Day 63
Start: Big Pete Meadow
Finish: Evolution Meadow
Daily Mileage: 17.6
PCT Mile: 851.4
The pass of the day today was Muir Pass. We had 2,800 feet to climb to get to it, and a good bit of snow to traverse after it, so we did another 4:30am start. Lazy by the standards of the French hikers we were camped with who left at 2:30. I still wanted to see something of the valley we were in, and I like to minimize night hiking because it seems more like a grind to me.
We camped near where the snow was starting to pick up, and we were climbing straight off, so we were in mostly snow from the start. The moon was up and bright again, reflecting off the snow, but I still used my headlamp for a half hour or so to pick out the rocks and suncups.
The climb was healthy and we gained elevation quickly, skipping up switchbacks buried in snow. The river we followed up yesterday had plenty of great rapids before it submerged beneath the snow as well. We were following the river for much of the climb, and part of the climb was easiest to directly climb the continuous snowbridge covering the river. Seemed sturdy enough and held on for us.
After ascending for a while, the climb leveled out a bit and ran next to a few lakes that seem to be required near passes to give us a break from the relentless climb. Then a little bump appeared at the end of one of the lakes. Almost a small hill. Boottrack went up it, so we followed along, and soon enough we had reached Muir Pass and the iconic stone hut on top. There was not much to this pass other than the elevation gain to it. The steps weren’t really needed, and half the way I walked straight up the pass in my microspikes.
It was a great spot, but as always we were racing the snow so we had to keep moving before it made our lives hell by softening. The hike down was easier and more shallow than the hike up, so it was a simple stroll down and around the first lake.
Then it was lake after lake. However, this pattern seemed to be repeating with each pass, and it is losing its novelty a bit.
After winding around several lakes and some cross country in between, we came to a south facing wall which the trail descended, and we were home free. We took lunch and headed down many switchbacks to forest that was mostly snow free.
There were several meadows we passed along the way. The river we traced from its source was now quite large and thundering in cascades, but was lazily winding its way through the meadows as if it were two different rivers. Unfortunately, the mountains weren’t quite as grand in this valley as the last, but it will do.
We played leap frog with several other hikers today, and all were planning to do the scramble around the bridge that is out ahead of us. I had the most information on the scramble which I shared. Cookie Monster and I plan to do the scramble tomorrow to allow as much time as possible, but the others had limited food and needed to do it today. In exchange for the information I gave, I asked them to message us how it went between our Inreach communicators. A couple hours later they said it went.
We had planned to hike a half mile further, but we came to a campsite on Evolution Meadow which was nice and scenic, so we stopped a touch early. After we had dinner, we got some rain. As always, we were already camped and not hiking in the rain once again.
Today was our last 12,000 foot pass in the Sierra. I think the number we had was just about right, as it is starting to get repetitive at this point. It is amazing land though.