Miles this section : 41
Miles completed : 963
Miles completed : 963
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| A welcome respite from all the snow, Mono Lake. |
Day 17
More passes, more snow, such very hard work. Island Pass is not worth the name, just a spot between two frozen lakes, whereas Donahue Pass is high, easy enough to get over though. But I am only doing one mile per hour, don't think I can make my planned rest stop at this rate, I can't ration food any more, I'm wasting away to nothing as it is. I check the map, Toulomne Meadows is coming up, another resort that should have a store, but it's probably shut as Reds was, if so I will walk along Highway 120 to the town of Lee Vining - either way, this new plan means I have lots of spare food, let the feast begin! The day's last few miles are snow free, through a lovely grassy valley in fact, and I have a nice place to camp for the first time in ages.
More passes, more snow, such very hard work. Island Pass is not worth the name, just a spot between two frozen lakes, whereas Donahue Pass is high, easy enough to get over though. But I am only doing one mile per hour, don't think I can make my planned rest stop at this rate, I can't ration food any more, I'm wasting away to nothing as it is. I check the map, Toulomne Meadows is coming up, another resort that should have a store, but it's probably shut as Reds was, if so I will walk along Highway 120 to the town of Lee Vining - either way, this new plan means I have lots of spare food, let the feast begin! The day's last few miles are snow free, through a lovely grassy valley in fact, and I have a nice place to camp for the first time in ages.
Day 18
I hike to Toulomne with John, nice guy, from Edinburgh, now a mountain guide in Washington (the state, not the city). He runs an annual trip to Kilimanjaro, I must get his email... It's an easy few miles, albeit very wet with lots of shallow streams to paddle through, to reach Toulomne Meadows, where we find lots of Park Rangers, they have shiny SUVs and are driving around checking snow damage to the various buildings. What's more, they check my PCT permit! Nearly a thousand miles I've carried the thing, about time... mind you they don't check the bear box. Of course, the store is shut, so nineteen miles of road walk to Lee Vining it is. Very dramatic scenery, and also a thunderstorm behind me, I just catch a bit of rain - looks like it is on the trail, very glad I'm not there. The walk takes a bit more than seven hours, I'm in Lee Vining in good time for the all important burger and beer.
I hike to Toulomne with John, nice guy, from Edinburgh, now a mountain guide in Washington (the state, not the city). He runs an annual trip to Kilimanjaro, I must get his email... It's an easy few miles, albeit very wet with lots of shallow streams to paddle through, to reach Toulomne Meadows, where we find lots of Park Rangers, they have shiny SUVs and are driving around checking snow damage to the various buildings. What's more, they check my PCT permit! Nearly a thousand miles I've carried the thing, about time... mind you they don't check the bear box. Of course, the store is shut, so nineteen miles of road walk to Lee Vining it is. Very dramatic scenery, and also a thunderstorm behind me, I just catch a bit of rain - looks like it is on the trail, very glad I'm not there. The walk takes a bit more than seven hours, I'm in Lee Vining in good time for the all important burger and beer.
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| Fine views from the Tioga Pass Road. |
Day 19
Lee Vining is really nice, a compact place with the store just over the road from a sporting goods shop, and a stone's throw from several restaurants. I drink much coffee, and run into John at the coffee shop, where there is even WiFi - good to contact the outside world, has been a while. It doesn't stop there, I get new poles, only $45 the pair, hopefully they'll cope with the trail. There's a lot to see here too, neighbouring Mono Lake is very scenic and interesting geologically, and there is history too, this is an old silver mining town. I eat masses of course, and sadly dump the shoes, it's no longer cold enough to justify trying to keep my boots dry. Not to mention they're no longer waterproof, or even sandproof - in fact I perform surgery on the things, to let grit pass through to the inside so I can tip it out, it had been building up between layers of material. I eat my second huge burger here then head out, camping in a nice spot a few miles up the road.
