June 22, 2017 (My Birthday!)
Foot of Kearsarge Pass into Bishop
Pacific Crest Trail Thru-Hike: Day 48

Okay, let’s talk about my birthday. Maybe one of the best birthdays in the history of my life. It was a day packed with unwanted expectation, unexpected surprise and altogether too many details for a single post, so bear with me as I split it up.

Secret hopes and low expectations

It started off with an intention that I would be content with whatever happened on my birthday. That I may only make it to the trailhead. We might not find a hitch, and if we did, they likely wouldn’t drive us the 30+ miles all the way into Bishop where our trail family were meeting us. If we got a hitch, everyone would probably have a place to stay and it wouldn’t be where we were. It would probably be late in the day anyway, and since half of the trail family had gotten there a day earlier, they’d all likely be preparing to get back on trail tomorrow.

Low expectations, but an intention of contentment which mean this: I was in the middle of the fucking mountainous wilderness, surrounded by the most beautiful, craggy, snow-covered, majestic peaks I’d ever seen, and they enveloped me. I was with the person I loved the most. We had made it through the first section of the High Sierra. I was spending my birthday in the High Sierra. How could I be anything but happy?

Of course, the little voice of hope didn’t go away. Hoping we’d have an easy descent down Kearsarge. Hoping we’d get a hitch. Hoping we’d see our friends. Hoping we’d get in town in time to get a beer and something warm to eat. Hoping.

Scheming trail family

The trail family camped ahead of us on the other side of the pass. As they headed towards the Onion Valley Trailhead, they passed a group of hikers returning to trail after a week hiatus in Bishop of waiting for the snow to melt.

We woke up early and began climbing the shale switchbacks. As we crested the top of the pass, there was a sign proclaiming the elevation, and a group of 8 hikers.

“Are you Cedar?”

I said yes, confused that they knew my name.

Suddenly, “Happy Birthday” came ringing from each one of them as they exclaimed birthday wishes.

I felt a warm smile cross my face, and each of the hikers introduced themselves. They headed into the wilderness, we continued to make our way into town.

Descending Kearsarge Pass

The pass was snow covered and I leaned hard into the boulders, trying to avoid postholing and sliding down the snow slope. The hikers before us had made a nice tread, so with time and patience, we made our way. As we got off the steep section of the pass and the snow became patchy, I almost tripped.

There was a rock, right in the middle of trail. And a little piece of paper sticking out from it. A note!

“Happy Birthday Cedar! We camped here last night. There’s supposed to be a trail angel named Santa’s Helper giving rides into Bishop. Text us when you get service, We’ll see you in town!”

They hadn’t forgot about us! They talked to friends this morning! They left us a note!

Onion Valley Trailhead

On the final descent before the trailhead, we ran into hot Will (uncle Jesse), Dutch, and Skittles. The first thing hot will did was wish me a happy birthday. Smiles all around. Then they told us an equally celebratory piece of information—the road to the trailhead was still closed, but not completely. Instead of 13 miles, it was only a 7-mile roadwalk to the road where we could get a hitch. Yes. We would get to the road where we could get a ride, find Santa’s helper, and get a ride the half hour into town.

Except, there was competition. We got to the trailhead the same time as two other hikers rolled up. They did not look friendly. We had our shit laid out everwhere, were catching our breath before the road walk, and these two rolled up, scraggly as shit. Surly. Not a smile to be seen.

They introduced themselves as Vice and Boathouse.

We had to get moving. I was NOT going to have these two dudes beat us to the one rumored trail angel and steal our ride. On my BIRTHDAY. Nope. Not gonna do it. So we headed out, hoping the trail angel would actually be there, not knowing what we’d do if he was just a rumor.

Surprise Sam

The road walk had it’s bright spots as it gave me time to talk to my mom, dad, and brother. I miss them so much right now. My family. There’s a deep need in my heart for me to talk to them on my birthday if I can’t see them. It’s the day I miss them most. I had plenty of time to tell them everything that had happened, that I had made it through the first stretch of the Sierra alive. That I loved them. That I missed them. That everything was wonderful.

And as we walked down the steep, exposed, winding road in the blistering high-altitude sun, Alex got a text from Sam. Asking where we were.

He was in Bishop. With his dad and sister. And he was going to come pick. Us. Up.

FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCKKKKKKKKKK

YESSSSSSSSSS

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When we were three miles from the bottom of the trailhead, Sam called to say he was hiking up to meet us, so we all walked the last mile and a half together to his dad’s minivan, where we were handed cold beer, put in air-conditioned seats and our smelly, tired butts were hauled to Bishop. Flooded with gratitude.