Mon. August 22         Miles today: 20.9        Total so far: 1,742.4          Sierras Section H

Smoke from the forest fire was all around our camp last night, so pheweeeee did we stink this morning, and so did all our gear!  But wind in the night blew it all away, and a look westward showed no more fire.  It was a clear, 31 degree early morning, lit beautifully by a bright moon.  I LOVE packup by moonlight!  It only took about 20 minutes to finish the switchbacks and reach the top of 12,130 foot high Pinchot Pass.  We enjoyed the view of Lake Marjorie below on the other side before going down the rough trail to a spot by the lake for a chilly breakfast in the shadow of the mountain.  But it was fun watching the sunlight move down the mountain on the other side of the lake, then reach the lake, and finally us!

Off we went down the valley to a ford (on boulders and logs) of the South Fork Kings River.  After that, the trail followed the river up through a series of pretty meadows with lots of flowers, till we were above timberline again and the green ended as we headed up to Mather Pass, on a set of switchbacks that travel across a very steep mountain face.  I have heard that early season thruhikers climb straight up, using ice axes, and it’s pretty scary.  No kidding.  I was glad to have a trail and switchbacks.  I tried hard not to look down as we got higher.  It didn’t take long to reach the top, and there, hanging out at 12,100 feet, was a whole group from the Sierra Club, doing what’s called the “High Trail.”  One of them was a photographer busy with tripod and camera.  He must be VERY dedicated to carry such heavy equipment on a backpacking trip!   The rest of the group were all very nice folks, and we talked to them for awhile before heading down the very rough trail on the other side, which included some snow.  The guidebook said the descent would make your knees hurt.  My knees were just fine, but my feet–ow!  Those rocks were awfully rough.

Once down in the valley, we stopped for lunch by a creek cascaade with wonderful water and lots of wildflowers, including an alpine shooting star which is really robust and sturdy, compared to the delicate-looking ones back home.  Continuing on into the afternoon, we were headed down toward Palisade Creek, contouring above it on smooth granite with rock ducks to mark the trail.  Then came a long, steep, rocky, rough downhill in the narrow Palisade Canyon.  The creek was lovely but the trail was awful.  Part of it was the famous “Golden Staircase”.  I know it was a difficult part of the trail to build–so difficult that it was one of the last sections to be completed–but MAN did I wish they had not made the stone steps so high.  I guess if I had long legs like a basketball player I might have done better, but each step was huge.  I got so frustrated by how slowly I had to go that I almost cried, and by the time we were all the way down, my feet and my knees really hurt.   When we were coming out of Kennedy Meadows, one of the SOBOs we met was Cat’s Pa, headed for his “finish line” in Kennedy Meadows.  He is very tall, with very long legs, and even he complained about the “killer high steps” on the trail around here.  “Just about did in my knees” was his comment.

Well, even the roughest, toughest trails eventually smooth out, and so did the PCT.  We were finally down off the rocks and able to “turn on the afterburners”, so we hiked as fast as we could to the Middle Fork of the Kings River.  We got there by 6:50 pm, then climbed quickly up to Grouse Meadow, where we camped.  The mosquitoes were bad enough that we needed the net tent.   I had to spend some time talking to God about my frustration and almost-tears over getting down the rocky trail.  One of the things that bothers me the most is knowing that Bill could go MUCH faster down trails like that, and he is having to constantly wait for me.  On uphills, I do great, but downhills when you wear bifocal glasses (which makes depth perception all off)  and have a right ankle that will twist under at the slightest provocation, it’s hard.  “Help me be cheerful no matter what, PLEASE, Lord!” was my prayer tonight.