PCT Days 53-56

Day 53

Miles...?

Last night a few more hikers arrived at the Courthouse Motel's hostel. Mr. Green, Rock Bottom, and HotXBuns got stuck in Independence after missing their bus to Lone Pine. Rock Bottom has a friend in Ridgecrest who is picking them up today for two days of resupplying, watching movies, and relaxing. I imagine them laughing and joking around for two days and I want to go with them. I don't know them very well, I've only met them once before at the Saufley's, so I don't ask. 

I'm not sure why I don't feel ready to get back on trail, maybe because I'm alone in the land of high snowy passes or maybe because my mind and body are still exhausted from this last section. Maybe I don't want to leave because I'm in a town vortex. Maybe I'll feel better once I'm back on the trail.

I still feel badly about dropping Miles off at the trail and not going with him. He's a quiet guy and wouldn't say one way or the other, but I'm not sure if he really wanted to continue hiking with me or if he was excited to hike on his own for a while. At least now he won't have to wait for me to catch up all of the time.

I want to stay another day in town, but Independence has little more than a gas station and a Subway, so I know I need to leave. I've been trying to calculate where Rocket Llama must be and how I can meet back up with her, but I can't figure out if she's ahead of me or behind. Teddy Rose still hasn't hiked out of Kennedy Meadows and Sugar Pine and Lingo are summiting Whitney today.

I check out of the hostel and sit at Subway to wait for my dad. I get a sandwich because Miles once packed out a sub and I thought it was a genius idea. Carloads of hikers I've never met pull into the parking lot and I see Carrot Quinn cross the street. She says that her friends are already back on the trail and she's trying to catch up, only 17 miles until their camp site. She invites me to catch up with them too and I smile, but inside I squirm at the idea of meeting another group of hikers that hike faster than I do.

My dad shows up at 11:30 and has an iced vanilla latte with my name on it. I gulp it down, knowing I'll need the energy for the 3,000 feet of climbing it takes to get back to the PCT. I have 8 days of food, a new ice axe, and a sub sandwich in my pack, so it's heavier than it has ever been. I hobble slowly up the trail and back into the John Muir Wilderness.

A mile into the steep ascent, I pass my friend Gretchen on her way down to the trailhead. We chat for a bit about our plans and I tell her that I hope she enjoys Bishop.

My dad surprises me, walking up the trail and passing Gretchen and I. He says that he is trying to hike to a lake to go fishing. With my dad and Gretchen within 20 feet of me, I realize that I don't feel ready to be back on trail for 8 days and I need another day (or two?) in town. Most of my friends are behind me and the snow is still really bad in the high Sierras. Besides, why am I pushing myself so hard? Why get back on trail alone when I really don't want to?

I spin around and run down the trail after Gretchen. I yell her name and sprint as fast as I can with my 40-pound pack. She has her headphones in, but I catch up with her about a quarter mile back down the trail. She happily agrees to split a motel room with me in Bishop and we hike down the trail together, sitting at the bottom to wait for my dad to drive us into Bishop.

I can't express how grateful I am for my dad's help and support. This week, his birthday week, he has driven over 200 miles back and forth from Bishop to Independence to the Onion Valley trailhead just for me.

Gretchen and I eat dinner at the bowling alley in Bishop, watch some Fashion Police and lounge around the motel room. I have extra energy at 8pm, so I decide to walk down the street to the movie theater and see the new Disney movie with Angelina Jolie.

The movie is so so and I fall asleep twice, but it's nice to relax in a big empty movie theater. After the movie I stroll back to the motel to find Gretchen sleeping. I peel off my clothes, still smelly after two cycles in the washer, and crawl into the big soft bed. Maybe I'll get back on trail tomorrow, maybe not.

Day 54

Zero day

I wake when Gretchen trips over my shoe and accidentally grabs my foot. We laugh and I remember that the Travelodge has a free continental breakfast. 

We go downstairs and I gorge myself on cereal, yogurt, muffins, donuts, bagels, and juice. I feel stuffed and go back to our room and climb into bed. I still feel exhausted and I wonder if I have Lyme disease from a tick that I haven't found yet. No, I think, I just ate 2,000 calories and I'm just tired.

