UPDATED MAILDROP DATES

Due to my super-amazing hiking skills and speed, I have found myself a few days ahead of where I previously planned on being.  As a result here are updated arrival dates and dates to mail by for my remaining towns:

6) Mount Shasta, CA (Mail by 7/30/16)

Todd Everleth

PCT Hiker - Expected Arrival - 8/8/16

General Delivery

Mount Shasta, CA 96067

7) Ashland, OR (Mail by 8/12/16)

Todd Everleth

PCT Hiker - Expected Arrival - 8/22/16

General Delivery

Ashland, OR 97520

(Note: Ashland will be the final destination for this years hike, from here I will be making my way to Portland to fly back to NY)

6/27/16 - Day 17 - Campsite South of Seldon Pass to Vermillion Valley Resort

Day 17

Daily Miles: 16.8

Total Miles: 242.7

Today was a perfect example of how things don't always go as planned, however the trail finds a way to provide.

I had camped as close as I could to Seldon Pass to try to get over it early this morning.  It was only about 800 ft. in elevation gain and I made it by about 8:30AM.

 

The view down the other side was an outstanding site first thing in the morning.  The next "goal" was to get to VVR in time to get some dinner.  I have been thinking about a cheeseburger for days now.  I was hiking around a bunch of hikers who all planned on taking the detour over to VVR.  Not all of them needed to go, but I did, because I was running low on food and needed about 2 days worth to get me to Mammoth Lakes where I would take another day off and resupply again.

VVR is a private camping resort on the west side of Edison Lake.  The trail goes about a mile or two from the eastern side of the lake.  For a (sort of ridiculous) fee off $13 one way or $23 round trip there is a ferry that will come and get you and bring you back.  In the past the ferry has operated twice a day once in the morning and once at night.  However, some of the other hikers and myself had heard that the ferry is not very dependable, and hikers have hiked the 1.5 miles off trail to the pickup spot only to have to wait hours, or even to the next day to be picked up.  There were 2 other options.  The first was to hike down the 1.5 to the ferry pickup and then another 4.5 miles around the northern side of the lake.  The second option was to take another side trail called the Bear Ridge Trail 3 miles before the trail to the ferry, which ran almost all downhill 7.5 miles on the southern side of the lake.

None of us wanted to miss out on the store or the grill tonight by taking a chance on the ferry, so the consensus was to do the extra miles on the Bear Ridge Trail to ensure we would get there.  This meant hiking hard all day long.  

When we hit the junction for the Bear Ridge Trail we suddenly had cell service, so I stopped and called home for 15 minutes then headed down the trail to catch up.  The trail was fine but there was zero water sources the whole way down to the lake.  The last 2 miles were on a road that led up to a dam at one end of the lake.  I hit that road and was fully exposed on a very hot day with no water.  As I was dreaming of soda and or beer walking the road into VVR, I saw two female hikers walking the other way on the road.  My first thought was that they must be crazy hiking back up that trail leaving VVR.  Then the unfathomable happened.

They saw me coming and said they hoped I didn't need to resupply because VVR's generator went out and they had no electricity, which meant no grill, no warm water for showers, no laundry, and they had cleaned out the store to preserve food.  For me, this was a nightmare.  I needed to figure out where to go to resupply.  The rest I could go 2 days more without.  They said they were hiking down 7.5 more miles to Mono Hot Springs which was down the road farther away from VVR.  I really didn't want to hike another 7.5 after already doing almost 17 miles.  They did however say .5 up the road there was trail magic, so I figured I would hike up there rest and weigh my options.

As quick as this day got bad, it turned around even quicker.  I got to the trail magic to see multiple RV's and tarps with chairs to sit in and coolers upon coolers of sodas and beers.

The people hosting the trail magic dubbed themselves the Old Farts of Lake Edison, and apparently they have been coming up to this exact spot for over 20 years giving out trail magic to hikers.  Most were in their 50s-70s with a couple a little younger.  They were friends and family and had multiple generations there.  They said they would come up overall for about 2 weeks each year.

