May 26, 2016

Horseshoe meadows (mile 750.2) to Rock Creek (mile 760.5)

Miles: 14 (10.3 PCT miles + 3.7 miles to PCT)

Our alarms went off at 6 am. Andy had pulled the curtains shut so the room was dark. It is much easier waking up with natural light. We stirred and eventually started moving around 6:30am. We had scheduled a ride for 8:30am.

We both took showers, ate our last 4 hard boiled eggs, checked the weather for the umpteenth time and packed our backpacks.

We were excited to be getting back to the trail. Our time in Lone Pine and the rest it afforded us was nice but 4 nights in town felt excessive.

Although the weather called for 50% chance of snow showers, the mountains looked clearer than they had in 3 days. We were happy to see blue skies and hoped they’d stay around for the day.

Sue and Rueben, the couple from Korea we have seen frequently since the Wrightwood area, shared the ride up to Horseshoe Meadows.

The air at 10,000 ft today felt warmer than when we had left 4 days prior. Rather than retracing our steps back up to Trail Pass we choose to take the trail to Cottonwood Pass. We would meet the PCT at mile 750 meaning we would skip 5 miles.

We are ok with this. When there is snow in the forecast we want to do our miles and get to camp before the weather rolls in.

The trail started off flat, meandering through pine trees on sandy gravel for about a mile to a stream crossing. From there we started to switchback up to Cottonwood Pass.

The marmots murmured as we walked by. Although sometimes covered by snow, the trail was easy to follow. The air was crisp but the sun was shining. It was beautiful and it felt great to be hiking again.

The trail was gently graded but the Sierra steps definitely let us know we were back in our favorite playground. They are sizeable steps that can take a toll on your knees going down or give your quads a heck of a workout going up.

About two hours after we started hiking we reached Cottonwood Pass and the PCT. The views were jaw dropping. The mountains staggeringly beautiful.

We continued climbing once back on the PCT toward the still frozen Chicken Spring Lake. There were more patches of snow but all very manageable.

After a short snack break near the top of the climb, we got back on trail and entered Sequoia Kings Canyon National Park (SEKI for short).

It really felt good to be here. We’ve missed the Sierras. And we get to experience them in a different dimension than we’re used to – because of the snow and the lack of crowds.

At 2pm we stopped for lunch near the junction to Siberian Pass. Much to our surprise two familiar faces made their way towards us. They were Josh and Tom (aka Etch a Sketch and Quite Nice).

We thought they were way ahead of us since they got a ride up to Horseshoe Meadows last night. They are great guys and we enjoy bumping into them.

After lunch we continued descending 2,000 ft to Rock Creek. We’ve all planned to camp here tonight. Andy was looking forward to being more social and getting to know everyone a bit more.

Around 4:40pm we rolled into camp. It’s really hard stopping this early but it worked in our favor today because it started to snow lightly just as we put up the tent.

Ruben made a fire and Josh and Tom carried in firewood as they arrived. They were here a few days ago and knew that the place had been picked clean of wood and were very proactive.

Andy doesn’t like to make fires because he’s too lazy to put them out and Laurie doesn’t like smelling like campfire for days on end. But tonight it was worth it.

All 6 of us ate dinner around the fire sharing stories. The temperature started to drop around 7pm so we crawled into our sleeping bags a half hour later.

We are camped next to a very strong flowing creek. We’ve missed the white noise of rivers. What we don’t miss are the mosquitoes. It must still be too early for them here as there were none out this evening.

We might have company when we attempt to hike to Mt. Whitney and Forester Pass. We’ll see how everyone’s plans shape up. As for now, it’s time for bed.

Tonight we are grateful for warm glove liners and cozy sleeping bags.

May 25, 2016

Miles: 0

Today, we didn’t do much.

We woke up at 8am, ate leftovers in bed, channel surfed uncussessfully and we’re informed that our FedEx package wouldn’t be here until tomorrow.

Rats.

We devised a new plan to buy a synthetic liner that claims to add 25 degrees of warmth. It would be 2 pounds lighter than the heavier sleeping bag so we liked that plan.

We then went to the gear store to look for liners for Laurie’s gloves. Still upset with FedEx we didn’t buy anything and went back to the hotel for lunch.

At least we ate a lot today.

Around 2pm there was a knock on our door.

To our surprise it was our package! And there were gloves in it too. Thanks Kathy and Eric. You rock.

Andy crawled in the bag and almost immediately started sweating.

This’ll keep him warm!

After a few packing trial runs we decided to keep the heavier sleeping bag. We know that it will keep Andy warm and that reassurance is worth the extra few pounds.

The bag fit better in Laurie’s pack so we swapped gear and sleeping bags to make our packs equal weight. This is one of the many benefits of hiking as a couple.

