Aug 4.

Got up with the others around 615am. My morning procedure is different though – I always pack all my gear and break down my tent before sitting down for breakfast. We enjoyed breakfast together with a beautiful view down the valley that we had hiked up the day before. My breakfast was bigger than normal: besides one little bag Quaker’s oatmeal, I had a big cup Swiss chocolate and instant coffee mixed together. My cold is still there and weakening me – but that hot cup helped a bit. Horacio’s hiking buddy is suffering from the same symptoms like me… She was coughing all night as well and lives of Ibuprofen. I am glad that I have been able to only take an Ibuprofen at night if I can’t sleep at all – like last night.

I left camp around 715am, the others were still packing their stuff. I completed the missing 1000 feet to the 12100 feet / 4000 meter Pinchot pass until 8am.

A small break, enjoying the morning quietness and being the first on the pass this morning.

A German couple from Bavaria came up the pass SOBO. We exchanged same trail hints. According to them, the South Fork river crossing had not been too difficult and just knee deep. That’s good information. I had been planning already to avoid the crossing and go bushwhacking for 2.5 miles as it is indicated in the water report. I will decide when I get there.

Morning 10 am break at mile 810. A couple of river crossings today, but the South Fork should be the most challenging one.

Crossing was manageable. Took lunch with Horacio and later also Rachel from 11am to 12pm. Now come 2000 feet up to Mather pass. Would still like to go over today if I feel ok.

Made it to the top of Mather at 3.15pm – not too bad. Now let’s see how going down the Northern side will be.

Going down through some snowfields, sometimes climbing over rocks due to the trail completely covered in snow… It was a bit tricky but doable. Next time I would do it a bit earlier in the day. The snow was not only very soft and wet but was close before giving in even more for postholing.

I picked a site at mile 819 for tonight around 530 pm – pretty late considering the last days. But today were two passes and a bit more than 13 miles. Definitely more than I had planned. That leaves 60 miles and 5 days of food to the next planned resupply stop at Vermillion Valley resort (VVR).

Muir pass is 19 miles from here, so definitely not striking distance for tomorrow. I need to see how close I can get – want to make it over the pass not too late the day after tomorrow.

Aug 3.

Woke around 6am but felt quite miserable. My cold had not gotten better over night. I tried to sleep more, but gave up 15 min later. I started to worry about how well I will make it to VVR within the remaining 7 days of food and even more days to make it to town (Red’s Meadow/Mammoth lakes). I checked the possible passes to get out from the Sierra earlier. The most reasonable earlier exit will be Bishop pass. It’s less than 9000 feet, so snow should be no issue. But it’s 35 miles to the crossing. So I will still have to get over Pinchot pass and Mather pass before a potential earlier exit. Well, it’s at least a perspective. If this cold/flu is slowing me down too much, at least I won’t run out of food. At this moment, I plan to approach Pinchot today (about 10 miles), climb Pinchot and approach Mather tomorrow. So in three days I will climb Mather pass and decide on the descent whether I can stick to my original plan to go to VVR or take an unplanned break via Bishop pass.

Started hiking around 7am, made it to the lowest point 4 miles later at a wooden suspension bridge at 9am. Downhill works even with a throat ache and running nose. 😂

The rest of the day I will climb as close to Pinchot pass – 7 miles and 3700 feet / 1200 m left.

Lunch break at 803 miles, 10200 feet. Just above the nasty forest that I had to pass through during my ascend… It’s infested with mosquitos.

I am really exhausted, can feel the cold makes me run on maybe 60%…

Will eat and try to have a small nap.

The nap turned out really good – close to an hour. Using my backpack as a backrest, I could fully stretch out in the shade of a tree.

Pushed forward – wanted to stick to my plan to get close to Pinchot pass pass today and maybe have a remote tentsite by myself.

Food fantasy of today: water melon 🍉😁

I was lucky. At around 3pm, I came to the last listed water source about a mile before the pass. Even there my app didn’t list any established tent sites, I had found a nice one within 15min.

The bushes will maybe offer some wind protection and will provide shade for last to do before dinner: afternoon chilling.

10 miles today. Not great, but considering how I feel – I am very satisfied. Tomorrow another 10 will take me just below Mather pass.

Around 6pm a surprise: Horacio, one of the guys I met in the hostel in Lone Pine the night before my start, came up the trail with his hiking buddy Rachel. We chatted a bit, they told me about their bear sighting today… Now I am jealous. But I had had my dinner already when they arrived. So I went to my tent earlier around 6.30pm.

Aug 2.

Had slept pretty good and comfortably. Woke up at 6am, packed my stuff. Shared a quick breakfast with the nice German couple. We exchanged contact details and said our goodbyes.

Left camp 645am to climb the rest of 11800 feet Kearsage pass. 815am I was on top but continued onwards pretty soon.

My plan for today is to go over Glen pass, maybe camp around Rae lakes or later.

Met a few hikers who reported very differently on the conditions at Glen. And I met the younger hiking couple again that had generously given me a box full of Mountain Houses and other treats two days ago when I met them at Onion Valley.

Morning break at 945am at mile 790, 1.2 miles and 900 feet to Glen pass.

1110am at the top of Glen pass.

215pm taking a nap at Rae lakes. Still think I should do more miles. My headache is back. Problem is the next pass is Pinchot in 13 miles or so. Even if I do a few more miles today, I will only approach Pinchot but not make it tomorrow.

A ranger just came by for a check. She didn’t ask for a permit but for the bear can.

Finally pitching my tent at Dollar lake, mile 796. About 13 miles today.

July 30.

With the ladies all around me starting to get ready around 5am, I gave up with my hope to sleep in and got up around 5.45am. While they were leaving to climb Forester pass, I took my time with breakfast and coffee, left around 6.30am.

Around 7.15am I was at the top, had overtaken the other group easily. On the Northern side, there were 2-3 extended snow fields to cross. I had given in to fear and brought microspikes! 😝 I had hiked the Sierras two times before, once in June, once in July. But since I had brought them, I tried them out.

As I was heading down Forester, more and more JMT SoBos came by – easily 30 hikers before noon. I start to feel the trail again… I realized that when I noticed that one of the hikers that passed me actually smelled good. Usually a sure sign for a section hiker. 😂

Took my lunch break at Middle Vidette Meadow, mile 787. Had my first Idahoan on trail, roasted garlic. Thanks Cactass for that treat!

Idahoan Mashed potatoes – typical hiker food

8.4 miles by 12pm. Not amazing, not shabby either. I feel that hiking alone is really faster. I play around alternatives… 9.4 miles to Onion Valley campground, hit Bishop tonight. Or I just camp somewhere between Kearsage pass and Onion valley and hit town tomorrow.

Passed Bullfrog lake. One of my favorite spots on trail.

Kearsage pass at 3.30pm. Tempted by the thought of a Coke zero with ice.

Pitched my tent at Flower lake at 4.30pm, 2.5 miles before Onion Valley campground. Today were about 15 miles with two passes – really enough. The plan is to hike down in the morning and get lucky with a hitch to Bishop early enough for breakfast. And I want to be hero… So I will stick to make a full zero in Bishop the day after tomorrow. So a nero and a zero. 😬 I am ahead of my schedule, so I feel this is well deserved.

More food fantasies: ice cold coke, milk shake, grilled salmon with broccoli, breakfast toasts and eggs sunny side up. A big green salad.