I woke up and did not want to get out of my sleeping bag. My thermometer read 20 degrees inside my tent so you know it was colder than that outside. My water bottle and bladder were frozen. When I retrieved my socks and underwear from the branch, they were frozen. I made my oatmeal in my vestibule and ate it in my sleeping bag.
Anyway, inevitably, we started walking. I said to Ingrid, "As far as I'm concerned, we are walking till we're done today. You game?" Of course she said she was game. When is Ingrid not game? 19 miles to go.
We just had about 600 feet to climb to get over this mountain and then we started a long ass descent into the Rock House Basin. The thing about the PCT is it's not straightforward. It winds along ridgelines, in and out, and has a mind of it's own. You think you're getting somewhere and round the corner and, psych! Not there yet. We walked along this ridgeline, in and out, and it didn't end. Ingrid sat straight down in the middle of the trail and said she had just hit the wall. So we took a break and then continued down.
We were coming down the last line of ridge when Ingrid points in the distance. I squint and try to make out what she's pointing at. "Is that PEOPLE?" I ask dumbfounded. We had seen nobody since the 4x4'ers from Day 2. What are they doing out here? Are they hiking? Are they wearing day packs or backpacks? I had all these questions! Ingrid turns to me and asks "Do I have any boogers hanging out of my nose?" I said "No, do I?" She said, " No, it's just red and chapped." Okay, we're good for potential encounters of the human kind. LMAO!
It's a group of 8 day hikers, 3 of whom are former thru-hikers. The usual trail banter occurs. Where you coming from, where you going, how long you been out here, etc. "Nuts" then offers us some homemade cookies. I just about swoon to the ground when I bite into it. Fist bumps all around and we continue on our way.
Manter Creek is flowing pretty good and that's where we stop to eat our lunch of tuna fish and left-over lasagna. For the most part, we are done with the huge climbs and we are thankful for that. The trail wanders through the Rock House Basin area. There are really cool rock formations in this area that offer a welcome change of scenery.
Finally, at long last, we made it to the south fork of the Kern River. OMG, never was a sight so welcome! I stripped down immediately and took a step in. I had every intention of dunking myself but that water was too frickin' cold! So I just waded around and then would sit on a log. Rinse and repeat for several times. Stuffing my face with my remaining food all the while.
But we still had 5 miles to go so we must walk again. I say this at the end of every backpack, but that was seriously the longest 5 miles of my life. Ingrid told me later that I was grunting and moaning while I walked. I could barely get my legs to turn over.
Those first glimpses of Kennedy Meadow brought tears to my eyes.
We walked along the Kern, through some tall reeds and came out into a clearing of sorts and stopped to debate where we should camp. There is camping allowed for hikers at the store but we were leary of that because the store sits on a road and there can be sketchy people around road situations.
I saw two people climbing over the gate about 300 yards yonder and pointed them out to Ingrid. They approached and struck up a conversation. At this point, I knew my legs were done moving and I wanted to lay down right at everyone's feet in a fetal position.
Patty and Ricky are their names and Patty has a trailer just up the road here, we can see it from where we stand. Would we like a shower? What the what? I have never been a recipient of a trail magic shower so this was all new to me! I look at Ingrid and she's nodding her head YES. OMG, I can hardly wait for this shower. Usually when we backpack, we have streams, rivers, or lakes we can dunk in and rinse off or take a ziplock shower but this time with the lack of water sources, we had none of that. I felt the grossest I've ever felt in my life. This shower was so bomb, I even took a picture of their bathroom because it was like a shrine with Patty's Costco shampoo, conditioner, and dove soap.
Patty and Ricky also invited us to pitch our tents in their driveway which was awesome because it took the chore of finding a spot to camp away. THEN they invited to roast hotdogs at their campfire! OMG, I was so hungry. Patty kept trying to ply us with champagne too and I kept declining because I hadn't eaten much and that wouldn't have been a good combo. Once she popped that cork though I did have some champagne. And hotdogs, chips, potato salad, nom nom nom nom!
We chatted around the campfire till about 10:30pm which you know is about 4 hours past my bedtime but it was SO much fun.
Then we climbed into our tents all clean and with full bellies, eternally grateful for the kindness of strangers. This type of situation really does renew your faith in humanity.
The next morning, Ricky brought us coffee to our tents! I was eating oatmeal out of my ziplock baggie when he brought a real coffee cup to me. And it was good coffee.
