Solistice in the Sierra

21 June---Got a phone call from Tuolomme Meadows this morning. Kitt and Erin were waiting for the Post Office to open and had some time.
     Their departure from Mammoth Lakes was not at "first light" as they'd initially intended. The shuttle bus that was to take them back to the trailhead at Red's Meadow didn't leave town until 0900. This gave them the chance to stop by the PO once more, where they were able to retrieve a pair of knee stabilizer straps I'd sent the week before. They made it back on the PCT and banged out 14 miles.
     Next day they crested Donahue Pass and spent a long and lovely day in the Ansel Adams Wilderness area---like roaming through pages of a calendar or one of those large coffee-table books published by the Sierra Club. They covered 24 miles and reached Tuolomme Meadows late in the day.
    Plans are to break up the 7 day haul to South Lake Tahoe with a detour to Bridgeport in three days time, at which point they'll be able to mail the bear cans back and lighten their loads somewhat.

     Some snail mail notes are en route which will hopefully allow for a retrospective post on the 200+ miles through the mountains.
                                                   Faithfully submitted by the Fairy BlogMother




   

Mammoth Lake, CA.

Back in town once again! The last section of trail was a challenge, the passes were tall, the fords were cold, and the food was... repetitive. We did a better job in this section of choosing foods that were rich in calories and fat, but after many days we were still eating the same routine. We are excited to have a smaller section of trail ahead of us, we are less then 40 miles from our next resupply. this means we can carry better food! Thankfully we are rich in supplies thanks to many friends and family that sent care packages to Mammoth. Thank you so much to my Mom and Dad, Randy and Deb, My Aunt Ann, Natalie, and my family for the birthday cards. We are set on food for the next hundred miles or so and can be thankful to have such fine hearts wishing us the best from afar.

Bishop, CA.

Trail Update Mile 789.0 : Erin and I are in Bishop, staying at the Hostel California, a new place for adventurers to stay in town, offering great rates, good people, and a wonderful kitchen. We are taking an extra zero day to rest my knee, and will be returning to the trail tomorrow. Hope everyone at home is well, the weather is wonderful here and we are loving the Sierra Mountains, so much better then the desert.

The passes have been snowy above 10,000'. Going over Forester pass was a real treat, amazing views and mountains beyond mountains covering the horizon. We did not climb Mt. Whitney, due to a shortage of food, we thought it would be better to move on and climb the mountain some other day. In the next section we will be going over at least one pass each day, sometimes 2. And this means we have a 2-3,000' climb each day, and with our planned 18 mile days we are in for a real workout.

We are making the most of town when we still can. I'll put up pictures soon!

Pictures from Kennedy Meadows to Forester Pass

Hiking ahead of the thunder head

Forester pass is the notch ahead.

Looking north from Forester

Made it up when the snow was still firm, and descended in the sunny afternoon.

May 27--Walker Pass CG, Mile 651

Cell towers are few and far between in these parts, but received a SPOT "All is Well" message tonight from what looks to be a Forest Service campground at Walker Pass where the Crest Trail crosses Highway 178.

It looks like they are maybe two days south of Kennedy Meadows. Range of Light--here they come!

 Windmills north of Tehachapi

Airing out the feet....

These pictures were taken by Crusher from Colorado. Check out his photo-rich blog here.

Mile 558 Tehachapi, CA

Update: We are now at mile 558. Taking a break at a Best Western in Tehachapi, CA. We are heading into a section with trace water resources and will be covering stretches of over 30 miles between water. Crossing the Mojave desert we were cold, the wind was blowing and the temp was round 65 degrees. Much better then we expected. We camped on a ridge that experience strong winds from three directions. It was a loud night, the wind tossed sand into our tent, it was like we were sleeping in a sand box. Hiking through the find farms was strange. It was a presence unfamiliar to us, and we experienced discomfort from the constant motion of the turbines. There were windmills everywhere, and for almost 12 miles we hiked through a wind farm. There is another 8 mile stretch of windmills ahead of us before we return to the mountains. They are still installing some of the 5,000 turbines that are planned for power generation in the Tehachapi area. :(

Getting into town was a breeze thanks to an amazing trail angle named Kay. She picked us up, took us to the post office, Big 5, and Albertsons. She is planning to hike the PCT in 2015 and charges hikers questions for rides around town. I know she can finish the trail. She is dedicated, and has the spirit to have a happy hike. She is giving hikers rides throught the day and never tires of hearing about what gear they carry. I agree with a point she made when talking to us, "You can't see the look on someones face when reading a hikers blog. You don't see the way their eyes light up when they describe their tent or sleeping bag. That is what I like to see." i am paraphrasing, but you get the idea, hikers love to talk about what they are proud of, and she gets to learn first hand what works for hikers.

We are only 150 miles from the end of the desert. It is astonishing how close we are to the Sierra Mountains. The snow level in the mountains is still strong above 10,000 ft. Seasonal streams are not flowing yet, and the recommended start is June 9th. Many hikers are ahead of us, but we are planning to wait for the best time to cross the mountain passes.

Thank you so much to Grit and Buster, Natalie Franz and Collin Stackhouse) who sent us amazing treats and trail snacks. The flood of Peanut butter cups that Buster sent have left me feeling like a glutton, but I shared them with many other hikers, spreading around the satisfaction of a stomach full of chocolate.

Wrightwood to Agua Dulce: Snail Mail Notes from Horizon

May 9--Hiked a short 7 miles from Wrightwood to the Mt. Baden-Powell trailhead and camped in a picnic area. Glad to be back on the PCT again.

May 10--Mt. Baden-Powell to a trail camp at Mile 380ish... the climb went well.[Other thru-hikers have commented as to gusty winds on the summit.]The monument at the top was nice. Rest of the day was a long upsy-downsy-upsy-downsy trek.

May 11--Mile 380 to Sulphur Springs Camp at Mile 392...twisted my ankle today. Rested for a bit and found that I could still walk. I was scared at first--this could have really ruined our hike.

May 12--Sulphur Springs Camp to somewhere along the Poodle Dog Bypass. Covered 19 miles--terrible overgrowth but some beautiful views.

May 13--Road Camp to KOA--a 19 mile descent to shade, hot dogs and SHOWERS.

May 14--KOA to Saufley's Hiker Haven: 10 miles, a 28"diameter pizza, 2 zero days and lots of company.