PCT Day 42 – Seldon Pass

Yesterday leaving VVR was more dramatic than I hoped. I broke the buckle on my pack’s hip belt. (The hip belt places about 50% of a packs weight on your hips.) The belt still works but it is weakened and could fail completely under stress. When Kipper heard about what had happened she immediately started working on solutions. She dismembered an abandoned day pack for its straps and buckles and within an hour had a solution that will work if the belt fails. Whistler provided running commentary (as only a 12-year-old can).

Then I realized that my bidet was gone. I had several people looking for it, but it remained lost. I fashioned a crude one from the cap of a water bottle. It sprays like one of those squirters a dentist uses, so pin-point accuracy is required. Although I may not be as minty fresh as I used to be, I am primed to win the stuffed animal at those carnival water pistol games.

My pack is flat-out too small for what I am asking it to do. I have stuffed my extra food and electronics into a 10 lb bag that I have strapped awkwardly on top of my pack. The bag flops over to one side all the time, requiring constant adjustment. Of course, the problem will solve itself as I eat the food, but until then it will be like wearing a wiener dog as a neck pillow.

In camp one of my tent stakes was missing! By the grace of God I saw a tiny metallic glint in the sand. Hallelujah. I found it! I kissed the stake not once but twice. I learned how unkissable a tent stake is. Yes, I had a spare stake, but still folks, I was at the end of my rope.

It was a huge help to have Kipper and Whistler camping nearby. After last night I may never see them again, so I got one last photo. Fare well you two. You are officially in the pantheon of the kind generous people I have met.

As rain clouds gathered and dispersed over camp, I see this beatific sky.

163 switchbacks

I had told Whistler that the climb out of camp had 163 switchbacks. I think it was Bob that told me that. Anyway, my job this morning is to verify that number. About halfway up I realize that there are nowhere near 163 switchbacks. There may be half that many. I imagine the commentary that Whistler will be producing as he climbs. Outrage, bravado, delight…you can imagine it.

Eventually I get to the fiftieth switch back – the golden switchback – it’s my favorite.

At the top I have ascending 61 switchbacks – far less than what I told Whistler. He will have something to say about this if I see him again. I get my first glimpse of where I am going.

The trail

I am headed toward Seldon Pass today up the canyon that holds the rambling Bear Creek. The canyon is heavily forested so it is hard for me to get my bearings. I am making good time though. I don’t want to lose my pacing while looking at maps.

Lunch

I find a nice spot on the banks of Bear Creek. A man in his 30s come by, looks at the creek and says, “Whoa, I have never seen it so low.” I ask him what he means. He says this crossing is one of the hardest on the JMT. It normally involves wading up to your thighs in fast-moving water. “This year I won’t even get my feet wet.” I choose not to tell him that low water did not prevent me from getting MY feet wet. Clumsiness accomplished what high water could not – I slipped in while gathering water!

Here is my lunch spot.

Lunch at Bear Creek

Ominous

At 1:30 I am making good time. The pass is 1.5 miles away at 11,000 ft; I am now at 10,400. The clouds are gathering like they did yesterday. But they quickly disperse. However, suddenly I hear thunder from the direction of the pass. This is not good. Bob has warned me about this. He said if thunderstorms gather above, do not go up there. Instead, take shelter. It is for this reason that I keep my tent in an outside pocket of my pack – so I can quickly get to it without opening my pack which is sealed against rain.

For 10 minutes I search for a flat spot to pitch my tent. None are suitable. There are too many rocks. There is not enough space to plant my stakes. The ground is too bumpy with big clumps of grass. The thunder gets louder.

I finally find a spot and set up my tent in five minutes. The man that I met at the creek arrives at my location. We confer. He decides to do what I do and hide out in his tent until the storm passes. I check on him ten minutes later and his tent is up. The thunder is all around us now. The wind comes in short puffy gusts. I hope I am sheltered enough. The trees are small here but there are depressions in the rock. I am in a depression with one tree nearby.

Rain drops start to fall. I am in my tent now wondering what will happen next and when the storm will pass. At this moment, the storm is mild – low wind and slight rain. I hope it stays that way!

This goes on for 15 minutes. I doze. Then the action picks up. The rain intensifies and turns to hail. Water starts to puddle around the tent. My pack is in under the tent vestibule. I wonder if I should bring it inside. The temperature drops and my sweaty clothes start making me cold. If this doesn’t stop soon I will have to get into my pack for some warmer clothes. I may even be stuck here overnight. I pray for the safety of Whistler and Kipper.

The storm continues for another hour! Eventually the rain stops, but the thunder continues in the distance. I get out of my tent and go check on the other guy. I learn his name – Adrian. We decide to take our tents down and go up to nearby Marie Lake to look for campsites. As I pack up my tent I notice that water has pooled inside it. I may have a leak, but I don’t have time now to find and fix it.

At the lake the campsites don’t look great. The skies are still threatening. There is only a small patch of blue in the sky. Adrian wants to go up over the pass and camp on the other side. This will take over an hour with no guarantees that campsites are close or that the storm won’t return. It’s a gutsy call, and I decide to do the same.

Run to shelter

The sky above the pass gives us no clue about what will happen next. It could go either way.

On the other side of Seldon Pass is Heart Lake. It doesn’t look that promising. There are no tent sites, so we continue on.

We reach the Sallie Keyes Lakes. The sky looks better as we approach the upper lake.

Camp

Adrian remembers that there are tent sites at the lower lake. He is right. We set up our tents and start our camp chores.

When I have a minute I wander over and introduce myself properly to Adrian. He is from California and started hiking the John Muir Trail from Yosemite Valley. Originally, his girlfriend was going to join him but she decided the hike was not for her. So Adrian is by himself. He is summiting Mount Whitney and then exiting the trail through the Whitney portal.

Today put a little scare in me. I sent my rain gear home six days ago. The forecast is for these storms to get worse as we approach the weekend in 3 days. I may need to get most of my hiking miles done before lunch if these afternoon storms make hiking difficult or impossible. I need more time to think about this.

• September 7
• Starting marker: 878.7
• Ending marker: 863.7
• Miles hiked today: 15
• Total PCT miles: 486
• Switchback total: 61. Margin of error: 50.