TR: JMT Spring Traverse 2016

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alpinemike
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Re: JMT Spring Traverse 2016

Post by alpinemike »

Hobbes, I really enjoyed reading about your experience with trying to get Andy up that early. :) I am no early person by any means... I tend to hike similarly to how Andy does. But it was very comedic when he and I were in Darwin Bench and I kept saying it was 10 degrees... Andy didn't answer which meant I knew he was definitely into sleeping a bit longer!

You guys definitely look like you had an amazing trip! Sleeping out every night must have been amazing. Can't wait to read more and I really wish I could have joined!
Never put off a backpacking trip for tomorrow, if you can do it today...
Alpine Mike-

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Re: JMT Spring Traverse 2016

Post by Bluewater »

Jimr wrote:LOL
So Andy, do you like a hot cup of coffee in the morning?
Guilty as charged:). I like a cup of coffee, back to sleep, read for a bit, have some breakfast, stretch, take a mid-morning nap then meditate. . . :rock:

That's Hobbes leading the charge to Muir Pass:

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And on the descent toward Helen Lake:

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Looking back toward Muir Pass from Helen Lake:

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Helen Lake:

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The outlet of Helen Lake:

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One of my favorite meadows on the way down from Muir Pass:

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Hobbes after a (very) brisk bath:

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Camp on a small plateau at the top of the waterfall overlooking Deer Meadow (Tenacious D had joined us by this time):

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Homemade backpack and quilt:

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This guy was my watchful dinner companion:

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Re: JMT Spring Traverse 2016

Post by Hobbes »

Day 3 - 6/2/2106
continued

The hike down to LeConte from the Muir hut was truly amazing. It's such a beautiful place at any time, but to be absolutely by yourself in those types of conditions was a whole different level. Unlike all the other high passes (Forester, Glen, Pinchot, & Mather) which have fairly rigid and defined paths - especially in the snow - both sides of Muir allow you to wander quite a bit. As we were descending by Helen, Andy took a slightly different route to get close to the shoreline. When I looked backed, I took a shot, which turned out to be one of my favorite photos of the entire trip:

Andy all alone by Helen
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The entire hike is seemingly summed up in this one picture: the isolation, the grandeur, the sense of smallness - this is what we experienced pretty much every day all by ourselves.

Mike: One of my key rationales for this hike was "take back the hike". In other words, due to crowding, permits, etc, so many experienced hikers have seemingly abandoned the original - and in many respects - premier locations in the Sierra. Or, people don't want to plod along a heavily defined trail. So, my solution was to simply go when not too many people would be around. Pretty much complete snow coverage solves the trail "problem" and adds an interesting reconnoitering challenge + need for additional skills.

You can do this in the fall, of course, but the days are shorter, and - my opinion - fall is best along the coast. Spring at the coast however tends to be cold, damp & foggy, yet the Sierra are just warming up. Combine warm(er) weather with longer days and alpine conditions and you have a recipe for exactly what Andy & I experienced. And I don't think this is a one-off; I've been doing shorter versions for a few years.

But, it's a narrow window - maybe 6 weeks max - May through early June. Still, I could see this becoming a "thing", much like the SHR. We could have added Forester to Whitney, we could have left out of Mammoth, or if the Tioga road has just opened, you could add that section. It's easy to mix & match (ie enter/exit), or do the entire distance. The only people you will meet are a handful of intrepid NOBO PCT trekkers, and that's usually a small number and clumped at the passes early in the morning.

---

As we descended down to LeConte, we began to walk through the respective transition zones. As you initially leave the 100% arctic conditions, you begin to get a little melt-off, with the resulting snow bridges. Back and forth you weave, maybe following tracks, maybe forging your own path. Because you're still above tree-line, it's all pure line-of-sight dead reckoning. But, slowly but surely, the snow gives way to green, and by 10.7k, you're back on trail finally ready to take off spikes, tights & gaiters.

Looking back as we drop down to LeConte
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Slowly melting
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Slowly, slowly
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Closer
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Ah, spring green
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Day 3 for us was a link day - it has the furthest distance to travel between two major passes: the 22 miles between Muir & Mather (PCT miles 838.6 & 816.9). After leaving the snow just before Monster rock (PCT mile 833.5), we had 11 miles until the first steps of the Golden staircase and the Palisades waterfall (PCT mile 822.4) where the snow would begin again. The low point of the trail is the Simpson meadow junction @ 8k, so you drop from 12k Muir down to 8k Simpson, then hike back up to 12k Mather.

