JMT - Day 3 - Crabtree Meadow to Mt. Whitney and back

August 20, 2016
Day 3
15.7 miles / 38.0 total
Steps: 42,682
Crabtree Meadows
Days without shower 4

I didn't sleep well. My arms keep falling asleep or I couldn't get comfortable. If I didn't tell/ask Luke to stay with me today I would have gotten up earlier and gone by myself. I often debating seeing if he was awake as well but there were quite a few tents around and I didn’t want to be rude and was too lazy and warm to actually get out of my sleeping bag. It was good and I'm glad I had someone there to celebrate at the top with. The hike up was challenging ALL the way. There were a few times the trail was hard to follow. We didn’t use our headlamps much and it really wasn’t needed because the moon was full a couple nights ago. It was a pretty constant climb up to Guitar Lake when the sun was rising. Guitar lake was beautiful and everything I thought it would be and more. I’ve heard it can be crowded but I didn’t get that feeling from just walking thru. It was larger than I thought it would be. I'm really hoping I got a good picture for Rob (my dad). That way he can put it in his guitar room! We took a short break here to take off some layers as the sun was starting to peak over the mountain and we could see the next big climb coming. Climbing up out of Guitar Lake started the switchbacks. We saw some people up ahead which I enjoy being able to see where the trail is. A few were taking a break and we said hi and continued passed them. They were all super friendly and I was able to hear some of their stories as we hiked together for a minute. I gave them all nicknames in order to help me remember their names. The nicknames I made up are: No stopping Norma, Bad ass Betsy, Trail blazer Trish, and Rock star Rick. Bad ass Betsy got her name first because this was her 60th time up Mt Whitney!!! She knew exactly how many switchbacks we had left and the distance of each. All these women (and 1 guy) had to be over 60. Over the hill my ass... They eat mountains for breakfast. Soon we needed a break and they charged ahead with a steady pass. I was extremely impressed. We saw them again right before the 1.9 mile sign. We stopped there for a short break and continued on. This is when Non-stop Norma got her name because she was headed back to the sign where Betsy left her bag to grab her sunglasses for her. She went down and passed us going back up. Crazy. We kept going as much as we could and I was trying to make it to the top to wait to eat but I couldn’t go anymore and felt my body draining. I knew I would crash if I didn't eat something quick. I tried a gu pack but still hate them. It went in my trash bag quickly. Then I ate my cereal. Love that stuff. After that I felt SO much better and we slowly climbed our way up. Once we saw people standing at the top I got super excited!! Then I saw the hut!! It was amazing. Betsy was already heading down so I asked her for a quick picture and it was so cool. Such a sweet group of ladies. I signed the book and put the San Diego adventure club sticker up. We went in the hut to get warm for a bit and add some additional layers. I was surprised how small the area was that we could go in. There were about 8 of us in there and it felt very crammed. Outside I took a few pictures and checked for service! I was able to FaceTime my sister, mom, and Zoie which was awesome! Posted a picture to Facebook, synced my Fitbit (and turned off the 6am alarm) and the phone went back to airplane mode. We took a few more pics and sat on a ledge for a while. We had some trailmix and talked for a while up there enjoying the views. It seemed like we were the only ones up there on the ledge and was awesome. The clouds were moving and I started to get a little nervous, so we headed down. The down was long and hard on the feet, toes, knees, and ankles. It seemed like forever to get back to the sign again. We passed a few people going down and some were not looking good so I checked on a few thinking it would be altitude and seeing if I could offer any advice or help. One guy was super afraid of heights and was struggling getting down but I didn't know what I could do to help besides a couple words of encouragement. At the sign we stopped and 3 guys overheard us talking about drinks and joked if we had beer! We said we thought they had the beer and all laughed. They were finishing up the trail and going to head out the portal. One guy had a flask of tequila and offered us a shot (yes please and thank you) and gave Luke some extra food that he will likely really need. It's amazing how much the trail provides and I have no idea how that guy still had tequila left but I am glad he did. Luke wasn’t doing as many miles as he anticipated so he was a little low on food and fuel. In 2 days people gave him everything he would need to make it to Muir Trail Ranch to resupply so he wouldn’t have to go out Kearsarge Pass. The way back down to Guitar Lake seemed so steep and I was surprised I climbed up that beast just hours earlier. We stopped at the end of one of the switchbacks to take a break and I had my apple. It was amazing!! So glad I saved it a couple days. We did not stop too much the rest of the day because there was very little shade. I was leading for a bit and lost the trail but knew we were still heading in the right direction and we ran into Ranger Rob who stays at the Crabtree Ranger station. We had met him the day before and he commented on how we found the shortcut. The shortcut? We actually just lost the trail but good to know we were making the distance a little shorter. We made it back to camp just before 4. I got semi cleaned up, soaked my feet until they got numb, and did my laundry so it could dry in the last bit of the sun. I made dinner a little before 6. Tonight was Ramon with the Just Veggies in it. The peas and corn made it SO much better.

