Pacific Crest Trail : Kennedy Meadows (North) to Meyers

Miles this section : 74
Miles completed : 1091

Rugged scenery north of Sonora Pass.

I spend the morning at Kennedy Meadows (North), it's not a zero but I am behind schedule, and twenty-four hours' rest will do - two half zeros I guess, or 'hero days' for short.  I breakfast on coffee and pancakes, then just keep eating, some Reese's Pieces I found in the hiker box, they are bad hiker food, the chocolate melts at room temperature (oddly the peanut butter does not), good eating though.  Then a nice chap, Josh, buys me another breakfast, in exchange for PCT tales.  He even buys my bear box for $20!  Then it's time to walk back up Highway 108, and like 120, it seems easier than coming down.  So, do things get better after the pass?  Well, there is still lots of snow, hours of walking on it in fact, but also some bare trail.  I keep on until 8pm this first day after my rest, and manage five trail miles.  It's the same kind of thing next day, I walk over nineteen miles, longest in a while, but it is such hard work - I tell myself, more of it melts every day.  At least, there is no sign of scary creeks since Sonora Pass.

Upper and Lower Blue Lakes.

More bare trail appears, crisscrossing high ridges, it is nice walking and I get an odd feeling - I am actually enjoying myself!  I'm able to appreciate the landscape too, craggy mountains and still lakes bordered by pines.  But the snow isn't done with me just yet, late on the third day I face a near vertical slope covering a section of trail.  I make a bad decision here - maybe fatigue after eleven hours or so, or maybe pride, I was just thinking I'd taken the worst the Sierras could throw at me.  We know what pride goes before...  I kick steps, small ones, the snow is icy hard, and get nearly half way across before the fall.  And I am lucky, I slide down ten feet or so, then hit rock, which stops me pretty quickly.  Just a few bruises and scrapes, could have been much worse, another trekking pole down though - poor thing is bent nearly in half.  Of course it takes just a short backtrack to find a stony slope to scramble up, avoiding the snow.

First sight of Lake Tahoe.

I still manage a nineteen mile day despite the fall, then more bare trail next day for twenty-two miles, leaving just a morning of walking - half snow, half trail - to my next resupply.  Normal practice here seems to be to hitch to the ski / casino / party town of South Lake Tahoe, some twelve miles off trail, well I am not here to party - my plan is three miles to the small town of Meyers, and a campsite.  One tiny problem, they want sixty dollars for a night's camp, 'it's Lake Tahoe on the fourth of July', the lady says.  OK... well, I get a shower for five dollars anyway.  And there is free camping in the woods, and I track down beer and a huge pizza, could be much worse.  I even buy some more poles, online from Walmart - will they turn up at the next post office as I asked?  We'll see.

Happy Fourth of July!

Photos to go with this post can be found here.

Pacific Crest Trail : High Sierras Days 22 Through 26

Miles this section : 54
Miles completed : 1017

Falls Creek and Wilma Lake from above.

Day 22
Lots of up and down today, some on bare trail but even with that it's hard work, including a climb over Benson Pass at over ten thousand feet - I thought passes were over.  I worry about creeks all day, it is actually a relief to reach the Plute and find it is OK, sure it has burst its banks but there are logs over the deepest bits.  Next up, Rancheria Creek, really not good - it's in a steep canyon with snowy sides, the foaming creek at the bottom, it is bad enough just walking along, I have to kick steps, one slip and I am in the creek.  There are miles of that to come, then I have to cross it?  How?  I don't know what to do.  It is hard enough just to camp, the ground all covered by steeply sloping snow, best I can find is an angled ledge above the roaring water.  The bear can goes in the tent, otherwise it might roll off into the creek.

Day 23
I sleep late, slope or no, I don't want to face the creek, but of course, half a mile down there is a snow bridge.  Then more up and down all day, slow work as usual, and yes there are more creeks.  Around six miles into the day, one is flat and calm, but has burst its banks and looks deep.  Sure enough I end up swimming, the current is strong but I make it and my stuff stays dry.  Just two miles later another - my trail notes don't mention any of this, don't know if these creeks have names even.  This time, the deepest section has a log, maybe six inches below the surface, it's not possible to cross on it, so instead I try wading with the log as a support, but the current is so strong that it washes me, pack and all over the thing!  I was nearly across, and somehow flip towards the bank as I go over and then grab a tree root.  And still there is more... another two miles gets me to Wilma Lake and Falls creek, separate entities on the map, on the ground the lake seems to be pouring out into a nearby valley in a vast torrent.  I can walk no further today, so only ten miles done, but only thirty to Sonora Pass now... I have food for three days.  Maybe the water will go down?

