PCT: CA Section G (and part of Section H) - Kennedy Meadows South, Mount Whitney, and Kersarge Pass
Day 50 - 6/25/25 - My First Summer in Sierra
Distance: 19 miles
Weather: Sunny
End Location: mile 722
Lessons Learned:
Pancakes
Coffee
Pictures
Maelyn and Gonzo drove us to the trailhead
We started hiking at 10 a.m.
Made it 2.5 miles by 11 a.m., ate an apple and a Cliff Bar
Hiked 4 miles to a creek for lunch
Crossed a cool wooden bridge at 11:40 a.m., felt like a portal
Stopped at Crag Creek at 12:15 p.m.
Rattlesnake was there, played guitar - kind of shocked because I thought he hiked faster
Ate lunch and filled up my water using my new system (a rope loop and carabiner)
Crossed the pass and entered the forest around 3 p.m.
Immediately teeming with life, crickets and cicadas chirped loudly while chipmunks and rabbits ran about
Beautiful vast meadows, view of granite peaks with snow, one of them being Mt. Whitney
This will be home for the next few months 😌
Hugged and smelled a large ponderosa on the trail
More chipmunks, rabbits, and large pine tree
Made it to the South Fork Kern River around 4:30 p.m.
Familiar faces: Gabe, Bella, Cheech
And some new faces: Sarah and Jessica
I took off my shoes, put my sandals on, and plopped face first in the river with my clothes on
The river was warmer than I expected and felt glorious
Ate my 1st dinner, cucumber salad
Hung until 6 p.m.
Cheech played guitar while I packed up
What a lovely entrance to the mountains
5 more miles to camp
Big music day
Lots of jam bands and Grateful Dead
I was feeling very grateful as well
Hiked through a meadow and along a creek, with a good amount of elevation
Tasha and 360 were setting up camp at the lower part of the creek, but Ellie and I wanted to keep going
Around 7:40 p.m., I reached a spot where you could see the sunset pretty well and stopped
Talked to Ellie and we decided to camp there instead of getting to camp late and setting up in the dark
Set up tents due to the mosquitoes and changed into camp outfits
Ate dinner and watched the rest of the sunset
Chatted about life and the past week apart
Went to bed around 10:25 p.m.
Day 51 - 6/26/25 - Into the Alpine
Distance: 18 miles
Weather: Sunny Blue Bird (cool crisp in the morning, hot in the afternoon)
End Location: Stream and Corral (mile 739.4)
Lessons in practice: beauty has its price (mosquitoes)
Woke up at 6:30 a.m.
Left at 8:30 a.m.
Climbed through a high alpine meadow (~10,000 ft)
Played my alt rock playlist (local natives, Houndmouth, Hippo Campus)
Pipeline lupine (not yet seeding), wild leeks, skunk plant, Indian paintbrush, trail AIDS thorn bushes, sagebrush
Stopped at Gabe and Bella’s camp, filled up water from the stream
Sequoias, ponderosas, and cedars all increased in size and quantity the higher I went
“Palmyra” by Houndmouth at the false summit in the woods
Western Hemlocks began appearing too, one of my favorites
Beautiful view of the valley below
Would you just look at it! C’mon now
Took a break next to a large sequoia and admired the view, could see where I crossed the meadow yesterday
Always satisfying to see how far I’ve come
“Hold on” by Alabama Shakes played as I reached a clearing in a sequoia grove
An array of mountains and opportunities presented themselves, could see Mt. Whitney in the distance
White pines like Christmas trees decorated the trail while Olancha Peak poked out, tempting me
No trail up the peak
Probably best to save my energy for Whitney anyways
Took a break around 10 a.m. and ate some granola
Caught up with the gals (Tasha, Ellie, 360) at the top around 10:30 a.m.
