Glen Pass & the End of the Family: PCT 2017: A Hiking Story [20]
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Part 19 ‘Forester Pass & the Awesome Town of Bishop’
Day 62 (29/05) – Rested from Bishop
Today, we would end our longest break off the PCT thus far, and return to the mountains. Rex and I had gotten up early, and decided to return to the coffee shop to catch up on blogging (again!). It was awesome there as some great classic rock songs were playing, and we were very productive – we had finally caught up!
We did some last-minute gear shopping, where Rex bought a bum bag (or fanny bag in the US). It was becoming a trend with the people we knew, as they were amazing snack and treat bags to fuel the ever-craving PCT hiker desires! I was a little jealous as my camera bag is basically my version and I can’t put food in it >:(
A few of us decided to get lunch at Loco Pollo – a chicken fast-food restaurant. Pirate, Lightning and I shared a 16-piece combo with sides. I then pre-empted a lazy dinner, and got some McDonald’s chicken nuggets and chips to eat later on that evening, when we returned to the trailhead. Call me a pig, but damn could I eat a lot these days…
Corky had arranged a lift to the trailhead by Mike, one of the twins we’d met several times on the trail before. Mike had a car and served as a trail angel for his brother Paul, who was hiking the PCT. He dropped us at the trailhead to Kearsarge Pass where we met up with Rubberball and Thirsty who had scored a hitch earlier. Mellow and Canary arrived not long after. Akhuna, Bobby Hill and Grim didn’t get in until 8:30pm, as they had problems getting hitches. One of the benefits Corky and I had was having Rex – a pretty girl allowing… easier… hitches haha. I didn’t have any issues hitching, probably because of her, haha! It is what it is!
Distance hiked: 0 miles
Total PCT hiked: 782 miles
Day 63 (30/05) – Kearsarge Pass Round Two
We arose from our trailhead camp at 3am for the long uphill over Kearsarge Pass again, only this time there were eleven of us – the biggest group I had hiked with thus far! With headlamps blazing, we set off.
As soon as we hit snow, Mellow was struggling without crampons (most of the rest of the group were used to hiking without spikes or crampons unless steep – but Mellow hadn’t done any of the Sierra yet). He turned back without warning before most of us even realised. Within half an hour of Mellow leaving, Canary too was struggling, this time from altitude sickness (she too had skipped the section we had already done in the Sierras). We waited for her, but she knew she couldn’t make it and left also. That left the remaining nine of us now to push on – still a large group!
Going back over Kearsarge Pass at that early hour was not too bad. Rex was slow on the ridge walk above Big Pothole Lake (the lake which we’d slid down above when coming down this way after Forester Pass). I was motivating her with a routine of telling her: ‘slow down your steps, keep moving, and don’t stop‘. This meant she wouldn’t be able to stop and look around, which is when she gets scared of the height, as we were sidling along the steep snow. The slow, steady pace also enabled us to control our breathing rate, which was challenging at this altitude – even I did it, noticing the thinner air!
We got over Kearsarge Pass, which was thankfully ‘kicked in’ the whole way – meaning, we didn’t have to make our own steps. We passed Bullfrog Lake and the junction to the PCT – where we had reached before turning off previously towards Kearsarge Pass.
Our first obstacle was a short, but steep hill. It wasn’t too hard, but it did slow us down. We caught up to the others, who had already decided upon a campsite next to a pool of ice water. At this elevation, water was all under ice and snow, so any accessible water was more convenient than boiling snow. Unfortunately, it meant snow camping for the first time. We set up camp, and once I went into the tent to have a quick rest, I did not get out again. This was also despite Thirsty making a tempting fire and S’mores (a campfire treat) – I was just far too comfortable and tired.
Distance hiked: 7 miles
Total PCT hiked: 789 miles
Day 64 (31/05) – Tears on Glen Pass
This morning, Rex had taken three snooze alarms to awaken at 3am, and I too was slow to get packed. These early starts were not easy – but vital to getting over the steep challenging passes ahead. We were the ones holding up the group this time, as we still hadn’t gotten water yet from the small now semi-frozen puddle nearby. I plunged my hand into the freezing ice water and painfully filled our bottles – “let’s remember to fill these before bed in the future” I said to Rex, as I pulled out a semi-frozen hand.
After starting our early morning hike, we had to tackle a long steep snow ridge quite early on. Normally, without snow, this would just be a regular ridge walk on a trail. However, the snow makes it much steeper and with no flat footing. Rex was struggling with her fears and anxiety again at this point, and took a long time to move or make steps in general. At one point she couldn’t go any further and I had to go ahead, take my pack off near Corky and return to help Rex by carrying her pack as she made the small progress across the steep section. She was in tears at this point – I was feeling like this might be her breaking point – similar to what Mellow experienced a few days earlier before he parted ways with us. The strong Rex pressed on, however, as always, and got through the section. By this point, we had told the others to go on ahead without the three of us.