A few hikers were already there, and a few more strolled in after me.  We spent a couple hours talking about the trail and our current perdicament with VVR basically closed.  One of the trail angels eventually offered to give us a ride down to Mono Hot Springs so we could resupply.  We were so grateful, we offered back that if they gave us the ride down, waited for us and drove us back we would resupply their stock of beer and soda to pass on to future hikers.

It took a while to get down a windy mountain road and back but I found enough at the Mono Springs store to resupply even though I never got my shower or laundry done.  Back at the trail magic site they had cooked up some pulled pork for sandwiches and had cole slaw us well.  Pretty good substitution for my desired cheeseburger.  There were 6 hikers total: two british hikers named Hawkeye and Cookie Monster, another couple who had met on trail named Chris (British as well) and Happy Snatch (She was Canadian), and another very young 18 year old male hiker named Treesniffer.  We all hung out late into the night then set our tents up at the next site over from them in the campground.  Another perfect example of how your fortune can change instantly on the trail, and how utterly awesome people can be sometimes.

Patch

6/26/16 - Day 16 - Evolution Lake to Campsite South of Seldon Pass

Day 16

Daily Miles: 19.8

Total Miles: 225.9

Today was a day I had been thinking about for over 8 years.  One of the most challenging parts of the Sierras are the fords.  The most famous ford (though maybe not the hardest) is Evolution Creek.  I was going to get to cross it today.  In high snow years, the creek can be up and over waist high depending on your height.  I really wasn't sure what to expect from this year because even though it has been snowier than the last few years, it really hasn't been considered an actual high snow year.  Still, I have seen lots of snow, so it might be challenging.

I got a pretty early start because its better to hit fords in the morning before snow starts melting and the river levels rise.  I made it to the river around 10:30AM and had a decision to make.  There are actually 2 places to cross on the trail.  There is the main trail and there is a "high water route."  I figured I would play it safe and take the later just in case.

 

Probably the right choice because even though the water was pretty placid at the high water crossing, it was still deep enough to get up to my upper thighs.

After a short early lunch there it was more down and down as I slowly started to work my way towards exiting Kings Canyon National Park.  Leaving the park brought me into the John Muir Wilderness.

 

 

 

The best part about today was that there were no passes to cross since the first day in the Sierras, but I still had a long climb up to end the day.  Even though I didn't have to cross a pass, I wanted to get as close to the next one (Selden Pass) as possible so I could finally do a pass in the morning the next day.  Also, I was planning to go in to Vermillion Valley Resort (V.V.R.) tomorrow to resupply, shower and, do laundry so the farther I got today the earlier I could get there tomorrow.

Pushing on into the twilight, I made the climb up over 2200 ft. To get to the last established campsites before the pass around 7:45. It was a long, hot day but tomorrow I would get real food and a chance to clean up.

Patch

6/25/16 - Day 15 - Campsite South of Middle Fork Kings River to Evolution Lake

Day 15

Daily Miles: 18.1

Total Miles: 206.1

I switched shoes when I was in Bishop.  I had sent a tougher shoe there in anticipation that the trail runners I had started out with might have been a little too thin to deal with some of the hiking in the Sierras.  Overall so far, I think this was a good decision however there are pluses and minuses.  Through almost 150 miles of desert I had only had a couple small blisters on my toes.  I have never gotten blisters on my toes before and with a few blister bandages they were held in check.  Through 3 days in my thicker Merril Moab Ventilators, I was already developing blisters on the bottom of both heals, and in the joint below one of my big toes.  Managing them is tough when you are fording rivers all day but today was the main reason I switched on account of all of the rocks, snow and fords that were necessary.  The trail runners would not have held up.  

I beat Walking Home out of camp this morning and in just over a mile down to the middle fork of the Kings River I was graced with seeing 8 different deer.  I'm used to deer being so jumpy back in NY.  Here, they have virtually no human contact and aren't afraid of us one bit.

 

They just stood on the side of the trail as I walked on by.  I almost felt bad disturbing them because they seemed so peaceful.  

As I got down to the river it was a mighty torrent, and I knew crossing it was going to be a challenge.  As I started to take my shoes off a hiker on the other side of the river yelled and pointed upstream.  About 100 yards up, a tree had fallen across the river making a bridge.  In an attempt to keep my feet dry for as long as possible I walked up to it and crossed.  Whenever crossing a river either by fording or on rocks or a log it is always bsst to undo your  belt strap on your backpack.  That way if you actually dump in the river you can dump your pack.  I have heard of hikers who have fallen in a river and been dragged along by their pack in the current because they weren't able to get loose from their pack.

