Hands down, this was my favorite section on the trail. Every day, I was continually impressed by the beauty of the backcountry.. This was the most beautiful, isolated, and other-worldly hiking I personally have ever done. Each day was filled with cheeks hurting from smiling too much and bellies aching from laughing too hard. The scenery was surreal and the air was thin. Also keep in mind, the numbers above just refer to the mile markers – not side quests (like mount Whitney) or skipped miles (like fire closure).
Day 43 and 44 – ZEROes at Grumpy Bear
The decision to double Zero in Kennedy Meadows was easy. Kennedy Meadows (KM) is an iconic stop on the Pacific Crest Trail – it is the gateway to the Sierra. The Sierra Nevada Mountain Range are primarily Granitic Mountains towering around 12,000 feet more or less and are infamous for their beauty and ruggedness. They are ruthless without care with a proposal of exceptional reward, if you are lucky. Taking two days off before entering this section was helpful. I got new shoes, I ate a lot of food, and spent time with others as we simultaneously prepared for the mountains and celebrated the end of the desert.
camping at Grumpy Bear’s
The night of my first zero, I stayed up late chatting with others thru-hikers on the porch of Grumpy Bears. In Kennedy Meadows, there are two stores; the General Store and Grumpy Bears. I Stayed at GB primarily because they served food after 5pm and they offered free shower and laundry which was nice. I personally had a fabulous hot and high pressured shower but I heard others report different. But free is free and beggars can’t be choosers. Anyways, as the nighttime deepen, a few of us stayed chatting. Around 11:30pm, we saw two headlamps in the distance – I raised my eyebrows and wondered if it could be Rainbow Carrot and Dennis (who now goes by Bloodhound). They got off trail for a week and are capable of pulling crazy miles if necessary. They contacted me earlier that day saying they were going to pull a 35 mile day for Flo’s birthday breakfast. I didn’t think they were going to make it to Grumpy Bear tonight though. This business is still 5 miles away from the trailhead while the general store is only 0.5 miles. So, most people hike to the GS and then take the shuttle from one business to the other.
Shuttle between Grumpy Bear and the General Store
Sure enough as they got closer, their voices confirmed my suspicions; it was my friends!! I greeted them with a big hug and beers as a congratulations for succeeding and completing the desert.
The next day, we woke up and immediately sang happy birthday to Flo. He was given a pancake that overflowed the plate with a disgusting amount of whipped cream. We also sang happy birthday to him later in multiple different languages, included but not limited to English, French, Russian, Hebrew, and possibly one or two more. Overall, the two zeroes were relaxing and rewarding
Flo’s bday breakfast!
Day 45 – Getting back on Trail
Ok. I am getting back on trail today. I am excited. However there is one thing that stands in my way; the fact that I have to stop at the General Store to get a few things. I know I must stay strong, keep my head down, get my items and walk. I can do this. I can leave the store at 12pm. No later than that. I got this.
However, I immediately got greeted by hikers who I haven’t seen in a while, got roped into multiple games of Egyptian Rat Screw (my favorite card game), tempted by real food, and lingered to use the last of the internet before heading out to an 8 day stretch with no service. Dang it. Once again, the town vortex has won. Town: 4, Zoe: 0.
One day I will get out of town efficiently – one day. just not today.
after finally hiking out of Kennedy Meadows South!
I ended up leaving the General Store around 2pm with the knowledge that Pablo, Flo, Rainbow Carrot, and Bloodhound will be leaving the store in the next few hours while the Swedish Couple had the plan to do around 17 miles – and here I was, entering the sierras solo. As I walked, anxiety fluttered in my stomach. No way I was going to catch the Swedes due to how left I late but I know the group of four will also not be able to that many miles today. I met a Park Ranger who asked me for my permit. I proudly pulled it out, and showed off my bear can as I happily showed that I was obliging by the rules.
The Ranger’s car
As I walked, I thought about what to do. After two days of socializing, I was happy to be alone with my thoughts. I ultimately decided to only hike seven miles to wait for the group of four. It was the same group that stayed in Palm Springs and did San Jacinto together. We jokingly called ourselves the Tramilia, and it was nice to be together again.
I got to my camp around 6pm and had a quiet and slow dinner. It was deeply peaceful with the trees towering over me and a small hum from a nearby river. I heard a crack in the distance and there was a thunderstorm occurring on the other side of the ridge. It began to sprinkle on me, but nothing more. I wrote in my journal about the mixed emotions I was having for the upcoming days. Excited, nervous, thrilled.
Bloodhound’s stove burning off some of the excess fuel
Around 9pm, the crew showed up and I crawled out of my tent to greet them with big hugs! I sat with them for dinner before going to sleep super late.
