Day 64-72: miles 803.8-865

I'm currently at Kennedy Meadows North, what's considered the end of the Sierra (either here or at Echo Lake, right before Lake Tahoe). We came over Sonora Pass yesterday, the last major pass of the Sierra, which feels very good!! No more major elevation days! We also passed mile 1000 two days ago, which is so surreal to think that my feet have walked that many miles. Anyways, I'm still playing catch-up on this blog and probably will be for another couple weeks, but back to my time in the Sierra!

Edit: lol I was just a couple seconds too slow to upload this on the shuttle back to the trail and lost wifi so now I'm at South Lake Tahoe!

Day 64: miles 803.8-816.8

Today is the day of Pinchot Pass! We camped about 6 miles from the pass itself, so I left camp around 5, wanting to leave a little more time since Glen got slushy so fast. The uphill to the pass was quite a slog, with some intense elevation gain, which then opened up into a big snow field that made navigation slow. I was in front of the group of me, Axeman, Arthur, and Stache, but Arthur caught up about a mile from the top of the pass. We passed another couple before the main ascent, and the four of us carried on up together. The final switchbacks were slow but graded well, and the drop off wasn't too serious, so it never felt dangerous. My spikes were invaluable but I never felt like I needed my ice axe, and I was up and over in no time! Arthur decided to hang around at the pass to wait for Stache and Axeman, but I was eager to get on before the snow got too slushy. And I'm glad I did - the downhill of Pinchot wasn't bad at all, but the snow cover never really went away. I kept waiting to get down low enough in the valley for the snow to peter off, but it was just slush the whole day. There were occasional patches of mud and dirt, which wasn't all that more enjoyable. I put on a podcast and carried on, going as fast as I could and not wanting to stop for fear of the snow getting even worse. Luckily the terrain was pretty flat, but with big snow fields, the navigation was difficult and every couple steps my feet would sink in to the ankle or calf. Plus there were quite a few river crossings with some sketchy snow bridges that looked like they were on their way out, so I had to do some backtracking and alternates to find more secure places to cross. It was slow going, and I didn't stop for lunch, just kept trudging onwards. I also never saw any other hikers the whole while, though I kept expecting someone to catch up to me. At least the views were truly gorgeous, and in addition to hiker footprints, I saw tracks of marmots, ground squirrels, and coyotes. Around 2, I got to the campsite for the night - right at the base of Mather Pass. This was the first time I could actually see the pass from where I camped, and it was stunning to look up at it. There was another group there who left extra early, the first people I'd seen since Pinchot summit - Roadrunner, Bossbae, Boujee, and Birdcall. I said hi and set up my tent, hoping it would be a calm night since it was completely exposed up here. It was still early, so I relaxed a bit, chatting with the other hikers and planning a route up the pass. The others, Axeman, Arthur, and Stache, never showed up, so I talked to the other group and planned to go up with them. I made an early dinner and settled down for the night, since we would be heading out at 5.

Day 65: miles 816.8-832.2 + 1.5 off-PCT

We got up early and made the short walk up to the ascent of Mather. Mather isn't the highest pass, but it has an incredibly steep south face which is especially fear-inducing. Added to that is that an avalanche swept debris onto the switchbacks last year, so in addition to them being covered in snow, they're full of rocks. Because of that, most people are choosing to skip the switchbacks altogether and either just go directly up the face or rock scramble to the side of the snow face. We planned to start on the snow and transition over to the rocks if the snow started feeling sketchy. We started out with our spikes and ice axes, going up in a line and calling out directions. As we headed up, we could see figures coming to the bottom of the slope - Axeman, Arthur, and Stache had arrived and would be going up a bit after us. The snow wasn't the best quality, with a hard layer on top that would crack when you put weight on it, and was much softer underneath. So we had to take extra time to make sure our spikes had caught the snow and our ice axes were securely in before each step. We'd also heard someone had fallen on Mather a couple days ago, and could see a big glissade trail going down the side. This became a problem when the tracks started to cross the glissade track - the snow was smooth there and really difficult to get secure traction. Birdcall, out in front, called out for a rest and said he could feel his spikes slipping in the snow as he continued. We paused for a bit and decided to head over to the right to the rocks, where we could reasses and take the rock scramble if we wanted. Going over to the side was quite fear inducing - you don't have the same stability as when you're completely facing the slope, and the boot prints here weren't well established. I took some deep breaths, focusing only on each step in front of me - you can't afford to think of anything else when you're climbing up. Once on the rocks, Birdcall, Bossbae, and I decided to take the scramble, and Roadrunner and Boujee went back out on the snow, having mapped a way up. I feel about as good on a rock scramble as I do on the slope, but it's a bit more comforting to have places to put your hands, and it doesn't take every ounce of concentration like doing the slope does. It was equally slow going, but we got to the final switchback at the same time as Boujee and Roadrunner. Mather has a big cornice at the top, which looks very spooky from down below, but there was a good boot-track going through it, so we continued on. The relief I felt at cresting the top and seeing the flat summit was immeasurable - we had done the last steep, scary pass!! We celebrated on top for a few minutes, then headed down. There were a few glissades that we took, using our ice axes as breaks on the slippery, frozen snow, and then carefully making our way the rest of the way down. Some more route-finding and rock scrambling later and we were on the trail again - a gorgeous trail that was mostly snow free. We got down from the snow and into a lovely pine and douglas fir forest, and greatly enjoyed the flattish, pine-duff covered path, actually moving at a decent speed! We breaked for lunch, having done 12 miles by 12 for the first time in abouy a week, then continued on.

