail folk, I learned that this year there seems to be more problems of harassment than in the past. It’s so heartbreaking to see a trail like this and the type of journey it should be spoiled by a few rotten eggs.
I quickly got a ride from a new friend in Lone Pine to the trailhead at Onion Valley. I was so excited to see Lorax and T-Fox just coming off the trail! We chatted for a while because I just didn’t feel like jumping on the trail yet. Their blog is called DanTerraPCT. I also met a hiker named Homework who’s got a blog, too: SoleToSoil
Onion Valley with T-Fox and Lorax
The hike out of Onion Valley was beautiful. It seemed so much easier than the last time I had come down it. I made sure to leave a note in the snow for my favorite bear family at the top of the pass.
A message to my favorite bear family, Trekkin’ 3D
View from Kersarge Pass
June 4th- 14.5 miles, camping below Pinchot Pass
All day today I was completely captivated by my surroundings. The icy blue lakes and snow covered mountains, roaring rivers and babbling brooks, rich forests and views that only seemed to get better and better we’re all around me.
I awoke pleasantly surprised to not be freezing! I guess my REI bag and extra long johns are working! Cowboy camping is great when the conditions are right- it’s spectacularly beautiful and so easy.
Approaching Glen Pass
Glen Pass was only a mile away, but I was slow to reach it. At first I ran into French Toast and Alpine Start, who were just sticking their heads out of their tent. After catching up with them, I was mesmerized by the beautiful snow and frozen lakes along the ascent to Glen Pass.
Dirt-sicles
The view from the top was incredible. It seemed to reach miles and miles in all directions. The descent was by far the most challenging I’ve ever done. The amount of snow on the north slope and steepness of the mountain make Glen Pass one of the most dangerous. Luckily, I had the microspikes loaned to me from my new friend at the hostel in Lone Pine.
Joker and Cracker Keeper, Glen Pass
Glen Pass
Glen Pass
The switchbacks were completely buried in snow and we had to follow cuts made by previous, braver hikers Slipping on this slope could mean death, broken bones, or just a really fun glissade, but that’s not a chance most of us wanted to take. As we crept lower down the slope, glissading was safer and a few of us did it. I forgot to tie up my skirt into pants and got hard, icy snow burns all up to my cheeks. OUCH! I’m still feeling that one! It was good we did the past in the morning because the snow with harder and easier to walk on.
Woods Creek
For the entire rest of the day, I dilly dallied, oogling the sites and smells of the land. I hiked alone for most of the day, but picked up speed toward the end so I could camp below Pinchot Pass with the hikers I’d met last night. It was a long uphill, though. I think I need to do a better job eating in the second half of the day. My energy wanes, but as soon as I eat a bar or fruit I can fly up these mountains.
Our campsite is near a small, nameless lake. After setting up my gear, I went down to collect water and wash up. Washing my ice burns hurt so much- I hope they go away soon!
Camping below Pinchot Pass
June 5th- ~20 miles, camping near Palisades Creek
Approaching Pinchot Pass
Pinchot Pass and an adolescent grouse
We’re calling this Double Pass Thursday. We conquered Pinchot first and then Mather. Pinchot Pass was beautiful, but uneventful- a relatively easy climb up and over with little snow trouble. We met a ranger on the north side who took our names for permit checking. It was then on to Mather Pass.
(L->R) Glitter, Moxi, Princess, and Mr. Sandals on Pinchot Pass
I almost fell into the river during one of the crossings. It’s good I didn’t because I hadn’t put my electronics into a ziplock first. Bad, lazy hiker…
Creek crossing
I finally met Mr. Cup, the Japanese hiker with a giant pack and a flag coming out the top. He doesn’t speak any English, but he’s quickly becoming one of my favorite hikers.
Mr. Cup, the Japanese hiker
I wonder if he’s ever lonely here in an English-dominated wilderness adventure. Even hikers who come out seeking solitude converse other hikers to get information on trail conditions. Also, town stops and hitchhiking would be harder for him. He has a great of humor, though. In his limited English and with some sign language, he’s already cracked a lot of jokes.
Climbing Mather was breath taking. All these high passes are just so other- worldly with their barren landscapes, snow fields, icy blue lakes, towering peaks and the vast sky above.
Mather Pass
The north side of Mather was extremely dodgy. There was so much snow and it was all soft by the time we reached it in the afternoon. We postholed all the way down and it was pretty scary in some places. Besides the possibility of glissading hundreds of feet into rocks, a posthole can twist your ankle or knee. I almost lost my shoe three times and Fence postholed up to his chest in one place. Since the trail was completely covered in snow, we all just followed various footprints left by previous hikers. Unfortunately, the previous hikers hadn’t gone the right way to follow the trail. We lead ourselves to a steep rocky cliff, which towered above the trail. Everyone took different paths scrambling down the cliff towards the trail below. It took us about three hours to go only a couple miles over Mather Pass.
I descended into Palisades Lakes. Waterfalls came out of the cliffs from every direction and it’s impossible to recapture the beauty. Several of our group, including Princess, Sandals, Glitter and Moxi are staying at the Palisades for the night. I headed down towards Palisade Creek with Fence, Lingo, Sugar Pine, Estero and Acorn to camp with a campfire below the 10,000 foot line. You can check out Sugar Pine and Lingo’s blog at SimplyWanderful.com. It was a long day, but I’m glad we made it lower for a fire!
Hiker with Sugar Pine and Lingo
June 6th- ~12 miles, camping below Muir Pass
Wildflowers
I’m calling this day “Happy Little Trees… and Waterfalls and Flowers.” With only twelve miles to hike to the base camp below Muir Pass, I took my time all day checking out the wildflowers and waterfalls. I’ve never seen so many waterfalls in my life! For most of the day, the trail took me through the forest and alongside both Palisade Creek and Kings River. I stopped by Grouse Meadow overcome by its beauty and decided to take an extra long break there.
Grouse meadow
I stripped down and jump in the river- so cold but so refreshing! No one saw me prancing around naked in the meadow because the trail was behind too many trees. I took the time to dig up some wild onions snacked on them. Yum!
Wild onion
Wildflowers and the JMT
It’s the Emerald King! #ReturnToOz
The end of the hike was all uphill switchbacks, but the campsite is beautiful. A lot of people have trickled into camp here because it’s the last spot before the pass. A couple of hikers went up the pass to camp in the hut at 12,000 feet. I hope it’s comfortable! French Toast and Alpine Start have caught up. Yay! Everyone wanted to try my foam roller after they saw me using it. I have convinced a few people to get one for themselves. Later in the evening, as everyone was counting out their food until their next to resupply. Joker started a food swap. I traded three bars for two Mrs. Fields cookies. I already ate one. 270 calories in one cookie!
Wildflowers
(L->R) Lingo, Alpine Start, French Toast, Estero, and Fence
June 7th- 20 miles, camping near Piute Creek
Approaching Muir Pass
Muir Pass had two miles of snow before the pass and three miles after. With my burned legs, I absolutely wanted to avoid more postholing today. Unfortunately, the snow must’ve known I was coming and softened up early just for me. I was punching through snow and it was only 7am. For the most part, the snow was hard on the south side of the pass. I followed the tracks of a couple hikers who were 30 minutes ahead of me. That was a mistake. Their tracks lead me straight up the side of the mountian and as I looked back, I could see the trail on the other side of the canyon, clear of snow and easy. My stupid path was ten times more difficult than that trail.
Muir Pass
Eventually, at the top of the canyon, I was able to boulder across to the trail and continue up the pass. A lot of other hikers were there, including a couple of my favorites, like French Toast and Alpine. I didn’t stay too long at Muir Hut because I was worried about the snow warming up on the north side.
