Day 71: Mile 879 – 892.1

I woke up at VVR to the sounds of tents being packed away and other hikers setting off on trail. I packed up early, way before the others, so I could work on writing and catching up blog posts while lounging in a hammock.

When the others woke up, we all headed to breakfast at the lodge. The food was incredible. There were coffee percolators warming on the wood stove, and amazing portions of french toast and eggs. I ate with Sticky, and we talked about his experience going to school for his Master’s in Ecology. I loved hearing about it, since I’ve been dreaming of going back to school when I get off trail.

Despite having woken up early, I still had a couple of things to do after breakfast, and ended up leaving camp after Rory and Clare. I hated how it took me a long time to get organized to get on the road, but I tried to be kind to myself. I said farewell to Chris and Sticky’s group, and began my journey out of VVR.

At first, I had a hard time finding the way, but eventually made it to the Goodall Pass Trail, the alternate route we would be taking to connect back to the PCT. The trail climbed up to a view of the lake and into a burn scar. There was no shade, and thus, it was very hot, sun-exposed hiking. I made peace with the fact that I’d be hiking alone for a bit. I started listening to an audiobook that Isabel recommended to me, “The Other Valley,” which did a good job of taking me out of the discomfort of climbing in the heat. The forest eventually transitioned to flatter, unburned terrain.

Even though I thought I’d be alone for a while, I found Rory and Clare waiting for me by a stream. I was so happy to see them! We hiked together along the stream, climbing gradually, and ate lunch in the shade.

Later in the day, we encountered a crew of Forest Service workers removing branches and brush from the side of trail. The ranger, whose face was slathered with sunscreen, talked in the now-recognizable way of someone who hadn’t been into civilization for quite some time. He was friendly as he checked our permits, and looked at my address and asked me, “How’s Monroe, Oregon?” I missed home, but as always, felt proud to be representing it from far away, doing something as special as the PCT. We thanked them for their hard work and pushed on.

The climb up Goodall Pass wasn’t particularly steep, just constant, and I was grateful to listen to my audiobook to pass the time. Soon, the three of us were at the top! Rory and Clare packed out sodas to drink at the top, and shared sips with me. We took pictures, enjoyed the view, and goofed around a bit. I felt so thankful for my friends and for how much fun it was to be together.

While descending the steep, rocky pass, there were views alpine lakes and meadows, as well as sweeping vistas of the mountains leading to Mammoth. There was barely any snow at the top of the pass, but just enough remained to melt and form a small stream. I filtered and drank some. For some reason, this water, straight from pure Sierra snowmelt, was some of the best I tasted on trail. In that moment, I felt intense gratitude for the opportunity to hike in these beautiful mountains.

Our descent brought us all the way down to 9,000 feet, which was unfortunate, because the trail was due to climb all the way back up to 10,500. By a river, mosquitos swarming us, we talked as a group and hyped each other up, deciding to tackle the climb before day’s end. The trail ascended 1,000 feet over two miles, but came with stunning views of clouds cresting over the snowcapped peaks. Even though I could feel my legs and lungs working hard, I felt strong. I didn’t stop until I reached the top, trailing closely behind my two friends.

After a short break at the top to catch our breath, we finally made it to camp, a large area with stubby trees and dozens of flat spots. Spirits were high after getting over the pass and completing a moderately difficult climb at the end of the day. We lingered at dinner, chatting for a long time and enjoying each other’s company. Our conversation turned to discussing whether trail had already changed us. I loved to hear their insights. For me, I know that my time hiking thus far has brought me so much more confidence, both in myself and in my capabilities, but also in my ability to build relationships and find belonging.

The night was quiet, with no streams or rivers flowing beside us for the first time in a while. It was strange to be already looking forward to Mammoth tomorrow after just leaving VVR this morning. This stretch between towns was short, making it feel more relaxed to be out here. It was a perfect day, and I felt so much better about being on trail.

