“The mountains are calling… And I must go”.
– John Muir
The Eighth Week – Entering The Wonderland
Reaching a significant milestone on the PCT… 700 miles done and we can finally wave farewell to the desert!
Day 50 – Tuesday 29th May 2018, Wild Camp at Bird Spring Pass, Mile 631 to Walker Pass Trailhead Campground, Mile 651, 20 miles
It’s been a mammoth fifty days on the trail already and having walked 650 miles north from the Mexican border, (actually longer than the entire length of England from north to south), we are continuing to make our way through the state of California and are still hiking in what is considered to be the ‘desert segment’ of the PCT! (But thankfully not for much longer!)
This last week has been a long, hot, dry stint with up to twenty miles each day to cover between water caches, so we’re now very much looking forward to finally waving farewell to the desert. With just 52 miles to go we should reach Kennedy Meadows, the gateway to the Sierra Nevada, on Friday, where water should be flowing freely and we can enjoy a change of scenery.
That being said, the desert has been spectacular and nothing at all like we expected the landscape and flora to be! One minute you can be standing in the midst of Joshua trees and Beaver Tail cactus, then after climbing a thousand feet you can be wandering through shady pine forest with bright purple lupins and wild yellow sunflowers lining the trail. That’s what really sticks out for us over the past several weeks – the amount of flowers covering the ground and the palette of colour they inject into the desert landscape that from afar looks so barren and desolate. We have learned that up close however, it’s amazing and filled with life!
But we weren’t out of the desert just yet. Today when we left camp, we had an immediate uphill climb for the first 4 miles taking us to top of Skinner Peak. It was a loose sandy trail again, which on such terrain requires a lot of effort climbing uphill, the kind that’s a real calf burner and not what you want when carrying full water!
Walking between a fusion of landscapes as the desert meets the big mountains.
Life thrives in the dry desert hills.
Vibrant purple Californian Lupins liven up the trail.
It didn’t take long before we stopped for a breather and a second breakfast, but with a great view from up high overlooking the valley. Surprisingly, on the opposite ridge we spied a phone mast so we managed to get a signal, the first we’d had in a few days, this area of the PCT being known for poor cell service. We took the opportunity to update the Water Report and do a quick check in with family and friends.
Taking in the view after an early second breakfast. We were getting closer to the High Sierra.
But then we were soon back on the trail in an effort to get to the next water stop. Walking along the ridge, we could see desert mountains to the right, a continuation of the Mojave, then in complete contrast, looking to the north-west, there were giant peaks topped with snow. Slowly but surely, we were getting closer to the Sierra Nevada, which were really excited about.
From afar, the distant desert mountains of the Mojave still dominate the scene.
Survival of the fittest? As we made our way into an area of woodland, there was evidence of another burn.
The trail then weaved up a mountainside of granite rock and we found ourselves walking between giant boulders, interspersed with grassy banks. It was striking how many flowers were in full bloom alongside the trail, the bright yellow and purple acting as a magnet for several bees. The one annoyance we had today with there being more trees however, was that we were constantly being pursued by flies. Attracted to our CO2 when we breathe heavily, especially going uphill, they became a real nuisance swarming around our faces. At one point they were so bothersome I was praying for a breeze to keep them at bay and wishing to be back in the desert!
Bright yellow wild flowers cloak the ground.
When we came across a saddle area with shaded woodland, we decided to take advantage of it, so we laid out our sleep pads, took off our shoes and had a long lunch. As we were dozing we heard a sudden thud from somewhere behind. Thinking it was just a pine cone dropping from a nearby tree, we were startled when a deer emerged from the bushes right near us. It was the third deer that we’ve seen on this section, but they’re so skittish and sprint off straight away that we’re yet to photograph one!
After lunch, we had 3 miles to hike to reach McIvers Spring. We filtered water from the spring as we needed a couple more litres, but it had a sulphurous taste, so it wasn’t the most pleasant to drink. (We found that leaving the tops off the bottles for a while helped.) The final 7 miles took us a little uphill, then down again (another PUD, ‘pointless up and down’) to Walker Pass Campground.
It’s the small things in life! Making use of the facilities at the BLM Campground located at Walker Pass.