Once our decision was made we packed up our trail runners, lightweight gloves, Andy’s sleeping bag and lightweight socks in a box and shipped them to Laurie’s godmother to hold until Sonora Pass or whenever we grow tired of clunky boots.

On the way to the post office we ran into more familiar faces. Seems like Lone Pine is the place to be!

We chatted with fellow hikers, gave recommendations for restaurants and places to stay (since after being here for 3 days we feel like we know the town well) and caught up on other hikers’ plans and experiences.

We made a few calls and organized a ride back to the trail tomorrow morning at 8:30am. The weather has not improved as much as we would have liked but we are restless and ready to hike again.

The cold front has passed, winds are more calm, we have plenty of food and if Forester Pass doesn’t seem doable or conditions are unfavorable, we can always turn around.

We feel good about our new gear and are more confident heading into snowy conditions with warm sleeping bags and waterproof boots.

Around 5pm we ate oatmeal (extra packets we didn’t want to take with us on the trail) for dinner and watched Finding Nemo.

It was a very relaxing day. We are ready to be back on the trail.

Tonight we are grateful for helpful friends and sweet comments from our readers.

When starting any big adventure it is incredibly difficult to avoid having expectations. Unfortunately expectations can lead to let downs when these expectations aren’t met – or conversely- one can expect the worst and be pleasantly surprised.

Andy has been dreaming about hiking this trail for 8 years. Reading blogs and doing research lends itself to having expectations. Luckily, Andy is wonderful about living in the present and enjoying the adventure – no matter what comes his way. Laurie, however, builds things up in her head. She’s aware of this and works hard to stay present.

Although consciously working to stay open to the trail experience and lessons, we started the trail with some expectations.

The following is a collection of those expectations and what really happened – up to mile 702.

The desert is hot
Our experience in the desert was surprisingly wet (rain, hail) which thankfully kept the temperatures cool. We only experienced temps over 90 degrees twice, and none over 100. We know this isn’t the norm, and we appreciated the cooler days.

The desert is boring
Andy, who grew up in LA, appreciated the desert. Laurie, who has never really spent time in desert was skeptical. Both of us were surprised by the amazing amount of blooming cacti and miniature wildflowers.

It was captivating to watch the clouds shade the distant hills. We giggled as lizards did push ups trying to intimidate us or frantically ran away along the trail. The arid landscape has won over both of our hearts.

Andy will do all the blogging
Laurie quickly realized she loves to write about our daily adventures. We take turns writing and often one will start and the other will finish. Or one will write the entirety of a post and the other will edit it.

We will meet people and form a trail family
We have met a lot of people – some we feel immediately drawn to and others that we trade hellos and superficial conversation but keep it at that. It is nice to see familiar faces in town and on the trail.

We feel part of a greater community but as a result of timing, our enjoyment of dry camping and feeling content with the company of one another, we have not formed many deep bonds with other hikers yet.

We will get tired of one another
We have been dating for over 3 years and know one another pretty darn well but thru hiking can be challenging. We have never lived together and now will be sharing a tent.

Will we have enough personal space?

Will we want time apart?

So far the answers have been no.

This time together is a gift. We laugh, joke and comfort one another with more ease. The things that used to bother us now make us laugh. Don’t get us wrong, there are still plenty of frustrating and irritating moments but we get over them quickly by talking about them.

We learn from them and make our relationship stronger. Building a relationship without daily societal distractions is a gift – we learn to accept one another for who we are at our core.

Our blog will be read only by family
We had no idea how this blog would turn out. We wanted to keep friends and family informed but never expected the breadth of exposure. Relatives of friends and complete strangers eagerly await our daily updates.

We love your comments and find a lot of pleasure in sharing our experiences with those we know and love, and those we don’t. Thank you for making this experience even better!

We will get clean and smell good in towns
We expected to smell but neither of us expected that 1 hour after a shower (in which we scrub our armpits with soap multiple times) we would start smelling again. The smell of onions or pastrami continues to plague us – even in town.

Our relationships with friends will suffer
Laurie thought being away for 6 months would create voids in her relationships. While she no longer sees a lot of her friends daily or on a frequent basis – she’s had more contact with some while on the trail then at home!

Without the daily distractions she recognizes what is most important to her – and that is her community. While hiking she spends a lot of time thinking and feeling grateful for the people in her life and sends out love into the atmosphere.

We will get bored eventually
Everyday on the trail is different. The views and weather constantly change, some days our bodies ache and others we feel like we can walk forever. This is part of the excitement and adventure. We never know what is around the next corner.

The first 700 miles had many hidden pleasures, we will soon see what the sierras have in store.