One Thousand Miles!

Day 24
Of course the water doesn't go down, but on closer inspection it looks like the there's not much current from lake, rather it is the creek that the water is coming from.  In fact it is an easy wade, and to further brighten my mood I meet some people!  They turn up as I am getting ready to leave camp, they have followed my footprints - these are the first humans I've seen since Toulomne.  Now I follow their steps for a while, but then two miles on, I have to cross Falls Creek, and the only way is to swim.  It is really not fun, the fear is that the current will hold me in the centre, or that my body will stop working due to the cold, but I make it, only to walk along the creek for miles, watching it dwindle to a stream I could jump over, I should have stayed on the other bank.  Then up over Dorothy pass, there is bare trail at the top, other than that it has been snow all day.  Still I manage twelve miles, camping near the 999 mile point, as is often the case camp is also near a lake, I doze off to the sound of frogs croaking.  Less than eighteen miles to Sonora now!

Looking back at the Sierras.

Day 25
A short walk to the 1,000 mile point, there is some visible trail here but no sign of a marker.  Just a little past that, three hikers turn up, and tell me there were big warnings about this section, people were needing rescue etc.  None of this is much of a surprise to me, although they also confirm my suspicions that I missed the worst, you could see where some creeks had been higher.  However, there is no bad creek today, lots of bare trail in fact, I climb up to nearly eleven thousand feet and it's about half bare even up here, maybe the snow is running out.  There are superb views too, this is better, I've made seventeen miles and camp just short of the pass.  Time to eat my spare food!

Looking north, well there is certainly less snow in that direction.

Day 26
Half a mile of High Sierras left, if you take Sonora Pass as being their northern limit, just a scramble down some snow to the road.  Which I then walk along for nine miles, smooth tarmac feels so good under my feet after endless days of snow, it is quite scenic too, maybe not Highway 120 but a good view.  My rest stop here is another Kennedy Meadows, a 'pack station', you can come here and hire a horse, looks like fun.  I succumb to the offer of bed, shower and laundry for $35, eat many burritos, drink some beer, and have a burger before retiring to a real bed, and I'm actually clean, this is very good.  My wilderness beard doesn't want to come off, it takes a lot of scraping but I manage to remove most of it.  There's no WiFi, can't have it all, I write the blog anyway, this will be the last daily entry, back to normal blogging now.  And please, please, normal walking too.

Photos to go with this post can be found here.

Pacific Crest Trail : High Sierras Days 17 Through 21

Miles this section : 41
Miles completed : 963

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Pacific Crest Trail : High Sierras Days 11 Through 16

Miles this section : 67
Miles completed : 922

Camp cooking in progress.

Day 11
I do get a good night's sleep, makes a nice change.  Bare trail makes for good walking good too, albeit walking uphill, three thousand feet up to Selden Pass, of course soon enough I'm back on snow, but it's doable.  Only problem, looking at snow hurts my eyes without sunglasses - I turn my hat brim down, shut my eyes now and then and hope for the best.  Back down again, time for more creek wading, I fall over in Bear Creek, get wet but no harm done.  There are just thirteen miles to my rest stop, Vermilion Valley Resort (VVR henceforth) now, I hope it is open, have heard conflicting reports.  I camp alongside the rushing creek, dig a fire pit (with the stick!), and cook some bean chilli, it is good.

Day 12 The morning starts with a steep climb up bare trail, it would be OK but I'm exhausted, progress is slow.  Then down the north facing side, this is the hardest thing yet, the switchbacks are all snow covered, and simply too steep to get down, eventually I find a dirt and stone slope to scramble down, then walk through mosquito hell past Edison Lake to VVR, and thank goodness it is open.  No showers, no WiFi, but the store is going, and there is food, a choice of steak or steak.  There are hard core hikers here, doing twenty mile days in the snow, aiming for under a hundred days for the whole thing.  I still get some respect for coming from Kennedy Meadows without a break.

Horrible walking through the trees.

Day 13
I take a much needed zero day at VVR, eat lots, and spend lots, it is not cheap here.  One of the hard core guys is heading out, he reckons he will get phone signal back at the trail, so I ask him to email my dad, to let my family know I live, hope it works.  I spend some rime fixing stuff, the GPS unit's waterproof cover has come away, I tape it up, then sew up a trouser pocket...  I wash my clothes, wish I could wash me.  More shopping, new sunnies, they have eagles on so must be good, and finally some bug spray, 98% DEET, sounds good.