Day 46 – to Death Canyon Creek
I was the first one awake and out of camp. The morning was chilly with a slight incline. By 10am, I did 7 miles and was 0.1 miles from the South Fork Kern River when I slipped and fell on my butt. I sat in the middle of the soft brown trail for a full five minutes before getting up. I believe that if I fall (which I do often), it means I need to sit for a least a few minutes. When I finally got up, I approached the most tranquil bridge. Swallows swirled up and down over the river while I ate my second breakfast and filtered my water.
morning view
the most beautiful bridge eve!!
I continued on. Pablo and Flo caught up to me about halfway throughout the day. I took my time taking loads of breaks and got to camp around 6:30pm where I set up at Death Canyon Creek! An epic name however the site was just a tiny creek flowing.
Pablo and Flo at the campsite
Day 47 – to Spring Chicken Lake
I wanted to wake up bright and early so I can get to our campground in the late afternoon. The goal was 20 miles to Spring Chicken Lake, our first alpine glacial lake on trail. The technical word for a lake that exists because of a glacial in the high elevation of mountains is a Tarn. However, the cold morning changed my plans. When I woke up with the icy air caressing my face, I pulled my sleeping bag over my head and decided I should sleep in. I heard movement from outside my tent and I grunted that I was in no rush this morning despite my previous proclamations of wanting to leave early.
Owen’s Valley – that big pale circle is the dried up lake!
Slowly but surely I got out and began my hike. I breezed by Owens Valley. The view of the valley exposed how high we truly are. We are around 10,000 feet of elevation, the same elevation that skydivers jump out of their planes from on average. And here I am, in the High Sierra, casually hiking at this elevation. Owens Valley is also a completely dry lake due to the LA department of Water and Power. The lake drained only 13 years after it began supplying water to LA (according to wikipedia) in 1926. It was crazy to see the effects of us overusing our resources in real time.
As I was in my groove, I heard my name being called – it was Rainbow Carrot! She and Bloodhound left earlier than me and was taking a break. I joined them and met Yaya & her boyfriend, aspiring JMT hikers who got their permit from Kennedy Meadow South to Yosemite. It turns out Yaya and her boyfriend are from New York City and regularly visit the town I went to college too. How fun! The JMT is the John Muir Trail and the two trails will blend into one after Mount Whitney.
Lunch w Rainbow Carrot at Diaz Creek
For the rest of the morning, I hiked with Rainbow Carrot, doing what we do best – yapping! We had lunch at Diaz Creek, where I ate some hiker hummus. I left and hiked alone until RC caught up to me and yapped all the way to the lake.
Chicken Spring Lake
We got there at 5pm!! At 11,200 feet, the lake looked inviting. We got there early enough to go into the water and be confident that we can dry off before the sun goes down. I only got to my knees since water was freezing. It’s almost like it’s a lake full of snowmelt. I sat on warm rock for a bit and photosynthesized before going back and set up my camp. There ended up being 10 hikers at the campsite and we all had dinner together!! Yay!! impromptu thru hiker party!!
dinner w the thru-hikers
Day 48 – to Crabtree Campsite
This was the latest I ever left camp, around 9am. The morning was slow going and social. The Golden Trout Wilderness did not disappoint with views upon views. Around 10:30, I came upon the Sequoia and King Canyon National Park boundary. This was so exciting!!!
entering the national parks!
River Crossing!
I had lunch at Rock Creek Camp. It was perfect. I crossed the river and then spent the next hour lying down under the pines. It was my first shoes-off river crossing. I decided to walk across before eating so my feet can dry for the entirety of my lunch break. Everyone left the lunch spot before me. When I eventually left and I listened to my audiobook for the remainder of the day. I didn’t get to Crabtree Campground – the base of Mount Whitney – until 7pm. A bit later than I wanted since tomorrow might be the earliest day ever but it is what it is. I went to bed around 9pm, knowing I would only be getting about 3 hours of sleep.
Day 49 – Sunrise on Mount Whitney
My alarm blared at 12:30am. Red lights from headlamps glowed outside of my tent and I knew I couldn’t hit snooze. I scrambled to put everything I needed into my bag; my sleeping bag, extra layers and my water filter before leaving my tent. I got my snacks from my bear can then swiftly retrieved my trekking pole from my tent. I watched as my staked home collapsed to the ground with the rest of my gear inside. I took a big yawn and joined the group of hikers near the Mount Whitney Trailhead.
the start of the sunrise hike!
It was me, Rainbow Carrot, Free Lunch, Grandma, Speedgoat, and Frizz all ready to attempt to summit Mount Whitney before sunrise. With a 4,000 foot climb in 7.5 miles, I was ready. We all took off, immediately going at our own pace.