In the afternoon I go to Schat's, a giant local bakery that reminds me of my favorite Jewish bakery back in Ohio. I order a giant BLT and sit on the front porch to eat. I see Gretchen coming back from the grocery store, flag her down, and we both sit in the shade talking about food and who might be coming into town today.

After I eat we go back to the room and watch a marathon of Sex and the City.

I laugh when Sarah Jessica Parker gives a monologue that strangely resembles how I feel about going back into the snow. It feels like she's lecturing me, but maybe she has a point.

She says, “when you're young, your whole life is about the pursuit of fun. Then, you grow up and learn to be cautious. You could break a bone or a heart. You look before you leap and sometimes you don't leap at all because there's not always someone there to catch you. And in life, there's no safety net. When did it stop being fun and start being scary?”

After a few more episodes Gretchen and I meet Hog at Schat's, eat more food, and walk to the outfitters in town (there are three outfitters on the same block) to look for bug spray. We see Mogli, Doc, Driftwood, and Tidy Camper on the way and stop to chat. We talk about our experiences on Forrester Pass and about Mogli's experiences hiking to this point without a sleeping pad of any kind. 

Hog mentioned that there is great espresso at a place next to the outfitters, so Gretchen and I stop in for some drinks. 

After four shots of really delicious espresso I'm hungry again, so we walk across the street for Mexican food. I'm pretty sure I've gained five pounds since I got to Bishop a few days ago, but I don't care. I tell myself that I'll just burn it off again, I still have 1900 miles to hike this summer.

In the evening we watch Anthony Bourdain. Princess and Mr. Sandals get into town and she comes to our room to tell us about her experience on Mt Whitney and Forrester Pass. Princess and Mr Sandals are a German couple that have been hiking with Gretchen for a while. I've met them a few times. Princess tells us a story about falling on Forrester Pass and ripping a giant hope in her pants, underwear and leg. She also talks about how mentally draining it is to see faster hikers jog past her everyday. She has decided to let go of trying to keep up with other people's pace. I agree and, for the first time in a few days, I feel less alone.

Day 55

Zero day

I meet Gretchen downstairs for breakfast again today and we ask each other when we should hike out. Princess and Mr Sandals are staying until Tuesday, but I'm not sure I can stay for two more days.

I go back upstairs and take the post-breakfast nap I've become accustomed to since getting into town. I wonder where Sugar Pine and Lingo have gone. Maybe they decided to skip Bishop and go straight to Mammoth. Maybe I've missed them and they're far ahead of me. I check Facebook and see that Lingo's mom has messaged me. They should be getting into town today!

I tell Gretchen that I want to hike out today. At least the 7.5 miles back to the PCT so I can get an early start tomorrow for the next big pass. Yogi's guide says that we should go over Glen Pass in the afternoon, but I don't want to believe that. I equate crossing passes in the early morning with easy walking on hard snow and I equate crossing passes during afternoons with postholing and misery. Gretchen offers to leave today, but says that a few other hikers (Hog, Dirty Girl, Tidy Camper) are leaving tomorrow. I remember how delicious Schat's Bakery is and, pondering how many more BLTs I can eat in an extra afternoon, agree to leaving tomorrow. 

More Sex and the City, BBQ ribs, and 4 shots of espresso later, we walk back to Schat's Bakery and meet Hog, Princess, Mr Sandals, Dirty Girl, and Tidy Camper for lunch. We all talk about our plan for the next section and I take a picture of the German's itenerary so I don't have to calculate it on my own. They calculated a way to go over a mountain pass every day in the morning, except Seldon Pass which we will go over in the afternoon.

While at lunch, I get a text from Rocket Llama. She decided to get off trail at Kearsarge after all! She's on her way to Bishop!

Gretchen and I go back to the motel and watch an episode of friends, the one where Rachel tells everyone that she's pregnant. I fidgit in my bed, checking my phone every few minutes waiting to hear from Rocket. Finally she texts me as Rachel thinks Joey is proposing to her and I run down the stairs. Rocket and I embrace! It has been forever since I saw her at the Saufleys!

Rocket checks into a room down the hall from Gretchen and I. Gretchen and I sit on the chairs next to her king sized bed and ask about her trip over Forester. She says that there was much more snow this year than last year and she felt a little unprepared. She wants to buy trekking poles in town before going back. We all make a plan to go to Independence tomorrow so we can get an early start on Tuesday. That puts us on the same schedule as the Germans, Sugar Pine, Lingo, Acorn, and Estero. I'm choosing to stay in town yet another day, but I feel ecstatic at the thought of climbing these big passes in a large group.

