I skipped work Friday and slept in. After I loaded up my gear I headed to the Portal for lunch. After shooting the breeze with Doug and Rosie's family for awhile Moose and Sean came down from LPL (not from the trail though). She and Sean assured me AGAIN that Kersarge was nothing to worry about at all. She mentioned she usually goes over it in about 2 hours with her pack. After Rosie made it in and everyone traded hugs and laughs I headed for the OV trailhead.
Once there I got everything organized and food stowed. I put a nice matteress in the back of my crew cab on the floor so I laid down for a nap at about 7. I got a couple good hours of sleep, but since I'm six feet tall, I can't stretch out and woke up with a leg cramp.
I got up for good at 1100 and was happy to see a sky full of stars. When I arrived at the trail head the sky was dark and cloudy. I took a few test pics, drank as much as I could hold and watched as the watch slowly counted to midnight.
Moose, Sean and everyone else was right - the pass was a peace of cake. At 0210 I was on top (hey - I'm no Moose - that seems like a good time to me). I stopped and took a break for brownies and to get a pic. I took the fork to the left on the way down because it's a little bit shorter. Soon I was on the PCT and past Bullfrog Lake. The 1.5 miles of the PCT flew by and I was back on the Bubbs Creek trail shortly after 0400.
The stretch between Junction Meadow and Spinx Junction bridge is a PITA BOTH ways. It's nearly 7 miles long and only gains/loses 1800 feet. Seems to drag on forever. Once I hit the Spinx Bridge the nasty little nats attacked. I had to wrap a bandana over my face to avoid inhaling them. It motovated me to finish the last four miles in about an hour.
I hit Roads End at 0930 - touched the pavement and then grabbed a picnic table. Got my gear reorganized and had lunch - an imported Subway sandwich. I chatted with a couple rangers for awhile and topped my water bladder off from the faucet. The water was warm but better than dealing with the bugs at the creek. I used about 30 ounces of water and 1 20 ounce Gateraide on the trip in. Before I left I got a pic:
I took off towards OV at 1015 with one of the rangers I had been chatting with. She is a front country ranger who was excited to be going back country for the weekend. I let her set the pace because it was hot out and I didn't want to start back too fast. She split off after two miles and I headed up the switchbacks. At about 1215 I was back at the bridge.
Again the stetch to Junction Meadow sucked. I tried to break it into small sections to distract myself. Halfway through I was out of water and gatoraide. That's when I realized it was pretty warm out. I refilled at the creek (great thing about that trail - you're always a minute or two away from water). The sky that had been cloudy all day started to sprinkle about a mile from Junction Meadow. I wrapped up my camera in plastic and stashed it in my pack.
The trip uphill was tougher with so many hours of hiking already done, the heat and now the rain. I managed to get to the PCT by 5:30. The 1.5 miles gains 1000+ feet so I was happy to find a couple JMT hikers to chat with and break it up. Once at Bullfrog Lake the rain got a lot heavier. It didn't help with the heat since I was sweating going uphill and wrapped in a 99 cent poncho. Bullfrog to the pass is 2.4 miles and about 1300 feet. The first mile of the 2.4 winds around the lakes and doesn't gain much elevation. All of that is saved for the end. I was seriously dragging by this time. I was hot and sweating and yet still cold from the rain. Every switch back or half I would have to stop and catch my breath. It was past 8:00 and I was getting concerned about time. Up at the pass I saw two headlamps pointed in my direction. Whatever way I traveled they followed. My exhausted, sleep deprived mind convinced me that Moose and Sean must have hiked in to see how I was. About 600 feet from the top the lights disappeared from sight, but I sure didn't want them sitting in the rain any longer. I gave it everything I had to get up the last few hundred feet quickly.
At the top no one was there. Reality sunk back in and I figered a couple hikers must have been surprised to see me out there while they took a break. About 3/4 of the way down from the pass towards OV I saw one lone headlamp heading down. No idea what happened to the other one. 23 hours and 19 minutes later I was back on pavement.
The trip can be done faster by someone in better shape. I spent alot of time filtering water too. I drained my 3 liter bag 3 times and my 20 ounce gateraide bottle 4 times on the way back. I still ran out of water 3 miles from the end. By far the most liquid I had ever gone through.
The Spot was pretty spotty for sure. I sent two ok messages and neither went through. Still it's "good enough". My wife didn't worry because she saw it moving every once in awhile. She knew that I had made Roads End because of where I was at 0630. I'll probably spring for the new one too.
This years big hike next month - Roads End to the Mist Falls trail, past Paradise Valley and Castle Domes. Jump on the JMT north until jumping off south of the Citadel towards Simpson Meadow. Then out over Granite Pass and back to the car where we started. It's long enough to take 48 hours.
.....................................DUG
