Day 103
Start: Lone Pine/Cottonwood Pass Trailhead, near mile marker 1909.3
End: Camping, mile 1925.1
Miles Traveled: 18.0 miles, 15.8 miles of trail
Well, today the plan was to get to the trail. I started earlier than normal, had breakfast and left hitchhiking at 11 in the morning. I wanted to start over at Cottonwood Pass, where I had started my NOBO section the week before. Instead of booking a shuttle, I opted to hitchhike to the trailhead since I wasn’t in a big hurry.
To my surprise, I had a problem in less than 5 minutes. A group of European tourists visiting Death Valley were in the area. Apparently, there were floods that closed the roads in Death Valley, so their tour guide took them to this area. They didn’t have a specific itinerary, so they were more than happy to take me up the mountain and see the sights along the way.
I entertained the tourists with my adventure stories along the way and said goodbye to them at the top. Back on the road! It felt so good to be here and so good to be almost done with the official Sierra section. Next stop: Kennedy Meadows South.
As usual, the day was beautiful and the sky was a clear blue. I didn’t really feel like walking, so I was grateful that the terrain was much easier than the previous week. I had a very gradual climb to a viewpoint, where I sat for a while, looking at the valley below. Despite the sun, the air was a little chilly. The climate was definitely changing.
Then I went down. I passed cold rock formations and admired some of the gnarly looking trees that dotted the landscape. The sun set over the valley and I was soon plunged into gentle darkness.
Now that I was closer to the desert, water was becoming scarce. My next water source would be the last for miles, so I made sure to fill up for dinner, breakfast, and my morning walk. I had to go a little further off the path and listen to the water, but eventually I found a faint trickle and patiently picked up what I needed.
By now it was already dark. With the flashlight on, I continued my way along the wide, flat path. As usual, I set high mileage goals for myself, but stopped a little short, still pleased with my progress. I could reach Kennedy Meadows South tomorrow, but I would probably arrive by sunset.
I found a nice, flat spot in the trees to camp and get ready for the night. My mind was spinning with thoughts of coyotes, but I took a deep breath and made sure they didn’t want to eat me. See? Even a seasonal hiker is sometimes afraid of the dark.
Safe in my tent from coyotes and other nocturnal creatures, I ate breakfast, snuggled into my quilt, and went to sleep.
And that’s a day in the life of a PCT SOBO hiker!
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