PCT 2007 Day 78 – Independence – Baxter Pass Trail

PCT 2007 Day 78

Day 78 / 6-11-07 Cowboy Camp 10,000′
Independence – sort ways past Baxter Pass Trail
8 (7.5) miles; 798.1 (45.6) total miles 2676.3 trip miles
60’s in mtns., partly cloudy

Marmot count is 36
Deer count is 28
Pika count is 2
Bear count is 0

Today I woke up and took my third shower in two days. We ate some breakfast then were at the PO first thing. I thought I would be first in line; but Megan, Eddie, Vortex and Blue Sky were there before me. Soon there were almost 10 of us. I received 4 packages but still didn’t get my tent. I’ve heard the guy who makes them is having a rough spring.
Ed got us a ride from an older woman and after I got my packages, I only had a half hour to go through everything and ship out what I needed. It was a rush pack job.

While waiting for our ride to come back, I offered the others some black bottom cupcakes. I gave my last three to Parkway, Sweep and Erin when I met them coming down the mountain. Our ride showed up and we could tell she wasn’t comfortable driving up the twisty road to the trail head. We got up there okay and told her to just take her time getting down. I just hope she didn’t burn up the brakes on the way down.

When we met Parkay, Sweep, and Erin on the way down, there were some weekenders also. We took a break at Kearsarge Pass and I saw my second Pika. I got a few close up pictures of him too. After breaking at the Kearsarge Pass, we ran into Mark, another thru-hiker we hadn’t met before. We proceeded on to Glenn Pass, 11,978′, where we ran into Path Finder, David, and Crow while having lunch just below the top. On the way up the pass, we had a spectacular view up a side valley which had a mountain like Half Dome in Yosemite. It was really incredible. We hiked over the pass with Path Finder and the descent was a bit sketchy. I almost had my first fall but I saved it and my butt never touched the ground (The AT rule was if your butt touched the ground it was a fall). The views on the way down were great. There were lots of lakes, more than we’ve encountered so far. For most of the descent, I talked to Path Finder who grew up in Burlington, MA and now lives in Seattle. He was living in New Zealand but now he’s in the states. He was very interesting to talk to. He’s been all over the world hiking.

We passed Dave and Crow while they had dinner. We passed through the Rea Lakes which were beautiful. Shortly after we should have seen a turn for camp at Arrowhead Lake but we never saw it. The next thing we knew we were at Dollar Lake and had gone too far. We hiked on other mile or so and found some grassy spots in the rocks. Mine is lumpy but should do.

Ed, Path Finder, and I cooked dinner and chatted some more. By this time it was already hiker midnight (9 pm) and we all went to bed shortly after.
I’m using the bug net I made and my Ibex Long Johns and Zephyr top tonight. We’ll see how well they work now that I had them rushed delivered.

Scatman 2011- This day was hard.  I don’t mention it but after a day and a half off and a heavy pack it was just a grind.  I was so happy to be back in the Sierra!  Every time you turn a corner or just turn your head you wanted to take a picture.  You’d look at a mountain lake or just a mountain and think, “Wow!  You can’t top that view”, then you take the corner and say it again and laugh.  It’s simply amazing.