After making it over, I took a quick break and was able to direct a couple other hikers who came up to the river upstream to the log I had crossed on.  Their names were "Hawkeye" and "Cookie Monster."  They were both British and seemed thankful as well not to have to get their feet wet yet either.  In fact, from what I have seen, there is a very large number of international hikers out here on the PCT.  A much higher percentage than in 2008.

After a few hours of climbing towards Muir Pass, we finally hit the snow fields.  The one thing this pass is known for is its false summits.  Every time you think you see the pass, you get there and realize there is a whole lot more to go.  I said I wouldn't get fooled by it but in the end I undoubtedly did.  It was amazing as we neared the top hiw much snow was still there at the end of June.

 

Pushing through another false summit we got to what finally was the actual final chute up to the pass, and whoever had set the footprints through the snow postholing this year wasn't kidding around as they sent the tracks right up the chute.  In the picture below, the pass is the V-shaped opening near the top right of the picture, and if you zoom in really far you can see the footprints leading off from where this was taken all the way to that opening.

 

In retrospect I probably should have taken out the ice axe as a safety precaution but I was able to make it to the top of Muir Pass without it and see Muir Hut which is located there to celebrate the life of John Muir.  It is also used as an emergency shelter for those who choose to stay there.

 

 

 

 

 

I had heard the way down had even more snow than the way up even though it was much more graded.  So I didn't stay too long and headed down over much longer snow fields.  They went on for over 3 miles before they started to make way for rock and dirt.  The valley going down was not devoid of great views either.

 

 

 

Finally I made it down to just below Evolution Lake.  There was one last semi-long ford and as my boots and feet were completely drenched already from all the snow I didn't even stop as I walked up to it.  There was a large block of campsites right after the lake and I was able to take an amazing picture while eating dinner of my tent with the sunset off the mountainside behind it. 

 

Today was difficult but so amazingly worth it.

Patch

6/24/16 - Day 14 - Campsite North of Lake Marjorie to Campsite South of Middle Fork Kings River

Day 14

Daily Miles: 16.6

Total Miles: 188.0

For the 3rd day in a row, I really haven't set myself up well to go over a pass, though I did hit Mather Pass a little bit earlier in the day than either Glen or Pinchot.  I was nervous about Mather because I heard that it switchbacked pretty hard right up the last rock face of the pass.  

 

Right off the bat today I was greeted by the most populous mammal out here, that seems to have very little fear of us as we walk by - Marmots.  They are pretty much everywhere living in the rocks even at extremely high altitudes. 

 

We had pretty much the same group of people leapfrogging up the trail towards the pass as yesterday.  A girl with the trail name Nevada and I talked off and on through many of our rest breaks.  We were pretty much the slowest two when it came to ascending, though my speed basically doubled when descending.  The overall climb to the last rock face was not particularly difficult, but once we got there, "Holy Switchbacks."  It was hard sometimes to see where the switchbacks were when looking up because there were about 20 of them.  Looking down from the top they were all right on top of one another. It wasn't that tough as long as you took it slow and steady, but it took a while to get over them.  

 

 

We had a late lunch on top of the pass, and then I was looking forward to a nice 4000 ft. decent back down to the valley floor.  The goal was to get as far down if not all the way down, as tomorrow we would have to gain all 4000 ft. back as we went over Muir Pass.

The trail down was fairly steady until we hit Palisade Creek.  The trail came down into an amazing valley with a lake and waterfalls cascading into it.

 

 

 

 

Nevada stopped for a swim and to do some fishing with some other hikers she had met as I continued down the valley.  

I knew this wasn't going to be an easy down when I came down to an amazing overlook and knew there wasn't going to be gentle trail to lose the altitude.