It gets dark and Rocket and I go down to the hot tub. It's really tiny, maybe 4 feet in diameter, and we crowd in with a young guy on his cell phone. He's drinking beer and yelling at his mother. He says, "we wouldn't have this problem if you would have done what I told you!" "Stop talking and listen to me!" "It's not my fault you don't listen!" He hangs up and his scowl turns into a smile. 

His name is Ryan and he works for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife at a fish hatchery a few miles down the highway. He helps raise mostly trout and uses them to stock the lakes in the area so people can catch and eat them later. He tells us that they use small planes to fly over the high backcountry lakes. Big doors open on the bottom of the planes and tiny fish drop hundreds of feet into the lakes. We listen to his stories for an hour, then tell him it's "hiker midnight" and we need to go to sleep. 

Day 56

LAST zero day, I promise

Gretchen, Rocket, and I walk down a few blocks and order breakfast at Jack's. It's an old greasy spoon, but the waitress is friendly and asks us about our hike. An older gentleman overhears and stops by our table to talk about his experience section hiking the PCT in the 70s. 

After breakfast we go back to the coffee shop because, for god's sake, they roast their own beans. On the way we run into Sugar Pine and Lingo who just bought a children's book for their niece's birthday. The book is about baby animals in Yosemite and Rocket reads it aloud to us. 

Back at the motel and full of caffeine, Gretchen and I get our last reality television fill for a while. We check out at 1pm and try to hitch south to Independence. Some people give us a thumbs-up, but no one picks us up. I wonder, are we bad hitch hikers? Do these people think we're just hanging out in the highway giving drivers a thumbs up? Eventually a local bus comes and we pack $6.50 for the 40 mile ride back to Independence. 

At the hostel, I shower and lay yout my food supply for the next 8 days. 

Eight days of food is roughly equivalent to the size of a llama.

Rocket and I walk to get ice cream at 10pm. We find three hikers who just got into town from the trailhead (Jordy, Penguin, and Scorpion) and we show them back to the hostel, pointing out the courthouse where Charles Manson was detained and the tree that you can sit under to get wi-fi.

I feel excited to get back on the PCT. It's going to be an adjustment, leaving the comfort and safety of town, but I'm ready to get back to the freedom and the exhaustion of trail life. In this upcoming eight day section we'll be climbing one big mountain pass each day, ascending in the morning and descending in the afternoon. I'm with good friends and a large group that is going to brave the snow together. I feel ready.

PCT Days 48-52

Day 48
Miles Miles 745-751 (plus Trail Pass trail to the PCT)

Today is Saturday. I rarely know what day of the week it is and I only know it's Saturday because my phone tells me so. Forgetting the day of the week is currently my favorite part of adjusting to trail life. Well, only of you don't count the guilt-free joy of eating everything in sight.

I woke up this morning motivated to eat breakfast, go grocery shopping, and get back to the trail. Before hitching out of Lone Pine, and before 11am, I managed to eat at a restaurant, a cafe, and a McDonalds.

Jolly, Miles, Kimchi and I said goodbye to the Dow Motel and started our quest to hitch back to Horseshoe Meadows.

We stood on a busy corner for about 45 minutes before someone stopped to pick us up. The driver was a really nice guy named Jin who was in town before summiting Mt Whitney.

We were really grateful for the ride and tried to make sure Jin knew what he was getting in to before picking us up. I know I mentioned this before, but getting to and from Horseshoe Meadows is tough. There's only one road, it only goes directly from town to Horseshoe Meadows through 22 miles of hairpin turns up the face of a mountain. It was difficult to capture on my phone while riding in Jin's back seat, but you can see the road going up the mountain in the picture blow.

The view of Owens Valley from halfway up the road was equally as spectacular.

We were back on the trail by 2pm, leaving us plenty of time to hike a few miles. It's only 21 miles until we get to the Whitney Spur Trail and we're not summiting Whitney until Monday, so we had today and tomorrow to hike the 21 miles.