My food level in the bear can is finally going down which is awesome and I can fit more in my bear can now and it's getting lighter. I have been eating less than I expected and will likely be able to give food away pretty easily to Luke or whoever needs it. Most of my clothes are pretty dried and I put them away except my socks and gloves which I'll hang off my bag tomorrow. I brushed out my hair and it's starting to feel gross now. I already need a real shower. The lakes and streams are colder than I thought they would be and I can only keep my feet in for about 10 seconds at a time. I studied the map and think about 12 miles for tomorrow to the bottom of Forester pass. I am currently at about 10,000 feet elevation and the pass is at about 13,500 feet elevation. So another steady climb tomorrow and the next day however, I should be able to camp at around 12,500 so that would make it much easier. We will see how cold it gets up there because the nights have been so cold.

I'm feeling pretty good and besides skin coming off my big toes on the bottom, my feet are holding up well. My pinkie toe is the only spot that is starting to be tender. I have kept the Leukotape on my heals since I have started so I think that is helping prevent hot spots there. I am surprised at how well I am feeling and I'll likely get farther/quicker than I thought but would be good to zero at VVR a day early and relax a bit. Well it's almost 9 and I'm tired. Goodnight.

 

JMT - Day 2 - Rock Creek to Crabtree Meadows

August 19, 2016
Day 2
7.1 miles / 22.3 total
Steps: 22,441
Crabtree Meadows.
Days without shower 3

Another cold night! Wow. I have not mastered the best way to sleep on a tiny sleeping pad and in a bag yet. My arms fall asleep when I am on my side and I cannot lay on my stomach as comfortable as I use to. It is a challenge. So I got up about 6:30 and got ready. I had to go to the bathroom but there were no good spots so I had to hold it a bit and get packed up. I got all my stuff together and headed out about 7:30. The climb out of the creek wasn't easy. I stopped at the first sunny spot and found a spot to do my business and then had breakfast. The views were amazing! The key is to STOP and look and not try to walk and take it all in because I tripped over a tree root and fell over. I looked around to make sure no one saw me… unstrapped my bag because I couldn’t get up with it on and brushed myself off. It is only day 2 and I am already falling! This may be a long 22 days. The climb towards gyout pass was definitely a lot of switchbacks. Close to the top I came across a Boy Scout troop from Oceanside. That was really cool. We got to the top and all hung out for a bit and Luke caught up to us as well. It was nice having people around. I started out after a short break and went down and then flat ground for a while. A few people without packs came from the opposite direction. Pretty sure all of their stuff was on the pack horses I saw later. Luke caught up to me right after passing them and we hiked together. I made fun of him for carrying bear spray and he told me a story about a girl that he was hiking with a couple days ago who had her tent and sleeping pad chomped on by a bear in Canada. Crazy story. We talk a bit and bond over our time in the military. His last day of the Army is coming up and on his terminal leave time. We are hiking along and the views are amazing before getting down to Crabtree Meadow. We got our first view of Whitney. We got to the meadow and the girl he was telling the story about was filtering water at Whitney creek! It was awesome. We hung out and had lunch and decided to change our plans and just stay here with her. We would still summit Whitney this would be our camp for two nights which would make for a longer day but the 3 of us could hang out the rest of the day. Her name is Kylie and she is from Canada/Australia (originally). She is super cool. Her knee was hurting from coming down Whitney so she took a zero day. Zero days – mean a day hiking zero miles. She is also hiking a long section of the PCT like Luke. We soaked out feet, filtered water, told stories, laughed and got to know each other. It was a great short day. She is headed out Kearsarge Pass to resupply so we will hopefully meet up with her again but for now I think Luke and I will stay together for a couple days until his feet heal. It's kind of nice not camping/hiking completely alone. We are planning on waking up at 4 am to summit so I better get some sleep! Goodnight.

