(View all the trail photos over here.)
Thursday, August 29 Palisades Lakes 10,700? 650? Day 9
Only 12 miles today, but whatever. It was almost 8:30 am by the time I finished strapping everything on and sunscreening and praying. The five guys invited me to sit with them for breakfast and they turned out pretty cool. I let them know about an alternate path over South Forks Kings River, which was flowing super fast and deep. According to Guthooks (which is my primary navigation tool now), 1) in early July the rangers were recommending crossing 1.5 miles north, which is where I think I ultimately crossed 2) that’s where a lady died the year my friend Loppers did the JMT. My feet got wet going across at the calmer, much shallower end, but I seriously wanted to cry (not in the good way) looking at the fast-moving places and thinking of crossing there. I have so little experience with anything other than rock hopping.
But the views are unbelievable. I survived the river crossing and took a break at a little lake a mile and a half before Mather Pass (and yes, matherfucker kept popping in my mind) and a lady offered to take my photo because apparently I’d set up my pack and poles really nicely and it was picturesque. A bumblebee crawled into my shoe and stayed in there until I shooed her out 45 minutes later. She looked tired and was super reluctant to go. Her wings were a little worn. The bumblebees here LOVE the color purple and she’d landed on the purple part of my shoe. It’s amazing that they can survive the altitude – 12,000 feet on the pass and 11,500 where I made the friend – and the wind and the temps. Same as the top of Mt. Whitney where I saw insects and birds and chipmunks.
Sang “Fluorescent Adolescent” and Neil Young to myself as I cruised down the north side of the pass. I tend to do that, not linger at the pass if it’s pretty but head right for the lakes and streams and wooded areas below while thinking of songs with which to amuse myself. I reached the westernmost (northernmost?) lake campsites a little after 4 pm and crawled around until I found a ledge with almost no vegetation in the gravel next to a pine tree. So only 12 miles, and just over 6 1/2 hours hiking, but I’m pretty sure I have the best view of any camper of this lake. I can’t see anyone else from the ledge, which hangs right over the trail where it hugs the lake edge, and I peed on gravel and it was amazing. I also tried to get water from a really steep waterfall, and that was stupid. So I scrambled down some rocks to a safer spot right on the trail. The amount of privacy I have right now is really noteworthy.
Physically: bad chafing around underwear line. Little blister that comes and goes on my right foot under the callous I developed from hiking and running, but it doesn’t hurt at all. Great farmer’s tan. But my scalp. Shudder. I combed my greasy hair, and clumps of thick skin were flaking off. I think it’s mainly from the sunburn I got before I developed enough grease to cover my part, but the amount of skin that’s flaking off is kinda horrifying. I can’t get it all either, but I think I got the biggest chunks. Chunks is an appropriate word.
Haven’t used Advil today, and I’m barely taking it at all. Two in the afternoon yesterday to get me over the pass, but that’s usually how I’m using it now. I wonder if more Advil on the Long Trail – I was taking 6-8 a day – was covering up my problems and making it worse and led to my compartment syndrome. My shoes [Brooks Cascadia, and just a little too small] were also much worse then, and I was constantly taping my feet and tweaking my socks. Here, I put some Leukotape on one, maybe two days on a hotspot from going downhill on day 2 or 3, but that’s it. These Salomon shoes [Speedcross 4] are really great, and I barely think about them, which I think is key.
Wildlife today: cute little bumblebee, raven before Mather, bald eagle soaring above my campsite, one of the yellow warblers near the river.
Have decided to go to VVR, and not just because I ate jerky & Snickers & cheese and chocolate and called it supper. I’m going to either go there for a day and have a PBR or two among my tribe, or go to Yosemite and fight for a walk-in campsite and deal with crowds of day hikers and non-hikers and pay as much if not more. So, VVR/PBR it is.
Going to visit the stars, then write the novel a little and fall asleep to the sounds of the waterfalls.
Friday, August 30 10,500′ Day 10
Camped in a stealthy little spot with a beautiful view about 3.6 miles from Muir Pass. Apparently I did 14.8 miles today. Tomorrow should be fairly easy, as it’s all downhill for like 20 miles after I go over the pass.
Came across Anna & Alec today. They stayed at Palisades really close to me last night. I think they went on for another mile or two. Woke up at 6:38 am, didn’t get going until nearly 8:30, stopped right before 5 pm. The legs are pretty good, just my left shoulder bothering me as the days go on. My pack is just a tad too small I think.
So today feels like a big blur. Let me think. Went down the golden staircase, walked through a burned out area I guess was in LeConte Canyon. Then it was uphill, vaguely following Middle Fork Kings River. And now I’m here. Saw a guy with socks on his arms because he ran out of sunscreen and it was pretty innovative.
Rocked the shorts today for fun, thigh chafe and a little tan resulted. Scalp no longer peeling, thank goodness. Took a nice break for 45 minutes in a meadow with a gorgeous view. Tonight I did some laundry – pants, shirt, hiking underwear set, cottons – and gave myself a bandanna bath. This sunscreen is awesome, but a ton of Dr. Bronner’s and water and scrubbing doesn’t get it out. I’ve basically given up on the hair until I can score me some Pantene or something. Might get some at Von’s before my hotel on the 12th. I looked out at the view as I cleaned myself, and when I had my bottom half off a nutcracker started screeching, so I said “don’t act like you’re not impressed.” Then ate Kraft dinner with chipotle, a babybel, and a little pepperoni. Fun dinner, not fun trying to clean the pan.