We packed up our gear and Ricky walked us partway to the store. Patty sleeps late so we had said goodbye to her the night before. Hugs all around!
We walked the remaining steps to the General Store, signed the logbook, met the new owners, and bought all the snacks. Payday bars, cheez-its, water, and I don't even know what else. Then we set up out on the back porch and waited for Carolen and Don to retrieve us.
What's next? Good God, I need some rest first.
Photos can be found on my Instagram @tinahikes
Author of Lola Hikes the Icy Mountain
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Lola-Hikes-Mountain-Tina-Fernando/dp/1524656089/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1491443809&sr=8-1&keywords=lola+hikes+the+icy+mountain
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/lola-hikes-the-icy-mountain-tina-fernando/1125793085?ean=9781524656089
Crazy Compression Ambassador: 45% off code CCA-TFernando www.crazycompression.com
Honey Stinger Ambassador
Nuun Hydration Ambassador
Sunday, April 22, 2018
Day 7: PCT Jawbone Canyon to Kennedy Meadows
This would prove to be one of the most difficult days. Climbing out of Spanish Needle in freezing temperatures, high winds, and sketchy trail. I was starting to get down to my gross food that was left too so eating wasn't even fun. We stopped for a 5 minute break when we reached the saddle. We hunkered down under Ingrid's emergency blanket to keep out the wind and jammed bars into our mouths. I looked at my thermometer and it read 30 degrees. Continuing on, being buffeted all around by the wind, was extremely exhausting. The ferocity of the wind reached it's peak just before lunchtime and I had to stand still and lean into to it to keep from blowing over. Clouds were blowing across the mountain super fast and I couldn't even imagine if it rained. It would have been snow though since it was so cold. We hiked hard to get back into the tree cover and some reprieve.
I don't remember anything that happened between hiking hard in the wind and arriving at Fox Mill Spring. I didn't take many pictures on this day so I have nothing to jog my memory. We got water at the spring and it had cow and mule shit all over the place. Filter! I also did a ziplock laundry of socks and underwear again.
We were trying to make it as far as we could because we were toying with the idea of pushing to the end the following day so we wouldn't have to walk on Saturday. We found a nice spot and after looking at the maps later, realized we were probably close to 8500 feet, which would explain why it got so cold.
I hung my wet socks and underwear in my tent but they were still dripping so I left them on a branch outside. I put all my clothes on, including rain gear, because I couldn't get warm. I was toasty after I got all my clothes on. I also have a zero degree down quilt, a silk cocoon (which is supposed to add 10 degrees), and my thermarest pad. I wrapped myself in my sleeping bag while I cooked dinner in my vestibule. Bad Tina! Never do that. You could set yourself or your gear on fire. Ingrid came over and gave me a hot chocolate packet and I drank that with my magnesium drink.
We did not die from hypothermia.
Photos can be found on my Instagram @tinahikes
Author of Lola Hikes the Icy Mountain
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Lola-Hikes-Mountain-Tina-Fernando/dp/1524656089/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1491443809&sr=8-1&keywords=lola+hikes+the+icy+mountain
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/lola-hikes-the-icy-mountain-tina-fernando/1125793085?ean=9781524656089
Crazy Compression Ambassador: 45% off code CCA-TFernando www.crazycompression.com
Honey Stinger Ambassador
Nuun Hydration Ambassador
I don't remember anything that happened between hiking hard in the wind and arriving at Fox Mill Spring. I didn't take many pictures on this day so I have nothing to jog my memory. We got water at the spring and it had cow and mule shit all over the place. Filter! I also did a ziplock laundry of socks and underwear again.
We were trying to make it as far as we could because we were toying with the idea of pushing to the end the following day so we wouldn't have to walk on Saturday. We found a nice spot and after looking at the maps later, realized we were probably close to 8500 feet, which would explain why it got so cold.
I hung my wet socks and underwear in my tent but they were still dripping so I left them on a branch outside. I put all my clothes on, including rain gear, because I couldn't get warm. I was toasty after I got all my clothes on. I also have a zero degree down quilt, a silk cocoon (which is supposed to add 10 degrees), and my thermarest pad. I wrapped myself in my sleeping bag while I cooked dinner in my vestibule. Bad Tina! Never do that. You could set yourself or your gear on fire. Ingrid came over and gave me a hot chocolate packet and I drank that with my magnesium drink.
