Tent 4 was full last night (mostly JMT people) but cleared out fast as soon as the cafe opened. Bill and I were more leisurely because we had fresh fruit, and all I had to do was drop by the store to get coffee and some danishes.   So this morning we sat outside and enjoyed the beautiful morning (and fielded a lot of questions from other hikers about “Where’d you get the fruit?”  I didn’t tell them my source–I didn’t want the poor clerk to be inundated with fruit-starved thruhikers.)  I’m glad I can eat, and the Flagl seems to be working already.

We both rode the ferry back across the lake saying “Back to the trail!” The ferry was at MAX capacity–the captain actually had to shuffle us all and our packs around to “balance the load.”  This time there was  a whole gang of us PCT NOBOs, all headed for Silver Pass. But at the ferry landing,  there was a very serious ranger, who stopped us as we got off the boat, and we all had to produce our permits. Grr!

Going up to Silver Pass involved two “very bad” fords, including the famous “waterfall”  crossing.  I did do the “get behind Bill” technique for that one, but it  turned out to be not as bad as I expected.  In fact, just after we got across, along came a whole group of JMT southbounders, with a dog.  The brave dog unhesitatingly followed its master as he rockhopped and leaped across the roaring, foaming water at the foot of the waterfall.  Wow!

We leapfrogged with other PCT NOBO’s all day, which actually did help a bit with  the usual route-finding in snow going up and down the pass. At the top of each pass is a whole new view of a whole new set of snowy peaks, and Silver Pass was no exception. Wow!  Coming down off Silver Pass, I glissaded twice, and on one of the glissades, my purple bandana came off.   By the time I noticed, it was too late to go back.  But no problema!  One of the other thruhikers spotted it,  knew it was mine, and when Bill and I had stopped for a Snickers break, he came by and said, “Lost something?”  Hooray!   My bandana was back!  I’d carried it for the whole PCT in 2005.  That cheered me up–I had been feeling very discouraged again about being slow over snow and rocks.

All of us ended up tonight camped near the bridge over Cascade Creek.  The mosquitoes were around, but we cowboy camped anyway.  We may ??? make it to Red’s Meadow tomorrow if snow does not give us a lot of problems.  Or to be more accurate, does not give ME a lot of problems.  Bill zips right along, snow or no snow.   He wasn’t very happy today about having to wait for me so often.  All I can say is, “I will do my best.”   But it sure would be nice to make Red’s Meadow!!

Walk to Lórien: In woods near the edge of Lothlórien

It was very cold last night, but nice and clear, with lots of stars. I should mention how grateful I am for the glorious weather we’ve had in the Sierras so far. Today was no exception— beautiful! We walked down the famous “53 Switchbacks” and I was just plain enjoying myself.  In 2005 I was all worried about missing the ferry to VVR.  This time I said, “Oh, whatever!  If we miss the ferry I’ll just walk on in.”  Bill was planning to walk into VVR anyway, instead of taking the ferry.  I am feeling much better–in fact, I’m hungry, and thinking about all that great food at VVR!  I guess the GSE is working!  And last night I finally figured out the lower leg rash problem we’ve been having.   Duh–it’s “diaper rash”–the result of having constantly wet pant legs rubbing on the skin.   A day at VVR with dry pants and sunshine should be a big help! 

About halfway down the hill, the PCT goes through a lovely aspen forest.  Many of the whitebarked trees have names and dates carved on them.  Some of  the dates go back a LONG way!  But I didn’t spend too long looking at them, because in that damp greenness, the mosquitoes were pretty bad.  We had to ford two creeks, also–ow!  Our rashy legs are pretty sore!  We reached the bridge over Mono Creek, which was a whitewater roar.  I stood looking at it and thinking, “Tomorrow we have to ford that.  Yikes!”  Since the morning was starting to warm up, I stopped to take off a layer of jacket, and got instantly swarmed by the mossies.  I guess that as long as you keep moving here, you’re OK, but if you stop, they get you!

The one & 1/2 mile trail to the ferry seemed longer than it was.  It goes uphill and downhill, and one whole section of it was just plain turned into a swamp.  We had no choice but to slog through the mud.   But finally we reached the ferry turnoff and Bill headed on, following the 4.5 mile trail to VVR.   (He didn’t want to wait 1.5 hours for the ferry). I went to the lakeshore and tried to figure out where the ferry landing was.  Everything looked different from 2005, since the lake level now is much higher.  I saw two fishermen across the way, so I went over to ask them where the ferry came in.

Neither of the guys  knew where the landing was, but one of them looked at me very kindly and asked, “Have you had any breakfast?  Would you like something to eat?”  Wow!  Trail magic!  I guess I looked sort of starving??  It turned out that the guys were basically living on tortillas and meat, so that’s what they gave me–a great big tortilla stuffed with a couple of different kinds of meat. Oh yes!  I thanked them very fervently and went back to where there was a big rock with a lake view,  lay down, using my backpack as a pillow, and slowly ate the wonderful tortilla.  Then I just closed my eyes and rested.  I was so tired!   Little groups of hikers were gathering around me, chatting and talking as they waited for the ferry.  They were all JMT southbounders.  I listened carefully to their discussions of what they’d been through so far, because that’s where Bill and I will be next.  

