Thurs. August 25        Miles today: PCT miles 4.3 (plus more to ferry)  Total so far: 1,791.1    Sierras  H

It was hurry and scurry at 5:00 this morning.  We had 4.3 plus 1 1/2 miles to go before 9:45 am, and we had no idea what the trail would be like, other than downhill.  Would it be rocky or smooth?  The guidebook used the word”dusty”, so I was hoping for smooth!  Also, we’ve found that the trail mileages here in the Sierras seem to be incorrect.  We would swear we’d done 2 miles, but the data charts would insist it had been only one.  So we were concerned!

Down the north side of Bear Ridge we went, counting switchbacks (53, according to the guidebook; I counted 56) on what turned out to be mostly smooth trail, whew!  Near the bottom, we went through a lot of quaking aspen groves, where it seems many generations of hikers have used the smooth white trunks to carve their names and a date. I saw some dates going back to the 1940’s!  We reached Mono Creek and the trail junction for the ferry, in plenty of time, so that we could stroll the 1 1/2 miles to the boat dock.  Lake Edison was beautiful, and the cove for the dock had clear, not-too-cold water, with about 4 other hikers already lounging about on the rocks.  They were all just “regular” backpackers who come here often because they like hiking around here.  Pretty soon we were all “talking gear’ and looking at each others’ stuff.  I got out our 1/2 ounce beer can stove and made a mocha drink, which the other hikers found quite fascinaing, since they all had heavier, white gas stoves.

Finally we saw the ferry coming in, late–but that’s normal, we learned later.  A load of hikers piled off, then came a brisk, cheerful fellow with a plastic bag, calling, “Fresh FRUIT–Come and get it!”  Well, we all descended on him like a pack of ravenous wolves!  I got a peach, Bill got a banana, and there were oranges and plums, too.  Yum!  Pretty soon, we were off on our “cruise” of Lake Edison. The ferry captain pointed out osprey nests as we roared along.  He said that since they’ve been doing more stocking of fish in the lakes around here, the osprey population has just been booming.  Riding the ferry is a blast–it flies the American flag AND the Jolly Rodger!

Arriving at “VVR”, we checked in at the store.  Turned out hikers get one night free in tent cabin #4.  Good!  Next on the “to-do list” was EAT!  We had a “mountaineer breakfast”–3 eggs, 3 bacon, hashbrowns, 2 big hotcakes, and some watermelon.  Still hungry, we topped it off with peach pie a la mode.  Ahhh, much better!  Now to find tent #4–turned out it had 4 bunkbeds with MATTRESSES!  No sleeping on the ground tonight!  We claimed a bunk, got our resupply box, collected soap and towels for showers, and started on chores.  The laundry setup at VVR is fun–a washer and dryers sitting outside on a wooden platform.  I began sorting through our resupply food–and there was an abundance.  Besides what we’d mailed to ourselves, we had some freezedries given to us by a fellow ferry passenger (he insisted!) and the RICHES of the 2 “hiker barrels” in front of the store.  Wow!! I had never seen such awesome hiker boxes except at Hiker Heaven in Agua Dulce.  However, we noticed that all the chipmunks and squirrels around here seem to know about Tent #4–there was a constant parade of them going in.  This made us worried about sharp little teeth mixing with our backpacks, so we stowed the packs in the bear boxes outside.

The signs posted around VVR said that lunch was from 11:30–2:30.  Well, we showed up at 2:03, planning on a hamburger plus that promised “first beer free”,only to be told, “We’re closed.” “What?” we said.  “But the sign said ‘Lunch Till 2:30.'”  “Too bad” was the answer.  And that’s sort of how it was around VVR–a sort of laid back, “Oh, whatever” feeling.  If you are obsessed and uptight, don’t bother coming.  And if you are a vegetarian, forget it.  This is a real beer, meat-and-potatoes place.  So instead of a hamburger, Bill went to the hiker barrel and put together a great lunch from what he found there–chicken, mashed potatos and other goodies.

After that, I settled down to write journal stuff, and around 5:00, a HUGE ferryload of hikers came in.  All of them were doing the John Muir t Trail, and Tent #4 became a beehive of activity, with a race for the showers and laundry.  Poor things!  We had it easy this morning!  Many of the crowd turned up their noses at the “yucky” matresses on the bunks, and set up tents outside.  Silly fussers!  But in view of the crowds, Bill and I figured we’d better head for dinner at 5:30 sharp.  Dinner was a great green salad, then roast beef with baked potato, glazed carrots and the free beer. 

