Tag 34-40: Kennedy Meadows, the gateway to the Sierras

Tag 34: After the Chinese food last night, we watched a movie at the hotel and then went to bed. This morning, after breakfast at 7:00, we returned to the trail. The trail continued through the wind farm and later through a barren landscape. The highlight of the day for me was an expensive and elaborate bridge over a creek, even though there was a road passing right next to it. A few miles later, at the point where the bridge was actually necessary, there was a simple bridge made of a few boards without a railing.

We want to try adjusting our daily routine to cover more miles. So far, we have usually done two big blocks of hiking and then arrived at camp early, but too tired to continue. Instead, we want to take two longer breaks during the day and divide it into three parts. It worked well today and we managed to hike 24.7 miles, even though our backpacks are heavier than ever before. We have food for six days because we want to skip a resupply hitch, and we have four liters of water because the next water source at our camp tonight is far away. Ninja's leg is doing better, so she had a good day too, and Taco is here too, which makes me very happy. It was another windy day, although not as bad as we have experienced before. The wind makes it cold again, and tonight the temperature is supposed to drop to freezing. It's quite remarkable that in the "desert section" it's been more cold than warm for me. But well, summer will come eventually. I'm very satisfied with my new shoes. All the little discomforts that I had on my feet in the past few days are gone, and I'm flying over the trail again.

Tag 35: Today is a bit of an odd day. It's been cold for a long time in the morning due to the wind. The sun is only strong enough to make it somewhat warm in the late morning. In sheltered areas, it's very pleasant. However, there's a little bit of hail at higher elevations. The trail starts again through barren hills, but soon it goes through light pine forests. It's amazing how the landscape can completely change within a few miles. At noon, we crossed the 600-mile mark.

We are camping at a campground in the forest. It's sheltered from the wind, but still cold, so we quickly got into our sleeping bags. But that's not a bad thing today because I still have a sewing project. I'm quite satisfied with how my shorts turned out, and I can definitely continue using them.

Tag 36: To contradict myself, today we have a desert day as expected. We got up one hour later than usual and started at 07:00. Unfortunately, Taco has to say goodbye to us. He had difficulties with the mail and didn't receive his new shoes until 100 miles later than planned. As a result, he's having some problems with his plantar fascia. He has to slow down and can't keep up with our pace until it recovers. I really hope he can stay on the trail and that we will see him again. Ninja is still hiking with us. The landscape starts to change as soon as we start. We quickly leave the forest and walk through rocky hills covered with shrubs. The wind has disappeared, and it's pleasantly warm. After seven miles, we reach a water cache at a road. We take our breakfast break and fill up water for the next 15 miles.

As we continue hiking, it slowly gets very hot. Just before our lunch break, we crossed the 1000 km mark. Since there's no marking (stupid Imperial system), Natalie drew one in the sand. Unfortunately, I only noticed in the evening when I looked at the pictures that she wrote 10,000 instead.

Our lunch spot has a picnic table under which I spend the rest of the break after eating. In the afternoon, the landscape becomes even more barren, and the trail becomes very challenging as it's covered with sand, which slows us down. After 22 miles, we finally reach today's goal - another water cache and the last water source for the next 20 miles. Here, we not only find water but also a box with a trail register, medications, electrolytes, and toilet paper, as well as another box with power banks. I find a full one and charge all my devices. All in all, it has been a beautiful and successful day on the trail.

Tag 37: This day is probably the new best day. The night was very good. It was very windy, but we cowboy camped in a small circle made of windbreak walls made of logs and stones, so we could only hear it but not feel it. After getting up, we have a long ascent, again on sandy ground. But when I reach the ridge, I see the peaks of the Sierras clearly for the first time. This means that the first major section of the trail, South California, and thus the desert section, is coming to an end. We take a break on a dirt road. The ten miles to get here felt incredibly long. We continue gently up and down, always with the Sierras in view. Sometimes we walk through pine forests, and then again through the familiar bushland. The next goal of the day is Walker Pass Campground, the next water source. Here, we experience an incredible surprise - our biggest trail magic yet. Three former thru-hikers have set up camp here and have everything: fruit, snacks, cold drinks, and hot dogs. And interesting stories about the trail and their lives. Tie Dye, in particular, has a lot to tell. He was an extra in many movies filmed in the area, such as Iron Man, Constantine, and Planet of the Apes, and he was the main star in a Super Bowl commercial. We want to watch one of these movies at our next zero day if possible. Natalie and Ben get their trail names from him. In Ben's case, it's 'Has been' because he already had one. And Natalie is now called 'Warrior'. Tie Dye came up with it since she is hiking with Ninja, and there's a TV show with that name. But the name suits her incredibly well because she is an incredibly strong person. In the beginning, she had doubts because she thought she was too slow for us and that she would lose us, and whether she would even continue on the trail. But the fact is, we never had to wait for her for very long or anything like that, and she keeps up with us effortlessly. She often sets the pace, and she stayed with me when I had my migraine, without knowing how long she would have to wait. Definitely a warrior who more than lives up to her strong name. I'm sure she will make it to Canada.