 

I proved to be right as the trail dropped down on well over 50 switchbacks losing almost 2000 ft. in elevation the next 3 miles.  I normally don't mind the downs, but at the bottom of this section even my feet and my knees were starting to feel it.  I was running a little late as I kept hiking down and down until after 7PM.  I finally came out to a tent site about a mile from the bottom and figured that was close enough.  I wound up camping next to an older gentleman from Washington whose trail name was "Walking Home."  He said his daughter had thruhiked a few years earlier, and he seemed very knowledgable about the sierras and the trail as if he had hiked through here his whole life.  He said his plan was 10-12 miles a day, which would be awesome to enjoy the sierras fully, I just don't know how he carried that much food!!!  Tomorrow is Muir Pass which apparently is still covered for miles in both directions with snow.  Maybe I didn't ship my ice axe out here for nothing....

Patch

6/23/16 - Day 13 - Rae Lake Campsite to Campsite North of Lake Marjorie

Day 13

Daily Miles: 15.4

Total Miles: 171.4

Though the miles don't show it, this was my toughest day so far on the trail.  I woke up early but was pretty lethargic getting out of camp.  Basically, I had to decend a few thousand feet today before climbing back up 3500 feet to cross Pinchot Pass.  Once again, I was going to be attacking a pass at the wrong time of day.

The first couple miles flew by pretty fast heading down the hill once I was able to get out of camp.  A little ways in I looked up to my left and saw what looked like a large fox sniffing around about 100 feet from me.  The closer I got, I realized it wasn't a fox but in fact a cotote.  I was able to snap a picture but because of the distance it wasn't too great.

 

He went his own way and I kept on hiking down the hill until I got to my first ford of the year.  I hadn't really been thinking about the upcoming fords, so when I got to the first one I was torn on taking off my boots or not.  The last time I was on the PCT I had tried to take off my boots at first for each ford, and it wound up wasting me so much time taking them off and putting them back on for each ford, that eventually I just said screw it and walked across each river crossing and let my feet and shoes dry over the following hours.

This year I have decided in the interest of keeping my feet healthy I will walk across with socks on but no shoes, then switch socks after each crossing while letting the wet ones dry on my pack as I hike.  The first ford wasn't that tough, but as I was putting my socks back on I heard a rustling to my left and looked over to see coyote #2 who had plodded down the hill.  No pictures this time as he was about 10 feet away from me and I felt a little more nervous than with the previous one.  I finally raised my voice a bit and banged my trekking poles together and away he went down the trail.  Never seen a coyote before.  Now I have seen 2 seperate ones just hours apart.

Hiking on I made it down to Woods Creek and the first real bridge I have seen in the Sierras.  Apparently if the river is fast enough they will indeed put a bridge over it.

 

 

It was actually pretty rickety and reminded me of the bridge from Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.  After a short break it was time to start plugging away at the uphill.  It was long and steady and took me all day with a loaded pack, but I made it to the top of Pinchot Pass around 6PM.  There were about 6 of us headed up the pass late and we kept flip flopping positions passing each other as one would take a break.  

I didn't stay long at the pass because I needed to find a spot to camp and wanted to be out of the wind and in a little lower elevations.  I found a nice spot right off the trail north of Lake Marjorie where the wind died out and there was a stream nearby for water.  Next pass up tomorrow is Mather Pass which I have read is not the biggest but can be the most "fear inducing" of all the passes.

Patch

6/22/16 - Day 12 - Bishop, CA to Rea Lakes Campsite

Day 12

Daily Miles: 12.5

Total Miles: 156.0

Staying out late last night meant that 6AM came really early. I had everything ready to go but had to catch the bus at 7AM from the Vons which was a mile away.  Slowly I made my way down there with a fully stocked pack. I made it just in the nick of time as I was the last one on the bus.  

About 40 minutes later we arrived in Independence, which is where I would need to hitch about 15 miles up a road to Onion Valley Trailhead.  Traditionally this is not an easy hitch as the only people headed up that road were cars with day hikers and midweek there might not be many headed up.  I had heard horror stories about locals charging hikers $20 per person just to get up the road.  I took the first bus out because I figured my best bet for getting a ride was early in the morning.

There were already 2 people at the bottom of the road and 3 of us that got off the bus trying to get to the trail.  I figured first come first serve so I sat back and waited for the 2 that were already there to get picked up.  It took them about 20 minutes and an SUV stopped and gave them a ride.  Once they left I moved into their spot and hadn't even set my pack down or put my thumb out and a car stopped.  It was an older gentleman in his 60's whose name I never got and he gave all 3 of us a ride up the hill.