The night was cold and the stars illuminated the sky. There was no moon. The first few miles were easy as the darkness shielded what came ahead. At one point, I walked over a snowfield and I got confused about where the trail existed. Luckily, Speedgoat was taking a break and I used her light as a beacon. I got back on trail and hiked with her for a bit. Switchback after switchback, we continued up the largest mountain I ever scaled. Living up to her name, Speedgoat became speedy and booked it up the mountain. By this point, I began to not feel good.
the beginning of sunrise!
I reached the trail intersection around 4:20am with 2 miles to go and I wasn’t quite sure if I was going to make it. My body was moving slow, my bones felt heavy and my breaths were short. My body began to reject every step. I needed a break. But at the same time, I wanted to keep going to get to the top before sunset. I sat down and forced myself to eat another cliff bar and have some sips of water. Resting felt good. I got up again to continue just for my body to have the same signals. I sat down again with my mind racing. Was this altitude sickness? Is it because I didn’t sleep enough? Maybe I didn’t drink or eat enough. Were my symptoms heightened due to my worry? What was real and what wasn’t? I was working myself up and I needed to calm down. I forced myself to take slow and steady breaths. I studied the multiple headlamps above and below me traveling through the night to allow my thoughts to slow down. One headlamp in particular was getting closer and closer to me. It appeared to be Grandma and she asked if I was okay. I explained to her how I was feeling and she pulled out a handful of skittles. She insisted that I took them and I allowed the sugary candy flow through my veins. She made sure I was okay and kept going. I got another wave of energy and decided it wasn’t time to turn around yet.
I decided I would turn around if my symptoms got any worse and if not, I will persevere. I stopped, continued, stopped, continued all the way to the top. The world became brighter and brighter with every passing minute. I was 0.5 miles away from the top around 5:15am. The climb became less steep and it took all of my strength to get to the tippy top before the sun officially rose.
When I got there, the sun peaked over the horizon within 10 seconds. But I got there. All of the people I have been hiking around were already bundled up in their sleeping bags and I was so excited to join them. They congratulated me for making it and then together we watched the sun appear in the sky.
I made it 🙂
After spending about an hour or so on top of the summit we began our descent. It was cool to walk through everything I missed in the dark. I hiked down with Free Lunch, Collie, and Jonaton. It was nice finally catching them again. When I got to the campground I took a huge nap. I woke up around 2pm.
didn’t see this lake in the dark!
I wanted to eat lunch but realized that my spoon went missing. I have no idea where I lost it but I proceeded to tear apart my backpack and look in every pocket. I took all of my food out of my bear can not once, but twice to search for this spoon. I was very disappointed especially because I had a Nutella jar calling my name but there was no way for me to eat it. However, camping next to us was a Boy Scout Troop. And I used to be a backpacking counselor. One thing I know as someone who led backpacking trips throughout the entirety of their college career is that spoons are the first to disappear. And as a leader, it was quite useful to carry extra utensils for the unlucky camper who fell victim to the lost monster. I spent the next two hours scheming on how I will approach this Boy Scout Troop for the spoon. I was nervous to approach a big group who were all playing Mafia. (a classic camp game for those who do not know). Eventually Frizz joined me and I told him about my plans. He decided to just go up to said group and ask for a spoon directly as my strategic plans to wait for the leaders to fetch water so I can corner them into feeling sorry for a poor thru-hiker who wants to enjoy her nutella was not working too well. He got me a spoon within two minutes! Thanks Frizz! We then spent the rest of the afternoon water coloring and eating (yay!!)
Watercolor painting made by Frizz
Around 4pm, I began to hike again. I was going to do 4.5 miles but the intended campsite was mosquito hell and I simply could not stop there. There was a deep water crossing right after the camp and without any hesitation, I put on my crocs and went right through the icy water. I proceeded to hike 0.5 miles in my wet Crocs to my second intended campsite. This was rough and for the first time on trail, I got a blister on my foot. The second site was still mosquito hell but a bit better. I did have to eat my dinner in my tent to escape the tortuous little bugs but I had my spoon so it could have been worse.
protecting myself from the bugs!
Day 50 -Forester Pass
Believe or not, I woke up in… mosquito hell. The juxtaposition of being in arguably the most beautiful place in the world while being plagued by tiny bloodsucking creatures is quite interesting. Luckily the bugs do not feast on me the way some other hikers get eaten, but they are still annoying.
I was super excited for today; we were doing Forester Pass! The highest elevation on the PCT, at 13,200 feet. A pass is the lowest point between two mountains. The East coast mountains are all about peak bagging (getting to the top of the mountain), but here the scale is so large, that the pass is a rewarding challenge. I learned to love going over passes – going over them felt like unlocking a new portion of a secret world.
on the way up!
