--As I mentioned in a previous post, the girls and I limited the number of photos we took per day to two or three each. We were worried we would run out of battery power before we arrived at Whitney (I had a solar charger with me, but it was as helpful as a sack of rocks). I therefore have only a handful of photos to share. However, if you'd like to see some large, beautiful images of Evolution Basin and Muir Pass, then check out this post on the Cooking in Tongues website. Don and Debbie, the folks who write the Cooking in Tongues blog, hiked through Evolution Basin the same day we did.
The girls and I woke early and were up and out before anyone else in our little camping spot. It's a long, exposed, ten-mile haul from McClure Meadow to Muir Pass, and we wanted to be sure we could get up and over before nasty-looking afternoon clouds could form. We set our pace to Fast and reached the edge of Evolution Basin in short order. The grade from McClure Meadow to the inlet of Evolution Lake is moderate, so covering this ground quickly was not a problem.
Evolution Basin is breathtakingly beautiful. Here we are, on the edge of it (thanks, kind guy hiker, for taking this photo).
 |
| Photo by Alex |
Then, however, the trail goes up. There are a series of steep switchbacks, and they give the impression that you are about to top off near the pass...but no, you end up by Wanda Lake. You can then see, far away and above you, a lump in the distance on the top of a pass...that's Muir Hut. You then realize just how far you still have to go. Though the scenery is gorgeous throughout this entire area, the path feels a bit like a never-ending journey. The last few switchbacks are tough -- the grade becomes steeper and the altitude starts to wear you down. I wasn't enjoying life during the last five minutes of the climb..but then we were there, and it felt wonderful to be up top.
Sage took a photo of our critters at the entrance to the hut --
 |
| Photo by Sage |
 |
| Photo by Sage |
The views in both directions were gorgeous, so we sat and took a long lunch break. We demolished most of a large bag of ranch-flavored sunflower seeds (scrumptious!), said hello to some familiar faces as they reached Muir Hut, and then finally began the hike down the rocky eastern side of Muir Pass.
We descended into the trees and walked toward Starr Camp, my Plan A camping spot for the evening. It was still early when we reached this area, though, so we kept going. We said hello to the infamous Rock Monster...
...and continued on toward Pete's Meadow, where we came to an area with a few tiny camping spots right next to the trail (legal, since the trail-to-camp spacing requirements are minimal along this section of the JMT). One of the spots was occupied by a tent and a bunch of harnesses...the owner emerged as we were walking past. I asked the fellow if he had mules, but he told me no, he had llamas. Sure enough, less than a tenth of a mile later, we came across a grassy area where four or five llamas stood chewing. They stopped and stared at us as we passed. We bid them a calm and quiet greeting and continued on our way. A tenth of a mile or so after that, we saw a spur path to our right. Following it, we found a large camping area. I was done for the day so, even though the area was littered with deer poop, we pitched our tent.
I enjoyed this site, but Alex and Sage didn't. I liked it because it was quiet and peaceful, and a family of deer kept wandering through our space. The girls didn't care for all the poop. There was quite a bit, but it had all dried so there was no smell. One just had to be careful where to sit and step.
As we were eating dinner, a helicopter flew by, circled around, then came and lowered itself right over us. It was a "fire" helicopter -- we could tell by the symbol on the bottom section. I told the girls not to wave, since I thought this helicopter might be looking for someone and I didn't want them to think we were lost and therefore trying to attract attention. The helicopter hovered for a few seconds, then tried to land on a nearby boulder. That didn't work out, so it lifted back into the air. I heard it move toward the field where the llamas had grazed, then land there. I waited for men to appear, since, by now, I was half-convinced Hugh had called Search and Rescue on us (since we hadn't had cell or internet contact in days). Nobody appeared, however, and, a little while later, we heard the 'copter fly off.
A trail crew was camped nearby. I saw some of the fellows after they returned from their day's work, and I asked them about the helicopter. One of them told me it was indeed a Search and Rescue 'copter, and that it was involved with the recovery of a person who had gone missing. A couple of days later, we were told from other hikers about Gregory Muck. That's a sad story, and I feel for his family and friends.
The next day, we'd hear more about the 'copter...and about the llamas (lots of drama with those llamas!). More on that in my next entry, which I'll post by Friday the 14th. I truly wish I could post more entries more often, but the girls' academic and extracurricular schedule, along with some personal deadlines, are making it difficult for me to grab more than a few minutes of free time a day. I do hope this blog is proving informative, however, to those who are researching the JMT for their own adventure. I'll definitely complete all posts by the end of this year (December 2014), including the gear list/review.
No comments:
Post a Comment