Day 63: Bishop Zero #1
Today was officially two months on trail! I woke up feeling pretty exhausted at the Comfort Inn, even though I slept a long time. I ate the hotel breakfast, drank a lot of coffee, and really couldn’t be motivated to leave my room. I didn’t really realize how much I needed the zero. I felt fine the last day of trail, but I guess all of the fatigue really caught up to me.
What finally got me out of bed was hanging out with Clare, who stopped by my hotel to do laundry and to chitchat. Even though she had a hard time the last two days, I was hyping her up, and telling her that she was doing a great job, because it was true! Everything that we had done in the last two days was so challenging, and truly, it’s an accomplishment just to make it to the top of Whitney and Forester.
We went to Schat’s Bakery together after, getting cream puffs and cinnamon rolls. I used to go to the bakery in high school with the Mono Lake Club, and I stopped by last year after snow camping with the Sierra Club. There’s lots of nostalgia here, and it’s interesting to think how those two things somehow also led my back here to this place, this time traveling on the PCT.
We continued onto the gear stores, where I was successfully able to repair my sleeping bag. The two of us met up with the boys watching the World Cup game at the saloon. The game, which was at a standstill at 0-0, was pretty boring, so Clare and I just wrote cards to our grandmothers.
Clare and I continued our girl’s day out by stopping by the frozen yogurt/cheese/wine restaurant in Bishop, which was an unexpected combination. But when we got there, we agreed that the concept really worked. We ate fro-yo, drank wine, ate fancy cheese, and just had a really nice time together. I’m so happy I met Clare and have a true friend to hang out with on trail.
After that, I essentially just tucked in for the night, doing a little bit of writing, but mostly just relaxing. I got pretty behind on the blog since things have been so difficult in the Sierras. I would love to catch up before the double zeros are over. I’m so glad I took this time to rest, after what I didn’t even realize was such a crazy section of trail.
Day 64: Bishop Zero #2
It was another day of waking up, eating hotel breakfast, and drinking lots of coffee. Today held the monumental task of completing my resupply, which meant 6.5 days of food that needed to fit in my bear can. I walked to Grocery Outlet, which reminded me of shopping with my conservation crew over the summer. It was hot in Bishop, but I picked a route that went on side streets and under tall trees. The sound of the locusts and cicadas brought my thoughts back to the desert, which was really not that long ago, but also felt ages away.
As I struggled to fit about 4000 calories per day into my bear can, I called my friend Hannah for about an hour and we chatted about how the trail was going. She was a PCT finisher from 2024, and I always appreciated her insight, advice, and understanding about trail life. I thought about all of my friends, my family, and the people that I haven’t been able to talk to over the past two months. I miss my relationships. I’m so glad that people support me out here.
Still exhausted from the last couple of days, I had to take a nap after I stuffed my bear can full. I forced myself to get some social interaction for the day, walking to the Motel 6, where Morgan, Sticky and Chris were hanging out. I sewed up a hole in my shirt, feet dangling in the pool, but eventually needed to leave because I was so tired
I got takeout, and went back to the hotel to catch up on blog posts. Tonight would be an early night, and luckily, I don’t need to get on trail until about noon, giving me the morning to organize for the next stretch of trail.
Tomorrow, we’ll be hiking up the steep Kearsarge Pass Trail, but then taking a diversion off trail to go to Charlotte Lake, where one of Claire’s friends is camping. My friend Trevor, from my REI days, is also meeting us up there, which should make for an extraordinary party at a beautiful alpine lake.
As tired as I am, I’m really looking forward to going back on trail. I’m anticipating hiking with the new group, and also spending more time with Rory and Claire. It’s going to be long food carry, with lots of passes to cross, and I’ll be very deep into the wilderness. Obviously, this will be a challenge, but I’m looking forward to a doing fewer miles and spending more time enjoying the scenery between the difficult parts.
