Day 65, Bed of Razors

Part 2, The Sierra Nevada, Day 65

Bed of Razors

Miles: 18.85

PCT Mile: 971.54

I slept hardcore last night, and my dreams were vivid. All I know is that I woke up at 6:30, my latest wake up time on the trail so far, and I had been in a deep sleep. I quickly mobilized, and the meadow outside my tent was covered in frost.

My tent was wet so I dried it in the sun and drank some coffee. I wasn't in a hurry or anything; I can do whatever I want out here, but it feels weird to get a late start. I was hiking by 7:30am.

I had to ford several creeks today and I didn't feel like getting my shoes wet, so I searched for logs to cross. I searched far enough on the first creek that I lost the trail and it took 15 minutes to find it. 

The trail was all uphill or downhill today. There was no straight. 

Now that I'm off the JMT part of the PCT, I barely see anyone on the trail, and if I do, it's PCT thru hikers. The first climb of the day was a steep 1,000 foot slog. The big problem I'm having these days is with my pack.

Not only does my pack totally suck, but I'm carrying far too much weight. I probably have a heavier pack now than any time on the trail. I got cocky in the high pass section of the Sierra, and now I'm carrying probably 10 days of food for 5 days. Basically, I'm a moron. I came upon the pretty Miller Lake and met a man called The Spaniard. 

The Spaniard is an older fellow from Spain and he had just dropped his phone in the lake. His phone had his maps, among other things, and he was desperately trying to dry it off in the sun. He was worried about navigating his way out of the wild with no maps or GPS. 

The PCT is pretty well marked, but this section has many confusing junctions, so I offered the Spaniard my paper maps, since I had backups on my phone. He said he just couldn't take my maps, so I went ahead and promised to mark any confusing junctions with an arrow. This is why I carry paper AND electronic maps. I stopped for lunch in a meadow near a creek. I wasn't even that hungry, but I'm trying to lower my pack weight by getting rid of food. I can't just throw it away. 

Pretty sweet break. I read for awhile too. The weather is so great. Beautiful days, and I hope it stays this way. 

At 1pm I packed up and crossed the creek. 

I started climbing toward Benson Pass, which would be a 2,500 foot climb over about 4 miles. It started up very steep and the trail was slick rock. My pack was destroying my shoulders. I trudged slowly uphill in the blazing sun and after an hour of climbing, the path mercilessly became more gradual, for a little while.   Benson Pass towered above a steep canyon that was a gorgeous hike. 

I tried not startle this guy. 

I'm not sure if it was my heavy pack of what, but this was one of the hardest passes I've hiked so far. It was so long and so steep. I could finally see the top of the pass by 3pm. 

My body was hurting pretty bad when I got to the top. I didn't even stop to rest. I knew it would be too hard to get going again, so I started going down.

This was the beginning of a massive downhill hike. The trail dropped 3,500 feet in the next 5 miles. I stopped and sat down after a mile. My feet were in too much pain. I laid down in the sun and nearly fell asleep. The mosquitoes woke me. I mindlessly began swatting the bastards for awhile. I'd offer my arms as a trap and when they landed, my palm was the last thing they ever saw. At 4, I put my music on and was ready to hike a few hours longer. 

                I wore my game face:

I began my descent. The trail was covered in rocks, or carved into rock, right from the beginning. The path was so steep that my knees were sore immediately. My pack hammered my body into the ground. The views of giant rock monoliths were spectacular. 

I ran into The Spaniard again. His trail name is The Spaniard, just so we're clear. I'm not out here identifying people I meet merely by their Nationality. The Spaniard was still upset about his phone. I continued on and spent some time marking each junction with arrows. When I got to a giant lake, I tried to admire it, but was swarmed by mozzies. 

The trail was awful all day, which is unexpected since the rest of Yosemite's trails are immaculate. This trail was cut in a very deep and uncomfortable way. Sharp rocks covered the trail, and it was very steep. 

I was excited to see my first PCT symbol in over 275 miles. 

It took hours to walk a few miles down this steep canyon. The sharp rocks were destroying my feet. At one point I stepped on a pointy rock with all my weight and I yelled as it crunched against a bone. That one hurt. I limped from then on and the hike was slow going. I passed this tarn and it looked like a mosquito factory:

The views were incredible though, and it was getting late, so I looked for a flat spot with water.

I camped near a stream in the middle of this massive valley. I didn't go as far as I wanted, but my body was done. 

I chose this spot in part because there were few mosquitoes, but sure enough, at dusk....they arrived. I was swarmed. I have DEET, but it was a bit late to use it. I hate these things. I want to hurt them. I enjoy destroying these soulless creatures with my bare hands, because it means there is one less mosquito out there...sorry. I was on a rant. 

As I type this at around 9:30pm, something huge just crashed around outside my tent. It sounds big enough to be a bear, but it's too dark to see. Wish me luck!