Kennedy Meadows #2

Day 63 ~ miles 1010 - 1018.5

I was so excited about our big milestone yesterday that I forgot to even mention our most epic campsite last night!   We climbed about 1,500 feet yesterday evening to a spectacular ridge.  The mountain was volcanic in nature (rather than the glacial mountains that we have been accustomed to), and basically just a huge pile of gravel lacking much vegetation.

It was so windy that we couldn't setup our tent, so cowboy camping it was.  Never have we slept in such a high and exposed site, literally right on top of a ridge with panoramic mountain views.  We watched an incredible sunset,  and did some stargazing as well.  It's funny how you can feel so very small and alone, when you know that several people are within a couple of miles.

We awoke early, it's town day!  We walked for about 8 miles along the ridge on which we slept.  It was incredibly beautiful.  We did a little travel over snow (thought we were done with that stuff).  We arrived to the road, Sonora pass, early afternoon and got a ride surprisingly quickly.  The road down to Kennedy Meadows Resort was super steep and windy; we could seriously smell the truck's brakes -- scary!  This is not the same Kennedy Meadows that we visited a few hundred miles ago, but a resort and pack station.

We arrived to find the place packed (it was Friday). All of their bunkrooms, cabins, and campsites were full, ugh.  The resort was swarming with real cowboys and herding dogs and horses...it was such a neat experience.  We did our grocery shopping in the small store, showered, and  laundered our clothes.  We sat on the back porch of the main building for hours, people watching and chatting with hikers. I cannot say enough good things about the resort, they were so hiker friendly!  We visited the saloon, and proceeded to eat a delicious, huge, and well-priced meal at the resort's restaurant.  Luckily, a hiker's sister who had come to visit had reserved a group campsite.  They invited us all to stay, perfect!

one thousand!

Day 62 ~ miles 993.5 - 1010

Guess what?!?  We've hiked 1000 miles on the Pacific Crest Trail!! 

We are so excited to have hit this tremendous milestone!  It seems that the time has flown, and it's difficult to fathom that we have walked so far.  At the same time, it's hard to remember the days when life was normal: when we slept in a bed and peed in toilets and drove cars and went to work.  Even though we've walked a super long way, we're still not even halfway to the Northern terminus of the trail!

When we arrived at the 1000th mile, a stone marker had been placed on the ground.  We gathered around with about 6 other hikers while somone played that song "I would walk 500 miles and I would walk 500 more"...you know the one.  Another hiker was carrying some whisky and passed it around to celebrate the occasion.  We took pictures, ate snacks, and chatted and eventually went on our way. 

Here's to the next thousand, hoping they are as smooth as the first!

don't just follow the Cascadias!

Day 61 ~ miles 977.7 - 993.5

Slept late.  Again.  It wasn't even that cold out, but I reckon our body's alarm clocks have reset themselves to 7:00.  We felt strong hiking this morning, and were having a really great day.  We ate lunch by a small cascade, rested there for a while, swatting at mosquitos and rinsing out some dirty clothes.

We hit the trail, still feeling great post-lunch, and began another ascent.  Weird, I thought, as I didn't think we had to do anymore climbing today.  Oh well, I saw the tell-tale Cascadia tracks on the trail, so all was right.  Brooks Cascadias are extremely popular shoes amongst thru-hikers, and they also have a very distinct and easily recognizable tread.  We always joke that when we're not sure if we're on the trail or not, just look for the Cascadia prints.  Most of the time, this works. 

We were hiking along, when we saw a familiar face approaching. It was Bess, a hiker's girlfriend who had just come out to hike with him for a few weeks.  Her boyfriend and his brother were nowhere to be seen.  She had hiked ahead of them, and had somehow gotten off trail.  Lucky for her, we got off trail at the same junction.  Lucky for us, we ran into her; otherwise we wouldn't have even realized we were not on the PCT, we were just following the Cascadias.  In total, we walked a little more than 2 non-PCT miles, but poor Bess had done more.  We walked with her back to the PCT and hiked ahead.

Mosquito hell would be an accurate descripton of our afternoon hiking.  We wore our mosquito headnets for the first time, as mosquitos blanketed us if we paused for more than a second.  We are camped with a new face, and were happy to have a fire to keep the mosquitos away. 

P.U.D.S

Day 60 ~ miles 960.5 - 977.7

It was a bitter cold night (and morning), which makes it really difficult to get out of our warm, cozy, coccoon-like sleeping bags.  So we got a pretty late start.

The hiking today was reminiscent of the Appalachian Trail.  Lots of P.U.D.S., as they are often referred to (pointless ups and downs).  You may think that this is quite common when trekking through the mountains, but the PCT is, for the most part, usually very gently graded.  Ascents and descents are often long and gentle.  Well, not today they weren't.  I guess they're really not pointless, as they get us from A to B, or canyon to canyon as was the case today; they're just exhausting.