A few miles in, I got another view of Olancha Peak, the peak we camped near during the snowstorm. It's insane how much snow has melted after just one sunny day!

We ended the day after only 6 miles on the PCT at Chicken Spring Lake. This is the first big lake of the Sierras and it's clear, cold, and beautiful. Kimchi took a dip while I shivered and put on two extra layers of clothes. Maybe I'll jump into a cold lake when I have more daylight left.

We camped on the lake and I set up my tent under a big dead tree. It was the last flat spot and I spent the night hoping the tree wouldn't crush me in my tent.

Day 49
Miles 751-767 (plus 4 miles on Whitney Spur Trail to Guitar Lake)

I slept in this morning until 6:30, waking to Miles packing his tent and Jolly still fast asleep in his sleeping bag. I knew that today would be a fairly short day as we only planned on hiking 20 miles to Guitar Lake at the base of Mt Whitney, so I closed my eyes one more time before braving the chilly morning.

Ever since we reached Chicken Spring Lake yesterday the landscape has changed drastically. How did we get from the desert to the high Sierras so quickly? I know it's day 49 (and 49 is a lot of days to spend hiking), but just 9 days ago I was night hiking and trying to avoid the midday sun in the chaparral. Now I'm spending the next few weeks almost consistently over 10,000 feet in elevation.

Arriving at Crabtree Meadows around 2, I took a short break before taking the Mt Whitney spur trail for the last few miles of the day.

After turning onto the spur trail, I hiked toward the back of Mt Hitchcock, another 14k'er that blocks the view of the 14,505 foot Mt Whitney.

A little later I reached Timberline Lake, flanked by Mt Hitchcock to the southeast (the right side of the photo below).

After passing Timberline Lake I came upon one of the first great views of Mt Whitney. Unfortunately, the iPhone doesn't do it justice.

Guitar Lake is 3 miles into the 8.5 mile Whitney spur trail. At 11,500 feet, camping here tonight will get some of the distance and elevation out of the way today, hopefully making for an easier hike tomorrow.

Tomorrow's hike is 3,000 feet of elevation gain, taking place over 5 miles. There are six hikers leaving between 12:45am and 2:30am to try and reach the top during sunrise and before the snow becomes too wet. I have microspikes, thanks to my freak out at Kennedy Meadows Campground, so I feel as prepared as I can be to summit Mt Whitney in the snow.

As you can see on the map, my campsite at Guitar Lake is surrounded by three huge peaks. Mt Hitchcock to the south...

Mt Young to the north...

and Mt Whitney to the east.

I'm not sure how I feel about this summit tomorrow. I'm nervous about the dark and cold ascent, but I'm excited to reach a huge milestone in my life and on the PCT.

This campsite is surrounded by marmots. They're everywhere! As they scoped us out, smelling our tasty sweat, Miles and I watched them nervously. Will they chew through our salt-covered packs tonight? Will they eat through our tents while we only take minimal packs to Whitney in the morning? Miles threw a rock at a marmot that got too close to his tent. I hope this doesn't give us bad marmot karma.

Day 50
Miles: 767-775 (plus 14 mile side trip to summit Mt Whitney)

I know I've expressed how much I dislike hiking at night, but this morning it seemed necessary so I ignored the dread of getting up when it's still dark outside.

Miles and Jolly waited for me to get ready before starting the ascent, but within five minutes they sped ahead and I was hiking alone. Walking alone in the pre-dawn darkness was more mentally challenging than physical. Not being able to see what's in front of me or over the edge made me focus on simply putting one foot in front of the other. Even that was hard though, the elevation forced me to walk slowly and take a break every few minutes to catch my breath.

This spur trail climbs Whitney from the western face. Most people who hike Whitney do so from the eastern face up the Whitney Portal Trail. Once the PCT spur trail gets close to the top, it merges with the portal trail and climbs the last few hundred feet.

I didn't make it to the summit in time for sunrise, but I did watch the sun come up from a little further down between two giant stone spires.

Just before the summit, you have to cross a long snow field, following the curve of the mountain.

Here is a picture of the summit with a view of the Whitney shelter. By the time I reached the shelter, everyone had taken their pictures and were preparing to descend. I stood for a while on the rocks, looking at the valley 11,000 feet below and reminding myself that on the PCT you can never be late. I want to revel in the joy of reaching the summit and take my time, but I feel rushed.

