June 6, 2016

Evolution Creek alternate crossing (mile 850.6) to Sallie Keys Lakes (mile 863.7)

Miles: 13.1

Our alarm was set for 5 am but Laurie maintains she didn’t hear it. Andy was wearing ear plugs so he doesn’t hear anything – not even the rushing river 100 feet from the tent.

We had wanted to get up early to catch up with Dirk and Sabine to give them our extra food. They have a box waiting in Tuolomne Meadows but, like most people, they are going slower than planned because of the snow.

We also wanted to thank them for their kindness and on the PCT food is the most valuable currency. They get up early and had talked about wanting to do 20 miles…we hoped they would change their mind because we enjoy hiking with them.

We were walking just shortly after the sun kissed our tent. The mosquitoes weren’t out yet and for that we were grateful.

We walked about 10 minutes before reaching where the trail normally crosses Evolution Creek. The water moves faster here and although lower in the morning, we were very happy with our decision to cross at the alternate.

Shortly after starting down the switchbacks we saw a rainbow emerging from the forceful Evolution Creek waterfall. It was beautiful and a great way to start the morning. The trail switchbacked down to the South Fork of the San Joaquin River. At the bottom Lefty, Stoic, So Hard and Pounder caught up with us.

They crossed Evolution Creek this morning through the meadow as well and the water was about 2 inches lower than yesterday afternoon.

We were happy with our decision. Starting the day with wet feet isn’t fun.

We hiked through the woods, paralleling the South Fork of the San Joaquin River. The walking was easy but our feet were tired and the bugs were feasting on us.

We have been hiking for 12 days straight. Some days are longer than others. We have both found that trail runners are more comfortable than our boots. We look forward to switching out our shoes in Mammoth at the end of the week.

The next few miles were mellow. We were in and out of the forest, walking on soft pine needles, soft dirt and rocks.

We found Dirk and Sabine sitting under a tree near a bridge crossing at the Piute Pass junction. We were happy to learn that they planned to camp with us tonight.

We hiked on. This part of the trail was familiar to both of us. There was no snow to obstruct our memories. We both remembered the descent from Sallie Keys Lakes to Muir Trail Ranch to be tedious and steep.

Andy remembers thinking to himself that he wouldn’t want to go up those switchbacks, but that’s exactly what we had to do.

The trail started climbing gently at first. We walked through soggy meadows and forests with lots of mosquitos. Laurie started walking faster, swinging her arms and swearing at the mosquitos.

Andy put on his bug shirt and patiently walked behind her. Normally he is the one with sweeter blood but today Laurie was the winner.

As we walked up we left the water puddles and damp ground. The misquitoes became less abundant and the switchbacks took over. We zig zagged our way up the mountain. It was just past noon and it was hot. Exposed and HOT!

We climbed on, not wanting to stop in fear of being bitten.

Around 1:30pm we crossed Senger Creek and had lunch on a rock. From here it was only 2.5 miles to camp.

Laurie dragged. She had used all of her steam fighting misquitoes while climbing and was tired. With very little miles left for the day we took an hour long lunch.

Dirk and Sabine caught up with us and stayed to chat. They had questions about how best to ship their bear can up the trail since they want to keep it as a souvenir of their PCT hike.

We splashed cold water on our faces from Senger Creek, shouldered our packs and slowly made our way past patches of snow and through waterlogged meadows up towards Sallie Keys lakes.

In many places the trail was a river. We walked on rocks and grassy patches trying to keep our feet dry.

Around 3:30 we turned the corner and saw tents.

Home!

We had planned to camp with the crew we’ve been leapfrogging with the last few days. They were set up when we arrived so we went in search of a flat spot. It just so happened we found a spot next to Dirk and Sabine.

We got settled, put up the tent and went back to the lake. Andy got water and Laurie took a bird bath. Brrrr.

We returned to our tent and napped for about a half hour until Laurie overheated. There were grey clouds overhead but it was still warm under the sun.

We went over to Dirk and Sabine and reassured them we would call Tuolumne Meadows tomorrow if we had service on Laurie’s phone at Bear Ridge.

They are such great people. Very sweet and genuine. We want to do all we can to help them.

We left them with our guidebook pages, gathered our food and went to have dinner with Stoic, So Hard, Lefty and Pounder.

We haven’t had dinner with a group of hikers all trail. They are good people and we had fun getting to know more about them.

Around 7pm we returned to our tents to clean up and go to bed. Tomorrow promises to be another challenging day with a pass early in the morning and then crossing Bear Creek a few miles later.

All that is for tomorrow. We are tired and need sleep. Today was supposed to be easy – no passes or river crossings – but it was hard. I think we need a zero soon.

Tonight we are grateful for being able to help fellow hikers and clear, cold water.

June 5, 2016

Monster Rock (mile 833.6) to Evolution Creek alternate crossing (mile 850.6)

Miles: 17

Laurie shook Andy awake at 3:30am but Andy wasn’t having any of it.

