PCT Day 25 – Everybody Loves Raymond

F Trail toward silver mountain 1441

When I awaken I hear the nighthawks diving over camp. When I was 25 I bought a Honda Nighthawk motorcycle. I thought the name was cool – a silent midnight predator. Little did I know that nighthawks are mottled shovel-mouthed birds that eat bugs and are about as big as a Robin. There is one thing cool about them though. They fly hundreds of feet up and dive, wings tucked toward the treetops. And just before they collide with the tree they spread their wings and pull up. The force of the air on their wings at that speed makes them vibrate creating a roaring sound. That is what I hear this morning in my tent: nighthawks roaring overhead.

Bear necessity

I also have to pee. I think I can wait until the alarm goes off in 30 minutes. But I always think that and I never can wait. So while I am up, I grab Bob’s bear can and set it by his tent door so he doesn’t have to fetch it himself.

From my tent later, I see Bob emerge from his tent and walk off. Moments later he comes racing back to his tent. I think nothing of it until later I see that I had put his bear can on the wrong side of the tent! So when Bob went to get his bear can, he did not see it in front of his door as I hoped. Instead he went to where he had left it and found it missing. He did not see it behind his tent until he came racing back. He says, “I was wide awake after that!” “Sorry, Bob,” I say laughing so hard the tears are running down my face.

Today’s plan

We need to reach Sonora Pass in three days at a time when we can catch one of the shuttles to Kennedy Meadows North. That means we need to hike more miles today. We are out of camp by 6:15 and we start the long traverse around Raymond’s Peak. Once we get around to the east side we will walk down the valley between Raymond’s Peak and Silver Peak toward Ebbett’s Pass. We will go over the pass and find some place to camp. Simple right?

Raymond’s Peak

First things first. I need my morning coffee. The peak is preventing the sun from reaching the trail. So I have to wait almost two hours, but then there it is.

We enter a new wilderness area. I can’t even say the name, let alone type it. Here’s the sign.

I round the shoulder if Raymond’s Peak. If your eyes are really good, you can see the trail angling up the side of the peak to where I am pointing.

The view from the trail up here is pretty spectacular. Here are two that I like.

Raymond has so many arms, I think he must have been an octopus. You can see the trail cutting across one of them up ahead.

Ornaments

Are cedar trees born looking a thousand years old. Or did God stop making them, like a discontinued model, and the only ones left are 1000 years old.

And they prop themselves up in the weirdest places like that awkward kid at the dance who doesn’t know where to stand or who to hang out with.

It’s lunch time. I find a comfy log and relax for 30 minutes.

Picking up the pace

Bob and I discuss the plan for camping tonight. Looks like we still have a long way to go. I gotta stay focused so I tell myself no more photos except for flowers. So my first photo is what? More trail. But it was such a nice shot. The flowers are after this, I promise.

Oh and then there was this.

OK, Doolittle. It’s five miles to water and six miles to camp. Just go! But wait. There are these people to talk to. Arghhh! I see all this commotion in this little pond off trail. Something is swimming in the water. Is it a beaver? It has a big stick in its mouth. No it’s just Om retrieving a stick for his owner Brittany. They are out for the afternoon.

And the there’s this guy. Is he hard core or what. He broke his foot on the Colorado Trail and now he is on the PCT trying to break his other one. His name is Crusty.

Camp

We make it to our destination – Noble Lake. At 8900 feet it is our highest camp yet. It’s pretty here, but windy. We cram our tents together on the only flat ground we can find, jam dinner down our throats and try to sleep (after writing, that is). It was a full day. I really enjoyed it.

• August 21
• Starting marker: 1063
• Ending marker: 1044.1
• Miles hiked today: 19
• Total PCT miles: 306
• If you had a mountain named after you would you choose to be a peak, a knob or a knob? Some of you are definite knobs. You know who you are!