Pacific Crest Trail Thru Hike: The High Sierra – Part 2
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Tag: John Muir trail
Pacific Crest Trail Thru Hike: The High Sierra – Part 1
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Chicken Spring Lake. The first alpine lake on the PCT.
Hanging at the lake with a bunch of Pacific Crest Trail Hikers.
Hiker Trash do hiker trash things under the granite peaks of the Sierra.
A walk in the woods.
Old Growth trees of the Sierra. Nearby, some of the oldest trees in the world, the Bristle Cone Pine, can be found.
Legs and I decided to keep hiking past Chicken Spring Lake, walking into the sunset and eventually making camp next to a creek in the dark.
Timberline Lake, on the approach to Mt. Whitney.
Hiker Trash at Guitar Lake after jumping in. At 11,500+ feet, it was freezing but refreshing after a hard 18 miles in the Sierra.
Guitar Lake under the moon.
As the sun sets, the light in the valley moves away and plays games on the surface of Guitar lake.
Under Mt. Whitney, we camped among granite boulders and marmot holes, planning our sunrise summit of Whitney.
A group of dedicated hikers sit still on the summit of the tallest mountain in the continental United States waiting for the sun to rise.
Sunrise on Mt. Whitney
From the high point, the cirques and ridges look amazing and otherworldly.
Tons of opportunities to take pictures.
Granite moutains soaking up the early morning sun rays.
The high elevation made for some harder breathing, but after 750 miles, it felt better to just keep going rather than stopping for breaks.
While my guitar gently streams.
Darwin and Legs near Mt. Whitney.
Dr. Chip Feinstein, Fun Size, and Darwin on Mt. Whitney
Darwin, Handstand, Legs, and HandMeDown
On the highest point with my love. Kissing as the sun rises.
Hitch hiking is never a science. You must do wait you can to get a ride. We managed to score an 18 wheeler to get us into Bishop.
Kearsarge Pass has a special place in my heart. Besides sporting some incredible mid Sierra views, I also want to name a dog after it.
Kearsarge Pass View of a glacial tarn.
Power Couple on top of Kearsarge pass.
Looking north on the Pacific Crest Trail/ John Muir Trail
Bullfrog Lake of the High Sierra as seen from Kearsarge Pass.
South of Glen Pass
Ahead Unknown
Descending Glen Pass
Goofy Goober
After the steep and snowy Glen Pass, the reward is Rae Lakes, an eden of a place protected by some serious climbs, making it a secluded gem.
Epic Rae Lakes under Glen Pass. We had it all to ourselves for some time.
A Suspension Bridge makes its way over a river gorge. The sign says, “One at a time only.”
Atop Pinchot Pass looking backwards at the trail.
Glittering Lakes become common sights in the Sierra, but you never really get tired of them.
Atop Mather Pass, where my love and I connected deeply.
Legs conquers Mather Pass.
Alpine Lakes
Lush Valleys
Blue Waters.
After messing up and climbing the pass in the back of this picture, we made it to the top of Muir Pass and enjoyed the hut up there for a time.
Evolution Basin and it’s glorious lakes.
Legs walks along Wanda Lake in the Evolution Basin.
Evolution Lake was our camp spot for the night. We stripped down and jumped into the icey water for a swim before cooking dinner under the stars.
Marie Lake from Selden Pass. We would camp next to this lake and suffer the world mosquito conditions I have ever seen in my life.
Continue reading “Pacific Crest Trail Thru Hike: The High Sierra – Part 1”
Pacific Crest Trail Thru Hike: Kearsarge Is a Good Dog Name
Within Kings Canyon, slumbers an ancient energy. The water is crisp and delicious and the earth, a rich, dark brown. Granite peaks saturated with sunlight shine as if from within, humming with power. The very air is alive. Around every bend another lake waits for discovery, which is akin to finding a diamond the size of a football field. It is impossible not to let that energy permeate your mind and body, and it makes for long, happy summer days within the range of light.
Kearsarge Pass
Kearsarge is a great word (and dog name). It’s a fun word, but there is a hardness to it, like the real pass. The climb up the western side is challenging, with some serious ‘east coast’ graded switchbacks. But the view from the top is absolutely staggering. To the west squats Bullfrog Lake, an azure gem reflecting the saw tooth backdrop. To the east, the heat distorted desert screams discomfort. As you make your way down the eastern face, you pass several lakes connected by streams and cascading waterfalls. The eastern face of Kearsarge Pass is the epitome of west coast trail construction. It is at times, obnoxiously switchbacked. Though the climb back up with full packs is super easy.
We hitched with some hipster vampires from LA into Independence. From there an 18 wheeler took us to Bishop, where we stayed at the Hostel California. Opened this season and in a 112 year old Victorian, it is worth the extra hitch into Bishop just to stay there. The owner is a young man who enjoys rock climbing and acting like The Dude. He allows hikers to work for their beds, and thought it was a good idea to have a ‘lamp cache’. Granted, there was a stern note saying, “Take only what you need!” Two hikers left with a large brass lamp, though I never saw it on the trail. Continue reading “Pacific Crest Trail Thru Hike: Kearsarge Is a Good Dog Name”
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