In other news, I swallowed a bug of some sort today, when it flew right into the back of my throat.  It triggered my gag reflex, as I heaved repeatedly until I could drink some water.  In hindsight, it was hilarious. Also, while crossing a log over a stream, I had a weird bout of anxiety that caused me to totally freeze up (how many times have I crossed a stream on a log?!) .  My heart was racing!  Eventually, I was able to cross, and laugh about it.  I blamed it on the caffiene I had with lunch.

Hoping for less P.U.D.S., bugs, and log crossings tomorrow.

no more boot

Day 59 ~miles 942.6 - 960.5

The short mileage day and time with friends was great for my foot and morale, but it's really time to get back to business.  We haven't had a strong hiking day in awhile.  I know that I should be resting, or taking it a little easier, but I have endured this foot pain for nearly 300 miles of trail, and I can continue to do so.  There's also a chance that my injury may not even be a stress fracture; most of the time a stress fracture isn't obvious on an x-ray, and mine was no exception.  I'll listen to my body and we'll do what we need to do, but I'm not nearly ready to call it quits.  At this point, my foot is actually feeling quite a bit better.  Walking with pain for so long, I adjusted my gait so that walking caused less pain.  By compensating, it screwed up my ankle and entire foot, and eventually I even had slight pain in my hip.  By taking it slow and wearing the boot when I could, all other issues have basically been resolved; now pain only remains at the initial injury site.  All that being said, I'm getting rid of the boot.   I think the additional weight of the thing on my pack may do more harm than good. 

I happily mailed my boot to Virginia, excited for my pack to become 3+ pounds lighter, and we hit the trail around 10.  So many people were out and about in Yosemite, though as we walked deeper into the woods, the crowds thinned.  We were checked for the first time for our PCT permits and bear canisters by a NPS law enforcement ranger, we passed inspection. 

The terrain was moderately easy, as we passed by incredible waterfalls and rounded stone peaks.  We arrived to camp fairly late, but were happy to have put in decent miles for such a late start.  We're camped with Pedi, Soapbox, and some other hikers.  We gathered around a small fire for a short time, but even that couldn't keep us warm enough on this frigid evening, so ino the sleeping bags we went.

Yosemite zoo

Day 58 ~ miles 933 - 942.6

No bear encounters last night, just a bit of tossing and turning (likely secondary to paranoia of bear activity).  Today, we headed to Tuolumne Meadows in Yosemite National Park, where we have a package waiting.  The hike into Tuolumne was completely lacking any elevation change, in other words, it was flat and easy.  I wore my boot for maybe a couple of miles, but it has become so uncomfortable.  The pressure on my shin is more painful than walking without the boot, even though I have attempted to pad it using various items and methods. 

We arrived early afternoon to the zoo that was Yosemite NP on father's day.  There were an abundance of cars and people everywhere.  It's a little strange to walk directly out of the woods and into that bustling environment.  Tuolomne Meadows consists of a general store, post office, and grill, all in the same building, and a campground out back.  We setup at the picnic tables out front, where several hikers gathered and exploded their backpacks and packages over the tables and lawn.  We did the same.  We got some expectedly overpriced and mediocre burgers from the grill, organized food, and repacked our packs as we chatted with other hikers.  After a few hours of loitering, we hoisted our packs on and said our "see ya laters".  Suddenly, a car pulled up and familiar faces exited the vehicle; it wa s Soapbox and Pedi, 2 of the "4 guys" that we hiked with earlier on.  We were happily shocked to see them, as we thought they were several days ahead.  To celebrate our reunion, we all decided to stay at the Tuolumne Meadows campground (the other 2 guys, Quinoa and Half & half, arrived shortly).   We covered the campsites with a large number of tents, as several other hikers were also there.  We gathered firewood and made a toasty fire around which many stories and laughs were shared.  Talk about a morale boost!

too much negativity

Day 57 ~ miles 917 - 933

Our morale was a little improved today.  We meandered around several lakes, and encountered lots of folks out for day hikes and section hikes.  We talked to many, including some thru-hikers, and many inquired about my boot.  It sort of sticks out like a sore thumb strapped onto the back of my pack.  Most people were pretty negative, saying things like, "Oh well, maybe you can finish your hike next year," or "At least you made it this far."  We spoke with a father and daughter who were surpisingly positive and encouraging, and they actually were both on the mend from stress fractures as well.  I wish they knew how appreciated their optimistic words and outlook were; they pretty much made my day. 

We hiked oved Donahue Pass under a gray sky and through chilly winds.  Beyond the pass, the terrain flattened out from the rockpile that it had been, so I put on my boot.  Sure enough, as soon as I did, the trail was back to rocks.  We descended into the valley, a bit further than I would have liked.  Our guidebook warns of serious bear activity, but we are camping here anyway.  Hoping for no bear encounters tonight!

goodbye, Mammoth

Day 56 ~ miles 906.8 - 917

Everyone awoke fairly early and cleared out of our campsite, scattering in various directions for breakfast, coffee, or to find a ride out of town.  We knew we could get part of the way back to the trail via the public transportation system in Mammoth, which didn't start running until 9.  We got coffee as we watched the minutes slowly tick by and our uneasy feeling grew.  Maybe we were so anxious because of the uncertainty of the future our hike?  Maybe we were just antsy to get out of town?