Day 14
Back to the trail, the path along the lake doesn't seem so bad after some rest, and the bug spray helps some.  Soon after rejoining the trail I ford Mono Creek, and barely have the strength to stay upright against the current, then up into snow again, Silver Pass today, on the way up the 'high schoolers' overtake me, and of course throw my mockery back at me.  I catch them back up at a nameless creek, too fierce to cross... while they debate what to do I head upstream, but the terrain just gets steeper, and the creek no less scary.  Finally get high enough for a snow bridge, then have to do some scary mountaineering up a rocky slope to get back to the trail.  Silver Pass turns out to be easy enough, then there's a fun descent, taking the direct route down soft snow loses altitude fast.

Edison Lake.

Day 15
I manage to get up and make an early start, but screw up and spend half an hour climbing back last night's descent, argh.  The correct climb the other way is a bit easier, no pass today (only a single big name pass left!) but still up over ten thousand feet.  Snow is still hard work, especially a few miles of contouring along a slope through pines, but then a miracle occurs, some contouring on a south facing slope, bare trail at ten thousand feet, this is actually nice walking.  Then back down, all snow still a thousand feet lower, makes it tricky to camp, I find a bare patch at the base of a tree.  Three miles behind the original plan, but I have an extra day of food so should be OK.

Silver Pass.

Day 16
As much of today is spent below eight thousand feet, I had hoped for easy miles, but no such luck.  A mile or two is OK, past Reds Meadows, there should be a store here but it's shut due to snow, grrr.  Then many fallen trees to navigate, making such hard work on an otherwise flat, snow free trail.  Next up, a monster ford of a nameless creek, the banks have burst, the water is waist deep, I push my way through it alongside a fallen tree.  Then snow, even this low down, along a riverbank, just impossible to walk on with the constant risk of sliding down into the water.  I look at the map, and scramble up a steep slope to meet a minor road, from here a shortcut avoids a few miles of trail, I don't care.  Then up to a few scant miles of bare trail, wow, shows this would be a nice walk without the snow.  Today I managed eighteen miles, I was behind even with my extra food, now only one mile off.

Photos to go with this section can be found here.

Pacific Crest Trail : High Sierras Days 5 Through 10

Miles this section : 91
Miles completed : 857

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Photos to go with this post can be found here and here.

Pacific Crest Trail : Kennedy Meadows to Mount Whitney

Miles this section : 64
Miles completed : 766

A 'meadow'.

I spend a busy zero day at Kennedy Meadows - there's a box for me here, with much food and new, warm boots - though the ten pound hiking shoes I've worn thus far are in good shape, I decide to keep them as creek shoes, to wear when wading.  I buy a 'bear can', one kilo and eighty dollars worth of plastic container, it will apparently stop a bear eating my food.  I have at least two days more food than will fit in the thing, but the zone in which you have to carry it actually starts around fifty miles north of here, so hopefully it'll be OK.  I also prevaricate about buying an ice axe... supposedly useful for stopping when sliding down an icy slope, honestly it looks more likely to me that I'd stab myself with it instead.  But I attend an impromptu training session, doesn't look too hard, so off to the outfitters opposite the bar - and of course they're sold out.  The guy there assures me I won't die without one so scratch that idea, can't say I'm too upset not to have spent another bunch of dollars.  But anyway... off into the hills, this is where the trail gets, ah, exciting so there will be daily entries for a while, oh yes.

Walking on snow was fun.  At first...

Day 1
I'm carrying eleven days of food, plus more warm clothing, micro spikes (sort of mini crampons), and the bear can of course.  My pack is very heavy, but manageable - it probably weighs less than the one I had for the Pennines way back in 2000 - I guess I am seventeen years older though.  The warm boots are cooking my feet, but other than that this is good, I'm finally out of the desert, these 'meadows', basically flat bottomed valleys enclosed by pine forest, seem very green after weeks of brown sand and dry vegetation.  Up into the forest, it grows cooler and there's plenty of water, the creeks swollen with snowmelt.  I climb to nearly ten thousand feet, some patches of snow here, but it's not too cold, time to camp, get a fire going and make dinner - carefully away from the tent now we're in bear country.

Day 2
My feet are sore from the long walk in hot boots yesterday, but they prove their worth as I climb above ten thousand feet, there's plenty of snow now, particularly on the north facing slope as I descend again, to reach some level terrain.  Nice walking, great views of the surrounding peaks, but unfortunately on the flat, snowmelt has collected in ponds and marshy ground, forming a breeding ground for swarms of mosquitoes which assault me for much of the day, clothes are no barrier to them, just have to bear it I guess.  Maybe they have scared away the hikers, I see one all day, and for the second day running I'm alone at camp - well, except for the mozzies of course.

