PCT Week 9: Mile 789-881

Day 57: 789-791

Leaving Bishop at 8am on an angel Debi trail. The plan was to take it very calmly. Overcome Kearsarge Pass and rest for a bit by the lakes before reaching a good position just over a mile from Glen Pass. I had initially hoped to complete the Glen Pass today, but the group was still feeling sluggish after day zero. We relaxed and then headed up to mile 791, the last campsite before the pass. With the side trail to Kearsarge, it was about a 10 mile day.

Day 58: 791-805

I was on my way at 6:30 am. The climb to Glen Pass faces south, so there were only patches of snow on the 800-foot climb over 1 mile. When we got to the top it was completely covered in snow on the north side. He put on microspikes and prepared the ice ax for the journey. The first crossing was fine, the snow had not completely frozen the night before and was soft. The challenge was the path after the first traverse, it never followed any curves but rather went almost straight across loose rocks and exposed snow. Having done Mt. Whitney after the blizzard and Forester Pass, Glen Pass felt like the riskiest descent yet. Not because of the terrain, but because of the inability to follow defined steps. Loose stones fell with every step. It wasn’t my favorite, but we headed down and reached the famous Rae Lakes, a common backpacker loop. On the way I saw a young bear coming down to the lake to spend the morning. We took a lunch break by Dollar Lake to relax after the stressful descent. The mosquitoes have already appeared in full force, so we sit in the sun to have lunch and dry our equipment. This section is very beautiful and full of seasonal streams, many beautiful lakes, some tricky stream crossings, and the mighty Woods Creek.

Day 59: 805-822

Today’s plan was to make two passes, Pinchot and Mather, and we did it, with some difficulty. We started at 6.30am and the climb to Pinchot was long but fairly easy. When we reached the north side of the pass, there were long fields of snow to descend. The snow was already soft because it wasn’t cold enough last night to freeze. We then encountered the Kings River, one of the many water crossings. Beautiful snow-capped mountains with beautiful sunny skies mean lots of snowmelt and stronger rivers. So Mather’s move was an incredible challenge. It was later, around 230 pm and it may have been too late to initiate a pass. But we were hoping to complete two passes that day and reach VVR sooner. The climb was probably the most difficult so far. Once again, the routes did not follow the curves at all and were almost straight at many points. The snow had melted and exposed some rocks and slopes. Mather Pass would be a great climb if you did it in the summer, without snow. Going down in the afternoon was a terrible idea, a stupid hiker told us there was a big glissade, which there wasn’t. We had to pole for almost 1.5 miles. It was horrible. But when we got out we could see Palisades Lake and Palisades Creek. I guess it was worth it in the end for a big tense area overlooking the valley.

Day 60: 822-837

Another beautiful day in the Sierra with blue skies, warm temperatures in the 50s and lots of water crossings. When we reached the valley we found a small family of deer who were as interested in us as we were. Challenging stream crossings, jumping over rocks and fallen trees trying to keep your feet dry. At one point I was crossing a log and a nearby branch of a bush caused me to lose my balance and one foot sank deep into the river. Grateful for my sealskinz socks which mostly kept them dry, I just had to dry them in the sun at the next lunch spot. These stream crossings are starting to look more like a really fun game. The trail is so well built and maintained that there is almost always a stone or fallen tree perfectly placed to allow dry-footed crossing. With each successful crossing, a new level was passed. Not to mention the amazing ability our bodies have to make all of these decisions and movements often while walking at a fluid pace. As we made our way through the valley, the trail was so beautiful with streams, meadows, and large pine trees that the towering granite columns reminded me of Yosemite and looked like a climber’s paradise. Another climb towards Muir Pass and it was quite challenging. After passing 10.5k feet there was quite a bit of snow. I really notice my decreased ability to climb as I quickly pass about 10.5k feet. Breathing is noticeably more difficult past this point. Instead of continuing, I opted to camp near the Lake Helen area and rest before another challenging day to reach the top of another snow-covered mountain range. My second night of cowboy camping on the trip.

Day 61: 837-860

I woke up at 4:20 am to find frost on my quilt. I was on the road at 5am for 3 miles and 1200 feet of gain to Muir Shelter. The snow was nice and firm, but it was still a nervous climb as the trail is still about 95% covered in snow. Very cold streams flow under snow bridges, allowing us to cross most streams on snow. I reached the top at 6:30am and was greeted by the resident pika who lived on the stairs of the shelter. It felt good to reach another important milestone, leaving behind some of the more physically challenging parts of the trail. The power and beauty of streams, streams, rivers. How they build their strength, how they fall in waterfalls, accumulate in crystalline lakes. I have learned a lot more about the transition of the seasons and how nature evolves.

Day 62: 860-875

In the morning we will be able to set out on the road to the Selden Pass. This was a beautiful climb surrounded by forests, mountains and lakes. Some river crossings, but mostly knee deep. The pass on the north side was still very snowy and slippery, but we made it through without falling. Then the long descent to VVR to resupply. I was pretty exhausted after the last six days, but I was motivated to do those extra 6.5 mile side quests to resupply and eat some real food.

Day 63: 875-88

VVR back on the trail, prepared for Silver Pass. I spent the morning eating amazing breakfasts and lunches at the VVR Cafe, showering, doing laundry, and restocking. It’s a small western themed camping retreat for PCT/JMT hikers and campers who enjoy the lake. I still had almost 35 miles to go and they looked tough. The resort was very relaxing and I could have zeroed in there, but I wanted to see if I could get into Mammoth a little earlier and I also wanted to not feel like I had to rush. So in the afternoon I returned along the lake trail to the PCT. A couple of knee-deep river crossings and a 1km climb. We camped on a nice flat viewpoint, in the shadow of a large peak, but we could still see the last sunlit peaks to the south.

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