Week 17: Red's Meadow to Sonora Pass
Day 115 ( July 24 ):Giving the Devil his due
I was lazy and didn't leave camp until 7.
I wanted to visit Devil's Postpile National Monument to photograph the rock formations. I took several photos of the rock formations,
Ranger Station and weather monitoring station.
I then started hiking in earnest. I passed Minaret Falls, which are OK, nothing special.
As I hiked along. I saw 5 Mule Deer, two of whom, posed for photos.
Most of the rock in the area is volcanic and I saw several different types.
I encountered 6 groups of SoBo hikers who are Hiking the JMT (John Muir Trail).
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| A group of JMT section hikers at the end of a few days on trail. |
The JMT and the PCT share the same trail for much of the Sierra mountains in Yosemite National Park. There is a lot of mutual respect and friendship between hikers of the PCT and hikers of the JMT. I find them to be just as friendly abd competent as the hikers on the PCT. Considering there aren't many PCT hikers in the area, it will be a little lonely without them. Unfortunately, the JMT splits from the PCT near mile 930.
The smoke from the wildfire in the Southwest corner of Yosemite is getting thick.
In the evening, I topped Island Pass
named for nearby Thousand Island Lake.
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| See any salad or dressing ? |
Island Pass doesn't resemble any of the other passes I have hiked over.
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| A Ground Squirrel wonders if it's safe to come out near Island Pass. |
In fact if the FarOut ap didn't say that I was standing at a pass, I would have never guessed it.
At 7:30 I staggered into my "campsite" for the night. I know it's not an "official" site, because it is just big enough for my tent and my tent is at the edge of the trail. Hopefully nobody comes through tonight. I seriously doubt that I can hike more than 25 or 26 miles a day, as 20 nearly wipes me out.
Day 116: To Toulumne Meadows
I started hiking at 6:45 after getting some water.
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| Sunrise and fire smoke near Donahue Pass |
It took me 5 hours to hike over Donahue Pass and down to the bottom.
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| Look! They paved the trail! This is actually for erosion control and better traction for horses. It doesn't help hikers though. Pain in the Knees |
Along the way, I pointed out an American Dipper, a bird with the unique ability to walk on the bottom of a fast flowing mountain stream against the current to a pair of hikers. The smoke from the fires come and go. This morning, there were several peaks that were obscured by the smoke, while nearby peaks were clearly visible. As the winds changed, so did the view of the mountains.
Once at the bottom of the pass, I was able to make good time to Tuolumne Meadows General Store, arriving at 4.
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| A Ground Squirrel keeping a sharp eye out. |
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| Indian Paintbrush |
At the store, I met a German couple who are hiking the PCT and a man who is doing a shakedown hike to prep for a CDT through hike in April. He said he might change packs, as the Bear Can is rubbing a hole in his.
I bought food to eat,
a dinner for the trail, some fruit snacks, super glue and some duct tape. I am going to glue the sole back together and use the tape to add some padding to the shoulder straps of my pack.
The Park Service is doing a lot of Renovation and Restoration work in and around Tuolumne Meadows.
As a result, there is an area 4 miles in diameter around the General Store that's closed to camping. They didn't say why they closed such a large area, but my guess is they are trying to convince the bears not to associate the area with food.
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| As I started to hike across some exposed rock, this Mule Deer Doe hiked right past me like I wasn't even there. |
I finally reached camp at 7:45. Sarah is just a mile ahead of me.
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| Sunset on the Tuolumne River |
Day 117: Hiking with Sarah again
Woke up at 5, thought it was going to rain and went back to sleep. I finally got up at 6:30 and packed up and left. I stopped along the trail to photograph Tuolumne Falls.
I also visited Glen Aulin Sierra Camp to use the bathroom.
Glen Aulin is a Glamping ( Glamour Camping ) spot on the PCT.
They have cots, and cabins. They even cook your meals !! In case you are wondering why the Park Service allows unwashed peons like me to use the "bathroom" in their Glamper site, it's because it's better for the environment.
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| Bringing supplies to camp |
I almost lost a trekking pole. I stopped to take a photo while crossing a stream and dropped it. Much to my dismay, it started to float towards a waterfall. Fortunately, it was stopped by a rock and I was able to collect it. As afternoon wore on, I hiked higher and higher to Benson Pass.
At 3 it started to rain. I hugged a nearby Cedar tree and my pack and I stayed dry (proof that beinga tree hugger can be good for you). When the rain let up at 3:20. I moved out and soon caught up with Sarah. We continued hiking, often walking through the wet grass to avoid walking through puddles on the trail.