What makes spring snow travel a challenge, of course, is that you need to hit the passes at prime time: 7am-9am. So, if it's 22 miles between passes, you've got to do the miles in some form or fashion (unless you take an extra day), regardless of how you feel. As I mentioned upstream, I can put up miles in the early morning until around noon, but during the heat/lull of the afternoon I'm an absolute wreck. Any other time of year, or any other route, I could simply design a plan where I was climbing in the morning and resting or descending in the afternoon. But you don't have that option on this hike - perhaps one of the key challenges besides the obvious snow travel.

So, let's go over day 3 schedule: begin hiking @ 6am to get over Muir, reach Monster rock 5-6+- hours later (I don't count hanging around a bit talking to other hikers). Now it's 11-12 noon - beginning to near witching hour. Ah, but we're at 9.5k, and we get to hike downhill to Simpson meadow @ 8k, which take a little under 3 hrs. So, we get to Simpson meadow around 2:30pm and it's 84 degrees - in the shade. Along the exposed sections of the trail (thankfully, mostly under tree canopy), with the sun bouncing off the granite cliffs, it's hotter - maybe a lot hotter.

Regardless, I'm now in full melt-down mode. As I mentioned earlier, Andy is the king of finding both great camping/bivy locations as well as excellent rest stops. So, he sees this clearing right below the old washed out Palisades creek bridge where we can sit down, get out of the sun & rest a bit. Even better, it's got a small backwater whirlpool that has somehow formed just feet away from a very full flowing Palisades creek. In fact, Pali is running at certain death levels - one slip and you're a gonna, for sure.

But there's no way I'm not going in - I'm way overheated, I'm tired, and well, I'm going in. As a water guy, I'm familiar with the feeling of turbulence & weightlessness in heavy surf situations, so my spidey senses were on full maximum alert. So, leaving my shoes on for extra traction (believe it or not, they had dried from the morning's snow/fords), I carefully got about a foot away from shore and did a 'push up' type of dunk to get fully immersed. (There was no way I was going in any deeper or nearer to the main current.) The water of course was fresh snow melt, so the freezing cold water felt exhilarating. I quickly jumped up, out and clambered onto a nice smooth boulder - much like a wet cat. Here's another take on the photo LeadDog took moments later:

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Words cannot describe how good this felt just sunning myself on a hot rock in the middle of rapidly flowing Palisades creek.
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Re: JMT Spring Traverse 2016

Post by Bluewater »

The next morning our group of three was up early and ready to hit Mather Pass before the snow got soft.

We headed up the Golden Staircase and made good time through the outlet area below Palisade Lake (one of my favorite areas along the trail). . . It was in this area that the footsteps from the dog in the group ahead of us became more pronounced. They must have hiked well into the late afternoon because the little dog prints were deep, he must have suffered through miles of doggy post holing.

Sunrise from the top of the Golden Staircase:

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Mather Pass from Palisade Lake:

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We eventually caught up to the group with the dog. We expected to see a young strong dog, but this poor old dog was limping and had a gray beard:

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Starting the climb to Mather Pass:

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Bluewater and Tenacious D taking a break on top:

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A snowy descent into Upper Basin:

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The middle section of Upper Basin was flooded in some areas and the creek crossing were deep. This is Tenacious D crossing barefoot:

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Unfortunately he post holed barefoot in deep snow just after crossing the river and got a deep cut on his ankle. He seemed unaffected by the injury while we helped search for supplies in his first aid kit, but he was out of all disinfectants. He pushed it closed while I helped him wrap a bandage around his ankle. He refused any more help and just put his pants and boots back on. After a while we let him know where we planned to camp that night and parted ways, not really expecting to see him again.

The hike up to Lake Marjorie was a challenging way to end the day. Short sections of trail were constantly interrupted by large piles of snow, creating a roller coaster effect while also climbing 1,000' to the lake. But once we passed treeline things got easier and we made it to a familiar camp spot just below Lake Marjorie. This would be the third time I have camped in this same spot.

Hobbes grinning after the late afternoon uphill grind:

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The view from this spot made a nice backdrop during a relaxed dinner. Hobbes and I share an appreciation for an early bedtime after a long day:

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Then just as we were ready to call it a day and climb into our sleeping bags. . . Tenacious D shows up! We couldn't believe he made it!!

