Day 51 – 12 May 19. The Start of the Sierras

Today 30.3 km (18.8 mi), Total Distance 1160.3 km (721 mi). 7 hours 30 minutes (0920-1650)

I was awake really early due to a full bladder, which was the theme of the morning. I got up as I have realised the inconvenience of getting up is less than laying there trying not to wet my sleeping bag. I drifted off to sleep but was awake just after 0600 once again with a full bladder. I saw my tent was wet, inside and out so once again there was a heavy dew. I wiped the inside and outside down before rushing off to the toilet again. Once back at my tent I got back into my sleeping bag as it was a little early to get up.

At 0645 I started getting ready. I had things everywhere as I had not sorted out where to put some of my new things. As I am changing from desert to mountains, and as some of my gear is coming up to 3500 km (was used for my Norway Hike) I had purchased a lot of gear. Most of it I got through amazon or Zpack and some through Triple Crown Outfitter who were charging the same price as I was getting on Amazon. I had gone to their website to see what they had and what I needed to order. The changes are:
– Replace mattress as old one has another leak, in addition to the 4 I have fixed. They are all on the line where I fold it up and I think it is just worn out.
– New watchstrap to replace one that broke 4 days ago.
– Replace sun umbrella with small collapsible rain umbrella.
– Buy snow gaiters
– Bear Can, this is compulsory for most of the next section.
– New sitpad to pad the bear can in my pack and extra insulation in the snow.
– New Torch. My current one is good for camp but not hiking and to get frozen snow I may have to walk at night.
– Thick merino Ice Breaker Mountaineering socks
– Bigger stakes for tent. I tried to get my self supporting poles from NZ but I stuffed up so I need stakes that will work in the snow for my front and back, which take the most strain.
– 2 more V stakes for my tent so I now have 1 for each corner.
– New peg bag as the other was disintegrating.
– New polycro for below my tent. I got the thicker type for this section.

Once I had packed everything into their drybag I played Tetris, trying to make everything fit. The bear can is big and I was struggling to fit things around it. I attached the mesh pocket I had in reserve to my side attachment points to get some extra room, stuffed all my external pockets and broke down my clothing into smaller bags and managed to get everything except my tent in the pack. The tent is just strapped on the top of my pack.

I headed over to Grumpy Bear to urgently use the toilet again and then have breakfast. There were only a couple of other hikers there and I got my food quickly.

I then headed back to Triple Crown to use their scale to see how heavy my pack is. With 1 litre of water it is 18 kg, 40 pounds. It is really heavy and I am a little worried if my homemade pack will handle the weight. However it actually feels lighter than when I left Tehachapi. Probably because my food is lighter as I have gone for very calorie dense foods.

I then headed back to the store and Bob, the driver, was ready for me. He drove me to the trail head. As we passed the general store I saw Cruise Control, so they did not start early as planned. Just short of the trail head there was a group of 6 spread across the road. This is the other group who relocated from Grumpy’s to the General Store to get an early start. I am happy with my decision to stay at Grumpy’s as I didn’t have to take down and put up my tent and the food was better.

At the trail head I did some final adjustments to my pack and tightened my laces. The group of 6, including Little Skittle who I met the day before getting to Kennedy Meadows, started the trail. I stuffed around a little longer to let them get a bit of distance ahead so I would not try and catch them.

The trail started relatively flat across an open area that was surrounded by mountains in every direction. I was so excited to finally be starting the Sierras so I could see for myself what the conditions were like rather than all the rumours and conjecture.

I was feeling energetic and surprisingly my pack was feeling good. I think the benefit of the bear can is that it concentrates most of the weight right in the middle of my pack, which makes it feel balanced.

We crossed a road that lead to the Campground and continued across the open before entering the pine trees and starting to travel on the side of the hill. The Kern River was below and it was raging, probably the melt from the small snow that fell a couple of days ago when it was raining in Kennedy Meadows.

I caught up to the group as I arrived at a carpark and the main entrance to the trail. They left as I signed the trail register and then Ginger Nuts turned up.

The next section continued on the hill above the river and I was feeling good and going a really good pace. I had been confused by some footprints I was seeing. They were too big for a deer and too small for an elk. I thought cow but they were too narrow and the shape was wrong.