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| The tree looks like it's dancing. |
We stopped at an "unofficial" site with a fire ring and Sarah started a fire so we could dry our shoes and socks.
Day 118: Another Two Pass day
We got a fairly early start and were on trail at 6:40.
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| First light on the mountains |
We completed the hard 2.5 mile, 1190 foot slog up the rocky trail to the top of Benson Pass at 8:20.
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| We thought this was Benson Pass, it wasn't. |
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| This is Benson Pass. |
We then carefully made our way down the steep, rocky north side of the pass.
About halfway between Benson Pass and Seavey Pass is a steep, rocky hill with no name. Sarah thought that if a flat area that doesn't look like a pass can be called Island Pass, then this hill, which does resemble a pass should be one to. I suggested it should be named Benson - Seavey Pass.
We stopped for lunch at a creek so we could soak our feet and refill our water bottles. You have no idea how good cold stream water feels flowing around hot, tired feet. We ended up staying for two hours ( and hugging trees ) as we waited for the after lunch rain to stop. The rain showers here don't last long, maybe 15 to 20 minutes. Even the downpours don't last long.
After the rain stopped, we resumed our hike. A Brown Creeper ( it's a bird ) and I mutually surprised each other when I stepped behind a tree to "go number 1". We made it over Seavey Pass, which wasn't a bad hike but only had so so views, at 5:30.
On our way down the North side of the pass, Sarah spotted a Mule Deer swimming in a small lake. Hey, they need to cool off to, you know ! We finally stopped for the night around 7.
Day 119: Dummy ! Keep your phone dry !
We got a late start because Sarah wasn't feeling well. We finally got going around 8.
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| The rain washed the dust off this pinecone |
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| Red Monkeyflower |
We had a little confusion trying to find the trail after we crossed Kerrick Creek at mile 979.8. The trail in front of us looked overgrown and not well traveled and the FarOut ap was giving us conflicting directions. My phone said the trail was about 100 feet east of us, Sarah's phone said we were close and another's phone said it was on the side we just came from. Finally, I found the absolute proof we needed. I walked down the overgrown trail a little bit further and noticed "Horse Apples" in the dirt. The pack trains know the trails, so we were on the right trail. To paraphrase an old birders adage "When the trail disagrees with the ap, go with the trail".
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| We found this dead Steller's Jay on the trail. No idea what killed it. |
Then came the hardest climb of the day, a 1.4 mile, 750 foot climb that we did in a bit over an hour.
Things were going very well until 3 PM, when my phone got soaked while crossing a stream.
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| Sarah leads the way across the stream |
As the water got above my knees, I grabbed my wallet ( why ? I don't know. Maybe I thought the money would melt ??), but totally forgot about my phone in the cargo pocket. Needless to say, the phone was drenched. To make matters worse, I had a waterproof pouch to put the phone in for stream crossings. Did I put my phone in it ? No. When did I remember I had that pouch ? 5 minutes after I discovered my phone was drenched. GRRRR !!
Needless to say, I was in a deep funk for the rest of the day. We finally reached camp around 7, fighting B3s ( Bitting, Bloodthirsty, B****s (aka Mosquitoes)) the whole time. It didn't help that we were out of bug spray. When we got to camp, I gave Sarah a can of Permetherine spray I found in a Hiker Box. Permetherine is a long lasting bug repellent that you spray on your clothes (DO NOT SPRAY IT ON YOUR SKIN). I was going to wait until I got my new Sun Hoodie at Kennedy Meadows North, but I felt that there was no reason Sarah should have to suffer.
Day 120: Our own private Air Show
We were on trail by 7, headed towards Dorothy Lake Pass. The lake
and pass are named after the daughter of the man who was the Superintendent of Yosemite National Park from 1909.
It took us a bit over 2 hours to make the pleasant, 4 mile hike to the top of the pass. The trail was nice, not to steep, not to rocky, with good views at the top. All in all, I think Dorothy ranks up there with Pinchot, Forester and Muir as one of my favorite passes.
We stopped for lunch at Walker River ( mile 1002 ) at Noon.
As we ate, we were treated to a private Air Show. First a Marine V-22 Osprey tilt wing aircraft flew by. Then a C-130 flew by with a pair of fighter jets. The Osprey circled around two or three times as we ate lunch.
As we were finishing lunch, a woman asked if she could join us. She started hiking the PCT in 2006 and is now 77 years old. According to "Fortune", she only hikes 4 or 5 miles a day. I hope she makes it to Sonora Pass, because the trail to the pass is steep and there isn't much water until near the end.
