Day 49
Today was our first day back on trail and the start of the sierras. It was a lot of elevation but I think we managed pretty well. We woke up at 4:45 and left the general store by 615. I got to wish my mom a happy Mother’s Day and a few other friends and family too!
Spooky, Oats, Noah and I made good time with the first round of miles. We wanted to do 15 miles to the South Kern Fork Bridge and we made it by 12:30. We took some breaks in between and leap frogged with Baby Maple, Reaper and Stumbles. We all took a lunch break there, filtered water, dipped our toes in and I even got to nap.
From there we only had another 6 miles to camp. This is where the elevation kicked in though…
We left by 1:45 and made it to camp around 4:30. We’re officially at 10,000ft elevation now! It was a long and strenuous climb but I’m glad we made it.
Oats packed out marshmallows and Noah and I picked up chocolate and graham crackers. We set up camp and then Noah got the fire going. Oats came in last:/ she got a bit lost and had a tough last few miles but we had the fire going and soon she was smiling!
We all ate dinner (Me Noah Spooky Oats Wyatt Baby Maple Reaper and Stumbles) and then had some s’mores. It was so nice to sit by the fire! There’s some snow where we are but we didn’t traverse in any today. Tomorrow will be a tough one, I can feel it. It’s pretty chilly but I’m glad I have extra layers!
Songs at the forefront of my mind: “Bohemian Rhapsody”-Queen and there was another but I’m blanking on it hmmm
Day 50
WOOO DAY 50!!! I thought a lot about college today (we celebrated 50 days until we graduated at Muhlenberg and it’s one of my favorite memories, dancing with my roommate all night long at the bar).
We were hoping for a 630 start but Oats was slow packing up so we left a bit before 7!
I had an incredible sleep so I was excited for day 2 in the Sierras. We climbed to the top of the mountain we slept on and had some really pretty views. The downhill was a bit tough and slow for me because of the snow and my knee, but we all stuck together and waited for one another.
Today we did 20 miles but it felt SO freaking long. It felt like we did 30- I think it was because of the altitude. I didn’t feel super affected other than heavy breathing and a small headache, but that could be from not drinking enough water.
We took lots of breaks throughout the day, stopping to filter water, eat, wait for one another and continue on. Noah spotted a rock that looked like a turtle!
The sierras are beautiful. I felt emotional after our first climb because I’ve wanted to do this for ten years and my dreams are finally coming true. It’s hard work but so unbelievably worth it. Being out here is beyond special.
We took a lunch break 12 miles in at Owens Valley Overlook and it was so windy but we had some coverage from the rocks. I didn’t plan my food out well today so it was mostly in the bear can :/ I think that’s another reason why today felt so long – I didn’t eat enough!
The last 8.4 to camp felt so long. There was some snow to traverse and we were post holing and it dragged on. I was so excited to get to camp.
When we finally did (after a god awful push uphill) we found everyone struggling in the wind. Our site isn’t super protected but I don’t mind the wind so I hope I get another good nights rest.
Dinner was AMAZING. Noah’s parents sent us fancy luxurious meals and tonight we had Butter Chicken and Rice. It was everything! Plus we’re not cold soaking anymore so a hot meal does wonders for me. I’m so grateful! And also glad we cold soaked up until the sierras because I’m finding myself appreciating it that much more.
Early wake up tomorrow! 25 miles to the closest camp we can go to Whitney. Gonna be a tough one. That’s another thing, I thought today was going to be so hard but I truly think we killed it! There wasn’t much snow though – tomorrow we’re looking at more. 4am wake up..GOOD NIGHT.
Songs at the forefront of my mind: “Million Dollar Baby”-Tommy Richman “Elastic”-Joey Purp and “No One”-Aly and AJ
Day 51
Well, today was really hard and ended 7 miles early! And that’s okay. I was the one who said let’s call it and I’m really glad I did.
We woke up at 4 and were on the trail by 445. Noah’s headlamp was dead:/. He was okay though.
Hiking in the moonlight was absolutely gorgeous. It was super cold but once we got moving I felt good! The snow had a nice crust and everything was going well. We reached the top of the first hill and the view was spectacular. The moon was almost full too.
Sunrise was just as epic – we were going down and I was taking my time and Noah kept taking action shots of me.
We walked across a frozen lake and up into the mountain. We had a small break at Chicken Spring Lake and it was gorgeous. The ice was glacial blue and I couldn’t stop taking pictures! After that we went up into the mountain and got a beautiful view of the Sierras. Everything was going well!
Then it hit noon….once that happened it started melting and we had to pick up the pace to avoid post holing. The whole day felt slow in terms of mileage to hour ratio, but what could we do? Fly? I WISH!
