Week 9: Horseshoe Meadow - Kings Canyon
- scarlson51
- 11 minutes ago
- 4 min read
Approximately Mile 747 through Mile 785
Note: This was another short week on the trail. Angi (Mom) picked Gabe up in Ellensburg and after a long couple of days on the road, dropped him off at the trailhead in Horseshoe Meadow.
Wednesday, June 18th - PCT Day 53
Had coffee and packed my backpack w/ mom this morning. It was very nice to spend time with her. Rather hard but very nice climb to Chicken Spring Lake, 11,500 feet. Chatted w/ Hank, Holiday, Gandalf, and Smiley. Rest of the day was a bit of a slog, even having slept at 10,000 feet last night it was still rough going. Doesn’t help my pack is 50–60 lbs. Went ~10 miles before camping at a nice spring. Talked to Brits doing the JMT. One was a petroleum engineer and looked an awful lot like Anthony Bourdain. The other was a square-built, career soldier. Based on the “Infidel” tattoo it was plain he was the real deal. Some very tasty smelling turkey curry soup for dinner. Goodnight.
Thursday, June 19th - PCT Day 54
Pleasant walk out of camp this morning. Ran into Anthony Bourdain and Army dude going back due to altitude sickness, too bad. Filled water at a seasonal stream w/ a good flow and chatted with Ryan and Holiday. After climbing down into Rock Creek I crossed the swollen stream on a log, then hiked up to Guyot Creek where I ate lunch and got more water. Climbed over the saddle above the creek and descended to Whitney Creek through Crabtree Meadow which was brilliantly green with a shining silver creek lazily meandering along through it. Above the meadow stood towering grey-white granite peaks, Mt. Whitney chief amongst the giants.Had a beautiful mile-long stroll along Whitney Creek rushing with snowmelt on my way into camp near the Ranger Station (log cabin). Early start tomorrow to summit Whitney. Goodnight.
Friday, June 20th – PCT Day 54
Got an early start today before the first light of dawn. The first grey light of the morning broke as I climbed pass Timberline Lake. Climbed beyond Guitar Lake on a trail that seemed to have been built by goats instead of men - twisting and turning up an impossibly steep grey-granite wall, passing beneath and behind great pillars of stone. There were several small but precarious snowfields to be crossed as well where a slip would have meant a fall of 1000 feet or more. After several hours of marching up this jaw-dropping trail, I reached the summit of Mt. Whitney - 14,500 feet up. Chatted with some hikers and had my picture taken while I soaked up the unbelievable majesty of the view. To my east lay Lone Pine in the floor of the Owens Valley some 10,000 feet below. To my northwest and south the unbroken tangle of craggy snow-splattered peaks of the Sierra sprawled away as far as the eye could see. On my way down I ran into a seemingly un-ending stream of day hikers coming up from Whitney Portal, most had obviously neglected to pay the Mountain Gods their due and were suffering from altitude for their haste. On my way along Whitney Creek headed back to camp I must have seen 30 trout feeding in the shallow twisting channels. Tired in body but full at heart, it is time to rest. Goodnight.
Saturday, June 21st - PCT Day 56
Cold this morning, frost on the grass by the creek. Most of the morning was forested with the occasional brilliant green spring-fed meadow, all dotted with yellow, purple, white, and blue wildflowers just starting to come into full bloom. Walked down into Wallace Creek Canyon, took off shoes and socks, rolled up pants and forded the creek. The water came up to my mid shins; cold, but my feet needed a cleaning. Ran into Airforce Beard dude, cool guy. Walked over the ridge to begin the descent into Wright Creek. The views while crossing the saddles were fantastic. Whitney and his compatriots to the south, with the massive grey mountains that hold Forester Pass, the major obstacle for the day, to the north. Again went barefoot when crossing Wright Creek, this time the water reached my knees. Walked through a mile of beautiful meadow before entering the maw of Forester Canyon, a glacially sculpted behemoth. To the north, east, and west sheer walls of grey-white granite rose for more than a thousand feet, and me already 12,000 feet up. Passed through patchy snow fields and shockingly cold looking lakes, most just starting to thaw. Their surfaces pocked and cratered, brilliant white and deep blue, like a battle had been fought in the sky and many pieces had fallen to earth. Forester Pass itself was yet another marvel of trail building, stright up for more than 600 feet, the switchbacks so tightly packed it was as if the one above overhung the one below - and sometimes they really did. Somehow life clings to the sheer rocks, though which the trail goes - stunning purple flowers growing at more than 13,000 feet. I crested Forester Pass and donned my microspikes for the long snowfield traverse down the north side of the pass. As I VERY slowly descended I enjoyed my unmatched view of Kings Canyon, and a canyon fit for a king it sure was. As the miles stretched out below me the terrain shifted from icy lakes to verdant alpine meadows bursting with color to the deep green of the pines far, far below. From my tent I can see no less than 5 waterfalls. Talked w/ Brad for a while and said hello to Hank. Getting cold. Sun went behind the mountains, goodnight.
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