Miles this section : 91
Miles completed : 857
Miles completed : 857
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| High point of Forester Pass, and indeed the Pacific Crest Trail. |
Day 5
Another landmark day - Forester Pass, highest point of the trail at over thirteen thousand feet! No idea what I was thinking, but my plan is to do twenty miles including the pass, and starting a mile up the Whitney detour means I need to do twenty-one. But snow is hard to walk fast on, worst amid the trees where even on flat ground, the white stuff forms countless little humps and valleys. It's slow progress all morning, there are more creeks, each takes time to find a place to cross, or often change into my creek shoes, put stuff in the drybag then change back on the far side. I reach the timberline, getting over the pass is looking doable, I'm walking my own route over snow, no sign of where the trail is. The final climb is OK, and I get to the top at 6.15pm, then down to a campsite at ten thousand, five hundred feet, nothing to pitch the tent on but snow, it's going to be a cold night. I am now three miles behind plan.
Another landmark day - Forester Pass, highest point of the trail at over thirteen thousand feet! No idea what I was thinking, but my plan is to do twenty miles including the pass, and starting a mile up the Whitney detour means I need to do twenty-one. But snow is hard to walk fast on, worst amid the trees where even on flat ground, the white stuff forms countless little humps and valleys. It's slow progress all morning, there are more creeks, each takes time to find a place to cross, or often change into my creek shoes, put stuff in the drybag then change back on the far side. I reach the timberline, getting over the pass is looking doable, I'm walking my own route over snow, no sign of where the trail is. The final climb is OK, and I get to the top at 6.15pm, then down to a campsite at ten thousand, five hundred feet, nothing to pitch the tent on but snow, it's going to be a cold night. I am now three miles behind plan.
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| Camping on snow turns out to be not much fun. |
Day 6
I walk on snow all day, so hard, the trail may be easy downhill, but snow amid trees means constant up, down and around. It's a brutal slog up to Glen Pass, where I catch up with a big group, moving slowly - I ask the tail ender if they are high schoolers, oops, no, just typically young US hikers. Think I may have offended them, still I probably amuse them too by joining in with glissading - yes, sliding down on my bottom, and at one point going head over heels. But I'm falling further behind plan, was supposed to do seventeen miles today, I manage more like twelve and a half, think I need to change plan... I find a bare rock to camp on today, it has to be better than snow surely.
I walk on snow all day, so hard, the trail may be easy downhill, but snow amid trees means constant up, down and around. It's a brutal slog up to Glen Pass, where I catch up with a big group, moving slowly - I ask the tail ender if they are high schoolers, oops, no, just typically young US hikers. Think I may have offended them, still I probably amuse them too by joining in with glissading - yes, sliding down on my bottom, and at one point going head over heels. But I'm falling further behind plan, was supposed to do seventeen miles today, I manage more like twelve and a half, think I need to change plan... I find a bare rock to camp on today, it has to be better than snow surely.
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| A nice suncupped slope to traverse. |
Day 7
The rock was warm, I sleep late and feel better for it, and actually have a nice walk downhill, below the snow, yay. Good to see an actual bridge over Woods Creek, after that though it is another slog over Pinchot pass, again I go my own way - without the snow I am sure the trail is lovely, but in these conditions trying to stick close to it can mean difficult traversing of steep slopes. I am also quite tired of sun cups now - arrays of sometimes deep depressions in the snow, they are tricky to walk on. Now nine miles behind plan, new plan is to take an extra day for the section.
Day 8
Disaster. Crossing a creek on an ice bridge early in the day, I slip and lose both trekking poles into the foaming waters. Could be a lot worse of course, could have been me, but still I'm upset, one was a souvenir of New Zealand, the other a gift from the parents. Not to mention I need something to walk with, well, I find a stick to use instead, it gets me up Mather pass, the hardest pass yet. It is still winter on the other side, dark clouds, freezing wind, even hail. All downhill though, I keep on and get to below the snowline, where there are many fallen trees. It's still very cold, but at least I've managed to walk some sixteen miles, disaster or no.
The rock was warm, I sleep late and feel better for it, and actually have a nice walk downhill, below the snow, yay. Good to see an actual bridge over Woods Creek, after that though it is another slog over Pinchot pass, again I go my own way - without the snow I am sure the trail is lovely, but in these conditions trying to stick close to it can mean difficult traversing of steep slopes. I am also quite tired of sun cups now - arrays of sometimes deep depressions in the snow, they are tricky to walk on. Now nine miles behind plan, new plan is to take an extra day for the section.
Day 8
Disaster. Crossing a creek on an ice bridge early in the day, I slip and lose both trekking poles into the foaming waters. Could be a lot worse of course, could have been me, but still I'm upset, one was a souvenir of New Zealand, the other a gift from the parents. Not to mention I need something to walk with, well, I find a stick to use instead, it gets me up Mather pass, the hardest pass yet. It is still winter on the other side, dark clouds, freezing wind, even hail. All downhill though, I keep on and get to below the snowline, where there are many fallen trees. It's still very cold, but at least I've managed to walk some sixteen miles, disaster or no.
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| Mather Pass, first photo of the stick. |
Day 9
I am still going. My body is changing under the extreme conditions... very thin now, lips are badly chapped, feet sore from kicking steps. My eyes hurt, incipient snow blindness I fear, well, sunglasses help. Good walking today at least, up over Muir Pass, it is easy enough, the stick is still going. I manage sixteen miles, the section end is in sight, think I'm ahead of most hikers now, I see no other human all day. I camp on a rock again, this time at eleven thousand feet.
I am still going. My body is changing under the extreme conditions... very thin now, lips are badly chapped, feet sore from kicking steps. My eyes hurt, incipient snow blindness I fear, well, sunglasses help. Good walking today at least, up over Muir Pass, it is easy enough, the stick is still going. I manage sixteen miles, the section end is in sight, think I'm ahead of most hikers now, I see no other human all day. I camp on a rock again, this time at eleven thousand feet.
Day 10
All downhill, but not easy. It's so hard to walk on snow through the trees, all up and down, little hills and ridges of snow, it doesn't soften in the shade, so hard to kick steps into. I'm still losing things, a pair of socks yesterday, today, I faceplant on some easy bare trail, my sunglasses shoot off and vanish into the bushes. I ford Evolution Creek, the stick works well, go stick, then another descent below the snow, woo, I'm able to make good pace and camp early. Section end is just twenty-nine miles away now, hopefully I can sleep OK down here at a relatively low altitude and walk well tomorrow.
All downhill, but not easy. It's so hard to walk on snow through the trees, all up and down, little hills and ridges of snow, it doesn't soften in the shade, so hard to kick steps into. I'm still losing things, a pair of socks yesterday, today, I faceplant on some easy bare trail, my sunglasses shoot off and vanish into the bushes. I ford Evolution Creek, the stick works well, go stick, then another descent below the snow, woo, I'm able to make good pace and camp early. Section end is just twenty-nine miles away now, hopefully I can sleep OK down here at a relatively low altitude and walk well tomorrow.
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