Lee Vining is really nice, a compact place with the store just over the road from a sporting goods shop, and a stone's throw from several restaurants. I drink much coffee, and run into John at the coffee shop, where there is even WiFi - good to contact the outside world, has been a while. It doesn't stop there, I get new poles, only $45 the pair, hopefully they'll cope with the trail. There's a lot to see here too, neighbouring Mono Lake is very scenic and interesting geologically, and there is history too, this is an old silver mining town. I eat masses of course, and sadly dump the shoes, it's no longer cold enough to justify trying to keep my boots dry. Not to mention they're no longer waterproof, or even sandproof - in fact I perform surgery on the things, to let grit pass through to the inside so I can tip it out, it had been building up between layers of material. I eat my second huge burger here then head out, camping in a nice spot a few miles up the road.
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| The Toulomne. Be afraid. |
Day 20
The day starts with a long but pleasant walk back up the road, Highway 120, or the Tioga Pass Road. A monument reads 'highest automotive pass in California', and 'most scenic', I can well believe it. Back to the trail, there's not much snow, but an awful lot of water, I cross Delaney Creek, it's deep and has a strong current, then Bingley creek, split into many arms it takes a while to get past. The trail is flooded in part, six or eight inches deep, I was right to dump the shoes, but this is bad for boots and socks. Then two bridges over the Toulomne River, the first is doable, the approach is dry, then a knee deep wade to get off it. I reach the second bridge at 6pm, it looks hard, I decide to camp and look again in the morning. Maybe the water will go down.
The day starts with a long but pleasant walk back up the road, Highway 120, or the Tioga Pass Road. A monument reads 'highest automotive pass in California', and 'most scenic', I can well believe it. Back to the trail, there's not much snow, but an awful lot of water, I cross Delaney Creek, it's deep and has a strong current, then Bingley creek, split into many arms it takes a while to get past. The trail is flooded in part, six or eight inches deep, I was right to dump the shoes, but this is bad for boots and socks. Then two bridges over the Toulomne River, the first is doable, the approach is dry, then a knee deep wade to get off it. I reach the second bridge at 6pm, it looks hard, I decide to camp and look again in the morning. Maybe the water will go down.
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| Wet but victorious. |
Day 21
In fact, the river is higher when I poke my head out of the tent at 6am - I decide to sleep a bit more. I spoke to a guy on Highway 120 yesterday, he said water levels were lowest around midday, I suspect that is probably right. This is scary stuff, there is so much water, mostly under the bridge though, and I decide go for it at 9am, the approach is a waist deep wade, I cling to trees and pull myself along, then up the bridge support, made it! On the other side, again it is deep, but short, I basically fling myself in and can grab onto the far 'shore', done. Then some bare trail, woo, I make decent time for a bit, there are more creeks though - I wade a couple, then one has such a strong current, I simply can't stay upright. I manage to flounder to the side, but can only watch as my hat floats off, moving faster and faster as the current takes it. I feel rather sad, have had that hat a long time. The same thing happens a little later, barring that I now have no hat to lose, I'm wet through, walking up into snow too, it feels very cold. Still, I manage fifteen miles, I'm getting through it somehow - there are only fifty-four miles to Sonora pass, supposedly the northern boundary of the High Sierra, now.
Photos to go with this post can be found here and here.
In fact, the river is higher when I poke my head out of the tent at 6am - I decide to sleep a bit more. I spoke to a guy on Highway 120 yesterday, he said water levels were lowest around midday, I suspect that is probably right. This is scary stuff, there is so much water, mostly under the bridge though, and I decide go for it at 9am, the approach is a waist deep wade, I cling to trees and pull myself along, then up the bridge support, made it! On the other side, again it is deep, but short, I basically fling myself in and can grab onto the far 'shore', done. Then some bare trail, woo, I make decent time for a bit, there are more creeks though - I wade a couple, then one has such a strong current, I simply can't stay upright. I manage to flounder to the side, but can only watch as my hat floats off, moving faster and faster as the current takes it. I feel rather sad, have had that hat a long time. The same thing happens a little later, barring that I now have no hat to lose, I'm wet through, walking up into snow too, it feels very cold. Still, I manage fifteen miles, I'm getting through it somehow - there are only fifty-four miles to Sonora pass, supposedly the northern boundary of the High Sierra, now.
Photos to go with this post can be found here and here.
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