I’m seeing almost no familiar faces now aside from the A&A surprise. The three ladies, Zoe, Bud & Ben are all behind me, and I’m presuming the five guys are too. The young bucks are off-trail, the three fisher guys went to Sixty Lakes a couple days ago. No sign of Jim. I think he’s ahead of me at Muir Trail Ranch. I keep hoping I’ll catch up with him. Having a trail register on the JMT would be super, like they have on the east coast. No such luck though. Met another solo nobo JMTer at Rae Lakes, but he’s going too slow at 10-12 miles a day. I’ve seen a lot of SOBOers but not too many NOBOers. I like camping alone right now and running around with no pants, but I’m missing some familiar faces. The only solo lady NOBOer I can think of is Zoe, otherwise they’ve all been SOBO.
So the scenery has changed too. Not the big twisting trees in near-desert like lower SeKi, now it’s more vegetated. Big pinecones, ferns, rockier, bigger and bluer rivers. Different birds now too. I saw a Steller’s jay several times today. I was waiting to see them, and I think they’re the most annoying of them all. Saw both kinds of nuthatches chatting it up in some pine trees near a burned-out swath of forest, videod a flicker calling, saw lizards and one had blue on its side or belly or something. Juncos, chickadees, the brown warblers I can’t identify. Bear scratches on a tree. Marmot, rock chinchillas.
Colder tonight. GPS says a low of 44 and I can feel it already and it’s not even 9 pm.
Sang Jimmy Eat World, “Green Eyes” by Coldplay, girl scout songs. Didn’t panic and eat all the snacks for dinner. Gonna check that my clothing is still wet and freezing outside & fetch my snot rag & see the stars. Maybe write the novel. Maybe just huddle in the sleeping bag and get warm until morning.
Bottom lip opened up today. Bleh.
Saturday, August 31 Day 11 9239′
Camped before Evolution Creek crossing. I noticed the warning signs all over Guthooks like a week ago, so I got in and what little I know of crossings is they’re lower in the morning. Some dudes told me it was up to their knees this afternoon. Should be doable.
Never on the trail have I seen folks with my psychedelic gaiters, and three. THREE other hikers today had them.
Yeah so the trail. It was a long stretch up to Muir Pass. Lakes were pretty, but those 3.7 miles or however long it took went on forever. Snow in multiple places on the trail, and snow melt running down the trail on the south side approach. A little north, too. The trail hugged a lake (Wanda) and mosquitoes / gnats got bad for a minute. Was really exposed for hours. Started at 8 am and reached Sapphire Lake around 12:10 and hung out until 1 pm. A small group of retired bookish folks was coming in, really nice people. One of them recommended the Making of the Atomic Bomb (which Jim had also recommended), The History of Earth, a book on Sierras geology / formation, and two others I can’t recall. He and one of his friends had taken an awesome photo of Sapphire Lake that he seemed to treasure, and the guy who took the photo said his uncle – who had died in WW2 and who he had been named after – had done the JMT in 1941, with wooden packs and one pair of sunglasses between 3 guys.
Saw 3rd & 4th pack trains today, met a solo lady from Scotland (by the sound of it) who was loving seeing all the women out there, met another solo lady who might have been using Buff as a hijab. She had lots of red gear, down to the duct tape on the bottom of her pack – “because I sit down a lot.” Ended up blowing past a good lookout on Evolution Lake & followed the creek downhill for miles until I came here and met Michelle, Bridgid, Michelle (another), Rita, & Steve. It’s a first backpacking trip for the first 3 ladies and they’re super nice and gave me some extra food! Got in at like 5:15. Not bad for a near-16 mile day.
Left shoulder hurts, presumably from pack. Two more days to go until I take a zero at VVR. I think a zero could be nice. Also a shower where my hair actually gets cleaned.
Sunday, September 1 Marie Lake 10,556′ Day 12
Really hit a hiking stride today. The creek ford was easy, left camp shortly after 8 am and was across by like 8:16. Only up to the bottom of my calf. Going in the morning was a good idea. I thought I saw Jim’s tent on the way across a bridge today, but it was 9:15 and I wasn’t sure and didn’t want to stick around being a creeper and losing mileage.
Went over a few bridges today over San Joaquin River, then didn’t check Guthooks & saw an incline ahead & needed to duck down the side trail to Muir Trail Ranch for a quarter mile until I hit the river for water. Stopped around 12:40 for lunch/break on the other side of the trail from MTR to see if I would know anyone. Not 5 minutes after I saw down, Alec & Anna came up from their resupply. When they moved on, Doug & Dave from Canada/Alberta stopped for their break & I chatted with them until 1:50. Then uphill at the hottest part of the day on exposed switchbacks. My legs were doing great, just the heat made me stop in the shade for water & such.
After a pee break I saw A&A again, who were going over Selden Pass. It was a short one and I felt pretty good (4 Advil over the course of the day helped) so I decided to go over too. The climb up was one of the better views, and maybe it had to do with the late afternoon light. There were lakes and a little verdant canyon and rocks with beautiful designs, and going up there I was overwhelmed & wept more than once. This place is still real. I’m still here. I brought myself up here with my two feet, and I love that I have the ability to recognize the beauty of God’s creation.
Maybe it’s hormones. Maybe it’s the holy spirit. But I lost it at the top of the pass and only pulled it together because A&A came by. I think doing something big, spur of the moment and late in the day, with trail friends who I was about to not see again, heightened things too. We parted ways at the lake, where I met Mary Ellen from VT who is also soloing, and Kristina from Norway who did enough of the PCT to know she got what she came for & is ready to go home. The people out here are amazing. So many wonderful people who are friendly and just give themselves to others. It makes me sad to think I’ll have to eventually leave the trail.
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