Pulling into the Onion Valley trailhead I had another sense of deja vu.  I felt like I had just been here yesterday even though it had been 8 years.  It was here that I noticed I was missing a croc (rubber camp shoes).  It had been tied on my pack but somewhere between the hostel and the trailhead it had come loose and I had lost it.  I was about to throw the other one away when another hiker told me he had seen another croc near the trailhead.  What were the chances it was close to the right size and the right foot?  Low and behold it was the right foot, maybe a size or two small, but it would work!!!

 

After procrastinating for about 45 minutes I finally headed up the trail.  

 

 

 

It was a slow slog up to Kearsarge Pass and took me about 3 hours to go 4.5 miles.  Finally I got there at 11,700 feet.  After slogging through the desert it was quite weird to see all the mountains covered in snow.  

 

 

My original plan was to get over the pass and down to Bullfrog Lake (about another 4 miles) and take a slow first day in the Sierras.  However, coming down from the pass I saw a sign prohibiting camping at Bullfrog Lake, so I kept going.

 

Unlike the Appalachian Trail, the PCT doesn't go to the top of actual mountains, it winds its way across mountain ridges through passes at high elevation.  The goal ultimately is to do as many of these passes as possible early in the morning because if there is still snow on them it will be hard in the cooler temperatures.  Later in the heat of the day the snow starts to melt and if you have to walk through it you wind up "postholing" a foot or two down into the snow with each step.  

The next pass after Kearsarge was Glen Pass, and though I knew I could make it over today, I didn't know the snow conditions and had planned to camp before it.  It was still early afternoon though when I got to the last campsite before it and figured I would just go for it.  The trail wound around up and up for what seemed like forever until I got to the last rock face just below a frozen lake.

 

From here the trail switchbacked up to the top of Glen Pass, and had some amazing views of the central sierras.

 

 

It was 6PM and I still had to make it down the snowier side of the pass and down far enough where I could find somewhere to camp.

 

Around 8PM I pulled into Rae Lakes which had a lot of tent spots and a bearbox to store food in.  There were already about 8 tents I could see.  It was a long day going over 2 sierra passes, but it felt so good to be back here and seeing the most amazing scenery in the world.  I don't think the smile left my face all day.

Patch

6/21/16 - Day 11 - Bishop, CA - ZERO DAY # 2

Day 11

Daily Miles: 0.0

Total Miles: 143.5

Zero Days for those who don't know mean days with 0 miles hiked.  Usually they are spent resupplying, resting, and getting everything done that is needed to get back out on the trail.  

First chore today was to go to the post office and get the 2 boxes I sent myself.  The first contained my Bear Vault which is required to store food through this section, and the second had my ice axe which I might need at high altitudes if the snow is really heavy and sketchy.  Both combined add about 5 pounds to my pack weight.  

Next I was off to the grocery store for what I figured would be 6 days worth of food to get me 87 miles to Vermillion Valley Resort, where I could find enough food to make it 30 miles to Mammoth Lakes. On the way to the store I walked by a coffee shop, saw this and had to laugh.

 

After that I stopped by the outfitter and got a larger bag to go with my Sawyer Mini Filter and another fuel cannister.  Because I have never used a jetboil before I had no clue how far one cannister would last, so I would carry two just in case.

I brought all that back to the hostel and dropped it off, then brought my laundry to the laundromat which was conveniently right next to the hostel.  While the laundry was in I went back to the hostel and tried to fit all the food in my bear vault (barely made it) and put a bunch more stuff into my "bounce box."  A bounce box is a box of stuff I usually only need in town along with replacement or extra gear that you mail to yourself from post office to post office on up the trail so it will always be there when you come into town.  I also keep a spare set of "town clothes" in the box that way I can wash ALL my hiking clothes at once when I need to do wash.

After collecting my laundry it was back to the post office to mail out the bounce box and then I was basically done with my "chores."  I then went back to the hostel and packed my bag most of the way so that I could get out quick in the morning.  