When we arrived there were lots of other hikers already pitched in the designated camp spots that had the luxury of a picnic bench in each site with it being a BLM campground. Another most welcome feature were the pit toilets, but best of all was the huge water cache that we weren’t sure would be all gone with so many hikers passing through. We actually could have got a 40 mile hitch to Lake Isabella where a lot of PCTers choose to zero for a few days before heading into the Sierra, but as we didn’t need to resupply with anything, or want to go that far off trail, we declined the offer of a ride.
Looking onto sunset skies from the campground.
That being said, I’m really looking forward to a zero day in Bishop in around 10 day’s time. The continual twenty-mile days are really taking their toll, especially with having new trail shoes which seem to be giving me some unexpected niggles. Whether my feet have swollen or grown bigger, the foot box is feeling really tight and my outer toes are feeling very tender. But I need to stay positive and get the next few days done. Reaching 700 miles is sure to give us a boost and we can take a rest when we reach Kennedy Meadows. As Wayne says “When you’re looking forward to town days more than the trail, that’s a slippery slope to be going down”. And I really don’t want to be feeling like that or wishing the time away, especially as during the next week we’ll be summiting for the second time the highest mountain in the contiguous United States, as well as going over the highest pass on the PCT! So bring it on!
Another gorgeous night in the great American outdoors.
Day 51 – Wednesday 30th May 2018, Walker Pass Trailhead Campground, Mile 651, to Wild Camp at Mile 673, 22 miles
Just when I was feeling a little trail fatigue and not looking forward to walking today at all… A very welcome pick me up happened at camp when we got up! A wonderful trail angel going by the trail name Garik was cooking all of the PCT hikers breakfast before the big climb out of Walker Pass. How lucky could we be?! Another magnanimous act of ‘Trail Magic’ to keep us going, and today it was really needed and thoroughly enjoyed!
Garik, the wonderful trail angel who cooked us breakfast!
Garik’s breakfast feast consisted of tostadas (toasted tortillas), with refried beans, grated cheese, a fried egg, coriander, salsa and sour cream piled on top! Being in Southern California, there was definitely the Mexican influence, and as we love Mexican food (or any kind of food) it was a great way to start the day and a real morale boost before heading back out on the trail, especially as we were starting the day with a hefty uphill climb.
The water cache and cook station at the Walker Pass Campground, with lots of hungry hikers milling around!
Leaving Walker’s Pass we had about 1,600 feet of ascent to contend with, the trail taking us around Mount Jenkins, which was actually very well graded so the climb was a lot gentler than what we’d been expecting. As usual it was already hot at 9am, but each time the trail switched back entering another gully, we found ourselves in shade, so thankfully we got a short period of respite.
Along the road, there is a memorial to Joseph Walker who discovered this particular pass over the Sierra Nevada mountains in 1834.
Heading around the ridge of Mount Jenkins in the Owens Peak Wilderness area.
Panorama looking back to the main road that leads to the town of Ridgecrest in the Indian Wells Valley.
As we climbed higher in elevation, we could still see the ‘High Desert’ of the Mojave sprawling into the distance.
When we stopped for a drink break and our third breakfast around 10:30am we met two female hikers, one from New Zealand and the other from New York. (Blue and Fast Learner.) We chatted about New Zealand’s long distance path – the ‘Te Araroa’ and some of our experiences during our road trip from the South Island to the North Island back in 2011. We also then met ‘Machine’, a first time thru-hiker from Sweden. We said we had hiked the Kungsleden, his home trail, in 2016. He’d heard of it, but explained he’d never even put up a tent before starting the PCT. It was not just his first thru-hike, but his very first hike! What a challenge and commitment for a first time trail. Wayne said he was putting himself through a baptism of fire choosing to walk from Mexico to Canada!
It was definitely a social day on the trail today! Soon after we saw Dianna and Sandra, two Swiss girls we’ve been seeing every few days since camping at Silverwood Lake. They had just returned to the trail after taking a zero at Lake Isabella (a resupply town 40 miles away). As we thought it would have been both a difficult and time-consuming hitch to go that distance, we didn’t include it in our itinerary for resupply, instead carrying all the food we needed from Tehachapi. As the girls had been in civilisation, they had gotten the latest information about the current snow conditions in the Sierra. Apart from the three highest passes, most areas are now snow free so from Kennedy Meadows we’re good to go!