As I came to the bridge the mystery was solved. Two guys were leading a train of Llama with packs on them. They were young Llama that the guys were taking out for their first long walk. The guys were great, letting us take photos. Ginger Nuts and the group of 6 were there and also a girl and her father who I talked with at breakfast yesterday.

Ginger Nuts left first and then just before the Llamas I crossed the bridge and watched them cross. It was their first bridge and though they looked scared they kept going. I checked with the guy if they were faster or slower than normal hikers. He said they were slower so I took off first.

Now the gentle gradient of the morning steepened up and we were into the climb. I was into a good rhythm when I came around a corner and saw Ginger Nuts with a Park Ranger. The Ranger was checking permits and beer cans. He was recording all the info which was taking a while. By chance Ginger Nuts only got a paper copy of his permit yesterday when Yoggi printed his one out for him. The ranger will not accept digital copies and you can be asked to leave the way you came if you have no permit.

Ranger checking permits and Bear Cans

Ginger Nuts was finished before me but was having issues with his bear can hurting his back. I suggested using his sit pad as padding and he did that.

I took off and it was only a short while before coming to an area of deadfall which was fun to clamber over, and then a wide stream that I crossed with a combination of the logs. I stopped there to filter some water and Ginger Nuts crossed the stream and continued on.

I finished just as the group of 6 was approaching the stream. Once again I got into a good rhythm and to my surprise I caught Ginger Nuts and continued on. It was a long hill and the gradient steepened near the top which really had me puffing.

Along the way coming towards me was a lady and a tiny dog and then later two men with a bigger friendly dog. Both were carrying their own dog packs.

Near the top the gradient eased but it seemed to take ages to actually crest the hill. There was a perfect log there so I stopped and had a light lunch. Ginger Nuts passed and he said he had to completely empty his pack and start again as the bear can was still giving him issues. That fixed it and he was much more comfortable.

After lunch it was a slight downhill and I saw the first patch of snow. I got excited, even though I know I will be sick of the sight of it soon.

The trail came into a clearing and beautiful snowy mountains were at the head of the valley, and there was a lake near the head as well.

The trail crossed over to a hill and then climbed up an over it. I passed Ginger Nuts as he was having a hot lunch.

The trail then dropped down to a bridge over a river where I stopped for a break.

Then it was a short flat part before starting the big climb of the day. The gradient started gentle but then had patches where it was steep. I left the open and entered the trees. The trail was now along the side of the hill above Cow Creek.

I was still feeling ok but my shoulders were starting to get sore from the weight of the pack so I was stopping an bending over to give them some relief every 15 minutes or so.

At the first crossing of the creek I filtered some more water. As the trail was now following the creek, and crossing frequently I didn’t need much water. The creek was too wide to jump so I went upstream a little and found a better crossing spot. Ginger Nuts arrived and he left just ahead of me.

There were several more creek crossings and he looked back to check I had safely navigated them before taking off.

I was now starting to feel tired and the hill seemed to be getting steeper. We were above 2,500m by this stage so altitude was also having an effect. Ginger Nuts quickly left me behind as my energy started flagging.

There were a few patches of snow to cross but they were quite small.

I was hoping to do 20 miles (32 km) today but at 20 miles my foot cramped up as I jumped across a creek and I started to feel slightly nauseas. I checked my height at I was now over 2,,700m and recognised that the altitude was effecting me. I tried to continue climbing but realised there was no point in exhausting myself today, and that it would get worse the higher I went, so I decided to stop for the day.

I found a flat patch of open ground amongst the prickles and snow patches and set up my tent. I had to walk about 50 meters back to the creek to fill up my water.

I quickly got back into my normal evening routine, with the differences being I am adding 2 spoon-fills of Olive Oil to my dinner to increase the calories, and I had to deal with my bear can.

I already had dinner out as it would not fit. I also got out breakfast and snacks tomorrow so I could fit my rubbish in the can. I figure it is better to have sealed food out rather than smelly food. I think tomorrow after dinner I should be able to fit everything in the can.

My Bear Can – Bearikade Weekender

It started raining just after I had finished my wash but it only lightly rained for about 10 minutes.

Just before going to sleep I put my can about 30 meters away from my tent, and triple bagged the small amount of food that could not fit in.

I was asleep before it was even dark, soothed by the rushing creek nearby.

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