Day 108 Tues Oct 10th
Tent site just b4 South Fork San Joaquin river crossing – Tent site 5 near Big Pete Meadow
1803.1 – 1821.4
Approx. 3169 ft ascent 3136 descent
18.3 Miles
So today we have to deal with the river crossing and blimey it was cold!
The crossing was probably 20 feet wide and shin deep and just 1/2 way across we were seriously feeling the cold. It was so cold it burnt + both of us were making some pretty funny noises keen for the crossing to be over.
Sarah even looked like she was going to cry at one point.
Rushing through the icy cold water to the other side we sat on a log and dried our numb feet before quickly putting back on socks and trail runners.
After 5 – 10 minutes the life started to come back to our feet and actually left us feeling pretty invigorated.
Although I wouldn’t want to fall in icy cold water and get completely submerged that is for sure. I can think of nothing worse.
On the plus side, at least the water soothed my painful mosquito bites and Sarah’s sore feet.
We stop for a quick break + you can always tell when it’s been a cold morning when a snickers bar snaps into 2 equal halves nice and cleanly.
We had a few more creek crossings but luckily we were able to rock hop without getting our tootsies wet.
So we’ve got 12.5 miles before we get to Muir pass. This is an iconic pass named after the famous man John Muir who was an early advocate for the preservation of wilderness in the United States.
A shelter had been built at the top by the Sierra mounting club in 1931 in commemoration of the great man.
Hikers and mountaineers use this hut as a refuge in bad weather, but hopefully today the sun will be shining and we can just stop there for a snack and a warm drink.
Whilst still under the tree line we caught a squirrel red-handed at the top of a tree dropping hand grenade pine cones on us.
So that’s a closed case now and obviously not a natural phenomenon.
The trail takes us up and down windy twisty paths that neighbour a meadow and Evolution creek.
It was nice to drop down to ground level and walk through the meadow watching a meandering river cutting through its middle and the sun bouncing off its surface.
To our right is a huge triangular looking peak called the Hermit that dominates the skyline.
Water seems to be everywhere. Presumably from the snow melt running down the mountainside into a multitude of creeks all of different sizes and shapes.
The ground also appears marshy and bogging in places and only recently looks like it’s started to dry up.
We stop for some Ritz crackers, apply a little sun cream and admire Mount Hermit. The clouds that pass over its top almost looked like the white horse waves of the sea and almost ghostly.
At 6.1 miles from the top again we stop and admire the view in front of us.
We are surrounded by a wall of granite that runs along our left side and then curls round in front of us like a seawall.
The whisps of candy floss clouds flowing over the distant mountains against the blue sky make for a perfect backdrop. We couldn’t have asked for a nicer day to hike this section.
We walk around Evolution Lake which is breathtaking. Its aquamarine water glistens in the sun and you can see rocks, gravel bars underneath its surface, making it even more interesting.
The lake is shaped like a figure of eight and there are lots of little lagoons that split off from the main lake as we bypass it on route to the pass.
We pulled in briefly for a quick break.
Sarah finds a rock to catch some rays and I do some fly fishing as I could see trout taking insects from the surface all over the lake.
Within a few casts I caught my first official Golden trout. It was no monster but had beautiful markings.
Both of us are in awe of the surrounding scenery and what the Sierras have to offer. We don’t think we’ve ever seen anything more beautiful on this earth. One pass after another they just keep getting better and more beautiful.
We still have got at least 5 more big passes like this to get through before we exit the Sierras and wonder whether they can keep this up.
As we leave the lake we walk past inlets that feed the lake. The water running over the granite rock makes it turn black like the rocks are bleeding.
We reached the base of Mount Huxley. On the north facing slopes there is still snow which is melting and feeding the Evolution creek and basin below.
The hike up to the pass is gradual and seems to be going on forever. You can see how Mt Huxley blends into another crest that runs further south.
As we get within 2 miles of Muir pass we approach Lake Wanda with the stunning Mt Goddard looming in the background.
We are now 11,824 feet. The air is thin and our breathing laboured.
The last stretch up to the Muir pass was exposed and very windy. Fortunately the wind was behind us which helped push us up the mountain.
At the top you could see the stone structured shelter sitting proud. Ravens flew in the thermals above the shelter giving us a welcome as we arrived.
We’re well and truly above tree line 12,400 feet with only occasional small shrubby grasses growing at this elevation.
As I stand recording this in the shelter it completely blocks the wind. If I were to stand outside it would be impossible to do this recording. Where the wind would interfere with the voice typing app I am using.
Either side of the shelter we are surrounded by mountains with pockets of snow that still remain. We both wonder just how bad the weather may have been up here and how many people have spent very cold nights in the safety of the shelter.
The shelter is made out of stone and has been built similar to how an igloo would be constructed.
It has double glazed windows and a stable door with a note saying: “Please keep the door closed and do not climb on the roof”.
It looked like it had a fireplace at one point but it was now blocked up, but inside it was cozy and you could easily spend a night here.
This is our highest elevation at 12,375 feet.
Inside we cooked up some refried beans and some tuna and tortilla wraps, all followed by a hot drink.
As we sat and ate our hot snack the wind buffeted the shelter making it sound more like a tornado.
It took longer than we had hoped to get to the top and the time was 16:15 before we started heading down the mountain.
The wind was picking up and we had a long way to go, to get somewhere closer to the bottom before the temperature started to drop. This would also set us up nicely for tomorrow’s climb of Matha Pass.
On our descent down from the pass the trail was interrupted with a number of snow crossings.
We walked through sun cups like the peaks of whisked meringue.
Often it became difficult to find the trail, but by referring to the map and Far Out we soon found the trail again.
The wind that pushed us up the mountain now seemed to be doing its best to push us down it.
We walked on rocks over riverbeds with water flowing underneath our feet.
And past numerous snowdrifts where the sun’s rays hadn’t melted last winter’s snow.
Some of this trail was quite challenging and required some concentration hiking through a jumble of rocks.
Water seems to be flowing everywhere and we walk past windswept inky dark looking lakes.
We were both glad to get down to a lower elevation where the teeth of the wind seemed to relent.
This really was an inhospitable environment and the return of willows and shrubby vegetation was a relief to both of us.
It wasn’t long before we’re walking amongst pine trees once again.
We finished the day with our head torches on illuminating the trail. It was cold enough that you could see your breath under the light of the headtorch.
On our way down we saw two eyes reflecting back at us. We stopped to check it out, but it was just a Mule deer feeding close to the river.
We collected water from the most convenient water source and found ourselves a nice sheltered dry little camp spot for the night.
Hopefully far enough away from the water source so we don’t have any condensation.
Sarah’s feet were hurting again tonight. Especially after all the tricky downhill we experienced today.
My back was also playing up, most likely due to the weight of our packs.
But we covered a lot of miles over rough terrain + faced a lot of elevation today as it was our first big pass. We should be proud of that and happy with our progress.
I think today was the first day where we literally didn’t pass another hiker.
On our way down to our campsite we saw a tent already set up for the evening. But other than that we had the place all to ourselves and what playground it was!
Tomorrow is my birthday and we have Mather pass to get over, which is approx 16 miles to the top of the pass from where we are camped. So without further ado it’s a good night from me and a goodnight from her ladyship. I think we are gonna need our sleep.
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