It was such a difference in scenery today! For the first time we had giant granite peaks sprawling out in a long jagged ridgeline in front of us, stretching east towards the desert. The trail still had plenty of cactus around but it also had more trees and flowers and much less sand. Underfoot there was now a lot of stone and sections where the trail was completely covered in rocks, much like a boulder field. It felt like there were significant differences already as we were getting nearer to the big stuff!
Sandy desert hills transform into ridges of granite rock.
What a contrast! Into the mountains we go…
Having spoken to so many people today, our lunch stop was a late one. As we were walking along a narrow ridge winding around the mountainside, we had decided to push on to reach the saddle hoping for a flat, shady spot. But just before that, we unexpectedly bumped into Scoop! We hadn’t seen him since Big Bear Lake where we all bailed out of the mountains because of a heavy snow storm headed our way. But we had known from when he’d signed the trail registers that we were closing the gap.
Lunch then turned into an ‘extra’ long hour as we took a siesta and woke up at 2:30pm. As we got back on the trail, next we met Slingshot, a fellow Brit, and film maker who is walking the PCT this year as a kind of research mission in readiness for a film idea he’s going to pitch to some broadcasting companies. We walked with him until we reached the next water source and he and Wayne were in their element discussing cameras, gear and inspiring YouTubers.
We leap frogged Scoop who was unfortunately having pack problems as his hip belt had ripped (much like what happened to mine on the GR11). By the time we got to the next water, lots of hikers were congregated around the small flow, a branch of Spanish Needle Creek at Mile 669. We saw Rooster, a lone cowboy on the PCT, who was walking down to the creek with a collapsible bucket to collect water for his horse, who is ingeniously named ‘Horsey’.
The PCT’s very own lone cowboy, looking every bit the part!
We had met him last night at the Walker Pass Campground and saw him stroll out of camp this morning in full cowboy attire – hat, neckerchief and chaps. To say he looked cool doesn’t do him justice. Everyone has a million questions they keep asking Rooster about managing with a horse on the trail e.g. how many miles does the horse walk? What does he eat? How does Rooster resupply for himself and his horse? We said he should produce an information leaflet with answers to the top twenty questions he gets asked every single day, as every hiker quizzes him on the same points!
We also met Captain and Cheese Stick, more new people on the trail. It seems that we’re now becoming part of a growing bubble of hikers pushing on to Kennedy Meadows for the weekend. (We’re the ones that have stuck at it and not bailed out to Vegas for a week waiting for the snows to melt!)
As we were still feeling quite fresh, even at 6pm (that breakfast must have been filled with tons of extra calories as the trail was not seeming so tough today, even though it should have been), we decided to push on a further three miles and get the next ascent done whilst it was early evening and much cooler. It would also mean a few less miles hiking into Kennedy Meadows on Friday! This was good in theory, but when we arrived at our intended camp around 8pm, there were approximately 15 other people already pitched in the spot we had earmarked. As sunset had already happened and we didn’t want to hike on any further as it would be dark soon, we literally squeezed our tent in a gap by the trail that was just big enough without pegging the doors out. (Three-person tent problems!)
Looking onto a craggy ridge that to us was signalling the end of the desert and a change of scenery at last.
By the time we’d had dinner it was late, but it had been a really good trail day, despite my initial melancholy when I first woke up. Sometimes a bit of social interaction can really lift your spirits and trail magic definitely goes a long way as a morale booster when you’re not really feeling it. It couldn’t have come at a better time!
Still smiling after battling through a hard week!
With just 30 miles to go, we’re now really looking forward to having a beer with all our new trail friends when we reach Kennedy Meadows in just 2 day’s time!
Day 52 – Thursday 31st May 2018, Wild Camp at Mile 673 to Wild Camp near Manter Creek at Mile 694, 21 miles
It was exactly 4:30am when the alarm from the neighbouring tent woke us up! Its occupants clearly wanted an early start, most likely aiming to cover 30 miles and get to Kennedy Meadows today. As we had arrived at camp late last night, by the time we had washed, cooked and eaten dinner, and written blog notes it was 11pm, so we had no intention of getting up early to do the same! In fact, we didn’t even set the alarm. We would just get back on the trail when we were ready as we’d already planned on arriving in Kennedy Meadows by Friday lunchtime.