I wanted to try to meet some of the hikers around me now so I went with a few of them for some food and cocktails.  Wound up being kind of a late night (every night in town is late when your bedtime in the woods is 8:30).  Didn't go to bed until around midnight, but if needed I could sleep a little more on the bus back to Bishop and Kearsarge Pass tomorrow morning.  Tomorrow it is back to the Sierras.  So psyched!!!

Patch

6/20/16 - Day 10 - Kennedy Meadows to Bishop, CA - ZERO DAY # 1

Day 10

Daily Miles: 0.0

Total Miles: 143.5

Waking up in Kennedy Meadows was a bit surreal for me after not having been there for 8 years.  Some of the folks were getting packed up and setting out to the long awaited Sierras, others were just lounging around looking forward to a zero day.  I on the other hand had a different agenda.  In 2008 I had already hiked the next 87 miles of trail, so my goal for today was to find a hitch down to the eastern sierra valley where I could catch a bus that would take me north to Bishop, CA.  This is where I would take some time off, rest, resupply, and get back on the trail at Kearsarge Pass, where ultimately my hike ended in 2008.

In addition to me, Ed (another section hiker I had met in Lake Isabella) was looking for a ride down to the valley too.  He had had a rough first few days on the trail and wanted to get into a hotel to recharge.  The problem though is that K.M. is not an easy place to hitch out of.  You might get lucky if 10 cars drove by in an hour.  You pretty much had to wait for someone to stop at the store and be ready to offer them money to drive you down and drop you at either Lone Pine, Inyokern, or Ridgecrest.  

One car came in, Ed talked to them and they didn't have room.  The next car that came in was a California Highway Patrol Car.  Technically hitchhiking is illegal in California, so I figured we were stuck further until he left.  Then low and behold he opens the back seat of the car and out pop 2 hikers and their packs.  Me and Ed cautiously looked at eachother and shrugged, why not try?  Ed walked over talked to the officer for a minute and gave me the thumbs up.  Never did I expect to get one of my longest hitches yet (over 40 miles) in the back of a cop car.

He took us all the way down to the valley where highway 395 runs all the way north to Reno.  He dropped me at Inyokern which is on the bus route.  Ed stayed in the car as he was going to Ridgecrest which had better hotels.  I was able to snap a picture at the last moment as he drove away.  

 

The whole area was under a heat advisory for the next week with temperatures reaching into the 110's through most of the desert floor.  Good time to be heading to higher elevations.

 

I found a burger joint had some lunch and sat for about 5 hours waiting for the bus.  The bus made lots of stops all the way north so the ride took just over 2 hours until I pulled into another familiar town of Bishop.

Once in town I headed for a place that wasn't there 8 years ago, the Hostel California.  Pretty sweet hostel that caters to hikers, climbers, and even international tourists.  They had bunkrooms for $20, and couches for $10.  Just like any other hostel it was basically a giant house where people came and went as they pleased and you could pretty much do whatever you wanted as long as you cleaned up after yourself and it didn't negatively affect someone else staying there.  It was a pretty cool place and I'm upset I never got any pictures of it.

Once I got settled I was off to dinner at the Mountain Rambler Brewery.  Great pretzels and flatbread for me and a couple amazing stouts.

 

Despite the fact that it was a packed hostel, it was real easy to get to sleep in a real bed.  Tomorrow I will take off too, as so I can get all my chores done and head into the Sierras in 2 days.

Patch

6/19/16 - Day 9 - Fox Mill Spring to Kennedy Meadows

Day 9

Daily Miles: 19.1

Total Miles: 143.5

I was very glad I pushed on yesterday to Fox Mill Spring.  It would have been quite daunting to wake up and have to climb 2500 ft. first thing in the morning.  Instead because I pushed on it was only a 1500 ft. ascent.  Right after leaving camp I also got to see my first massive cedar tree.

 

After that though it was a long downhill and relatively flat approach into Kennedy Meadows.  The only thing I really didn't account for was that once again I would be hiking the majority of the day through burn areas, completely exposed.  

It heated up real fast as I was at the highest point of 8000 ft. I have been thus far this trip at about 9:15.  Looking down the valley, I knew it was going to be very hot, so I just took my time heading down.  I also got my first view of the still snow-covered sierras about 50 miles away.

