Sorry for the delay, the last two town stops have been a bit rushed. From Agua Dulce to Kenedy Meadows, I finished the last of the desert. It was a bit rough, and after a night of whisky, beer and tacos, I decided to pack out a pint of whisky for the hike. It was a nice nightcap after some long hot days. We ended up doing a night hike over the Los Angeles Aquaduct due to the heat and lack of scenery. Around 6 a.m. when the sun came up we took a break and created a new morning beverage. You take a heaping spoonful of instant coffee and chase it with a shot of whisky. It was named either the dirty deuce or cafe whiskay. Another day we hiked through one of the world's largest wind farms located in Tehachipi, CA. Several times I was almost knocked over due to the strong winds.
On another day, 5 of us tried to hitch into town to get a meal. Believe it, we caught a hitch in an RV. They were returning from the "Mule Days," which entail many events involving mules including a chariot race. Our ride did not win the race but flipped their chariot during the show.
One night we were at a campground and someone had left their horse untied. All night long he was feeding all around us, we kept waiting for the animal to trample us, not much sleep at all.
Once we arrived in Kenedy Meadows, as usual I went straight for beer. Unfortunately I was dehydrated from the desert and hadn't eaten a thing. Three beers in and I was done for at 5:30 pm. Talk about a lightweight!!! The only thing in KM is a general store so it is where we spent most of our time. I learned a new game called washers. Just like horseshoes, but with washers. Takes a few drinks to warm up.
The Sierras!!!!
Before entering the Sierras, most people beef up their pack weight by adding an ice axe, microspikes, a bear canister, and warmer clothes. This additional weight is a challenge along with the rugged terrain of the Sierra Mountains. I packed out all of this and six days of food. The first day out we did 25 miles, with little snow. The next day we were in snow for half of the day. Snow adds several difficulties to the hike. First is the snow condition. Is it hard, soft, icy etc. In the morning it is usually hard, and if the slope is steep enough, microspikes (snow chains with spikes for your tennis shoes) are necessary. In the afternoon the snow softens up. If your going downhill, you can almost run because the snow absorbs the impact. But if is level ground, you may post-hole, that is ending up knee to waist high on every step, pretty exhausting. Despite the extra effort it has been gorgeous with great views. You cannot take a bad pic here.
The other difficulty of snow travel is the lack of trail. We are navigating approximately 90% of the time. But I have become comfertable in reading a map. On our 4th day out we summited Mt. Whitney, the tallest peak in the lower 48, around 14,500 ft. This involved river fording, walking across snowfields, rock climbing, walking across icy ledges, etc. My hardest day on the trail yet. But so worth it!!! It's hard to slow down after a day like that, your constantly in the moment because of the risk in every step, the exertion needed, and the control of your fears.
The following day we crested two major passes, one of them named Forrester. Again all snow, and we were only on the actual PCT for the crest of the pass.
Now I am in Bishop, after a 50 mile hitch enjoying lots of food, a hot shower, and of course beer. I have been looking for live musit but it doesn't seem to exist in these small towns. The next half of the Sierras I will slow down because of the snow. It is almost twice the exertion as regular trail.
On one of the river crossings a fellow hiker fell in. Luckilly he grabbed some branches and pulled himself to shore. In the process he lost his GPS and a trekking pole, and came out soaking wet. This happened at 5 am in a snow melt river. He didn't warm up til noon, while wearing my fleece and raincoat throughout. All is well although he's a little more hessitant around creek crossings. The best way with a strong current is to face upstream and walk sideways. Trekking poles definitely help. The creeks are unusually high this year due to the heavy snow fall and recent heat wave.
Here is the anser to a few questions my friend Chris asked:
1. Pack weight: base weight without food or water is about 15 lbs. With 5 days of food and a liter of water about 30 lbs. For the Sierras adding the ice axe, microspikes, bear canister and clothes, my base weight is about 20.
2. My tarp provides no protection from bugs, but they have not been bad. I will get a bug net in Oregon and Washington due to the chances of rainfall.
3. Water was very scarce in the desert, but people leave water for hikers at designated spots. In the snow areas there is no problem with water.
4. My ice axe length is 70 cm and I like the length. It is all a matter of preference. I like the long one because it almost acts a another trekking pole on the slopes.
5. This trail is less crowded than the Appalachian Trail. Around 3000 people start the AT, only 300 start the PCT.
I still cannot believe I am out here!! Great people and beautiful places. Talk to you soon!
Crow Dog