Even without setting the alarm, we had still packed away the tent, eaten breakfast and were all set to leave camp at 8am. (Which was brilliant considering we hadn’t really tried!) In the fresh light of day, we were so glad to have gotten most of the uphill climb done last night, which was now going to make for a much less demanding day overall.
It really was a final farewell to the desert as we hiked up to 8,000 feet, traversing around the sides of a huge granite ridge lined in evergreen trees, the trail again lined with purple and yellow wild flowers. The sky was a vivid blue, but we were lucky to have some cloud cover to shade us from the intense sun.
Trees and clouds made a welcome to change to what we had got used to over the last 50 days!
Into the forest we go… Looking forward to being surrounded by trees and the having the rare opportunity of some shade.
The trail was once again lined with beautiful yellow flowers that attracted lots of bees.
We had carried enough water from yesterday to see us through to Mile 681 where Chimney Creek was flowing gently beside the trail. There were some thru-hikers already filtering water from the creek when Rooster and Horsey casually trotted down too. Everyone finds it really amazing that he is undertaking the PCT on horse back. The pair of them seem to have become real trail celebrities!
We chatted to Rooster again whilst Horsey drank from the creek and dined on some nearby brush as there wasn’t too much grass around. Rooster must get fed up of us firing a million questions at him, but we find it really fascinating that his companion on the trail is a horse. For us, having to rely on water caches throughout the desert for instance was burdensome enough; so also being responsible for keeping a horse fed, watered and in good shape in the wilderness must be extra tough!
Now as Rooster really looks the business and makes it look so easy, we couldn’t believe it when he said he had never ridden a horse before this trip! He had purchased Horsey, a Mustang (Spanish for ‘untamed spirit’) from the Bureau of Land Management, who are responsible for managing wild horses in the US. Therefore Rooster had the job of breaking in this wonderful wild beast and bonding with him before starting this epic journey together. How did he do it? We asked. His response, by watching videos on YouTube! How incredible, that with no previous experience he learned from the internet all he needed to train a horse and was now looking quite the pro! We just love how the trail introduces us to such a rich variety of people, each on their own unique adventure, with such interesting stories to tell.
*(We can fully recommend watching the documentary ‘Unbranded’ – one of the Banff Mountain Film Festival adventure movies from 2017 – now showing on Netflix – which has a similar story to Rooster’s if you’re interested in hiking with a Mustang.)
After the water stop we had our second big climb of the day, but as the elevation gain was over 6 miles, the trail gradually wound up the mountainsides and was really well graded. Whilst looking out for lizards and Poodle Dog Bush, we’re now also looking out for hoof prints, especially when the trail is blocked by a fallen tree or seems too thin and precarious for a horse to pass. Rooster assures us he’s had no problems so far and Horsey just takes everything in his stride!
There were a few more signs on this section letting us know we were on the right track.
We also caught up with Diana and Sandra, the Swiss girls, who were having a break and dining on apples and coffee. (Not making us jealous at all!) They too are planning on reaching Kennedy Meadows on Friday so we said we’d have a celebratory drink with them. Out of all of the different mile markers we’ve reached so far, ‘700’ will be a significant one as it’s the official end of the desert and the start of a brand new section – it’s where the big mountains start and what Wayne calls ‘The Wonderland’.
Ready for something new! Into the wonderland we go…
So the last six miles, which were all downhill to Manter Creek where we were camping this evening, seemed to fly by as we discussed what we were going to eat and drink in Kennedy Meadows, and how much we were looking forward to two zeros! (Me in particular as my feet are still sore from my new shoes.)
Another Californian Horned Lizard we spotted along the trail. They are so camouflaged it’s easy to see why they get overlooked.
From up high, we could see a grassy flat area where we assumed the creek was running as it was so green. A few more switchbacks later and we were down in the camping area along with four other hikers who had already pitched there. We had read about a problem bear in the area from 2017, but we assumed the bear was no longer in the vicinity as there weren’t any recent updates, but we felt better knowing other hikers were camped nearby. (There’s truth in the saying ’Safety in numbers’!) So we pitched in a nice spot looking onto the mountains, but being bear aware, we cooked, washed and ate outside of the tent before sleeping. We’ll let you know tomorrow if there were any disturbances in the night! (Hopefully not!)
Our lovely, private camp spot close to Manter Creek.