We did not die from hypothermia.
Photos can be found on my Instagram @tinahikes
Author of Lola Hikes the Icy Mountain
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Lola-Hikes-Mountain-Tina-Fernando/dp/1524656089/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1491443809&sr=8-1&keywords=lola+hikes+the+icy+mountain
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/lola-hikes-the-icy-mountain-tina-fernando/1125793085?ean=9781524656089
Crazy Compression Ambassador: 45% off code CCA-TFernando www.crazycompression.com
Honey Stinger Ambassador
Nuun Hydration Ambassador
Day 6: PCT Jawbone Canyon to Kennedy Meadows
We continue to climb after packing up our gear. The trail winds along the ridge line for miles with views of Ridgecrest and the desert floor. We are, again, grateful that we stopped where we did the night before. The trail has steep drop-offs and sketchy crumbling edges. We climb over more downed trees that I can count. We make it up to the saddle area and then start a steady descent; what we think will be descent for the rest of the day. Wrongo!
Before we figure out we have another climb to do though, we needed to go off trail about 1/4 mile to get water at Joshua Tree Spring. This spring is a steep descent down through the prickly desert into a little oasis in a gulley. If it weren't for the thought of drinking tainted uranium water, it would have been the Garden of Eden. Most springs in the Sierra have traces of uranium but this particular spring happens to have been tested so that's why all the warnings. BLM actually has the numbers for this one. Whatever. Filter and drink. We had lunch down in the oasis after we got our water and rinsed out our hankies. Then we had to climb back out with a full water load. Ugh.
Onward we hiked, starting another ascent. The trail in this section was very overgrown. Too early in the season for many feet to have trodden the path yet. So far, from logbooks, we only knew of 4 thru-hikers ahead of us. After that ascent, we went down, down, down, into the Spanish Needle area. We would have 4 Spanish Needle Creek crossings coming up soon. Each trickle we crossed was pathetic so we kept going. The third crossing was probably the best and there was a teeny tiny space to pitch tents but we kept going, holding out hope that the next crossing would be better. It wasn't and there wasn't a place to camp. We scouted around a bit and we thought we should cook our dinner and eat it and then continue on up. It would be another climb with 3 more miles to the next good place to pitch tents. Hmmmm, there's a trickle of a stream down below though. So I proposed to Ingrid that we climb down into this gulley where the stream was trickling a bit better and pitch tents. We climbed down in there and scoped it out. There was just enough room for 2 tents and the ground was soft so we could kind of make the site a bit more level (not really). So that's what we did. It got us totally out of the howling wind and we were able to save ourselves a heavy water carry on the next steep climb.
Photos can be found on my Instagram @tinahikes
Author of Lola Hikes the Icy Mountain
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Lola-Hikes-Mountain-Tina-Fernando/dp/1524656089/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1491443809&sr=8-1&keywords=lola+hikes+the+icy+mountain
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/lola-hikes-the-icy-mountain-tina-fernando/1125793085?ean=9781524656089
Crazy Compression Ambassador: 45% off code CCA-TFernando www.crazycompression.com
Honey Stinger Ambassador
Nuun Hydration Ambassador
Before we figure out we have another climb to do though, we needed to go off trail about 1/4 mile to get water at Joshua Tree Spring. This spring is a steep descent down through the prickly desert into a little oasis in a gulley. If it weren't for the thought of drinking tainted uranium water, it would have been the Garden of Eden. Most springs in the Sierra have traces of uranium but this particular spring happens to have been tested so that's why all the warnings. BLM actually has the numbers for this one. Whatever. Filter and drink. We had lunch down in the oasis after we got our water and rinsed out our hankies. Then we had to climb back out with a full water load. Ugh.
Onward we hiked, starting another ascent. The trail in this section was very overgrown. Too early in the season for many feet to have trodden the path yet. So far, from logbooks, we only knew of 4 thru-hikers ahead of us. After that ascent, we went down, down, down, into the Spanish Needle area. We would have 4 Spanish Needle Creek crossings coming up soon. Each trickle we crossed was pathetic so we kept going. The third crossing was probably the best and there was a teeny tiny space to pitch tents but we kept going, holding out hope that the next crossing would be better. It wasn't and there wasn't a place to camp. We scouted around a bit and we thought we should cook our dinner and eat it and then continue on up. It would be another climb with 3 more miles to the next good place to pitch tents. Hmmmm, there's a trickle of a stream down below though. So I proposed to Ingrid that we climb down into this gulley where the stream was trickling a bit better and pitch tents. We climbed down in there and scoped it out. There was just enough room for 2 tents and the ground was soft so we could kind of make the site a bit more level (not really). So that's what we did. It got us totally out of the howling wind and we were able to save ourselves a heavy water carry on the next steep climb.