We took a series of 2 buses to arrive at the Mammoth ski resort, where we promptly stuck our thumbs out.  Within 15 or so minutes, we were in a car with a nice French couple, who kindly went out of their way to drive us all the way to Red's Meadow, where we'd gotten off the trail.  What a relief, though I still had a strange uneasy feeling.

One more indulgence before we got on the trail, we had ice cream, chips, and soda.  I strapped my big, heavy boot onto my pack and we headed back to the trail.  There were so many poorly marked trail junctions that it took us nearly an hour to get on the right track.

We hiked slow, as our morale was low, but luckily the terrain was gentle.  Since the trail was fairly smooth, I decided to try hiking with my boot on.  It worked out surprisingly well, and I ended up hiking about 6 miles in it.  We are camped alone, and I think our  collective mental state has improved slightly.  Tomorrow is a new day!

Sideways gets the boot

Day 55 ~ another zero in Mammoth Lakes

We reluctantly checked out of our hotel, after requesting a late check out.  We had too much fun last night!  We were awaiting a phone call from the doctor to let me know when I could pick up my boot.  What to do in the meantime....eat!  We finally heard from the doctor and walked across town to pick up my new magic shoe.  The thing is big, mid-calf high, and heavy, about 3 or 4 pounds.  I immediately put it on, adjusted it properly, and fastened it up.  It felt amazing!  To walk and not have my foot or ankle or anything move or bend was such a relief. 

Now, to get back to the trail.  We had a feeling this would be difficult, as the trail is way up at the very end of a curvy, mountainous road.  As we waited at the town trolley stop, which would take us a little closer to the trail, we saw a bunch of hikers who had stayed in the condo last night; we thought were leaving town today.  The said they'd tried to get a ride for 2 hours, and were giving up.  It was late afternoon, and we figured we'd likely have trouble getting out of town as well. 

We all reserved a campsite at the Forest Service campground right in town.  I think this worked out for the best, as I can rest my foot for the day.  Since we decided to stay, we had the opportunity/time to visit the Mammoth Brewing Company.  We had been daydreaming of this for hundreds of miles, but were too busy yesterday to stop in.  So glad we made it! 

We feel anxious to get back to the trail.  We feel trapped in this expensive, character-lacking tourist town, with no way out.  We better find a way out tomorrow!

an unrestful day off

Day 54 ~ zero in Mammoth Lakes

We spent our day off in Mammoth Lakes completing our usual town chores, eating, and hanging out for many hours at a doctor's office/hospital.  I've been having right foot pain for about 250 miles.  Despite taking vitamin I, elevating it every night, and icing it with snow or in a frigid stream at every opportunity, the pain has continued to worsen.  

So, the diagnosis: a stress fracture.  Ouch.  Not what we wanted to hear.  The recommendation: rest.  Definitely not what we wanted to hear!  The doctor recommended an orthopedic boot, which I'll pick up tomorrow.  We didn't really discuss how this may impact our hike.  I think inside we're both frightened, so we'd rather not talk about it.

We went to a rental condo that was packed with 12 or so hikers to hang out and de-stress after our unrestful day off.  Do we really have to go back to the trail tomorrow?!

a fire under our butts

Day 53 ~ miles 886ish - 906.8

We slept late again...we have been making a habit of that lately!  I guess our bodies shut off their internal alarms when they really need to.  We have been exhausted!  The plan for the day was to get as close to Red's Meadow as possible (our exit point for Mammoth Lakes), and head into town early in the morning.

A few miles in for the day, and we passed an older (than us) pair that we met briefly on the trail a couple of weeks ago.  They said that they were planning to head into town today.  Moonshine and I exchanged glances, said our farewells to the 2, and headed on.  After hiking on for a few minutes, we agreed that if they could make it into town today, we could definitely make it.  It lit an intensely motivating fire under our butts and we took off.  We hiked hard and as fast as we could with minimal breaks.  We were nearing Red's Meadow, and were about 5-6 miles out when storm clouds began to brew - uh-oh.  Motivation to hike faster grew as the clouds darkened and thunder rumbled.  I was nearly running down the trail at times.  We made it to the safety of Red's Meadow store just as it began to rain, around 5:30...the trail provides!

We bought some chips and drinks and chatted with a lovely couple from Knoxville, small world!   They had already arranged a ride into town with Sugar Mama (a trail angel and former thru-hiker), so we were able to squeeze into the car as well, perfect!

We checked into the Motel 6, where we got clean, ordered the worst and most expensive pizza ever, and lounged while watching tv.  Taking a day off tomorrow, we've earned it!

last pass before Mammoth!

Day 52 ~ 868.2 - 886ish

Today, we would conquor our last pass before heading to Mammoth Lakes, what a relief.  This section has has been so difficult, and it seems as if we've been out forever (though I think today is the 7th day out of Bishop).  We are tired, and more than ready for a town stop.  Fortunately, the altitude has not affected us as noticably in this section.