Day 53 – Friday 1st June 2018, Wild Camp near Manter Creek at Mile 694 to Kennedy Meadows Store (South), 9 miles
Happily, for all of us camped nearby Manter Creek there weren’t any problem bears making a disturbance in the night! As today was going to be a ‘nearo’ for us after a hard week of 20+ mile days, we were ready to get back on the trail and get the last 9 miles to Kennedy Meadows knocked off before lunch time.
An early morning treat – Our lovely view of the mountains as we hiked out of the camp area.
Kennedy Meadows South, is a small community located in what is considered to be the gateway to the Sierra Nevada. Just off the main road and about half a mile from the trail there is a General Store that allows free camping at the back of the property for hikers, and for a $4 fee, showers and laundry facilities, plus the option of holding resupply packages, which is super convenient for PCT thru-hikers! The store also has a kitchen that serves daily breakfast, burgers and pizza. What more could a PCTer need?!
As we wouldn’t have the option of getting to a town for at least a week, two zero days off-trail using the Store as a base was just too good an opportunity to miss. A shower was long overdue and we were out of clean clothes, so it made perfect sense to stop by. We were also really looking forward to a burger and a few beers as a reward for all of our efforts since leaving Tehachapi just over a week ago. Even better, with us opting to take two zeros, we could have a lay in the next morning, something I’ve been desperate for over the past few days.
So up the trail we went, with visions of a long but gentle, meandering walk through a beautiful wild flower meadow, Kennedy Meadows was where we were heading after all. But instead, it still felt like we were walking through the desert as the trail was sandy underfoot and there were still plenty of lizards and cacti around. Soon after though, there was one huge difference… The presence of water! As we turned into the next valley we began following the fast flowing South Fork Kern River.
Taking in the already impressive scenery.
The desert evolves and the flora changes due to the presence of the water!
The South Fork Kern River injects life into the hills.
After so long without water, the river looked inviting enough for a swim.
We stopped for our second breakfast (today a KitKat chocolate bar!) next to some well positioned rocks overlooking the river and enjoyed listening to the noise of the rushing water. It felt like it had been so long since we had seen such a spectacle that we were almost tempted to get in for a swim! But we resisted, the lure of civilisation and all its great benefits sucking us into the vortex as we couldn’t wait to reach the General Store and spend all afternoon eating and drinking!
A novel rest stop – Enjoying a break by the river.
Simply beautiful.
But right before that, something even more exciting happened! After almost two months on the trail (we can’t believe it has just turned June today) – we finally made it to the 700 mile marker! Not only have we hiked further than any other thru-hike we’ve ever done, but reaching seven hundred miles signals the ‘official’ end of the ‘Desert Segment’, so now at last we can say goodbye to the desert and long, dry stretches where we were reliant on the kindness of strangers to survive. Typically, any hiker that reaches Mile 700 also has a much higher chance of completing the whole trail, so it was excellent news all round.
We made it to 700!!!!! We’re now over a quarter of our way through the PCT.
From sandy plains to rugged hills cloaked in green, the changes in the landscape were already striking.
It wasn’t long afterwards, that we then came to the trail junction and took the road leading to Kennedy Meadows and the General Store. We had a photograph at the village sign, then strolled up to the decked area that was already milling with hikers sorting out their resupply packages. We were happy as we’d arrived before midday, which meant we had plenty of time for both chores and relaxation!
Whoop! We made it to Kennedy Meadows. This is a significant milestone for every PCTer!
Arriving at the General Store. It doesn’t look much, but it’s the heart of the community – everything revolves around the Store.
We pitched the tent between some trees that offered some shade in the large camping area at the back of the store, showered, then sat down on the deck with a six-pack of Corona and ordered double burgers! Priorities, of course! (The laundry could wait until tomorrow!) As more and more hikers sat down to eat and drink it got a little lively, with cheers and whoops for new hikers arriving – everyone ecstatic to have made it this far on their PCT journey!
Happy to be taking two zeros off trail for some much-needed rest!
The ‘Hiker Box’ donations on the deck area. It looks a bit like a jumble sale, but if you can be bothered to look through the boxes, there are some amazing finds to be had. As the saying goes: ‘One man’s trash is another man’s treasure’.