Ellie climbed in a cinnamon swirl log
“Castles Made of Sand” on the descent
Many small squished pinecone, would be cool logo or on shirt… sharks
“Sometimes you have to get burned to grow”
Pinecones release seeds in fires
Honeybun energy doesn’t last as long out here
Elevation and lack of oxygen is to blame
“Let the oceans worry about being blue” - Alabama Shakes
Descended
Around 12:30pm, I stopped at stream with good flow for water and lunch, was starving
Ellie and gals continued on
Ate Buffalo tuna tortilla, watermelon sour patch kids,
Gabe and Bella joined
Rapped an explicit lil Debbie freestyle
“Like a zebra, she my lil Debra” 😂
Chilled and hung out, learned more each other
Bella has a blog too (Bella Beliefs) and is a middle child as well
Gabe has dual citizenship with US and Canada
Bella got hilarious pic of me in river yesterday 😂
Cheech, Alex, and Rattlesnake pulled up as I was heading out
Left 2pm
13.5 miles to camp at Diaz creek
Tall saw tooth mountains (name of range unknown)
Put on TED Talk about the intersection of creativity and pain with cartoonist and researcher who created a nausea scale
Nearidolia - seeing faces in inanimate objects
I’ve experienced this many times on the hike with rocks and trees
Meditation and focus on a single object allows you unfocus on stuff that’s not important
Also find parallels in hiking and steep climbs, when my only focus is getting to the top, everything else blurs in comparison
Reached bottom, Gomez Meadow (mile 730)
Felt like a good meadow for a bear, kept eyes peeled but probably too hot out
Listened to podcast on existentialism and human condition
Existentialism is usually put in terms of a “lack” or something is lacking in life that causes problems
Ernst Bloch’s take: not a lack but surplus of hope
Hope defined as anticipatory consciousness
Looking forward to the “not yet”
Hope is everywhere, it is the dynamic of being itself
“Even a stone is becoming world”
The now is always obscure to itself
Darkness of lived moment
Every moment carries latent possibilities
A nialistix person has been hurt by their expectations
Made it to Death Canyon around 3pm, saw Ellie, wet clothes due to heat
Bloch’s take on music
Music builds tension and offers resolution
Never finished
Experiential metaphysics
Going up so switched to music, funny timing😂
BITR by parkbreezy came on, felt like Gabe and Bella would like that song
Switched to funky disco house, the rhythm helps me get in a flow for uphills
Pic of Ellie contemplating the mountains
Air getting thinner
Bella was going fast, passed Ellie and I on break
Reached the view of Owen’s Valley at 4:45pm, a giant dried up lake that supplies LA with a ton of water (lots of legal battles apparently)
Reached summit at 5pm as “The Colors” (The Knocks Remix) played
Bella was at the top, we had a little photoshoot
Asked if she knew the song BITR, she did and loves
Switched to country playlist I could sing along to (breath training for Whitney)
Silhouetted mountain ranges
Break with Bella
Gabe and Ellie caught up
Confirmed camp plan, just 1.6 more miles
“We accept the love we think we deserve”
Made it to camp around 7pm
Filled up water
Used pole system to carry back
Set up filter and got water going
Then set up tent and sleep stuff and changed into mosquito outfit, they’re always worse by water sources
Ate dinner with Ellie, instant mash with chicken
And tea, yogi wisdom: “the one who listens learns”
Mosquitoes were terrible
Ellie and I said we were going to look like chicken pox patients tomorrow
Nice sunset but hard to enjoy
Beauty has its price (lesson already learned)
Went to bed around 9pm
Day 52 - 6/27/25 - Chicken Lake
Distance: 17 miles
Weather: Sunny and beautiful
End Location: mile 757
Lessons Learned: beat the sun, beat the bugs
Woke up at 5 a.m.
Edited pictures until 5:15 a.m.
Packed up
It was so early and cold that there were no mosquitoes out.
Beat the sun, beat the bugs (lesson learned)
Enjoyed breakfast, honeybun, and coffee
Changed out of fleece
Left at 6:30 a.m. - be bold, start cold
12.5 miles to Chicken Lake where I planned to swim and linger like the Cranberries
Nice descent for the morning, hiked 4 miles to Diaz Creek
Started the day with a Peter Cat Recording Co inspired playlist “Coast Guard”
“Soulless Friend”
Spotted a wild Cheech walking through the morning fog of her own creation
Through breaks in the trees, the sun warmed my face and hands and provided glorious glimmers of light
Passed Cheech as she was about to pee😂
She did not hear my morning salutation a mile back
Continued on Ernest Bloch
Talked about Beethoven’s music
Music is always a product of its time
Art is a part of a wish landscape, what is missing in the present or possible in the future
Educated hope vs false hope, 4 criteria:
Tendency (is it something that can happen right now? / immediacy)
Latency (does it reflect a way people are feeling now?)
