High Sierra Topix

Days 8-9

“Being tentbound isn’t wholly an ordeal. The first few hours can pass in a dreamy euphoria while you lie peacefully in your sleeping bag, watching raindrops trickle down the outside of the translucent fly…Wrapped snugly in down, with the daylight’s cruel conditions filtered by nylon into a soothing twilight, there is an atmosphere of guiltless relief…There is nothing to be done but to drift back off to untroubled sleep.

“There can, however, be too much of a good thing. Even those with a gift for sloth must finally arrive at the point where sleeping further becomes impossible.”

     - “On Being Tentbound,” by Jon Krakauer, Eiger Dreams


I reached that breaking point at 10:30 a.m. on Day 8, 22.5 hours into my tent imprisonment. Rain had slowed to an intermittent drizzle. I was going to make a dash for it.

There is not much to say about this day. A big storm appeared to be queuing up at the crest. Tendrils of fog moved rapidly down the east escarpment. A UFO-shaped cloud formed over Mount Williamson. I busted downhill, trying to keep ahead of the cold air. Fortunately, the grade on the Shepherd Pass trail is optimally designed for downhill speed. So I just got drizzled on here and there. Tonight, the crest would get snow.

Still, I wasn’t ready for people. So I camped in the desert, one-half mile from the Symmes Creek stock trailhead, enjoying the warm evening and the familiar smell of desert plants soaked in rain.

Here’s my tent - still holding up! (though crooked) - drying out in the sun on Day 9.
The staff at Mount Williamson Hotel kindly fetched me at the trailhead. I was headed for two nights in metropolitan Independence. Next stop: Kearsarge Pass into Gardiner Basin.

The End

Excellent trip report. I'm jealous of those reflections you got at Wales . It was great to meet you out there.

Thanks for the great trip report. Love the photos too; especially the flowers and early morning reflection. Those mirror reflections on a lake always take me to a very happy place when I'm fortunate enough to witness them.

Lisa, I'm blown away with the journal, your hiking skills and the pics. Sorry the junction at PCT is so jinxed...I don't recall that meal with prunes but you certainly did! Thought we had trout with wild onions...I'll be rereading this. bvp

Lisafriend wrote:I don't recall that meal with prunes but you certainly did! Thought we had trout with wild onions...

The mashed potatoes with prunes was our dinner on the first night at the Wallace Creek/PCT camp. The next day, we caught fish at Wallace Lake and returned to our Wallace Creek/PCT camp to fry it up. With the stove still out of commission, we must have built a fire to cook the fish - I guess fires were still legal at 10,400 back in 1992.

Lisa, I just came across your TR. We had left on our 395 car camping trip the day you posted it, and I was (purposely) off the 'net until we got back a week later. By that time, it had dropped in the queue and I never got a chance to read it.

As others have commented, you're a great writer - you really captured the entire mood & adventure of the trip, and the difficulty of parting and heading out alone. Let's start planning for next year!

Btw, you may get a chuckle out of this, but I too missed my own cut-off from Wales to WLB. What's weird is I did cross the last stringer, but as I looked up and to the right (ie looking north/north-west) + conferring with my map (with my own notes!), the boulders, trees and shoulder looked so much steeper than what I recalled from my descent two days earlier.

So, I kept moving sideways around the contour, thinking I was making headway towards where WLB opens up, until I got to the .. PCT!!! Just like you, I must have been 50-100 yards off it as it swings due west/north-west from Wallace to Wright creek. And you know what? I immediately came across a NOBO solo hiker, then 3 SOBO 20-somethings (girls/women - what's the PC terms if guys are guys?) I guessed doing the JMT.

Well, I jetted past the NOBO, hiked for around 5 minutes to the point where I knew Wright would be crossing the PCT within 1/4 mile, and launched across the trees/meadows until the entire basin opened up. I figured I might have added 1/2-1 mile extra distance, but was relieved to find out that I wasn't really off pace.

When I left the gang @ 7am, I wasn't sure how fast I could get back, and was planning on spending the night in Lone Pine. But with an empty pack and visions of home, I got to my car @ 5pm, got on the road after fueling up both car & body by 5:45 and walked through the door @ 9:45pm. (You can really fly in post Friday night commute traffic.)

I always get cleaned up before I return, so my wife has never seen me so worked. If I've been surfing all day, she knows I'm tired and will crash, but she's never seen me so dirty, sweaty, thirsty & worked.

She is/was really impressed with your story. I think she's following you on FB.

K

Oleander,

Is was great to meet you in person! These are my favorite shots:
The best:
I didn't see anything better posted by the guys!



Hope to hike with you again soon!

-Russ

I really enjoyed your trip report. The photos and text allow the reader to vicariously experience your trip. I hope the tradition of having a summer meetup continues, and hope to make it myself next year, where ever it happens to be.