After getting sufficiently chilled and starting to get a headache from the altitude, I descended. The snowfields at the base of the mountain were more confusing in the daytime than they had been at night because you could see all of the different footpaths, not just the one right in front of your headlamp. I got lost a few times on the way down, but made it back to camp in time to find Miles packed up and ready to get back to the PCT. Marmots had chewed through a pair if pants Jolly left on a rock, but my things were untouched. I knew that I would want to take a nap if I waited too long, so I quickly packed my things.

I didn't last long, within a few miles I tucked myself under a big tree, ate a big lunch, and took an epic 30 minute nap. That may have been the best part of my day. I wasn't in a hurry and I watched the colony of ants next to me scurry around inspecting my things.

Back on the PCT, we had to ford three rivers before getting to a campsite that would position us to cross Forester Pass in the morning. 

I've discovered that I'm really bad at river crossings. In Washington there is always a bridge or rocks or a fallen tree to cross on, but in the high Sierras there is only water. I took my shoes off for the first ford, but slipped on a rock halfway through and dropped my shoes in the water. For the next two fords I just walked right in, shoes, socks and all. 

Another change of scenery before camp. Incredible, eh?

Once I arrived at camp I set my things in the sun, hoping they would dry out before the light faded.

Day 51
Miles: 775-788 (plus 7.5 mile Kearsarge Trail)

I woke up this morning and my shoes were frozen solid. They never dried out from the last river ford and I struggled to loosen them so they would fit on my sore feet. Today we hike to the highest part if the PCT, Forester Pass. I feel excited and ready as I leave camp, determined to hike at my own pace and make it in my own time.

You can see the pass in this picture below. It's the last "V" in the mountains on the right.

When I got to the base of the mountain, I was confused as to where the switchbacks were. Then I saw footprints going straight up the face of the mountain and realized that the trail was completely covered in snow. I started walking straight up, following the footprints and thanking myself for buying microspikes.

Can you see all of the people at the base of the mountain, coming to the same realization that I had and starting their steep, slow ascent?

Here is the chute on Forester Pass. It can be treacherous at times and you don't want to be the one who has to make the initial footprints after a storm, but today it wasn't so bad. It was just a few steps and much less nerve wracking than the steep ascent had been.

At the top of the pass I found Miles and Jolly sitting and enjoying the view of the lakes below. Lee and Zissou caught up, arriving at the top in their underwear. It's amazing how hot it can be in the sun, even when you're hiking on snow. Jolly decided that he wanted to do a front hand spring on top of the pass and we all laughed and watched him nervously. I caught it on video, but I can't figure out how to post it through my phone. After some snacks, we all started the long descent.

After getting down into the valley, the postholing began. The snow sank beneath my feet every third step, making the last two miles of the descent take almost 3 hours. Wet, cold, and exhausted, I took a break next to a river and dried out my feet.

Miles and I had made a plan to camp after Forester tonight, taking a spur trail over Kearsarge pass tomorrow and having my dad pick us up and drive us into Bishop. It's my dad's birthday tomorrow and he chose to spend it waiting for me.

When I got to the spot where we were to meet, Miles  was nowhere to be found. I spotted Kimchi up the trail filling up her water bottle and she told me that he had hiked on after a nap. Still with a surprising amount of energy, I decided that I would hike out too. Maybe I could even call my dad and have him pick us up early (or maybe just me if Miles decided to hike out on his own).

Here's a look back at Forester and the valley I just hiked through. 

I found Miles at the top of Kearsarge Pass, only a few miles from the trailhead. I called my dad and he agreed to drive out and pick us up at the bottom.

Miles and I arrived at the trailhead to find my dad waiting with chicken mcnuggets, beer, water, and brownies. He drove us into Bishop, took us out to a nice dinner, and paid for my hotel room. I'm a lucky kid. Thanks dad, now I'm drunk, exhausted, and ready for sleep.

Day 52 & 53
Zero days

I couldn't get myself to blog last night, so I'm writing this on day 53. Spending a night in my own hotel room last night was a strange experience. I've not yet been on trail for two months and I already feel out of place in a room with a king bed, two sinks, and a big glass shower. Everything is so clean and comfortable and sterile. I woke yesterday hungry, sore, and confused after sleeping restlessly in the warm room. 