Ability to be mobilized (has to be something that moves people)
Ability to be revised (can you pivot?)
Example: colonizing Mars
Nonsynchronicity - people with differing beliefs are just occupying a different philosophical time, interesting
People living in different moments of history living together today at the same time
offer compassion, asking questions that challenged those beliefs during that time.
Don’t get caught in the idea that you’ve arrived at some final truth.
Accidentally passed Diaz Creek, guess I’ll fill up at the next one.
Pulled over, nice rock.
Pine cones hung like mistletoe above my path.
Stopped at Dutch Meadow and Spring to fill up water.
Took a break with Bella and Ellie.
Talked about life, we all reach a breaking point.
Met Gollum and Medicine Mama, they were camped down by the creek.
Medicine Mama carries essential oils, gave us a hit of some peppermint on the tongue to increase oxygen absorption.
And Gollum got his name because he looks like Andy Serkis, the guy that plays Gollum in Lord of the Rings.
Cheech gifted him a copper ring she was given at Deep Creek.
He was so happy to receive the gift, he said it was, doing his best Sméagol impression, “absolutely… precious” 😂
Alex joined and played Slogo River Blues on Cheech’s guitar, an emotional moment, captures the cadence of hiking perfectly.
Left 9:20 a.m., 7.8 more miles to Chicken Lake.
Tame Impala’s “One More Year” played as an outro in my headphones.
Just a beautiful day out, bad day to be a cloud.
Switched to bluegrass playlist.
Played “Blue Skies” by Allman Brothers.
Saw a mire in the distance as Billy Strings played away.
Not sure if it was the peppermint drop or multivitamin, but I felt great.
View of Whitney again… closer and closer each day.
Beautiful meadows in the valley below.
Crossed Poison Meadow around 11 a.m.
4 more miles to Chicken Lake.
Nice little Christmas tree farm at the pass but no Boy Scouts to help out.🤔
Climbed up.
Reached another meadow around 11:45 a.m., a deer quietly grazing in front of a perfect backdrop.
Touched grass, lush and soft.
Passed day hikers, funny how you can smell their cleanliness.
Made it to Whitney Meadows pass.
Touched snow.
Made it to Chicken Lake around 12 p.m.
A pristine alpine lake at the bottom of a mountain.
Finally felt like I was in the High Sierra.
The whole gang skinny-dipped in the lake.
Cold but felt amazing.
Heard George Costanza screaming “shrinkage” in my mind. 🤣
Nudity doesn’t seem to be an issue when there’s so much beauty to look at.
Ate lunch, tuna tortilla with honey BBQ chips.
Finished my final pieces of cheddar cheese, just felt right (3 days out with cheese is also kind of pushing it).
Took vitamins.
Hung with Bella, Gabe, Cheech, and Ellie.
Hikers Yaya and Tea Cup came along.
We all sang songs and I played my harmonica.
“So I’ll Stay” - Cheech original, good harmonica part.
“I’m Yours” by Jason Maraz, Yaya played and sang.
“Riptide” by Vance Joy, Yaya played and sang.
“Ripple” by Grateful Dead, Tea Cup played but sparse on the words.
Hilarious conversations.
Explained jury duty and the judicial system to Ellie.
Why does the US have jurors? We weren’t sure but knew it was our duty.😂
German judicial system just lets the judge decide, makes sense… we also have a judge.
Made our system seem a little inefficient.
Jobs that get you out of jury duty, lawyer?
Seemed ironic.
“12 Angry Men.”
Pondered what the jury selection on a child molestation case would look like.
“Have you ever raped a child?”
“Please answer using a scale of 1 to 10.”
“I guess 1.” 😂🤣 died laughing.