Lake Wanda
I think it must’ve been a really warm day because that snow softened up quickly. Everyone postholed and slushed down the pass, sometimes we punched through straight into a stream. I hiked most of the way down with Mr. Cup. We had a good time teasing each other every time we postholed. He would yell at me, “Hai! Cohn-sen-TRATE!” He makes me laugh so much.
A hummus wrap lunch below Muir Pass
I pushed hard for the rest of the day so I could put in 20 miles. Everything was downhill, but my body hurt SO much. My hips hurt on one side from my pack. My shoulders hurt because my pack straps were sitting on them too much, as I was trying to lighten the pressure on my hips. My ankle hurts from so much uneven trail.
So tired…
Alas, I made it to Piute Creek. Setting up camp and washing up was so nice tonight. This is the first night in a while when I wasn’t camping with other people. I found a perfect bathing spot on the side of the roaring creek where the water pooled gently between rocks. It also had a perfectly positioned tree root jutting out over the water which I could put my feet up on. I used my spare toothbrush to scrub my body and nails clean. It was COLD, but so refreshing. I had to climb out when my toes and fingers started turning blue.
Bathtime at Piute Creek
Things went downhill after bathtime: ants crawling all over my stuff, my MSR dromlite bag got a tiny tear and leaked inside my tent, my repair goo was dried and clogged, and I tripped over my tent and knocked the whole thing down. I tried to make hot coco with my chocolate whey protein powder, but it was so gross I had to dump it out. It’s just been such a long and tiresome day. I’m excited to reach Vermillion Valley Ranch soon!
Camp at Piute Creek
June 8th- 26.8 miles, camping at Vermillion Valley Ranch
I started hiking at 5:30 am, determined to reach Vermillion Valley Ranch (VVR) that evening. As I past Muir Ranch and began the climb up to Seldon Pass, my knees started to hurt more than ever before on this trip. They must’ve know where they were and remembered how they felt the last time they were here. (When I came down Seldon in 2011 during my JMT hike, I had torn cartilage in both knees.) I gave my knees a pep talk and we made it through the switchbacks. It’s amazing how the mind can trigger pain and remove it, aside from whatever is actually going on with the body.
I didn’t see another hiker until several hours later when I came upon Mr. Cup sitting peacefully next to a creek crossing. I love seeing him. He has such a great energy. I learned that he’s 62 years old, has two daughters and three granddaughters.
I arrived at Seldon Pass completely alone. It was a great feeling. I’d grown accustomed to hiking around other people and forgotten how much I actually like hiking alone. Arriving at the Pass gave me that feeling of solitude and peace that I had so often during my off-season hikes.
Seldon Pass with Mr. Cup
Mr. Cup arrived at the pass about fifteen minutes later. I congratulated him in our silly way and tried to chat with him, but he sh-ed me and said only, “Zen” as he gestured to the view before us. I understood perfectly what he meant and sat in silence enjoying the space around us. Before I left him, he joked about me bringing him a coke when he arrived at VVR the next day.
The hike to VVR was equally quiet, but the switchbacks all day up and down and up and down again wore me out. I was in a lot of pain as I hit the 18-mile mark- my ankle and shoulders hurt, my hips and knees ached- but the call of a hot shower was motivation enough. I put in my earbuds and pushed the pain to the back of my mind. Hiking like this, with your eyes glued to the dirt path before you, puts you into a kind of trance.
Bear Creek
Since the water level in Edison Lake is so low, the evening ferry wasn’t running. I had to hike 8.2 miles around the lake to reach the Ranch. The alternate trail was steeper and buggy-er, even swampy in some places, than I expected. I switched out of my sneakers and into my sandals for the last 2 miles.
A very wet Bear Ridge Trail
Vermillion offers hikers showers, laundry, free camping, a computer, a store, and a diner. While sitting in the diner that evening, a familiar face came up to surprise me. It was Beav, who I met on my Campo to Paradise Cafe hike in December. It was a great surprise! We got caught up and he told me that he had to get off the trail because he hurt his knee going over Muir Pass. We decided to hike together until he got off the trail for Mammoth.
I soaked my laundry in a bucket all night so it’d actually come out on the washer clean this time. After sitting around the fire with a few other hikers, I cowboy camped under the trees for the night.
Vermillion Valley Resort
June 9th- 13 miles, camping near Fish Creek
VVR gave me one of the best nights sleep I’ve had yet on this trip. I woke up at 5:45 to get my laundry done before everyone else got up, but the power isn’t turned on until 7am. I killed time by sorting out the contents of my resupply box. A few things got tossed into the hiker box. (A hiker box is a large box or can for hikers to toss unwanted, but still usable items, such as gear and food, for other hikers to use.) I threw in my extra Nido milk powder, some nuts and fruit. Pulling out all my goodies, I found a few with doodles from Art. That made my morning!
Doodles on my oatmeal resupply
There was a big sign outside the store saying, “Dishwasher wanted in exchange for a meal!” Sold! I enjoyed a double breakfast of pancakes and a breakfast burrito before stepping back into the kitchen to wash all the dishes from the morning. It was fun and totally worth it!
Doing dishes at VVR
While I was still washing dishes, Beav came in to let me know that Mr. Cup had arrived. I quickly grabbed a cold Coke and ran out to meet him, bowing as I presented it. He loved it. I don’t think I’ve seen him smile that big before!
By that time my laundry was in the dryer. When I went to pull it out, I found that instead of just tossing my clean laundry on the table, the next hiker, an older man named Grey Wolf, had neatly folded all of my clothes. I was delighted! I love how so many hikers out here really look out for each and do the sweetest things for one another. You can read Grey Wolf’s blog at MyHikingLife.
After taking care of emails and buying a few items (like tortillas for my new favorite PB & jelly snack), Beav and i took a noon ferry across Lake Edison to rejoin the PCT.
Minaret Falls
We hiked for what seemed like forever up and over Silver Pass that afternoon. Either VVR had made us soft or that mountain was really kicking our butts. We hiked until after dark, but the moon was brilliant and bright, perfect for night hiking.
Silver Pass
Silver Pass
We found an awesome campsite right next to the creek and Beav made a fire to keep away the mosquitoes. I’m getting kind of used to this fire-at-camp thing. Beav made ramen with spam for dinner, which sounded totally gross to me. Of course, I had to taste it and it was DELICIOUS! It was so good, I finished his dinner and then didn’t want any more of my own. I’m definitely going to be making some of that for myself in the future. Spam and ramen, who knew?!
June 10th- 18 miles, staying at Reds Meadows
I awoke to a fire in the firepit this morning. It made me want to stay in bed and just be cozy! Beav was packed up and ready really fast because he’s excited to get into Mammoth. I felt silly trying to pack up so he wasn’t waiting too long. I have a habit of completely unpacking EVERYTHING at night and that means it takes me a while to pack up in the morning. I think it must be a girl thing because I’ve heard other guy hikers complaining about their lady companions doing just that!
We had a two-mile climb to warm us up this morning. For most of the day after that we had alternating small ups and long downs. Every time we had the ups, however, we didn’t hesitate to complain very loudly!
Lake Virginia
900 miles!
Deer Creek
I said goodbye to Beav at the Mammoth turn off and I headed on to Reds Meadows. There are some very dark clouds and thunder, so I think I’ll stay here for the night! I was so excited to see the store and diner were still open. I helped myself to a salad, burger, and milkshake. I’m able to use the Wi Fi here and some JMT hikers have invited me and another PCT hiker, Steve, to share their cabin for the night. Yay!
Reds Meadows Resort
Mooching off JMT hikers with fellow PCT hiker Steve
May 24th, 2014- 7.5 miles, camping at Landers Tank Campground
Back in March, I was kicked off the mountain near Jawbone Canyon Road by a snowstorm. Today, my good friend Carlos drove me all the way out to that same dirt road so I could jump back on the trail. For such a big hike ahead of me, I felt strangely relaxed for the drive. The car couldn’t make it all the way up Jawbone Canyon because the road was too sandy, so I had to walk about a mile to link up with the trail.
