Kennedy Meadows to Bishop, 87 Miles

In this stretch, we have begun the section where the Pacific Crest Trail intersects with the John Muir Trail. The JMT runs from Mount Whitney, the highest mountain in the continental United States, to Tuolumne Meadows near Yosemite Valley.

The average altitudes that we have been hiking at is in excess of 10,000 ft, often higher. These high mountains are entirely different ecosystem than anything I have ever seen before. Ancient trees, the cleanest water one could imagine, and my personally favorite, marmots.

Lost Creek to Death Canyon Spring, (what an optimistic name) 20 Miles

A cold night with blowing winds, camped at ~10,200 ft. Forecast, 36°, 30° with windchill.We climbed 4,000 ft today to reach the high  mountains, and our spirits are high as we are finished with the desert, experiencing cool temperatures, beautiful views, and water aplenty. It is an extremely low snow year in the Sierra Nevadas, and we moved a great deal faster today than we expected to, doubling the miles that we counted on, even with the thin air at high altitudes. We will be in the town of Lone Pine in 2 days, and then we will hit some of the highest elevations to be found in the United States.

Death Canyon to Muah Mountain, 14 Miles

Bundling up for our coldest night yet on trail, camped above 10k. Forecast of 22°, wind chill of 11°. Luckily, we are in a comfortable 4 season tent and mountaineering sleeping pads, as well as shielded from the bulk of the winds here. While not necessarily comfortably warm at all times, we are safe and set for a good night of sleep. We are slowly adjusting to the high altitudes here, and the views make all of this worth it. The only downside I can state for our experience so far in the high sierra are the low flying fighter jets making excessive noise in an otherwise serenely silent landscape. Silent except for the birds of course. 

Lone Pine to Rock Creek, 15 Miles

We hiked into Lone Pine three days ago, and were lucky to make it off when we did, as a snowstorm came in quickly as we got a ride 8,000 ft down to the town of Lone Pine. A charming, small town with a great history in film documented at the Western Film Museum. Movies such as Gunga Din, High Sierra, Star Trek, and many John Wayne films were shot in this area, with Death Valley to the east, the sierra to the west, and the strange looking Alabama Hills to the north.

After a rest, we’re happy to be back at it. In this stretch, we will be summiting Mount Whitney, the highest mountain in the lower 48, and Forester Pass, the highest point on the Pacific Crest Trail. For much of the next few weeks, we will be above 10,000 ft. It is beautiful out here, and the weather is miraculous. We are fortunately here before the annual black fly and mosquito hatch, so it is very pleasant. Water is plentiful, life is good. All I can take note of is that our backpacks are weighed down with a week’s worth of food, as well as cold weather.

Rock Creek to Crabtree Meadow, 10 Miles

Camped at the base of Mount Whitney, around 10,600 ft. We’re going to rise very early tomorrow in hopes of summiting around sunrise. Today felt like our first true day in the high Sierra surrounded by pristine water, and far-off snow capped peaks. In late May this year, only the summits of these high mountains remain covered in white powder. We have begun fording many streams filled with this year’s hatch of young golden trout and fragile meadows with scurrying chipmunks. 
I love seeing marmots on trail, as they often have curiousity to stick around for a photo or as we stop for a break. I caught sight of one right outside his den in a hutch of rocks, taking advantage of the fresh snow just outside as convenient water. 
Weather could not be better with highs in the 50’s and lows at night in the low 30’s. Well within comfort on both ends, we could not be here at a better time of year.

Crabtree Meadow to Mount Whitney & back, 16 Miles

Woke up at 1:30 AM to begin our ascent of Mount Whitney, across some of the most difficult and beautiful trail that I have ever seen. Crossed alpine lakes, marmot dens, and as many switchbacks as you could ever want in your lifetime to reach the summit at 14,508 ft. We also were fortunate enough to see a lunar eclipse, really was some of the most memorable hiking that I will have in my lifetime.

At the summit, there were a pair of house finches so friendly that I could get them to eat out of my hand. Seriously though, this was some difficult trail. We averaged about a 1.5/hr at best, about half of our average. After about 5 hours, we were surprised to find that we had acclimated enough to the altitude that we felt strong, although slow. At 14,000 ft, there is about 57% as much oxygen as at sea level.

There was also a fun sign that I found at the summit, which marked Mount Whitney as Fisherman’s Peak, it’s original proposed name. The story goes that fishermen from Lone Pine wanted to get a view of their surroundings to find the best alpine lakes, and climbed the highest mountain they could see to do so. They came back with fish from the lake they went to. This is the first confirmed summit by white men, and advocates such as John Muir proposed the mountain be named Fisherman’s Peak in honor of this. The powers that be hated this name however, and it became Whitney after the first to do a geologic survey of the area.

Our round trip today took 13 hrs from when we started. Worth every step. Tomorrow, we’ll be ascending Forester Pass, the highest point on trail for the PCT. Can’t wait!

Crabtree Meadow to Kings Canyon National Park, 18.5 Miles

2 marathon days as we crossed the highest point on the Pacific Crest Trail, Forester Pass, named in honor of the forest rangers who discovered the pass in 1929. At 13,100 ft, crossing the pass at these altitudes it was like walking through arctic tundra. We alternated walking over frozen lakes and hardened ice, tussocks, rock and talus, and grasslands.
It is something to see frozen lakes in late May, and a source of major snowmelt as we drank the cleanest water I have ever seen. Though I still don’t wish to take the risk, this water is so clean that you can drink it directly from the stream with little risk of danger from giardia or other waterborne bacteria.

Crossing the pass, we are welcomed by alpine frogs into Kings Canyon National Park, a pristine wilderness. While Yosemite was developed with infrastructure, Kings Canyon was left as is. While Yosemite receives millions of visitors each year, Kings Canyon only receives about 300k, the least in California’s extensive national park system.

Forester is the first and highest of 8 passes that we will traverse, and I am happy that we might not get such intense effects from altitude from now on.

Kings Canyon National Park to Bishop, 15 Miles

Today we took a side trail to a trailhead near the town of Bishop. A small town of 4,000, it has a strong tourist industry due to its location as the only large city along the southern half of the John Muir Trail. 
As we have learned, a side trail in the Sierras is no small feat. In Kings Canyon National Park, you are closed in between towering mountains on every side, jagged and appearing almost sculpted. To escape this enclosure, one must take a pass over the mountains. In this case, we took Kearsarge Pass.
At 11,670 ft, it is one of the lowest passes of the eight we will cross. 
The view from these high vantage points to the valleys below is truly something of wonder, and I hope the photos can capture some of the beauty if not the scale. Humans appear minuscule against these vast landscapes. After a quick resupply in Bishop, I cannot wait to be back in the John Muir Wilderness. I don’t think that I have been in a place so sublime, save perhaps the Swiss Alps. If you stand still, you can sometimes hear the mountains sing as the wind passes over their peaks.

Total Miles: 789