 

Every few miles if I found some shade and a comfy spot I would stop for 30-45 minutes and let my body cool down.  At one point we even started to get some clouds in the sky.  Not rain clouds but the big puffy ones that when they passed in front of the sun would instantly drop the temperature 10 degrees (or so it seemed).  Whenever these clouds passed by I would pick up my step and get as many miles as possible.  

Around 2PM I got to the point where I had to make a decision.  I had reached the South Fork of the Kern River.  It is the first fully flowing river I have seen this whole trip and was a perfect place to stop for the day.  There was water to drink, water to soak my blisters in, or even wade into and take a dip.  I knew though that aside from filtering something to drink, if I did any of these other things I would be done for the day and would have to hike into Kennedy Meadows tomorrow.  

This is where I met Ed again.  Ed was one of the hikers I ate with in Lake Isabella 3 days before and like me he wasn't a thruhiker, he was just out for 4-8 weeks doing a long section.  He had just started at Walker Pass and was eager to get back to the idea of real food and a couple beers.  He said he was going to push on the last 3.9 miles to KM and that the store closed at 5PM.  I had just finished filtering my water and my watch said 2:50.  If it had been any later I probably would have stayed, but his talk of food and drinks stirred my drive to go all the way in.  

We hiked together a bit (the first real person I have hiked with since I got out here) before I started to pull away on him.  It was real hot but I knew we were going to be cutting it close, so I took off on him thinking I could get there and get us both something in case he didn't make it in time.  Somewhere around here we also passed the 700 mile marker.  

 

He said he had seen the 1/4 marker the day before signifying 1/4 of the trail completed, but I must have completely missed it.  

The last mile was very hot and very slow going before I finally made it to the road into Kennedy Meadows.  This spot I remembered well as it was where I temporarily picked the trail back up after returning from injury in 2008.  It felt really good to have finally completed the 143 mile stretch of trail I skipped that year.  

 

 

 

I wasn't at Kennedy Meadows yet though as I still had a half mile roadwalk to the general store and it was 4:35.  The time for celebrating was short as I made it up the road with about 10 minutes to spare.

The grill was closed, but I got Ed and myself cold drinks and waited for him to arrive.  The ironic part was in all the rushing, the store didn't wind up closing until about 5:45.  Ed showed up just before that getting out of a car.  Apparently the heat had overwhelmed him and when he got to the road almost passed out from heat exhaustion.  A car had come by and given him a ride into the store

Kennedy Meadows was EXACTLY how I remembered it.  It was a small country store in the absolute middle of nowhere that did about 90% of its yearly business in about 6-8 weeks when all the hikers come through.  This is the last official road crossing for almost 250 miles as hikers enter the high sierras.  If you need to resupply you either have to hike out about 10 miles into Independence (Bishop) at Kearsarge Pass, or send yourself all your supplies in advance to a couple small resorts that are nestled in the high country.  When I had been here in 2008 there had been maybe 20 hikers hanging out taking a day or two off before they entered the Sierras.  Right now there were close to 100.  It was surreal.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

As I soon found out, even though the store was doing great business, there was a sense that this place could not handle this massive influx of hikers in the last few years.  Many shelves and coolers were empty.  Facilities that are available to hikers such as a shower and port-o-potties were run down and overflowing (7 port-o-potties, all filled to the brim).  It scares me what might happen to places such as this if hiker numbers continue to escalate in future years.

However, even though I had seen the light in all the hikers eyes 8 years ago as the sierras loomed, this was a completely different feel.  Everybody was celebrating and reveling like they had already finished the trail.  Everytime another hiker came up the road, all 100 people would cheer and clap at full volume.  The comraderie amongst hikers is still alive and going strong out here on the PCT.  

The coolest part of the evening was that out here in the middle of nowhere they had a tv set up and about 30 of us sat around drank some beers and watched game 7 of the NBA finals on the deck.  Different factions of people from all over the country and world rooting back and forth through one of the greatest NBA games in a generation.

After the game was over I found my way into the back woods lot they use as a "tent city", found a flat spot, and pitched my tent amongst dozens of others.  I have made it back to Kennedy Meadows, and in doing so have finished the desert section of Southern California.  Up next is a return to the sierras, and I can't wait!!!!

Patch