Mixed feelings today. Life on the trail has become a comfortable way of life. Every day a new adventure. Our group has gotten along very well; I'll miss them all. I'm not really missing any of the comforts of home; well - maybe a flush toilet where I don't have to dig a hole in the granite first thing in the morning. I'm not craving any particular food, except maybe a crunchy salad.
It never did rain last night. I was up during the night to a bright full moon still quite high in the sky, illuminating the lake and the hill behind it. So beautiful........ I slept really well. Up early again and on the trail by about 6:30. Some nice reflections in Soldier Lake before we left.
It was nice and warm today from the get-go. Alex was in the lead and, for a change, his pace was a saunter (for him); a comfortable pace for me. As a result of this reduced pace the group never got too spread out. A nice touch for the end of the trip. And - we stopped more often than usual to really savour this last day. It was a beautiful walk - not too hot, not too cold, mostly sunny with a bit of cloud. We started out on the Siberian Pass Trail which, after 1.8 miles, took us back to the PCT. We spent a lot of time this morning traversing the mountain rather than going up or down. Lots of dead trees today for my coffee-table book. They're too big, though, for my little camera......
Shortly after rejoining the PCT we left Sequoia National Park and were back into Inyo National Forest, the Golden Trout Wilderness area this time.
We had lots of views off to the right down to some large meadows, Big Whitney Meadow according to the map. They were mostly just dry, but some had a bit of greenery in them.
Some miscellaneous trail shots.........
And the view to Cottonwood Pass.......
A final group shot at Cottonwood Pass, thanks to Mike K., and one more of me in familiar clothing.
So - that makes it an even dozen passes....... Donohue, Island, Silver, Selden, Muir, Mather, Pinchot, Glen, Forester, Trail Crest, Guyot, Cottonwood. Some tougher than others, but all beautiful!
After the pass the downhill began in earnest. Down, down, down.........
It was about 4 miles from the pass to the parking lot. Through the trees and watching my feet, so nothing in the way of pictures. We were met the in the parking lot by Marsha and her "Discover Yosemite" bus. Cold beverages and one more lunch provided by Katie & Alex. I wasn't craving any particular food so much as I didn't want to see certain foods for a while - snack mixes and cheeses mostly. The bus ride to Lone Pine took about an hour and dropped about 6000 feet on a really winding, switchbacking road. The temperature in Lone Pine was 102F; thank goodness for the coolness at elevation!
A wonderful trip. I would highly recommend it if you ever get the chance.............
Stats for the day: about 10 miles, 1180 feet up, 2020 feet down. Elevation at the trailhead - about 9900'. Elevation in Lone Pine - about 3700'.
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