Day Nine: Thursday, July 3, 2014

Little Lake below Muir Pass, cross Muir Pass (11,973’), drop down to Evolution Basin, Evolution Meadow, to steel bridge crossing. 19.0 miles (including 1.5 miles of double-back on trail). Approx 2550’ elevation gain. Sleep at 8376’.

What a day. I began early by stashing my backpack contents except my lunch and water, as I intended to “day hike” to the top of Muir Pass with Pillsbury and return afterwards  to collect my things and retrace my steps to the Bishop Pass exit. We began at about 6:45am, and after just 25 minutes or so we were greeted by a man hiking down the trail towards us. Everyone on the trail is so friendly, and often stops to say hello and inquire as to your itinerary. This man similarly asked, and Pillsbury answered Canada, while I said I was a section hiker who wished for an exit trail farther north so that I could keep hiking. To my surprise, this man said, “Oh, I just came from Piute Pass. That will get you out!” We discussed the details of the trail, where I would come out in reference to where I had left my car, etc. It seemed a far hike alternative, but doable. A week ago I’d have scoffed at the thought of that next exit trail being 20 miles from here, and that being “just a day away”. Now….it’s just part of the plan.

I expressed that taking another trail that is not highly used might be dangerous if I were to lose the trail and not be carrying a map. He cheerfully said, “I just came from there, here! You can have my map!” It was like all the pieces were being handed to be from the Universe. I accepted the map, thanked him profusely, and said, “Well, Pillsbury, how would you like me to hike the whole day with you today, instead?” She was delighted, so I dashed back down the approximately 0.75 miles to my stashed things (tent, sleeping bag, bear canister with remaining food, etc), and reloaded it up. I had moved quickly down, and it took me 7 minutes to reload my pack. I was back on the trail for my second time up this beautiful section in almost no time.

Soon after restarting the hike back up I met this same man again. He stopped me and said, “I’ve been thinking, if you give me your car keys I will move your car for you to the new trailhead where you will exit.” My inner exclamation mark lit up. Whoa! What a gift! But…then the inner skeptic spoke. Who hands over their keys to their car, out in the wilderness far from anywhere, to a total stranger whom I’ve exchanged only a few words? I only just purchased this car a few weeks ago, and I love it! I’d hate to have it stolen. The inner voice said calmly, “You can trust this man.” I thus handed over my keys with about 1.025 seconds of consideration, all inner guidance was giving a resounding “yes!” so I went with it, thanked him, and headed up to the Pass.

Sign inside Muir Hut

Pillsbury having breakfast  inside the hut

I caught up with Pillsbury just as we both crested the Pass. It’s a beautiful one, with the Muir Hut at the top. We went inside, out of the wind, to enjoy some food and meet a man inside who seemed to be finding solace in the mountains and meditating there. I also met a man outside the hut who was in obvious pain walking, and he told me he had 11 blisters on each foot. Blisters can turn into real problems on the trail besides pain, so I got out my first aid kit and gave him my antiseptic ointment and my Hypericum remedy. He told me he didn’t have anything to carry a portion of these two things in, and I said I was simply giving them to him, since I would leave trail in one more day. I sent prayers and blessings for his quick recovery.

 

Me at Muiir Pass hut

After some food and photos at the top we started down to Evolution Lakes. Oh my, I’ve never seen anything so incredibly BLUE! Such amazing depth of color. Azure blue meets white granite like you find in Yosemite. Spectacular meadows with soft babbling water drainage. I was moaning and groaning softly, walking in the rear, and Pillsbury said, “Everything ok back there?” I laughed. “Yes! I just can’t get over the beauty!”

Pictures above of Evolution Lakes on the hike down the north side of Muir Pass. These photos by Pillsbury.

It was a magnificent walk. We stopped later on a big rock overlooking one of the lakes for lunch. Soon the trail turned to a steeper switchback trail descending to Evolution Valley, along Evolution Creek. This little creek was turning into a real raging waterway, complete with waterfalls. Eventually we found ourselves down in the lower meadow and needed to cross the creek, which had widened into a small river. We found a spot where it was only about 18” deep and removed our shoes to carefully walk across.

Now tired, we needed to push on. I’ve joined the PCT ranks where I need to get the miles in today because I am now in that place of running out of food and I need to get to my exit trail! We push on, but we both were getting tired. The downhill hike can be more challenging than the uphill, needing to step with great care lest my tired knees buckle. Some spots were like the Misty Trail in Yosemite, along the side of the now-waterfall proportions of Evolution Creek. It was dramatic and stunning, especially since the sun was once again getting lower in the sky.

 

Neat stream crossing with big bolders on left. Me crossing Evolution creek on right. Photos by Pillsbury.

Photos above are of Evolution Valley and creek as the day progressed. Photos by Pillsbury.

We found a place to camp as the canyon grew darker. Ah, food! Because of my double-back on the trail in the morning, I had completed an astounding 19 miles today. I was sound asleep when my head went horizontal.

 

Pillsbury's tent tonight, mine is nearby. Metal bridge in the background is our trail crossing the creek tomorrow morning. Photo by Pillsbury.

I’ve heard some hikers on the trail say, “Those PCT hikers…..they are in such a big hurry! They don’t stop to smell the roses!” I’ve now hiked a 16.5 mile day over the tallest pass on the PCT (Forrester, at 13,200’), and two more days at 16.0 and 19.0 (including over Muir Pass today at 11,973’). Consider that in the three decades that I hiked with and trained my four beautiful sons in backpacking, that we hiked then 5-7 miles a day (7 miles was a big, tiresome day, but keep in mind that we carried big loads for supporting a family, plus back then ultra-light gear was not available as it is today). I, too, thought those long-distance hikers were crazy back then. Now I’m one of them, and completely happy. Covering these much bigger miles is a “walk in the park”, literally. When Pillsbury found me a few days ago, after our schoolgirl screaming and hugs, she simply said, “Wanna walk?” You see, it’s not even a “hike”, which seems to convey something far more arduous. We just walk and enjoy the many hours a day watching the scenery go by.

What’s more is that I’ve realized that distance traveled is a function of weight carried. I learned a lot on my trail talk with Pillsbury. A PCT hiker tries to do a “carry” (how many days between food resupply) at about 3-5 days. On this trip I did an amazing 11-day carry, and was relatively “heavy” at a starting weight of 27# or so. For me, with my history of 45-65# on family backpacking trips (the weight thankfully diminished as my boys got to be teens and could carry more weight instead of me and Balarama doing it with our getting-older bodies), this beginning weight for me now seemed incredibly low. With a low backpack weight, I could walk far longer than ever before, and what a delight!

I think a PCT hiker is like a  Marathon runner, who is out there for 4 hours covering over 26 miles. Nobody shouts to them, “Hey! Stop and smell the roses! You are racing through the scenery!” Why not? Because they are on a race. PCT hikers are not “racing” per se, but they are trying to make it to Canada in five months, and that in itself is a race against time before the seasons change. On these longer-miles days we stopped: to collect water (often, so that we didn’t have to carry so much of this heavy critical item, at 2# per quart), or for an hour lunch break – usually over an incredible vista, or for other rest stops. We always saw SO MUCH in a day! We started early, with the dramatic slant of the morning sun, and ended late, watching that same dramatic sun alight the scenery. We saw animals play early and late, while they tend to hide and rest in the day. We covered so much territory! So much to see and absorb! In the end, you seen, PCT hikers are still appreciating every flower in bloom, every glorious view, but they just keep on the move. I came to really appreciate that. 

Muir Pass when on top - looking south to Evolution Lakes.