Today went from rough to great in a matter of moments. We woke up tired from had hiking late the previous night. Since we picked a spot in the dark we didn’t realize that we had set up camp right next to an anthill and they were crawling dangerously close to our heads and bags. This did have the benefit of waking us up quickly, but it was the first mishap in a tough morning. We started with a long climb and were still worn out from the previous day. We had expected it to be cooler today but it was still hot. As we reached the ridge at the top of the climb we moved from desert scrub to scraggly piñon pine. They didn’t offer very much shade but it was nice to walk on the duff instead of in sand.
We made good time over a few miles as the trail dropped gradually to Yellowjacket spring, which we bypassed thanks to the previous water cache. It saved us a lot of time – the spring is actually a seep and it would have taken a while to produce enough to get us to the next source. It was downhill nearly a mile away, which means that it’s a mile uphill when we’re laden with a gallon each. This stretch of trail would be much harder without the lady who maintains this cache and the one from yesterday…and it’s already pretty tough.
After the turnoff for the spring we started gradually gaining elevation back and we were dragging in the heat. We were moving too slowly to make the miles we wanted. Finally we decided to stop for a quick lunch break and that’s when our luck started changing. We happened to have cell service so Keith was able to call the store at Kennedy Meadows and confirm their hours. They’re open later than we expected since there are so many hikers there this year. We might still have a chance to make it there on Tuesday before it closes. Right after getting this bit of info, we happened to mention my missing headlamp to two passing hikers…who knew about a hiker behind us that had found a lamp similar to it. It might not be mine but it sounds promising.
After these encouragements and some good food we set off with renewed energy. The rest of the trail to Walker Pass was nearly flat with a big descent at the end. Almost immediately we came out onto semi-open ridgetops with great views of the peaks to come. It was still hot but late enough in the afternoon that it was starting to cool down a little. At last we had some breeze. We followed an old ATV road for a while before peeling back onto trail as we started the drop to the campground. The views got better as we went, with Mt. Owens looming to the north across highway 178. We’ll skirt it tomorrow but thankfully don’t have to go to the top.
We had read a few rumors about trail magic at the campground but didn’t want to get our hopes up. Cool water and a chance to wash our faces would be a reward in itself, even if the water came from a livestock cistern down the road from the dry camp. Still, we were overjoyed to see the note at the junction beckoning us down to the blue tarp and the crowd of hikers there. We got the cold sodas I’d been thinking about from sunup to sundown yesterday. After that, gatorade, burgers, and a piece of cake we felt like different hikers from the ones who had started this morning so badly. I got to meet Yogi, something of a trail celebrity. She writes one of the most-often read books on hiking the trail and a guide to the different towns, which is part of how we decide on where to stay and eat.
We planned to make a few more miles until the mention of pancakes early in the morning convinced us to camp here tonight. We still did our laundry at the cow tanks, but at least we didn’t have to drink the stuff. We saw our third rattlesnake in two days when one of the guys at the camp called us over to see a big Mojave Green under a bush. He got a bunch of hikers to voluntarily leave their food and drink – no small feat! The Greens are more dangerous than the standard Diamondbacks – stronger venom. He wasn’t too happy to be surrounded by people but it was cool to see one without being surprised by it. What a day! It’s hard to comprehend just how much better it ended than how it started.
– Posted from the PCT
Location:Pct mile 652