PCT Day 43 – Reunion

I sleep great. I think I open my eyes only three times. The first time it is because I have to pee. But instead of laying there and holding it for hours, I just get up and go. What a concept! I wake up 4:45 – fifteen minutes ahead of my alarm. I try an experiment and start getting ready to hike. In 25 minutes I am ready except for my mattress, my quilt and my tent. It is still dark out. I don’t want to hike in the dark, do I? Of course not. I doze for 15 minutes. It feels so good. You should try it some time. Get up. Get dressed. Then get back in bed.

The plan

I have picked out a spot to camp tonight that will put me within reach of Muir Pass tomorrow. It is 18 miles away. That’s quite a bit to do in the Sierras with the climbs, the rocky trail and the altitude. But I only have seven days of food. So lollygagging is not a option. I also want to stop at Muir Trail Ranch (MTR). It is less than a mile off the trail. Bob may be there. And they may have some sort of rain gear. I’ll settle for anything. A plastic lawn bag would do.

To MTR

It is still kinda dark when I reach the trail by the lake.

The forest before dawn is creepy. The scary creatures have not all gone back to their lairs.

It’s the perfect time for my Thursday selfie. who am I? Driven or sensitive?

This morning black-and-white Doolittle is in charge. Although MTR is over four miles away, I arrive there quickly.

The ranch and all its buildings are largely hidden from the average hiker. Hikers coming off the trail are routed to a small building where supplies are sold and where hikers can retrieve their resupply boxes. Hikers who send boxes to MTR must do so 30 days in advance. This is because all deliveries to MTR are done by weekly mule train! Supplies must be mailed in a five-gallon bucket, too.

The hiker box is overflowing with food. Food is the last thing I need more of, but something catches my eye. One of the buckets has an address label on it. It is Bob’s! I ask the two kids who are running the hiker store if they have seen Bob. They haven’t but they find someone who has. Bob left MTR 30 minutes before I arrived. We just missed each other.

I ask about rain gear. They have “emergency ponchos” and there are only two left. They look pretty flimsy, so I think I will take them both. I take only one though, because what if someone else needs one?

Well, that went well. I found Bob, (sort of) and I found some rudimentary rain gear. I am excited to see Bob again. I hurry back to the PCT.

Canyons and Valleys

At this stage of the day I have descended 2000 feet to the San Joaquin River which flows through a deep canyon. The trail follows the river up the canyon to where it merges with Evolution Creek. Evolution creek runs through Evolution Valley. At the top of Evolution Valley is where I want to camp tonight. In the morning I will jump over the valley rim to Evolution Basin and Muir Pass. Bob is somewhere between me and the basin.

My running buddies and I used to play this game called tempolympics. The idea was that for a given distance every one in the group would estimate their best time. Then we would start with the slowest runner (me) going first. Then the other runners would start with the fastest runner starting last. The starts would be staggered so that if every runner ran their predicted time, we would all finish at exactly the same moment.

I am used to being chased. The fear of getting caught from behind is one thing I am familiar with. But chasing is something else – especially when your goal is not in sight. When you are chasing, pacing is everything. I try to pace myself in the chase for Bob. Just hike normal, but don’t waste time.

The San Joaquin canyon is steep. The trail clings to the eastern side. Many rocks have fallen onto the trail from the bluffs above. At first the river is far below, but as I go up the canyon the trail drops down to meet the river.

The clouds are gray and dense like granite, but dazzling white around the edges. With clouds like these anything is possible.

Evolution Valley

I have crossed over to the west side of the San Joaquin when I notice the clouds are gathering. They are joining forces like yesterday. In the photo below, the San Joaquin is headed up Goddard Canyon. The trail does not go that way. Instead it crosses the river and climbs up on that ridge to the left. On the other side of that ridge is Evolution Valley. That is where the trail goes. Inexplicably, the rain and dark clouds stay in Goddard Canyon today. The weather in Evolution Valley is perfect. How the weather can be so different one canyon over is a mystery. But today, I am very thankful for it.

I must ford Evolution Creek because the trail goes to the east side of the valley. It is while I am crossing that I see Bob. Or rather, he sees me. He is standing on the bank telling me to look up so he can take my picture as I cross. “Wait, let me zoom in,” he says. “I have been criticized for not making the subject large enough.” Bob takes terrible pictures. But here’s the one he took of me.

We catch up on everything. He says he has found his pace again and his leg does not hurt. We agree on a campsite for tonight and I take off for it.

Evolution Valley is maybe the most beautiful valley I have seen this trip. Here are just a few pictures I like.

Strategies

We are camping below a peak called The Hermit.

As we eat dinner Bob works on strategies to get us to Kearsarge Pass.

As the day ends the sky goes crazy. Tomorrow we go over Muir Pass – my first 12,000 ft pass. It will be exciting.

• September 8
• Starting marker: 863.7
• Ending marker: 846
• Miles hiked today: 18
• Total PCT miles: 504
• Ford of rivers are no joke. Here is a hiker Bob met at MTR who had slipped and fallen crossing a stream.