I wake up as my alarm goes off. First time in a while this has happened, 5:30 it is. Like a broken record, again I say I need to get an early start to beat the post holing. I expect miles 5-15 to be full of snow and the others to be questionable. FarOut had good comments from people here last week, people that came by most recently still don’t have service to post. So we head in semi blind with “old” info. I read comments from Reaper and Stumbles on campsites, water sources and snow. I trust their comments as I hiked probably 120 miles with them back in the desert. Solid
I pack up, dig a cat hole and grab some water from the creek. Pro tip is using the ice axe to hold your TP.
Today there’s multiple water sources along the trail so I’m not too worried. Besides the snow, and the altitude it’s a relatively easy day. 1,800’ vertical day and 2,600’ of down.
I start off and make great time on the first 2 miles, then the snow starts. It’s nice and firm so I’m walking over it fine, I get to mile 4 and there’s one section that’s steep. I toss on my microspikes because I’m alone and I send it. Not a “dangerous” area really but I don’t need to slip on my ass and get that kind of dumb hurt. Be smart.
I decide to leave my spikes on for a while and crush the next 2 miles pretty easily, the trail starts to change and it actually becomes hard to follow. I can’t see any boot tracks and there’s trees everywhere. I rely on my GPS to line me up a direction and I head that general way, walk a half mile then look again. Like a boy scouts with his compass. I can’t say I ever struggled with navigating the backcountry provided you can see. I remember a time in college my roommate Bobby had his ROTC land navigation test the following day but had the flu. I went out the night prior and did mushrooms and mapped out the entire campus of UMASSD. His drill instructor said he was blown away by it. That’s about my land nav experience tho.
I get to mile 8 and decide to take a quick break, it’s at the top of a beautiful view and I see two hikers coming SOBO, they just came off Mt Whitney and one of them twisted their ankle. So rather than push on toward Bishop over Forrester they’re pushing back towards Lone Pine. Smart, easier route even though it’s sucks to go backwards.
I say good bye and pop up to keep hiking. The last handful of miles are downhill into camp, IMO even though they were downhill they were a slog. I post holed most of the trail and walked basically off trail to stay on the dry parts. I can’t say it was too bad, but annoying to have wet feet all day. And I mean all day.
I walk into camp and I’m again the first one here, I pitch my tent and start to dry out my sleeping bag, liner, socks and shoes and my tent. The suns moving quick so I’m playing a game of moving stuff around all afternoon. But that’s why I like to get these easy days done early. Now it’s 4PM and I can hang out and relax for the afternoon.
Seven arrives second and then Wolf walks in next and pitches their stuff. Pinecone a little after, we listen to the gurgling creek and sit in the sun. What a nice day.
I head up to cook dinner and get the info on tomorrows day, Pinecone says it’s 4,600’ of up and we’re camping at 11,500’… We are positioning our selves at the base for Forrester Pass and it’s going to be quite a venture. Hoping to be up top for sunrise. You know me, I’m a sucker for sunrise.
The Pacific Crest Trail 