We then headed off the PCT and onto Bishop Pass Trail, where we stopped 1.5 miles up and camped, overlooking this gorgeous valley. We have to get off the trail here not only to go resupply in Bishop, but because the bridge is out over the North Fork of the San Joaquin River. It got completely ruined last year due to the high snow, flooding, and avalanches. Some hikers were (recklessly, imo) trying to go over the twisted, destroyed bridge, but the park removed it earlier this year. The river itself is not at all safe to ford - it's over chest deep and raging. One group went across but said it was a very close call and they lost gear while crossing, so I wouldn't dare attempt it. There is a proposed off-trail alternate that climbs up and over some cliffs, but the topo map looks nasty in that area and I wouldn't want to attempt it without seeing photos or having the gpx route. So, the solution is to go off trail at Bishop Pass Trail and return via Piute Pass Trail, skipping a 25 mile section. But the two exit trails together are 29 miles, so I don't feel too bad about skipping it. It's a shame to miss Muir Pass and Evolution Valley, but we add on Bishop and Piute Pass, and some really gorgeous scenery as well.

Day 66: 10.2 off-PCT

We woke up ridiculously early to get this pass done before it got too slushy, meaning leaving at 3 am. We started with an immediate river crossing, where a hiker we met yesterday lost both a shoe and trekking pole, so we took our time in the thigh-deep water even though it was freezing cold. Then we started up the copious switchbacks, headlamps bouncing in the pitch dark. During a quick break, we all turned off our lights and gazed up at the Milky Way which rose up out of the mountain range around us - truly spectacular. We crossed the same river a second time but this time there was a bridge, though it was badly damaged and sat with a 45 deg angle in the center where some beams had broken. The river was dangerously fast and over slick rock at this crossing, so we went across the bridge slowly, one at a time, and it felt decently stable. Then onwards and upwards to some larger snow fields before the actual pass. We donned our microspikes and headed up; it was slow going with the steep pass and snow, but we also saw a gorgeous sunrise behind us as the sky turned colors and the sun tipped the mountains in gold. We got to the pass at 6, took a short break to eat some snacks, then headed down. Most of the switchbacks were covered in snow, but the boot-track going down on the right side didn't look well established, with an incredibly steep drop off, so we decided to do a rock scramble down the sides of the half-covered switchbacks. In retrospect, that was probably more sketchy than just taking the snow route, but we managed to get down without too much fuss, though it felt pretty treacherous at points. Once down the pass, it was lots more snow and icy patches before the trail emerged again. Then it was a couple more miles down to the parking lot, which we got to at 9. Someone had commented that there were pastries for pct hikers in a bear box there, and indeed there were!! We each got a cinnamon bun which was a little stale but still fantastic.

