PCT Days 66-72

Day 66

Miles 907-917

I don't want to leave Mammoth. I feel distracted and pack my bag slowly while playing on my cell phone, paying full attention to neither. I'm avoiding the inevitable departure from comfort. Why is leaving town so difficult, I ask myself as I put the key cards on the kitchen counter and walk to the elevator.

The German's, Moxie and I get a ride back to the trail head at Red's Meadow by the sister of a hiker who lives in the area. I'm grateful that she went out of her way to drive us to the trailhead, but I'm having a hard time focusing on the conversation while she drives. I watch the resorts and roads turn into trees and rivers as we wind our way back into the Sierras.

I get out of the car feeling like im on a vacation that's gone on too long. I feel restless even though I'm physically exhausted and unprepared even though I'm doing the same activity I have been for the last two months.

My backpack is heavy, I may have gone overboard with my food for this 4 or 5 day section, the sun is making me sweat uncontrollably, and the trail is packed with tourists. We're hiking past Devil's Postpile. The trail is swarming with moms wearing jean shorts and dads carrying babies on their backs. I feel seperate from these people, visitors to my uncomfortable reality.

I see a sign that says I'm entering the Ansel Adams Wilderness right before the John Muir Trail and the PCT seperate for 14 miles. The JMT goes from Yosemite to Mt Whitney and shares most of it's miles with the PCT, but in a few sections like this one the trails diverge. The guidebook recommends taking the JMT for this section, and most hikers do, but I decide against it. On a spur of the moment decision I split from my friends and take the PCT alone. I'm in a bad mood and I don't want to spoil anyone else's time. Besides, maybe some time alone will help me feel better.

I walk a few miles, feeling good about my decision to take some alone time, before coming upon a couple and their horse eating on the bank of a river. The man asks me about my hike and introduces himself as George Two Horses. He's a section chief of section A of the PCT, from Campo to Warner Springs. He's in this section for the summer helping with trail maintenance. George Two Horses gives me some greif for not being a paid member of the PCTA, he says the trail doesn't take care of itself, but becomes quite friendly as he asks more about my hike. He asks if I'll count the number of trees in the trail for the next 8 miles and email him with the number. I agree and hike on.

I hike up a river valley for two hours before deciding to take a break. I see a campsite between the trail and a cliff edge, so I stop and lay my things on a wide, flat rock. I set out my solar charger and my phone, use my pack as a pillow and close my eyes.

I wake up in the sun twenty minutes later and decide to set up my tent. I don't feel like hiking today and I could use more sleep. I make a rice side for dinner, it's steak flavored rice tonight, and I crawl into my tent while the sun is still shining.

Day 67

Miles 917-942

I start hiking early, climbing up the side of a valley and switchbacking until I come to the top of a ridge. I turn around and take a picture while the sun rises and spreads its light into the valley I hiked through yesterday.

I continue to climb the ridge until I come to a large flat area dotted with deep blue lakes. This is Thousand Island Lakes. The area reminds me of my trips to the Enchantments in Washington. It's incredible to be in an alpine zone with delicate looking flowers contrasting the jagged snow covered peaks. 

The PCT rejoins the JMT at the beginning of the lakes and I sit for a few minutes, wondering if Moxie and the Germans are ahead of me or behind. 

The trail descends from Thousand Island Lakes into a deep, rocky valley before starting the climb to Donohue Pass. As I hike down into the valley I see JMT hikers hiking south. Most JMT'ers hike North to south and these hikers all started in Yosemite only a few days ago. They still have all of the big passes to cross: Muir, Mather, Glen, Forrester. Their packs look huge and I imagine they're stuffed with fishing poles, three-person tents, and too many clothes. I cruise down the trail, feeling like a veteran hiker with my small, well-organized pack. 

The trail moves towards Donohue Pass through a giant boulder field and I sit on the biggest rock in the area, opening my bear can and pulling out my lunch: Olive cheese focaccia bread, summer sausage, and pepper jack cheese. 

I'm so excited to eat but I can't get my summer sausage out of it's plastic wrapper. I don't want to reach into my pack for my knife, so I squeeze on the wrapper, trying to force the sausage up and out of the plastic. The sausage finally releases it's grip on the plastic and it shoots straight up into the air, over my head and into the boulder field. The sausage lands on top of a rock and rolls down to its base. I scramble down the boulder hurriedly, brush the dirt (and probable marmot poop) off the sausage and eat it anyway.

