Lee Vining – Mammoth

Day 101 Tues Oct 3rd 
Tuolumne meadows – unmarked tentsite after Donohue pass 
1711.5 – 1726.8 
Approx. 2818 Ft  ascent 1270ft descent 
15.3 Miles 

The break in Lee vining was just what the doctor ordered. It was such a great feeling having a warm hot shower washing the dirt from our feet and the stink from our bodies.

Needless to say it didn’t take long for me to pass out last night and to start cranking all the zeds last night,whilst Sarah continued to get our gear  things ship shape.

The alarms went early but we didn’t get out then till around 06:00.
I attempted to update some of the blog, but I’m finding this difficult at the moment in light of the other chores that need doing. Its important that I prioritise the trail first and foremost and making sure we are in good shape for each section v’s spending too much time blogging.

We then grabbed some crossiants and breakfast pastries from the rather expensive Food Market close to the hotel, before jumping on a bus transit called the Yart back to Toulomne meadows.

This took us back up Tioga Pass towards the meadows.
The scenery surrounding Tioga pass was breathtaking with fresh white snow capping the tops of the mountains. This is an excellent route into Yosemite and I would say it’s one of the most scenic drives that you could take.

Visiting Lee Vining also gave us an opportunity to see Mono Lake which is again one of nature’s wonders. It’s a huge lake with mountains in the background that fill the horizon.

Around 11:00 we were back on trail and “Happy as larry” to be hiking out into the sunshine with our hearts and even fuller stomachs ready to tackle Donahue pass.

Donahue pass is 13 miles up and looks pretty steep going. We had a couple of left over beers from last night and decided to pack them out with the plan to open them when we got to the top.

We left the trailhead and picked up the John Muir Trail.

The weather for the next week his sunshine and high temperatures again and we plan to make the most of this. 

There’s something magical about being back on trail fully refreshed.
Yesterday we were cold and couldn’t wait to be back in the warmth of a hotel and town. But as soon as our  feet hit the trail we both renewed excited and ready for the next chapter almost with the same excitement and enthusiasm that you might see in a small child. Buzzing!

Not long after we started I took the opportunity to flex my tenkara skills after watching some Brook trout swimming in the shallow. It wasn’t long before I hooked one + it was such a beautiful little fish with stunning markings.
Soon after leaving the river and meadows we came across a family of Mule deer feeding on grasses in the shade of the woods.

As we approached the base of Donohue pass we passed a JMT hiker who gave us some good information on what’s to come on this section. He was fashioning a bear claw on a string around his neck.
He told us he had harvested it from a black bear he had hunted and killed. It said he wore it to help summon the strength and force of the bear..
 
After walking through relatively flat meadows at around 15:00 we started to climb up to Donohue pass.
At the foot of the climb there was evidence of an avalanche. Where either side of the trail was littered with tree debris and broken snapped bent over trees as the avalanche had passed through the valley. 

About a mile from the top of pass we are hit round the face by huge snow covered mountain. It looks like someone’s dusted it with icing sugar and it looks spectacular reflecting back at us from a lake at uts base. It’s like nothing we’ve ever seen before.

The sound of water fills the air and small creeks and streams are everywhere.
 
As we approach the top of the pass I may have gone a little off piste, following what looked like an obvious dip in the mountains.
The snowy gully I followed had no footprints or sign that any other hikers had been through.
After seeing another hiker pop out over the skyline a hundred feet away from me we aborted, traversing back across the ridge to get back onto the trail.

As we reached the top we entered the Ansel Adams wilderness.  We were then  presented with a series of jagged magnificent angular peaks on the horizon, with a dark layer of cloud sitting directly above.

I think it’s fair to say that we might have bitten off a little bit more than we could chew today. Where after crossing as after Donahue pass there were little or no camp spots to be seen and the temperature was dropping fast.

As we decended water appeared everywhere and the ground saturated with pools of water either side of the trail.

As darkness began to fall and with the clouds looking menacing we tried to pitch the tent on a granite slab. This didn’t go to plan and I didn’t feel confident that thr stones we used would hold the tent firm if the weather picked up and a storm moved in. 

We ended up finding ourselves and unmarked flatish tent spot approximately 10 feet from the trail.
It’s surprising hard finding a decent spot oncr it gets dark just under the light of your head you h and we made the best of a bad situation.
In the Sierra it’s preferred that you pitch your tent only in certain areas to help preserve the landscape, so this may have been frowned upon if we got caught by a ranger. However we pitched late and it was dark + we will be up early tomorrow so hopefully we can get away with this small mis demina.

We sat in the comfort of our tent enjoying a hearty Peak meal and the beer we had packed out. Both relived to have found a sanctuary for this evening. We both agreed that they tasted even better in the mountains and you didn’t need a fridge to keep them cold up here. 