Jared from Subway advocated for foot longs but ended up liking them a bit smaller.
Another hiker, “Siesta”, joined.
Older lady with a young heart from Camas, WA, we talked about Washington and Portland for a bit.
“Anyone know the laws on nudity in California?” She asked.
“If there are any, we already broke them,” I responded 😂
She stripped and went in the water, carrying only her umbrella to protect her from the sun.
Could’ve been a commercial for the umbrella 😅
Wanted to take a pic but didn’t because of obvious reasons (she later told me I should’ve taken a picture 😂)
Left around 4:30 p.m.
Goal was to make it as far as I could.
Water in 2.7 miles and again in 6.4 miles, would probably dry camp in between.
Listened to bass going up.
Then reminded of Florida while walking through sand, I put on a playlist with Kenny Chesney and Jimmy Buffett.
“Mmm that sounds good I’ll have some of that.”
Want to find a Key Lime Pie in Bishop.
“Cheeseburger in Paradise” is a dangerous song to listen to in the backcountry.
Almost shed a tear overlooking the valley while “Son of a Sailor” played.
But stopped myself, saving my tears for the northern terminus.
You can’t understand joy without experiencing pain.
Thoughts on sailing the world, writing songs like Jimmy Buffett.
Filled up water at a little spring.
Dry camping, so got 4L.
Entered Kings Canyon National Park boundary.
Hiked it 4.5 miles by 7 p.m.
Set up camp with Ellie, Gabe, and Bella.
Ellie and I ate dinner together.
Had some deep talks.
“If there’s something you could change about your personality, what would it be?”
I’d like to be more open to learning from others and not stubbornly learning things on my own. There’s a time and place, but feel like there are easier paths to knowledge.
Retreated to tent around 9 p.m.
Listened to the various voice memos I got of all the music today.
My harmonica was a little overbearing at some parts. Need to work on waiting my turn, hahaha.
Might do Whitney tomorrow. It’s 12 miles to the junction. Will see how legs feel.
Other choice is to just camp and get an alpine start the following day.
Gabe, Bella, and Ellie are planning on doing a sunrise summit.
Will need to listen to my body and instincts.
Went to bed around 9:30 p.m.
This was one of my favorite days on the trail so far, hanging by the lake and enjoying the company of good people 😌
Day 53 - 6/28/25 - to Crabtree Meadow
Distance: 13.5 miles
Weather: Sunny
End Location: Crabtree Meadow
Lessons Learned: Regenerate your strength
Woke up at 5 a.m.
Left at 6:15 a.m.
12 miles to Crabtree Meadows
Started the morning with my playlist “Kiwi” (FKJ, Masego, piano)
Mountains in the morning light always look peaceful
Touched moss
Saw Cheech
Had a meadow moment
Strawberries should be fruiting in a week or two
Walked along Rock Creek and crossed
Saw a doe and her two fawns grazing
Crossed a river along a log
Break with Ellie and Cheech
8 more miles uphill to Crabtree left at 9 a.m.
“We will not be Kate Bushed” 😅
I kind of Kate Bushed it a bit
Made it to the top at 10:30, big reveal
Switched to JRE Pod on the downhill
Passed Mount Guyat
Cool nursing tree
Made it to Crabtree Meadows around 12 p.m.
Was cooked so decided to do Whitney tomorrow
Walked around to pick out a camp spot
Saw Tiny
He just went on his summit adventure and said it was great
Took his camping spot, he’s going to hike a few more miles today
He might be getting off-trail at Independence, sad
We got one last picture together
After the tent was set up, ate lunch, tuna tortilla
Many mosquitoes in the shadows
Took vitamins
Wandered a bit, it was an amazing meadow
Figured out that the mosquitoes don’t get you in the sun, only in the shadows, like the movie “I Am Legend” 😂
Found a nice creek and washed off my body and clothes
Accidentally washed my headphones too (I left them in my shorts) 😅
Filled up my water
Hung the filter up
Found a good spot to hang out and do yoga in the main meadow.
Did yoga and stretched. It was lovely out in the grassy field.