After lunch I hike the rest of the way up to the pass. The top of the pass is covered in snow, obscuring the trail, but I eventually find my way and sit on a warm rock. I take a long break, hoping that someone I know will hike over soon as well.

After an hour on the pass I see Moxie hiking through the snow. She wants to hike all the way to Tuolomne today, ten more miles. She says there is a snack bar and I agree to go with her, but only for the snack bar!

The last ten miles take us into a big open meadow. My feet hurt, but I distract myself by deciding on what I'll eat at the snack bar in Tuolomne Meadows.

Tuolomne Meadows is a campground in Yosemite. They do have a snack bar, but it's closed when we arrive. I set up my tent in the backpackers camp and walk around the massive campground. I eventually come across a big campsite filled with PCT hikers including Sug and Lingo, Acorn and Estero, Fence, Choop, Hog, and a few new hikers I haven't met yet. Soapbox, Quinua, Pedi and another guy whose name I forgot, so many hikers. I join them for a while and we all sit around the fire telling "LNT confessions."

LNT confessions are confessions of ways that you've broken the principals of Leave No Trace. A few people confess to not packing out their used toilet paper (cough cough) and one even confesses to pooping on top of Mt Whitney. Waste doesn't decompose at the top of Whitney so you're supposed to poop in a bag. I'm glad I went to the bathroom before summiting that day.

 

I sit for a while longer at the fire until I feel the exhaustion and fatigue settling on my body. Today was a long day and I'm pooped.

Day 68

Miles 942-951

I don't want to leave Tuolomne, but I don't want to stay either. I still feel like I'm moving so fast I don't have a chance to be present in a single place before moving on to the next.

I want to wait for Rocket, but I find myself packing my things and getting ready to hike out. After breakfast and a little resupplying I leave Tuolomne with Moxie and the Germans, right behind the Bubbies (that's what we call Firecracker and Tidy Camper). Yosemite looks much different than the areas we've crossed before, the mountains are smoother and there are waterfalls everywhere.

After getting a few miles into the day I realize that I forgot to check in with my dad before the next section. Sorry dad!

We catch up to the bubbies quickly. We all eat lunch together on a rock overlooking a waterfall and I get a chance to talk to Firecracker a bit more. 

Firecracker practices acupuncture and Chinese medicine. She tells us about each of our constitutional types, which are specific elements that have some sway on our personalities. Firecracker says that I'm an earth type, the same as her. She says that she could tell my type quickly because of my voice. Earth types are extremely intuitive about people, natural caregivers, and easily forget about their own needs. Interesting!

After lunch the Bubbies hike ahead the Germans, Moxie, and I. We hang back, hiking slowly and talking about stopping. We've only hiked 9 miles, but I'm feeling sluggish and it's only supposed to be a partial day. Tortuga joins our camp as well, I haven't seen him since Red's Meadow, and we have a campfire on a big, flat rock. I'm happy that today is a light day, the Bubbies say this coming section is pretty difficult and I need more rest.

Day 69

Miles 951-970

I wake up around 6am and listen to the others eat breakfast and pack their things. I don't want to get up yet, it's too early and I'm too comfortable. I snooze a few more times before letting the air out of my sleeping pad at 7:30. I'm alone in camp and I take my time eating breakfast.

I hike out alone, not expecting to see any other hikers for a few hours. To my surprise I catch up to Joker, Cracker Keeper, Washpot, and Butters within an hour. So much for my solo hike!

Oh well, I really like everyone in this group. Joker and Cracker Keeper are an adorable couple from Bellingham who manage to split all of their food without issue, which I think says a lot about their relationship. Washpot is a friendly guy who works as a seasonal ski patrol in Colorado, and Butters is equally as friendly and hails from just outside of Portland.

We all hike together for a little while until we cross paths with another forest ranger. She asks to see our bear canisters and lectures us about fires and packing out our toilet paper (cough cough). 

So many people never see forest rangers on the PCT, I'm surprised that I've seen two so far.