Photos can be found on my Instagram @tinahikes
Author of Lola Hikes the Icy Mountain
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Lola-Hikes-Mountain-Tina-Fernando/dp/1524656089/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1491443809&sr=8-1&keywords=lola+hikes+the+icy+mountain
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/lola-hikes-the-icy-mountain-tina-fernando/1125793085?ean=9781524656089
Crazy Compression Ambassador: 45% off code CCA-TFernando www.crazycompression.com
Honey Stinger Ambassador
Nuun Hydration Ambassador
Day 5: PCT Jawbone Canyon to Kennedy Meadows
Carolen is having muscle spasms in her back. Pack weight is causing some issues. Today we are treated to more views of Mt. Whitney as we walk into the Walker Pass area. I am so excited to potentially get rid of all my trash! Hoping that the Walker Pass campground has a trashcan. Maybe there will be a picnic table too.
Soon we can hear highway 178 so we know we are close. Then we can see the campground and there is a picnic table with an awning just waiting for us to crash! There is also a porta-potty bathroom with a trash bag we can put our trash into. YAY! Then we need to find the water source since the campground does not have water. We follow the instructions in the PCT water report www.pctwater.com to get to a cistern in a cow pasture that's just off the 178 from the campground. That was quite an adventure! Ingrid and I sleuthed around the pasture trying to find this thing but it was hidden in a bunch of cattails. We could hear but not see it. We found it and the water was pouring out of a spigot from a cistern that was fed by a spring. Clean water, right? No. There is so much cow, horse, mule shit around these sources that filtering is necessary. You should always filter! There are actually warnings about a higher number of hikers getting sick in this section than normal. When you think "spring", you may think you don't have to treat or filter but don't make that mistake. I filtered a crap ton of water and also did a ziplock laundry of my socks and underwear. I fastened them to the outside of my pack to dry. It was so hot and windy, they were dry by the end of the day.
Carolen has made the decision to get off trail. She pushed her SPOT button and her husband will come get her at these GPS coordinates. She has a preset message that tells him it's not an emergency but she wants to be picked up. There is no cell service at Walker Pass. She walks with us to cross the 178 highway and finds a nice Joshua Tree to set up under while she waits. We leave her and start the long climb out of Walker Pass.
We climb the remainder of the day. We are shooting for mile 657 and the last place to pitch a tent for awhile. We are gaining some altitude and will camp at about 6500 feet. The winds are high again and we are grateful when we make it and see that the area is enclosed a bit with trees. We can see Ridge Crest on the desert floor below. I have another sleepless night with the wind howling. Ingrid can sleep through anything. But I have a clean pair of underwear and socks to put on! It's the small blessings.
Photos can be found on my Instagram @tinahikes
Author of Lola Hikes the Icy Mountain
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Lola-Hikes-Mountain-Tina-Fernando/dp/1524656089/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1491443809&sr=8-1&keywords=lola+hikes+the+icy+mountain
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/lola-hikes-the-icy-mountain-tina-fernando/1125793085?ean=9781524656089
Crazy Compression Ambassador: 45% off code CCA-TFernando www.crazycompression.com
Honey Stinger Ambassador
Nuun Hydration Ambassador
Soon we can hear highway 178 so we know we are close. Then we can see the campground and there is a picnic table with an awning just waiting for us to crash! There is also a porta-potty bathroom with a trash bag we can put our trash into. YAY! Then we need to find the water source since the campground does not have water. We follow the instructions in the PCT water report www.pctwater.com to get to a cistern in a cow pasture that's just off the 178 from the campground. That was quite an adventure! Ingrid and I sleuthed around the pasture trying to find this thing but it was hidden in a bunch of cattails. We could hear but not see it. We found it and the water was pouring out of a spigot from a cistern that was fed by a spring. Clean water, right? No. There is so much cow, horse, mule shit around these sources that filtering is necessary. You should always filter! There are actually warnings about a higher number of hikers getting sick in this section than normal. When you think "spring", you may think you don't have to treat or filter but don't make that mistake. I filtered a crap ton of water and also did a ziplock laundry of my socks and underwear. I fastened them to the outside of my pack to dry. It was so hot and windy, they were dry by the end of the day.