While doing downward dog, I saw Yaya and Tea Cup walk and waved to them upside down.
They asked if they could join, but of course.
Tea Cup made tea and we all hung out and cracked jokes.
Tea Cup and I, both avid climbers, came up with an idea for a climbing community / shared living quarters for students learning remotely. We called it the “Hard Rocks Climbing Community.”
Made early dinner around 5 p.m.
Alex came over with the whiskey he got in Independence.
Took 2 shots each out of Tea Cup’s tea cups.
Cheered to being “bad hombres.”
Prepped coffee and food bag for tomorrow.
Went to bed around 7:40 p.m.
Planned to wake up for Mt. Whitney at 3:00 a.m.
Not going for sunrise summit. A few people were waking up at midnight for that, but I needed more sleep than just 4 hours.
Day 54 - 6/29/25 - Side Quest Accepted: Mt Whitney Trip
Distance: 14 miles (6,000 ft elevation gain)
Weather: Sunny, perfect
End Location: Crabtree Meadows
Lessons Learned:
Woke up briefly by the sunrise crew going out around midnight.
Went back to bed, woke up around 3 a.m.
Left at 3:45 a.m., very dark out started with head lmao
The Milky Way showed the way.
Zed’s Dead’s “Fall Away” then Of the Trees’ album.
Couldn’t tell if it was a star or a headlight at the top of the mountain.
Crossed the creek around 4:30 a.m.
Was going at a rate of 2 mph.
It was a star, not a headlamp.
Fluorescent grass framed the trail and lit the way.
Violet, indigo skies silently turned blue as light filled the sky.
Took a break around 5 a.m. just before morning light shined on the valley.
Was grooving and felt great.
Incredible hiking and views.
Put on Big Wild’s Superdream Album, incredible vibes always.
Almost shed a tear as the sun rose over the top and painted the mountains.
Bumped more Zeds Dead and Taiki Nulight and the climbing got more intense.
Made it to the summit around 8 a.m.
Glorious views.
Cheech, Alex, and Ellie were at the summit.
Danced and cheered with friends.
Yahoo!
I had conquered the tallest peak in the contiguous US, 14,505 ft high.
Put pants on and prepped food.
Put fleece, jacket, and windbreaker on.
Ate honeybun, best one yet.
Probably the highest honeybun in the world for at least a day.
Or until someone else enjoys a honeybun higher.
High Sierra, how are you?
Ate carrot bowl, delish.
The air tasted like snow.
Crisp like the first run of the day at Mount Hood Meadows.
Chilled heavily.
Venom, Bugs, and Luna all joined at the peak.
Left around 10 a.m. with Alex and Ellie.
Having energy and feeling good, we decided to bag a few more peaks on the way down.
No technical climbing but good fun class 2 scrambling.
Bagged Keeler’s Needle (14,260 ft) at 11:20 a.m.
It was bolted at the top for rappelling, a crazy sheer, vertical descent.
Made me dizzy looking down.
Ate some watermelon sour patch kids for energy.
Gave some to a few hikers going up Whitney for motivation.
Bagged Aiguille Extra (13,999 ft) at 11:59 a.m.
Bagged Aiguille du Paquoir (14,005 ft) at 12:12 p.m.
Alex and I decided to skip Mt. Muir (14,018ft), looked sketchy and I had already made some mistakes.
We also saw someone having a difficult time descending which dissuaded us further.
Best not to push our luck.
Started the 7-mile descent around 12:30 p.m.
Had scruples of potato chips left.
Saw Here and There going up to Whitney, got a pic with them.
Around 2:15 p.m., I hung out in the neck of Guitar Lake, windy but found a nice rock to hide behind.
No rush to get back down to mosquito meadow.
Skinny dipped and washed clothes.
Changed into other clothes.
Felt good to be clean again.
Left at 3:15 p.m.
Made it back to Crabtree Meadows around 4:30 p.m.
Filled water and changed into camp outfit.
Set up dinner spot and hung with Cheech, Gabe, and Bella.
Took vitamins and made ramen - well deserved after a long day.
Siesta pulled up to the meadow and joined us.
Cheech played guitar and sang.