 

JMT - Day 1 - Horseshoe Meadows/Cottonwood Pass to Rock Creek

August 18, 2016
Day 1
15.2 miles
Steps: 38,872
Rock Creek
Days without shower 2

I got up about 7. It was so cold last night! I am really hoping that this isn’t a sign for how cold it is going to be every night but I am scared that it is. I am glad I have an amazing sleeping bag. I slept about 11 hours and when I say that I really mean was in my sleeping bag about that long. There are many times I wake up, think I hear a sound, lay there and then slowly fall back asleep. It is still just as awesome though to be able to stay in my bag that long! I think I am going to like this! Once I crawled out of my bag I got everything packed up, got cleaned up, and ate my last banana. I made sure everything was out of my car and put a couple small things in the bear can with my estimated return date on them. At the trailhead I met up with 2 guys who were drinking their coffee. We chatted for a bit and I suggested a route similar to what I did for 4th of July weekend because they were looking to hit Langely. They head off towards the other trailhead and I started on my way. I was feeling very nervous until my first mile. I found my rhythm and it just felt right. My pack was heavy at about 38.5 pounds! I know that is not terrible but I was feeling it. I knew what to expect from Cottonwood pass but it was still hard and lots of breaks where taken. A guy passed me who was day hiking/running to the PCT junction and on his way down he wished me luck. After a few more breaks and miles, I was up over the hardest part for the day! I made my way to Chicken Spring Lake and had lunch as I filtered water. I didn't see anyone there which was odd because when I was here for 4th of July weekend there were quite a few people. That time frame was also PCT season for this area though. I didn't want to sit too long so I packed everything back up and started to head out. I met up with a girl who just did Langely and was on her way out. Her name is Diana, from San Diego area and on the Ladies of the JMT page. She wants to do the JMT next year and this was her first solo backpacking trip. I was really excited to see my first “Ladies of” person and the encouragement was so sweet. We took a picture together talked for a bit more and went out ways. After I was already up the next hill, I remembered about the fire on the 15 and thought I should have told her about that so she knew what she was up against on her drive home but it was too late. Climbing up the hill I knew there would be a boundary sign and then mostly downhill to the next junction! I took a long break at the next junction taking off my shoes, dumping the sand, and having a snack. I was enjoying the views, the sounds (the quite), and the fresh air. I couldn’t believe I was finally out here – on my journey! The next miles were mostly flat or downhill but seemed to go on FOREVER! I did see my first deer! She didn't seem very scared of me and I got pretty close. That was cool. Passed the ranger station and headed towards the river. I thought about crossing over and camping there but wanted to be closer to the bear box since I have to use it. So I set up camp in the most private site I could find within earshot of another tent. The guy comes out to filter water and says hi. He, Luke, is from Encinitas and started at Kennedy Meadows. Hoping to get to Onion Valley but having pain now. I told him my Whitney plan and sounds like he may try to do the same. We will see. I am cooking dinner now which really means letting my boiled water re-hydrate my food, as the sun is starting to drop in the tree line. It's already getting chilly. I don't know how much later I'll stay up and it's only 6:30. After a exploring around the meadow and reading a bit from my John Muir Trail (south to north) book by Elizabeth Wenk I have managed to stay up about an hour longer. I enjoy reading about what I should be seeing the next day. It's getting a little darker and I'm tired. Crazy how easy it is to go to bed at 8pm. I might get another 11 hours of sleep! I could really get use to this!