Carolen has made the decision to get off trail. She pushed her SPOT button and her husband will come get her at these GPS coordinates. She has a preset message that tells him it's not an emergency but she wants to be picked up. There is no cell service at Walker Pass. She walks with us to cross the 178 highway and finds a nice Joshua Tree to set up under while she waits. We leave her and start the long climb out of Walker Pass.
We climb the remainder of the day. We are shooting for mile 657 and the last place to pitch a tent for awhile. We are gaining some altitude and will camp at about 6500 feet. The winds are high again and we are grateful when we make it and see that the area is enclosed a bit with trees. We can see Ridge Crest on the desert floor below. I have another sleepless night with the wind howling. Ingrid can sleep through anything. But I have a clean pair of underwear and socks to put on! It's the small blessings.
Photos can be found on my Instagram @tinahikes
Author of Lola Hikes the Icy Mountain
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Lola-Hikes-Mountain-Tina-Fernando/dp/1524656089/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1491443809&sr=8-1&keywords=lola+hikes+the+icy+mountain
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/lola-hikes-the-icy-mountain-tina-fernando/1125793085?ean=9781524656089
Crazy Compression Ambassador: 45% off code CCA-TFernando www.crazycompression.com
Honey Stinger Ambassador
Nuun Hydration Ambassador
Day 4: PCT Jawbone Canyon to Kennedy Meadows
Thank God we waited till morning to do this gnarly climb. It was a beast. But when we crested the saddle, we got our first glimpse of the snowy Sierra and Mt. Whitney. I guess I didn't realize I would be getting glimpses of Mt. Whitney on this hike so it was a nice surprise once I realized what I was looking at.
The terrain was changing a little bit. There were more trees but still desert. You could definitely tell a transition was being made in the topography. I just kept putting one foot in front of the other. The thought I focused on was being able to curl into my sleeping bag and lay down when the walking was done. I think about all my hard hikes and can easily rank this one in the top 3 most difficult. There weren't any streams, rivers, or lakes to break up the monotony or offer a reprieve. My wishful thinking about the Kern River was way off base and I wouldn't actually see it until 5 miles from the end. But over it all, I remain grateful that I am physically capable to do this type of activity. You never know when that ability can be snatched away. Enjoy it and live in the moment.
Where was I? Oh yeah, walking, walking, walking..... the PCT popped us out onto this dirt road that we had to follow for 2 miles before connecting us back to the trail. It was deeply rutted and not easy walking. It pretty much fried my hips and feet further than I thought possible. And it got hot. We ran across some puddles and I seriously considered straining the water through my hanky and then filtering it. I was intent on having my beef stew for dinner because that's a nice hearty meal and it was a higher mileage day. The beef stew takes 2 cups of water though and I only had so much water left to get me to the next water source. Anyway, I didn't filter the puddle water and I did have enough to eat my beef stew. So it was a win win all around.
We found a sweet spot to pitch tents. I was so tired at the end of each day that I literally set my sleep system up, cooked my dinner, scarfed it down, and went to bed. Every. Freaking. Day. One night I was sleeping by 6:30pm! I usually read or do some writing when I backpack but I did none of that on this hike. I think I read my kindle one time.
Photos can be found on my Instagram @tinahikes
Author of Lola Hikes the Icy Mountain
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Lola-Hikes-Mountain-Tina-Fernando/dp/1524656089/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1491443809&sr=8-1&keywords=lola+hikes+the+icy+mountain
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/lola-hikes-the-icy-mountain-tina-fernando/1125793085?ean=9781524656089
Crazy Compression Ambassador: 45% off code CCA-TFernando www.crazycompression.com
Honey Stinger Ambassador
Nuun Hydration Ambassador
The terrain was changing a little bit. There were more trees but still desert. You could definitely tell a transition was being made in the topography. I just kept putting one foot in front of the other. The thought I focused on was being able to curl into my sleeping bag and lay down when the walking was done. I think about all my hard hikes and can easily rank this one in the top 3 most difficult. There weren't any streams, rivers, or lakes to break up the monotony or offer a reprieve. My wishful thinking about the Kern River was way off base and I wouldn't actually see it until 5 miles from the end. But over it all, I remain grateful that I am physically capable to do this type of activity. You never know when that ability can be snatched away. Enjoy it and live in the moment.
