Day #1
Echo Lake to Half Moon Lake
7.6 PCT miles
17.4 miles on the Fitbit based on lots of exploring, trail finding, wandering around after the sun set and the 3 mile spur to Half Moon Lake.
Wonderful start to the day as my neighbors, Shelley and Paul, drove me almost 2 hours to the trail-head off Hwy 50 at Echo Lake. We chatted the entire way up and I learned so much about my friends.
Got to the Echo Lake Chalet at 7:30 and met two women from Indiana waiting till the boat dock opened at 8 so they could rent a canoe. Got to talking about life and our planned day. They were going to fish and I was going to take the boat taxi across the lake.
The boat taxi shaved off 3 miles walking next to the lake. It's not that I didn't want to walk...the boat ride is fun!! I've done it lots of times and it's a blast. It's also fun to admire all the beautiful cabins around the lake.
Well.. the women found out that I was taking the taxi and that there was a 3 person minimum to run it. Since there wasn't anyone else waiting, they decided to be my other two so the boat could take me. AND....they wouldn't allow me to pay my fare. Very kind indeed. They took their fishing poles to do a little fishing on the back side of the lake before getting picked back up later.
The ironic part was that while the guy was getting the boat ready..four others showed up and joined us.
The start of the hike was terrific. Coming off my time in Sequoia I felt strong and acclimated. Seventeen hours, which included 2 nights in my own bed, and then back at it.
The trail was hard to find because of the amount of snow. About three miles, I decided to get on the ridge for a better view and less white stuff.
The views were amazing. I made a detour to Lucille Lake and had a view into the area I was heading for the night. I could see Heather Lake a few miles ahead.
But my goal to sit and hang out, which is what I've been doing for almost an hour, at Aloha Lake. I'd heard there was a LOT of ice still in the lake and I wasn't disappointed. The lake was still about 25% covered and beautiful. With Mt. Ralston and Pyramid Peak as the backdrop....well...it was amazing. I've been to the spot I'm sitting a few times before and this is by far the prettiest I've ever seen it.
On the way here I passed people here and there. A few appeared to be PCT thru hikers coming from Mexico and heading to Canada, but I didn't stop to talk to many. I was just too focused on the beauty and losing myself in it.
I did stop for a minute to talk to a group of high school students with a couple adults. They were from the Woods Project out of Chicago enjoying the area.
As I sit just feet from the lake in my Monarch Alite chair, the biggest luxury item I carry, the wind is howling and the sun is beating down on the landscape. The mixture of the two makes it just a bit chilly, but not enough to put another layer on.
The sound of the wind is mixed with the sound of the miniature waves rolling across the lake as well as the intermittent sound of chunks of ice breaking off the hundreds of small bergs floating throughout the lake. This is a magical place.
I've done just over 7 miles for the day and have 4-5ish left. Gonna hang out here for a bit more.
6:30 PM
Was I really hiking out of Sequoia NP just 48 hours ago or is it a dream?
Half Moon Lake is where I sit as the sun is just about to dip under Dicks Peak. The pass is to the right and it's tomorrow morning's trek.
After I left Aloha there were even more snow fields and even more water. The trail skirted around Heather Lake first and then Susie. The trail next to Heather was against a snow free talus mountain side. The trail next to Susie Lake was a steep snow filled obstacle course. Soon after Susie, the wind completely died until I reached the Half Moon Lake trail junction. Luckily, the bugs didn't take advantage of the calm.
Once I turned onto the spur, the trail got much harder to find and a bit overgrown. Now off the heavily traveled PCT, the spur to the lake got much less use.
After about 3 miles, I reached the lake.
The first thing I did was swim. There were no icebergs in this lake but it was fed from the snow melt on the north side of the lake. It was cold but it felt so good to be clean.
Set in a basin between two peaks and a pass to the right, the lake was beautiful....and very windy!
At least four separate waterfalls poured into and under snow fields before secretly entering the lake below. A bird of prey that I couldn't identify was circling the lake and would catch at least two fish during my visit. A couple marmots watched as I set up camp and edged closer as I cooked and ate dinner.
The sunset happened quickly behind Dicks Peak but the peak to the left held onto light for almost 90 more minutes.