Roadrunner's group was continuing on to do about 8 miles of the 12 mile road walk between Bishop and Piute Pass to get a completely continuous footpath, but personally that doesn't matter much to me since this is the official PCTA reroute, meaning it's the official 'continuous' path for this year, so I was going to head straight to town. However, this was a tiny trailhead in the morning, and everyone there had just headed up on their walks, so I didn't expect a hitch anytime soon. I said goodbye to Roadrunner's group and we made plans for them to maybe stop by my hotel for a shower if they weren't spending the night (they'd already been to Bishop out of Kearsarge Pass a few days earlier, so weren't in such dire need for a town stop as I was). Then I started down the road, mostly expecting to have to get all the way down to the highway before landing a hitch to town. But lo and behold, about fifteen minutes later, the first car to pass me in the right direction pulled over! They were a lovely couple staying in some nearby cabins and went out of their way to bring me all the way to Bishop, dropping me off in front of their favorite cafe in town. I went in and got a great breakfast burrito, plus lots of conversation with locals who'd seen my backpack and wanted to know what the trail was like. Then I headed over to the local park to hang out and call home, then back into town to get a hotel. It was very hot down in the valley, and I was extra glad for a long, long shower once I got to the hotel, washing off 11 days of grime and sweat. This is definitely by far the dirtiest I've been on trail!

I got some snacks at the grocery store, did laundry, and relaxed in my hotel, before Roadrunner, Bossbae, Birdcall, and Boujee came by around 4 to take showers before heading back to trail. It was nice to see them again - they're a super fun group and it was great to hike with them! I should mention that they all do some YouTube videos - Roadrunner is quite popular on her channel HikingDancer, Boujee is at LifeisBoujee, and Birdcall and Bossbae are at Travel Write Hike. If you wanna check it out, I'm in a couple shots of Roadrunner's Day 63 and Day 64 videos :)

Day 67-70: zero days!

I got to take a couple zero days in Bishop which was so lovely! Cheers and Shade were two days behind me so I got to chill while waiting for them to come to town, then we got to catch up on everything we'd done while separated! It's good to have the gang together again! They had an equally fun time through this section, but were with a lot more people in their cohort - they showed me some pictures of a whole conga line of hikers going up each pass. Also, Cheers broke his phone AGAIN by dropping it on the top of Whitney, so he had to run extra errands while in town. Bishop is a really cute town with lots of character - it's got three amazing gear stores, a worldwide annual mule celebration, and a huge artist community. I took one day to take the bus down to Lone Pine, a town about an hour and a half south, known for the Alabama Hills where hundreds of cowboy films were shot. There's a really cool film museum there that's got lots of old props and a neat documentary about the area. I really enjoyed spending time in Bishop, and especially being at a hostel that has a kitchen I could use - it felt great to cook some real meals!! But after a few days I was feeling antsy to get back on trail, and Cheers and Shade were equally eager, so back to the trail we headed!

Day 71: 9.2 miles off-PCT

We headed back to the trail around 11, catching a hitch within thirty minutes or so from a lovely couple who were taking a day hike in that area. We're going back to the PCT by the Piute Pass Trail, a 17 mile trail that drops us back right after the destroyed bridge. We started off, with an immediate uphill that we all felt very slow on after our couple days off. The pass itself was about 5 miles in and wasn't bad at all, with minimal snow and an easy grade. After the pass, the trail went down but it was still slow going with some snow, lots of boulders, and copious river crossings - there must have been at least thirty crossings in the span of a few miles. Some were easy rock hops, but others went up to our thighs with rushing white water. Even without river crossings, the whole trail was flooded in quite a few spots, and dry feet felt like a dream of the past. Around 6, we found a decent spot to camp and set up. There's lots of flat granite faces in this section, which is nice in some ways but makes staking a tent pretty difficult. Luckily there were lots of big rocks so I got my tent up without too much trouble. Then dinner and off to bed!

Day 72: 8 miles off-PCT and miles 857-865

We slept in a bit before heading off around 8, to more river crossings and wet trail. It was mostly downhill though, with a few ups here and there. We hiked next to Piute Creek for a while and were incredibly thankful we wouldn't have to cross it, since it was absolutely massive. We still had to cross quite a few tributaries which weren't trivial - lots of knee-high crossings with whitewater obscuring the rocks underneath. But we finally made it back to the PCT around noon - damn it felt good to be back!! We got a couple flat miles before it started to go up, so we took a quick lunch. The mosquitoes were absolutely horrid in this area, so we ate as fast as we could before continuing on. It was another 5 or so miles uphill to Sallie Keyes lake, which felt very long but luckily it was overcast with some drizzle, which made the uphill a bit more manageable than in the blazing sun. We set up camp and relaxed a bit - luckily there were few to no mosquitoes up here. The lake was too cold to swim but I soaked my feet a bit which felt lovely. Then off to bed, to conquer Selden Pass tomorrow!