Where was I? Oh yeah, walking, walking, walking..... the PCT popped us out onto this dirt road that we had to follow for 2 miles before connecting us back to the trail. It was deeply rutted and not easy walking. It pretty much fried my hips and feet further than I thought possible. And it got hot. We ran across some puddles and I seriously considered straining the water through my hanky and then filtering it. I was intent on having my beef stew for dinner because that's a nice hearty meal and it was a higher mileage day. The beef stew takes 2 cups of water though and I only had so much water left to get me to the next water source. Anyway, I didn't filter the puddle water and I did have enough to eat my beef stew. So it was a win win all around.
We found a sweet spot to pitch tents. I was so tired at the end of each day that I literally set my sleep system up, cooked my dinner, scarfed it down, and went to bed. Every. Freaking. Day. One night I was sleeping by 6:30pm! I usually read or do some writing when I backpack but I did none of that on this hike. I think I read my kindle one time.
Photos can be found on my Instagram @tinahikes
Author of Lola Hikes the Icy Mountain
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Lola-Hikes-Mountain-Tina-Fernando/dp/1524656089/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1491443809&sr=8-1&keywords=lola+hikes+the+icy+mountain
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/lola-hikes-the-icy-mountain-tina-fernando/1125793085?ean=9781524656089
Crazy Compression Ambassador: 45% off code CCA-TFernando www.crazycompression.com
Honey Stinger Ambassador
Nuun Hydration Ambassador
Day 3: PCT Jawbone Canyon to Kennedy Meadows
We began a long descent first thing in the morning. We could hear cows moo'ing in the valley below. When we got down onto the valley floor, we thought we could see a picnic table but how could that be? We chalked it up to mirage until we got closer and realized it really was a picnic table! It was some sort of turn-around on a dirt road and must have been a ranch with the cows and also a preserve because we saw a sign for the endangered desert tortoises. Can't pass up a picnic table! We hunkered down in the wind and ate our snacks.
Onward through the Mojave desert we trekked. We saw no rattle snakes the whole time, which sort of shocks me. We were facing a 3000 foot climb and, unfortunately, it was going to hit us late in the day. I was really questioning our sanity on this hike at this point. I kept saying, this is nuts, this is stupid, why do I do this? What makes me subject myself to such agony?
We reached the base of the climb around 5:30pm and scouted around the area a bit. We discovered another water cache hidden behind some Joshua trees! OMG! The decision was cinched then that we would camp at the base and do the climb fresh in the morning. I used two liters from that cache to fill up my liter electrolyte bottle and to cook dinner and breakfast. Thank goodness for the two water caches we ran across because I ended up adding 3 liters to my original 8 during the 42 mile waterless stretch. I would have been in a world of hurt if I hadn't so thank you to the water angels!
Photos can be found on my Instagram @tinahikes
Author of Lola Hikes the Icy Mountain
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Lola-Hikes-Mountain-Tina-Fernando/dp/1524656089/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1491443809&sr=8-1&keywords=lola+hikes+the+icy+mountain
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/lola-hikes-the-icy-mountain-tina-fernando/1125793085?ean=9781524656089
Crazy Compression Ambassador: 45% off code CCA-TFernando www.crazycompression.com
Honey Stinger Ambassador
Nuun Hydration Ambassador
Onward through the Mojave desert we trekked. We saw no rattle snakes the whole time, which sort of shocks me. We were facing a 3000 foot climb and, unfortunately, it was going to hit us late in the day. I was really questioning our sanity on this hike at this point. I kept saying, this is nuts, this is stupid, why do I do this? What makes me subject myself to such agony?
We reached the base of the climb around 5:30pm and scouted around the area a bit. We discovered another water cache hidden behind some Joshua trees! OMG! The decision was cinched then that we would camp at the base and do the climb fresh in the morning. I used two liters from that cache to fill up my liter electrolyte bottle and to cook dinner and breakfast. Thank goodness for the two water caches we ran across because I ended up adding 3 liters to my original 8 during the 42 mile waterless stretch. I would have been in a world of hurt if I hadn't so thank you to the water angels!