Tomorrow is Dicks Pass. Filled with snow on the east side (up) and free of snow on the west (down). Then I get to visit a couple other lakes before I get to Middle Velma. My home for night two. And l hopefully, my next swim.
Day#2
10.3 miles on the PCT
15.3 miles on the Fitbit
Slept well last night. The wind died down to a breeze and it kept the bugs away.
Woke up to the smell of smoke and saw wisps running across the blue sky above.
Packed up and made breakfast of oatmeal and coffee. I wanted to get a bit higher to see where the smoke was coming from.
As I hiked out the spur I got glimpses southwest and it appeared that the smoke was coming from just over the Mosquito Pass area. I had to stop to use my inhaler as the smoke was getting a bit thicker as it settled into the canyon I was in.
Once I got to the PCT I passed a father, son and dog and chatted a bit. Then 5 women with 4 dogs, one of which was a Dachshund and quite funny to watch walk down the trail.
After passing the spur to Gilmore Lake the trail really started to climb. The wind was howling so viciously that I had to stop occasionally to stay on my feet. Snow started in patches and then became constant at which point I put on my micro-spikes to help keep me from slipping. The final assent was wild with wind, snow and incline. As I crested the pass a coyote came trotting over the summit towards me and down into a thicket of pines!
I sit here now atop Dicks Pass at 9377 ft. I'm about 1200 feet higher than I camped. My hope was that this wind was blowing the smoke to my east and the other side of the pass would be free of smoke. Unfortunately, it didn't come to fruition as the west side of the pass had quite a bit of smoke also. My hope is that some brave firefighters can get it out quickly and that no homes or lives are at stake.
Sitting here for a bit to get some food and drink in me before I head down.
I will walk just above frozen Dicks Lake before stopping again for a bit at Fontanillis Lake which looks to be mostly free of ice.
4:05 PM
Sitting at Middle Velma Lakes and lovin' it. Had a nice long swim and washed all my clothes as well as myself. Feeling terrific.
The hike down Dicks Pass was so much fun! Most was covered with snow so that I either "skied" down on my boots of slid down on my butt. So much fun!
Got to Dicks Lake and took a lunch break. The lake was 85% frozen over (yes, I did some very high level math to come to that conclusion). The wind was howling and I had to take care to make sure nothing blew away! After lunch I hiked on and came to a trail junction. I decided to veer off the PCT to visit Upper Velma Lake. It was downhill and there were some fun snow hills and rock hoppin' water crossings. The lake was a beauty but too shallow to swim.
Back up the hill to the PCT north once again on to Fontanillis Lake. By the time I got there the sky seemed noticeably clearer. The outlet of the lake was a roaring creek flowing into a series of waterfalls. There was a section of dead wood, branches and a few rocks that looked like a possible crossing. I lengthened my hiking poles and started my way across. It was about 20 feet across and every other thing I put a foot on moved or rolled just a bit. But soon I was on the other side.
I spent awhile sitting on a boulder and watching the wind formed waves crash into the sheets of ice floating in the lake.
After a bit I moved on as the trail entered the forest. The wind immediate died although I could hear it in the distance like a wild locomotive.
About 45 minutes later I arrived at this lake. As far as I can tell I'm the only one here at the moment. The swim was amazing. The lake is filled with boulders just under water and is fairly shallow as well. After swimming for a few I was able to move around the lake a bit from boulder to boulder and in the shallows with just my head above water. As I got close the the island closest to my camp, a mama duck and her eight ducklings plopped into the water not 15 feet from me. With just my head above water, the mama was brave. She got within about 10 feet and circled me once with her babies lined up behind. Wow!
A dinner of lasagna was outstanding and then I needed to go for a sunset swim.
Tomorrow I'm scheduled for 8 miles to Richardson Lake. Hiking will be below 8000 and the trail should be pretty clear of snow.
Who knows how far I'll choose to go.
Day #3
23.1 miles on the PCT
Lots of bugs and wind gusts last. Woke up at 4:50 and watched the sky get light until sunrise. Debated one more swim, but hit the trail instead about 7:00. Now, after over 16 miles, I'm longing for that swim.
