PCT Day 26 – Herd Mentality

Last night as I was climbing into bed, some ducks flew into Noble Lake and landed on the far side. I like ducks. I was happy to see them there. They were loud. The were the kind of ducks that sounded like they were laughing at a comedy club. Waaaaa Wa Wa Wa! As I drifted off to sleep I felt like I could understand their language. They were talking politics.

Here’s what I was able to make out. The current leader, Harvey, was already a lame duck since he failed to address the most important issue: illegal migration. The pond ducks wanted to propose a bill, but the instructions on the webbed site were confusing. Who could help? One them said, “I’m down with that!”

Up and over

Yesterday there seemed to be no way out of this ring of mountains. But that is what trails are for and before we knew it, Bob and I were standing on a saddle looking behind at yesterday’s mountains and ahead to tomorrow’s.

To our left we see something very exciting – three distant peaks. The one on the left is Disaster Peak. On the right is Stanislaus Peak. But the one in the middle is Sonora Peak. Tomorrow we hope to reach Sonora Pass, 25 miles away.

The mountains that are close by are pretty nice too.

Bull run

We cross through a livestock gate. This rarely means anything. We need to get some water. We are heading to Wolf River.

I start hearing music. It’s like reggae. No. It’s cowbells. Cows! Mountain cows are so much fun. I love trying to get close to them and then watching them take off. Some hikers complain about the cow poop on the trail. But some of my most pleasant childhood memories involve cows and farmers, so I like the smell of cow poop.

I can’t see the cows but the sound of their bells is ringing everywhere. It reminds me of the song Cirrus by Bonobo.

The sound fades as the trail climbs above the valley.

As I go back down I hear cowbells dead ahead. It’s a cow and calf.

This valley we are traversing is full of cows. I will not go through the exit gate until after 3pm. I will serenaded by cowbells most of the time.

Old acquaintances

As I consider my good fortune with the cows, I see this odd tree in front of me. What caused these obvious bulges. You don’t suppose trees go through middle age too?

I pass a couple on the trail. We say hi, but I feel like I know the woman. We turn around at the same time and stare at each other. “I feel like I know you,” I say. “Did you hike the PCT last year?” She says they did. Then I remember. I passed them as they were heading south toward Seaid Valley. It was the day after “Hike Naked” Day. (A day that will live in infamy.)

They are Christa and David. They are finishing “section J” and a few other high altitude sections on the PCT. It is so good to see them. They are on my PCT 2021 blog. I get their email addresses so I can send them a link when I get to the next town.

Delirious

I have only gone 14 miles so far today and yet I feel so beat. Bob and I conclude that it must be the elevation. Most of our hike today has been above 9000 ft. We choose a place to camp that is only 16 miles from our start this morning.

I think the altitude is getting to me. Instead of a root, I clearly see a hand reaching for me.

And this tree seems to have a very surprised look on its face as I walk by (look way up towards the top).

Just before camp, I pop out of the trees and see our targets for tomorrow. Stanislaus is the tall peak on the right. Sonora is the one on the far left.

I am ready to go anywhere where I can get clean. My shorts and shirt are stiff with salt buildup. I had to stop and deal with some chaffing issues due to abrasive clothes and my socks are stiff from dirt and sweat. There is a shuttle that runs twice a day between Sonora Pass and the Kennedy Meadows lodge. Bob and I are aiming for that!

• August 22
• Beginning marker: 1044.1
• Ending marker: 1027.7
• Miles hiked today: 16
• Total PCT miles hiked: 322
• Recording artist all the pond ducks are talking about: Drake