The log over Rock Creek.

Day 3
I make a 6am start, walking through the magical early morning forest, with a long way to go, 24 miles is the plan.  There is much snow, it's hard work, the boots are good though, gripping well on the various types of snow, concrete hard early on, softening later.  I need my GPS now, I try following footprints but often they go the wrong way, it makes for slow progress, and it's late when I reach Rock Creek, the water looks high and dangerous to cross, I'm not wading it now, maybe it is time to camp?  Then I spot a message on the trail made from stones, 'xing' and an arrow, it points to a fallen tree across the creek, and I make it over!  Three more miles, then I camp and cook by moonlight.

Day 4
A big day, only a few miles along the trail, but with a detour to summit Mount Whitney!  This is the highest mountain in the 'contiguous states', i.e. not counting Alaska, I have to do it.  But I am three miles behind plan already, and take more time fording Crabtree Creek, which is literally stunningly cold - as I wade I find myself just standing there, have to focus on the need to keep moving.  I carry the tent four miles, so a mile up the detour, at least now the descent is only seven miles or so.  Then with a light pack it's a lovely walk, still a lot of snow, but I'm learning how to walk on it, including some use of my micro spikes!  I see what I think is a groundhog, gone before I can reach the camera though.  I pass people who have turned back, complaining about soft snow, what is wrong with it though?  I don't see the problem, it is easy to kick steps in, and not too dangerous surely - from skiing I know soft snow is good to fall on, and hard to slide downhill on.  I get to the top, there are of course great views, also a shelter (full of snow), and even people camping on top - I envy them the sleeping bags that allow this. I make it back to the tent in daylight, with a sore heel, boots aren't perfect.  I cook outside in the cold again, I miss eating in the tent, stupid bears.

Top of the world!

Photos to go with this post can be found here.

Pacific Crest Trail : Tehachapi to Kennedy Meadows

Miles this section : 137
Miles completed : 702

Lavender blooming in the desert.

Funny place, Tehachapi - on the map, a substantial town built to a grid pattern, but on the ground it is mostly empty space, the odd block here and there filled with housing or retail, but separated by miles of desert.  It challenges my resolve to walk everywhere, but I manage somehow, not much of a rest day though as I find another, more central campsite - by Tehachapi's other airstrip - then make my way to the USPS and UPS offices, supermarket etc.  Just about find time for all-you-can-eat Chinese in the evening, and even a bar where I drink Pabst Blue Riband.  It's... beer.

It does get quite pretty at times.

I retrace my steps back to the trail without incident, and walk another long day through the desert, featuring many trail angels - over the course of the day I score two hot dogs, two sodas and two beers, can't be bad.  Before long though I am back to relying on my own resources, well I am carrying a lot of food and often water too, it is pretty scarce out here, sometimes twenty miles or more between springs, cattle troughs or whatever.  I start one monster section of some 42 dry miles carrying some 4.5 litres of water, there is a cache 7 more miles in, so a chance to 'camel up' again, but still the following 15 miles or so are hard work as I try to keep to a litre every ten miles.  Of course, there is then another cache, and indeed an angel with sodas, plus trail magic - pop tarts, which like much American food, taste oddly artificial.

The milestone of the beast!

The foot wide ribbon of dust and sand that is the trail winds on, over hills, down to cross dry creek beds, across saddles and through passes - makes for varied surroundings, bare sand and Joshua trees at lower altitudes, pine forest higher up.  I seem to have left the wind farms behind, perhaps because this is now protected wilderness... nice walking anyway, and I make good speed as the weather turns and with blanket cloud cover temperatures stay low, and it even rains - a bit.  My waterproof top stays in my bag, at least until the morning when it is perishing cold.

Kennedy Meadows.

Still plenty of hikers about, some familiar - Paul who started the same day as me, Pavel and Milo, reuniting Czechoslovakia on the PCT - others new to me, mostly fit young people who leave me for dust.  Still I'm doing the miles, over a quarter done now, and I can see the snowcapped Sierras in the distance.  First though, another zero day, Kennedy Meadows is the gateway to the Sierras, and not a lot else to be honest - population 200 according to the sign.  Still there are free chilli dogs, a store with beer, even a bar - two miles of empty desert away of course.

Photos to go with this post can be found here.