Miles and I ran some errands (grocery store, outfitters, coffee) and went back to our respective hotels to relax and get some town chores completed. I made a big checklist of all the things I wanted to do, spread out 8 days of groceries on the bed, and emptied my pack onto the floor. I separated and bagged my food for the next section, cramming it all into my bear canister and food bag, cleaned my cooking setup, and replaced the batteries in my headlamp. As I was sorting my maps for California section H, I started to feel nauseous.

I've been trying to be good about listening to my body, hearing when it tells me something is off or wrong, but as I curled up on the plush white bed I couldn't figure out exactly what my body was telling me. I finished Forester Pass, but I still have another pass to climb almost every day in this section. While I felt fine descending Forester, just a little wet and uncomfortable, I suddenly felt unprepared to continue. Does my stomach hurt because I need an ice axe? Crampons? Someone to hike next to me in case I slide off of a mountain? Maybe I just ate something bad? Maybe it's a crazy stomach bug from the unfiltered water I drank or the snow I ate on Forester?

I called Teddy Rose on the phone and talked to her for a while about how she's doing (she's hiking out of Kennedy Meadows in a few days) and it made me feel a bit better, less confused and nauseous. I decided to sleep and to see how I felt in the morning.

This morning I woke up feeling even less nauseous and knowing what I want to do. I decided to buy an ice axe (my pack is already heavy, so why the hell not?), and spend one more zero day alone in town to let my mind and body rest. My dad and I dropped off Miles at the trail head and I gave him a hug goodbye, not knowing if or when I'll see him again. 

Thank you Miles for your friendship, generosity of spirit, and sharing your time with me the past few weeks.

My dad dropped me off in Independence, a town closer to the trail than Bishop, and I got a room in an empty hostel at the Courthouse Motel. Thank you dad for spending your 59th birthday in the middle of nowhere, paying for your temporarily homeless son to stay in a really nice hotel and eat like a king. I feel very lucky to have such a supportive family. Look at this picture of us, we're practically twins, right?!

After a quick stop at the Subway across the street from the motel/hostel, I curled up in a ball on my bunk and took a long nap. Now here I am, at the Inyo County Courthouse and Free Library, typing my blog entry during my 30-minute time slot before the computer kicks me offline.

I know that I've adjusted to this lifestyle physically, but I feel like I'm right in the thick of the mental challenge. Being in a large, empty hostel is strange and I'm fighting the feeling that I'm hiking too slow, everyone resting somewhere else far ahead of me. I'm craving more human connection on trail, people to share this incredible experience with, but I'm also aware that sometimes when we desire something we very easily find its opposite. We desire aliveness and find death, we desire wholeness and break apart, and like now, we desire connection and find loneliness. I'm reminded of a question posed by one of my favorite dharma teachers that I often ask myself, "what would it be like if I could accept life--accept this moment--exactly as it is?"

Wish me luck on this next long section. I should be in Mammoth about 8 days after I leave this hostel, whenever that may be. Right now I think I'll buy a bottle of cheap white wine and watch the cars pass by on the porch. Cheers!

PCT Days 43-47

Day 43

Miles: none

A full zero day in Kennedy Meadows! I spent most of the morning unpacking the box of food my dad sent, trying to cram it in my new bear canister (required for the next few hundred miles) and organizing my pack. 

I got new shoes, but I don't think my old Cascadias look so bad compared to the new ones. My pinky toes ripped holes in the fabric as my feet swelled, but they never caused me any discomfort. In fact, I haven't met anyone else in trail that has ZERO BLISTERS besides me. My feet are in perfect condition and I have no idea why!

I got my jacket back from Rocket Llama. THANK YOU ROCKET LLAMA! I owe you big time!

I also got a sweet note from my friend Kirsten. I love Theo chocolate; what a perfect gift!

Kennedy Meadows general store is surprisingly organized. With only a few employees, they manage to make breakfast, lunch, and dinner for hikers every day. Hours from the nearest city, they restock the store once a week. They certainly know what hikers like though, big breakfast burritos in the morning, burgers for lunch, and huge portions of pizza for dinner. I spent the evening on the porch, talking to other hikers and watching new folks limp up the road looking for a spot to put down their pack.