The trail goes up and down as usual, but much different than what I've gotten used to in the past few weeks. In the high sierras we had a lot of elevation gain in the morning, but the afternoon was all down hill. In this section the trail undulates slowly, passing high mountain lakes... 

...and low lazy rivers before climping up to Benson Pass.

On the way to the pass I stop and rinse my hair and face in a waterfall. The ice cold water on my face wakes me up for the last push up the mountain. As I get to the top of the pass, I can see Volunteer Peak slowly rising into view. Volunteer Peak is the tall peak in the distance on the left side of this photo.

I recline at the top of the pass, elevating my feet on a rock and eating snacks until the rest of the hikers arrive. We all talk for a bit before finishing the last few miles. We descend to Smedberg Lake before climbing once again to our camp site.

We find a beautiful campsite right below Volunteer Peak and I set up my tent in the mountain's long shadow. Princess and Mr Sandals stop too and we cook our dinner around a small campfire. I drink half a bottle of wine with dinner and stumble to my tent. I'm definitely lacking wine again in the next section.

Tortuga arrived at camp as I was crawling into my tent. Ten minutes later he asked if I was sleeping and told me to look at the sunset. Beautiful!

Tonight I'm going to sleep happy and content. I'm realizing that my best days are those when I hike alone, at my own pace. I enjoy meeting up with others at camp, but if I hike too close to them during the day I find myself feeling anxious about keeping up or falling behind. I feel at home in my tent and, for the first time in a little while, I feel like I wouldn't want to be anywhere else on earth.

Day 70

Miles 970-988

Today is a picture day! 

Highlights include:

-Lots of elevation gain again

-I thought it was going to rain (it didn't)

-Got to camp early and hung out with the Bubbies, the Germans, and Tortuga

Day 71

Miles 988-1007

More pictures!

I pass the 1,000 mile mark at lunch. Only 1,660 miles to go! Wooooo!

I get to camp first and start a fire before other hikers begin trickling in. The campsite is at the base of a big mountain only 11 miles from the next road, so I know there will be a lot of people camping here tonight. First comes Moxie, then the Germans, then the Bubbies, then two hikers I've never met, Solitude and Ridge Runner.

This is the biggest goup I've seen around a campfire on the PCT and we have a great time. Firecracker is playing the bongos on someone's bear can, we're singing songs (including some of my favorite Janis Joplin songs) and we all watch the fire and about love, heartbreak, and our lives before the trail.

Also, today the Bubbies asked me if I'm afraid of my own death. They are now officially two of my favorite people. 

Day 72

Miles 1007-1018

The past few days have been strange and today is the strangest of all. I feel good. I mean, I feel GOOD. I've never felt as comfortable on the trail as I have in the past few days. Day 66 was a low point, but since then I've felt progressively better and better. Today's hike has a lot of elevation gain (I acknowledge that I say that almost every day), but my energy level is high and I'm ready to hike these miles!

The trail takes us up, out of the forest and onto some massive volcanic ridges. How can the PCT keep getting more and more beautiful? How us this possible?

More snow... I thought I was done with the snow!

We make it to Sonora Pass before lunch and start trying to hitch a ride. Hitch hiking is still so strange to me. 

You really think I'm trying to give you a thumbs up? Does this hat make me look more or less intimidating? Why would you pull over just to tell me that you can't give me a ride?

Eventually we get picked up by a lovely couple from Sacramento celebrating their  25th wedding anniversary. We all squeeze into the cab of their giant truck and ride down the pass into Kennedy Meadows.

Kennedy Meadows North isn't a town, it's a pack station. I can't google the term "pack station" so I can't tell you what exactly a pack station is. I do know that it involves horses, cowboys, and packing things. This pack station has some cabins, a store, a restaurant, and some hiker dorms on the top floor.

The station rents dorms and offers a shower, laundry, and a dorm bed for $35. I share a room with the Germans, Moxie and Solitude. We all met the Bubbies and Tortuga at the restaurant and eat dinner. This is such a great group of people, everyone is so funny and so kind. I buy a $6 bottle of Franzia from the store and split it with Princess and Solitude. Solitude buys another bottle and I think I drink most of it. Now I'm drunk and tired and happy and ready for the next four day section to South Lake Tahoe.