By the time the ferry arrived, there was quite a crowd of JMT’ers, fishermen, and me, the lone PCT hiker.  The VVR dog was also along for the ride.  Apparently he loves going on the ferry, and leaps eagerly aboard whenever the “captain” heads out.   It turned out that  Bill had beat me to VVR.  The first thing we did was to claim two bunks in Tent 4, and leave our packs there.   My appetite is back, and we enjoyed a great breakfast, then chores (showers, laundry, etc).

Once Bill and I were clean, we put salve on our very sore legs, and set our wet shoes out in the sun to dry.  So did all the other hikers!  The Tent 4 deck had rows of drying shoes!  There are a couple of picnic tables by the tent, and those tables are like the hiker trash social center.  Hilarious and interesting conversations are the order of the day!   But I was so totally exhausted that I spent every spare minute collapsed on my bunk and listening in on what was said, rather than joining in, as I would have loved to have done.

At around 2 pm,  Bill and I took a “pie break” and each got a huge, delicious slice of pie a la mode from the famous VVR pie menu.  I was feeling a little more rested, so I dived into the hiker barrel to see what I could find, foodwise, to get us to Red’s Meadow.  Bummer–there wasn’t much.  I guess it’s just too early in the season.  So I had to buy some stuff at the store.  I was hoping to find some fruit (even canned would be OK) but no luck, so I asked the clerk, and voila!  More trail magic!  She told me SHE had some fruit, and to come back later and she’d give it to me!  Wow!

 But then, sigh, I was sick again— it seemed like everything I had eaten  just went straight through. I was hungry, though— no nausea. Bother! Just when I thought I was well again. I hated to take any Flagl, because I figured it was more important for Bill to be well.  If we hit nasty stream crossings or snowcovered passes, I really do need his help, and if he were sick because we ran out of Flagl, that would be very bad.  But we counted our Flagls and decided we had enough to share and still make it to Mammoth. I ate the 4th of July BBQ dinner (wonderful!) and we enjoyed the conversation of other hikers.  Ialso reconnected with the kind clerk lady, who gave me canteloupe and grapes!

After that, the other hikers sat up till late around the campfire, laughing and talking and playing guitars,  but we went to bed.  That’s one bummer about being old.  We just don’t have the energy to hike all day and then sit up late.  But it was fun, before I fell asleep, to hear the happy hiker noise!  I am very grateful we’ve made it here safely.  In two days, we’ll be at our resupply in Mammoth!

Walk to Lórien: In meadows near the edge of Lothlórien

Bill and I both totally zonked last night and slept like logs. “Amazing!” Bill said. “I didn’t even hear the river roaring!” Our long climb up to Selden Pass was enlivened by what I decided to call a “sage hen convention.” We saw several of them on the trail, and heard them drumming in the woods. Bushes in full bloom were hanging over the trail, and smelled very sweet.  Everything was very wet and muddy, though.

We reached lovely Sally Keyes Lakes, where big fat trout swim within easy reach, and several people were camped.  We were amazed at the trout.  “You could catch them with a net!” I said.  “No need for a pole, hook ‘n bait!” 

Heart Lake (higher up) was frozen over, and we fought our way through snow again, with the trail appearing and disappearing, till we finally reached the top at noon. Getting down was tough— lots of snow and hard to find the way, since the trail stays fairly high up for some time, and there was no reliable trail of footprints.   And I had the added dread of knowing that Bear Creek, one of the most horrendous fords of the High Sierra, was just ahead. But we met a hiker who told us the ranger had put up a rope to help hikers get across.   That gave me a bit of hope, and sure enough, when we reached rushing Bear Creek,  just downstream from the trail crossing, there it was–a nice rope tightly strung across the wide, roaring water, for hikers to hold on to.

Note from Alexa: The great irony of this is that, as you see below, the Walk Middle-earth mileage for this day was using ropes to get across a scary creek crossing in Lórien! Creepy!

At first Bill said he would just cross with his trek poles, but then he decided to use the rope.  So he went first and I watched.  The water was just below waist deep on him, and obviously, the worst part was on the far side. With my trek poles lashed to the top of my pack, and everything else secured for a nasty crossing, I ventured in.  The water was moving fast, and was waist deep on me.  Using the rope was quite different from using trek poles. With trek poles you are always leaning INTO the current.  With a rope, you need to keep the rope taut so that it can steady you, and that means you are sort of pulling BACK from the current instead of stepping forward and leaning into it.  After all my trek pole crossing practice, this felt sort of counterintuitive, but I managed OK till I got to the far side where I’d noticed even Bill was having difficulty.  It was baaaaaaad!  I yelled for some help, Bill came back into the river to steady me  a bit and I made it. I LOVE ropes!   And I sure am glad Bill is here, too!

 Then we tried to hike on as fast as we could, to be able to reach Vermilion Valley Resort tomorrow. From Bear Creek on, the mosquitoes were just awful–we had to eat our supper under headnets, wearing raingear– and even though we made it almost to the top of Bear Ridge before camping, we still had to rig the net tent. I am feeling better— maybe the GSE is working!  I was actually hungry at suppertime, and could eat with no problems!   VVR, here we come!

Walk to Lórien: Crossing the Silverlode on ropes