Our bodies were tired and wanted more rest but we knew if we wanted a slight chance of having hard snow descending Muir Pass we had to get up early and go for it.

By 4:45am we were on the trail. Le Conte Canyon is spectacular, especially in the morning light.

We switchbacked up the side of the mountain, huffing and puffing but felling good. The morning air below 10,000 feet was warm – we didn’t even need our fleece or windbreakers.

After about an hour and a half of hiking we reached an icy river crossing. We managed to rock hop our way across but took a wrong turn afterwards, losing 15 minutes. Arg!

Once back on trail we continued hiking up and up. The temperature dropped and the trail disappeared.

It was an absolutely stunning morning. We hiked on snow, under which creeks ran. We hiked past frozen lakes beginning to thaw. And we hiked through some of the most picturesque alpine scenery.

We kept thinking the hut would be around the next bend. But no. There was just another snow field or frozen lake.

Finally around 8:20am we reached Muir Pass and Muir Hut. The hut is a stone masterpiece.

Hiking on snow is hard work. Waking up early and pushing yourself doesn’t make it any easier.

All the effort required the last three days had taken a toll on Andy. He was tired today. Climbing up to Muir Pass he was fine but afterwards he could barely move.

You would not have seen it coming as he was so social at the Pass with Dirk and Sabine (the German couple), Stoic, So Hard and new hikers we met named Overload, Mary Poppins and Prince.

Just as Lefty arrived we started our long descent from Muir Pass into Evolution Basin. This is one of our favorite places in the Sierras.

And they did not disappoint.

It was only 10 am but it was so warm the snow was already slushy and slippery. Most of the descent into Evolution Basin we spent with our heads down, squinting at the brightness of the snow, checking and double checking if we actually had our sunglasses on.

Andy’s energy was fading fast. And his feet hurt too. Ever since his shoes got wet they haven’t been as comfortable. The backs of both his heels rub and require taping.

Wanting to get to the end of the snow before it got really slushy, we didn’t take a lunch break until about 1pm (mind you we were up at 3:30am).

We sat in the shade next to Evolution Lake, and relaxed, and ate, and ate. Andy tried to eat his weight in food to regain energy but nothing helped. And it’s not like he’s not drinking enough water. Yesterday he drank 5 (!!) liters. It felt like we were back in the desert!

After about an hour we shouldered our packs once more and headed down the trail. After about 15 minutes the trail was snow free, but we couldn’t go very fast. Our feet hurt.

The Sierras are wearing us down. We can get through it though.

This is simply the next phase in getting stronger.

We rock hopped or log walked across the many streams enroute to Colby Meadow and McClure Meadow (the ranger station is still closed) and eventually to Evolution Meadow.

On the decent Laurie was losing steam too. The heat takes a toll on her. And this afternoon it was warm.

We had planned to camp near the alternate crossing of Evolution Creek and cross it in the morning.

But when we got to the crossing we ran into Dirk and Sabine. They were scoping out the creek in hopes of crossing it this afternoon.

They ventured out across the meadow and were gone for about 15 minutes.

“There is nothing to fear. We can cross now. We don’t have to wait until morning” announced Dirk upon their return.

Dirk and Sabine were really excited to cross in the afternoon (it was only 4:30pm) and hike a few more miles before stopping.

We all ventured into the creek and went for it.

The water at first was very calm and shallow but in the middle got deep. It was groin deep but luckily it wasn’t flowing very fast. Everyone got across safely and quickly changed into dry clothes.

Laurie was really relieved to have this crossing behind her. She had stressed over it for days now. But it was done. We were free to move on.

The four of us left the mosquito infested creek and hiked through the meadow on the alternate trail back to the PCT. Three tenths of a mile into the walk we passed a campsite.

Dirk and Sabine are planning to push on another 2 miles but we were beat. We dropped out packs and called this site home.

It’s very pretty here, and despite the plethora of mosquitoes attacking us, we are happy to be here, on the opposite shores of Evolution Creek.

Tonight we are grateful for our bugproof shelter and friendly hikers.

June 4, 2016

Bushcamp (mile 813.3) to Monster Rock (mile 833.6)

Miles: 20.3

Today is our 2 month anniversary on the trail. At times it feels like the miles go very slowly and yet it is hard to believe we have walked over 800 miles in two months!

We woke up at our new normal Sierra Pass time, 4:30am, and were walking by 5:30. We camped earlier than everyone else yesterday because Laurie hit a wall.

And this morning Laurie was anxious to catch up with them. We had devised a plan to talk with the other people we were hiking around – a German couple and two ladies and a guy, to see what their plans were in hopes of teaming up for the river crossings.

After 15 minutes we got to a river crossing and we fell into our routine – strip down to underwear, take insoles out of shoes, take off socks and put shoes back on.

