There is real joy in a wilderness hot spring after many days on the trail. Our trip to Kern Hot Springs did not disappoint! After our Whitney climb we are settling in to lovely hot water in a private tub beside the Kern River. The water is HOT, probably about 110 F and is therapeutic on our tired bodies. The scene is serene and the weather warm, a perfect break after competing the Muir Trail section of our hike!
At the top of Mount Whitney, we got to hang out with some great people and hear stories about their journeys.
Everyone celebrated, cheered, laughed, and took in the buzzing excitement of the highest spot in the continental U.S.
We climbed Mount Whitney as roiling clouds from a dissipating storm shifted in the sky just above the peak.
By sunset, the sky was nearly clear and the views were massive.
We celebrated the life of my grandmother and the people with us helped us send her good thoughts.
We really like most of the food that we’ve prepared for ourselves for our journey but, after a week or more out, it is a real treat to have a meal prepared for you in a restaurant. So, as we made our way down to Independence, the Still Life Cafe was on our minds.
On our way into Independence, CA on Independence Day, we were treated to a 4th of July party atop Kearsarge Pass. Charlotte and John have been climbing to the pass each 4th of July for twenty years.
Over Woods Creek, between Maher and Glenn passed lies “The Golden Gate of the Sierra”. This bridge is one of the coolest in the range. It is cable suspension bridge with wooden decking that is arched between its pylons in a way that certainly resembles a miniature Golden Gate Bridge.
We are soaking in all of the trail culture we can now before we head out cross country in a couple weeks. We shared Silver Pass with this blissed out couple who have been hiking since March 2013! These characters pop into our lives for an afternoon or a few days, and each is out here doing it their own way – men and women, young and old hiking the entire PCT alone, many people from across the country and world for the PCT or JMT, people giving up their hike to work at a resupply place, people on honeymoons, people without tents, people with chairs, curmudgeons, vagrants, people who have never been backpacking before, military vets, new college grads, trail crews, friends out for a week, and us.
On the trail, a day when you don’t hike is called a zero day. On this leg we decided to give up a zero day a Rae Lakes for two “slack days.” basically we took what was going to be a long 20+ mile day and split it in two. This means that we have to hike but, we get to wake up late, take long breaks and still get into camp by 3pm or so. This has given us time to hang out a Palisades Lakes and now a Lake Marjorie, to do a little fishing and to generally have a relaxed time of it.
The Muir Hut is the crown atop Evolution Basin. The basin itself is quite possibly the crown atop the Sierra. We feel incredibly lucky to darken the door of the Muir Hut for the second time in our lives today. It’s a special feeling being inside it.
We spent the night last night at Evolution Lake. That place is so magical, especially at sunset. The play of light on Mt. Darwin and Mt. Mendel are just outstanding. This morning we are traversing through Evolution Basin on our way to Muir Pass. We just stopped at Wanda Lake for a much needed but icy dip. Still, we feel great after a swim in one of the most stunning lakes imaginable!