I forgot to mention the river crossing earlier that day at the South Fork Kings River was dangerously high and it appeared to be at full spring melt levels. Hobbes found a spot downstream from the trail crossing where the river split into three "smaller" rivers and after we watched a small group of PCT'ers cross we carefully made the crossing. It was the strongest river crossing I've ever made. After making the crossing I just figured Tenacious D would turn back and hike out via the Taboose trail. But he was standing in front of us smiling.

He told us the story of how he found a log crossing about 1/4 mile upstream and how he was able to make the crossing without taking off his boots, pants etc.

Hobbes gave him some fuel (he was out) to make dinner. . . then he unpacked a CAN of tomato sauce for his spaghetti. Old school.

Hobbes & Tenacious D camping near Lake Marjorie:

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Re: JMT Spring Traverse 2016

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Day 4 - 6/3/2106
Golden Staircase - Mather Pass - S fork Kings - Lake Marjorie
12.6 miles

Tenacious D!

Ok, to fill in some of the back story, David had neither an ice axe, trekking poles or traction. What he did have was a pair of La Sportiva mountaineering boots and skills ie he knew how to flat step and had great balancing technique on steep sections of snow & ice. He told us trekking poles were only used by the elderly & infirm ... at least in his neck of the Czech woods. (He owns a B & B literally on the edge of a national park that straddles both sides of the German/Czech border.) As for ice axe & traction, I think he assumed there weren't going to be any technical sections. That was generally true, except for Mather, Glen & Whitney.

Czech balancing act
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What Andy's (or anyone's) photos don't convey is how steep the north side of Mather was - easy 50+ degrees - but this was only the warm-up act. David was fine on the ascent - it was steep, but manageable by being very careful & deliberate. The south side was an entirely different story. I took a quick look both ways, saw the cornice, and then saw some boot tracks leading on an angle to the west. Andy was a few seconds behind me, looked to the almost sheer cliff on the east and asked how we were going to get down. I chuckled and pointed west; still super steep, but doable.

But, first we deserved a break to eat some snacks, drink some water, and enjoy the fantastic view from the top of the pass looking both back towards Palisades lakes canyon and south toward the Upper basin. To be out in the type of alpine conditions like we were experiencing is really a unique life event. As we were hanging out having a pleasant time, a group of 4 PCT hikers popped over the cornice. They seemed a little stressed - lol - and to say they were surprised to see us is an understatement. Since they knew no one was ahead of them that morning, they didn't expect to come across some southbound JMT hikers kicking back enjoying themselves. We talked for a little bit, then they huddled up in their group while we got ready to descend.

OK, time for ice axes and a quick review on how to use the buried shaft as an anchor for each step. But what about David? I had used my axe & pole on Lamarck (Andy used both poles), but a slip/fall was 'only' a possible injury on the 40-45 degree slope with a 200'+ run-off. The north side of Mather was similar, but Andy & I both stayed with our poles. A slip/fall on the north side of Mather was a moving into more 'probable' injury, as it had exposed rock sections after 300'+ long run off.

However, the south side of Mather was moving past 60 degrees - maybe even 70. The run off was 500-600' (from 12,100 to 11,550) - say two football fields - with exposed rock fields at the bottom. IMO, a slip/fall on the south side without self-arrest was in the category of most definitely a major injury, with some chance of fatality.

One of my trekking poles was a whippet - it's really nice to have if for nothing more than the psychology of having a pseudo self-arrest feature while hiking on snow/ice. It's not really supposed to be your primary life-line like an ice axe in steep climbing sections. However, the conditions were such that there was no way I was letting David descend without offering at least a pole. Since I had snow baskets on both of my poles, I took the basket off the whippet, collapsed its length, and handed it to him to use as an axe.

I quickly went over the anchoring technique on the uphill side, and how to bury the pick in the snow with one hand on the head, the other on the shaft, and your body hunched up over & hugging that sucker for dear life in self-arrest pose if you somehow fall. I then headed off leading the way, Andy second, David third. The cornice had a nice little notch where the PCTers had come over, so down we went. As can be imagined, it was a very slow, careful process. You must first probe ahead and sink/anchor your axe almost to the head, gripping the axe head with your uphill hand & using it like a handhold once the shaft is set. When you're set, you then very carefully take one/two steps forward/down. Steady yourself, pull out the axe, probe forward, sink it again, take one/two more steps. Your legs are stressing from leaning into the mountain, you must be extremely careful where to place each & every step, kick-in if need be, but make damn sure both your feet are stable & secure before taking the axe out and placing it once more ahead. And of course, DON'T LOOK DOWN!