It was a refreshing but painfully cold way to start the day – ice water in shoes before 6 am! Not really our cup of tea.

We put everything back on and continued up the trail, hoping that eventually we would be able to feel our feet again.

The snow was hard which made walking reasonably easy. Our numb feet made it more difficult!

Soon after the crossing we met up with the German couple. We said good morning (Laurie showing off the few German words she knows). We explained that we are nervous about the river crossings and asked if we could hike together. They smiled and agreed.

We had a trail family!!

We hiked on together into the morning light. We found snow bridges to avoid more cold stream crossings as we wound our way up toward Mather Pass.

We reached the bowl below the pass around 7am. We stopped to put on our crampons and pull out the ice axe for Laurie (Andy is using a Whippet).

The footprints went straight up initially, so we followed.

One step at a time.

Eventually we found a path that zig zagged to the top, with the exception of a rock scramble or two. These scrambles were not easy with crampons.

We took our time and felt a sense of relief each time our foot landed on snow rather than rock.

The three other hikers we had seen the day before (Lefty, So Hard and Stoic) arrived at the base around the same time as us. Andy made conversation on the way up, again expressing our fears about difficult river crossings and inquiring about their plans.

They found the crossings difficult as well and plan to go to VVR but 1 day later than us. It is reassuring to know that if we can’t cross a river we can wait for more people to cross with.

We took a group shot atop Mather Pass and started descending. Andy couldn’t believe how quickly they got up the mountain while chatting away.

The snow was still hard and in places a little icey. Our crampons worked great and gave both of us added confidence.

We descended steep slopes, each person creating their own little switchbacks. Andy broke trail for another hiker who had previously slipped and was now terrified.

We walked down past Upper and Lower Palisade Lakes. The semi frozen lakes were stunning. Like everywhere else in the Sierras, these lakes looked so different in the early season, covered in snow.

“It is like the mountains are wearing makeup. I usually don’t like makeup but snow adds layers of depth and edge to mountains and lakes” remarked Andy as he gazed out at our view.

Just before the start of the golden staircase we stopped to get water and take off our crampons.

The water tasted so good! Crisp, clear and no chlorine.

The golden staircase includes – as you may have guessed – many steps and what seems like two miles of switchbacks. Snow melt ran down the trail, making it slippery in places.

As we dropped into the canyon the temperature wenr up and uo. It was hot!! We hiked with the German couple, taking turns leading. We crossed a few more streams and many downed logs. Sometimes we scrambled over logs with water running below us on the trail.

Around 1:30pm we got to a junction marking the end of the descent from Mather Pass and the beginning of the ascent to Muir Pass. We walked another 0.2 miles to a shady campsite.

We gladly took off our shoes and attempted to air dry our now pruney feet.

We ate and relaxed for an hour. It had been a long morning. The race to get off the snow before postholing was intense, but we succeeded.

The rest of the afternoon we gradually climbed through forests and meadows. The Middle Fork of the Kings River accompanied us, fiercely flowing in the opposite direction.

We passed the Bishop Pass trail junction – our potential exit point after yesterday’s doubts.

We checked in with one another and unanimously decided to continue on.

Laurie felt much more comfortable now that she was hiking with others. Andy was (as always) excited and curious about what lay ahead of each bend in the trail.

About a mile from camp we came to a larger stream crossing. All previous streams after Mather pass had been manageable while keeping our shoes on. This one, unfortunately, was not.

As Laurie put down her pack to disrobe she spotted a blue croc floating in the river.

“Just 1! And it is a left one!”

Once again she had a complete pair.

Laurie excitingly crossed in her mismatched crocs while Andy waded through in his boots.

We look forward to reuniting with our trail runners so they dry as we walk.

The crossing was strong in the middle but we both handled it well.

On our way to camp we passed Stoic, Lefty and So Hard as they ate dinner. We generally start earlier than they do but they are faster hikers. We said goodnight and that we look forward to seeing them in the morning.

We walked to the next campsite and set up our tent. The mosquitoes were out and Laurie excitingly pulled out her head net. She likes using everything she carries and this was our first buggy night.

All afternoon we kept looking for Monster Rock (a rock that looks like a monster with jagged teeth). Both of us took pictures at this rock in 2012 but we missed it the last time we hiked in this area together.

As we prepared to set up the tent Andy saw the rock about 15 ft away!

We were setting up our tent next to the darn thing and still missed it. Jeez!

We set the timer on the camera and crawled in the rock’s mouth for a picture.

We are now lying in the tent listening to the sound of the roaring Middle Fork of the Kings River. Tomorrow is an even earlier morning. We want to be walking by 4:30am to get up and over Muir Pass and through Evolution Basin before the snow gets soft.

It is almost 9 pm, time for bed. Goodnight.

Tonight we are grateful for snow bridges and trail finds (a croc that is close to right size and correct foot!)