I played a bit of harmonica.
A wonderful conclusion to a long but rewarding day.
I had made it to the summit of the high peak in the contiguous US and bagged a few more 14ers.
Went to bed around 7 p.m.
I was exhausted and this was just the start of the High Sierra.
Day 55 - 6/30/25 - Forester Pass
Distance: 20 miles
Weather: Sunny, cloudy later in the day
End Location: Bubb’s Creek
Lessons Learned: Solar power is clutch
Woke up at 5:40 a.m.
Phone battery was at 12%
I may have been too loose with battery power on yesterday’s granite escapades
Told Cheech I was planning on navigating mostly without a phone to Kersage Pass (27 miles away) and into Bishop
Hearing my plan, she let me borrow her solar panel for the day to charge my battery
Attached solar panel to the top of my bag and plugged it into the battery so it would charge throughout the day
Solar is clutch (lesson learned)
Ate breakfast, coffee, and honeybun
Left at 6:30 a.m.
Walked through sequoia and pine tree groves
Found a mushroom, based on the gills it looked like a white chanterelle
Will research more before eating (turned out to be a Sawgill)
Crossed through a few lovely meadows
Multiple river crossings, shoes and socks got wet on one of them, maybe Wallace Creek
By 10 a.m., I had hiked 6 miles
Walked across Big Horn Plateau
Beautiful reveal, could see Forester Pass in the distance and several peaks
Phone battery down to 6%
Passed Tawny Point, thought about bagging but needed the energy for the rest of the day
Crossed Tyndall Creek around 11:00 a.m.
My shoes were already wet so just crossed in them
Not wanting to hike in squishy shoes, I took an early lunch break on the other side of the river and let my socks and shoes dry off
4.5 more miles to Forester Pass
Made it to the bottom of the pass around 2 p.m.
The pass looked gnarly, straight up
Took a break, ate “Good to Go” cucumber salad.
Chilled on the mat and let shoes and socks dry some more.
Left at 2:50 p.m., the pass looked like a doozy.
Reached the top of the pass (13,120 ft) around 3:30 p.m.
Getting down was scarier than going up, a bit of snow, post-holed a ton, cut my leg slightly on a rock.
Beautiful Lake at the bottom of Junction Peak.
Angry clouds rolled in over the peak and prevented me from staying too long.
Saw Moses and Lucky, who said it’s not supposed to rain for at least 2 days.
That brought me some comfort.
The down climb back in the valley felt like an eternity.
My left heel was hurting and my legs were gassed.
All the loose rocks tested my patience.
I was also out of electrolytes so was not feeling particularly on point.
But the scenery was spectacular.
King’s Canyon is one of the most dramatic landscapes I’ve ever seen.
Felt like I was in the Swiss Alps.
Saw a deer grazing.
Made it to Bubbs Creek around 6:15 p.m. and set up camp.
Some JMT hikers were already set up.
Lucky and Moses came and set up camp.
Swallowed a mosquito, tried coughing it up with no success.
Oh well, extra protein 😅
Saw Cheech walking down, shouted at her.
Returned her solar panel.
She decided to set up camp as well, we probably wouldn’t see each other for a while after tomorrow - she is on a tight schedule and not zeroing in on Bishop.
Went to bed around 8:45 p.m.
The solar panel charged my power bank 2 out of 4 bars, better than nothing 🙏🏼
But it was honestly a really tough day and no music, not a great combo.
Day 56 - 07/01/2025 - Kersarge Pass and Bishop
Distance: 13.5 miles
Weather: cold, sunny
End Location: Bishop
Lessons Learned: if you have food and good views, there’s no need to rush to town.
Woke up at 5:50 a.m.
So much for the Cheech alarm (she said she was waking up at 5 a.m. and would wake me up).
Bitter cold out, the lid of my bear can had frost on it.
Ate breakfast in bed (prepped the night before).
Honeybun and coffee in sleeping bag go crazy.
With enough phone battery, I used the rest of my power to charge headphones.
We have music again🙏🏼🫡
Left around 7 a.m.
Saw Gabe and Bella as I was leaving, confirmed lodging details for Bishop.