When Rooster trotted up on Horsey it was like red carpet treatment, the lone PCT cowboy of 2018! He joined us for burgers, and then a few drinks, along with Scoop who also turned up that afternoon. The evening then went by in a blur as we swapped different hiking stories and travel tales, Rooster recommending that we visit South Korea as he has spent a lot of time there. (We’ll keep the tip in mind for future adventures!)
The opening times of the store are 9:00am until 5:00pm, but as the deck area was full of hikers both eating and drinking, therefore spending money, today it stayed open until around 9pm, which was really useful for us not to run out of supplies! Twelve bottles of IPA and four bottles of wine later, a great evening had been enjoyed by our little hiker group! And Horsey even got a bale of hay (courtesy of one of the Kennedy Meadows residents), plus some apples from out of the Hiker Box as a treat too!
Days 54 & 55 – Saturday & Sunday, 2nd & 3rd June 2018, Camping at the back of Kennedy Meadows Store (South), zero miles
There was a lot of noise around the camp area from around 7am, such a time considered as a lay in for most hikers who are usually up and away from camp by 6am. It was still early for us however, but we were awake, and after last night’s socialising, we were grateful that the Store Kitchen opened up around 8am to offer coffee and breakfast!
When the counter window slid open to take orders there was a queue of hikers right off the deck so we knew it would be a long wait, but it would be worth it, especially as stacks of freshly made pancakes were on the menu! I have officially been given the trail name of ‘Two Plates’ now as I literally eat anything and everything and am always hankering after ‘seconds’! So of course it was pancakes plus hash browns for me, whilst Wayne stuck with traditional sausage and scrambled egg. Considering we usually only eat breakfast biscuits before setting off on the trail, it was a breakfast for kings and ‘Two Plates’ here was happy!
Once we had refuelled it was time to get back to business. We used the washing machine and got our laundry done, then just after midday we got a ride, along with several other hikers who piled in the back of the truck, a couple of miles down the road to Grumpy Bear’s Retreat, which provides a free shuttle service back and forth from the General Store. It is another restaurant-bar in the Kennedy Meadows community, that also provides camping and facilities for PCT hikers, (because of course you’re spending money when passing through!) We had sent our food resupply package to Grumpy’s, along with our Amazon and REI orders of ice axes and micro spikes as they hold packages for PCT hikers free of charge. (The General Store charges $5 per box.) So we collected our packages and had lunch there, (spreading the love between both establishments) and also paid for two hours of internet service to catch up with any emails etc, as it would be around 10 days before we had access to the outside world again.
Heading over to Grumpy Bear’s Retreat to collect our resupply box and delivery of ice axes and micro spikes.
Just down the road from Grumpy’s there is also a small outfitter where hikers can purchase gear and resupply with food. Considering it’s a small operation, the ‘Triple Crown Outfitters’ has practically everything a thru-hiker would need, especially if having to replace gear whilst on the trail. There is also a fair selection of food stuffs at almost Walmart prices, so it is a good option for resupply if you haven’t sent yourself a box of food already. We ordered and collected our bear cans from there, and also bought a few extra goodies to add to our food resupply for the next 8 days. As we had decided to include an extra day in our itinerary to summit Mount Whitney, (a detour off the PCT), we needed some extra snacks!
How many hikers can you fit in the back of a pick-up truck? Taking the shuttle back to the General Store.
By the time we returned to the General Store it was early evening and once again busy around the deck area with new hikers who had made it the 700 miles. Machine was there with his trail family and invited us over to sit with them, which we did, enjoying a few more beers before moving to the ‘outdoor cinema area’. As it was a Saturday, it was ‘Movie Night’ at the store! Around the back, they have a large white screen and small seating area and use a projector to show a movie. Tonight it was ‘Meet The Fockers’, which if you haven’t seen it, is a hilarious comedy with Ben Stiller as the main actor. Rooster came to join us and we took along some drinks and snacks and it was all very civilised. The only thing missing was the popcorn!
Getting set up for ‘Movie Night’ at the General Store. They show a film every Saturday night on the outdoor screen.
Sunday came and went, as all zeros do, but today we were a bit more productive using the time to open all of our packages and organise our food rations into our bear cans, which was a tight squeeze fitting seven days of food in there. (The eighth day we could carry in our packs as we were going to eat it, the rule being that all scented items have to be securely stowed in the bear can at camp, not when hiking, which gave us a bit of leeway.)