Day 72: Mile 892.1 – 904.1

It was a cold morning waking up on top of the mountain. My sleeping bag zipper had broken again, and chilly breezes drafted inside of it. I needed to replace the zipper in town or get a small pair of pliers to fix it in the field.

Just as we had taken our time with dinner the night before, the three of us enjoyed the morning together, drinking coffee and eating breakfast. Clare and Rory were in a silly mood, dancing together and singing, “The Candyman,” and I laughed uncontrollably. We didn’t realize that other people had camped near to us, and figured that they must have thought we were crazy. It was a really fun morning.

Some of the people who heard us were Titus and Susanna, a couple we had hiked around since the beginning, and it great to reunite with them unexpectedly. We all hiked around Lake Virginia, which had swollen streams flowing into it. We had to cross through them in order to stay on the PCT. At first, we simply hopped carefully along stones, but then soon had to wade across thigh-deep water. It was cold water this early in the morning, but the views were stunning, and the process of getting through the streams was sort of exhilarating.

After drying my feet and donning my shoes again, we continued down the trail to Purple Lake. I was feeling really good, just happy to be out there, surrounded by beautiful scenery alongside my good friends. The hike became a scenic ridge walk, mostly flat, which was the easiest hiking we’d had in a long time. I encountered lots of day hikers and trail runners, which meant we were getting even closer to town.

It was still a few miles until we got to the trail that would lead us to town, so we ate lunch by Deer Creek. I spent my time reading my PCT guidebook on my phone, learning more about the High Sierra section we had just passed through. The 200 miles between Kennedy Meadows and Red’s Meadow was part of the biggest wilderness area in the contiguous United States, and the longest roadless stretch of any of the long trails in the country. Reading that fact made me truly appreciate what we had accomplished the last few weeks. I also felt a twinge of sadness to know that soon, the High Sierras, and then the whole Sierra section, would soon be coming to a close.

We stopped at the trail junction to Horseshoe Lake, and split off the PCT to hike into Mammoth Lakes. I had a bit of reception, so Isabel and Niko called me and chatted for a bit. With the cell service, I figured out that the bus to Mammoth left the trailhead at 4pm, so I would be cutting it close to make it on time. I sped up and down the trail, briefly chatting with the crowds of day hikers on trail during the holiday weekend. People were curious about me, since I probably looked a little grizzled coming from the wilderness, and they asked me what I was doing and how far I’d come. I can’t deny that it felt satisfying to say that I had walked over 900 miles from the Mexican border to make it to this point.

I made it to the trolley right on time, meeting Rory and Clare for a scenic ride through the twisting roads of Mammoth Lakes. It was my first time in Mammoth and the views of the mountains around town were spectacular. The town was definitely busy for the Fourth of July!

The trolley dropped us off near to our hostel, and the three of us checked in. In my shared room, I ran into Jenny, a hiker that started the same day as Clare and I. It was so unexpected to see her again!

Experiencing strong hiker hunger, I went to the nearby Mammoth Brewing to eat. Rory, Clare, and Jenny all joined me, and we celebrated our accomplishment of finishing this long section from Kearsage Pass, and making it in time to celebrate the Fourth of July.

As the sun set, we recognized a familiar face entering the brewery — it was Nachi, our friend we had made on the JMT! We couldn’t believe that we got to see him again!!! We congratulated him on nearly completing his hike. It was so wonderful to be able to reunite one last time.

Once it got dark, the tiredness overwhelmed me, and I walked back to the hostel with Nachi, saying goodbye for good this time. I went to bed early, settling into the top bunk of my hostel room, full of PCT and day hikers alike. This small section between VVR and Mammoth was a special treat— stunning, short, and full of laughs. Tomorrow held lots of excitement for Fourth of July, but also the necessity to do all the chores required to get back to trail. I would need to balance fun, rest, and getting things done. But first, I slept, falling into well-deserved, deep slumber, undisturbed by the snores and sounds of the other hostel guests around me.