One Way Ticket to Somewhere

After leaving Kennedy Meadows, the trail kept on climbing into the Sierra Nevada. The landscapes slowly changed and it took about two days until the transition was complete. Desert View I had added my ice ax, spikes, bear proof food canister and food for 10 days to my pack. The added weight and the relentless ascent caused my daily mileage to drop, but I had anticipated that. What I didn’t anticipate was the back pain and the broken hip strap that the added weight caused. I still enjoyed the hiking and, above all, the spectacular scenery during these first days. I knew that my pack was getting a little lighter every day as I consumed my provisions.  Sequoia Trees It’s hard to overstate the beauty of this place, especially once I reached Sequoia National Park. Here I took a side trip to camp at Soldier Lake and day hike to the amazing Miter Basin and Sky Blue Lake. Another side trip took me to Crabtree Lakes. Despite their beauty they get very few visitors as most people who come to...

  In the days after leaving Tehachapi the desert showed its best side.   The Bloom Continues  The strong winds ended, the temperatures were moderate, the landscapes amazing. The trail meandered between desert hills with shrubs and Joshua trees to beautiful pine forests. More Desert Hills View From Camp I was happy to have a long uninterrupted stretch of 136 miles to hike, so I could get into my daily hiking routine. Another Scenic Camp Spot The 600 mile marker came and went and by the time I reached Walker Pass the winds were back.  A group of us talked to a local hiker who warned us of 30 to 40 mile high winds in the following days. We collectively shrugged as this was much better than what we had before reaching Tehachapi. These Clouds Mean Wind The trail entered Kiavah Wilderness where I hiked and camped with Marmot, another hiker moving at about the same pace. Watching The Sunrise  I developed a cold, probably from hiking and sleeping in the high w...