We had lunch at 12:45 and we still had 9.4 miles to go. By 2 we were continuously losing the trail and post holing. I knew there was no way we were going to make it, and if we did, there was no way we were doing Whitney tomorrow. At 7 miles left we had a river crossing and right after I spoke up about my concerns. If we’re going to do this 7, we won’t make it to camp until 630/7ish. And we want to wake up at 1am for Whitney? I didn’t feel like we were setting ourselves up for success.
Everyone agreed and we called it. It was still early but I think we all really needed a rest. The new plan is to do the 7 miles to camp tomorrow and have a big rest day, then start Whitney at midnight. I feel bad being the person to say it but this is my hike just as much as it is everyone else’s!
The rest of the day was nice. I laid in the sun, ate and took a nap. Lucky, Newfoundland and Baby Maple joined us at camp and we had a campfire which was super nice. It’s 6:49 and I am going to BED!
Songs at the forefront of my mind: “Us feat. Taylor Swift”-Gracie Abrams and nothing else because this was on loop in my head alllll day
Day 52
Well, no Whitney for us :/
Today was a really hard day emotionally. We got up at 4 again and left by 430. We had a slow trek up to the first summit where we ate for a bit and hydrated. This is when I had to poop. So I went, and I timed myself because three people were waiting on me. It took 10 minutes total.
During that time, Spooky got extremely cold – to the point of dangerous. I had no idea, but when I got back I could tell his vibe had shifted.
We continued on for a bit, and when I stopped to change my gloves Spooky called us all in for a meeting. Basically said that at the speed we’re going it’s going to be way too dangerous to summit Whitney. The speed, coupled with stops (he mentioned my knee and my bathroom break and how they slow us down and he gets cold) is too long and he’s afraid we won’t be able to do it safely. He said to mull it over and we continued walking.
Of course, I felt like shit. It felt like I was the entire reason for this and I slow everyone down. I felt pretty upset but Noah and I talked and we knew it was because of the weather and all contributing factors. We decided that we didn’t HAVE to do Whitney because we already did it in 2023. It would be cool to attempt in the snow from the PCT side and not Whitney Portal but it wasn’t an end all be all for us.
Then Oats fell and thought she broke her pole. Morale was low. Noah and I were being slow, which of course Spooky didn’t like. We reached our first river crossing and Oats fell and so did Noah :(. This is where we had our big talk about Whitney. We all decided that if not everyone felt comfortable doing it then we shouldn’t. I voiced that it’s not fun being the reason Spooky is so frustrated. He voiced that he could do today in shorts and a tshirt if it wasn’t for all of us slowing him down.
It’s really not fun being called baggage.
From there we had another 7 miles to the site before Forrester Pass. I was feeling like absolute shit from that talk and wanted nothing but to sit down and cry. I didn’t want to hike with Spooky anymore- not after that talk. I could feel myself slowing down, and then came the worst: I had to poop again. I was so anxious about making everyone stop I held it until I couldn’t anymore and then Noah, the angel he is, told Spooky and Oats to go ahead because he had to poop.
We had the rest of the day to ourselves and it was EXACTLY what I needed. I could be as slow as I wanted without someone seething about it! So here’s a few pictures from my favorite part of the day:
We took our time and had some breaks and talked stuff out and I fell in love with the sierras all over again. It’s so beautiful here and I really don’t want to get tied down with someone else’s emotional baggage about what the sierras experience should be. I want this to be my own hike. And I love Spooky so much, I’ve had so much fun hiking with him but these past few days haven’t been enjoyable and I need to look out for myself.
At our second river crossing we took our shoes and socks off and made a dash across. It was SO COLD!! We warmed our feet up and then WYATT SHOWED UP!! He literally did Whitney this morning, what a badass. The way he explained it to us made me think I wouldn’t have been able to do it. I’ll never know, and that’s okay. I wouldn’t want to go in with a group that is lacking trust.
After we talked with Wyatt and ate some lunch we had 4ish miles to go. They were SLOW. And that’s OKAY! We made it up to Bighorn Plateau and it was so freaking gorgeous I’ll throw some pictures below but they’ll never do it justice!
Coming down the mountain was slow and a slog. We post holed for quite a bit but eventually made it to camp after crossing yet another river, this time with shoes and socks on. So tough.
Being at camp with Wyatt Spooky and Oats was good! We had buffalo mac n cheese for dinner and it was insanely good. Oats is feeling upset about being slow and I don’t understand. We’re hiking the sierras in mostly snow and are adjusting to the altitude. I want her to stop being so hard on herself!
