At mile 788.5. Hiked 15.8 PCT miles plus 7 miles on Kearsage Pass Trail to Onion Valley parking lot. Today I climbed 2 passes including Forester Pass at over 13,000 feet, the highest point on the PCT. I came across many families of Marmots. This is an adult. The babies are cuter.  Here is the climb up Forester Pass. You can see the notch that is the pass. Here is the view looking back (south) from Forester Pass. A lake after the initial descent from Forester Pass. Just one of the countless views, all...

At mile 772.7. Hiked 6.4 PCT miles today plus 15 miles to Mt Whitney summit and back plus 0.8 miles to return to the PCT. Total distance hiked today was 22.2 miles. I was cold in the sleeping bag when I awoke to see that the ground had frozen. I was up at 3:35 am and on the trail to Mt Whitney just after 4 am. There was a nearly full moon so I left my headlamp turned off most of the time. Without the headlamp beam, I could actually see...

At mile 766.3. Hiked 15.5 miles today plus 1.2 miles on Crabtree Meadows trail. August 27, 2018 I’m seeing a lot more people now. Most of the hikers are out to climb Mt Whitney. Some are hiking the John Muir Trail. I met one hiker who told me he was giving up. He had started at Cottonwood Pass with intent to hike the JMT northbound. After 20 miles he is hiking back to Cottonwood Pass. He told me that he had gotten dehydrated.  The heat is real. It is bothering...

At mile 750.8. Advanced 5.5 miles on PCT by completing alternate route began on Day 126. Total alternate route distance was 5.9 miles. Returned to PCT via the Cottonwood Pass Trail.  August 26th Today was a Near Zero day called by hikers a “NERO”. I spent most of the day in Lone Pine doing laundry, eating pizza buffet (8 slices plus large salad and 3 refills of root beer).  I also worked on reducing pack weight by getting rid of rope and underwear. I reduced fuel carried by leaving full can...