On 7/7, 7/8, & 7/9 we zeroed at the Pinecrest Cabin. On 7/10 we did 20.7 miles to just past the Murray Canyon Trail and slept at 8,609 feet. On 7/11 we did 20.3 miles to Raymond Lake and slept at 8,653 feet. On 7/12 we did 24.3 miles to Showers Lake and slept at 7,388 feet. On 7/13 we did 8 miles and slept in South Lake Tahoe. On 7/14 we did 24.4 miles to a seasonal creek and slept at 8,035 feet. On 7/15 we did 25.1 miles to the Middle Fork of the American River and slept at 8,005 feet. On 7/16 we did 25 miles to Bear Creek Camp and slept at 7,523 feet. On 7/17 we did 28.2 miles to Milton Spring and slept at 4,848 feet.
We left Yosemite when we crossed Dorothy Pass. While it was a bummer to leave Yosemite, we were motivated to keep moving fast since the 1,000 mile marker was only a few miles away. We came across the marker and stopped to take some pictures. In the few seconds it took us to take our packs off we were each bitten by a half a dozen mosquitos. As the mosquitos started to swarm we snapped a few blurry pictures and took of running down the trail. I guess the pictures actually capture the hectic moment. That night we setup our tent on an exposed ridgeline. In the middle of the night I woke up to get a drink of water. I looked up and saw something I had never seen before, in fact I had to wake up SketchPad to verify my assumptions- I was able to see our galaxy. Due it being a moonless night, and being so remote, I was able to see the actual Milky Way Galaxy, I am not very superstitious but I took it as a sign of good things to come, and for once it turns out I was right.
The next day we got up early. We were motivated to put in some quick miles to Sonora pass where we would hitch down to SketchPad's family cabin and take a few zeros with her family. The topographic maps for the upcoming 16 miles to Sonora Pass did not look like anything special, so it was a suprise to see some of the most diverse terrain of the trail in one small area. The trail started off in thick forrest and then as we climbed up Mary's pass it became a barren landscape reminding me of lunar terrain. We hiked along the ridgeline and glissaded down the back side of Mt. Leavitt to rock mesas that looked like they should be in Arizona, and then we finished the day scrambling over basalt scree to the beginning of the decent to Sonora Pass. We could see the road over the pass from far away and started to get excited until we ran into little problem. We were stopped dead in our tracks by a very high angle snow field that did not seem passible and would dump you out into rocks 80 feet below the snow chute if you fell. We looked all around for an alternate way down the mountain but could not find anything. Without any other options we decided to go for it and very, very slowly crossed the field. It was by far the most sketchy traverse we have done and, to our great relief, we made it without any issues. We later learned 5 other hikers fell that day and got pretty banged up as there bodies fell like pin balls going down the chute. Luckily none of the hikers were killed but they were in some serious pain.
Once at Sonora Pass we were able to hitch 40 miles down the mountain (it's hard to make small talk for 40 miles), to a small community called Pinecrest where SketchPad's family has a cabin. The cabin is full of memories for SketchPad since it was her home base for all of her travels through the Sierras as a kid. The cabin, which was built by her great uncles in the 30's, is set near a lake and is rustic but has running water and electricity and, more important, it had a shower and a fridge which quickly filled up with beer. We had the first night to ourselves and in the morning two of our good friends we met on the trail, Aquarius and Miagi, hitched down to join us for a break. I made a breakfast for all of the hikers that may or may not have used three sticks of butter. Around lunch time SketchPad's parents showed up. When they arrived, the suspension on their car looked completely stressed from the weight of all the food they were hauling up to the cabin. We unloaded what seemed to be an unending supply of food and beverages. Then SketchPad's aunt and partner also arrived that day and added to the absurd amount of goods. We spent the day out on the patio recounting stories and filling our stomachs with all of the fruits and vegetables we were dreaming about while hiking. Dinner for lack of better terms was extravagant. There was an 8 lb samon, many side dishes, and my wine glass never stayed empty for long. Dinner lasted long into the night and even though it was way past hiker bed time (9pm) we stayed up laughing and sharing stories until my eyes couldn't stay open anymore. The next day Aquarius and Miagi took off for the trail and another relative came. That day was a repeat of the first day with great food, great conversation and great people. In all we spent 3.5 much needed days off trail at the cabin. It definitely recharged both mind and spirit and set us up well for the next 1000 miles.
Goodbye Yosemite, you will be missed.
Quick shot of the 1000 mile mark.
Ridgeline on Sonora Pass.
Michelin Man
Who knows what we were eating, but all food makes us happy
Ethel enjoying the view above Sonora Pass
Looking back towards Yosemite many valleys away.
See the switch backs in the background, yeah that was the trail we were supposed to be on going over Mary's Pass.
SketchPad celebrating Mary's pass in the wind.
Good times at the cabin