We’re doing Forrester Pass tomorrow together and hoping to do 22 miles to make it to town. I think the group is breaking up :/ I love them so much but I don’t think it would be good for me mentally to do the sierras with Spooky. He’ll just have to deal with us in New Zealand!
Songs at the forefront of my mind: “I Got Nerve” – Hannah Montana – literally all day long I think it got me through today
Day 53
Forrester Pass COMPLETE!! What an insanely unreal and gorgeous day today was.
We woke up at 3 for a 330 start but unfortunately Oats overslept :(. So we waited maybe another half hour for her and then set off around 4.
The climb to Forrester was long and strenuous, but Noah and I were going super fast. At one point Spooky commented on it and I replied with a quick “isn’t this what you wanted?” Lol.
We came to this beautiful open field and had views of Forrester Pass in front of us and a beautiful sierra range behind us. Best part? My headlamp somehow died overnight after I charged it (I think it got too cold) but the moon was out and so bright I didn’t need it!
I also saw so many beautiful stars and constellations – we hiked towards the Big Dipper for so long! I couldn’t stop thinking about my dad (he loves the night sky).
As we neared Forrester we had a small snack break. I ate half a granola bar and then my stomach started hurting. THEN I got super nervous looking at the pass and started panicking and hyperventilating. The closer we got the worse it seemed, until we saw Wyatt with his headlamp on flashing at us. The switchbacks he traversed didn’t seem to bad, but I was still pretty nervous.
Once we started hiking up it really wasn’t too bad. I just focused on my feet and the path in front of me. It took an hour to get to the top, and I was the slowest but I DID IT! It felt so good, being at the top. We took a group pic, Noah and I got a really cute one and we had a small dance party.
We all started to get cold so we headed down the other side. Noah and Spooky glissaded while Oats and I walked down. We took the PCT route around and down, and got a bit lost and had to hike back upwards and towards a really steep switchback down. This is where the day took a turn for the worse.
I was super nervous going down this switchback. It was sketchy and I didn’t feel confident, and I ended up losing my footing and falling. Thankfully there was an open field at the bottom and I just slid super fast, found myself looking down and seeing a rock below me, turned to avoid it, barely hit it, then continued the slide down.
When I got to the bottom I yelled up that I was okay and I had a huge adrenaline rush and shock to my system. I picked myself up and started moving over to a bunch of rocks in the field. Then, the same thing happened to Noah.
At first I thought he did it in solidarity but once he reached the bottom he told me that he also slipped and fell. He was completely fine, thank god.
I had already given myself a once over and unfortunately my left pant leg had slid up, causing a nasty rip off of my skin on my shin. Noah bandaged me up while Spooky and Oats made it down towards us.
I didn’t have much time to collect myself since everyone wanted to get a move on, so we continued on.
The shock wore off and I realized how scared I was to continue going down. The grades we traversed past this weren’t nearly as steep as the one I fell from, but I still had the fear in my mind. I was therefore moving much slower, causing Spooky and Oats to have to wait for me. That did not feel good. Also! Spooky after the fall told me “maybe invest in some crampons in Bishop” instead of showing ANY sort of compassion and it really upset me.
All of this started compounding and I realized yet again that a 22 mile day may be too much for me after traversing Forrester Pass and sliding down unexpectedly. We took a long time getting down a kinda steep pass (steep for me) and I told them to stop waiting for me. I said that I understood the most important thing for them was to get to town and I did not want to be the thing that slowed them down, because I was pretty scared at this point and wanted to prioritize my safety. And off they went.
It got significantly less steep after that, and Noah and I took our time hiking down and admiring the views we had. We came into the valley and had a long traverse to the end of it, with heaps of snow to cross. I was getting grumpy with how slow we were going, and Noah suggested we take a break to eat. That’s another thing! We barely had eaten! Two granola bars each, and when Noah was bandaging me Spooky was just sitting there eating a biscoff tortilla.
The group behind us made their way to us and we all chatted and hiked for a bit before they pulled ahead. Noah’s got some tendinitis and it was really bothering him so we took it slow and continued on.
By 12 we reached the other group and they had set up camp. They invited us to join them for the day and hinted at a campfire, but Noah and I wanted to keep going. There was 8.8 miles left and we thought it was too early to stop.
The next 1.5 were ASS!!! Straight uphill to Kearsarge Pass. I didn’t realize that we were attempting another pass today, and after learning that I said absolutely no way screw that and we decided to stop at the bottom of the pass and camp there.
Boy, what an incredible decision that was. We got here at 2 and the sun was out and we got to dry our clothes and shoes and lay around and eat all the food we haven’t been able to eat because we’re always on Spooky’s schedule. Our tent site is gorgeous with views of a beautiful mountain!
