Mile Marker: 789.8
Trail Miles: 0.9
Miles Hiked: 8.5
Glen Pass (elev 11,946 ft) was only two miles up the trail from where we left the PCT two days ago. We wanted to camp short of the pass and cross it early in the morning tomorrow, so there was no hurry. It was a 7.6 mile hike back to the PCT via Kearsarge Pass and then 1 mile north on the PCT.
In spite of my two zeroes (and good internet) I hadn’t updated the blog. I spent most of this morning posting, catching up. I also had to make a run to the Mammoth P.O. to pick up my ‘bounce box’. I’d shipped it from Tehachapi two weeks earlier but somehow it hadn’t arrived. — The box had resupply items (band aids, clothes, extra/replacement gear), but most importantly my laptop. As a precaution I was downloading photos from my phone periodically.
HH and I got on the road to Bishop at noon. It was a pleasant 70 deg in Mammoth, but was 95 deg in Bishop and Independence. It would be hot on the trail in spite of the altitude.
The AT Boys had only taken one zero and were now a day ahead of us. Kenny had also hiked ahead. We were back to our group of seven – Smokebeard, Cherry Bomb, Painter, Scooch, Fireball, King Arthur (Cy’s new trail name) and me. — Cy became King Arthur when he was the only one able to pull a particularly stubborn tent stake out of the ground one morning.
Everyone had enjoyed the two days off trail and was not looking forward to the climb up to Kearsarge. We each had 7-9 days of food – our bear canisters were full. When HH had picked my pack up earlier, he remarked it was well over 40 lbs. I figured as much, and that didn’t include the 5 lbs of water i had yet to put in it.
I had 9 days of food. I was hoping to skip going to Vermillion Valley Resort, a back-country restaurant and store on Lake Thomas Edison that caters to thru hikers, fisherman and the like. I’d stopped there years before when I hiked the JMT with Betty’s Mom in the late 90’s. While I was curious and wanted to see it again,I also wanted to get to Mammoth as soon as possible. HH would still be there. I wanted to spend as much time with him before he returned home.
We picked the rest of the group up in Bishop and were on trail at2:30 pm
Our packs were heavy. We all grimaced and complained, but we did it. The trail up to Kearsarge is a nice, steady grade and it wasn’t too bad considering.
We made it to the campsite just before 7pm. There were several hikers there already and not enough room for additional tents. We cooked dinner and settled in our sleeping bags cowboy camp style. Everyone would be up early tomorrow in order to get over Glen Pass before the snow got too soft.
