We began the hike on Wednesday afternoon at Roads End in Kings Canyon National Park. 90 degrees. The first 2 miles were nicknamed the ‘sequoia sahara’….and the second the hike began, we knew why. It was all soft sand and HOT. Our first night was spent at Lower Paradise Valley past Mist Falls. We found a campsite with a private ‘beach’ that was perfect. When we arrived we saw another couple camping and immediately befriended them. Though you want to feel remote and disconnected from the world on these trips….I must admit there is something comforting in seeing another human on the trails. Especially when within 5 minutes there is a big bear moseying through camp. My heart dropped into my stomach at first, but when his head turned to recognize that we were there, he looked just like a teddy bear and I couldn’t help but smile. Smile at the relief that he kept moving! We also shared our campsite with a mule deer that walked up to us and sat down to let us know that HE, unlike the bear, was not leaving. We decided to be ok with that rather than re-route in the dark. I spent half the night hearing sticks snapping and determining whether it was the mule deer or if the bear was paying another visit…waking casey every 30 minutes to ask his opinion…I figured out that the hopping noise was more the deer and snapping was the bear. When the sun finally rose over the mountains I bust out of the tent to see that everything was as we had left it…no bear had been there messing with our belongings. A fearful mind can really make you crazy sometimes.
We began our 2nd day and right away I busted out my bear bells that casey was embarrassed for me to buy (but I know he was secretly happy that I had them). We ran into 2 brothers from LA that were doing the exact same loop as us. We leap frogged with them for a lot of the first half of the day. They seemed to be amazed at how ‘tough and in shape we were’ while we beat ourselves up for not being fast enough! We let their thoughts absorb into us and pushed ourselves to Rae Lakes…making it a 15 mile day and 3500 vertical…so I guess that is pretty good. The day was filled with lizards and rattlesnakes and a strenuous hike that had us both exhausted. We found a spot to call home for the night and crashed immediately after dinner. We slept like babies…8pm – 8am. We woke up to the sun blazing over the mountains onto Fin Dome. There are few things more peaceful than waking up to such a scene.
We ate our oatmeal and continued on. Today we had to cross over Glenn Pass…11,990’. It was right before the pass that we met a boy from Germany who was on a solo mission and decided to conquer the pass along with us. It was nice having the extra company as we climbed and the air became so thin that all we could do was focus on our breath…a walking meditation of sorts.
For lunch we had bagels and peanut butter on the ridge and in that moment it tasted like the best meal we ever had. We shared jolly ranchers with our new german friend who had never even heard of them before. What a treat!
Break over, time to continue on and lose the elevation we just worked so hard to gain. Charging downhill, hamstrings burning, toes hitting the tips of boots, calf cramps, we enter charlotte lake. Beauty. Discussions of where to sleep that night are had and we decide on Junction Meadow but we arrive and it is super creepy so we continue on several more miles. I begin to feel as though my pinky toe has detached from my foot and is just sitting in my boot. Gross thought, I know, but great description of the feeling. The sun is sinking and we are getting worried about arriving to a camp in time to set up and have dinner before there is complete darkness. Out of nowhere the trail opens up to a camp where there are several people set up already. We hadn’t seen this many people in days. There is our german friend waving us over with an open spot right next to him. AAAHHH! Our last night is upon us and we feast on some cous cous and sun dried tomatoes, do the dishes, pack away our things and tape my toes. Turns out my pinky toe was still attached to my foot, I only had blisters, several of them. The temps are dropping and we are in bed by 8 …. Even in my 20 degree bag with thermals and hat on I am still cold. Casey sleeps next to me on top of his sleeping bag in his boxers. I guess we have different blood.
Wake up sweating. The sun is over the mountain. Our last day. Only 12 miles of downhill…piece of cake! Lots of dark forest sections of the trail with tall trees and blankets of leaves. Very Lord of the Rings’ish. It’s really creepy cool. We pass the brothers from LA who are happy to almost complete this loop, meanwhile we don’t want to leave the wilderness. The peace. We talk about everyone we met along our hike and wonder how their journey is going. The ultra light traveler from Seattle with a 20lb pack, the 3 guys heading to Whitney, the 2bad ass Asian women, the 2 older men completing their last section of the JMT.
It’s funny on the trail how you learn a lot about the people you meet yet never know their names. Makes you realize that we, as humans, are so much more than just a name or a label. So much of this trip will be left untold, like stories of the luxury of pit toilets and bear boxes and the feeling you have at dusk and the dawn of each new day. It must be experienced individually and appreciated for the meaning you attach to it. 4 days. 46 miles. 7000 vertical. From 90 degrees to 40 degrees. It’s not for everyone. For me, for us, ‘it’s worth the scrapes and sweat for the soul surge that follows.’
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