We took a nap in the tent and have been so content with stopping early. Tomorrow we wake up at 4 to do the last 7 miles and then head into town. I feel bad dropping back from Oats and Spooky but prioritizing my safety was the most important thing I did today. Plus I’d rather try and get to town early in the day than late at night. Hoping we get a ride tomorrow!
Songs at the forefront of my mind: “It’s a Beautiful Day” U2 and “How Bad Do You Want Me”-Lady Gaga
Day 54
I’m so glad that we didn’t do Kearsarge yesterday. It was so beautiful hiking up with the sunrise!
We were moving by 5 this morning. There was a lot of snow to traverse on the way up but we also had some trail along a cliffside with stunning views. The moon was shining bright as we started, then as the sun began to rise the clouds turned cotton candy pink and we got to see an incredible alpine glow on the mountains.
When we reached the top we celebrated! Only down to go. There were a few people hiking up from the other side so we waited for them to reach the top. Turns out we knew them! It was Grandma, Breeze, Botch and Pie. The most time we ever spent with them was Aqueduct Day when we all took a nap under the bridge.
They told us some crazy town stories and gave us a trail angel’s number (thank god!) and we went on our merry way.
Going down Kearsarge was pretty terrifying. There was a steep grade that led all the way down to a lake. I probably did that half mile in 45 minutes, locking my entire body and making sure I was secure with three points of contact before taking another step. That’ll be fun to go back over!
We called the angel 3.5 out and pretty much ran the rest of the way. It felt so long and the sun was hot but we both didn’t want to stop and shed layers until we reached the bottom.
At the bottom we waited for the angel as War Paint and BAP met us there. They hopped into the car with us and off we went to Independence. We picked up our resupply from my sister Jenny (THANK YOU SO MUCH) then went and had some tacos and beers down the street. The bus was due at 12 but a couple of people offered us a ride before we headed that way! We loaded up our gear in a big pickup and split up, two and two per car.
It was an incredible ride and I was excited to have some service. 6 days no service!
We got into town, booked a motel and headed that way. Luckily, we checked in early so we each had a shower, big lay down and then went met Oats at the brewery for a late lunch. It was nice to catch up and also tell her that we want to slow down. I just feel bad because she’s in a predicament – Spooky is too fast during the day but she wants to do that mileage. I don’t want her to go in alone 🙁
We stopped at Dollar Tree for some snacks, picked up a joint and went back to the room to hangout. Later, we met Spooky, Oats and Wyatt out for mexican food and ice cream after. No bad vibes, everyone was happy to see each other and catch up.
The big group that we caught up to in the sierra was down at the brewery so Noah, Oats and I headed there. There were so many people! We stayed for a beer and chatted with War Paint and Baby Maple and BAP, then headed out and got a ride back to the motel. Zero tomorrow! And possibly another one so I can let this wound on my shin heal!
Day 55 and 56
We took two zeros in Bishop because we needed it. I’m deciding against journaling while we’re in town because of how much rest my body is demanding from me! But I have some photos and can recall how wonderful those zeros were.
Day 55 was lovely! We had McDonalds for breakfast, then did our laundry, split up our resupply, laid around and hung out with everyone at night for a BBQ outside. Stumbles and Reaper had came in this day and it was so nice to hang out and catch up with them!
We also got lunch with Wyatt and Oats. Seems that Oats had told Spooky we weren’t too happy with him so he got out in front of it and sent us a long text about going into the sierras without us. Fine by me, he did all the work I wasn’t excited to do! I did want to have a conversation with him about some things I wasn’t happy about, though. I was able to do that and I’m glad we communicated. Friendships and conversations like that can be hard and I value him a lot!
Day 56 was the biggest lay in bed day we have taken on trail. We went to Schat’s Bakery and picked up a loaf of banana walnut bread and some donuts. YUM!
After that, we laid around all day, watching movies on TV and eating a ton of food. We watched 22 Jump Street! We could’ve gone and hung out with the big group but I could feel how exhausted we both were. We did not want to leave the room.
All in all, our first week in the sierras was strenuous and I learned a lot about myself and what I need to conquer this section. I’m really glad that I was able to speak up for myself and be honest that the pace was too fast for me and I didn’t feel safe. I’m feeling nervous to get back up and over Kearsarge and get all of the passes in the next section done, but I definitely feel more confident that it’ll just be Noah and I. I didn’t like being someone else’s frustration, and I know that with Noah I am not that. We’ll take it slow, make sure every route we’re taking is one we’re comfortable with, and most importantly, HAVE FUN. I am excited to slow down, relax a bit, challenge myself, and get back out there! My wound is healing up but pretty gross and definitely not scabbed over, so hopefully it won’t be too much of a bother. Until next week!