The smoke is back and thicker than ever. Most of the walk today has been deep in the forest so only when I pop out is my visibility unrestricted. But the light of the day is an eerie filtered sunlight cast over everything.
I've met a lot of PCT thru hikers today going both ways. There's quite a good sized group, hiking solo in the woods and meeting up at night, that got off the trail at Kesearge Pass down near the JMT, and bumped to Ashland, OR to hike back south and then bumping back to Ashland north.
Sitting on the back side of Baxter Peak right now trying to decide what to do for the night.
I arrived to a buggy Richardson Lake, my planned destination at 10:45 AM. After some snacks I got back in the trail that led me here. Sitting at an overlook that I should be able to see Tahoe, just over Tahoe Pines.....but all I can see is some rolling hills melting into smoke. More later.
8:05 PM
What a day!! Hiked to Barker Pass and just kept going. I felt great and the bugs weren't as bad in the latter 2/3 of the day. Met a ton of thru hikers including a couple from Switzerland.
It got hot today... I splashed off in as many creeks as I could. Barker Pass was followed by a climb to enter Granite Chief Wilderness. I'll miss Emigrant Wilderness.
Anyway......I knew there wouldn't be water up on the ridge so I carried about two liters up. The extra 5 lbs caused a bit of extra strain. But it was oh so worth it. I found a sheltered soft and flat spot just off the trail. And the bonus is that an amazing rock formation, at least 50 feet high, towers above on the opposite side of the trail. And this is my spot to watch the sunset and the many colors created by distant smoke.
Hope I sleep well!
Day #4
21.4 miles in the PCT
Slept pretty well last night. The wind howled all night long above me. My morning walk along the ridge was perfect. Calm and in the shade of the crest.
Next was a big big downhill. I dropped 1400 feet in just a few miles. Passed the Five Lakes spur trail but decided not to hike out to it. Saw a few more thru hikers today going north and one going south. The trail wound in and out of the green forest many times today. Snow was also quite prevalent throughout the day which made route finding all the more important. At one point I looked at my map and realized that I was quite close to Mountain Meadow Lake. So I used the map to weed through the forest and found the lake. I ended up staying at the lake for almost 3 hours. First to swim then washing all my clothes. Then letting them dry out while I ate an early dinner. It was a beautiful break.
Hiking out of the lake I came upon two female thru hikers. I talked to them for just a bit and then we leapfroged quite a bit over the next five or 6 miles.
I'm interrupting my journaling because laying in my sleeping bag a hummingbird just flew within a foot of my face. It hoovered there for what seemed like forever turning his head back-and-forth before it zoomed away.
Anyway… I had planned to hike to the meadow before Tinker Knob but when I got there I had a lot of energy left so I decided to go on and it ended up being on and on and on. I finally came to the conclusion that I needed to find a campsite because it was getting late. I was on a very windy ridge for much of the afternoon and campsites were few and far between. Finally, I found this one nestled in some trees and out of the wind. Today ended up being a much bigger day than I had planned making it just over 21 miles. I just have a few miles left tomorrow before I get to Highway 40. My ride doesn't pass by until the late afternoon so I plan on finding a lake doing a lot of swimming a lot of washing and a lot of relaxing. It's been a great hike everything about it.
Day #5
5.5 miles on the PCT
Encountered some sketchy snow/ice crossings this morning. On one of them a couple older gentleman had been out for a trail run and one had slipped and fallen about 25 feet. He wasn't hurt badly, aside from bruising he was sure the feel the next day, but he had lost his FOB to start his car. I stopped to help them look, trying to keep my footing, and not 5 minutes into looking he found his own key.
Continuing on, I was in familiar territory as I've both hiked and snowshoed this area often. Passed another grizzly bearded man who I chatted with for a while about trail conditions.
Back to the trail-head by about 10.
Interesting side note:
Every single day hiker I passed on this trek thought I was a thru hiker. But... the hikers looked at me with a puzzling amusement. They knew I wasn't one of them because they had gone about 1/2 way to Canada and never laid eyes on me. BUT... I carried the same type of gear, smelled about the same, and was hiking thru hike kinda miles every day. Made for fun conversations.
I was a bit jealous though. I knew the experience they were having inside and out and I miss it.
Maybe some day in the future....