Considering we started about 11:30 today, 15.3 miles isn’t too shabby. Hopefully with fresh food supplies and an early start tomorrow we can start to get back to the mileage that we were doing and get back on track.

Day 102 Wed Oct 4th 
Unmarked tentsite after Donahue pass – Mid Fork San Joaquin river 
1726.8 – 1746.7 
Approx. 1988 ft  ascent 4675 ft descent 
20.1 Miles 

It was another cold night last night + we both woke up several times during the night.
Despite my ultralight weight sleeping bag being made out of space age materials and being super warm it seems to be susceptible to condensation in cold damp conditions.
Waking up at 02:00 the outside of the bag was damp so we opened the vestibule doors  to try and get some more ventilation. 

We had picked up a variety of tasty pastries from Lee Vining and enjoyed both strawberries and cream and chocolate crossiants with our hot chocolate and coffee combos before setting off.

Looking on Far Out it highlighted a river crossing at around 16 miles as the bridge was out.
We had heard varying stories that suggested the water was knee – thigh deep, so we were hoping the sun comes out before that and warms things up a little before we get there.

As we packed away our frozen tent mist and cloud rolled in covering the mountains that were first visible at dawn.
Although it wasn’t long they before the sun burnt these clouds away to reveal some magnificent mountains behind us as we climbed up to Island pass (the first pass of the day).

It amazes me when you see a wall of cloud and then look up and see a mountain peaking through the cloud almost floating above the ground.
 
The climb up to the Island pass was pretty easy although our legs are less fresh today compared to yesterday.
We walk past patches of frozen snow and lots of running water and creeks. The trail is muddy and slippy we suspect because of the recent bad weather and snow melt.

Just as we reach the top of the pass Sarah comments there’s nothing more rewarding than a steep morning climb. Scrambling over rocks and when you get to the top and you look back and have that sense of  
achievement looking back over the valleys and mountains that you’ve left behind.

Straight out in front of us is Mount Davis, which is a jaw ropping snow covered peak that fills the horizon.

We then pproached Thousand island lake whuch sits in front of Mount Ritter and Banner peak. The lake was simply stunning with many islands interrupting its mirror like surface. Made even better with the reflection of the snow cap mountain in the background

We passed a geordie couple heading north. It was nice to speak to some English people for a change + geordies are always pretty decent down to earth people.
They help out with some future travel logistics regarding a staying Bishop and  the best route in from Kearsarge pass.
 
It sounded like they had a much harder trial logistically than us flipping up and down to various locations as well as having to go home to deal with a family illness.
With only 300 miles to go they said they were having a wobble on whether they wanted to complete the trail. Particularly as a weather was getting bad. We did our best to encourage them by saying that theh were so close to finishing and to keep on pushing. 
They also told us that a lot of nobos that have flipped around the trail due to the high snow conditions had decided not to bother with the Sierras this year as they thought it woukd be too cold now the weather is starting to turn. 

Yes its definitely cold, but the weather is simply glorious at the moment and they don’t know what they are missing. Its like a fresh winters day, sunny in the daytime and cold at night.  

As we get close to the lake Sarah starts talking about anything that uses thousand island dressing in line with the name of the mighty lake. Prawn cocktail salads feature highly. Delicious…
 
We stopped for an impromptu lunch break and chat briefly with a section hiker called Casey.
His view on Thru hiking was that it is all to rushed and he would rather spend a few days exploring an area, rather than rushing through on a mission like us.

He is right and it’s a difficult balance as we have a lot of time constraints and a lot of ground to cover. We said we saw his point and maybe 1 day we would return to some of the bits we liked best and spend a more leisurely time exploring them.

At the lake the water was crystal clear and it reflected the snow capped Mount Ritter and Banner peak in front of us perfectly. 

Sarah laid out our tent and sleeping bags on the hot rocks to dry them out in the sun, whilst I cast a few lines out into the lake.

Despite a few punchy ups the next 10 miles were mainly downhill + were a welcome break leading down to the river crossing. 

In some  places the trail was completely submerged with water as a result of the snow.
In shady spots you can still see patches of snow clinging on for dear life
Although in others it was bone dry. Completely dried out by the heat of the sun.
 
On our way down we walk through Willow  
and Sage all different shades of green. 
To our right acroas the ravine and way out in front of us are rugged snow capped peaks. We both comment how similar it is to Switzerland.

Despite the areas of wet trail on this side of the ravine we are hiking through mountains that feel much more like the desert. With reddish rocks and sand laced with scrubby sage bushes and mules ears, interspersed between Aspen and willow.

The willow certainly seem to favour the wetter conditions and grows best next to creeks or where the trail is still saturated from the snow melt.

Interestingly the water seems to be attracting insects and we wonder whether there’s been a fresh hatch as a result of the snow melt?