Photos can be found on my Instagram @tinahikes
Author of Lola Hikes the Icy Mountain
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Lola-Hikes-Mountain-Tina-Fernando/dp/1524656089/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1491443809&sr=8-1&keywords=lola+hikes+the+icy+mountain
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/lola-hikes-the-icy-mountain-tina-fernando/1125793085?ean=9781524656089
Crazy Compression Ambassador: 45% off code CCA-TFernando www.crazycompression.com
Honey Stinger Ambassador
Nuun Hydration Ambassador
Day 2: PCT Jawbone Canyon to Kennedy Meadows
We walked in the rain for the majority of the morning. It would abate and then pour, abate and pour. Winds were super high and packs were heavy. I noticed with this heavy load, my hip joints would hurt as the day wore on. I hiked really well the first 4-5 hours of the day but after that my pace would get slower and slower until I could barely get my legs to turn over. Last time I carried a 50 pound pack was thru-hiking the High Sierra Trail however many years ago so I had sort of forgotten how it really grinds you into the ground.
Just when we all thought we couldn't take another step, we got to a road crossing and a water cache! I filled my liter electrolyte bottle at the cache. There was a guy was hanging around waiting to talk to us. He and his group had seen us crawling along the ridgeline and he wanted to talk because one of his relatives was a previous thru-hiker. One thing lead to another and he invited us up to the look-out where his group was taking a break from 4x4'ing. They pulled out chairs for us to sit on and made us Turkish coffee and fed us Tiramisu and fruit! We hung out with them for awhile and had our spirits rejuvenated. The best part was the guy drove us back to the trail so we didn't have to walk the extra. LOL!
The sun came out so we took the time to pull our tents out to dry. In didn't take long with the high winds.
I caught up with Carolen as she was looking at her maps. Her pack was so heavy she couldn't get it back on, twisted around, and half fell, half sat in the middle of the trail. We all laughed so hard I almost peed my pants. Once she got the pack back on, things kept falling off the back of it. It was one thing after another that gave us a good laugh.
We continued on and the rain had stopped but the wind still persisted. Howling winds! We had a steady climb till we pitched our tents on the top of a saddle. Joshua Trees and desert flora and fauna surrounded us in the whipping wind and the temperature plummeted. I didn't sleep a wink that night with the wind making such a ruckus.
Photos can be found on my Instagram @tinahikes
Author of Lola Hikes the Icy Mountain
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Lola-Hikes-Mountain-Tina-Fernando/dp/1524656089/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1491443809&sr=8-1&keywords=lola+hikes+the+icy+mountain
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/lola-hikes-the-icy-mountain-tina-fernando/1125793085?ean=9781524656089
Crazy Compression Ambassador: 45% off code CCA-TFernando www.crazycompression.com
Honey Stinger Ambassador
Nuun Hydration Ambassador
Just when we all thought we couldn't take another step, we got to a road crossing and a water cache! I filled my liter electrolyte bottle at the cache. There was a guy was hanging around waiting to talk to us. He and his group had seen us crawling along the ridgeline and he wanted to talk because one of his relatives was a previous thru-hiker. One thing lead to another and he invited us up to the look-out where his group was taking a break from 4x4'ing. They pulled out chairs for us to sit on and made us Turkish coffee and fed us Tiramisu and fruit! We hung out with them for awhile and had our spirits rejuvenated. The best part was the guy drove us back to the trail so we didn't have to walk the extra. LOL!
The sun came out so we took the time to pull our tents out to dry. In didn't take long with the high winds.
I caught up with Carolen as she was looking at her maps. Her pack was so heavy she couldn't get it back on, twisted around, and half fell, half sat in the middle of the trail. We all laughed so hard I almost peed my pants. Once she got the pack back on, things kept falling off the back of it. It was one thing after another that gave us a good laugh.
We continued on and the rain had stopped but the wind still persisted. Howling winds! We had a steady climb till we pitched our tents on the top of a saddle. Joshua Trees and desert flora and fauna surrounded us in the whipping wind and the temperature plummeted. I didn't sleep a wink that night with the wind making such a ruckus.
Photos can be found on my Instagram @tinahikes
Author of Lola Hikes the Icy Mountain
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Lola-Hikes-Mountain-Tina-Fernando/dp/1524656089/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1491443809&sr=8-1&keywords=lola+hikes+the+icy+mountain
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/lola-hikes-the-icy-mountain-tina-fernando/1125793085?ean=9781524656089
Crazy Compression Ambassador: 45% off code CCA-TFernando www.crazycompression.com
Honey Stinger Ambassador
Nuun Hydration Ambassador
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)