PCT SOBO DAY 92 – Some of my favorite views

Day 92

Departure: Crabtree Meadow, near mile marker 1888.3

Finish: Stealthsite, outside mile 1865.7

Miles Traveled: 24.4 miles, 22.6 miles of trail

Despite all my hours of rest, I woke up sleepy and unmotivated to get up from my warm quilt. However, I had miles to go, so I had no choice. Today I would tackle Forester Pass, the highest point on the PCT at 13,200 feet.

As I had done the JMT before, this was not the first time I had hiked this section of the trail. Leaving Crabtree Meadow, I tried to remember what the trail was like years ago. The curves into Wallace Creek seemed very far away and intimidating back then. Now they were a piece of cake. There were sights I didn’t quite remember and some places I could never forget. Bighorn Plateau had been one of those places.

It was a wide expanse of grass, which had been vibrant and green in the summer of 2022. Now that the snow season was approaching, the grass was a dry amber color. Still, he was as beautiful as ever.

After a rest, it was time to start the long hike to Forester Pass. As the morning progressed, clouds had gathered in the sky. Now, there was a dark layer just above the pass. I hoped I could get up before the bad weather started, but I couldn’t be sure. I moved a little slower because of that damn elevation, but I finally made it to the bottom of the infamous switchbacks.

Of course, they weren’t as intimidating because they weren’t covered in snow, but they still weren’t easy on the lungs. I took my time, stopping at the end of every other corner for a few seconds to catch my breath. Small flakes of snow began to fall that looked like sleet. I was lucky because despite the threats of clouds, neither snow nor substantial rain fell.

At the top, I met up with 3 JMT hikers and sat and chatted while taking a short refreshment break. One woman was from Japan and was on her first long walk in the United States. The other couple was finishing their last leg of the JMT.

Looking at the bare mountains, I couldn’t help but smile to myself. This was exactly where I wanted to be. Except for one thing: it was a little cold. My body had cooled down so it was time to start walking again.

Down, down, down, I went through the endless curves on the other side. Other hikers were climbing, and among them I saw a couple of familiar faces. Salty and Light, whom I had met in Washington, were coming towards me.

We stopped and chatted for a while, catching up on their experiences along the way and exchanging horror stories. It was so good to see you again! They had been so fast that I thought my days of seeing them were behind me.

After we said goodbye, I noticed that the weather was changing. The rain was on their way. Not wanting to get hungry, thirsty and wet, I took the opportunity to drink some water, eat a snack and put on my rain gear before things got worse. As I continued, I realized that the hiker’s juju was working. Every time a hiker puts on rain gear in anticipation of rain, it magically doesn’t rain. The clouds on both sides of the valley looked dark and I could see the rain falling, but where I was there were blue skies and fluffy clouds.

I took advantage of my good fortune and sat on a rock admiring one of my favorite views. The valley that is home to Bubbs Creek always made me exclaim «Wow!» The washbasin with soft contours; its tree dust in the background; the pure white of the imposing mountain wall; What else could I say besides «wow»?

I headed towards the trees with a smile on my face and soon heard the patter of rain on my raincoat. Perfect moment. The trees protected me from most of the rain, and by the time I reached my last climb of the day, it had stopped. I sat on a rock, dreading the steep climb as a collared deer looked at me and then walked away. Sigh. There was no choice but to climb.

I climbed through the fog left by the rain and, after being dramatic and stopping many times because I didn’t feel like climbing, I finally made it to the top. Tomorrow I would head out over Kearsarge Pass to resupply for the 6 day section ahead. I probably could have carried enough food from Cottonwood Pass, but it would have been a longer haul than I really wanted. Although I would have to do additional miles going in and out of Kearsarge, I was happy with my choice.

I walked long after sunset, enjoying the misty views of Bull Frog Lake below. The entire mountainside remained shrouded in fog. I could barely see where I was going because of the reflected light from the headlight. Not much further I found a small stream and a campsite. The night was surprisingly warm. After dinner, I snuggled into my quilt and knew I was going to get a good night’s sleep.

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

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