The climb to the top was gradual. I walked with Grandma, Speedgoat, and Lucas. I learned about the court system in Switzerland (thanks Lucas). And at one point, us girls used the bathroom while making eye contact (peak girlhood! lol). You get so comfortable with people out here so quickly…
The snowy patch is considered a ‘no slip zone’ AKA if the mountain was covered in snow – that part would be very dangerous!
At 12pm, we reached the top! There was a huge cohort of thru-hikers including a guy with two adorable dogs. We lingered on top of the pass which was the official boundary between Sequoia National Park and Kings Canyon. There were snow patches on the descent but it was reported that they weren’t that bad.’ (spoiler alert; they weren’t that great either). So we took our time having photoshoots and eating lunch before traversing the dirty white snow that laid ahead.
me on top of Forester!
As we began the downhill, it quickly occurred to us that doing this section at 1pm with the blazing sun making the snow soft and slushy was not the smartest idea. The hike quickly resembled being in a minefield – not sure which step will lead to the snow disappearing underneath you. At one point, I watched as Free Lunch’s 6ft body shrink to 3 as the snow beneath him collapsed. I gasped – he giggled. Then he proceeded to pull his body up from the hole he just created and he used his twinkle toes as he skipped down the snowfield all while non-stop laughing at himself. I think he was having the time of his life. He disappeared behind the sloped mountainside, leaving me, Grandma, and Speedgoat to face the patchy whiteness together.
snow fields
It was slow going. Battling the exposed jagged rocks or entrusting the soft snow beneath us. I was in the lead and looked around at the sweaty, glistening ground as I warned the other two girls that this upcoming patch looked soft and to proceed with caution. As I heeded my warning, I shifted my weight onto my right foot. As I finished the sentence, my right foot dropped, scraping my legs on the surrounding rocks. I wince in pain and looked down to see white streaks with blotchiness of red on my knees. “yea definitely soft snow” I called back to Grandma and Speedgoat who were laughing at the matter. It took me a moment to pull myself out of the posthole I created and I began to laugh too. We all had bloody knees by the end of this. What a ridiculous mile this was.
River Crossing featuring Speedgoat
Luckily, the snowfield was over before we knew it. So yes it was slow going but we eventually got to rock. A lot of the trail was still covered but it was easy to navigate around it. The switchbacks poked out in the clearing and the rock hopping reminded me of home. After maybe 2 hours of navi-guessing on where the trail was and technical hiking, we finally got back to easy going miles. The rest of the day was fun as I chatted with Speedgoat and Grandma. Only tackling one river crossing and interesting conversations.
I got to my intended campsite late, finding the Tramilia. I set up camp and was excited to get into town tomorrow!!
Day 51 – to Bishop via Kearsarge Pass
By 7am, I was out and about. As I was slinging my packed bag over my shoulder, Jonathan, Collie and Free Lunch were passing my campsite (they camped a mile back). Great timing! I only had 0.2 PCT miles to do and then I would venture off to take the Bullfrog Lake Trail, which will lead me up and over Kearsarge Pass, and down into Onion Valley. This would make my total mileage for the day eight.
Bullfrog Lake
Bullfrog Lake Trail was very pleasant and easy going. It made us pass some beautiful bodies of water. Jonatan, who was a bit ahead of me, Collie, and Free Lunch said he saw a bear on the other side of the lake. Lucky!! That is the perfect distance to see a wild animal in my opinion.
Jonatan proceeded to ask if we wanted to swim and we did. The town can wait, we had to get into this tarn. The water was cold and refreshing. It made the rest of the hike joyous. Eventually, we got to Kearsarge Pass and took a mini break before doing four miles of just downhill switchbacks. We saw so many day hikers and people that it felt like a highway. We also ran into so many hikers who I haven’t seen in a bit going back on trail. Like Hot Dog! The spirits were on this day.
Seeing Hot Dog! Hiking with (from left to right) Hot Dog, Free Lunch, Lucas, and Jonaton! Collie is behind the camera
When we got into the parking lot, I learned the Speedgoat and Grandma just got a ride to Bishop (about a 45 minute drive) and was still in the parking lot. I found their car and hopped right in! I was so excited to get into a much needed town.
Day 52 – Zero in Bishop
The zero in Bishop was special! I did all my usual zero day chores and spent my nights at the Hostel California with fellow thru-hikes. I really enjoyed the small mountain town of Bishop and ate some delicious food. My friend from the Appalachian Trail, came and joined me for dinner! It was so lovely seeing her again. Her name is Spring and she blogged for the Trek last year during her PCT thru-hike! (also known as duck_goes_hiking on Instagram). She also agreed to drive me and a few other hikers back to the trailhead in the morning. Overall, I very much enjoyed this zero in this town.
me and rainbow carrot lookin cute in our loaner clothes!