Actually, it's sort of difficult not to look down, but it induced - at least for me - a sort of out-of-body experience. As in, this is super dangerous, you're on a very high exposed snow ridge, how did I get here? Yet if you just mind your business, if you focus on each individual axe placement, each individual step, if you're methodical, careful, deliberate and mindful of proper technique, slowly, ever so slowly, you make your way down. Finally, you're on somewhat level ground, your legs are shaking maybe a little bit - from stress, adrenaline, who knows? At that point, you're free to walk forward over the vast snow fields of the Upper basin.

That in itself if a very unique experience - we were all sort of spread out, picking our way & walking across the snow from one small rock island to the next, the entire expanse stretching out far below us. As Andy mentioned, when we started hitting more significant water crossings, David had to take off his boots. Both Lead Dog and I were sort of jonesing to get going & make miles, so after realizing David was going to be doing this on each crossing, we told him we were heading for Lake Marjorie for the night. We then said good-bye, sort of expecting not to see him again, given his pace.
Last edited by Hobbes on Fri Jun 24, 2016 5:26 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: JMT Spring Traverse 2016

Post by Hobbes »

Day 4 - part II

Andy already told the tale of crossing the S Fork - that was stressful in its own right. We extended our poles full length, released our hip belts & sternum straps, loosened our shoulder straps and were ready to jettison our packs in case of a slip/fall. We found an area where the river divided into 3 separate ribbons - the main channel was no way Jose. Each of these 3 sections would be considered a very sketchy water crossing in its own right. But, we made it across, wet but safe.

After that, it was a post holing climb out through soft lumpy wet snow fields in a forest leading up & past the Taboose junction. (Have I mentioned I hate trees? They obscure the view, it's hot in the summer, lumpy slippery slushy snow in the spring, and you can't reconnoiter. I'm all about above tree line.) It was getting late, and we had been going since 5:30am. We were both pretty tired and were realizing we probably weren't going to make it to Marjorie.

However, as I've mentioned before, Lead Dog is the ultimate great camp/bivy spot locator. He spotted some tarns off trail around 1 mile before Marjorie, so we made our way across the snow to some small clearings by the ponds. We quickly set up camp - helped again by not needing to put up shelter - cooked dinner and got ready to crawl into our bags. But, I first needed to get some more water for the night, so I walked across the snow to the outlet stream to pull in a liter. It was getting near dusk and as I turned back, David came walking up with a cheerful grin and hello!

How he found us off trail - recall we told him we were heading to Marjorie - in near twilight is still somewhat of a mystery, but it forged our 3 person team that evening. Before that, it was Andy & myself, with David as the 3rd wheel. (Or solo - he had started by himself and fully intended to do the entire JMT solo. Up till then, we were just a friendly happenstance.) Cool if we saw him, cool if we didn't.

After that, it was all for one and one for all. Andy & I were astounded at his perseverance, the sheer determination and will power to make it. Remember, he had severely cut his ankle after post holing barefoot while carrying his boots. He was way behind us - we were stomping through the fords with our trail runners on. He was out of fuel, so he couldn't cook any meals. He couldn't build a fire @ the S Fork, because it was still above 10k + the wood was wet. (He borrowed my stove that evening and made dinner while we were asleep.)

That evening is when Andy named him "Tenacious D"; and brother, did he ever live up to that trail name.
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Re: JMT Spring Traverse 2016

Post by Bluewater »

The next day we got an early start over Pinchot Pass, cruised down to the Woods Creek bridge and camped on a plateau overlooking the last Rae Lake.

An early morning view back toward Upper Basin from the outlet of Lake Marjorie:

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The view north from Pinchot Pass, the final switchbacks were clear of snow and visible in the lower left of the photo:

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The colorful rock and meadows on the south side of Pinchot Pass were still covered with snow:

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Our camp overlooking the Painted Lady:

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That night before making camp Hobbes left a note on the trail for Tenacious D showing where we had stopped for the night, but he missed it and we never saw him.

Frost on my quilt in the morning above Rae Lake:

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Morning on Rae Lake:

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Early the next morning we ran into a PCT'er who told us Tenacious D was actually camped in the rocks and snow at the base of Glen Pass. He had missed the note on the trail and figured that we wouldn't miss him if he camped right along the route to the pass. . . he had hiked until 11:00 pm.