Once I was walking, I began to feel so lonely. The silence always takes a while for me to adjust to on the trail. I tried hard not to think about Art or Pepper back home. I miss them and worry about how they’ll do without me, but I have to trust they’ll be okay.
Since I haven’t really been excercising as much as I should’ve been for the last two months off trail, the hiking was a struggle. I was also carrying eight days worth of food for the 100 mile stretch up to Kennedy Meadows. I managed to hike at around 2.5 mph, which felt really good for Day 1! The trail took me through beautiful pine-covered, rocky mountains. I felt so tired by the end of the day, I was overjoyed to reach Landers Tank Campground. Numerous other hikers are camped here in this beautiful meadow. In fact, 15 other hikers signed the trail book. Fifteen! And that probably wasn’t all of the hikers that came through! After section hiking so many miles of Southern California and seeing almost NO ONE on the trail, it feels strange to be out here with so many other people.
The water source is a spring next to a large storage tank. I spent the evening rolling out my muscles with my little travel-sized foam roller. I felt like I had too much weight in my backpack and thought I could just eat as much peanut butter as possible to bring it down a bit. I tried eating the peanut butter by the spoonful, but I almost gagged. I only managed to get two spoonfuls down. Bleh!! I cleared my pallet with a Pad Thai dinner and a cup of tea before going to sleep.
Landers Camp
May 25th, 2014- 22 miles, camping at Bird Spring Pass
Ugh, what a hard day! It was easy flying down the mountain this morning. I met a solo hiker named Crusher (as in Wesley) while filling up water bottles, but he must’ve hiked fast because I didn’t see him again all day. I met a few hikers all traveling together: Duchess, Owen, and Booey. I almost stepped on a little rattlesnake; it’s the first one I’ve seen on the PCT!
A little rattlesnake
Lupin wildflowers
Arriving at Kelso Valley Road, I found an awesome note from Carlos attached to one of my cached water bottles. *Thanks, ‘Los!* There was also some great trail magic offered by the husband of another PCT hiker. He gave me a blue Gatorade and a twinkie. I’m pretty sure I’ve never had Gatorade before in my life and I definitely haven’t had a twinkie since I was 11 years old. They were both delicious! He gave Booey a Subway sandwich!!!
Love note from Carlos 🙂
Kelso Valley Road Trail Magic
After refilling my water bottles, I was moving slow through the heat and the uphill, sandy trail. I loved being in the desert again; the wide open spaces, Joshua Trees, and barren mountains are beautiful. Unfortunately, I wasn’t doing well with the exertion and elevation. I was nauseous and crampy for the rest of the day until I stopped to set up camp.
Find the horny toad!
I leapfrogged with Booey and Duchess throughout the day and camped at the Bird Spring Pass Cache with them and maybe 5 other PCT hikers, including a couple young solo hikers called Clint Westwood and Red Light. They’re all a lot of fun to be around and hope to maybe stick near them, but I’m not sure I can jump back on the trail after two months and keep up with them. Bird Spring Pass doesn’t usually have water, but some generous PCT family member donated 85 gallons of water and cached it here. Another lesson in gratitude presented by the PCT! ♡
85 gallons at Bird Spring Pass
(L -> R) Clint Westwood, Owen, Duchess, Miss America, and Booey
Cowboy camping at Bird Spring Pass
May 26th, 2014- 20 miles, camping at Walker Pass Campground
Climbing out of Bird Spring Pass
I got up early this morning after a windy night, determined to keep up with the herd. One by one, all the hikers climbed slowly out of Bird Spring Pass, and I fell further and further behind. The higher I climbed, the sicker I felt. I knew it was the altitude making me sick, so I just kept taking breaks and drinking water. Eventually, I stopped sitting on rocks and would just lay down completely in the dirt. I felt pretty miserable. The first 10.5 miles of the day were really lovely, winding up through a desert pine forest with views of distant snowy mountains.
The second half of the day was hot, exposed and sandy. Ugh, sand! I’m over you!
Wildflowers
Approaching Walker Pass
I reached the Walker Pass Campground late in the day, but still in time to receive some amazing trail magic. As I walked up to a decorative tent, a little wild child with red curls charged up to me with a Pepsi, a sparkly necklace of plastic beads, and a button saying “Bearbait gave me a drink at Walker Pass.” (The kid was Bearbait, of course.) This magic is hosted by PCT veterans Jackolope, Copper Tone, and Yogi (who wrote my guidebook). They must know how beat down hikers feel after this last stretch and how much they need a little pick – me – up to stay motivated! Copper Tone made me a root beer float and Yogi cooked everyone spaghetti.
Copper Tone and a root beer float, Walker Pass Campground
When I settled in to a beach chair with my soda, I asked the hiker next to me if he’d seen Duchess or Booey pass through. He gave me the rudest response, saying I should just check the trail log, then got up and walked away. I was shocked! I guess not everyone out here is friendly and high on endorphins. Of course, I’d already checked the log and seen they’re names before I entered the campground. I later found out from Clint Westwood that they’d hitched a ride into the nearby town, Lake Isabella. I think most of these thru-hikers have bonded tightly during all the trials and tribulations of Southern California, (which I did solo and during the winter months) and here I am, just jumping in, a stranger to the herd.
Trail magic at Walker Pass Campground
I walked down the road from the trail magic to a spring and washed up my dusty feet, hands, and face. Down there, I met Lucky Strike, a smoker from Tennessee, and Sarge, a young, solo lady hiker- both were super friendly. We all did laundry there together. I hiked up my skirt like a sarong and washed my shirt and undergarments with dignity. They were kinda jealous of the skirt set-up. The skirt is a new item for me. It’s a Macabi skirt, made from the same material as hiking pants, with deep pockets, and snaps to turn it from long to mid-length. I even figured out a way to tie it up and wear it as a miniskirt.
Walker Pass Campground
Actually, the skirt seems to have given me my trail name already. Several people think I look like Lawrence of Arabia with my long skirt and bandana hat. So, they’re calling me Arabia now. I like the name. A single coyote is yipping right now in the distance and I’m sleeping under the stars. I love it.
May 27th, 2014- 22 miles, camping on top of a ridge above Spanish Needle Creek
Take THAT Section F!! On to Section G!
The spaghetti dinner last night gave me so much energy this morning. I met a lot of hikers today, including Sarge and Lucky Strike from last night, Wolf from Denmark, a fun couple called Smiles and Uke-less, and an older fellow named Raven. I saw Crusher, too, who I met back at Landers Tank.
Uni-Twix
The hike started with a great big climb out of Walker Pass. Once on a ridge above the small city of Indian Wells, I was able to check emails and voice mail. Turns out Art won’t be able to meet me in Lone Pine like we’d planned because of work. I texted my resupply angel back home, Jonathan who had driven me to the trail on my very first PCT section hike six months ago. He’s going to send my warmer REI sleeping bag to Lone Pine, so I’ll have it for the higher elevations.
For my students:
Homemade veggie burritos
Soon I descended again into the desert and the heat. Crusher said it was 103°. Ugh… No wonder I felt like melting! Most hikers waited out the heat of the day for 4-5 hours at the little oasis of Joshua Tree Spring. It’s famous for being tainted with uranium, but all the springs in the Sierras have uranium, too. Everyone drinks the water anyways, I just hope my children don’t come out with three eyes!
Big, dead scorpion
Despite the heat, I chose to continue forward. I didn’t drink as much as I should have because the water tasted weird and it made me nervous. I also lost my Zpacks beanie. I had stuck it between my hip and my backpack belt because my hips were hurting and it must’ve fallen out somewhere when I stopped to take off my pack.