JMT - 1 day to go

August 17, 2016 - 1 day to go
Camping at the trailhead/horseshoe meadows.

What a lazy day!! After a little less sleep than I was anticipating, I got woken up about 6:15 to what sounded like someone knocking on the exterior wall of the house. I go to check the front door and there is someone on the roof. I'm guessing they are having work done on the house and didn't know it was today or didn't expect them this early. Either way it's ok. It's about what time I normally get up always. I slowly get ready and get my stuff together, clean up, and head out. I make it to the ranger station about 8:30 and get my permit pretty quickly! There weren’t very many questions or information. I double checked about parking my car at the trailhead, camping up there, and checked about the fire crew. I wasn't expecting to be this early because I thought I'd sleep in but I had some time to kill. I wanted to talk to my mom who was camping and had to drive out to have service and was a great excuse to have brunch before heading up. I went to the little cafe that a group of us ate at the last time I was in Lone Pine but it was closed today, so I headed to the Grill instead. I made some last minute phone calls to make sure everything was in order with the cabin/tent in Yosemite and had some awesome pancakes! I walked around the town for a bit and went to a park to sit and wait for my mom to call. I wanted to be sure to talk to her before I left because I knew once headed up the road to Horseshoe Meadows service cuts out pretty quickly. We talked for a bit and I was all set! I had one last stop at the little grocery store and got extra water for the campsite tonight, a couple bananas, and an apple for the trail. Once at the camp, I decided I was going to sleep in my car because it's easier than setting up my tent and breaking it down in the morning. I mostly just sat around watching the marmots and other critters in the meadow. I met an older guy who is also hiking the JMT without much of a timeline it seems. His wife is starting his hike with him until lunch, and then meeting him again in Yosemite. He knows a lot about birds and is very interesting. I watched the birds, chipmunks, and just tried to stay awake all day. I watched movies on my phone and did a longer video because I know I'll be able to charge up my phone again before I head out. I'm very ready to start this!!

JMT - 2 days to go

August 16 - 2 days to go

I totally didn't want to get out of bed and go to work today. My mind was already set on my journey. Work was dragging but I got a few things done and wrapped up my main project I have been working on. It felt good to have everything done but now was the waiting game until I could leave work. This time did give me a chance to double check my bills and ensure they were all paid or on auto pay before I left, because I knew I wouldn't want to deal with that when/if I did have service. I sent a few co-workers a link on how to track me and set my out of office. I was so excited when it was time to escape! I got gas in the car and headed home. There were a few things I wanted to finish doing before I headed out. I had to put the dishes away, make sure the house was clean, and take one last long shower to wash my hair and shave! As I'm cleaning up I get a text wishing me luck and telling me that there is a fire and the I-15 is closed. When I look it up it looks really bad and google maps is telling me to take the I-5 instead which is really out of the way. I still had a bit to do so I was hoping there would be a solution or a different detour before I left. Once I'm almost ready I look at the maps again and it's saying to take 15 again and it will detour me. Ok great! So, I head up and make really good time until... Nope Google maps is wrong!!! The detour that is listed is closed as well. I have to go west on the 210 and take some other roads, a mountain road and FINALLY get to Ridgecrest at 11:30pm. About 5 1/2 hours. I was really struggling on the last hour of the drive. I was very happy to have a place to stay and fell asleep quickly.

 

JMT Planning 6 – The worries, stresses, and what I will miss

Yes I get a lot of questions when I say I am going solo… mostly am I taking a gun or some short of protection and what am I doing about bears?!