As we walked down through dappled light towards the river we stopped in our tracks. Approx 50 feet in front was a Coyote, sniffing the air inquisitively.
It didn’t seem too concerned with our presence as we crouched and watched it disappear into the undergrowth.
It looked like a beautiful specimen sandy brown and colour and it’s coat was fluffy and rich.

It was strange how Sarah and I were both talking to one another not really paying attention and then suddenly we see a Coyote. Especially after all the times we have tried to remain quiet in the hope that we might stuble across some  interesting wildlife. 

Despite walking and bright sunshine there’s a cold breeze and we are both freezing. 
The nice couple Crystal and Mark that took us to  Lee Vining had given Sarah some hand warmers and they seemed to be working nicely keeping our hands toasty warm. We both thought that these would help make the mornings more bearable.

We arrived at High camp trailhead to find yellow caution tape across the trail and a group of military officers stationed there.

They said that there had been an “incident” and the trail ahead was closed and we would have to make alternative arrangements.

We explained that we’ve been walking from Canada on a continuous footpath and this would generate a major logistical  
issue for us.

Initially they didn’t seem interested in our pledge as they had been given strict orders not to let anyone pass.

Sarah and I collected our thoughts while sitting on a log, whilst checking out possible alternative routines on Sarah’s map.
We also had data now we have a Verizon phone so we could also access Gia (which is a mapping app).
Armed witn both we went back to the officers, by which time more had arrived. Luckily 1 of them was more familar with the area and with a map in hand we showed him exactly where we wanted to go.
It appeared the “incident” was on the John Muir Trail not the PCT near Shaddow Creek. Not anywhere near where we were planning on hiking along the PCT.

We also explained that we were doing this for charity and that it was a continuous footpath.
The main guy in charge made a phone call and fortunately they said providing we kept to the trial we would be allowed to go through. This was music to our ears!

Not familiar with the PCT the officer also expressed his concerns that we were wearing shorts and T-shirts and that it was getting very cold. We assured him that we had been out on trail for over 100 days now and we thought we had it figured out + we had the correct gear hidden away in our backpacks to cope with the weather.

We said our goodbyes and they told us to stay safe. Sarah and I were extatic that we didn’t have to take any detour and skip any miles. Smiling from ear to ear like Cheshire cats. 

FInally we got to the fallen bridge where we had to do the river crossing over the San Joaquin river.
We stripped down to our hiking sandals and stashed all our electrical gear in ziplocks and crossed.
To be honest it was a breeze if not a little cold. The rocks were a little slippy but it was knee high at best and I escaped with only a small scrape on my left foot.

River crossings have been a point of anxiety for Sarah and she was relived that this was done. Things are never generally as bad as the picture you paint in your head and she is growing in confidence every day on the trail and becoming a real trail warrior.

Next up is Reds Meadow which is 4 miles away.
Reds is a resort / horse camp / campsite, where hikers could stay, resupply or get a ride into Mammoth.
However not for us  as it closed up for the season at the end of September.
Resupplying and getting out of the Sierra into town had been a point of anxiety for me, so I’m looking forward to finally getting through this section.

We met another Sobo hiker at the river crossing that we hadn’t met before. It was good to know there’s other people still out here + he confirmed there were more behind.

He mentioned something about there being hot springs at Reds Meadows.
Maybe we’ll check them out when we get there as my ankle could do with a much needed soak and Sarah’s feet are also given her some problems.

Our new sobo friend also claimed he’d also been stopped by the military earlier and had been forced to take another route.
He said he had also spoken to a construction worker that had heard something about a helicopter crash over the Sierra. So potentially this is the covert  “incident” after all.

We got within spitting distance of Reds Meadow before stopping to collect water at the mid fork San Joaquin River.

I managed to find a nice little campsite just after the bridge and figured because  
there was limited camping at Red,  this would probably be the best option.
Also we would have more chance of finding the hot springs in the daylight.

Because we are camped near a river, which generally results in more overnight condensation problems in the tent. Tonight we’re going into stargazing mode peeling back the rainfly to expose half of the mesh above our heads.
The added bonus is obviously we can stargaze as well as providing tons of ventilation. It may however  be a little cold….

Tomorrow we have a short hike to Reds Meadow. We’ll l try our hand in getting a hitch, but if that fails then the nextt possible side trail will be the 1 via the Horseshow Lake trailhead.

Tonight we have a new addition to trail kitchen to accompany our hot chocolates  
in the form of some Sailor Jerry’s rum. Very nice indeed….

Day 103 Thurs Oct 5th 
Unmarked tentsite Mid Fork San Joaquin river – Mammoth via Mamouth to McCloud side trail
1746.7  –
Approx. 2182 ft  ascent  646 ft descent 
7.6 Miles 

The stargazing setup on our teny was awesome last night and as we lay back in our warm sleeping bags all tucked up nice and warm we starred up at the stars until our eyes couldn’t stay open anymore.