A 1/4 of the way to Canada, near Joshua Tree Spring
I planned on camping at the base of a long climb near Spanish Needle Creek, but the campsite look dark and gave me the creeps. (Later, I talked to another hiker, Happy Feet, about it and he’d had the same feeling! He camped there anyways, but had dreamed that night of a mountain lion dropping a carcass outside his tent. He woke up to find his dirty socks in his face. Hahahahah!) Anyhow, I kept hiking on up the mountain hoping to find some descent camping.
Near Spanish Needle Spring
Raven passed me going the opposite direction with nothing but his headlamp and a water bottle. He said he’d lost his smartphone cable to charge his phone somewhere at the bottom of the canyon. He was determined to find it, even if he had to hike 4 miles down! I feel so bad for him. It reminds me of when my phone died at the end of Section E. Most hikers keep everything on their phones: pictures and videos, contact info, maps and data. Loosing that tool feels really crappy.
I found great camping at the top of the ridge along with Sarge, Lucky Strike, and an older lady named Far Walker. It’s dark now and Crusher just showed up with Smiles and Uke-less, and another couple, Josh and Carla. Josh found my hat and carried it hoping to find it’s owner! I’m stoked!
On ridge above Spanish Needle Creek (Sarge in the background)
I’m enjoying ramen noodles with home-dehydrated veggies for dinner. The stars are spectacular tonight and the air is warm, so I’m cowboy camping again.
May 28th, 2014- 20.5 miles, camping at Manter Creek
Last night my body hurt SO MUCH. My muscles keep cramping and ceasing up and it’s SO PAINFUL! My glutes and hips are working so hard during the day and then they just freak out when I’m lying around at night, stationary. Plus, I was sleeping on a slight slope and kept sliding downward. I need be picker about where I sleep.
Sunrise
I awoke to a spectacular sunrise. Several additional hikers had shown up after I’d fallen asleep and had squeezed in to the few flat spots remaining. They must’ve done mist of their hiking in the dark last night to avoid the heat. Sarge Smiles, Uke-less, and Crusher had already left camp. I hiked less than a mile when I got 4G signal, so I uploaded three videos to Vimeo, but it took two hours! I killed time by eating, stretching and singing. Wolf passed by me, and Happy Feet set up nearby to do his morning yoga routine. I ended up playing leapfrog all day with Wolf and Happy Feet, both were great to talk to on breaks. Wolf is soft spoken and quite the thinker, while Happy Feet is vibrant and has a hysterical sense of humor.
(L->R) Happy Feet from Oregon & Wolf from Denmark, Fox Mill Spring
Since the water is so low in most of the creeks, I’ve had to use the Sawyer syringe to such up the water and then squirting it into my bottles. Now my bottles have green and brown muck floating in them. Yuck. Yay, for filters!
Happy Feet and I hiked most of the 6.5 miles downhill to Manter Creek together, joking and laughing and complaining about how long the downhill was to camp. Since a past fire had burned all the trees and brush in the area, we could see the trail winding all the way down. We both agreed we’d rather not see how long the trail was ahead of us, it was almost torture. Happy Feet actually throws away all of his elevation charts that come with the maps because he just doesn’t want to know how much up and downhill he has to do!
Wildflowers
The last turn in the trail presented an expansive view of the Rockhouse Basin which made it all worth it. The large flat basin with both Manter Creek and Southfork Kern River winding through it was surrounded by tall, rocky mountains.
Manter Creek and the Rockhouse Basin
Happy Feet and I joked loudly while we set up our cups and Carla joined us to borrow some fuel. We were so loud we actually got “shh-ed” by Raven. I guess 8:30 is like hiker midnight!
Camping near Manter Creek
We saw a huge jackrabbit go through our camp. He was the size of my dog! At first, I thought he was a deer or sheep!
Kennedy Meadows is only 9.5 miles away and I can’t wait for a shower, laundry, and some Ben and Jerry’s. I hope to use the internet while I’m there and check the weather and current snow conditions. Kennedy Meadows is usually where hikers wait out the snow and weather before heading into the Sierras.
I’m a bit ahead of schedule and since Art won’t be meeting me now, I may push on to Horseshoe Meadow so I can easily get a ride with the weekend campers on Sunday. We’ll see!
May 29th, 2014- 9.7 miles, camping at Kennedy Meadows General Store
I tried out peanut butter and jelly tortillas for breakfast this morning. Delicious! It’s my new favorite!
The hike from Manter Creek to Kennedy Meadows was gentle and scenic. I was so lost in the scenery I didn’t notice Raven say “Hi” as he rested by the trail until I was right next to him. Scarred the beegeebees out of me! I jumped and screamed. He felt bad, but was pretty funny.
Kennedy Meadows General Store, Cheshire Cat on the deck
I was super excited to reach the store, but I felt shy, especially after my experience with the grumpy guy at Walker Pass who gave me the cold shoulder. I was happy to see some familiar faces and I gravitated toward them. I collected my resupply box, took a shower, and then tried to get organized for the next stretch. My brain was so fried, all I ended up doing was shifting things from one pile into another and then back again. Eventually, I got myself together and gave away food I didn’t need to Red Light and Happy Feet.
Resupply box!
Next, I ate a huge guacamole burger and that pint of Ben and Jerry’s I’d been dreaming of for ten miles. I had intended to hike out this afternoon, but Raven convinced me to stay and rest for the night.
Not long after, several of us piled into a car from Grumpy Bear Restaurant down the road and headed off for dinner. I met a few new hikers and got to know Red Light and Wolf a bit better over chicken and baked potatoes. It was nice to get out of the scene at Kennedy Meadows.
Heading to Grumpy Bear Restaurant
I’m now curled up in my sleeping bag under the stars. A few young hikers are nearby playing guitar, singing, and smoking weed. They brought twinkle lights to decorate their camp. I’m enjoying listening to them as I roll out my muscles. I just discovered my little roller fits inside my sleeping bag.
Camping at the Kennedy Meadows General Store
May 30th, 2014- 19.5 miles, camping near Cow Creek at mile 721.5
Leaving Kennedy Meadows
I left Kennedy Meadows early, before they began serving breakfast. I didn’t want to get sucked into staying longer, delicious and delightfully social as it would be. Having only been on the trail a few days, I didn’t feel like my body or nor spirit need that kind if indulgence yet.
The morning hike was cold with the trial winding along the valley floor. Not long into my hike, I came to a lovely footbridge straddling the Southfork Kern River. It was a beautiful site and I found excuses to hang out there for awhile. I charged my phone, ate a PB and jelly tortilla, and took pictures. A Canadian couple named Lorax and T – Fox chatted with me as they pasted. They’re the sweetest.
South Fork Kern River footbridge
The trail climbed and climbed out if the dry Southern Sierras. The scenery and vegetation changed suddenly as I slipped over the top of a pass and down into a huge grassy meadow with a stunning view of snow-dusted mountains. It was Beck Meadow and the trail wound around the hilly side of it, arriving several miles later at another crossing of the Southfork Kern River.
Beck Meadow
View towards Olancha Peak
South Fork Kern River
Lorax and T – Fox were already there stripping down to wash and do laundry. We lounged for over an hour on the soft grass, enjoying the birds and views, but the wind kicked up and made it really chilly. That was the que to pack up and move on!
Residents of the Southfork Kern River bridge
Cold!
Stonehenge of the Kern River… it’s builders remain a mystery today. 😉
Climbing out of the meadow took us 2,000 feet higher into the mountains. I was eyeballing how dry Cow Creek was all the way, hoping there would be water higher up. At one crossing with small, mucky puddles there were some huge animal bones. They must’ve belonged to some really big like a bear, a donkey, or a buck. I didn’t see any teeth marks on them- that would’ve been creepy!
Animal bones near Cow Creek
In the way up the mountain, I passed an older hiker named Pathfinder. He’s famous for updating the PCT Water Report all the time. *Thanks Pathfinder! * He assured me there was water up ahead.
