Day 47: We saw other people today! It rained and hailed/snowed off and on all night, but the sky was relatively clear when we woke up, so we packed up and hiked toward Crabtree Meadows.
As we got there, Sweet Virginia and Well-Said came down the trail going the opposite way. We first met them back in Acton (Mile 444) and have been running into them ever since. They were backtracking to Cottonwood Pass so they could get to Lone Pine. The fresh snow on Mount Whitney had turned them around. We traded trail info and discussed the weather.
We continued past Crabtree Meadows and were soon on the John Muir Trail. We had to ford Wallace Creek (easy) and Wright Creek (a little more difficult, shoes had to come off).
We made it to the campsite at Tyndall Frog Ponds. It’s probably a great spot in the summer, but it was tricky finding a good tent site amongst all the snow drifts. We ended up camping about five feet from the trail itself, but nobody came through the entire time we were there.
Day 48: We made it over Forester Pass!!! At just over 13,000-ft, it is the high point of the Pacific Crest Trail.
Rob’s watch read 27 degrees when we got up this morning. I hate cold. Nevertheless, we packed up and were soon ascending a gentle slope alongside Tyndall Creek. I was not looking forward to fording another icy creek, but luckily there was a snow bridge!
We could see Forester Pass in the distance, but it took us nearly three hours to reach the base. We put away our trekking poles and got out the ice axes and crampons. It was a difficult and somewhat exposed climb, but after an hour and a half, we were at the top!
The north side of the pass was posthole hell. We both sank into the snow to nearly waist level, multiple times. After making it down the first (steepest) thousand feet, we switched to snowshoes for the rest of the descent.
Kowabunga! You’re doing great! Love the photos!
Great Pics. Congrats!!
Gratuliere, tolle Posts und Pics, bin immer dabei. Bewundere eure Energie. Weiterhin gute Reise, liebe Grüsse, Evi
Danke Evi! 🙂
Fun! You guys are making great progress!!
That top photo is amazing! Can’t believe how far you’ve come already! Love reading your updates 🙂
That’s funny you say that. I was pretty miserable in that photo. It was really cold and windy, and I was exhausted from walking all day. But when we got to camp, Rob said he took the most amazing panorama ever taken on an iPhone (quite the claim), and it just happens to be that photo. 🙂
I have been following your journal for awhile now that I just happened to come across. I love your pictures and your writing style. I can only get out for weekend hikes on the trail but I am always looking to lower weight so I have been looking at your gear list. You seem to have it trimmed down pretty good so I might be stealing some ideas of the items you use. Thank you for sharing. You guys are in front of all of the other journals I have been reading so keep up the good work and have fun.
Thanks Keith! It’s always kind of tricky balancing the need for certain gear (and comfort) with the desire to be ultralight. We’re still making adjustments as we go, but so far have been pretty happy with our gear choices. Happy trails!
Wow, you two are tough… I can’t imagine dipping bare feet in those icy streams! Is the trail hard to locate with the snow still so abundant? I guess those following you will appreciate the tracks you leave. Nice photos.
The trail can be very tricky to locate with all the snow. It’s really easy to get turned around and lost, so we spend a lot of our time navigating. HalfMile’s PCT app helps a lot- it tells us how far away we are from the trail at all times. There are also a few people ahead of us – not many, but we do have a couple of footprints to follow.
Beautiful! 2 posts in 2 days! YAY!
Congrats for (1) successfully crossing Forester Pass and (2) leading the many following your footsteps. It love the landscape all highlighted in white although living in it can be quite different especially in inclement weather. I’ll be there in a couple weeks, really looking forward to my turn.
Thank you! The snow can be a little overwhelming at times, it it is really beautiful seeing the landscape all in white. Happy hiking!
I’ll be at Cottonwood Pass this weekend! Thanks for the conditions report!