There was zero condensation on the tent and on our sleeping bags which was a relief, especially when camping near a water source.

We left the sanctuary of our  little campsite walking through woodland lined with yellowing ferns in line with the change of season.

We arrived at Reds Meadow around 10:00.  It was deserted with all of the cabins borded up and looked like a shabby campground. In fact it was a little eerie like the place had been forgotten.

Luckily another hike was there and he  
pointed us in the right direction to the hot springs. Claiming that he had had a dip last night which seemed to help clear up a nasty insect bite.

The hot springs were a little rustic to say the very least and looked more like a horse trough.
However the water was steaming like a hot bath and with no one around we both stripped off and got in.
As we soaked in the hot water full of rich mountain minerals we were surrounded by nature. Huge pine trees surrounding us and the sun popping over the horizon.

A fresh running water supply also ran close to the springs. We both commented how awesome it would be to find an off grid place like this of our own.
We could generate electricity from the running water as well as having the naturally heated hot tub to soak in. 

We left Reds feeling refreshed and soothed after our dip.
We also got rid of some trash in the campsite garbage dumpersters as well as used gas cans.
This was a relief as after a few days the weight of garbage you collect soon adds up + takes up space in a garbage bag in our packs.

We also flushed our water filters with the faucet close to the restrooms so all in all it was a productive side trip despite not managing to get hitch to Mammoth.

Next up Horseshoe Lakes trailhead and hopefully we will have more luck getting into Mammoth.

We walked up the hill away from Red’s Meadow through a very old burnzome. The remnants of trees still standing to attention like charred soldiers.

In amongst the burn there were a lot of fruit bushes including Redcurrants and spikey Sierra Gooseberries.

Its interesting when you have these burn zones how these types of plants seem to take hold and flourish.

There’s a real feel of autumn in the air despite it still being blue skies and sunny, with fruit bushes laden and leaves turning brown and yellow.

We charged on uphill towards the side trail to Horseshoe lake, which involved 1800 feet of elevation gain.
 
We did this whilst enjoying a slice of banana cake that we picked up from Lee Vining.
Although the crumbly nature of the cake was not ideally suited to the heavy breathing required when hiking uphill, getting stuck in my throat making me cough and splutter.
We took the side trail to the Horseshoe lake trailhead which involved following a 3-4 mile blue blaze as the trailhead was not on the PCT.

On our way down we passed McCLeod Lake and then Horseshoe Lake which were beautiful, despite being cloaked in smoke from a prescribed burn in Mammoth.

Prescribed burns are used to remove dead forest material and keep the risk of forest fires down to a minimum.
We were told that this was only happening around the local vicinity of Mammoth and should not effect the rest of the Sierras.

As I write this we are waiting to see if we can get a hitch from the trailhead. There’s lots of people here so hopefully we’ll get some luck and get down to Mammoth nicecan early, so we can make the most of the day.

It wasn’t long before we got a ride down the mountain from some locals called  Marie and Mike.

Marie worked in the local Brewery and gym and gave us the low down on the town. She even offered to let us use the sauna and spa at the gym to help relax when we were in town, sneaking us in after the managers had gone home.

Mike was a keen snowboarder and on our way down he pointed out some narly snowboarding runs including 1 called the hole in the wall, which was a hole in the side of the  mountain that people pop out of on their way down the run.

Mammoth was a cool town and we ended up landing ourselves a night in a deluxe apartment the Hostel Moderne. The room was equipped with a kitchen and living room. At 150 bucks / night  it was cheaper and way better than any of the other hotels in town and also allowed us to save some money by cooking our own food v’s going out.

We spent the rest of the day doing town chores. Including laundry, food resupply at Vons  and I picked up some new fancy Topo trail runners from an outfitters. The blue and yellow colours perfectly matching my backpack or so Sarah pointed out.

The town was centred around being a ski resort and was pretty rad and a gateway to the outdoors.
There were more outdoor shops than you could shake a stick where snow sports, hiking,  mountain biking and fishing with big business here.

As we ventured into town it felt apocalyptic where we could see plumes of smoke rising above the horizon from the controlled burn and there was a smell smoke the air.

We were glad we come into town because this would obviously shroud the mountains surrounding Mammoth and would ruin the views. Hopefully when we go back out on trail this all wull have cleared.

There was also a free bus service that took you around the town as well as something called dial a ride which was like a free taxi service which was a great initiative.

We arrived back late at the hostel late and Sarah cooked me a provisional birthday meal which was delicious. We had prawns on toasted sourdough muffins to start followed by a Chinese microwave meal, all wash down by a few hazy IPAs.
It was perfect end to the day and nice to eat some home cooked food and watch some TV and feel almost normal again.