May 25th
Camping at the top of Trail Pass on a small patch of dirt in a Hobbit hole of snow. So we made it to Lone Pine and while in town we decided we wanted to go back in for more! We planned from Lone Pine to Bishop Pass. 9 days of food. It was going to be our toughest undertakings so far. We each had to mentally prepare ourselves. Luckily I have Mantis to help me through any challenge the PCT has to throw at us.
May 27th
Camping on the banks of Whitney Creek. With condensation building up inside the tent the quilt usually gets a little damp on the footbox. So before setting it up I put it on the tent to dry out a bit. Everyone is getting ready for dinner and then bed. We needed early bed times to be able to wake up early and have ideal icy snow conditions to accomplish more miles for the day. Our group was averaging just over 10 miles in this section, but to get 10 miles we had to hike for nearly 12 hours starting at 2 or 3 AM. It was a bit exhausting and strange to change the sleep schedule so dramatically, but the sunrises were jaw dropping and after a few days and a cup or two of coffee later you're good to go!
May 29th
Camping on the snow again. Dirt spots are harder and harder to come by. At this point we made it over Forester Pass! It was a truly thrilling experience and one I will not soon forget. Our original plans of making it to Bishop Pass began to change as we heard more trail updates about closed bridges, avalanche debris and river crossings. So we decided to get out at Kearsarge instead. We did have bigger smiles on our face because now we were able to have bigger dinners!
- Journey Man