Tenacious D camping below Glen Pass:

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The new ice axe that Hobbes had highly recommended I get before the trip came in handy on the very steep snow climb on the north side of Glen Pass. The tracks from the early PCT'ers ignored the switchbacks and went straight up in some sections and although there were steps kicked into the snow, it was steep and a little treacherous in one area.

Hobbes at the top of Glen Pass:

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Tenacious D near the top of Glen Pass:

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The view from the top:

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While resting on the pass Tenacious D showed us the painful cuts, deep scrapes and abrasions on his ankles that had been slowing him down that morning. We immediately "offered" (demanded) to help him get medical attention and hike out with us via Kearsarge. Since all of his food required a fire or stove to cook he hadn't eaten since the night before at the Woods Creek bridge and in his weak state he finally agreed to follow us out and get some help in town.

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View of Bullfrog Lake and beyond from the high trail to Kearsarge Pass:

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We were greeted by a mixed group of day hikers and PCT hikers at the top of Kearsarge Pass. Hobbes and TD arrived first and must have shared some of the recent events because when I arrived people were tossing food to me!

The three amigos: bluewater, tenacious d and hobbes

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Many thanks to Hobbes for the invitation to join his annual spring Sierra trip this year. He was spot on regarding the snow conditions and the fun of meeting the early season PCT'ers each day. Hobbes gave generously of his time and took Tenacious D to town to make sure that he got the medical attention he needed and lodging for the night. A few weeks later we all met for dinner and I had the opportunity to meet some of the family, catch up with Tenacious D and drop him off at LAX. This was a fun adventure and I look forward to doing it again next year!
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Re: JMT Spring Traverse 2016

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Day 5 - 6/4/2106
Marjorie tarns - Pinchot pass - Rae lakes
16.8 miles

As on Muir, I jammed up Pinchot ahead of Andy & David. Unlike Lamarck (in snow), Mather & Glen, Muir & Pinchot are non-technical. For the other passes, we stayed closely together as if we were roped, but for Pinchot & Muir, it was everyone doing his own thing. For Lead Dog, that meant taking plenty of photos - my camera/phone had run out of juice, so all I had to do was hike.

The hike down from Pinchot was magical - the basin was so wide open, the snow was still firm and we could pretty much wander any which way we chose. I'd see Andy or David off to one side or the other navigating over an exposed rock island, and I'd either head over that way, or continue on my own path. We finally got down below snow line by Twin lakes, so that's when we began hiking together once again.

[Both Andy & I were so impressed, that we've been noodling through the easiest way to get back for further exploration. As it turns out, the unnamed Pinchot basin is very hard to get to. You can head up Sawmill, lose elevation to Woods creek, then head back up. Or, go up Taboose, over Pinchot and down. Mav mentioned another route up Goodale, but it looks pretty hard. There's also 'Armstrong col', but it looks like more of ski run.]

The hike down Woods creek, over the bridge and back up to Rae lakes definitely falls into my "greatly dislike" category. I simply do not like hiking within tree line. Add a long afternoon with hot sun exposure and a tedious climb, and I'm entertaining dark thoughts about quitting hiking forever. Finally, after a long day, Andy once again revealed yet another perfect, tucked away, private, level & dry camp site. It was getting pretty late, so we quickly made dinner and crashed. Glen pass was front and center - we could see the traverse high, high up the ridge. It was such a beautiful sight, so exposed, so full frontal, that it gave me anxious nightmares all night long.

Day 6 - 6/5/2106
Rae Lakes - Glen Pass - Kearsarge Pass - Onion Valley
11.5 miles

The reason David hiked ahead us and up the base of Glen pass in the dark of night was to make sure we didn't get past him the next morning. Why the concern? Because he had my whippet. As I mentioned up-thread, he didn't have trekking poles or ice-axe. As we were coming down along Woods creek, the side streams were flowing very high. Once again, he had to take off his boots. Since he no poles for stability, I crossed first and threw my whippet back to him. Rather than wait for the foot drying/boots back on routine, we told him we'd either see him @ the bridge or Rae lakes.