Day 44

Miles 702-705

After a nero and a full zero day in Kennedy Meadows, I was getting a little antsy. The store is really convenient, but my tab was nearing $150 dollars and going up quickly. It's so tough not to buy just one more thing: beer, a burger, milk, chips, ice cream, soda, more chips. I knew that I had to leave Kennedy Meadows if I wanted to stay in my budget...

...then I got another beer and sat back down on the porch. This is supposed to be a vacation, right? I'm supposed to relax and spend all of my money on beer and food.

Right down the street from the general store is Tom's place. Tom has a backyard full of trailers, hammocks and chairs where hikers can camp and relax. For a donation you can even access his wi-fi. There's no cell phone reception in Kennedy Meadows and Tom's wi-fi is the only way hikers can checkin with their family after the last section of trail.

Miles and I decided to stay most of the day in Kennedy Meadows and hike out that evening. One of the employees at the general store offered to drive us to the alpaca farm down the street. The owner of the farm sells alpaca hats and socks and such. She took a big carload of us and even let us into the alpaca pens.

Apparently alpacas are pretty docile creatures and the owner of the farm let us hug some of the friendlier males. I bought an alpaca hat because my old hat  didn't cover enough of my head and one of the alpacas became pretty interested in my new hat. He smelled it and rubbed his gums against the hats purple-dyed fibers. The hat was actually made in Peru; the owner explained that the equipment is too expensive to weave alpaca fur locally.

First job in the new alpaca hat was to eat a double cheeseburger. The store only had one beef patty left, so they used one beef party and one turkey patty. I ordered a double burger with grilled onion, mustard, pickle, onion, tomato, lettuce, guacamole, bacon, and cheese. The cook laughed at me, but happily complied. I told him that they should make it a special and call it, "The Glitter," but he just laughed.

After my massive burger, Miles and I said goodbye to Kennedy Meadows and hello to the Sierras. 

We camped at a huge campground only 3 miles from the general store.

Day 45

Miles 705-724 (plus 6 miles to and from town)

Everyone in Kennedy Meadows had been talking about the weather. The forecast was for a short storm in the area, but no one knew exactly how much snow would come or when it would start. I listened to everyone's predictions and no one thought it would be very bad. One after another, hikers continued to leave Kennedy Meadows for the next 2-12 day stretch (depending on what town you want to resupply in next) without much concern for the forecast. Many left without much snow gear including Wiki wiki, who I met in the Mojave. She only had sandals for 40 more miles until she picked up shoes from her boyfriend in Lone Pine.

I woke up having second thoughts about climbing from 6,500 feet to over 14,000 feet without snow gear of any kind. I have plenty of warm clothes, but I didn't think I'd need micro spikes or an ice ax. I also, accidentally, told my dad to send my hiking poles to Independence (over 85 trail miles ahead) instead of Kennedy Meadows. I know I've been in dry chapparal for the last 44 days, but this next 85 mile section includes a summit of Mt Whitney, the highest peak in the contiguous United States, and Forrester Pass, the highest point on the PCT. 

I decided to start my day by slack packing (traveling without a pack) back to Kennedy Meadows to order micro spikes and hiking poles to be sent to Lone Pine. Getting into Lone Pine requires a 1.7 mile side trail and a 22 mile hitch down the mountain to the valley floor. I wasn't originally planning on going into Lone Pine, but it would allow me to leave Kenedy Meadows, hike 40 or so miles and get my poles and micro spikes before Whitney.

It was nice to walk without a pack, but I realized half way to town that I hadn't brought food or water. Oops, guess I'll have to eat at the general store again!

Back on the trail, the day started out perfectly, brisk and sunny. The landscape was changing quickly and I was filled with excitement to be entering the Sierra Wilderness.

A few hours into our hike, the sky turned grey.

Snow started falling within ten miles of Kennedy Meadows. It started slowly, but within an hour there was over an inch on the ground.

We decided to continue forward, hoping the snow would slow down as the day wore on. The sky did eventually clear, but it left 3-5 inches of fresh snow in most places. Miles took the lead, clearing the path and getting himself covered in wet powder.

The trail quickly climbed from 6,500 to 10,500 feet over the next few miles. Miles and I were wet, cold, and exhausted from walking for hours in fresh snow, but the views were incredible.

