PCT 2007 Day 83 – Bear Ridge Trail Junction – Vermilion Valley Resort

PCT 2007 Day 83

Day 83 / 6-16-07 TT 7850′
Bear Ridge Trail Junction – Vermilion Valley Resort (VRR)
4.6 (1.4) miles; (47);         total miles; 2765.8 trip miles
70’s, sunny hot

Marmot count is 41
Deer count is 41
Pika count is 2
Bear count is 0

This morning I woke up half off my Tyvek. I was sleeping on more of an angle than I thought. I slept well and fell asleep fast so I didn’t notice the mosquitoes like last night.
We were up and on the trail by 6. The trail started with rolling terrain then it dropped from 9880′ to 7870′ in about 3 miles. I counted 60 switchbacks on the way down the hill. I also spooked two deer at the bottom and they spooked me as well!

We regrouped at the bridge at Mono Creek. It was only 1.4 miles to catch the ferry to VVR. We got to the ferry which landed an hour before the pickup time. The boat comes up the lake at 9:45 AM and 4:45 PM everyday. While we waited we talked to a fisherman who told us just yesterday a guy fishing with his buddies drowned. They were drinking heavily and had too much in the boat and it rolled over and he didn’t come up. Scary!
The ferry arrived and Vortex and Blue Sky got off. It was nice to see them again. We got on and went down lake to VVR. The lake is about 15′ low so we had to go slow. Once to the other end, we had to get out and then get in a van and drive along what use to be under water, now a beach, to the resort.

I got a chocolate milk and muffin while Ed had a full breakfast. Wounded Knee and I tried for a hitch to Mono Hot Springs but got nowhere. We had lunch and tried again after. We got a ride from Steve and Diana (and their daughter and 3 dogs). They were very friendly and dropped us off right at the PO. We passed Stick and Wing It walking the road up to VVR.

At the PO/General store I got my tent. finally! I also got my food and bounce box. Wounded Knee wasn’t so lucky and his boxes never arrived. We walked back up the road to hitch back to VVR and the first 3 people who stopped didn’t have room in their vehicles. Finally a guy in a pickup gave us a ride. It was bumpy but worth it. One of the cars, who was full and had offered us a ride, overheated and we passed them just up the road. I’m glad we didn’t go with them.

Once back to VVR we hung out and finally ate dinner around 6. I ate with Second Hand, Thirsty Boots, Storming Norman and his wife, Wing It and Stick. Ed and Wounded Knee came late so they sat alone. I had a chicken plate with corn on the cob, bean chili, and potato salad. For desert I had apple pie with ice cream. After dinner I showered and then it was off to bed.

Ed did most of my laundry while I was in Mono, so everything but my hiking shorts are clean and one pair of socks.

Tomorrow we will leave VVR and get back to the mountains one more time. I enjoyed the 5+ days without seeing any civilization. The Sierras are an incredible place.

Scatman 2011- VVR is expensive!  I made a satellite phone call for 15 minutes and it was like $30.  I was quite stressed about getting to Mono Hot Springs and worried my stuff wouldn’t be there.  VVR is pretty much the only thing on this road past Mono so there’s not a lot of traffic.  Going back the next day would have sucked.

It was at VVR that Wounded Knee expressed his interest in hiking on his own.  We would hike together a few days until the PCT and JMT split.  Ed and I went one way while he took the JMT.  We had hiked a long way together so I was sad to see him go.