Well, since he didn't have any fuel, he stopped at the bridge to light a fire and cook his dinner. Knowing we were at Rae, he just had to find us. I put a branch across the trail with a note stuck to it, but since he was hiking @ night, he never saw it. Worried we might get ahead, he kept going until he was certain we couldn't get past - a classic bivy up in the snow & rocks.

When the first PCTer came over & down Glen early the next morning, he asked them if he had seen two hikers going south. Assured we weren't ahead, he sat and waited. As Andy mentioned, the PCTer saw us, confirmed we were the two hikers, and told us David was up ahead. How far ahead we kept wondering as we began to climb - not trail climb, but true alpine climbing with ice axe, handholds and kick-steps. Remember, David did this in the dark. Crazy. Anyway, he saw us first and was waving up ahead. It was a happy reunion once again.

Of course, we still had to get over Glen. But before we could even reach the snow traverse, we had to up-climb around 300+ feet - that is, straight up a 60+ degree 'slope'. Again, this was true alpine climbing, using a combination of burying an ice axe, anr/or using exposed rocks for hand-holds, and literally pulling ourselves up by our upper body strength before getting to the next point where we could gain a foothold and leverage that step for the next 3-4' advance.

Once we were on the traverse, this was by far the most tenuous pass/climb I've ever done before. I'm not Mr Climber, but I've done the Whitney MR in alpine conditions, along with Forester, Shepherd & Army in snow/ice. At a minimum, this was 2x the experience - no ropes, no nothing, just a 700'+ drop off down a 50-60+ degree slope. What it took was an extremely diligent and deliberate step-by-step process. As on Mather, place ice-axe, take step, take second step, make sure you're absolutely balanced and feet are securely placed, then release (ie pull out) ice-axe, probe/place forward, step again ...

We were going very slowly, but it was only 100-150 yards across, so there wasn't any real hurry. Even with Lead Dog kidding me & nipping at my heels, I didn't increase my pace. Finally, we reached solid ground and took a break. That's when David showed us his sunburned legs. Andy, I didn't know that you had gotten a photo of the "bacon strips":

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Jeez, when David rolled up his pant legs to show us the extent of his injuries, I almost swooned & fell off the snow ridge all the way back down Glenn. To fill in a little color, David is the stereotypical stoic who never complains - about anything. What he did say as he was explaining his discomfort was that his pant legs were chafing his legs - that's it. He also added that all they needed was a little wash and fresh air to let them rest. Right.

So as Andy mentioned, we insisted (actually, I told him straight out his hike was over - one of the hallmarks of shock is diminished mental faculties, so there's no room for quibbling) he hike out with us to Kearsarge. After that, we could seek some medical attention and get him taken care of. He didn't put up much of a fight - actually, none at all - so we all hiked out together.
Last edited by Hobbes on Wed Jul 06, 2016 5:34 pm, edited 12 times in total.
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Re: JMT Spring Traverse 2016

Post by Hobbes »

Epilogue
Day 6 - 6/5/2106
6-10pm

We reached the parking lot at Onion valley Sunday afternoon around 5pm. As we were hiking down from Kearsarge, I confessed to Andy that I couldn't have completed the hike without his morale support. This hike worked me to 100% and beyond. I'm just lucky I woke up each morning fully recovered. That was my biggest fear - waking up feeling as exhausted as the night before. It was also an anxious hike - we had set out some pretty big goals. Each day presented its own set of challenges, whether it was cold, early morning starts, long steep snow/ice hikes up/over/down the passes, treacherous water crossings, or energy sapping late afternoon climbs during the heat of the day.

Andy & I had both left our cars @ OV. (Recall that we had taken a shuttle up to N Lake at the beginning of the hike.) Dave got in with me, and we took off for Line Pine. But first we all stopped in Independence to get some snacks and drinks. We said good-bye to Andy, who was heading home. As usual, I always spend the night - my peak energy is early morning, and the 395 through Ridgecrest is a death highway at night. I like to hit the road around 5-6am and reach OC by 9-10am.

But first I had to get David to the ER in Lone Pine. We got there, and the entire hospital was absolutely deserted with only one staff nurse that had to buzz us in. It took a few hours for his paperwork to be processed & a doctor to arrive. In the meantime, I went and scored a cheap hotel room, got cleaned up, filled up my cooler with ice, and grabbed a 6 pack. By the time I got back to the hospital, David still hadn't changed out of his clothes. The doctor pulled me aside and asked me to inform Tenacious that he needed to be more 'co-operative'. So, here I am lecturing David in the ER about the protocol of being a "good patient" and to get his clothes off, which under my commanding authority (LOL), he assented.