I met up with Lorax and T – Fox again and we camped together for the night. I scrambled over boulders up and down the creek looking for a descent puddle to collect water from, alas, they were all small and yucky. I had to use my syringe again and it took me thirty minutes to collect enough water for dinner, breakfast and the next ten-mile waterless stretch. There’s algae floating in my bottles again.
Camping near Cow Creek
May 31st, 2014- 26 miles, camping at Horseshoe Meadow Campground
T – Fox and Lorax headed out early, but I slept in because I didn’t sleep much last night. My muscles kept cramping again and at one point, my lantern fell on me from the top of my tent. It woke me up and I thought I’d fallen asleep right on the trail. I panicked, thinking, “Where am I? I have to put up my tent! Oh, I’m IN my tent! What’s going on?!” It was pretty funny.
View towards Beck Meadow
Anyway, it was a slow morning and I wasn’t on the trail until 7:30. The view of Beck Meadow was incredible that morning. It’s difficult to comprehend how massive these mountains are, even after I’ve climbed them. All day, I looked behind me to see how far I’ve come. I’m always amazed how far people can walk in just one day.
Leaving the view of Beck Meadow behind brought on a view of the Sierras ahead of me even more beautiful than the previous ones. I kept looking at them as I hiked, which meant I also kept tripping and stubbing my toes.
For the first time ever, I enjoyed my tuna with a couple of tortillas. I LOVE TORTILLAS. They’re delicious, hold your food together, and go with pretty much everything: tuna, PB & J, burritos, hummus. I don’t think I’ll ever hike without them again.
Tuna wrap lunch on the trail
Around mid-day, I came across a hiker I hadn’t met before. He was a voracious talker and weirded me out by talking too much about poop. I moved on as quickly as I could. When I met up with T – Fox and Lorax later that day, they had a good laugh because they’d experienced this same hiker a couple of times before and wondered how I’d handle the situation.
Snow Plant
Since I’d already covered so many miles by speed hiking, I figured a few more to Horseshoe Meadow wouldn’t hurt. I might even be able to get a ride down to Lone Pine that very night!
SNOW!!*!!!*
For the rest of the day,I whipped along the trail aiming for Trail Pass Junction. It was at that trail junction six months ago where I stepped onto the PCT for my first section hike after knee surgery. I didn’t expect to get so emotional when I got there, but I was teary – eyed thinking about my reasons for setting PCT hiking as a goal for and how far I’ve come since that first hike. I was unsure of myself, my skills and my body, I was frightened to be alone in the wilderness, and was so naive compared to what I know now.
With excellent physical therapy and training, my ol’ knees have carried me nearly 700 miles on the PCT alone and are about to carry me another 1,400 to Cascade Locks, Oregon. Taking life’s adversities and sufferings and finding a way to turn them into a great success or joy is what makes life so fulfilling. I haven’t faced every adversity in life the way I have this one, but I hope I do from now on.
Trail Pass Junction
I hiked 2.5 miles down to Horseshoe Meadow, not feeling any of the discomfort that comes with backpacking 26 miles in a day. As I approached the trail head, a couple asked me if I’d seen a missing hiker, 78 year old Paul Turner who was overdue to arrive. I racked my brain, but I’d only seen a few hikers between here and Kennedy Meadows and none met his description. I hope he’s okay.
Horseshoe Meadow, view toward Cottonwood Pass
Stumbling into the campground, I met Wisconsin hikers French Toast and Alpine Start getting ready to head back to the trail the next morning. They’re gentle souls and I hope to see them again. I also met the Dunlap family, who’s dad and two grown sons are hiking the PCT to Crater Lake, Oregon. Their names are Papa Bear, Polar Bear, and Grizzly Bear. They decided to hike together after each of them had brushes with death over the recent past. They’re goal on the trail is to celebrate life and being together. I think that’s awesome. You can check out their Facebook page called Trekkin-3D. Their Mama Bear, Melanie angels them along the way and offered me a ride to Lone Pine in the morning. Yay! The Bear family shared their campfire with French Toast, Alpine Start, and me tonight. It was hard to go back to my cold tent!
June 1st – 3rd, 2014- Whitney Portal Hostel
Mama Bear Melanie brought us hikers fresh apples and grapes for breakfast. Yum! She drove me down to town, chatting with me the whole way about her family and asking me about how I hike as a woman. I felt honored that she’d ask me for so much advice.
I checked into the Whitney Portal Hostel and picked up my resupply boxes which Jonathan had mailed to me. This hostel has great service and rooms. I enjoyed a shower and, after lounging for several hours while videos uploaded to Vimeo, I washed my clothes at the laundromat. I had to wear my rain gear since everything else was in the washer.
Whitney Portal Hostel, Lone Pine
I’ll stay here a couple nights to catch up on sleep and then jump back on the PCT via Onion Valley.
Breakfast with the owner of the Alabama Hills Cafe, Lone Pine
Best late night tacos in Lone Pine, on Willow Street
On August 5th, seven weeks after knee surgery, I found myself at the summit of Mt. Whitney. [applause, applause!]
I found myself on that summit for several reasons: the love of hiking, excellent medical care, determination and hard work. I was absolutely determined not to allow an injury to hinder my love of hiking. When I first injured my knees, I was heartbroken at the prospect of never hiking a long trail, or even day hiking, again in my life. Luckily, I had an excellent surgeon and physical therapist, who put me in right order in no time. Two years prior, I had to exit the John Muir Trail (JMT) after 90 miles because torn cartilage in both knees left me scooting down Selden Pass on my backside. In the year leading up to the JMT, I had fallen in love with the idea of long distance hiking, but hadn’t yet done a backpacking trip longer than 3 days. Every minute of planning for that trip and every day on the trail had been a joy, and leaving the trail early was crushing. I cried like a baby at Muir Trail Ranch as I faced the decision to leave early. It seems like a small thing, but it was one of the most disappointing moments of my life.
Post surgery dance!
Fast-forward to June, 2013. As I sat in the surgeon’s office, discussing the operation and recovery, I made the decision, then and there, I would hike the entire Pacific Crest Trail over the next year. In my mind at the time, the PCT was the ultimate long distance trail; and, if I strove for it, maybe even succeeded, I felt I would have truly healed: body and heart.
It makes sense that my journey should start with the tallest peak in the contiguous United States, right? I chose to start with this particular section of the PCT and Mt. Whintey because I missed out on it when I didn’t finish the JMT. Plus, it’s one of the best places to do an August hike!
I’ve decided to section hike Southern California until the end of the school year, and then begin my thru-hike next Spring. If I go northbound, I’ll begin the thru-hike at Onion Valley and finally complete the remaining miles of the JMT; if southbound, I’ll end at Onion Valley. Either way, it kinda feels like coming full circle.
No. 1- Horseshoe Meadows to Onion Valley, 2013
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Onion Valley Trailhead: 36.771323, -118.340097
Horseshoe Meadows: 36.447730, -118.169289
Toilet: 36.567288, -118.335929
Day 1
The first trail steps of my PCT Journey began after a car shuttle. I left my car at Onion Valley Campground below Kearsarge Pass and was driven by my good friends, Jonathan and Brendan, to Horseshoe Meadow. We stopped in between for lunch at Lone Pine’s Mt. Whitney Restaurant. I think our server was having a bad day, but the Pasta Primavera was DELICIOUS!
Jonathan & Eve
Brendan
As I disembarked from Horseshoe Meadow and the boys (it was adorable how much they fussed over me— thanks, guys!), my stomach was all a flutter with excitement and apprehension. What if my knees didn’t work? What if I was lonely and scared? What if I was cold, PMSy, or my homemade food sucked? OH, WELL! I was out the gate and there was no point in worrying any more. I was going to take one step at a time and one night at a time, and each of my fears would just have to wait in line like everything else!
My plan took me up Trail Pass Trail a couple miles to join the PCT near mile 745.5. If arriving at Horseshoe Meadow made me feel like a 6 year-old at Disneyland’s gates, then stepping onto the PCT felt like climbing into a car on Space Mountain!