The hiking was moderately easy.  With shoes and socks on, and no difficulties, we crossed Bear Creek, "the most dangerous ford in the Sierras," according to our guidebook.  It was a hot one today; the temperatures seem to be rising and the mosquitos breeding, as they seem to be rapidly increasing in numbers.  We stopped by a stream for a rather long lunch break, where we washed off in the frigid water, and were able to rinse out many of our clothing items.  How refreshing!

Silver Pass was much like Selden, in that the climb up was long and gradual, shaded with trees and plentiful grass and streams along the way (and very little snow).  A spectacular cascade showered down right on the trail.  We reached the pass fairly late in the evening, and hiked on a bit further down the North side of the pass, where we were surrounded by semi-icy lakes.  Upon cooking dinner, I realized I had lost my spoon (ironically after I had just carried and returned someone else's spoon).  At least I have someone to share a spoon with for now, I'll buy one in town. We had a phenomenal sunset view all to ourselves as we dined. 

the Trail always provides

Day 51 ~ miles 850 - 868.2

We slept late today, until almost 7; I suppose our bodies needed extra rest after the physically and mentally demanding day yesterday.  I think a really difficult day every once in a while isn't such a bad thing; it makes us realize how great the trail is on most days.  We would climb to Selden Pass later in the day, but it was so refreshing to wake up and not have to think about hiking over a challenging pass first thing in the morning.  Our morning hiking through the valley was gentle, with not much change in elevation; just what we needed after yesterday.  Our mantra on the trail is "the trail always provides", and the easy terrain was perfect. 

We forded Evolution Creek, one of the most well known fords on the trail.  The creek was wide, about 30 yards, with water up to our knees. The water looked fairly calm, but was swift and more powerful than it appeared.  It was also ice cold, and the temperature caused tremendous foot pain, and eventually numbness.

We retrieved some water from a stream before lunch, where we found someone's spoon and bag of various powdered drink mixes (imagine taking a break to eat a meal and not having your spoon, terrible!).  We carried the things from the stream, not sure who they belonged to or if we would even see them.  A few minutes later, we ran into the kids having lunch.   It turned out that the stuff belonged to Barbie.  In exchange for returning his things, he gave us each a pack of Pop-Tarts.  We had been worried that we didn't pack out enough food for this section, so we have been eating really skimpy and trying to stretch our food. The Pop-Tarts will help a lot.  Once again, the Trail provides.

We hiked up to Selden Pass in the afternoon; our guidebook describes it as the easiest pass.  It was my favorite pass so far (Moonshine disagrees).  Rather than barren, sharp and dramatic, Selden is soft, alive and gentle with lakes on either side, pine forests, grass, and streams and cascades all over the south side.  Best of all, there was hardly any snow! 

The trail provided us with an awesome day.

snow, snow, and Muir snow

Day 50 ~ miles 833 - 850

With 6 miles to Muir Pass, we started hiking early, and we knew we'd get over the pass before the snow began to turn to slush.  The approach to the pass was long and snowy.  There was snow on about 2 miles of trail leading up to the pass, with footprints going in various directions.  It's exhausting hiking through the snow, and even moreso when you have to find the route.  Eventually, after a couple of false passes (when you think you're to the pass, but you're really not), we made it to the pass.  There stood Muir Hut, a beautiful, round stone structure that serves as an emergency shelter.  On the North side of the pass, there were frozen lakes and snow as far as we could see.  We took a quick snack break and got going down from the pass.

Little did we know that hours of trudging through the snow, wayfinding, postholing, and slipping and sliding awaited us.  It was one of our most frustrating times on the trail.  After nearly 6 hours of snow travel, we were exhausted, but in the clear. 

We cruised down into Evolution Valley, and it seems that the valleys continue to grow more lush.  We spotted a family of 5 deer lying by a stream in a meadow.  The stark contrast in landscapes  almost made it seem as if we had been transported to a different land; the snow from this morning is merely a distant memory.  Early to bed tonight, as we are exhausted and camped alone next to the rushing Evolution Creek, which we will ford tomorrow. 

mosquito valley

Day 49 ~ miles 816 - 833

We slept late, until nearly 7, to allow the morning sun to soften the icy snow just a bit.  We headed up Mather Pass with Midway, and noticed just as we started to make our way up that one of my trekking pole tips was missing.  What a way to start the day; my sweet husband gave me one of his poles to use until we make it into town.  We made it to the pass without difficulty.  The North side of the pass was covered with snow and steep.  Slowly, we made our way down.  I feel like I am learning so much and improving myself and my hiking ability every day out here.  The Sierras are beautiful, but they do not come without a price.  This is by far the most difficult hiking we have ever experienced.

We descended 4,000 feet into the valley, where we had lunch with Midway.  It was hot down in the valley, and the boys decided to cool off by dipping into an icy cold snowmelt stream.  I took pictures.

Hiking through the valley was incredible.  There was water everywhere, and vibrant shades of green, large trees, grassy meadows, and blooming wildflowers filled the landscape, with huge, barren, gray mountains towering above.  We were enamored.

