Day 53-55: Gateway to the Sierras

May 27-29; Mile 656-702

Day 53

The day began with a nice walk along steep, rocky cliffs with a long drop-off. The talus slopes and granite peaks reminded me so much of Washington. The Sierras rose like an impenetrable wall to the north, just days away now.

The trail dropped back down into a basin filled with Joshua trees. Peaks towered all around me: softer, rounded peaks nearby and jagged behemoths in the distance.

I crawled along the trail, careful not to aggravate my knees or shins. I refused to let the desert break me right before reaching the most anticipated part of the trail.

As a result I got to the water spot on the late side. I still wasn’t very hungry, but I made a hot lunch and ate it while reclining in the shade. There was another hiker there named Deadlift, and we chatted while the clouds gathered above us.

I finally left around 5pm and ran into Not Sure, Spa, and Nicole at the next water. Everyone seemed to be headed to the same camp spot. When I arrived there the wind was howling along the ridges, but the camping area was fairly protected. I sat down to eat a snack while I dithered – should I go on another 1.5 miles to the next spot and risk finding something less protected? It was barely after 7pm, and so I pushed on.

When I reached the next camp area – which was at a saddle – the wind raged across the low point of the ridge. I had to lean sideways just to walk past. There was no way I could set up my tent – even cowboy camping would be difficult here. I looked for the one protected spot in the trees that I’d read about, but it was already taken. I would have to continue on into the dark and the wind to make it to the protected camp spots two miles ahead.

I donned my headlamp once more and whistled tunes from husky marching band – I was hiking so fast that I was too out of breath to sing. I sped along and reached the site before 9pm. Though it was late and I’d hiked over 20 miles, I sat down and cooked dinner by headlamp. I wouldn’t let myself skip dinner two nights in a row, and I was actually feeling hungry again. As the pasta bubbled I took time to stretch my aching legs and feet. Even in the protected spot the wind swept through in great gusts; it was another long, restless night.

Day 54

I woke up groggy and took my time picking up. I was so ready to be done with the desert and its heat-induced night hikes. As I was walking downhill I heard someone hiking up behind me and turned to make room for them to pass.

“Stormy??!” It was Juniper! We hugged after 300 miles apart and chatted excitedly all the way to the next water. There we took an hour-long break in the shade even though it was only 10am. It was a cold day and the pressure to do miles before noon – a constant pressure the past few days – was pleasantly absent.

I said goodbye as we started to climb and she surged ahead. I’d see her again in Kennedy Meadows. The rest of the day I walked past granite and talus slopes and pines; the Sierras were seeping into the desert terrain.

At the top of the last climb, I found Not Sure, Spa, and Coffee eating lunch behind some bushes for a wind break. I joined them to cook my lunch and then stayed with Not Sure as the others left. She was planning to leave the trail after summiting Mt Whitney. I was surprised – she was such a fast, strong hiker. It was the first time someone I knew was heading home.

A while later I started the long descent and came across two intertwined snakes. After checking they weren’t rattlesnakes, I stood on the trail and watched the nature documentary scene unfold.

I reached camp a few hours later, and Coffee offered to let me set up my tent in the little clearing where he’d taken up residence. There was a tree with several branches at the perfect height for drying clothes, and I washed my filthy, wonderful, blister-preventing socks for the last time and hung them to dry. Two new pairs were waiting less than ten miles ahead. Finja arrived as I was finishing my dinner, and Not Sure and Spa were camped a few spots over. There would be a good group of folks to walk with tomorrow.

Day 55

When a PCT hiker reaches the general store in Kennedy Meadows, it’s customary for everyone lounging on the porch, the patio, and throughout the yard to cheer for them. They’ve come over 700 miles through inhospitable desert, and their reward awaits in the sparkling lakes and abundant streams and towering peaks of the Sierras.

But first I had about nine miles to hike that morning. I took my time, relishing the final miles of the desert, pausing at the 700-mile marker for a brief photo. The official end of the desert was two miles away.

I took a short break at the Kern River to eat a late breakfast and soak my feet. It was such a pleasant morning, I wanted to savor every moment.

When I reached the road headed into Kennedy Meadows, I saw four hikers disembarking from a truck. It was Thomas and Lea, the couple I’d hiked near at the very beginning and again near Cajon Pass, as well as Valkyrie and Wheat, the two friends I’d met right before Julian. They were all headed north, and I wished them well before walking into town.

I was met with a hearty cheer as I strolled across the parking lot, and Juniper ran out to give me a hug. There were hikers everywhere – people I hadn’t seen in days or weeks, people I’d never seen before. Everyone was dirty but in high spirits. I spent the next hour grinning as I worked my way through a pint of ice cream, a root beer, and a Gatorade.

I was done with the desert.