I intended to only hike about 3 miles and find a campspot near Poison Meadow Spring. Despite really taking my time climbing up Trail Pass Trail, I still felt like I was making excellent time, especially after I had reached the PCT and the trail had leveled off. I had found my stride and it felt great! I took time to look around at the views, trees, rocks, & vegetation. I’ve always loved the drama of the rocks and trees in the Sierras. As the sun became low in the sky, I reached for my super cute, super cheap pink sunglasses only to find them missing already. I dropped my pack and scurried back along the trail at least 2/3 of a mile looking for the glasses, to no avail! Shuffling back to my dropped pack, I saw that the sun was ready to set and I still hadn’t found a place to camp. Bivy camping means pretty much anywhere could potentially be a camping spot— I could sleep directly on the trail if I had to, but it’s not the best. Nonetheless, a beautiful campsite appeared not too far up the trail.
Horseshoe Meadow looking towards Trail Peak
I tossed out my sleeping pad, unrolled my Zpacks bivy sack, and changed into my pj’s. After getting every thing set-up for cooking dinner, I noticed, for the first time, how very quiet it was around me. As I had seen only a few hikers that afternoon, and they were all exiting the trail as I entered, I felt quite alone. I boiled some water and poured it into a freezer bag with dry quinoa and chicken soup. Dropping my water balloon of a dinner bag into a cozy, I crawled over the rocks to watch the sunset across the valley below.
First night’s camp, near mile 748
Lots of my gear was new for this trip, and I was still getting used to it. In an attempt to lighten my base weight, I treated myself to a Zpack’s Arcblast backpack, a Zpack’s bivy sack, a Therm-a-Rest Z-lite sleeping pad, and a little Trangia alcohol stove. I was also trying out a new FlexAir Ultralight Pillow, which I had read about on Lady on a Rock’s blog. (It’s a great blog, so check it out!)
Please note the tree & rock drama.
Comfort being a top priority for me in the backcountry, I was excited to find a comfortable pillow that weighs less than an ounce. The pillow gets inflated with a plastic straw, and then some ingenious folds in the material trap the air inside once the straw is removed. After having tested the pillow at home with great success, I was frustrated to no end as my head kept slowing sinking to the cold ground throughout the night. I couldn’t figure out if I had screwed up the fabric folds in the pillow or if maybe it had something to do with the elevation, but there were no pillow parties to be had that night.
View from first night’s campsite
The first night out in the wilderness is always the toughest, particularly when you’re alone. It had been over a year since I’d slept in the woods, and almost two years since I’d done my one and only other solo trip. The silence presses in on you, the unfamiliar feel of your sleep set-up and the climate against your face, and the inevitable boredom which your mind, just for entertainment’s sake, spins toward dark, scary thoughts. I found myself straining for the sound of cracking branches, indicating an approaching bear, lion, demented hiker, or aliens… I fancied I’d distract myself with star gazing, but my face was so cold I couldn’t be bothered to stick it out of my bag. I was beginning to feel like a failure. “How can I handle a week out here, if I can’t get past one night?!” As I couldn’t shut down my new super power of extra-dimensional senstive hearing, I dug out my Kindle and listened to Little Bee by Chris Cleave until I fell asleep.
Day 2
Waking up the next morning, I felt like a new person… a new person with a dead Kindle battery. Looking around my comfortable, now very safe-looking campsite, I felt silly for being so wound-up the night before. If every night was going to be like the first, I’d have a lot of Kindle charging to do during the day! Tossing that thought aside, I packed myself up and powered through the morning toward Cottonwood Pass and Chicken Spring Lake. As charming as the softly rolling and pine tree-carpeted mountains of the southern Sierras were, I was anxious to move into higher elevations, the more dramatic mountains, and the otherworldly scencery that comes with them.
Meadow near Cottonwood Pass
View of Horseshoe Meadow from Cottonwood Pass
While surveying the view of Horseshoe Meadow from the top of Cottoonwood Pass, I met at least 10 hikers and a dog. Seeing so many people, I again felt silly about the previous night’s mental drama. One of the hikers I met was fun lady named Suma Fong training for a hike in Peru, and it turns out she lives not far from my neighborhood in Southern California. We exchanged info and I hope to hike with her soon!
Chicken Spring Lake
Fantastic views from above Chicken Spring Lake
My goal for Day 2 was to hike 12.5 miles to Rock Creek and camp there for the night. Along my way I continually leapfrogged with a family of 6 also aiming for Mt. Whitney. After passing Chicken Spring Lake, the next water source would be Rock Creek, so I carried several quarts of water for the day. For most of the day, the trail was quite warm, dry and dusty.
Dusty trail
Teva’s Zirra Sandals with Injinji Toe Socks
As the day went on, my feet started to hurt, so I thought I’d try some sandal hiking for the first time ever. It was pretty awesome, and I think I might be hooked! Your feet do get exponentially dirtier hiking in sandals, but that just gives you an excuse to soak them at the creek. Just be extra mindful as you’re placing each step because a small slip can easily lead to a bloody toe.
Rocks stacked like library books
The afternoon turned out to be a lovely hike down into the Rock Creek area. There were more trees, grass, meadows, and little brooks feeding into the larger Rock Creek. I reached the campground in the late afternoon, and as I passed the first, totally sweet looking campsite, I spotted a Hennessy Hammock swinging in the trees. (Side note: I LOVE hammock camping and get super excited when I meet anyone on the same page.) Turns out the hammock belonged to a friendly Orange County kid named David who was hiking with his friend Danny. They were such a couple of kindred spirits, I promised to return for dinner that evening.
Rock Creek
Second night’s campsite at Rock Creek
I was absolutely entranced with Rock Creek. The creek itself was a spakling brown and the soft trees and grass surrounding gave the area a comforting ambiance. There are several campsites along the trail here and a bearbox near the creek crossing. I pulled EVERYTHING out of my pack and spread it all out as if I were in my living room at home. Making myself feel even MORE at home, I walked down the creek, stripped down past my skivvies, and took a very coooold bath.
Zpacks bivy sack
Now that I was as clean as I could get, I boiled water to rehydrate some chicken couscous with veggies and reorganized my pack. With my couscous still cooking inside a cozy, I made my way back up the trail toward David and Danny for a bit of a dinner party. They were such fun! Danny was a vibrant soul with a neverending thirst to exchange information and stories. David was on the quiet and pensive side, but he and I definitely connected over the famous Shug’s Youtube hammock videos. (Check out one of Shug’s Whoooooo Buddy! Youtube videos here.) Since they had both just gotten back from summiting Mt. Whitney, they filled me in on all the details. Such as, get up to Guitar Lake early because all the good spots will be taken quickly! We shared some Trader Joe’s gummy penguins and other simple delights while the night darkened around us. Being the gentlemen they were, they both escorted me down the dark trail and past the other campers.
Day 3
I slept in the next morning until 8am. It seemed the sun was already high in the sky… must’ve been too much partying the night before. Speaking of the night, none of the demons from the previous evening visited me again, to my delight! I think it had much to do with the fact that other campers were mere yards away and I fell asleep to the bell-like sounds of Rock Creek.
Rock Creek crossing
Feeling behind schedule, I threw together my gear and, after nearly tottering into Rock Creek, pushed up the switchbacks that awaited me. As I reached the top of the switchbacks, I felt strong, I felt fast, I felt like Superwoman! … and then I felt hot. I reached over my pack to pull down my Sheila hat, but I was grasping at air. For almost a minute I couldn’t really believe it wasn’t there. I kept reaching around from different directions (probably looked quite funny!), then took off the pack to check, and finally eyeballed the trail below. It was NO WHERE. I had left it back at Rock Creek, waaaaaay below the switchbacks I had just powered up. After having lost my uber cute pink sunglasses on Day 1, I wasn’t about to loose my Sheila hat, too. Down into the trail dirt went my backpack, and down to Rock Creek I charged. Huffing and puffing, not with exhaustion, but with indignation.