We were now approaching the cirque valley leading up to Glen Pass. Here it was mostly easy climbing to the base of Glen Pass. Glen Pass is by no means normally regarded as the hardest pass on the PCT, but it is up there due to its steepness on the northern side. Having no switchbacks, or cut-in steps also made it very challenging.
As we were ascending the pass on the southern side, Rex was again showing signs of struggling. Corky tried making a way through the rocks for her, but she was almost in pain taking steps due to the tension she was placing on her body from anxiety. We had found a flat spot about 50 feet from the summit and had a lunch break there to calm her down. This was where called a family meeting, where we could all contribute to what we were going to do with the situation.
Rex said she was fine with doing one pass, but the seven coming up was just too much for her in one section, and it was clear to us that she was struggling. I thought that maybe I might have been pushing her too much. However, this really was the first day it had been clear (to both herself and to us) that she was in over her head.
It was time for Rex to turn back via Kearsarge Pass, and skip ahead to Mammoth.
I was going to go back down with her, but Corky explained his money situation was dire, and skipping ahead would make it easier for him. Plus, he still had a friend to hike with on standby until he reached Oregon, and wanted to ensure he was there early enough. I was now left with a mental dilemma – to leave my family, or go on alone!
I was tempted to stay with them, but everyone knew I needed to push on, being the stronger hiker out of the group. It was clear they were leaving for specific reasons, with mine being only to remain with my friends. I was truly in a sad state, with the only comforting thought entering my brain being ‘At least I still had the guys that I know well enough ahead’. Who knows what it would have been like if they weren’t ahead? We were all a little down, knowing the trail family journey was at a close.
Rex and Corky agreed to at least finish the ‘summit’ to Glen Pass before they left. The three us did our last scramble together to the top of the pass, sharing our last moment together there drinking whiskey, whilst saying farewells. I knew I’d probably see them again, but there had been many hikers I thought I’d see again that I still haven’t. Hugging my friends, I teared up. I had hiked with both of them for so long on the PCT, and we had barely been apart in the past 6-7 weeks of hiking together. We departed our separate ways, with a final goodbye… and that was it! 🙁
I was now alone…
Now alone, shattered and still tearing up – I began the descent down Glen Pass. The northern side was brutally steep! I couldn’t see tracks from where the other guys went, so I made my own way straight down. I had to descend backward, and kick in steps with my toes, whilst shifting and planting my ice axe down as an anchor each step.
About halfway down, I realised… I needed to take a dump…
Not only was I now mentally upset, but my bowels were screaming at me for a release! All whilst hanging off an ice axe on the side of a mountain! “What a ridiculous situation this is!” I was yelling at myself, not being able to be in a position where I could even take a dump!
It was now clouding over, and visibility was not amazing with the limited definition in the snow. When I reached to the last quarter or so, I glissaded (sliding with some control) using my ice axe to slow me down, avoiding the rocks to the sides. It took a good hour in total to get down. I was tired, and my toes were quite sore from kicking in steps.
Once having reached the bottom, it began to snow. Before anything, I needed to relieve myself. I made my way near rocks off the main area people would hike, and did my thing. Leaving no trace with this was hard in the snow, but I did my best!
I put on my rain jacket and rain skirt and set off. The snow was slush by this point and I post-holed a lot of the time. I found and followed the steps made by the other guys and intended to catch up to them, but they were hours in front.
As I pushed on, I ended up hiking over the top of the ice-covered Rae Lakes which was a unique experience – albeit a little daunting at first. The rest of the way was a gentle downhill, but the snow made it cumbersome and it was so soft at this point. I slogged through the snow, barely taking any breaks. I wanted to catch up with the other guys. Up and down snow drifts, up and down, up and down. One of the snow drifts I climbed up, I had lost my footing and immediately face-planted into the snow haha! My toes were getting numb from post-holing so much in the cold, and I needed to cradle them in the palms of my hands for a while before continuing.
Eventually, after about five hours, I made it to the other guys (Akuna, Rubberball, Grim, Pirate, Thirsty and Bobby Hill) at Woods Creek campground. They were clearly all exhausted and sleeping in their tents, so I set up my tent nearby and also called it a day – almost mile 800!
‘Today was a day to remember, farewell Rex and Corky – I already miss you guys!’ I thought to myself, as I dozed off into slumber.
Distance hiked: 11 miles
Total PCT hiked: 800 miles
Next Post:
Part 21 ‘Mountaineering on Pinchot Pass & Mather Pass’
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