PCT Day 27 – Sonora Pass

I wake up in the night weeping. I mistakenly wipe my eyes with my salt-encrusted hands producing even more tears. I had been dreaming about a woman who had created a media-based book about her friend who had died. Each page was a photo or video montage of a day in their life. I was deeply moved upon viewing this book.

In the dream, the woman was part of a parade of people celebrating her achievement. I went up to her as she walked and threw my arms around her and explained how her book had helped me deal with my own loss and grief. She looked at me and said nothing. But she smiled and did not push me away.

The hiker soul

My hiking partner Bob is a widower. His wife of 49 years died of cancer a few years ago. Bob is still struggling with the loss. She had been his life-long hiking partner. The places we visit now he has visited with her. I am no stranger to loss either, having lost a brother, two children and both parents by age 28.

I know this is perhaps a bad way to start a post about hiking. But these conversations about loss and grieving are not unusual between Bob and myself. They come up naturally. We have both been to grief counseling, so we know this language.

The unusual thing about hiking is that these moments I share with you, these numinous moments of beauty and joy sit very close in my heart to the seat of sadness and loneliness. I imagine it’s like tightrope walking. Exhilarating and serious.

The experience of hiking or doing anything that is deeply felt is an adventure of the heart. I wanted so badly to not make the trail a tableau for my own emotions, but that is almost impossible to do. Instead I am just going with it, enjoying the people I meet, uncovering the quirky, precious, and beautiful things on the trail for as long as I have the energy to do so.

Up to the pass

I have been looking at Sonora Peak for quite some time now. And today I will ascend to the pass that bears its name. It’s a pretty simple hike really. I will walk along a fork of the Carson River below the ridge that holds both Stanislaus Peak and Sonora Peak. I will then sweep around the east side of Sonora and descend down its south side to Hwy 108 where Bob and I will hitch to Kennedy Meadows North for rest and resupply.

Let’s go

I didn’t notice this last night, but I set up my tent in front of this giant stone cat. Luckily he is still sleeping.

We carried water into camp last night. I have a liter when I leave camp, so I can focus on hiking for a while. We agree to meet for water at a creek 4 miles away.

This river gorge that I am walking up is pretty deep. It’s almost 8:30 before I get my morning coffee!

Up up I go. It’s a 2300 ft climb to the high point at roughly 10,500 feet. It will be the highest point for me this year. And that’s the real issue here. I have done climbs like this already. But I haven’t enough red blood cells to handle to reduced oxygen yet. It’s a real challenge.

Bob warned me that the first saddle is a “false summit”. The real saddle, the very top of the climb, is farther up. Here is the first saddle. It’s a bunch of broken rock. Still, I am pretty stoked about being up here. It was hard but I did it with only one rest stop.

There’s tons of wild flowers up here. If only I didn’t have to bend down to take photos. I think bending over is harder than hiking!

The real saddle is up there on the right.

Yes!

The view from up here is nice, but it’s nothing like the view behind to the east. You can see highway 108 down there. And for the first time in 2 days I have cell service. I call Patti real quick until Bob gets up here and we have to choke down some lunch. I send her this picture.

The trip down to the road is tricky. The trail has all these little stones that want to slide out from under you when you step on them. I have to relearn how to go downhill like last year. The key is to take shorter step and lean out over your feet so your center of gravity shifts forward and your foot is more directly under you. It takes some getting used to.

There are the coolest rock formations on this side. I really should have brushed up on my geology before coming out here. We don’t have rocks in Florida, just congealed shell fragments that pass for rocks. I am really out of my element.

Kennedy Meadows North

The trail comes out at Hey 108. We need to bum a ride to the ranch where we will get a shower and resupply. Here is our hitching location.

After about an hour we get a ride from a super nice guy named John. He is an ultramarathoner and has done the Western States 100 six times.

Bob and I get showers and some real food. It’s not clear how long we will stay here. We got in late and we still have to resupply and I have to work on blog posts. But it was a great day. John does not think that the “real” Sierras start until Yosemite. Bob disagrees. I am sure it will all be good.

• August 23
• Starting marker: 1027.7
• Ending marker: 1016.9
• Miles hiked today: 12
• Total PCT miles: 334
• Weirdest beverage: Sierra Nevada Pale Ale/ Sierra Mist on the rocks: The Sierra Slam!