Once we hit the top of a mountain it started snowing again and we decided that it was best to stop and dry ourselves off in our tents rather than decend the mountain in the dark. Miles and I set up our tents next to one another to make it easier to communicate without leaving our sleeping bags. It was a cold night with snow blowing under my rain fly and into my tent, but I managed to stay warm and comfortable. It sounds strange, but I found myself enjoying the new challenges that came with snow and freezing temperatures. People say that us thru-hikers are a different breed of people and I'm starting to believe it.

Day 46

Miles 724-726

Waking up to more flurries falling from the sky, Miles and I went back and forth on what we should do. We considered waiting out the snow in our tents or getting up and trying to decend the mountain to a lower elevation. Around 11am we heard other hikers walking by and decided that we should follow their lead and get off the mountain while we could.

I expected a long day of slogging through the snow until we stumbled upon Jolly and Kimchi camped only 2 miles from where we had started. They were camping with a few other hikers and had built a nice fire to get warm, dry off, and melt snow for water.

We decided to spend the day at the big camp and we all sat around the fire for the rest of the afternoon. We talked and watched the sky turn from clear to grey and back to clear again, over and over. It must have snowed four or five times that afternoon, adding another half inch to the slushy snow from the previous day.

Friends and fire definitely make snowstorms much more tolerable. A guy named Stampede built an awesome igloo, I ate a few days worth of snacks, and I even repaired a snowman that had been built the previous night by another hiker. Isn't she perty?

As the skies finally cleared for good, we continued to hang out around the fire before turning in early for the full day of hiking to come.

Day 47

Miles 726-745 (plus Mulkey Pass trail to Horseshoe Meadows)

This morning was clear, warm, and beautiful. Miles, Jolly, Kimchi and I got out of camp by six, hoping to make it 18 miles before lunch. Much of the new snow had already melted so, besides a few patches of ice, the trail was clear and easy to hike.

This picture is looking back at the mountain we camped on the previous two nights.

After making it the 18 miles to Mulkey Pass, we descended on a side trail to Horseshoe Meadows. On the way down we saw marmots and fish! Can you see the marmot in front of Kimchi in this picture?

Horseshoe Meadows was a totally new landscape for this trip. A slow, lazy river twisted through the valley and fish darted back and forth in it's clear waters. Marmots ran from rock to rock in the soft grass and I felt like I was in paradise. Finally, some real rugged mountains.

We didn't realize it at the time, but getting to Lone Pine from Horseshoe Meadows is a tough hitch. There is only one road, which starts at the Horseshoe Meadows campground and winds down the mountain for 22 miles. The four of us tried to get a ride from campers, telling them stories of our walk from Mexico and the snowstorm, but no one was willing to drive us into town. We sat by the road, wondering if we would get to town in time to pick up my new snow equipment from the post office before it closed for the holiday weekend. We sat for maybe ten minutes before a guy in a Subaru pulled up and asked if we wanted a ride. What luck! The driver's name was Dave and he's the recently retired fire chief for San Luis Obispo. He told us about the area as we drove down the mountain and assured us that the recent snow wouldn't interfere with our hike or summit of Mount Whitney.

As we drove from 10,000 feet to the valley floor, we watched Mt Whitney from the car window. I can't believe that it's only 23 trail miles until I get to summit the highest mountain in the contiguous United States!

We arrived in Lone Pine still in view of Mount Whitney. 

The rest of the evening was spent drinking, soaking in the hot tub, and planning for the section to come. The motel was packed with bikers, some sort of Harley Davidson group, and one guy in particular took a liking to us. 

A Latvian named Urich got completely wasted and jumped into the hot tub with six of us hikers, hugging a hiker named Ninja Tank and trying to communicate in his really broken English. He kept giving us high fives and thumbs ups, but it got obnoxious as he got louder and more inebriated. I tried to make light of the situation and teach him English phrases like "YOLO", but he didn't have the attention span to follow me. One by one we all snuck out of the tub, hoping we could escape before he threw up in the water. Fun night.

This next section of the trail should take 4-5 days, ending in Independece. This should be an incredibly memorable section with Mount Whitney, Forrester Pass, and all the high elevations. I'm happy to be hiking with Jolly, Miles, and Kimchi and I can't wait to get back out on the trail.