I took my sweet time getting out of camp, as my sleeping bag and tent body were soaked since I slept close to a river in a meadow. Two familiar hikers came by and told me they saw a bear about 500 meters back, just missed it! I climbed a little then descended down into the cut/burn area that’s right before Ted’s Meadow, the exit for Mammoth. The road to Reds Meadow opens tomorrow, so the store is closed and it’s kind of ghost-town like. As I was crossing the road and leaving the area I saw the dirt sweeper and rock remover doing their thing!
Weird but beautiful cut/burn area
Street-sweepers getting ready to open
One really cool thing about the roads not being opened yet meant that there were no day-hikers or tourists, and I had the whole place to myself. I decided to take an alternate trail to the Devil’s Postpile Monumnet, since I’ve always been curious as to what it actually is!! I didn’t see another soul on the trail or at the monument!
Pretty cool!
Naturally shaped by fire and ice!!
A beautiful meadow and river nearby
After that fun little detour, there was a bigger alternate/decision coming up. I hit the junction where the John Muir Trail splits off from the PCT for just a little over 13 miles. The PCT climbs up and traverses a super high ridge with pretty views of lakes below, while the JMT goes up and over a bunch of mini passes and puts you right alongside the lakes. I went with the JMT!!
PCT is red, and I went with the JMT in blue...
To be quite honest I spent the first 3.5 miles deciding if I had made a terrible mistake! There was a huge river crossing which needed to be forded, the trail was steep and for the most part needed a lot of work!
Poor trail...
After trading up an endless hill, I took a break in a semi-mosquito free zone. I had an early lunch, and afterwards, I felt great! It seems that almost any problem out here can be handled after you just sit down and eat! Soon after, I was reassured that I had chosen the right path!
Rosalie lake
Chimney rock! (Is what I would name this)
The trail followed along beautiful streams and waterfalls in between ascending alpine lakes. I saw so many beautiful lakes today that I didn’t even take pictures of all of them!
There was a nice wooden bridge over these falls
The trail was so beautiful!
Left and right, everywhere I turned, there were comes more beautiful than the last. The trail climbed up and up and soon the passes inbegween lakes were snow-patched. I saw maybe only 4 southbound hikers today on the JMT, I did however see a familiar face going north! It was Tumbleweed, a hiker who I last saw hiking with a large group of 5 or 6 others, including Mougs! I met all of them around the fire on that dreary day just after Tehachapi and before Lake Isabella.
Today she was hiking with her new hiking partner named Vortex. He hiked in 2016 and we know some of the same people! He got all the way to Snoqualmie, (just 80 miles south of the finish), and got turned around because of snow. He’s out here to do that whole thing all over again! (And here I thought I was crazy for re-doing 900. He’s re-doing 2,570!)
I met them on trail today as we were about 3 miles from Garnet Lake, and we leapfrogged for most of the afternoon. At Garnet Lake Tumbleweed took my picture for me.
Garnet Lake
Garnet Lake so stunning!!
Tumbleweed and Vortex
Ruby Lake
Emerald Lake
After Emerald Lake, the trail went up and over one last pass, and descended down on Thousand Island Lake. This lake is quite large and very impressive. There’s a bunch (maybe a thousand?) of little islands and land masses and rocks that are poking out of the huge lake. The JMT crosses the outlet over a double log crossing and then rejoins with the PCT again.
Cool smooth lava-looking rocks!
So glad I didn’t have to ford this late in the day!
Tumbleweed and Vortex were continuing on to Islamd Pass, the pass above Thousand Island Lake, but since my day was almost at 20 miles, I decided to scope out a camp spot. At first I thought there might be none and that I’d have to keep climbing towards the pass until I found something, but as I was climbing up some switchbacks from the lake, I noticed what looked like it could be flat ground way up above the trail on the ridge. There is a lot of cold wind blowing off of the lake, but my campsite seems to be a little blocked by some logs and rocks. Guys, this is the best campsite I’ve ever had!
Right?
Alright Big Agnes (my tent brand), time to sponsor me already!!
Yup, this is my view out of my tent :)
Well, I must say, today was such a beautiful and amazing day! I heard people saying that the stretch between Mammoth and Yosemite is the prettiest part of the Sierra, and so far, I agree!! I’m really glad I gambled and went with the JMT alternate even though it had much more elevation gain/loss that the PCT.
Tomorrow I’ll make it to Tuolumne Meadows in Yosemite, and see if I can get a permit to hike down into the valley or even go up the cables at Half Dome! Whatever happens, I’ll be stoked about it! Im stoked on the PCT and stoked that I get to see Claire in just 3 days!
Thanks for reading!!
I was surprised you opted for the JMT lake route after the mosquito troubles, but I am glad you did, these were stunning views.
ReplyDeleteCummon Big Agnes! Sponsorship!
It was a hard debate in my mind! But I’m stoked I went lake-route too!
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