Organising our food rations before cramming them into our 11.5 litre bear cans. It doesn’t look that much, but there is 8 days of food there for two people!
We ate at the store again for lunch, enjoying another double burger from their ‘Specials’ menu, then for dinner Wayne tried out a new ‘Trail Kitchen’ idea using up some of the food we had left over from the previous week. We had four packets of flavoured tuna left (Thai Spicy and Lemon Pepper), as well as a packet of Idahoan Mash. So Wayne prepped the mashed potato and mixed in the tuna, then shaped small round patties out of the mixture. He then fried them in our mini pan making his own ‘Thai Fish Cakes’. These were then served up with rice and quinoa, courtesy of a freebie that we took out of the Hiker Box. I also mixed together some tomato sauce, mayonnaise and red pesto as a kind of dipping sauce to go with it. For trail food it tasted really flavoursome, although to prep and cook the fish cakes, they did use up a lot of gas, so I doubt they’ll become a regular feature on our hiker menu – but it’s good to try out new things and change things up a little. (Even if it was still a meal with potato and tuna, two of our main staples.)
Wayne tries out a new ‘trail kitchen’ menu idea and cooks Thai fish cakes using our frying pan.
Going all posh and enjoying a cup of Chardonnay with Thai fish cakes, rice and quinoa, and a homemade seafood sauce. (Who needs Ramen when I have my very own trail chef?!)
Feeling very full after a completely gluttonous weekend of over indulging, we then tried to get an early night as we were heading back out on the trail the following morning. With a big week ahead it was both exciting and intimidating at the same time as we still didn’t quite know what to expect in terms of the snow pack and current conditions. But we weren’t on our own. Every other hiker at Kennedy Meadows would also be heading above 13,000 feet later in the week to cross Forrester Pass in order to continue on their PCT journey through the Sierra…
Day 56 – Monday 4th June 2018, Kennedy Meadows Store (South) to Wild Camp beside South Fork Kern River at Mile 717, 15 miles
We were hoping to get a coffee from the Store before we set off on the trail this morning, but they weren’t very quick at opening up today, so we forfeited a hot drink and headed off around 8:30am as we wanted an early finish at camp. With only having around 14 miles to cover as we had planned on camping along the South Kern River around Mile 716, it was perfectly doable!
With the Sierra offering such fabulous scenery and photographic opportunities, we have reduced our daily distances to between 12 and 15 miles (depending on camp locations) for the next few weeks, allowing us more time to really enjoy our surroundings. The lower mileage should also make traversing the high mountain passes a little easier as we only plan on crossing one pass per day. We’ll pick up the pace again later and still get to Canada – but right now, there’s no point in rushing through one of our favourite places in the world!
No sooner had we got back on the trail, than we were startled by a snake crossing our path! After expecting to see snakes regularly in the desert and always being cautious about rattlesnakes, yet hardly seeing any, it was quite ironic that our first experience out of the desert was to be met with a snake! (Thankfully not a dangerous one!) Listening to other hikers’ stories about rattlesnake sightings, some being too close for comfort, I think we’ve been lucky so far in avoiding any potential dangers from wildlife. Let’s hope this good karma continues through the Sierra and we have the same lack of exposure regarding bears as well!
It’s ironic that now we’re officially out of the desert we see a snake crossing the trail! Thankfully it wasn’t a rattler!
Unfazed by the snake, we continued along the trail, enjoying the greenery of the South Sierra Wilderness, quite a contrast to the yellow, dusty hills of the Mojave basin. After 5 miles or so, we took a rest break beside the South Fork Kern River. The river was full and fast flowing, but we were quite fortunate as there is a large wooden bridge over it to enable a safe crossing. Instead of snakes, the Sierra has other potential dangers, one of which is river crossings. We know that there will soon be rivers that we must ford, which depending on the water level and strength of flow, may be hazardous. We will just have to assess each crossing at the time and not take any unnecessary risks.
Entering the Sequoia National Forest, part of the South Sierra Wilderness.
A nice little trail luxury – crossing the South Fork Kern River by bridge!
With having less mileage to cover today, it felt like half a day’s walking compared to the twenty plus miles of late. We were making good progress as the trail was well trodden and much of it was flat, meandering over gentle ridges overlooking a lush green Beck Meadow to the west. When the South Fork Kern River came into view again cutting through the valley, we knew it wasn’t long before we’d be at camp, so we had even more of a spring in our step. An afternoon relaxing by the river in the sunshine was the perfect motivator to keep on walking!