After dinner I wandered around a bit taking pictures of the fun signs posted around VVR, did some more writing, then went early to bed.  The other hikers stayed up till I don’t know when, sitting around the campfire just outside the “outdoor bar.”  Stories were being told about how several hikers died trying to get through the Sierras in June this year.  One didn’t make it across upper Evolution Creek.  Someone spotted his backpack out in the lake.  Sadly, he was still attached to it, and was very dead.   Bill and i had already checked the PCT register in the store to see if anyone we knew had made it in June–yes, two of them had!  The store owner said the ones who made it through all the snowmelt creeks and deep snow came into VVR “looking like zombies, they were so exhausted.”  But we also learned that in that violent storm a little while back, what had happened was several weather systems sort of collided with each other, right over the Sierras, and the result was a sort of “weather mayhem” for 16 hours, during which a couple of campers were killed at Vidette Meadows.  Again, we thanked God for His protection over us.  Hmmm, you may say.  “How come God protected YOU and not those other guys?”  Well, there could be any one of a number of reasons, one of which is, “Well, if you’ve been basically thumbing your nose at God and ignoring Him and wanting Him to stay out of your life, then why should you suddenly expect Him to protect you when you’ve been telling Him to get lost?”  Another consideration is, “Well, if it is true (and I believe it is, based on what God says) that this life on earth is just the beginning of an awesome, incredible life with God that goes on forever, then what’s so awful about “moving on” (dying) and going to be with God?”  There are any number of other possibilities, but those are two basic ones.  Anyway, Bill and I are not afraid of dying in some lightning strike.  We figure as long as God has work for us to do, we’ll be carrying on till it’s time for us to “go home.”

Wed. August 24         Miles today: 23             Total so far: 1,786.8        Sierras Section H

Hooray, we beat the mosquitoes this morning!  We were up, packed, and headed out before they woke up.  About a half hour after we started hiking, we met Alan, a 70-year-old doing the John Muir Trail.  He was fascinated and enthused about what we were doing, and asked a lot of questions.  Turns out he’s travelling ultralight–no tent, not even a tarp (“What if it rains?” I wondered to myself), and he has no stove.  He’s living on a “superhealthfood protein drink”, granola, Clif Bars, and “Gu” the glucose gel that runners use for instant energy.   He’s in great shape, so I guess it’s working for him.  It’s been very encouraging to meet so many older backpackers in their 60’s and 70’s.  Modern lightweight gear is making it possible.

Talking so long with Alan made us late for breakfast, but we stopped at the bridge over the San Joaquin river, where Bill got water (no falling in, this time!) and we ate as fast as we could.  Much as we love talkng to other hikers, there are so many of them on the JMT, that we are being slowed down considerably.  Sometimes, even though we hate doing it, we just have to put our heads down and blow by people.  After breakfast, we followed the trail as it followed the river steeply downcanyon.  Wow!  What a sight to see the San Joaquin roaring and foaming down its twisting, rocky channel.  Again we wondered out loud, “Has anyone ever tried to kayak this?”

Eventually we reached the turnoff for Selden Pass, and things got more mellow.  The climb up begins by going thrugh a sort of “forest park” with pines and green grass and wildflowers.  We met some trail riders, carrying hunting bows in special holsters, and later a lady wrangler leading a string of empty-saddled dude horses back down the trail.  We guessed they were from Muir Trail Ranch.  Finally we reached a sort of “lake district”–beautiful!  There were lots of backpackers at Sally Keyes Lakes, plus the happy dudes who’d ridden up on the horses and were now wandering about with camersa, excited about “camping out” that night.  We reached pretty little Heart Lake, and began our final climb to Selden Pass up a narrow, lovely canyon with fascinating rock formations, lots of “bonsai” trees, and plenty of wildflowers.  I really enjoyed Selden–out of all the other passes, it doesn’t try to be scary, or try to be impressive.  It is a quietly beautiful, intimate sort of place.  If we hadn’t been trying to “make miles”, I would really have liked to linger there to enjoy it.  Soon we were at the 10,900 foot top of the pass, with great views.

Down the other side, we found a very scenic “alpine” area, but a very rocky trail that was hard on our feet.  Owww!  Several pretty lakes were scattered among the rocks.  Up head of us, farther down the valley, lay the ford of Bear Creek, which is considered by PCT thruhikers to be THE WORST stream crossing of the whole trail.  Well, it turned out that Billy Goat’s comment yesterday was right on–“The Bear” was knee deep!  We crossed with no problem, and began to follow it through an often damp and muddy forest dotted with a number of giant mushrooms.  At last came the final climb of the day–up to the top of 9,900 foot Bear Ridge, where we stopped to camp.  It was very quiet and very cold in the forest, but we dispensed with the tarp in order to have a quicker start in the morning to catch the 9:45 ferry to Vermillion Valley Resort.   I would say that scenery-wise, this day was really beautiful, and not having any really tough trail was a help, too.