Kennedy Meadows

6/5-
Day 56 - Yesterday afternoon was Sunday. It was a 17.6 mile hitch from Walker Pass into Onyx and none of us had any problem getting a ride.
Today was another story.
Krumholz was the first one ready so he stood out in front of the Onyx Emporium with his thumb out for half an hour with no luck. Pickle joined him for another half hour, and still no luck. He switched to locations, took turns with Gruff, and Willie even approached the customers at the gas station, but no luck. Finally a big pickup truck pulled over with six people in the front. The five of us all ran out with our packs and they gave all of us a ride in the back of the truck back to the trail. - Squirrelfight

6/6-
Day 57 - Met a bear today who was friendly. Came right into lunch camp to say hi. Let me take his picture but didn't take my food. Nice bear. - Squirrelfight

Day 57 - 2:00 PM, and time for the daily doing of nothing. This has been one of my favorite activities - or passivities if you will - of the trip. To spread out the tarp in some shady, breezy spot (if you can find one), and nap, read, or just lie inert until the day cools off and the idea of hiking seems once again appealing. This requires two or three hours (sometimes as many as six) of non-activity, depending on the heat. Moving this pen has become too strenuous, so I think I will stop now. -Ez-

6/7-
Day 58 - Walker Pass & Kennedy meadows are two of the major landmarks of the PCT in CA. Walker pass, which we reached last Sat/Sunday is considered the end of Southern California, and the end of desert hiking. Nearly all of the trail N. of Walker pass is forested or above timberline. The scenery since the pass has been grander & more dramatic, High ridges topped with the granite outcroppings typical of the Sierra Nevada. Kennedy Meadows, where we will be tomorrow, is considered the start of the "High Sierra". It is the last road crossing for over 200 miles, and the last chance for near-trail resupply for over 150 miles. In Kennedy Meadows, PCT hikers receive extra warm clothing, ice axes & crampons, & everything else they need for the higher elevations & more extreme conditions ahead. -Ez-

Day 58 - Reunited with Jonny and Maria! Somehow Ezra and I lost those two yesterday and weren't sure if we'd see them again before Kennedy Meadows. Which is too bad, not only because I like the company, but Jonny tends to cook an especially large pot of food for the potluck. Well, lo and behold they just arrived walking 20+ miles today in the name of dinner. - Ben

Day 58 - When we started out, we went 2 weeks without seeing other thru-hikers. Now we are definitely "in the pack." For the past week, we have been passed by at least 1 hiker, more often two or three or more, every day. Everyone passes the Menacing Vegetables! -Ez-

I have been reading John Muir's The Mountains of California, which has made me very excited about the upcoming portion of the hike. A quote: "then it seemed to me the Sierra should be called not the Nevada, or Snowy Range, but the Range of Light. And after ten years spent in the heart of it, rejoicing and wondering, bathing in its glorious floods of light, seeing the sunbursts of morning among the icy peaks, the noonday raindance on the trees & rocks & snow, the flush of the alpenglow, and a thousand dashing waterfalls with their marvelous abundance of irised spray, it still seems to me above all others the Range of Light, the most divinely beautiful of all the mountain-chains I have ever seen" -John Muir

6/9-
Day 60 - We have arrived long last at the legendary Kennedy Meadows, jump off point for the High Sierra. WAHOO, I am ready for the mountains! We're taking a zero mile day today, shuffling our gear and trading in desert equipment for crampons, ice-axes, and warmer clothing. A cold front blew in yesterday welcoming us to the high country. Two inches of snow dropped on Sherman Pass above us and temperatures dropped at camp to 22 degrees. I awoke this morning under a frosted tarp and ice in my water bottle. And this at only 6000 ft. I can't wait to see what it's like this week on Mt. Whitney, 14,495 ft!

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