July 1, 2017
Mile 855 to just past Mono Hot Springs
Pacific Crest Trail Thru-Hike: Day 58

22 mile day. Did most of road walk on VVR/Bear Creek alternate. Camping in stealth spot above rocks in Mono Creek/Hot Springs Campground. Had very unsatisfying and expensive burger and beer. Should have known better. Should have just gotten beer.

Things to remember

First hikers of the season to ring the Muir Trail Ranch Bell! First dibs on hiker boxes from the previous season. SWEET! Mosquito-infested alternate. Trail magic beer at manmade Florence Lake. Rested at/before Florence ferry landing, at Florence Lake, on the road walk, and then at the hot springs restaurant. Met JMT John and taught him how to thread a blister.

Here I am, six miles (according to the sign) from the VVR lodge. What a fucking journey.

This morning we started walking down the trail at 6:30am, after waking up at 4:30am for an early start. We had coconut-cream-peanut-butter-granola for breakfast. I made it while Alex taped his hands. We walked along the river, saw a deer, and then I noticed a huge white hairy rock…WITH A HEAD.

It was an alpaca! There were four of them! Two adults and two teenagers (?) bridled but roaming free, grazing in the mountains. We saw a tent nearby, so they assumedly weren’t loose.

Muir Trail Ranch

We crossed a beautiful bridge from Kings Canyon National Park into the John Muir wilderness, eventually arriving at the Muir Trail Ranch. We were the first hikers of the season!

It didn’t look open so I had to holler at a guy, asking what time they opened today (it was 8-ish in the morning), and he hollered back ‘8am! Come on in!’ So we did!

We rang the bell, took a look in the AWESOME hiker box, the tiny store, signed the guest book, chatted for a bit.

The proprietor said something I really like about the Sierra when we were talking about the conditions this year.

“This is the Sierra Nevada. People just got used to the drought. Accessing this wilderness has never been easy.”

He conveyed to us, in words I can’t exactly remember, just how special this place is, and how this year we are seeing the Sierra as it truly is. It made me feel like it’s such a special place that you have to REALLY want to be able to see it, and be willing to go through a lot for it, but you’ll be rewarded in the end. Yes. Willing to risk your life for it, even. For a secret wilderness. Keep it secret. Keep it safe. But really what a different perspective, when all of us hikers are wailing about how this year is so dangerous and horrible, and the people who live in the mountains are saying the Sierra is finally showing itself again as it truly is.

The road walk at the end of the day was pretty nice actually, only a single lane forest road through the wilderness. We have 6 miles left once we get down from this gorgeous rock-nook campsite, and I’m glad to get into VVR not a day sooner.