Kept an eye out for mushrooms, seemed like a good area.
4 miles to Kersarge Pass.
Walked along the river, saw various waterfalls, lovely.
Listened to “Jersey Giant”, thought of Tea Cup and Yaya.
Sun broke over the top of the canyon around 8 a.m.
Took gloves off around 8:30 a.m.
Stopped at Lower Vidette Meadow before I started climbing up.
Mosquitoes were wild.
Beautiful ferns in the morning light going up to Bull Frog Lake.
Halfway up the climb, ate a quick tuna burrito and applied sunscreen at 9:20 a.m.
Made it to Bull Frog Lake around 10 a.m., beautiful, crystal, sparkling water.
Headphones glitched out, keep turning on and off - that’s what I get for washing them😅
Will pick up new ones in town.
Back to no music again 🥲
Saw Gabe and Bella chilling, joined them for a little.
Left a little after 10 a.m.
6.6 miles to trailhead.
Climbing the pass, I met a weekend hiker named Chocoholic.
He lives in Bishop and offered me a ride if we got to the bottom at the same time.
Made it to the top of the pass around 11 a.m. (11,791 ft), amazing view.
Also met a British guy named Ian at the top who also offered me a ride.
Saw the French PCT hikers I had met near Wrightwood, they had just gone into Bishop and were coming back out.
I asked them for some good spots, and they told me to go to the Schat’s Bakery for good sandwiches and pastries, and Mammoth Exchange for cheap gear.
Got down the pass and stopped by an unnamed lake for lunch.
I scoped out a ton of muddy spots and eventually found a nice little beach.
I dove in with my clothes on to wash them off.
Then stripped and dove in again nude.
Ate another tuna burrito, made coffee and sunbathed on my mat.
No rush to make it into town when there’s food and so much beauty to be had (lesson learned).
Probably the coolest place I’ve had coffee😂
Trout lunged at flies periodically, breaking the still surface.
My old roommate, an avid fisherman, would love this spot.
2.5 miles down to the trailhead, left around 1:30 p.m.
Passed Gilbert Lake, nice but less privacy, glad I opted for the other one.
It was nice seeing familiar faces going up while I was going down, but I started losing my patience having to stop for all the traffic going uphill.
Wasn’t able to get in a flow with all the stop and go.
Made it to the bottom around 2:30 p.m.
Chocoholic pulled up with his minivan right when I got off the trail, impeccable timing.
2 other hikers in the van, Rabbit and Goh (“Grumpy Old Hound”), a married couple from PA doing a YouTube vlog:
“Old and On the Way (PCT)”
Drove 40 mins drive to Bishop.
Got dropped off at Rabbit and Goh’s hotel and walked to Shat’s Roadhouse.
This whole town is Shat 😂
Got the chicken and rib dinner with rice and beans, cheese curds, and a large beer, Mammoth Golden Trout (Kölsch).
Scarfed down food savagely.
Ordered a malt milkshake to go.
Rabbit and Goh came in and joined me at the tail end of the meal.
Got to know them a bit better.
Rabbit (the wife) just retired from a long career with a shipping company.
Goh runs his own auto business and has a deep belief in Jesus.
Goh started preaching, something I didn’t particularly need after 9 years of Catholic school, so I started packing up.
Left around 5 p.m. and walked to the Airbnb that Intents had set up for the gang.
The Airbnb was amazing.
The property is called the Eastside Guesthouse and Bivy and rents out different rooms to guests.
Our room was called the Emerson and housed 7 people in bunk beds.
Familiar faces were hanging out when I got there: Ellie, Alex, Tea Cup, Yaya, Bella, and Gabe.
Tea Cup and Yaya wanted to do a BBQ so went to the store.
I went to the gas station for beer.
Came back and Tea Cup was manning two grills.
He made an amazing spread: chicken, steak, salmon, corn, and potatoes.
We all chowed and drank and had a grand ol’ time.
Made some Tennessee honey ginger drinks with lime.
Then went to Carls Jr. for milkshakes.
In a food coma, I passed out shortly after the milkshake around 10 p.m.