After this nice surprise and two hot dogs, two sodas, two apples, and various snacks, we hike the last five miles uphill with full packs of water (thanks to our three trail angels). We cross Walker Pass, which is interesting for two reasons. Geologists and climbers see it as the boundary of the Sierras. But since we are hiker trash, the Sierras for us only begin in Kennedy Meadows. The other reason is that it was not discovered until 1834, at least by white settlers. This shows how young this country is. When I share this thought with Ben, he replies that in Europe, 100 miles is considered far, and in America, 100 years is considered old. There's definitely some truth to that.

The mood in the camp today is great, and since it's still warm, we meditate together and have a lot of fun. Unfortunately, I become a victim of a red ant attack and get bitten twice. It's surprisingly painful, and I don't know what I did to deserve it. To end the day, I watch the sunset and am simply grateful to be here on the trail.

Tag 38: The day starts very exciting. While everyone is slowly packing up, Warrior suddenly screams quietly and starts dancing in her sleeping bag. The reason is a scorpion hiding under her sleeping pad. It's the first scorpion we have seen on the trail.

After that, we climb a ridge on a beautiful trail with nice views. Since the desert wants to bid us a proper farewell, it's another hot day. The only shady spot we find for our breakfast break is right in the middle of the trail. Fortunately, nobody passes by while we're sitting here. Then, we continue to the next water source. We had originally planned to take a short break here, but in the end, we stay for over two hours because our breakfast break was short, and we want to wait out the hottest part of the day with the strongest sun. After that, we climb 500 meters up a mountain and then descend for a long time. We want to reach a campground where there should be water. Just as I reach the road and want to turn towards the campground, a man calls me over. It's Monarch, a hiker in his twenties who was on the trail last year and is now doing trail magic here. I can hardly believe our luck - big trail magic two days in a row, and it's very welcome after a tiring day. The day itself was challenging, but I think a large part of it is the mental aspect. Everyone wants to reach Kennedy Meadows and complete this section of the trail. Monarch has cold soda and beer, fruit, muffins, and croissants. Gradually, the others arrive. Since Monarch says there's no water at the campground, and he can give us enough water to get to the next water source, which is two miles away, we decide to camp here. We have a great evening, talking to Monarch about the trail, while drinking beer and eating. In the end, I have a soda, three beers, two croissants, an apple, and two muffins. For a moment, our decision to start hiking at 4 am to arrive early in Kennedy Meadows, use the full moon for a night hike, and especially to avoid the heat is questioned. But in the end, we stick to it, which makes me very happy. Hiking under the full moon promises to be a beautiful experience.

Tag 39: As planned, we start hiking at 4 am. I walk ahead, and as expected, it's a beautiful night and a great experience. Unfortunately, we hike up a ridge through a forest behind which the moon is setting, but our headlamps are more than sufficient. Suddenly, I see something glimmering in the light of my headlamp, and I stop. I'm sure it's the reflection of eyes. I listen attentively because there are still mountain lions and bears around here. But I can't hear anything. I conclude that I was mistaken. Maybe it was a rock or a moth. Warrior asks with a tense voice why I stopped. I tell her, but also that I probably made a mistake. However, that doesn't seem to calm her down.

We continue hiking, passing a water source where we refill water, and we keep going until the sun rises. After we conquer the ridge, we descend into a valley that finally looks like the Sierras. It's a wide valley with a river flowing through it, framed by mountains with rugged rock formations, and alternating patches of shrubs and pine forests. It's hot again, and although we can't wait to reach Kennedy Meadows, we take our time. In the end, we make it, and as we complete the short roadwalk to the Community Store, we are greeted by the applause of other hikers who are already there, which is an incredibly beautiful feeling. We have completed the first major section of the PCT, the desert section in Southern California. We have hiked 700 miles, and each of us has had their personal highs and lows. And with each of us, you can already see development because each of us has their issues to deal with inevitably. For me, I hope I've already had my two worst days, and I think as a group, we've already overcome our biggest challenge. So far, the trail has not been disappointing in any way. The landscape has been incredibly diverse, and I've seen a lot of things I've never seen before. But above all, the people I have met so far make the trail what it is. Whether it's my friends I'm hiking with, trail angels, people in trail towns, or strangers who give you a ride. I can't believe that we have already completed a quarter of the trail and have been on the trail for 40 days. I have already experienced so much, and yet it feels like I started just a week ago. I'm definitely looking forward to everything that lies ahead, especially since most hikers consider South California the weakest section of the trail in retrospect. It's once again interesting to see how unbelievably many hikers there are that I have never seen before.

After we have rested a bit, we take a shuttle to Grumpy Bear's Retreat, the local pub. It fulfills a small wish for Warrior, as the shuttle is actually a pickup truck, and we ride on the back, even though it's illegal in California. But it gives a sense of freedom and is a lot of fun. At Grumpy Bear's, they have the Triple Crown Burger, which consists of three patties, a fried egg, avocado, a little bit of greens, and is served with fries and onion rings. Since I've already lost two to three kilos and can't really lose six to nine more, I order it, even though I've heard from some hikers who couldn't finish it. It's very good, and although it's a really large portion, I finish it without any problems and get a milkshake for dessert.

Afterwards, we take the shuttle back to the Community Store where we can camp, do laundry, and take a shower for free. It's always amazing how much the mood lifts after taking a shower. We spend the rest of the day eating, drinking, playing cards, and packing. And tomorrow, we will finally enter the Sierras! If everything goes as planned, I can write about the ascent of Mount Whitney in my next article. Until then.