At day's end, we picked a perfect tentsite near a stream and dropped our packs to the ground.  Within seconds we were both swarmed with thick mosquitoes.  We quickly put our packs back on to hike to a less infested location.  They found us here too, so it was an unfortunate rush to cook, eat, organize our things for the evening, and retreat to the safety of the tent.  And so it begins...we knew mosquitoes would be bad, we just didn't know where or when.  I have a feeling this is only the beginning.  We'll be investing in some insect repellent at our next town stop.  Onto Muir Pass tomorrow.

getting our groove back, sorta

Day 48 - miles 802 - 816

We found our groove today, kinda.  We awoke at our "normal" time, shortly after 5am, for the first time in awhile.  A good start to the day.  We hiked about 5.5 miles to Pinchot Pass.  The approach to the pass was very snowy, and it was difficult to see the trail.  Footprints were scattered through the snow in various directions.  Our guidebook noted that it could be easy to lose the trail and take an incorrect route.  After tediously trudging through the snow forever, we took more defined switchbacks up to the pass.  Besides the beautiful scenery, we were thrilled about the lack of snow on the north side of the pass!  This allowed us to pick up the pace a bit, and by lunch we had hiked nearly as many miles as we did all day yesterday.  We were back in a rhythm, and it felt so good.  We hiked on, through multiple streams that required fording.  We usually take off our shoes and socks if safe to do so, and it slows us down tremendously.  I think we did it at least 4 times today!  We planned to hike over 2 passes today, so we hurried to Mather Pass as to not arrive too late in the evening.  As the day goes on, the snow turns to slush, which can be potentially dangerous on a steep mountainside, or on rocky terrain or boulder fields.  We were concerned that the hike over the pass would be dangerous, so we're camping right at the base of the pass.  Midway showed up to camp, we hadn't seen him since town.  I'm not sure what the plan is for the hike up, as everything will be iced over in the morning (also unsafe).  Perhaps sleeping late?  We have been hiking less miles than anticipated, so hopefully we will be able to make up for it in the coming days, or we may be forced to spread our food very thin!  We're sleeping around 11,500 feet, probably the highest we've camped.  We're surrounded by snow and just heard some rocks come smashing down the mountain, I think the marmots are plotting against us.  It's going to be a cold one way up here!

no rhythm

Day 47 ~ miles 789 - 802

Today we celebrate 3 years of marriage!  Time has flown, and so much has changed.  We started our day by somehow sleeping until  almost 7:00!  (We actually had an excuse to sleep in.)  Hiking through the Sierras takes some forethought and strategy.   It is most desirable to go over the passes in late morning, so that they're not totally iced over.  We camped about 2 miles from Glen Pass; if we started hiking at our normal time, we would've had a more difficult climb over the icy pass. 

In one of our guidebooks, Glen Pass is noted to be the scariest/most dangerous pass, especially the descent.  I tried not think about this bit of information as we forged ahead over the snowy, rocky landscape.  The climb up to the pass wasn't too bad.  Once we arrived to the pass, we ate a snack as we gazed down the steep and snowy mountain that we would soon descend.  The hike down was pretty scary and really slow going.  We glissaded on a couple of portions, it wasn't as fun as it had been on Forester Pass, and my butt was wet and freezing cold.  After what seemed like hours, we made it down to some of the most beautiful scenery I have seen on the trail, maybe ever!  We hiked around Rae Lakes, several lakes with clear, turqouise water, surrounded by stunning snowy peaks. We could see trout swimming in the lakes.

For the first part of the day, we were hiking frustratingly slow, about 1mph.  All day we weren't able to get in a rhythm, between the snow and steep terrain and multiple river fords.  Miles hiked today were disappointingly low; we would really love  to take our sweet time, but we don't have enough food!  We're camped by ourselves for the first time in awhile, right next to a rushing stream...such a great noise to sleep by.  Hoping for better rhythm tomorrow!

back to work

Day 46 ~ [pct] miles 788 - 789

So the task of getting back to the trail was almost as daunting, and with less motivation.  We stood in town, thumbs out with a sign that read "Independence", for  an hour and a half!  Finally, a very kind lady who had walked by earlier said that she had nothing else to do this afternoon, and offered to give us a ride.  She took us allllll the way to the trail, almost 60 miles.  How amazing! 

We were dreading the 7.5 mile uphill hike just to get back to the PCT.  Our packs are heavy with 7 1/2 days of food.It actually wasn't as horrible as anticipated; the trail was really nicely graded.  We didn't hike too far once we got back to the trail, as it was getting late.  Back to work for real tomorrow.

zero in Bishop

Day 45 ~ zero in Bishop

Typical day off.  We enjoyed the amenities of our hotel: pool, hot tub, continental breakfast.  We ate at an amazing deli, Raymond's, so if you ever find yourself in Bishop, go there!   Seriously, one of my favorite food stops on the trail!  Back to work tomorrow!

a long trip to Bishop

Day 44 ~ [pct] miles 786 - 788.5

We slept really late because we were really exhausted, and also we knew if we awoke and started hiking early, the kids would sleep later and pass us anyway.  In addition to being younger than us, they are also much faster and more energetic than us.  We didn't want to get off of the trail and have 10 people in front of us trying to get a ride into town.  By the time we woke up, the kids were all gone.

