Day 50 - Top of the PCT

Day 50 - Thursday, June 14
Tyndall Creek (774.1) to Independence (788.9)
Miles today - 14.8 PCT + 7.3 side trail = 22.1

I thought it would be impossible to top the incredible day we had yesterday, but today managed to do it. We climbed up to Forester Pass (13,200'), the high point on the PCT (Whitney was a side trip off the PCT).



Above: Approaching Forester. It's the V-shaped notch in the ridge ahead.

The trail was carved right into the cliff face.









The views all day were simply stunning. Descending from the pass we crossed alpine meadows with lakes and streams, and towering peaks in every direction. It's hard to put the Sierra into words. It might be the most beautiful place I've ever hiked.



Above: Our lunch spot. If you look closely you can see Bronco, Yankee Son, Hallmark, and Just Retired across the lake.

We wanted to push on to town but there were big storm clouds building in the afternoon and we still had to go over another high pass.



We decided to go for it and we raced up Kearsarge Pass and literally ran down the long descent to the trailhead as rain started to fall.



There was trail magic there and we got a ride down into Independence. I'm staying at a motel with Bronco and Macho Taco. Fairway decided to camp on the edge of town. Hallmark and Yankee Son are spending the night in Lone Pine. And nobody has seen Just Retired since lunch, so it's unknown whether he made it into town. The group will probably be splitting up since we all have different plans from here. Fairway and I will get back on the trail on Saturday, while everyone else is staying in town until Sunday. We've all been hiking together for hundreds of miles so it's kind of sad to be going separate ways. Hopefully we'll all see each other down the road.

Day 49 - Whitney Sunrise

Day 49 - Wednesday, June 13
Crabtree Meadow (767) to Tyndall Creek (774.1)
Miles today - 7.1 (PCT) + 16 (Whitney) = 23.1

I got maybe an hour or two of sleep last night. My alarm went off at midnight and I was on the trail up to Mt Whitney around 12:30. It was a 7.5 mile hike with over 4,000 feet of elevation gain to the summit. By 4 am I was standing on the highest point in the lower 48, around 14,500 ft above sea level. We were a bit early for the sunrise and it was frigid up there, so we had to throw on every layer of clothing that we had and we curled up in our sleeping bags to stay warm while we waited.



There were about 20 people on the summit by the time the sun started rising. Spectacular views that were previously hidden by darkness were unveiled, like a curtain being lifted. Definitely the highlight of the trip so far, and one of the coolest experiences I've ever had.



We stayed on the summit until 6 and then decided to head back down to get out of the cold. On the way down I got to see everything I couldn't see in the dark on the way up and I stopped to take a lot of pictures.












Above: Guitar Lake

By 9 am we were back at camp and rested for several hours before moving on. It was a really strenuous day, but worth all the effort and I'll remember it forever.

Day 48 - Base Camp

Day 48 - Tuesday, June 12
Rock Creek (760.5) to Crabtree Meadow (767)
Miles today - 6.5

I slept in until 7 and didn't start hiking until 8, my latest start yet. I enjoy not feeling rushed in the morning. We had a really short day because we're going to get up around midnight to summit Mount Whitney.



We were all done hiking for the day by 10:30 am and had the rest of the day to lay around in the grass, play cards, and relax. It's 6 pm now and I have everything ready to go for the morning and I'm ready for bed.



Above: Crabtree Meadow, our base camp for Mt Whitney.

Day 47 - National Parks

Day 47 - Monday, June 11
Diaz Creek (741.7) to Rock Creek (760.5)
Miles today - 18.8

It got really cold last night. When I woke up this morning one of my water bottles was filled with ice. It's a lot harder to get moving in the morning when it's so cold. We've been sleeping in a little later is that we're in the Sierra since we don't have to beat the desert heat anymore. It's nice not having to pack up in the dark.



Today we climbed up to Cottonwood Pass, the first time we've gone over 11,000 ft. Then we stopped for lunch at Chicken Spring Lake, which might be the first real lake we've seen in over 700 miles. Only The Bobcat was brave enough to go for a swim. She said it wasn't too cold but I don't know if I believe her.



We entered Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, the first two of seven parks we'll pass through on the way to Canada.



We're camped next to a really sweet creek where I was able to clean myself up and rinse off some of my stinky clothes. This is by far the best campsite yet.



The only downside is that we're starting to see some mosquitoes. I added some wild onions to my dinner and it was delicious. I'm loving the Sierra!

Day 46 - Altitude Trouble

Day 46 - Sunday, June 10
Cow Creek (722) to Diaz Creek (741.7)
Miles today - 19.7

Today was a hard day. The altitude here really makes a difference. I have to go slower on the uphills, and I feel like I need to eat and drink so much more than I did before. I'm always hungry and my energy level drops a lot faster. I think I'm starting to lose weight and that has me a bit worried since I didn't have much weight to lose to begin with.



At least the scenery is awesome.



There were grassy meadows, huge granite boulders, and lots of high peaks in the distance. Should keep getting better and better.

Day 45 - Into the Sierra

Day 45 - Saturday, June 9
Kennedy Meadows Campground (704.7) to Cow Creek (722)
Miles today - 17.3

This is what we've been waiting for, the Sierra! Right away it's like a completely different trail than what we've been hiking for the last 700 miles. There's a lot more water, a lot more trees, and the trees are bigger. This is the land of milk and honey for us.



Other than our heavy packs it was a really relaxing day. Our daily mileage will be a lot lower through the Sierra and we had a lot of extra time to kill. We took a long break at the South Fork Kern River, where hundreds of swallows nest under the bridge. At one point there were about 25 thruhikers hanging out there.



We hiked across some beautiful meadows and then had a big climb to end the day. Yankee Son, Hallmark, and I missed a trail junction and ended up taking a ridiculously steep shortcut that rejoined the PCT higher up. We're camped above 9,500 feet, our highest camp yet. Should be a cold night.

Day 44 - Hanging At Kennedy Meadows

Day 44 - Friday, June 8
Kennedy Meadows (702.8) to Kennedy Meadows Campground (704.7)
Miles today - 1.9

I spent today just hanging out and getting ready for the Sierra. I had to try to fit all my food into my bear can which didn't work out so well. There's at least a day and a half of food that I couldn't cram in. Then I had to figure out how to fit the can into my pack. It takes up a ton of space and just barely fits with the rest of my gear.



Above: Hikers hanging out outside the general store.

I'm so glad to be done with the desert and not have to worry and finding water and shade. It should be plentiful in the Sierra. There will be a lot of new challenges and dangers though, like bears, big climbs and high altitude, fording creeks, and crossing snow covered passes (although there was only 30-40% of normal snowfall this year, so snow shouldn't be much of a problem). This feels like a whole new beginning and I can't wait to get started.



Above: The Usual Suspects reunited probably for the last time. Iceman is heading out on his own at a faster pace. From left to right, top row: Just Retired, Bronco, Autopilot, Hallmark, Macho Taco. Bottom row: Iceman, Fairway, Yankee Son.

After free chili dogs for dinner we hiked two miles up the trail to the big Kennedy Meadows Campground. We figure it'll be easier to leave from here tomorrow than from the general store where we might be tempted to stay and eat and drink all day. We got to the campground and there was a guy named Sparky doing trail magic. He started the trail but had to leave after the first 100 miles due to health problems. He cooked us burgers and BBQ chicken.



I feel spoiled with all the trail magic we've had, but I'm sure it'll be less frequent the further north we go.