On the way down, I passed the family of 6 I had been leapfrogging the day before. Not a word more than “howdy-do” was exchanged, but they seemed to have an idea of the situation; and they parted like the Red Sea for me. There, hanging on a slender, very Charlie-Brown-Christmas-Tree looking sort of pine, was my hat. I snatched it up and, with a few indecent words, crossed Rock Creek for the third time. The family and I had a good laugh at my expense as I hustled back to my pack. I told them, I’d probably see them over and over at the rate I was going.
Guyot Flat, PCT mile 763.5-ish
View towards Crabtree Meadow, Mts. Hitchock, Russell, & Hale
It was a lovely day for hiking and the 8 miles went by quickly. Every corner I turned, every hill I topped was exciting. I kept humming “The Bear Went Over the Mountain…” over and over. It got old, but the views didn’t!
Lower Crabtree Meadow & Crabtree Creek
Stepping into lower Crabtree Meadow was a magical moment for me. It had the quintessential soft grass, green trees, mountain views, and babbling brook. The magic couldn’t even be broken by a very grumpy hiker who, according to his lady companions, hadn’t eaten enough that day.
I stopped at the meadow for lunch and device charging. Next time, I need to rig up my pack so I can just charge my gear while I walk. I’m using a Suntactics solar charger and love it! It’s lightweight, right for the price, and hasn’t ever failed me.
Suntastics solar charger & Kindle
My new favorite spot on planet Earth
At that point, I temporarily departed the PCT and stepped onto the JMT, the trail I was so heartbroken to leave two years prior. The JMT pretty much follows the PCT all the way from Tuolumne Meadows in Yosemite to Crabtree Meadow, then breaks off and finishes at the summit of Whitney.
The “welcome” sign at Upper Crabtree Meadow
At Rock Creek Junction, there’s a famous box full of “wag bags” which you’re required to carry above that elevation for your… um… waste. I think most people fly through the junction, pick up their bag, and head on up. Seeing as I wanted to poke around Upper Crabtree Meadow, which was just across the creek from the junction, I was lucky enough to spot a peculiar sign to find in the wilderness: “Toilet.”
The outhouse was located at the end of the meadow on a raised platform and had just two walls. As you sat there, you looked straight out onto the meadow. It truly felt like a throne, and I had to laugh as I sat there.
Looking down on Lower Crabtree Meadow
All the way up to Guitar Lake, the trail follows Whitney Creek, which was just beautiful. Every time I happened upon a little beach or conventiently placed sitting rock next to the creek, I wanted to stop and absorb it all. I was careful not to dilly dally too much, as I remembered David and Danny’s advice about getting up to Guitar Lake early for a good campspot. And an excellent campspot I did find!
Third night’s campsite at Guitar Lake
Dinner by the lake
There must’ve been at least 30 campers at Guitar Lake that evening; and, yes, all the good spots were taken quickly! I had fun stacking rocks around my little home for the night. I knew there probably wouldn’t be any wind, but the inner Lincoln Log-lovin’ child in me couldn’t resist. Dinner that evening was ramen with chicken and veggies with a fabulous lakeside seat.
I chatted with a trio of Brits next door who were all very interesting and fun. One of them was a music critic from London, one of them had two knee replacements, and one of them helped me rig up my trekking pole to hold the bivy cord away from my face.
Bivy with rigged up trekking pole
Day 4
I expected it to be a cold night because we were at an elevation of 11,552 feet. Turns out the rocks gave off a fair amount of warmth and cold air likes to sink to the bottom of valleys. It was quite chilly at 4:00 in the morning when I woke up. I peeked out of my nest and saw a train of twinkling lights making its way up the side of Mt. Whitney. Turns out many hikers had started hiking at 2 a.m. to catch the sunrise at the summit. I thought how noble and awesome they all were, and then snuggled deeper into my bag. An hour later I was up and packing. I set off for the climb in the dark with the trail to myself. The Brits were up, too, but took their time making tea.
As I reached the tarns just above Guitar Lake I was already feeling winded and my pack felt heavy. Further up, an older gentleman caught me by surprise when he called from off the trail, “Last water source!” That got us talking and, since I was going to be coming back down the same way, he convinced me to leave all my gear right there on the side of the trail. At first I wasn’t sure it was a good idea. What if someone stole something? What would I do without a sleeping bag or my stove? Upon further consideration, I came to the conclusion no one in their right mind would want to carry any more gear either up Whitney or down it, so my gear was sure to be safe! Learning to trust other hikers was a new lesson for me that day.
Early morning light on Guitar Lake
The first beams of sunlight hitting the tips of the mountains
I felt kinda naked with only my lunch, water bottles, and camera/phone in my big backpack, but I also felt lighter! My new friend, Kellen, and I hiked all the way to the summit together. We had some good chats along the way about life back home (he’s an attorney from New Mexico, who does Shakespearean acting on the side) and pointing out cool views to each other.
Chilly morning!
Mt. Hitchock and reflection in it’s lakes, with Whitney’s shadow
Mt. Whitney switchbacks
Small bivy campsite halfway up the switchbacks
The switchbacks were really not so bad going up, plus the views were a great distraction from any physical discomfort. I do wonder, though, if there is possibly a rockier place in the universe that Mt. Whitney.
Halfway up the switchbacks, we came to a well known bivy campsite. It gave me the shivers just looking at the sheer drop off one side of the site. I knew that if I ever camped there, I’d be the goose who got up in the night for a pee and tumbled off the side!
Rockiest place in the universe
Passing Whitney Portal Trail Crest, it was just another 1.9 miles to the summit. The next portion of the trail was even rockier than the switchbacks, and scrambling over rocks with verticle drops to one side gave me a sense of mountaineering, rather than hiking.
Climbing an earthen wave
There were many moments of lightheadedness as I adjusted to the altitude, but I felt good nonetheless. Kellen and I reached the top just before the Brits and shortly after the sunrise crowd had left. We’d also beaten the crowd coming up from Whitney Portal, so we pretty much had the summit to ourselves. I sat there and ate my hummus and crackers, taking pictures, and counted how many weeks it’d been since my knee surgery. I didn’t cry for joy or anything, but I did feel really good about myself. I tried calling my parents, but didn’t get any reception. One of the Brits did, though. It was surreal listening to him talk to Delta about changing his return flight to the UK.
Actually, the height is now 14,505 ft.
Just as the Whitney Portal hiker pack started to trickle in, Kellen and I moved on out. He moved much faster than me down the mountain because my knees, which felt so great going up, were hurting on the way down- and what a long way down it was! I stopped at Guitar lake to eat lunch and soak my knees in the freezing cold water. In order to get my knees in the water, I had to actually SIT in the water. It was icy cold and I sat there for as long as I could stand it. As soon as a breeze kicked in, my whole body began shaking like my old Mazda on it’s last legs; I was outta there. Looking back, I think maybe I should’ve made a cup of hot tea to sip while soaking.
Earlier that day, I had thought I’d hike further down and camp at Wallace Creek, but my knees were saying “No, too much down hill!” I decided I’d aim for Upper Crabtree Meadow instead. It’d be nice to check out my friend, the outhouse, again, anyhow!
Upper Crabtree was overrun with a charming group of 12 year old Boy Scouts from Orange County and their dads. They were super friendly, and I couldn’t help but gawk at the amount of Mountainhouse and Backpacker’s Pantry meals they’d brought, not to mention the size of their stove. With all the gentlemen around, I had to be especially discreet about sponge bathing up the creek and changing into my pjs behind bushes. Kellen camped nearby and, with all the people that night, there was definitely a festive feeling in the air.