We took our time packing up.  We didn't have our usual "going to town" motivation.  Perhaps it was because the task of getting to Bishop was so daunting, as it is nearly 60 miles from the trail.

Usually, hiking into town is easy, probably because we usually have that extra motivation.  Today, that was not the case.  The hiking was so difficult, and it didn't help that we had to hike 7.5 non-PCT miles UP and over Kearsarge Pass.  After way longer than it should've taken, we arrived at the "road".  We didn't realize it, but this "road" was actually just a parking lot for the trailhead at the end of a 17 mile mountain road.  That meant that our chances for getting a ride decreased dramatically, as our only option would be with a hiker, but we were hopeful since it was a Sunday.  We got a piece of carrot cake (my favorite) and a banana from a nice lady   who was camping, and ended up getting a ride fairly quickly with 2 young guys from LA to Independence, the first leg of our journey. 

Next, we had 42 miles remaining to Bishop, and we were quickly picked up by a friendly gentleman with another hiker in the car.  The hiker was actually getting off of the trail due to injury.  They dropped us off at the Vagabond Inn, where Joker and Cracker Keeper already had a room for us to share. 

A block of 3 rooms were all full of thru-hikers, and we had a great afternoon and evening hanging out, eating town food,and doing our chores. 

Looking forward to a full day of rest and relaxation here tomorrow.

Forester

Day 43 ~ miles 770 - 786

Forester Pass is the highest point on the PCT, at an elevation of 13,200 feet.  It also has a reputation as being difficult and dangerous....yikes.  We were heading toward the pass with a group (like I have said before, safety in numbers).  I tried not to think of my Mt. Whitney experience as we neared the pass; unlike Mt. Whitney, Forester Pass is not optional!  As usual, we fell to the back of the group as I slowly huffed and puffed and trudged across the snow fields.  We arrived to the base of the pass to find the trail up mostly covered with snow.  The trail was impossible to follow, so we had to make our own way straight up the snowy, rocky mountain.  It was very trying, and required constant and flawless focus.  Eventually, we made our way to the switchbacks of the trail.  We zig-zagged up to the pass until we arrived at the infamous snow chute, a steep chute down the mountain over which the trail was covered with snow.  On the other side of the chute awaited my very own cheering squad, all of the folks we had been hiking up with, who all knew about my Mt. Whitney experience.  It was scary, but like most things on the trail, didn't live up to all of the hype.  A couple more sketchy areas later, we made it to the top of the pass.  I felt so relieved and accomplished, but neverending snow awaited on the North side of the pass.

We celebrated up top for a bit before heading down.  We all took turns glissading (sliding on our butts) down the mountain, it was so much fun!  After hours of wayfinding and trudging through the slushy snow, we finally were almost clear of the snow.  We had lost the rest of the group, so we stopped to have a really late lunch by ourselves.  I took off my shoes and laid on the warm rock where we would break.  Almost instantly I fell asleep.  I felt exhausted and just awful in general.  I had no appetite and no desire to drink, though I knew I needed both food and water.  I'm not sure if I felt ill due to the altitude or exertion or both.  Finally I forced down a little food and some water and we hiked just a little further to a campsite where we camped with some other thru-hikers (we call the group "the kids", as they are all pretty young).  They had a fire, so we joined them to warm our bones and dry out our snow-drenched shoes.  I think it was our first on-trail fire of the entire hike (fires had been prohibited until recently).  I feel better, and we're looking forward to getting into town tomorrow.

Mt. Whitney

Day 42 ~ [pct] miles 766 - 770 (plus Mt. Whitney side trip)

We awoke early to cold, cold air.  It was so nice not having to pack up our stuff!  We planned to leave our tent setup with most of our belongings in it, since we would be returning later in the day.  We loaded up our packs with plenty of food and water and extra clothing/jackets just in case, and setout to ascend the highest mountain in the continental US! 

We hiked along streams and by lakes as we gradually ascended.  Eventually, the path became unclear, as it was covered with snow.  We followed footprints through the snow as we found our way up the mountain.  We began to ascend more quickly as we took switchbacks up the mountain, and the trail was mostly clear of snow.  As we gained elevation, some snowy and icy patches remained on the trail.   The further we traveled, the more sketchy and unsafe it became to cross the snow patches.  At some points on the trail, one wrong step could be fatal.  I'm afraid of heights, and often overthink the consequences in such situations.  We could see the hut on top of the mountain, with less than one mile to go, we hit a dangerous snowy patch and I began to panic.  Some hikers we knew were descending the mountain and warned us of more dangerous areas up ahead.  After a stressful mental struggle, I decided that I needed to turn back.  Moonshine was totally supportive and was glad that we didn't put ourselves into a dangerous situation.