Echo Lake to Half Moon Lake
7.6 PCT miles
17.4 miles on the Fitbit based on lots of exploring, trail finding, wandering around after the sun set and the 3 mile spur to Half Moon Lake.
Wonderful start to the day as my neighbors, Shelley and Paul, drove me almost 2 hours to the trail-head off Hwy 50 at Echo Lake. We chatted the entire way up and I learned so much about my friends.
Got to the Echo Lake Chalet at 7:30 and met two women from Indiana waiting till the boat dock opened at 8 so they could rent a canoe. Got to talking about life and our planned day. They were going to fish and I was going to take the boat taxi across the lake.
The boat taxi shaved off 3 miles walking next to the lake. It's not that I didn't want to walk...the boat ride is fun!! I've done it lots of times and it's a blast. It's also fun to admire all the beautiful cabins around the lake.
Well.. the women found out that I was taking the taxi and that there was a 3 person minimum to run it. Since there wasn't anyone else waiting, they decided to be my other two so the boat could take me. AND....they wouldn't allow me to pay my fare. Very kind indeed. They took their fishing poles to do a little fishing on the back side of the lake before getting picked back up later.
The ironic part was that while the guy was getting the boat ready..four others showed up and joined us.
The start of the hike was terrific. Coming off my time in Sequoia I felt strong and acclimated. Seventeen hours, which included 2 nights in my own bed, and then back at it.
The trail was hard to find because of the amount of snow. About three miles, I decided to get on the ridge for a better view and less white stuff.
The views were amazing. I made a detour to Lucille Lake and had a view into the area I was heading for the night. I could see Heather Lake a few miles ahead.
But my goal to sit and hang out, which is what I've been doing for almost an hour, at Aloha Lake. I'd heard there was a LOT of ice still in the lake and I wasn't disappointed. The lake was still about 25% covered and beautiful. With Mt. Ralston and Pyramid Peak as the backdrop....well...it was amazing. I've been to the spot I'm sitting a few times before and this is by far the prettiest I've ever seen it.
On the way here I passed people here and there. A few appeared to be PCT thru hikers coming from Mexico and heading to Canada, but I didn't stop to talk to many. I was just too focused on the beauty and losing myself in it.
I did stop for a minute to talk to a group of high school students with a couple adults. They were from the Woods Project out of Chicago enjoying the area.
As I sit just feet from the lake in my Monarch Alite chair, the biggest luxury item I carry, the wind is howling and the sun is beating down on the landscape. The mixture of the two makes it just a bit chilly, but not enough to put another layer on.
The sound of the wind is mixed with the sound of the miniature waves rolling across the lake as well as the intermittent sound of chunks of ice breaking off the hundreds of small bergs floating throughout the lake. This is a magical place.
I've done just over 7 miles for the day and have 4-5ish left. Gonna hang out here for a bit more.
6:30 PM
Was I really hiking out of Sequoia NP just 48 hours ago or is it a dream?
Half Moon Lake is where I sit as the sun is just about to dip under Dicks Peak. The pass is to the right and it's tomorrow morning's trek.
After I left Aloha there were even more snow fields and even more water. The trail skirted around Heather Lake first and then Susie. The trail next to Heather was against a snow free talus mountain side. The trail next to Susie Lake was a steep snow filled obstacle course. Soon after Susie, the wind completely died until I reached the Half Moon Lake trail junction. Luckily, the bugs didn't take advantage of the calm.
Once I turned onto the spur, the trail got much harder to find and a bit overgrown. Now off the heavily traveled PCT, the spur to the lake got much less use.
After about 3 miles, I reached the lake.
The first thing I did was swim. There were no icebergs in this lake but it was fed from the snow melt on the north side of the lake. It was cold but it felt so good to be clean.
Set in a basin between two peaks and a pass to the right, the lake was beautiful....and very windy!
At least four separate waterfalls poured into and under snow fields before secretly entering the lake below. A bird of prey that I couldn't identify was circling the lake and would catch at least two fish during my visit. A couple marmots watched as I set up camp and edged closer as I cooked and ate dinner.
The sunset happened quickly behind Dicks Peak but the peak to the left held onto light for almost 90 more minutes.
