From PCT mile 717.2 to 729.3 Total: 11.6 miles 5/30
On the sixth day of my trek I started hiking at the “Swallow Bridge” over the South Fork Kern River, spent the morning climbing up and into melting snow on the side of Olancha Peak, and continued down the far side to camp near Gomez Meadow.
As always, I woke up in the pre-dawn darkness and ate my oatmeal while sitting in my tent. It was cold out there! The frigid air was flowing down the river valley thanks to little wind and a clear, starry night. I was lucky to be up in the trees above the river, as there was frost on some of the tents camped across the bridge on the flatland. The cold air also kept my fellow PCT hikers, all of which were Cowboy Camping, snug inside their sleeping bags while I was able to get dressed and packed.
Just the same, the sun was up and the air was warming by the time I put on my backpack and started hiking. I crossed the swallow bridge and watched the swallows flying all around me. They were such swift and accurate aviators. Then I continued north on the PCT through sunny Monache Meadow, taking in the wide meandering path of the South Fork Kern River.
Soon, the trail bent north into forested Cow Canyon, leaving the meadow behind. Pine trees and a flowing creek were my companions for the next few miles. It was peaceful in there, and shady, which was nice as I was beginning to get sweaty with the constant climbing.
All in all, I had about 2700 feet to climb that day, from 7900 at the river to 10,600 feet elevation where the PCT crossed over the top, high on the western ridge of Olancha Peak. This peak, at 12,132 feet, was considered to be the highest summit in the Southern Sierra Nevada. North of here, the terrain and vegetation changed significantly, and became more Sierra-like, in my opinion. In other words, I expected everything to get better from here on out, all the way to northern Yosemite. I’d hiked it all before, in shorter sections, so I knew what I was talking about.
Cow Canyon ended near Olancha Pass, and the trail climbed ever-higher. Some of the people I camped with (younger and fitter than I was) passed me by. Of course, they also stopped for water more often, trying to keep their packs lighter by carrying less water at any given moment. I didn’t really enjoy filtering water, so I tended to filter a lot of it at once, then carry more weight for longer. “Hike your own hike” is the saying among Thru-Hikers, and this is just one of the ways we differ. But we all end up hiking the same trail in the end. Still, I admit to filtering two liters at a small creek near Olancha Pass, and I intended to camp near another creek that evening where I would filter a gallon, which would carry me through dinner, breakfast, and the entire day’s hike tomorrow.
The best part about climbing a mountain is the views. This is what keeps you coming back for more. And Olancha Peak was no slouch when it came to affording views. There were pines that blocked visibility, but also vast sloping meadows that yielded them. All in all, it was a fine hiking experience, and the trail was smooth and cruisey, albeit uphill all the way.
The conditions became more interesting as I ascended above 10,000 feet. Melting snowbanks lay athwart the trail. Some were easy to avoid, but others less so. By this time in the day, the temperature was high enough that the top surface of the snow became a bit slushy. This was both good and bad. Good, because it wasn’t slick ice anymore (it usually refreezes at night) but bad because it made postholing more likely. Having your entire boot and leg punch down through the top surface of a snow drift is quite unpleasant, and can even be dangerous if you lose your balance while pinned by your leg. I managed to negotiate the snow successfully, although others were less lucky.
There was a fine view north when I arrived at the high ridge. A number of us stopped there to eat lunch and gaze upon the snowy peaks of the High Sierra to the north. It was a sobering view to most of them, as they were intending to continue onward into the melting snow. I was heading back home before that point, wisely planning to wait out the final weeks of the Spring melt. But I wasn’t heading to Canada like they were. Summer wildfires and Autumn snow up north awaited them if they tarried too long. I was only hiking 500 miles or so, a mere Summertime trek.
After lunch, it was time to descend. But only 1500 feet or so. Much less than the big morning climb. After Olancha, the PCT stayed relatively high for the foreseeable future. This meant cooler days, perfect for hiking, but also colder nights. With the right gear, you might even call them perfect for sleeping. It’s the waking up to frost that makes it interesting.
I hiked on into the afternoon. Eventually, I reached the low point near Gomez Meadow where I planned to camp. Gomez meadow itself was a low spot, which I figured would result in condensation inside my tent, so I chose to camp a bit earlier, near a smaller creek. Vicki and I camped there back in 2020, when we section-hiked this region heading SOBO (SOuthBOund). It was nice to be in a familiar spot, full of pleasant memories.
While collecting my water, I met some of my fellow campers (from the night before) one last time, and wished them well in the snows to come. I also offered them a ride to the town of Lone Pine, two days from now. It’s the Way of the PCT, to offer what you can to your fellow hikers. I even gave some extra food to one couple, who had a long hike to their next resupply, as it was difficult to know how much the residual snow might slow them down.
After that, I set up my tent and ate some ramen noodles for dinner. It wasn’t much, calorie-wise, but that was OK. I was still packing quite a few extra pounds on my waist that I inadvertently acquired over the previous Winter. In the everlasting desire to lighten ones backpack of excess weight, it seemed like a better, easier, and far less expensive idea to get rid of ones own excess flab, instead.
After dinner, the air began to cool. I got dressed for the night and lay down in my sleeping bag. I updated my maps and notes on the phone, then spent some time reading a book on my Kindle. A few hikers walked by but none of them stopped to camp. After all the socializing last night, I was happy to have an evening of solitude and contemplation. Just me, enjoying the Wilderness. In other words: Life was good again.
For a topographic map of the hike see my CalTopo Page
For LOTS more photos of the trek see my Flickr Page
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