Later in the evening as we gathered water from a stream, a Marine C-130 flew overhead refueling a fighter jet.
Not often you see so much military aviation over Yosemite National Park. I found out later that the Marines have a Mountain Warfare Training Center nearby.
As we continued towards Sonora Pass, the terrain became more rocky and arid and the trail became covered in rocky scree.
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| Another milestone. |
At 7 PM, we started looking for places to set up our tents among a large cluster of Cedar trees to protect us from the wind. The spot I ended up with wasn't sheltered ( my tent is too big for the sheltered spots ), but the rocks I put on top of the tentstakes, held the tent in place.
My phone is still dead, so I let everyone know. The one good thing about my tentsite, is the good view of the sunset.
Day 121: To Sonora Pass and Lazarus Rises
We started hiking at 6:30, hoping to make it to the pass by 10 so we could catch the shuttle to Kennedy Meadows Resort. Most of the terrain is rocky, barren scree that reminds Sarah of Mars. All it needs is a coat of red paint.
We had a discussion on whether the Native Americans ever traveled through here, for it is a desolate place that most people would have a hard time surviving in. Sarah is of the opinion that the PCT follows an old Native American trail that they used for trading between tribes. These days only hikers tread here.
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| Life only exists where there is water |
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| Pussypaws |
At 8 AM, Sarah had enough of a signal to make a few calls. The Resort has my Sun Hoodie from REI, but not my backpack. GRRR !!! Sarah was wanting to pick up a resupply box in Bridgeport, but today is Saturday ( it's really hard to keep track of which day of the week it is while on trail ) and the Bridgeport Post Office is closed today.
We made it to the Trailhead at Sonora Pass a bit after 10. Gary, the shuttle driver dropped off some NoBo section hikers and picked us up at 10:30. On the way to the resort, Gary told us the history of the resort, what the amenities are and how the hiker numbers have gone WAYYY up. He said that they had more hikers stay at the resort this year than in the last 4 years combined.
After checking things over, Sarah and I decided to get bunks in the dormers. It cost $50, but includes shower, WiFi, laundry and a ride back to the trail. After checking in, we had lunch. I had a Double Cheeseburger with fries and Pepsi for $20, which for California is very reasonable.
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| I took a nap in the unmade bed. |
After lunch, I took a shower and did laundry. I then worked on updating my written journal. As I was writing in the journal, I heard the sound of an Android phone starting. What ?? I looked around, but I was the only one in the room. Then I looked at my phone. It was on !! It shut off after a few minutes but I was able to restart it. Welcome Back Lazarus !!
Day 122: 0 Day at Kennedy Meadows North
I didn't sleep well last night. Ironically, I told my five roommates I snore, and I was the one kept awake by other people snoring. Go figure. The weather forecast calls for a better than 50% chance of heavy thunderstorms, so Sarah and I decided to take a full Zero today.
The other thing we need to decide is where to go from here. You are probably thinking "Duh, you get a ride to Sonora Pass and start hiking silly!". There are two problems with that.
1.) If we just do a straight, linear hike, we probably won't make it through Washington before the snow starts to fall.
2.) There are four areas in Oregon that are closed because of forest fires. So Sarah and I need to figure where to go next, so we can hike without breathing ash from a forest fire.
Sarah and I have decided to hike up to I-80, North of Donner Pass and then jump to north of the fires in Oregon and hike at least to Cascade Locks to do Trail Days on the 20th.
Day 123: Another Zero at KMR
Last night I bought earplugs, so I slept pretty good. Supposedly, my pack should arrive today. The FedEx website lists its status as "Out for Delivery". Unfortunately it didn't show by tge time the 2PM shuttle left for the trail. Sarah returned to the trail. I spent the night. Hopefully, I will get answers tomorrow.
Day 124: Last Zero at KMR
I phoned Pack n Ship this morning. They had already contacted FedEx. Turns out FedEx doesn't know where my pack is. They were supposed to email me but they didn't. I missed the 2:30 shuttle, so I get to stay another night. I will call Pack n Ship again in the morning to see if they learned anything. I gave the Resort my email address so they can contact me if it arrives after I leave tomorrow. Sharing the room with a Section Hiker from Texas.
Update: My roommate used to work for FedEx. He took a look at the tracking info from their website. What he found interesting was at one time the package was logged as "Out for Delivery" ( Saturday and yesterday ). He said that doesn't happen until the package is loaded on a truck. So my pack WAS loaded on a truck for delivery last week. He said there are three reasons why there is no delivery scan.
Hopefully I will get an answer in the morning.
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