Boy Scouts playing stick ball…
Dad scouts doing the dinner clean-up.
Fourth night’s campsite at Upper Crabtree Meadow
Day 5
It appeared to be true: the cold air definitely seemed to settle in the lower elevations because it was cold that night! I was up at 6 a.m. and sneaked out of camp before anyone else was awake. I wasn’t really sure where I might camp that evening, but my original goal had been Tyndall Creek below Forester Pass. I decided I’d just take it easy and see how my knees felt when I got there.
Kellen, the Shakespearean attorney from New Mexico
Two miles down the trail that morning, I stoped to change out of my pj’s and eat breakfast. As I dug through my pack, I had the feeling something was missing. Hat? Check. Spot GPS? Check. Bivy?Check. Kindle? … iPod? … solar charger? … Having taken out my electronics bag that morning to pack up my bear canister, I had left the bag on top of the bearbox. Again went the backpack into the dirt, and again began the huffing and puffing of indignation, only this time, it was surlier. A mile into my electronics bag recovery mission, I passed Kellen on his way up the trail. He offered to wait for me and I told him not to bother, that I’d catch-up. And catch-up I did! It was amazing how fast I could move without a backpack. With a quick “Good Morning!” to the Scouts, I scooped up my bag and dashed back to my waiting pack. Kellen must’ve been taking his sweet time because he was only a bit further up the trail after I grabbed my pack (now with all gear accounted for).
Wallace and Wright Creeks were the next crossings and both were lovely spots. Part of me regretted not being able to camp at Wallace Creek because it was so pretty. As I hiked along, I suddenly found myself in the middle of what looked very much like the surface of Mars. Turns out it was Bighorn Plateau and I had completely forgotten it was coming up! It’s striking and austere beauty took away my breath, and I repeatedly stopped to gaze around. My photos can do it no justice because the camera just couldn’t capture the sense of immense space and of earth meeting sky.
Bighorn Plateau
Bighorn Plateau
Kellen moved on ahead and I was left to my own devices on the trail. Coming upon Tyndall Creek, I seriously considered staying there for the night because it was so nice, but it was only 2:00 and my legs were feeling good. As I had chosen to wear sandals this day, my feet were also feeling great. The sun was warm, the grass was soft- I could’ve just napped! Kellen had mentioned that there really wasn’t a place to camp between Tyndall and the other side of Forester Pass. At 13,180 feet, Forester is the highest pass on the PCT. I did some math and figured out that if I chose to do Forester Pass that afternoon, I’d get home a day early, and that settled it!
Lunch by Tyndall Creek
Tyndall Creek
The trail leading up to Forester Pass is a long, slow climb. It’s hard to believe you’re at such a high elevation because the ascent is so gradual. The only thing that gave me any indication of the altitude was my breathing. The afternoon trickled on and I felt like I wasn’t making much progress at all. The pass still appeared to loom far ahead. Everytime I stopped for a break, I checked the map again. Even though Kellen had said there were no campsites between Tyndall and the other side of Forester, the map showed a small site right at the base of the pass’s switchbacks. I decided that if I couldn’t make it over Forester, I’d camp there for the night. That backup plan looked less and less like a backup and more like a reality as dark clouds pooled in the sky and I still felt so far from the pass.
Approaching Forester Pass
Forester Pass
Everyone I passed on the trail was heading down for the day. Reaching the last tarns before the switchbacks, I found the little bivy site. It looked cold and exposed, and with the threat of rain on my tarpless shelter set-up, I wasn’t feeling good about it. I looked up at the switchbacks, towering straight above like a skyscraper. There, halfway up, was a little red T-shirt I recognized. I yelled up to Kellen and asked if he thought I should stay put or heave on over. He said to go for it and he’d wait for me on the other side.
Swallowing a fruit leather and my fear of being struck by lightening, upward I charged. I was so determined to get over the pass before rain or thunder that I didn’t stop to take any pictures. Looking down was practically out of the question. It was a sheer drop to a very nasty end if I fell, and it made me dizzy peering over the side. The closer I got to the pass, the darker the clouds became. I kept wondering if my hair would get staticy and be shortly follow by Zeus aiming at me from above! As if the clouds knew I was nervous and wanted to see me get even jumpier, little snowflakes began to fall gently all around me.
Evolution Valley just past Forester Pass, Kings Canyon NP
Since, the weather had been predicted to be rain free, I hadn’t bothered to bring any waterproof gear. It seemed that if I wasn’t going to be electrocuted, I was still going to be chilled in my wet clothes and sleeping bag. I hustled over the pass to catch up with Kellen and could hardly believe the beauty of the valley on the other side. It looked like a prehistoric secret valley straight out of The Land Before Time. Again, it seemed as if the clouds were having a good go at me for their own entertainment because just as I reached Kellen, they began to break up. The snowflakes were still falling, but things were looking up for the evening!
I tailed after Kellen far enough down the valley to reach a collection of incredible campsites among some trees. Each site seemed to be cut into the hillside like Mesa Verde, and the beginnings of Bubbs Creek wrapped around them all.
Fifth night’s campsite near PCT mile 783
An older couple were camped just above the site I picked. Hearing my plan of camping below the Forester switchbacks, the wife exclaimed it was good that I hadn’t. She said it was called Forester Base Camp and that she’d stayed there once only to find herself sinking into the damp earth all night long. I’m so glad I didn’t choose to bivy camp there! I felt VERY safe and cozy with the site I had for the night. I cooked up another qunioa and chicken soup and Kellen shared some of his leftover Mountain House Beef Chilli Mac. Checking the map, I couldn’t believe I’d actually put in 20 miles that day, especially with just my sandals. Without the electronics recovery mission, it would’ve only been 16 miles. Even though those 4 miles were done without a pack, I took pride in knowing it was the farthest I’d ever walked in a single day in my life. I fell asleep delighted at the thought of putting in more 20-miler days on the PCT and dreamed of having a burger in Lone Pine the following afternoon.
Day 6
Frosty morning!
It was another cold night and I hiked the next morning amazed at all the frost around me. For most of the morning, the trail followed Bubbs Creek down into Evolution Valley. Bubbs must’ve been some guy to get such a beautiful, prominent creek named after him!
After a few miles of hiking together, Kellen needed to turn off onto a different trail. We said our goodbyes and congratulated each other on our Whitney summit. It was great having someone else for those moments of success and fear. And it’s those moments, which I know there will be more of, that make me hope to meet many more people like him on my PCT journey.
Bubbs Creek
My own turn off from the PCT came up soon after Kellen departed. My exit trail would take me 7.1 miles over Kearsarge Pass and down into Onion Valley, where my car awaited me. They were surely some of the prettiest 7 miles I’d done on this trip. Or maybe they were just like all the other pretty spots I’d walked through, but these were extra special being, as they were, the final miles of the trip. The climb was difficult, but the lakes I passed were stunningly clear. I was tempted to relax for the afternoon by a couple of them, but the call of a Lone Pine burger was too strong! I made a mental note to come back to Bullfrog and Kearsarge Lakes for a little camping, exploring, and maybe fishing someday.
The pond below Bullfrog Lake
Crystal clear water
Kearsarge Pinnacles and Kearsarge Lakes
Kearsarge Pass
The long steep climb over Kearsarge was nothing compared to going down the other side. This trip taught me my knees would carry me uphill as far as I wanted, but downhill needed to be approached with TLC. I was really aching as I neared Onion Valley. Just as I was about to exit the trail, I saw a young hiker wearing a T-shirt from a school I where teach, and I stopped him to see if he’d been a student there. Indeed he had been! It was incredible to chat with him about mutual acquintances there at the end of Kearsarge Pass! It’s amazing to me how we can step out of our comfortable civilized bubbles, and still find people to connect with.
Gilbert Lake and Kearsarge Pass
Days 1-4; I traveled left to right on this chart from Halfmile’s maps.