I had planned to scatter some of my father's cremated remains at the summit of Mt. Whitney, which made the situation even more emotional.  The views from up there were incredible, and I know my Dad would've been totally awestruck, so I let him go anyway.  It was a bittersweet moment, as I wished so bad that I could call him up and tell him where I was, but I was glad to be able to leave some of him in such an amazing place. 

We hiked down the mountain, back to Crabtree Meadows.  I was physically and emotionally drained, as I crawled in the tent for a nap.  Moonshine made me lunch and coffee in "bed", how sweet.

We packed up our things and headed on for a few more miles.  And so began the river fords!  We forded 2 large streams in the 4 miles we hiked.  Shoes and socks off,the water was so cold that it hurt!  We are camping with Midway and Joker and Cracker Keeper in a grassy meadow by a stream.  It's super cold, which seems to be the norm around here in the evenings.  Big day tomorrow, Forester Pass!

to Whitney basecamp

Day 41 ~ mile 746 - 766

Oh, just another day in the most beautiful place on earth.  We took our morning break by a stream and lake surrounded by gigantic peaks.  We were concerned, as we had forgotten to print out a water report at our last town stop.  The PCT water report is a report of the status of water sources on the trail, kept up to date by hikers.  It's a fantastic and vitally important resource.  To our total surprise, we learned from some other hikers during our streamside break that there is no more water report!  The water report is only maintained for Southern California....that means water will be plentiful, and a water report is unnecessary!  What fantastic news, as water has dictated our hike for so long.  What a relief it will be to not have to carry 8-12 pounds of water at a time!

Our goal for the day was upper Crabtree Meadows, or Mt. Whitney basecamp, as we called it, with a group of hikers.  From here, we will make the journey up to Mt. Whitney tomorrow, the highest peak in the continental US.   Before arriving to upper Crabtree Meadows, we passed through lower Crabtree Meadows.  In this large meadow, we saw more wildlife that we have seen on the entire trail!  Several deer grazed, countless trout were feeding in the stream, and marmots playfully ran and hid from us.  We could've stayed in the meadow forever, but we had to get to basecamp.  Whitney tomorrow!

aesthetics

Day 40 ~ miles 723 - 746

We slept well under the phenomenal stars of the Sierra sky, but it was freezing cold!  We awoke early, as usual, and hiked a gentle ascent down from our campsite. 

Everything in these mountains seems to be so aesthetically pleasing.  It's as if every live tree, rock, fallen dead tree has been perfectly placed.  We pondered the age of some of these huge live trees, and how long the fallen dead trees had been decomposing, surely a slow process at these heights.

We saw our first marmot!  He popped out of a dead tree, presumably his home, to check us out as we walked by.  A cute, chubby little mammal of the woodland, it seems similar to a groundhog.

Fighter jets performed stunts overhead for much of the day as we hiked.  We made our way to a grassy meadow where we are camped by ourselves at 11,000 feet.  It gets cold so fast in these parts!  We possibly just witnessed Air Force One fly overhead, or some other large jet flanked by 2 fighter jets on each side...pretty neat!

up, up, and away

Day 38 - miles 702.2 - 704.9

So Thor, Ferntoe, Joker, and Cracker Keeper used their charm to persuade us to stick around Kennedy Meadows until this evening. It didn't take much work on their part, we're pretty easy to convince (especially when it comes to staying in town).  We enjoyed the extra large shaded porch of the general store for most of the day.

We hiked out around 6:30, just a few miles to the Kennedy Meadows campground.  Several other hikers had the same idea..looks like we'll be heading into the Sierras with a big group of people.  Safety in numbers, right?

We are still in disbelief that we are at the gateway to the Sierras!  How did we even get here?  It surely doesn't feel like we've walked 700 miles.  Well OK, my body does feel every bit of those 700 miles...but it has flown by.

Up, up (literally), and into the Sierras we go!

bear can scramble

Day 37 - zero miles at Kennedy Meadows

Typical day off, chores, food, etc.  Kennedy Meadows is a great spot for a day off because everything we need is in one location.  There's no cell reception here (sorry to anyone who was expecting a call), but it has been really nice to be in "town" and not have every hiker on their phones!  Also, it's Memorial Day weekend, and the general store has been hoppin'!  Guess when your in a small town even the portable toilet companies don't work on the holiday weekend...the port-o-johns are quickly getting filled to the rim (no exaggeration).

Our favorite trail couples arrived to Kennedy Meadows today!  Thor and Ferntoe and Joker and Cracker Keeper (formerly known as Kelsey) rolled in, and our trio of duos was complete.  Also, a reunion of the entire Idyllwild cabin crew.

Many areas in the Sierras require "proper food storage" to keep bears from obtaining human food.  This means we need a bear canister, a large, 2+ pound cylindrical bear-proof can in which we will store our food.  Hours of entertainment was provided by watching everyone try to fit all of their food into their canisters (most were unsuccessful), then try to fit the canisters into their packs.  We decided to get one large canister for the both of us...all of our food definitely will not fit (maybe after a few days of serious eating). 