Well, I had already seen his ankles/shins on Glen, but the extent of the peeling "bacon" (we're talking epidermis layer) had even the doctor's eyebrows shooting up. Both of his legs were fully inflamed up to his groin - the doctor carefully looked him over to determine whether or not what he was seeing was infection. (If it had been, he would have been whisked off an intensive care unit, had an IV hooked up along with all the other attendant fun & games.) Satisfied it was only sunburn, he had another nurse wash him down and dress his 'wounds'. Oh, and he also gave him a horse sized anti-biotic shot.

This process was going to take another hour or so, so once again I took off to grab some food just in case everything shut down before David could be released. He/we finally got out of there around 9:30pm, went to the hotel room, cracked some beers and ordered a pizza from down the street. (Don't worry, the doctor said he could have a couple of drinks.) Here's what Tenacious D looked like around 10pm Sunday night:

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Day 7 - 6/6/2016
7-9am

The next morning, we mosied over to the Alabama hills cafe for breakfast. While we were there, the doctor from the previous night came in. Since David had an appt back at the hospital for a second look - and to get his prescription for antibiotics - the doctor conducted an impromptu evaluation him right there. Since he was perfectly fine in spirits, looks, temperament, etc, the doctor declared himself satisfied, so all we had to do was go over later for the prescription.

An old time local mule driver - who had been talking to our server - had overheard our conversation. He had the full assemblage: big hat, checkered shirt, Wranger jeans, cowboy boots, the whole 9 yards. He began to lightly scold David about getting so severely sunburned, telling him that it's no joke at elevation, that people die up there all the time. He called it "dry drowning" - your body's immune system swings into action, your lungs fill up with liquid, you become disoriented, you walk off a cliff, and your body is never found. He then concluded that he was lucky he had friends who had helped him get the hell out of there and back down to safety.

After we left, I dropped David off at the hospital and took off for home. Ah, but that's not the end of the story ...

6/10/2016

Tenacious has a great personality - modest, friendly and really bright (he's got a scientific degree and works as a research arborist for a conservatory). He can speak Czech, German, Russian and English. So of course while he was recuperating in Lone Pine, he made some other friends. He ended up getting a ride down to Lancaster with a fisherman who was hanging in LP for a few days, and from there caught a train to LA. From Union station, he got a connection to Santa Ana, where I picked him up @ 6pm. I whisked him home, where in the interim my wife had cooked up a feast. It was Friday night, so a good time was had by all.

We use our small 22' RV as a mobile guest room. So, David was safely tucked away for the night before the next day's activities could begin. We had breakfast, showed him around 'Surf City', and headed to Little Saigon (Westminster) for lunch. Andy was on his way up to LA to jam with some old musician friends, so he swung by to join us.

David had an afternoon flight out of LAX, so Andy drove him up there since it was on the way. We said our good-byes and that was that ...

No, not really. I mentioned up thread that David owns a B&B on the edge of a national park. It is 100% fully booked throughout the summer (which is why the only time he had available to hike the JMT was in May). But Tenacious says Sept-Oct mellows out, and those are the best months to visit anyway. My wife and I have been fortunate to be able to travel, but neither of us has been to central Europe. So, a road trip from Munich->Vienna->Prague is being planned for the fall of 2017 with a stop over at David's bungalow-in-the-woods.
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Hobbes
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Re: JMT Spring Traverse 2016

Post by Hobbes »

Interestingly, I've had more than a couple people ask whether this hike was fun. In fact, after old timer was done scolding David and had learned about our route, he looked at me directly and asked me point-blank "was that even fun?" My answer was a sort of dumb, 'yeah', but in retrospect I'd have to say Yeah!

It wasn't even really type II fun; rather, it was type I at the time we were experiencing it, but type II as the memories are still so vivid. We knew as we were hiking, as we were engaging it in real-time, that this hike was a really unique, special experience. I've done smaller versions, but usually around the same time. The key is to get a combination of both perfect conditions and perfect weather. Go too early, and the snow isn't yet consolidated. Too late, and the crowds are on it.

There's plenty of variations as well, including cross-country skiing and/or snowshoeing. You don't even have to stay on the JMT, even though it's pretty isolated that early in the season. All kinds of options - all you gotta do is get out there and do it.

Black Giant guarding Ionian basin
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