After leaving Kennedy Meadows and hiking into the Sequoia National Forest we had a tremendous view of Beck Meadow. (Now this is what we were expecting!)
The South Fork Kern River cuts through the valley. We were planning on camping by the river around Mile 716.
The river looked very inviting and as it was quite shallow, we thought it wouldn’t be too cold, so today we were intent on going in for a paddle. As there was a grassy bank along one side, we also thought this would be a good spot to pitch the tent. Being from England, grass is the norm for pitching a tent so we often just take it for granted. Having had to contend with desert scrub for the past 700 miles, the excitement of seeing grass was real, so with no restrictions, we were not going to pass up the opportunity of camping on it!
Lovely afternoon reflections…
We camped on the grass beside the river, which we thought was a great idea until the following morning…
When it came to dinner time, we decided to go and sit on the small beach area on the opposite side of the river to cook. Not only would it afford us a good view of the setting sun, but now being conscious about bears, we didn’t want any cooking smells lingering on the tent. Several other hikers camped around the bridge and on the grassy bank down the way from us also had a similar idea, so there ended up being nine of us sat around in a circle cooking and chatting. (This included Picnic, Conflicted, Miami Vice, Trip, Vortex and two section hikers who hadn’t been given trail names yet.) The main topic of conversation was what we were cooking as they couldn’t quite believe we were carrying a frying pan! (As most of them were cooking Ramen or had cold soaked their food, they all seemed quite envious of our melted cheese, rice, beans and tuna quesadillas coming hot off the pan!)
The envy of all thru-hikers! Using our frying pan to cook quesadillas for a tasty trail dinner.
As well as a top-notch camp dinner, we also had a lovely sunset, the sky turning a yellow-orange after the sun dipped. Now officially in the High Sierra, we hope this is the first of many, and the sign of more wonderful things to come!
Watching sunset from the little beach on the other side of the river. We prepared and ate dinner on the opposite side to the tent to avoid picking up cooking smells and attracting bears.
It’s been an up and down kind of week, but now we have at last reached the Sierra, we’re excited to be embarking on the next stage of our PCT journey crossing the high mountains and developing our winter hiking skills. Also, it will be wonderful to revisit some of our favourite places from the JMT, and to see things from a different perspective as this time we’ll be hiking in the opposite direction (the PCT overlapping most of the 211-mile John Muir Trail). With over a quarter of our thru-hike completed, our next big milestone will be 1,000 miles!…
8 Comments
Good luck Brits! So glad we can share California with you. Have a wonderful hike thru Sierras. Hope to read st end you are in Canada!
Thanks so much Cheryl!
We hope to make it all the way to Canada too! Absolutely love California, it has everything 🙂
So enjoying your trip! Have also read your JMT blog as we hope to do parts of it this September. Happy hiking and thank you for taking the time to record your days!
Thank you Jane! It’s great to hear that people are enjoying following along. Returning to the Sierra has brought back lots of wonderful memories from our time on the JMT. It is so different seeing the mountains covered in snow this time round though, and it seems much harder going northbound now on the PCT!
September will be a great time to visit! Happy hiking 🙂
Great blog companion to your YouTube video. I’ve seen “Unbranded ” and thought it was fairly good. An even bettet movie about horses and their human companions is “Buck”, a documentary about possibly the greatest horse trainer of our time, Buck Branaman. He trains people how to gain the trust of a horse so you don’t have to force the horse to do anything. One of my favorite documentaries of all time. He’s quite a man, and I highly recommend that you watch the movie.
Thanks Mike! Sounds really interesting. We’ll definitely check it out when we get home.👍
I enjoy so much to follow your blog and to look at all your gorgeous pictures and videos! It is like walking the PCT again, I belong to the PCT Class of 2017. Have a wonderful hike in the Sierra and above all: Enjoy and stay safe! And remember: you don’t have to ford the river where the trail is, you can walk up and down to find the safest spot to cross!
Thanks for the tip Françoise and for taking the time to comment. It’s always great to get positive feedback 🙂 We’re loving the High Sierra and being able to take so many photos and share them of such a beautiful place!