Tomorrow is Dicks Pass. Filled with snow on the east side (up) and free of snow on the west (down). Then I get to visit a couple other lakes before I get to Middle Velma. My home for night two. And l hopefully, my next swim.
Day#2
10.3 miles on the PCT
15.3 miles on the Fitbit
Slept well last night. The wind died down to a breeze and it kept the bugs away.
Woke up to the smell of smoke and saw wisps running across the blue sky above.
Packed up and made breakfast of oatmeal and coffee. I wanted to get a bit higher to see where the smoke was coming from.
As I hiked out the spur I got glimpses southwest and it appeared that the smoke was coming from just over the Mosquito Pass area. I had to stop to use my inhaler as the smoke was getting a bit thicker as it settled into the canyon I was in.
Once I got to the PCT I passed a father, son and dog and chatted a bit. Then 5 women with 4 dogs, one of which was a Dachshund and quite funny to watch walk down the trail.
After passing the spur to Gilmore Lake the trail really started to climb. The wind was howling so viciously that I had to stop occasionally to stay on my feet. Snow started in patches and then became constant at which point I put on my micro-spikes to help keep me from slipping. The final assent was wild with wind, snow and incline. As I crested the pass a coyote came trotting over the summit towards me and down into a thicket of pines!
I sit here now atop Dicks Pass at 9377 ft. I'm about 1200 feet higher than I camped. My hope was that this wind was blowing the smoke to my east and the other side of the pass would be free of smoke. Unfortunately, it didn't come to fruition as the west side of the pass had quite a bit of smoke also. My hope is that some brave firefighters can get it out quickly and that no homes or lives are at stake.
Sitting here for a bit to get some food and drink in me before I head down.
I will walk just above frozen Dicks Lake before stopping again for a bit at Fontanillis Lake which looks to be mostly free of ice.
4:05 PM
Sitting at Middle Velma Lakes and lovin' it. Had a nice long swim and washed all my clothes as well as myself. Feeling terrific.
The hike down Dicks Pass was so much fun! Most was covered with snow so that I either "skied" down on my boots of slid down on my butt. So much fun!
Got to Dicks Lake and took a lunch break. The lake was 85% frozen over (yes, I did some very high level math to come to that conclusion). The wind was howling and I had to take care to make sure nothing blew away! After lunch I hiked on and came to a trail junction. I decided to veer off the PCT to visit Upper Velma Lake. It was downhill and there were some fun snow hills and rock hoppin' water crossings. The lake was a beauty but too shallow to swim.
Back up the hill to the PCT north once again on to Fontanillis Lake. By the time I got there the sky seemed noticeably clearer. The outlet of the lake was a roaring creek flowing into a series of waterfalls. There was a section of dead wood, branches and a few rocks that looked like a possible crossing. I lengthened my hiking poles and started my way across. It was about 20 feet across and every other thing I put a foot on moved or rolled just a bit. But soon I was on the other side.
I spent awhile sitting on a boulder and watching the wind formed waves crash into the sheets of ice floating in the lake.
After a bit I moved on as the trail entered the forest. The wind immediate died although I could hear it in the distance like a wild locomotive.
About 45 minutes later I arrived at this lake. As far as I can tell I'm the only one here at the moment. The swim was amazing. The lake is filled with boulders just under water and is fairly shallow as well. After swimming for a few I was able to move around the lake a bit from boulder to boulder and in the shallows with just my head above water. As I got close the the island closest to my camp, a mama duck and her eight ducklings plopped into the water not 15 feet from me. With just my head above water, the mama was brave. She got within about 10 feet and circled me once with her babies lined up behind. Wow!
A dinner of lasagna was outstanding and then I needed to go for a sunset swim.
Tomorrow I'm scheduled for 8 miles to Richardson Lake. Hiking will be below 8000 and the trail should be pretty clear of snow.
Who knows how far I'll choose to go.
Day #3
23.1 miles on the PCT
Lots of bugs and wind gusts last. Woke up at 4:50 and watched the sky get light until sunrise. Debated one more swim, but hit the trail instead about 7:00. Now, after over 16 miles, I'm longing for that swim.
