PCT SOBO DAY 90 – I am now a NOBO

Day 90

Start: Mammoth/Cottonwood Pass Trailhead, off mile marker 1904.4

End: Whitney Creek, mile 1888.3

Miles driven: 19.8 miles

I got up early to take the ESTA bus to Lone Pine. I wanted to grab a quick breakfast at the nearby Starbucks, but it turned out that it was the only day of the week they were closed. Damned. I still had a fruit smoothie from yesterday’s resupply, so I would have to hold off until I got to Lone Pine.

The bus ride was smooth and pleasant. I chatted with a local guy who was very excited about the PCT and had hiked the area a lot. He told me about the oldest known trees in the world (bristle pines) that live just across the valley and pointed out a huge herd of elk grazing in the alfalfa fields on the side of the road. When we finally reached Line Pine, he wished me good luck and safe travels.

The day before, I scheduled a bus ride with a local driver to get to the Cottonwood Pass trailhead. I grabbed a quick breakfast at McDonald’s while I waited, then hopped in the car with another John Muir Trail hiker and headed up the mountain. The JMT hiker was on his first long-distance trip and had already spent a few days on the trail, so he detailed his mistakes and asked for tips and tricks. I suggested drinking at least a liter of water at the water fountains instead of carrying more than 3 liters and getting rid of heavy and unnecessary equipment. But of course every hiker has to feel the pain of their choices before making smarter ones, myself included.

Once at the top, I said goodbye and headed toward Cottonwood Pass. The sky was clear blue and only fluffy clouds were visible. Maybe turning around was the right decision after all. As I began, I encountered several hikers who were perplexed by my speed and curious about where I was headed. Explaining my entire semi-flip-flop plan was too complicated, so I just said I was climbing the PCT and ignored their confused looks.

The climb to Cottonwood Pass was easy and the view was worth the effort. It felt so good to be here! I loved the soft browns of the twisted trees and the sandy beige of the trail. Once again, I stopped every few meters to take it all in. There is nothing like being in the Sierra.

As I walked, I noticed how quiet everything was. The birds had probably been anticipating winter and the squirrels were not as active as they had been on the trail. For a long time, the only sound I heard was the crunch of the sandy road beneath my feet.

My goal today was to get as close to Crabtree Meadow as possible so I could walk Mount Whitney in the morning. I passed by some SOBOs who had reached the summit the day before, so they gave me good information about the conditions on the mountain. Everything was clear!

As the afternoon progressed, the clouds continued to gather. The weather was on its way! I arrived at another SOBO group and realized they were hikers I had met in Washington. Turns out they had skipped a few miles of the burn zone in NorCal, so they were ahead of me. I was sure this wouldn’t be the last encounter like this. I was going NOBO, I had the opportunity to see the hikers who had passed me or whose names I had been chasing in the logbooks.

The rest of the day passed calmly. I walked through wonderfully bare meadows and met a few more SOBOs. Despite the threatening clouds, I managed to avoid the worst of the rain and only got a little spray. My last minutes of walking were spent in the dark. Luckily, my campsite wasn’t too far away.

I hadn’t made it to Crabtree Meadows, but Whitney Creek was only 1.5 miles away, giving me a feasible start to my climb to Whitney in the morning. I set up my tent, drank water from the stream, and settled in for the night. There was no one else around, so I had the place to myself. Tomorrow I planned to wake up before dawn so I could make it to Crabtree Meadows by dawn. Then my climb up Whitney would begin!

And that’s a day in the life of a PCT SOBO hiker!

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