I will be heading out on my 3 week(ish) journey there are a few things that scare me.  First there is the weather!  Will I be able to read it, predict it, stay away from threating storms, stay warm and stay cool?  These questions are often on my mind.  Living in southern California for the past 10 years has spoiled me with only knowing sunny skies or gloomy skies that typically do not mean storms.  I feel like I have a huge disadvantage to knowing weather changes and how to deal with them.  I have NEVER set my tent up in rain or high winds.  

 

The next would be fires.  I do not think I would get trapped or stuck in a place I can’t escape but the possible smoke making it harder to breath, a trail or section being close, or having to be evacuated all together.   UPDATE ON THIS ONE!!!  Tuesday evening, one week before I am supposed to drive up, and there is a fire at the Trailhead where I am supposed to start.  I have 8 days until I pick up my permit and they have stopped issuing permits for the trailhead.  I know that it is a little selfish to already be thinking about my trip but it is very hard not to wonder what will happen for me.   My plan is to give it a week to work it out before I call the ranger station and try to figure my situation out. 

And the 3^rd is missing my sister.  I know I will miss my parents, family, friends, and animals as well and I can deal with loneliness.  But I worry about not being able to talk to her.  I know there are going to be hard days, days I will likely want to quit, days I feel amazing, days I see something incredible, days I am proud of what I have accomplished and all of those days I will want to share with her.  We talk a lot!  Some times it’s only few times a week and others a couple times a day.  Our conversations can go on for hours or can just be a couple minutes checking in on each other.  We can talk about the most minor things, to what really stresses us out, to religion and politics, to kangaroo pockets and laugh until we cry.   I worry about not really being able to talk to her.  Thankfully I will have my inReach and can text her when I really need/want to!

JMT Planning 5 – The Resupply –What to put in that box

I would have to say this has been one of the HARDEST parts of the planning!  I would often wonder do I have enough, what if this or what if I hate that by this point, and what if I want something else and don’t have it! It was a mess.  But with my itinerary I had a plan, kinda.  This is hard because most of the time I do not even know what I want to eat for my next meal and now I have to plan my meals more than a month out!  Craziness! 

So this is what I did.

I planned 1 of each of the following for every day:

Breakfast, lunch, dinner, energy something, bar, treat, coffee, Juice Plus blend capsules, electrolyte drink, baby wipe, face wipe, 4 squares toilet paper

Than the extras:

Travel size toothpaste & floss
Pee rag
Extra toilet paper
1 - Gallon Ziplock (one for trash bag and one extra)
2 - Quart ziplocks
Trash compactor bag
Q-Tips (to use that day)
Batteries for Headlamp
Special snack/treat (in my case Girl Scout cookies I’ve been saving for months)
First aid kit – moleskin, painkillers (aspirin and Advil), hand sanitizer, bug spray
Shampoo, conditioner, lotion (if you plan on taking a real shower!!!)
Sunblock
New socks & Underwear
Bic Lighter, Firestarter
Wall USB charger (with 2 slots) will donate to location.
 
My Breakfast meals are typically:
Oatmeal with protein powder mixed in, granola with powdered milk and powdered protein, cereal with powdered milk, pop-tarts, or a breakfast bar.

Lunches:

Tortilla with hummus, sausage, and cheese
Tortilla with hummus and tuna (in olive oil)
Tortilla with peanut butter or Nutella and Jelly
Pro-meal bars

Dinner:

Mostly dehydrated from Mountain House, Good to go, Packit Gourmet, or Backpacker’s Pantry
I also enjoy Ramon with Just Veggies mixed in! 

Energy Something: Honey stinger Wafers, Honey Stinger blocks, Gu blocks, Jelly Beans

Bar: Kind bars, Special K protein bars, cliff bars

Treat: Chocolate! Starburst! Gummy Bears! Snickers!

Things others may want but I didn’t include because it isn’t needed:

Memory card for a camera and extra batteries for that

 Excited to be mailing off my first resupply bucket to MTR.

What other items do you think you would take or have taken that was amazing?