The smoke is back and thicker than ever. Most of the walk today has been deep in the forest so only when I pop out is my visibility unrestricted. But the light of the day is an eerie filtered sunlight cast over everything.
I've met a lot of PCT thru hikers today going both ways. There's quite a good sized group, hiking solo in the woods and meeting up at night, that got off the trail at Kesearge Pass down near the JMT, and bumped to Ashland, OR to hike back south and then bumping back to Ashland north.
Sitting on the back side of Baxter Peak right now trying to decide what to do for the night.
I arrived to a buggy Richardson Lake, my planned destination at 10:45 AM. After some snacks I got back in the trail that led me here. Sitting at an overlook that I should be able to see Tahoe, just over Tahoe Pines.....but all I can see is some rolling hills melting into smoke. More later.
8:05 PM
What a day!! Hiked to Barker Pass and just kept going. I felt great and the bugs weren't as bad in the latter 2/3 of the day. Met a ton of thru hikers including a couple from Switzerland.
It got hot today... I splashed off in as many creeks as I could. Barker Pass was followed by a climb to enter Granite Chief Wilderness. I'll miss Emigrant Wilderness.
Anyway......I knew there wouldn't be water up on the ridge so I carried about two liters up. The extra 5 lbs caused a bit of extra strain. But it was oh so worth it. I found a sheltered soft and flat spot just off the trail. And the bonus is that an amazing rock formation, at least 50 feet high, towers above on the opposite side of the trail. And this is my spot to watch the sunset and the many colors created by distant smoke.
Hope I sleep well!
Day #4
21.4 miles in the PCT
Slept pretty well last night. The wind howled all night long above me. My morning walk along the ridge was perfect. Calm and in the shade of the crest.
Next was a big big downhill. I dropped 1400 feet in just a few miles. Passed the Five Lakes spur trail but decided not to hike out to it. Saw a few more thru hikers today going north and one going south. The trail wound in and out of the green forest many times today. Snow was also quite prevalent throughout the day which made route finding all the more important. At one point I looked at my map and realized that I was quite close to Mountain Meadow Lake. So I used the map to weed through the forest and found the lake. I ended up staying at the lake for almost 3 hours. First to swim then washing all my clothes. Then letting them dry out while I ate an early dinner. It was a beautiful break.
Hiking out of the lake I came upon two female thru hikers. I talked to them for just a bit and then we leapfroged quite a bit over the next five or 6 miles.
I'm interrupting my journaling because laying in my sleeping bag a hummingbird just flew within a foot of my face. It hoovered there for what seemed like forever turning his head back-and-forth before it zoomed away.
Anyway… I had planned to hike to the meadow before Tinker Knob but when I got there I had a lot of energy left so I decided to go on and it ended up being on and on and on. I finally came to the conclusion that I needed to find a campsite because it was getting late. I was on a very windy ridge for much of the afternoon and campsites were few and far between. Finally, I found this one nestled in some trees and out of the wind. Today ended up being a much bigger day than I had planned making it just over 21 miles. I just have a few miles left tomorrow before I get to Highway 40. My ride doesn't pass by until the late afternoon so I plan on finding a lake doing a lot of swimming a lot of washing and a lot of relaxing. It's been a great hike everything about it.
Day #5
5.5 miles on the PCT
Encountered some sketchy snow/ice crossings this morning. On one of them a couple older gentleman had been out for a trail run and one had slipped and fallen about 25 feet. He wasn't hurt badly, aside from bruising he was sure the feel the next day, but he had lost his FOB to start his car. I stopped to help them look, trying to keep my footing, and not 5 minutes into looking he found his own key.
Continuing on, I was in familiar territory as I've both hiked and snowshoed this area often. Passed another grizzly bearded man who I chatted with for a while about trail conditions.
Back to the trail-head by about 10.
Interesting side note:
Every single day hiker I passed on this trek thought I was a thru hiker. But... the hikers looked at me with a puzzling amusement. They knew I wasn't one of them because they had gone about 1/2 way to Canada and never laid eyes on me. BUT... I carried the same type of gear, smelled about the same, and was hiking thru hike kinda miles every day. Made for fun conversations.
I was a bit jealous though. I knew the experience they were having inside and out and I miss it.
Maybe some day in the future....