It's been a good day off, back to the trail and into the Sierras tomorrow!

marathon to Kennedy Meadows

Day 36 - miles 676.1 - 702.2

Today was a big day...we arrived at Kennedy Meadows (also we have completed 700 miles on the Pacific Crest Trail)!  Kennedy Meadows is such a monumental point on the trail, it still seems surreal that we are actually here!  This place is the gateway to the Sierra Nevada mountain range for PCT hikers.

Our hike to KM was hot, long (marathon day!), and uneventful.  We arrived to the road crossing late (7ish), and walked nearly a mile up to the Kennedy Meadows General Store.  We were surprised at what we found.  First of all, we imagined there would be a meadow, well there sort of was, in a desert sage scrub kind of sense.  No grass or wildflowers as I had envisioned. Kennedy Meadows is a very small community, and the General Store is the hub of it all.  We were a little concerned, as we knew the store closed at 5:00.  Also, historically, hikers have been allowed to camp at the store, but we heard this was no longer permitted.  So where would everyone be camping?  And why were we walking a mile up the road to a likely closed store?  The streets were silent as we neared the store, and we grew more worried.  As the store came into sight and we neared, we noticed a couple of people up on the porch.  We made our way up onto the porch and were greeted by applause and cold beers and some faces we hadn't seen in some time, including the guys of the cabin crew.  It was so great to be reunited!  We setup our tent in the store's backyard (rumor was wrong), and caught up on trail life and gossip around a campfire.  Looking forward to a day off here!

rugged terrain and uranium water

Day 35 - miles 654.6 - 676.1

Today was pretty uneventful.  We're not as spry as we once were on the trail.  We are growing tired and weary. We don't pop right out of our sleeping bags at 5am like we once did, and our bodies are always so stiff and achy. The terrain became very rocky and rugged today, and new landscapes came into view that could be described in the same way.  The hiking was difficult and slow going.

We hiked off the trail to a spring that was "not suitable for drinking", per posted signs.  Our water report warned that the water has a high uranium content (for a family for daily consumption).  We were in need of water and figured that a little uranium couldn't hurt.  We're still alive, with no ill effects! 

the perfect day

Day 37 ~ miles 633 - 654.6

We woke up to a damp tent interior due to condensation.  It was cold, but fortunately pretty sunny, as we put our cold clothes on, still wet from yesterday.  We finished out the climb that had been interrupted by the rainstorm yesterday, and after that it was smooth sailing.  The terrain was gentle and easily lent itself to a quicker than usual hiking pace.  The weather was perfect, cool in the shade, and clouds lingered and protected us from the intense desert sun.  Our only complaint: we were hungry!  We were rationing our food to make it last all 7 days (which takes a lot of willpower), and our bellies were not happy.  My stomach growled all morning, and at times it was difficult to think of anything else.

Walker Pass would be our first stop for water after several waterless miles.  We raced down to the pass, and were pleasantly surprised to see Coppertone's camper down the hill...root beer floats!  We hiked off trail into Walker Pass Campground, where much more than root beer floats awaited.

We were greeted with sodas, fresh fruit, and 2 grilled cheese and tomato sandwiches (each).  Trail magic courtesy of the famed Yogi (Yogi wrote the Pacific Crest Trail Handbook..essentially the thru-hiker's bible!).  We hung around and chatted for awhile, and ended up staying for a dinner of spaghetti, bread, and salad.  Perfectly timed, as we were afraid that maybe we hadn't carried enough food out of town.

We hiked out of Walker Pass in a food-induced intoxication, only to witness the most beautiful sunset we've seen the entire trail, complete with panoramic views.  We hurried to find a campsite up on the ridge as storm clouds threatened.  We got the tent setup just as it started to rain, a perfect ending to the perfect day.  Now to see how our tent holds up in the rain.

a few redeeming happenings

Day 36 ~ miles 616 - 633

Today really sucked overall, but a few redeeming events did take place.

Here's the bad:
-We hiked a mile and a half off trail for water, down a gully and over some boulders.  (It felt kind of adventurous, but I was still not happy about adding extra miles onto the day.)
-The water source was a small pond with plentiful algae and tadpoles; not the kind of water you would want to drink, but we had no choice.
-There's no water for several miles, so we loaded up with 5 liters each.  Imagine adding more than 10 pounds of water to your backpack at once!
-We walked uphill for most of the day.  Sometimes through very loose sand that required soo much additional energy to trudge through (our extra heavy packs made it more difficult).  The miles went by sooo slowly.
-The sandy terrain gave us both new pains.
-Storm clouds loomed for much of the day, and finally broke loose on us in the afternoon as we were in the midst of a serious ascent.  We got drenched and cold in the sideways rain and gusty winds.

The good:
-We each got a bag of potato chips from a southbound secton hiker (thanks, Goaltech - you much improved our day!)
-We saw some fighter jets make a playground of the mountain we were on, flying down low to the ground.
-We saw 2 rainbows.
-We have a great campsite to ourselves with beautiful views (though it's nearly too cold to enjoy it).

Hoping for a fantastic day tomorrow!